Let Them Roll, Easy Marble Run

This is about as easy as it gets and occupied my kids for a very long time.  They get this out a lot!

All you need it a pool noodle, some marbles and something to catch them in (or not).  I used a roasting pan because the kids were able to hear the marble "ting" at the bottom.  My two created marble races, and discovered which marbles fit down the noodle, which ones got stuck and which ones went fast!  So fun, cheap, easy and all sorts of skills being used.   Some of the skills are cause and effect, small motor, cooperation, language development, comparing and contrasting, hand/eye coordination, sensory, shapes, oh so many skills!

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Painting with Pinecones

While camping in the mountains this summer, we gathered up some pinecones.  I sealed them up in a plastic bag just in case in buggies hitched a ride in them.  I just broke them out the other day to do some painting.  I taped some paper to the bottom of a deep box.  Then the kids squirted their choice of paint onto the paper.  They tossed in the pinecones and shook, shook, shook!  Instead of changing the paper for each kid, we just squirted in some more paint and passed it on to the next kid.  A good lesson in sharing as well as some great large motor skills.  We definetly shook some sillies out! So if you have some pinecones around, this is a really fun paint activity for your kids.....and YOU!



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Tumbling Towers

This was a fun little game that the kids came up with the other day.  Lately, we have been saving tin cans and various sizes of containers.  We have been using them in our construction center, building towers, comparing sizes, filling them up, using them as musical instruments and such.  The kids began building these towers and then knocking them over...ya know, cause and effect, balance, and some physics.  Soon enough, the containers became target practice.  Boy, did they have fun with this.  A great, active game for a rainy day.  I just love that I caught the "action" in the last shot!  What are you doing with your empty containers?

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You Spin Me Right Round

Oh my goodness, this was fun.  I found a lazy susan in the back  of the pantry.  I just knew we would find a way to put it to use.  The kiddos were spinning it around and it came to me to try doing some art on it.  We taped some white paper to it and took out the markers and crayons.  We took turns spinning it while the other person held the marker on the paper.  We experimented with moving the markers around the paper too.  When they filled the paper up with colors, they were already to display.  So simply, so easy and so fun.  Lots of social skills, fine motor, problem solving and so much more.



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Sea Shells I Spy Bottle

We make many I Spy bottles, but since summer is here, I thought I would share the sea shell one we made today.  I like to have the kids help me choose and put together the bottles so they have some ownership over them.  They love to do it.  I got these shells at the craft store.  We found some "summer" items, a lemon, lime and watermelon eraser, foam flower, fish and sea star, a button and a glass marble.  I made up a picture card for them of all the things they put in the bottle.  We filled it about 3/4 full, put the lid on and gave it a couple turns.  Then they got busy searching for the things inside.  So fun!

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The Glue is Melting

"Mom, the glue is melting," is what my daughter said as we were doing this.  Not sure what to call it so "Melting Glue" sounds good to me.  We colored white glue with a couple drops of food coloring.  Then I propped up a piece of cardboard inside a container so the glue wouldn't go all over the table.  We actually all got into this art project.  We took turns making puddles of glue at the top of the cardboard and watched it "melt" down.  It was a good lesson in cooperative play too!  It was so colorful and it dries nicely too.  Next time we will try it on white paper and possibly frame it.

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"The Kids Made It" Cake

I found this "no dairy" chocolate cake and had to try it.  I love baking with the kids.  When I do, I try to let them do the majority of the work.  I have found that it works easiest if I pre-measure out all the ingredients and then let them pour and mix. They just dumped all the dry ingredients in the pan first and used forks to "rake" it all together.  Then, they added the wet ingredients and mixed it all together.  We baked it at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.  I didn't hear any complaints from the kids, just requests for seconds.  I think it is a winning recipe. 

Cooking with kids is a great opportunity for measuring, math, science, sensory experiences, as well as a great since of independence and accomplishment. Check out the recipe following the pictures.

What you need:

3 cups flour, 2 cups sugar, 2 tsp, baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 2 Tbsp cocoa powder

2/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 Tbsp vinegar, 2 cups cold water

Pour all the dry ingredients into a 9 x 13 inch pan and stir.

 Pour all the wet ingredients and mix with a whisk. 

 Bake for 40 minutes at 375 degrees. 

You can frost it or just serve it without.

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Egg Carton Memory Game

To make this game, I simply cut out the bottoms of a egg carton.  I searched for small items such as buttons, jewels, shmuzzies, and other items about that size.  I made sure we had two of each and then just put one of the egg holders over them.  My daughter had so much fun finding the matching objects.  Great game for observation, memory, taking turns and matching.

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Rainbow Cookies

My son told me that today would be a perfect day to make cookies.  I think any day is good day to make them and so that is what we did.  I saw these cookies at HERE

and thought they looked super fun.  So we measured out the ingredients.  I used my mom's sugar cookie recipe.  It is really easy but you could always use the box cookie mix too.  I included the recipe below.  My kids love to pour and use the mixer.  Then we divided the dough up and colored it, his blue, hers pink....yes, they picked their own colors.  We left one patch white.  We rolled them out and put them in the fridge for about 1/2 hour.  Then we stacked them and rolled them, sliced them into circles and baked.  Delish!  Math, sensory, cooking, colors all rolled up into one.....forgive the pun! 

2 eggs, beaten

2/3 c oil

3/4 c sugar

1 tsp vanilla

mix together

2 c flour

1/2 tsp salt

1tsp baking powder

add to wet ingredients

bake at 375 degrees

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Snowman Game

Since it has started snowing here, I thought it was appropriate to bring out the "Snowman Game".  The object is to put the snowman together piece by piece by rolling a dice that has pictures of the snowman pieces on it.  So, R rolls the dice and it lands on his hat. So, she picks the hat out of the pile and puts it on him.  Then, T rolls and it lands on the smile, and etc.  I pre-cut all the pieces beforehand.  I cut out a snowman shape, orange triangle for his nose, red smile, scarf, goggle eyes, black hat and stick arms.  I used a large, foam dice that I had from another game, but you could use any cube object....and empty tissue paper holder would work.  Just cover it in paper and glue or draw your pieces on.  We had a lot of fun playing this game today. 

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