Did you know that even the youngest infants can remember people’s faces from pictures? I always thought that was pretty cool. We live pretty far away from family and only really get to see them a few times a year. It is very important to me to have J know his extended family. One way I do that is by having magnetic pictures of our family that I put on the fridge for J to explore. These are so easy to make! I gathered the pictures I wanted to use, magnets, and self-laminating sheets. I placed the magnet on the picture before laminating … [Read more...]
Fall Fun–Orange
The weather is turning colder and Fall is officially here. It is my favorite time of year and I am looking forward to introducing J to everything Fall! ORANGE is currently my favorite color! Yes, my favorite color does seem to change depending on my mood, the season, or just on a whim. Orange is always on my list of favorites. I love that it’s such a great Fall color, so we have been working with the color orange a lot lately. During naptime I made some playdough and dyed it orange (see recipe at the end of the post for the playdough). … [Read more...]
Sensory Trays: Why, How, and Where?
J’s favorite activity is playing in sensory trays. He gets so excited when he sees it and will play with it for the longest time….like 20 minutes…and that’s forever in toddler time.WHY do a sensory tray? I’ve recently had one Mom ask me why I do sensory trays with J and what the purpose was. Well, here’s the breakdown. Sensory trays help enhance all the senses and it provides a wonderful self-directed play time. It also helps with the development of creativity, fine motor skills, and cognitive development. Another perk is that it helps … [Read more...]
Pumpkins!
I’ve heard so many Mom’s say that their child is too young to do crafts with or that they can’t wait until their kids are old enough to do holiday activities. I say…they’re never too young! Check out J at 17 months helping us carve pumpkins. He loved scooping out the slimy insides of the pumpkin and watching Dad carve out the face. Later that day he helped season and stir the seeds for toasting. ~Amanda … [Read more...]
Daddy Book
My husband goes out of town a lot and is often gone for multiple weeks at a time. I am always looking for ways of keeping him in our daily lives when he’s not here. One way I’m doing this is by having a Daddy book that J can look at anytime he wants to. To make the book: 1) Take any old board book that you don’t want anymore. 2) Print out the pictures you want to use. 3) Decorate however you want. I used scrapbooking paper. 4) Glue everything down…Modge Podge works well for this. 3) Cover each page with clear contact paper. Then presto…you … [Read more...]