Bored? Not for Long!!

Check out this AMAZING collection of activities and projects. There is SO many gorgeous ideas - it's just a matter of how many ink cartidges you have in reserve!! It's the activity page of Jan Brett's website... staggering!!! Check it out. (clic on the title of this post)

Toddler Activites - Nesting and Stacking

1) When choosing nesting and stacking toys for your toddlers, look for those that have only a few pieces. Toys with too many pieces to figure out can frustrate toddlers.

2) Make a nesting game for your children by collectintog paper cups in three or four different sizes. Place the cups, right side up, on a table. Show the children how to place the cups inside one another, starting with the largest cup. A set of measuring cups also works well.

3) Boxes make a nice nesting game. Set out three or four boxes in different sizes for your children to nest together.

4) Purchase plastic eggs in small, medium, and large sizes. Put one of each size together to make a fun nesting toy for spring.

5) A nesting set of pots makes a great toy. Your toddlers will love experimenting with them to find out just how they can nest together.

6) Toddlers especially enjoy stacking rings. You can purchase commercially make stacking rings or you can make your own. A small bathroom plunger and some shower curtain rings or large metal canning jar rings make a fun game.

7) You can also make a stacking rings game out of a wooden bottle-drying rack and some old napkin rings. Have your children put the rings on the dowels of the rack.

8) Make a different kind of stacking toy by cutting the tops and bottoms off plastic 2-liter bottles to make cylinders. Cover the cylinders with self-stick paper, if you wish. Show your children how to stack the cylinders on top of each other.

9) Collect several small plastic containers that are all the same size. Let your children stack and unstack them.

10) For an unusual stacking game, collect plastic cups and saucers. Show your children how to stack them by alternating saucers and cups, then let them try to make a two or three cup tower.

Toddler Activites - Ice Cream Colors

This is the most hilarious thing ever! It is a free print out thingy from a site called www.first-school.ws/ . (By clicking on the title of this post you will be taken directly to the ice cream page!!) Anyway - I made a set and used that bluetac stuff to stick it onto the wall, but Meer LOVED ripping them off SO much, I glue-gunned them on the wall with velcro! (a big tall strip vertically, and then horizontal strips on the backs of each scoop and cone) It is just hilarious to watch him be "destructive" - he just loves it!! Hope you enjoy it too...

;-D

Toddler Activites - Bottle Toys

LARGE SODA BOTTLES

Toddlers love to shake and roll rounded objects. Take advantage of this natural curiosity and fill large soda bottles with interesting things to observe. Be sure to secure the top of the bottles, perhaps even gluing them shut, or wrapping them with tape.

BOUNCY BEANS – Put various large dried beans in a bottle for your child to shake and roll around, listening to the sound it makes.

RAIN BOTTLES – Put some rice in a bottle and make your child a rain bottle as they tilt the bottle up and down.

POP CORN POPPER – Put some popped corn in the bottle and encourage your child to roll in around the room, popping the corn.

FLOATING OCTOPUS – Blow up two very small balloons and tie. Place them in the bottle and then fill the bottle ¾ with water. The balloons will bob around and look like baby whales.

MINI TOYS – Look for mini cars, animals, balls, dice, etc. to place in a bottle.

BEACH SCENE – Place ½ cup sand in the bottle, along with some mini shells. Pour in some water, tinted with blue food coloring.

BUBBLES GALORE – Pour in some water, tinted with blue food coloring and some dish soap or some bubble bath. Shake up the bottle to make bubbles.

GLITTER BOTTLES – Drop in some glitter, sequins, metallic confetti, glass jewels. Fill ¾’s with water and shake.

FEATHER BOTTLES – Fill the bottle with ten or twenty small feathers.

BOWLING PINS - Empty soda bottle make great bowling pins for toddlers.
Set up three to ten soda bottles.
Have your child stand back and roll a ball towards the bottles.
How many did he knock down?

Tile Wall Transformation

Well - THIS is what we have done with our new patch of off white tiles in the kitchen! Not TOO bad, hey?? We have a cup of white board crayola markers hanging on the wall - incase our little Picasso gets inspired! Although so far he is only interested in tossing the markers on the floor, and then putting them back in the cup! ;-D

Toddler Activites - Wall Cups

So this is actually my own brilliant idea!! I saw our plastic cups in the cupboard, and was like - OH YA!!! So I taped them up on the wall, and Meer just LOVES emptying and filling them with various things - keeps him busy, that's for sure! In the same breath, I am also sure he will get sick of it soon, but if it amuses him for a week or so - I will be thrilled!

Local Shopping - Wooden Kid Stuff

Well - there is THE coolest store at Village Market - they sell handmade wooden kid stuff. It is called Ocram Girap, and it is FABULOUS!~ Clic on the title of this post to check out their site - it has pictures of all the stuff they sell, etc... Enjoy!!

Flash Card Mania - the Technique

I download the pdf files, print out 2 copies, cut out each flash card (4 print out on one page), and then glue it dead-center onto a slightly larger pretty paper – I was SHOCKED to find holographic foil paper at our local stationary shop – imagine! 25 sheets for about $5 !! How amazing is that?? I trim down the top and side by about 1cm, and then cut the pages in quarters. Anyway – then I laminate 2 cards inside a A5 pouch, and cut them apart, trim the sharp corners, and Wah-lah!!! A finished flashcard that looks absolutely professional and... how handy!!! ;-D

Flash Card Mania – Shapes

I did these with my publishing software. I like them, and everything, but there is also a nice set available from Jan Brett! The link to the ones I found online is here…

http://www.janbrett.com/pdf/jan_brett_geometric_shapes.pdf

Flash Card Mania - Colors

Here is the link to the flash cards for learning the colors! Also quite pretty…

http://www.janbrett.com/pdf/colors_flash_cards.pdf

Flash Card Mania - Matching Animals Game

Now HERE is a really sweet version of the game – Concentration! It is SUPER CUTE and well drawn pictures of different animals – two of each – for our little ones to learn matching! Just adorable. There are 12 different animals to match up. Here is the direct link…

http://www.janbrett.com/games/matching_animals_game_main.htm

Flash Card Mania - Matching Numbers Game

There is also a GREAT number matching game too - one card has the number - one card has the picture. Then it is a matter of matching up the correct ones! VERY nice looking... I am working on that this week! (Yes - I ran out of laminating pouches and holographic card stock! Not to worry - I replenished my supply first thing this morning!! ;-D) Anyway - this is the link to the number matching printables...

http://www.janbrett.com/games/matching_numbers_game_main_page.htm

Flash Card Mania - Numbers

These are the numbers by Jan Brett. They are super neat too. Same thing – clic on the link below, and open up each page as a pdf file – 4 numbers per page.

http://www.janbrett.com/numbers/numbers_flash_cards_main.htm

Flash Card Mania - Pretty Ones

These are from an absolutely FABULOUS site I found – AMAZING artwork, and super pretty, etc. There is a TONNE of stuff to choose from – everything from gift cards, to flash cards, to preschool lessons, to classroom supplies, etc. Just amazing! If you clic on the title of this post, it will take you to her index page. Scroll down, and do a search for what you are looking for – you will be SHOCKED to see how much is available – and YES – all for free! I printed out 2 sets of alphabet flashcards – one in hand writing, and one in printing – so Meer can (one day) match up the written letters with the printed letters, etc. And the artwork is SO pretty…

This is the main page where you can search for what you are looking for:

http://www.janbrett.com/index.html

This is the link to the Traditional Alphabet Flash Cards:

http://www.janbrett.com/alphabet/flash_card_alphabet_traditional_main_page.htm

This is the link to the Modern Alphabet Flash Cards:

http://www.janbrett.com/alphabet/flash_card_alphabet_modern_main_page.htm

This is the link to the Cursive (handwritting) Alphabet Flash Cards:

http://www.janbrett.com/alphabet/flash_card_alphabet_cursive_main_page.htm

Flash Card Mania - the Beginning

So I went a bit nuts over the weekend with my laminator!! Found a GREAT site for flashcards – well, 2 sites, actually. These are the ones I found first – a full set of the alphabet – I made two sets, so we can play matching later, etc. Here are the links to the flashcards – you can print them out yourself – yes – for free!!! Right clic each of the links below, and choose "open in new window" - it will open up a pdf file with 4 letters on each page - one for each link... Hope you like them too!

http://www.first-school.ws/t/alpha_flash1ad.htm

http://www.first-school.ws/t/alpha_flash1eh.htm

http://www.first-school.ws/t/alpha_flash1il.htm

http://www.first-school.ws/t/alpha_flash1mp.htm

http://www.first-school.ws/t/alpha_flash1qt.htm

http://www.first-school.ws/t/alpha_flash1ux.htm

http://www.first-school.ws/t/alpha_flash1yz.htm

Drive-by Munching

This is Meer munching down on his puffed wheat! He eats like a champion since I filled his bilibo with cereal – he eats by the handful! Who knew! I tried butting him in a big bucket, and poured the cereal around him, but he thought that was just weird and wanted to get out immediately!! There are a few cups inside for filling and pouring – he just loves it! Apparently you let the kids play with it for a few days, and then give the remaining cereal to the birds…

Toddler Activites - Filling Up Fun

FILLING UP FUN
These are great small muscle activities for young children.

STUFF THE TURKEY
You need some brown grocery sacks for this activity. Take one of the sacks and roll the sides down until they are approximately 5-6 inches from the bottom. Take the other sacks and cut them into 6” x 6” squares. Show your child how to crunch up the squares. Tell your child that the rolled down bag is the turkey and the crunched up papers are the dressing. Have your child fill their turkey with dressing.

TOOTHBRUSH HOLDER
Children love filling up the holes in a toothbrush holder.
Set out a toothbrush holder and the appropriate number of toothbrushes.
Encourage your child to put one toothbrush in each hole.

CANDLEHOLDER
Set out a candleholder that holds more than one candle.
Set out the appropriate number of candles.
Encourage your child to put one candle in each holder.

WOODEN PUZZLES
Set out a knobbed puzzle with large easy pieces.
Encourage your child to place each piece in its correct hole.

COOKIE CUTTER PUZZLE
You will need a sturdy box lid.
Lay the lid on the table.
Set some simple cookie cutters on top and draw around the cutters.
Cut out the cutter shapes in the box lid.
Set out the box lid and the cookie cutters.
Have your children place the cookie cutters into their holes.

TENNIS BALL TUBE
Set out a tennis ball tube filled with tennis balls.
Let your child dump out the balls, then carefully place them all back in the tube.

CRAFT STICK GARDEN
You will need a sturdy shoe box for this activity.
Put the lid on the box and cut two rows of four 1” slits.
Set out eight large craft sticks and let your children fill each slit with a craft stick.

FILL THE POT
Set out a pan of water, a measuring cup and a medium sized plastic bowl.
Show your child how to dip the measuring cup into the water and then transfer a cup from the pan into the bowl.
Let your child continue doing this until the bowl is full.