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~

Toddler Tuesdays: Part 6

I am so excited to share this week's Star Unit with you all. I collaborated with my sister for this one. For the next few weeks we will be studying shapes and to kick it off we are starting with stars. This week's sensory bin was a huge hit. Panda sat down and just observed it for the first three minutes before diving in. There are black beans, gold star pony beads, a big and little dipper (thanks for that idea Mouse), glow in the dark stars, meteorites (the tinfoil balls I saved from our wrapped blocks a few weeks ago), and a felt bean bag rocket with a streaming tail of ribbon for throwing! The first thing he did was start sorting out the tinfoil balls. I was quick to grab a few wooden bowls and set them down quietly beside him when I saw that, and he happily started sorting out the balls, beads, and beans. Then he held up the star links and poured the bean s through them with the ladles. It was magic watching him. The only part of this he has flat out ignored so far is the rocket I made for him. Strange, since he LOVES to throw things.

Mouse suggested that I roll out some blankets to make a trail through the house so Panda could have his own Milky Way.. I used that idea and cut out a million little stars to make this starry path. Panda has been having great fun hopping from one star to the next (and burning off cabin fever energy in the process). I based it's idea off of a game called Island Hoping that I made up for my niece and nephew MANY years ago.

I'm borrowing this game from my sister for the week. She bought it years ago when my (now 19 year old) nephew was just a wee little thing. Its held up fantastically and I was happy to see that they are still being made today. I found them on Amazon. It's called Balancing Moon . We've used this game to calm him down for both nap and bed time so far, and it's worked wonderfully.

 

This lacing game I made with some cardboard and a hold punch.

 I was really surprised that he was able to do this activity. He loves beading so a lacing game seemed like the next logical step. He can't stitch in sequence yet but he still enjoys weaving the thread in and out through the holes.

We also brought the light box back into play. Sunday I did a post about these new light box manipulatives. The bears represent Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. The little star links he likes to stack on his fingers like rings. He's fascinated with the cubes and their bright colors and the water element they bring to this activity, but it's the cut out transparencies that he plays with the most which kind of surprised me. He likes sliding them around and figured out on his own that he can make different colors by overlapping them.. 

 

I'm also borrowing this hole punch from my sister for the week. If you have some paper, a hole punch and a bored child, this is an amazing project. I set Panda up with these at the table while I get breakfast ready. He loves manipulating the hole punch. His fingers are to big to fit in the slot where the punch comes down so it's perfectly safe and lets me get breakfast ready.

I also made this nightlight for Panda, inspired by This blogger but made to be shatter proof.  I will post my version later. It casts stars all over the room in the dark. Panda loves spinning around with it and watching the stars swirl. Tonight we will make some peanut butter Rice Krispies stars as a sweet treat. What is going on in your home this week? Leave a comment in the comment section and thanks for joining us. See you next week.

Shine on!

Toddler Tuesdays: Part 2

Welcome Back to Toddler Tuesdays. My son's Pre-pre-school. These are the books we are looking at right now. See the one in the middle? We used that for inspiration for our first activity. 

I'm not overly fond of plastic toys, but I make an exception for legos (when Panda is older) and  Papo and Schleich figures. We pulled out all our winter animals and the light box. I scooped some flour onto the Light Box we made and showed Panda how to make animal tracks in the "snow" just like in the book. He loves this activity. Things got a bit messy. Next time I will put a sheet down and NOT do this over the heat vent.. Ooops. 

Of course we go for nature walks; this week gathering fallen pine branches as we go (with gloves on).

When we got home yesterday I put tape around the pine branch "paint brush " to make a handle (I can't touch the sap for allergy reasons, but Panda seemed to do ok)...

And made some art!

Every day this week we will be doing a different type of painting exercise. They will be used as Christmas Cards. Here are some other neat ideas I found on Pinterest:

From Surviving a Teachers Salary: Snowflake stamping with a soda bottle 

From Living with Four Hobbits and a Giant: Painting snowflakes with pine needles. 

Beneath the Rowan Tree.: Fingerprint Christmas Lights 

Once we cleaned up we started working those fine motor skills dropping our clothes peg people into a jug 

And pinning matching felt mittens together on a "Clothes line". Working the tiny clothes pins is a new and challenging experience for Panda. We work on colors and matching with this activity as well. He LOVES this one! When we are done I plan on making a fun garland with the mittens. 

And in the evening we calm down with sensory activities. I opted for a tray this week instead of a full table. It is filled with rice, blocks covered in tinfoil, tiny pine-cones, a spoon that looks like a shovel (buried), and felt penguins. I posted the pattern for the penguins yesterday if you are interested in making some for yourself. Thank you for joining us again. Please let us know what you are doing in your home and leave a link in the comment section so we can visit you.  We will be back next Tuesday with more fun. 

Shine on!

Talk Like A Pirate Day 2014

Dear Son, What a week! I be just gettin' around to tellin' ye 'bout tis' past shore leave (weekend). It was ye second 'speak Like a scurvy pirate Day' celebration.

Last year ye just wore some piratey garb 'n sang a lot 'o sea shanties, but 'tis year we were ready fer an adventure!

Yer Treasure 'tis year consisted 'o 10 Pieces 'o Eight pillows, which we used fer many tossin' games...

'n some skull 'n cross bone chalk which we used to decorate th' patio.

 

We dug up buried coins, jewels, necklaces, crowns, 'n seashells in ye sand table.,, 'n played outside in an inflatable boat till th' seven seas got scary. A tempest was a' brewin'.

Th' dark winds did not trouble ye me fearless swabby; not even when th' power went out. Ye played wit' play-dough (better than salt dough) fer th' first time 'n LOVED it. Ye made seashell impressions in th' clay fer a long Long hour.

Yer Great great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great Grandpapa was a scurvy pirate... Well actually a privateer... 'n a failed one at that; However! A certain cabin jim laddie once signed on to his ship 'n when they got to Jamaica he jumped ship 'n went on to become Henry Morgan! A infamous cutthroat scurvy pirate indeed.... I wonder how history would have played out if that cabin jim laddie never boarded?

In th' evenin' we had yer first bonfire in true buccaneer fashion. We roasted apples 'n hotdogs over th' coals while ye soaked yourself wit' a garden hose. Ye were havin' such a jolly good time ('n it was keepin' ye away from th' fire) so I just let ye play in th' spray. A good soakin' sounded like a perfectly piratey thin' to do.

All in all th' day was a success, 'n ye, me wee swabby were worn to th' bone. I love ye, 'n G'nightfall. Slumber soundly me hearty. 
love, Cap'n Mum~