boy play: o's

I love fruit loops.

The first time Mae crawled was to get a fruit loop. True fact.

When we were learning about the letter O a couple weeks ago we did this activity. Pretty simple concept: fruit loops (or cheerios) and a pipe cleaner. String them on and twist them into a shape. Hang them on a tree for the birds to find.

boy play: alphabet eggs

I saw egg cartons for a scavenger hunt over on Elsie Marley awhile back. So we created our own version with the alphabet and some leftover plastic easter eggs. 

Filled some of them with snacks: goldfish, raisens, pretzels, grapes, and peanuts. Hide them around the backyard and then sent Mae on the hunt. 

He was so excited when he found snacks hiding inside!

boy play: bugs in mud

A baby swimming pool.

And bugs.

Add dirt.

Then water.

Oh the fun to be had!

boy play: toddler roads

Like most boys his age Mae is obsessed with any and all trucks. His favorite? The garbage truck and fire truck. At his school they have these 2x4's that the kids can build with and everytime I pick Mae up he is building roads with them for the trucks to drive on.

Well earlier this week in the great Pacific Northwest it was still pouring rain, regardless of it being July. Since we were stuck inside we decided to make a road. Unfortunately we don't have cool 2x4's but we do have tons of books.

So we built a city. 

 Roads.

 Recycle cans. 

 Buildings on fire. 

 And even a monster, or so he was dubbed as he destroyed city roads.

 One more idea to add to your repertoire of rainy day activities.

boy play: color

Boys. Tactile. Active. Rambunctious. Most days just plain crazy!
I never believed these gender stereotypes to be true but then I had two sons and I couldn't agree with them more. My boys never stop moving.

So Pinterest has become my new best friend for ideas of what to do with them and how to keep them busy.

This activity was a good one that kept us busy for at least a half hour- maybe even 45 minutes. Plus all the things you need should be in your cupboards so its a quick one.

Color:
water
food coloring
cupcake pan
syringe or dropper

We started with just the primary colors and let him play with the water for quite some time. One thing I learned as a teacher; when you introduce new things let them play before trying to direct anything. Once he had mastered the syringe we started with new water and I walked him through making the secondary colors. Mae loved this!

Maybe his favorite was mixing them all at the end, where he exclaimed "brown, kind of like Bailey dog".

Valentine Cards

With Valentine's Day quickly approaching I have seen tons of ideas for cards all over pinterest. But when I saw this idea I knew I'd found a project Mae would love. We grabbed an empty toilet paper tube, red paint, and some pink paper and set to work. Mae loved it and I love the way they turned out. I especially like the one where Mae added part of his hand print. What a great idea!

boy play: cloud dough

Have you heard of it? I have read about it on numerous blogs and really wanted to try it simply because I was intrigued. Moldable like play dough but crumbly at the same time? Definitely interested. The ingredients are simple: flour and baby oil.

Oh. My. Gosh. Cloud dough equals a HUGE mess. This might be because Mae is two and was really enjoying himself but I had put out a drop cloth and we still had it everywhere. And of course in the three minutes I go to put Case to bed even Bailey our wiener dog started eating some! The kitchen sink, vacuum, laundry machine, and the bath tub were all involved in the clean up. Mess is an understatement.

With that fair warning, cloud dough really is wonderful! All the raves are true and it kept Mae entertained for longer than any other art supply we have ever used. We made cupcakes, avalanches, roads, tunnels, and eggs that Mae cracked to discover hidden treasure inside. Even I couldn't keep my hands out of it.

We used 2 cups flour and 1/4 cup baby oil and had plenty for Mae to play with on two different occasions. We lost quite a bit both times to the floor and the dog but still have some in a tupperware waiting for the next time. I am unsure of how long or well it keeps but after a week in a tupperware it still maintains the same consistency.

Try it, I think you will love it.