Badger's Wonder Baskets

 

Last month when Panda started a more structured Preschool at home I began making wonder baskets for Badger to play with. These keep him occupied while I am working with his brother. I had planned on doing separate posts for Panda's school and Badger's activities... But that has been proving difficult. I will be adding these into my regular school posts from here on out. That being said; for Apple Week Badger's wonder basket held a chiming apple, and nesting measuring cups that he took great delight in stacking and unstacking and banging together. I found some silicon measuring spoons to add in. They have been a favorite teething soother all month. We also worked on sorting apples into muffin tins and tasted all sorts of apple treats together.

For Talk Like a Pirate Day, Badger has a special one day pirate basket. He enjoyed playing with the boat the most out of this basket, so I followed his lead and gave him a bin of water to float the boat and splash around in while Panda was at therapy.

For our Good Night Moon Week Badger had a comb and a brush and a bowl full of mush... errr... Make that a bowl and spoon. I also dug out a ball with a moon and a bunny for this basket. During the day we made a night sky by putting paint into a Ziploc bag and then smooshing the paint around.

For Squirrel Week I really wanted an acorn, but didn't have the time to stitch a felt one together. Instead I opted for several different wood slices, a squirrel, and a pine cone. Badger was fascinated with the pine cone. We spent most of our one on one time out on nature walks along the river this week.

And for Michaelmas and Dragon Week I put together a basket with a knight, dragon, crown, shooting star, and a marigold dyed play silk. Badger is starting to take an interest in hats and had a lot of fun playing with the crown. We also have a wooden dragon pull toy that he had a lot of fun studying and pulling around the house.

I don't remember where I first heard of the idea of Wonder Baskets for Babies, but they are wonderful tools to keep on hand for safe and fun exploration.

Thanks for Reading and

~Shine On~

Child Seat for an Adult Trike!

Here is our third and final finished huge summer project! I have a connective tissue disorder called Ehlers Danlos, it has weakened my neck in such a way that there is pressure on my brain-stem and I am no longer able to balance on a regular bicycle. For someone who lived to bike this was a devastating blow. 

So we bought a trike that does most of the balancing for me. The problem is, there are no good child seats or trailers for a trike. So we built one. This is how my trike looked before we added the bike seat. Words can't express how happy I am to be riding again. My inspiration for this project come from Green-Trust.Org

We used an old plywood shelf that was just taking up space in the garage for the box. The dimensions were taken from the pre-existing basket. They vary slightly from trike to trike. 

We used L-brackets to assemble the box.

 

Then we painted and built a simple frame for a sunshade out of 1"X2". The seat was the most perplexing part. My sister-in-law gave us an old child bike cart and the problem was solved. We already owned and only had use for one (for Bear to take Panda out), so we took the seat out of the second cart and used it. This allows Panda to be in more of a sling type of seat that absorbs impact and makes for a smoother ride. There are also two seat belts so we can continue to use this rickshaw-trike should we have another child later on.

Now to decorate. This is the cloth and fringe we used for the sunroof. It works perfectly. The height of the roof was determined by where my back is when I'm riding. We needed it to sit higher than my back so it would not bump, but low enough to still provide shade. This was trial and error measurements that will be different for everybody. 

 

The Rickshaw was attached using the same parts from the preexisting basket, but we did have to buy slightly longer bolts. When Panda grows we can raise the seat by moving up the screws and the bar in the back as needed.

A view from the back. We made sure to add plenty of reflectors.

So here we are back out on the road again. We attached the basket from the back to the front with some brackets and supports. This basket can hold up to four paper bags (three is a bit better), or a picnic basket and blanket quite nicely. It is great for outings, trips to the store, the local band-shell, the library, picnics, the park.. Really anything. We LOVE this bike!

Thanks for visiting.

Shine on!

How to Pack a Picnic Basket

Yesterday we went to Minnehaha Falls for a picnic. With it being Canada Day (a nod to all my friends and neighbors up North), and the 4th of July coming up this week I thought this might be a fun post for all the picnics that will be going on.

  Everyone has their own way of packing up for a picnic. The options are as varied and plentiful as there are birds in the sky. I prefer a good old fashioned picnic basket that contains everything (the food, drinks, games, blanket) AND keeps everything cool.

First I tuck in our blanket,. but leave the ends of it sticking out. Then we place an ice pack on it. The blanket acts as an insulator. 

Next we put in the food items we want coldest. We really don't pack a lot (yes that is soda... A LOT of soda, but Bear is on vacation and we wanted something fun). 

Then we fold the blanket, pack in the rest of the food, and cover that up as well.

We love this blanket and it has seen many a picnic. 

On the top of the blanket I like to add some items for play. For Panda we brought a gnome, a hand kite, a little car, a ladybug for tossing, a book, and some bubbles. This lets us sit just a little bit longer and enjoy the view while Panda is happily entertained. (The bubbles are always a huge hit). Way back when Bear and I were dating we would bring things like; a book to read together, bubbles, a Frisbee, and maybe a card game.
And that's how we pack a picnic basket.

Just for fun, here is another picture of the falls and some of the park.

Mask of Chief Little Crow overlooking the falls.

The river was so flooded that some trails were completely washed away.

Thanks for visiting. Enjoy your week, wherever you choose to spend it.
Shine on.

Baby Sensory Beanbags

 Panda loved the Scented Thanksgiving pillows I made the other day. They were a new texture, a yummy smell, and just the right size for his tiny hands. That gave me an idea; so yesterday I made him several bean bags filled with different sensory items. 

First I picked out several different fabrics from my scrap bin and cut them into 4" squares. I tried to choose different textures and patterns as well as colors. Next I sewed them into little pillows (leaving the bottom open for stuffing). Then I stuffed them with scrap fabric and an added a sensory item:

Red upholstery fabric + Dog toy squeaker

Green mushroom print flannel + Dried lavender buds

Thick tan striped trouser cotton + Homemade egg shaker (described in next step)

Yellow felt + Crinkly cellophane

Cranberry velor with gold embroidery + Jingle bells

Burlap + Cinnamon twigs (because Panda loved the Thanksgiving ones so much)

Red starry fleece + Fiberfill (because things don't always have to "do" something)

Denim + Rattle

 To make the egg shaker bean bag I put some rice in a small tin and sealed it shut with some duct tape (left over zebra duct tape from Ehlers Danlos awareness projects). Yup, that simple. After they were stuffed I sewed the pillows closed and placed them in a basket for Panda to find.

I was able to make these all with things I already had on hand. Panda loves them and has played with them pretty much constantly since he got them yesterday. I want to make a knitted square and possibly a vinyl square for a total of 10. Then we can use them for counting games when he is older. This would make such a great gift  that I had to post it. Sight, scent, touch, taste, and sound, all covered by these little bean bags. I hope this inspires you. Be well and Have fun!

Happy May Day!

Happy May 1st wherever you may be. This year I made fun May Day baskets with a friend. We repurposed old baskets purchased at a thrift store by gluing felt flowers on them with wooden buttons. The effect was rather adorable. This basket was made for some children who live in my neighborhood. I filled it with things people use around the world to celibate May 1st and left them a fun note to explain the items. The first line was:

"In America it has been a tradition to make baskets to hang on the door knobs for your friends with special surprises inside. Traditionally we ring the door bell and run away before you can see us. It is up to you to figure out who we are. Have a guess?"

A popular activity on May Day is to decorate a pole with brightly colored ribbon or paper streamers. Some also add flowers and balloons. The pole is usually carried in a parade and then placed in the ground at a designated area. People then dance around the May pole, holding the ends of the streamers or ribbon in their hands. Instead of a May pole we have four brightly colored pencils for you.

In London, May Day is celebrated with the children going from house to house. They bring flowers and get pennies in return. The pennies are then thrown into a wishing well. The pennies are then donated to charity. A beautiful bouquet of candy flowers awaits you inside this basket as well as pennies for each of you tied up in roles with many good wishes from us to you.

In France, cows play an important role in May Day. The cows are led in parades with many flowers attached to their tails. The people watching the parade try to touch the cows; it is believed to be good luck. Your plastic cow might be small but good things come in small packages. And besides, whoever has to clean up after the real cow at the end of the parade might not feel so lucky ;) Plastic cows fit much better in baskets.

In Germany, one tradition is for boys to secretly plant a May tree in front of the window of the girl they love. Oh my goodness, how would we ever fit a whole tree inside this basket? A pine cone with lots of tree seeds will have to do.

On May 1st, people in Hawaii celebrate their own version of May Day; they call it Lei Day. People give Hawaiian leis to each other. They put them around each others necks and sometimes give a traditional kiss. There are 4 brightly colored lei’s inside this basket. You can count them as a traditional hug from us to you.

Wherever you are in the world today; have a blessed, bright, beautiful (and warm) May. From Fox and Bear at Apple Crate Toys.