Cheap Toddler Thrills

Rain Sticks

Shelby — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:43:46 +0000

Seriously I think the guy or gal that invented the cardboard core for paper towels, toilet paper or even wrapping paper should get a Nobel Peace Prize because in my house any activity involving one lends peace and quiet to this mommy even if it is only for a few sips of coffee. Last week my son was having a good old time shaking some goldfish crackers in a sealed Tupperware container when I had the idea to take a wrapping paper tube, tape a scrape piece of paper over one opening, fill it with some crackers (20 or so), tape that end shut with piece of paper to create a rain stick! Viola! Easy and my son loved hearing the crackers fall down all the while oblivious to the fact that we was learning cause and effect.

Blow Up Mattress or Deserted Island

Shelby — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:20:01 +0000

After a very dry spell of new activities to add to our household we finally had a winner, the blow up mattress a.k.a. deserted island! We recently had out of town guests and my toddler struggled to believe that the mattress was not his personal play structure, so the day our family members left I brought the mattress into the living room for some fun. First I put on some tropical music from Pandora.com, grabbed some snacks, a few books and my son’s toy fishing poles (you could make faux poles out of a stick and yarn) along with sand toys like a bucket and shovel. Then we let our imaginations run. When we were on our island we planted trees, looked for bugs, fished, read books, buried our “treasure” (snack) in the “sand” (blanket) and took “naps.” We also looked for sharks in the “water.”

Goop

Shelby — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:05:30 +0000

This activity was so much fun! Think back to junior high or ever grade school when you had the science lab about solids and liquids. Well for me I had a teacher that wanted to stump the class and created goop that didn’t really feel like either. Below you will find the recipe. I made it today with my toddler and gave him a small amount to play with after a snack while he was still in his high chair.

Supplies:

Cornstarch
Food Coloring
Water
Shallow dish
Spoon

Recipe:

Put about ¼ cup of cornstarch in shallow dish In another cup add a bit of food coloring to some water Slowly add water to the cornstarch until it is hard to wipe the spoon from one side of the dish to the other

Color and Counting Chase

Shelby — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:29:29 +0000

Just when I think I couldn’t possibly think of something new to do with my toddler life seems to create another activity. This weekend is a great example. The family was in need of a change of scenery so we headed to a local park. Tripp is still a little small for playing around on the jungle gym, but as he gets more efficient with being mobile running seems to be a new favorite pastime. Because of this a came of chase ensued. We chased butterflies, leaves that moved with the wind, each other and even a paper airplane my husband made out of a flier we had in the car. Tripp thought is was so funny that mommy and/or daddy would run after such things, but he didn’t care because we were running and exploring.

Though this activity is very basic I think it could be really fun for teaching numbers and colors… for example: if you wanted to work on numbers how about running around and finding 1 of something, then 2 of another and so on. If you wanted to do colors you could name a color and go on a hunt for it with your toddler identifying or maybe taking turns who chooses the color and who finds it.

Feathered Friend Feeder*

Shelby — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:56:50 +0000

I am not sure why, but children always have a fascination with birds. Even as a child myself I remember loving the site of birds. So as my son begins identifying daily items I am not surprised that “bird” is a part of his initial vocabulary. We are lucky enough to live in a place where birds are everywhere. Just about every place we look a bird will be in view so as I thought about my childhood and our feathered friends the traditional pine cone bird feeder came to mind. Tripp and I headed out to the “woods” by our house looking for the perfect pine cone and came back with more than our fair share. Once we settled down from the walk, I pulled out our supply of birdseed, which we have on hand for our daily walks, and the remaining supplies; peanut butter, string, a spoon and a shallow cake pan. Out to the patio we went because I knew once Tripp got a hold of the birdseed it would be everywhere. I poured enough of the birdseed into the cake pan to be able to roll the cone around, set that aside and out of reach of the kiddo. I tied a string of about 12 inches around the cone. Then with a spoon, scooped some peanut butter and helped Tripp spread it all over the pinecone. Once we were satisfied with the covered cone we rolled it in the seed. We made several and then took the time to pick just the perfect spot for each one.

Supplies:

Pinecones
Peanut Butter
Bird Seed
String or Yarn
Large spoon
Rectangular Cake Pan

* Birdseed could be a choking hazard and this activity contains peanuts! Be CAREFUL!

Paper Boat Races

Shelby — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:50:35 +0000

As autumn approaches so do the rainstorms, which means time for puddle activities. One fun way my toddler and I have utilized the daily rainstorms that we get here in Florida during the summer is to have paper boat races! This is a classic activity in my eyes, but usually for older children, as little ones don’t do well with origami. But if you are willing to take a few minutes and make a fleet you can have a lot of fun! Below you will find the link to instructions on how to make these vessels. Once you have your boats in hand head to outside to a puddle or “stream,” set your boats in the water and blow them to the other side.

http://wondertime.go.com/create-and-play/article/fold-a-paper-boat_SP.html

Cheerio Fun

Shelby — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:23:22 +0000

I think most parents would agree that toddlers and Cheerios are pretty much synonymous. After all if we leave the house without them it is almost as tragic as forgetting our cell phones. So it seemed almost natural to see what type of educational activity I could come up with them. My son is starting to understand how to toss things intentionally so we spent about an hour yesterday doing a Cheerio toss and then picked up the Cheerio remnants with a monster a.k.a. cup. Here’s how we did it…

Cheerio Toss:

Place pan or tray on the floor and standing above it drop Cheerios. Then count how many landed in tray. Once your toddler understands, then stand a bit further away and toss. Repeat.

Hungry Monster:

Because not all of us are professional Cheerio tossers you will have a significant amount of cereal on the floor. To make clean up fun I grabbed two plastic cups and we got down on our knees, pushed the cups around in order to “eat” the Os while making hungry monster sounds.

Supplies:

Cheerios
Empty ice tray or empty muffin pan
Plastic cups

Pudding Paint

Shelby — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:19:14 +0000

This activity is an oldie, but a goodie that was brought to my attention by a friend on a baby board I belong to. Mix up instant or regular pudding as stated on the directions and feel free to add food coloring to vanilla if you are really feeling artsy. Then once the pudding is made, grab paper and head to a place you are okay with messes. Finally, put a small amount of pudding on your child’s paper and let them have at it! A snack and activity in one! How fabulous right?

Supplies:

Pudding Mix
Milk
Food Coloring (optional)
Paper
Patience for the mess

Yarn Racers*

Shelby — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:27:43 +0000

Just when I think I have become accustomed to my toddler walking he decides to up the ante and start running. Thus it seems that most of the day I am just trying to tire him out. One activity I created to help him work on balance while crusing around are yarn racers. Below are the supplies you will need and here is the basic idea, feel free to get creative with this one. After setting up start with both racers at one side of the yarn with each of you holding a racer (TP core) then “drive” them to the other side. So simple right?

Supplies:

2 Yarn (6ft)
2 Toilet Paper Cores

Steps:

Cut about 6 feet of yarn
String the 2 cores onto the yarn
Tie one end of each string to a doorknob and the other to another solid object. The height should be just low enough that your toddler can reach it. (Be careful that your toddler can’t pull down whatever you attach the yarn to)

* This activity is to be done under close supervision! Toddlers could get caught in the yarn!

Blow My Mind Art

Shelby — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:09:55 +0000

I love this activity for older toddlers. Being a mom on a budget and plenty of wall space to decorate in our place, I was trying to think of something that would be fun to frame, but still have a bit of grown up flair. Hence I came up with this fun idea. First gather the supplies listed below and head for a flat surface. Cover it with newspaper and lay down the card stock. Put a few drops of the food coloring on the paper then let your tot blow on it through the straw. It should make a design reminiscent of coral or a spider web. You can add more colors or stick with just the one whatever matches your decor. Then when you are both happy with your creation let it dry and frame a series of them.

Supplies:

Newspaper
Card Stock (White)
Food Coloring
Straws