Sunday, September 23rd - "Family Writing Time" - So, Sunday is the Sabbath for us and it is usually a low-key day. We also have Family Home Evening on Sunday - for those of you who don't already know, this a time we set apart to spend time together as a family. For our Family Home Evening, I had something planned for Clint and I to discuss, but I knew it wouldn't hold Colton's interest. Since Clint and I were going to be writing down ideas about our discussion, I got out colored pencils and paper for Colton to "write" on while we were writing. He loves to draw, and it kept him occupied so that we could talk. By the way, I know I already did this activity and so it wasn't new and it also wasn't very creative. Sorry! I am realizing just how hard it can be to schedule these activities into a busy day!
Monday, September 24th - "Stacking Blocks" - On Monday, Colton and I had a contest to see who could build the tallest tower. Guess who won? Just kidding... we actually worked together to build a tower, and then we threw balls and other toys at the tower to knock it down. This activity is alot of fun and helps Colton develop his motor skills as well. He loves putting other toys (like figurines) on top of his towers, so that is one way to change things up a bit with this activity. Also, I have some awesome, large (about 3 inch wide) foam blocks. I would recommend starting with large blocks when stacking, so that the kiddos can see some success with their towers. Colton is just now getting better at stacking small blocks, but he doesn't enjoy it as much.
Tuesday, September 25 - "Cardboard Bowling" - The idea for this activity came from a site called sixsistersstuff.com. For this activity, you need about six toilet paper rolls, or paper towel rolls cut to the size of toilet paper rolls. Then, you need one large (preferably soft) ball. You set the toilet paper rolls up on a hard surface, (like the kitchen floor), three in back, two in front of that, and one in the very front. These are your toddler's "bowling pins" - Then, you show your toddler how to bowl, and cheer him on, replacing the toilet paper roll after he knocks them down. I have to say, Colton lost interest in this game quickly. He wanted to try to stack the toilet paper rolls instead, which was tough and a little frustrating for him. So...this game was not a big success for us.
We also went to a nearby park with some friends and their toddler boys today. Colton loves to play on the playground, and the boys also loved running around the field and little bridge they had there. I think I have said this before, but active time outside is key with Colton. He needs it!
Wednesday, September 26 - "Disney Store" and "One Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen" - Earlier today, Colton and I went to the mall with a friend and her daughter. While there, we looked in the Disney store, which Colton loves. He has been in there once before, and there is a tunnel, and TV screen, and loads of cool stuffed animals. The trick is luring him away without purchasing anything - for this, we plan ahead and bring a cool distraction. Also, we don't let him hold onto any one item for long. This is a fun outing, though.
Tonight, I needed to use up some fruit, and I decided to make a fruit crisp dessert. So...I decided to let Colton help me cook this time. He has helped me stir dinner before, but this time I let him help me dump ingredients from measuring cups into a bowl, and then stir. He really enjoyed it, but I would change a few things if I were to do it again. First, I would choose a very simple recipe. Next, I would prepare some ingredients to be poured and stirred ahead of time, because a toddler's attention span is soo short. So...fun, but time-consuming, and a little stressful as well.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Saturday, September 22, 2012
A little bit of water goes a long way...
Wow! About a week has gone by, and I have not had a good opportunity to report my activities with Colton this week. Sorry about that. Here is my update.
Tuesday, September 18th - "Bathtime Teacher" - I don't know if it is just the teacher in me (my degree/certification is in elementary ed,) but I find myself frequently looking for a teaching opportunity with Colton. If it has been a busy day without much one-on-one time with the kiddo, I try to squeeze some teaching moments into bathtime or bedtime. Today was a busy day, and so besides our usual walk, I did not have a chance to do an activity until bathtime. I got out some bath foam numbers and letters someone gave us when Colton was born. They stick to the walls of the tub, and although Colton has played with these same toys for months, the playing has evolved. Sometimes I sing the "ABC" song to him while we play, and sometimes we just stack letters and numbers on the side of the tub. Sometimes, I show him a letter, tell him the name of the letter, and then sing a little song I learned from our leapfrog refrigerator toy that helps teach the kids their letters. You put a certain letter magnet on the toy, and it sings a little song. For example, "A says _, and A says _ (the two sounds that the letter "a" make). Every letter makes a sound, and A says _ and _". OK...that looks and sounds really confusing. Basically you familiarize your toddler with the letters by letting them know both the name of the letter and the way you sound out that letter, in song form, of course. Many toddlers love music and learn alot through music. So, with Colton I would sing the letter song, and then ask him to make the letter sounds and copy me. He does really well with it! It's amazing to think that our kids are sponges at this age, with so much capacity to learn!
Wednesday, September 19th - "Footloose" - Colton loves to dance, and so I try to turn on music for a few minutes whenever possible to give him the opportunity to "bust some moves". He usually does a sort of "squat bop", which maybe implies he has watched me do too many workout videos! Sometimes, he twirls, holding out one arm and following it around in circles. It is adorable! One day, I was babysitting Colton's little friend, who is a few months older than him. I played some music, and Colton quickly began twirling. I couldn't help laughing - too bad I didn't get a video of it to embarrass him later on! (JK) Anyway, I turned on some music today and let him choose the station (he kept saying "no", until we found one he liked). Then, he and I both danced, and I made sure to get down on his level and be as silly as possible. Well, that naturally gave him the giggles, seeing mom be silly. We both ended up tired and giggling on the floor. I think one definition of success as a mom could be to make your child laugh. It is fabulous.
*Thursday, September 20th - "A Little Bit of Water Goes a Long Way" - I can't take credit for this activity, I have a teacher friend who came up with it, but it was so entertaining for Colton that I had to star this activity! Basically, all you need for this activity is a few measuring cups and spoons, and a little bit of water in one of the cups. You put your toddler in his/her booster seat, and let him/her go to town playing with the water! I like to first show him possible ways to move the water from one container to another, and then let him try. Honestly, I have been able to fix an entire meal while Colton plays with water like this. What a genius idea! Remind me to thank my friend for reminding me how entertained toddlers are by the simplest things. Here is a pic of Colton, concentrating on his cups of water.
Friday, September 21st - "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" - Have you ever seen that movie? Classic. Anyway, many toddler boys tend to be drawn toward anything with wheels, and it amazes me how they come up with the correct sounds for them as well! So, Colton has a wooden train track with a small magnetic train (Ikea - $10), and he is having a lot of fun with it. He still is too young for it to hold his attention long, but when we put other toys on the track or make additional roads for the train to go on out of blocks, he really gets into playing with the train more. Today, another busy day, Colton and I just played with the train for a few minutes.
Saturday, September 22nd - "Flashlight Scavenger Hunt" - Flexible, flexible, flexible. That is so key to parenting a toddler, as I am reminded frequently. The goal for this activity was to turn flashlights and key chain LED lights with the lights out, and make fun hand signs for Colton. Well, that lasted a whopping minute, so I changed plans. Instead, I gave Colton a light, we turned off most lights in the apartment, and then we went on a scavenger hunt to find items that Colton is familiar with. I really liked this game, and so did Colton. I have tried to play hide-and-seek and find-the-toy games with him before, and I had much more success with this flashlight game. We will definitely play this one again!
Last, but not least, I used Colton's large stuffed monkey to sing nursery rhymes and play peekaboo with him this week. Never underestimate the power of a stuffed animal or puppet in teaching your toddler or calming them down! I need to try using Louie to "tease" Colton out of tantrum! Anyway, I taught in a HeadStart preschool classroom for a year, and we had young boy there who was very aggressive - he responded soo well to my using a puppet to talk to him and calm him down. It was wonderful! Here is a picture of Colton and his buddy, "Ewie", as he calls him.
Tuesday, September 18th - "Bathtime Teacher" - I don't know if it is just the teacher in me (my degree/certification is in elementary ed,) but I find myself frequently looking for a teaching opportunity with Colton. If it has been a busy day without much one-on-one time with the kiddo, I try to squeeze some teaching moments into bathtime or bedtime. Today was a busy day, and so besides our usual walk, I did not have a chance to do an activity until bathtime. I got out some bath foam numbers and letters someone gave us when Colton was born. They stick to the walls of the tub, and although Colton has played with these same toys for months, the playing has evolved. Sometimes I sing the "ABC" song to him while we play, and sometimes we just stack letters and numbers on the side of the tub. Sometimes, I show him a letter, tell him the name of the letter, and then sing a little song I learned from our leapfrog refrigerator toy that helps teach the kids their letters. You put a certain letter magnet on the toy, and it sings a little song. For example, "A says _, and A says _ (the two sounds that the letter "a" make). Every letter makes a sound, and A says _ and _". OK...that looks and sounds really confusing. Basically you familiarize your toddler with the letters by letting them know both the name of the letter and the way you sound out that letter, in song form, of course. Many toddlers love music and learn alot through music. So, with Colton I would sing the letter song, and then ask him to make the letter sounds and copy me. He does really well with it! It's amazing to think that our kids are sponges at this age, with so much capacity to learn!
Wednesday, September 19th - "Footloose" - Colton loves to dance, and so I try to turn on music for a few minutes whenever possible to give him the opportunity to "bust some moves". He usually does a sort of "squat bop", which maybe implies he has watched me do too many workout videos! Sometimes, he twirls, holding out one arm and following it around in circles. It is adorable! One day, I was babysitting Colton's little friend, who is a few months older than him. I played some music, and Colton quickly began twirling. I couldn't help laughing - too bad I didn't get a video of it to embarrass him later on! (JK) Anyway, I turned on some music today and let him choose the station (he kept saying "no", until we found one he liked). Then, he and I both danced, and I made sure to get down on his level and be as silly as possible. Well, that naturally gave him the giggles, seeing mom be silly. We both ended up tired and giggling on the floor. I think one definition of success as a mom could be to make your child laugh. It is fabulous.
*Thursday, September 20th - "A Little Bit of Water Goes a Long Way" - I can't take credit for this activity, I have a teacher friend who came up with it, but it was so entertaining for Colton that I had to star this activity! Basically, all you need for this activity is a few measuring cups and spoons, and a little bit of water in one of the cups. You put your toddler in his/her booster seat, and let him/her go to town playing with the water! I like to first show him possible ways to move the water from one container to another, and then let him try. Honestly, I have been able to fix an entire meal while Colton plays with water like this. What a genius idea! Remind me to thank my friend for reminding me how entertained toddlers are by the simplest things. Here is a pic of Colton, concentrating on his cups of water.
Friday, September 21st - "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" - Have you ever seen that movie? Classic. Anyway, many toddler boys tend to be drawn toward anything with wheels, and it amazes me how they come up with the correct sounds for them as well! So, Colton has a wooden train track with a small magnetic train (Ikea - $10), and he is having a lot of fun with it. He still is too young for it to hold his attention long, but when we put other toys on the track or make additional roads for the train to go on out of blocks, he really gets into playing with the train more. Today, another busy day, Colton and I just played with the train for a few minutes.
Saturday, September 22nd - "Flashlight Scavenger Hunt" - Flexible, flexible, flexible. That is so key to parenting a toddler, as I am reminded frequently. The goal for this activity was to turn flashlights and key chain LED lights with the lights out, and make fun hand signs for Colton. Well, that lasted a whopping minute, so I changed plans. Instead, I gave Colton a light, we turned off most lights in the apartment, and then we went on a scavenger hunt to find items that Colton is familiar with. I really liked this game, and so did Colton. I have tried to play hide-and-seek and find-the-toy games with him before, and I had much more success with this flashlight game. We will definitely play this one again!
Last, but not least, I used Colton's large stuffed monkey to sing nursery rhymes and play peekaboo with him this week. Never underestimate the power of a stuffed animal or puppet in teaching your toddler or calming them down! I need to try using Louie to "tease" Colton out of tantrum! Anyway, I taught in a HeadStart preschool classroom for a year, and we had young boy there who was very aggressive - he responded soo well to my using a puppet to talk to him and calm him down. It was wonderful! Here is a picture of Colton and his buddy, "Ewie", as he calls him.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Rolling in the Dough
"Rolling in the Dough" - Monday, September 17th - Today Colton and I played with some playdough I made for him a few weeks ago. We had fun, and it kept him entertained for about 45 minutes!
I used the following items for our playdough fun: playdough (of course), a rolling pin (for me to use since Colton thought it was fun to play with flat playdough), a few large containers, plastic spoons and forks, and a tupperware lid.
Colton loved to put small pieces of playdough in the lid or container, and he even counted some while he put the pieces in. Also, Colton loves playing with and throwing playdough balls. So... I set up a large container on the kitchen floor for him to throw the balls into. He loved it. Also, he found one of his plastic forks and used it to spear a piece of playdough and carry it from one container to another. He did this on his own, but I think it's a fun idea to initiate if your toddler doesn't know what to do with the playdough. *Note: Colton does not try to eat playdough - he tried it once, and spit it right out. You might not want to use spoons when playing with it if your toddler wants to eat it! Also, it does make a bit of a mess, but that's why we played on the table and kitchen floor, so that I could easily sweep it up afterward. I even had help with the sweeping - Colton can be a great helper! Oh, and here is my playdough recipe and a few pictures from today. Enjoy!
Clay-dough (not the edible kind of playdough)
- Recipe by Meilyn Bushman
1 c. flour 2 T. cream of tartar
1/2 c. salt 1 T. vegetable oil
1 c. cold water Food coloring
Combine all ingredients except food coloring in a sauce pan on the stove. Heat on low, and continue to stir until firm, about five to seven minutes. Last, add in food coloring. You can store it in the fridge after it has cooled down.
I used the following items for our playdough fun: playdough (of course), a rolling pin (for me to use since Colton thought it was fun to play with flat playdough), a few large containers, plastic spoons and forks, and a tupperware lid.
Colton loved to put small pieces of playdough in the lid or container, and he even counted some while he put the pieces in. Also, Colton loves playing with and throwing playdough balls. So... I set up a large container on the kitchen floor for him to throw the balls into. He loved it. Also, he found one of his plastic forks and used it to spear a piece of playdough and carry it from one container to another. He did this on his own, but I think it's a fun idea to initiate if your toddler doesn't know what to do with the playdough. *Note: Colton does not try to eat playdough - he tried it once, and spit it right out. You might not want to use spoons when playing with it if your toddler wants to eat it! Also, it does make a bit of a mess, but that's why we played on the table and kitchen floor, so that I could easily sweep it up afterward. I even had help with the sweeping - Colton can be a great helper! Oh, and here is my playdough recipe and a few pictures from today. Enjoy!
Clay-dough (not the edible kind of playdough)
- Recipe by Meilyn Bushman
1 c. flour 2 T. cream of tartar
1/2 c. salt 1 T. vegetable oil
1 c. cold water Food coloring
Combine all ingredients except food coloring in a sauce pan on the stove. Heat on low, and continue to stir until firm, about five to seven minutes. Last, add in food coloring. You can store it in the fridge after it has cooled down.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Forts, Keys, Scribbles, and More
Since I officially started my new activity routine with Colton this past Thursday, I need to write about how my activities have gone these past few days.
- "The Four-Chair Fort" - Thursday, September 13th - I built a fort for Colton using four chairs, backs facing in, and a few large blankets. I threw some comfy pillows inside, and Colton loved lining up his stuffed animals for storytime. This is where read stories before naptime.
- "Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall", "Blanket Ball", and "Magic Carpet Ride" - Friday, September 14th - Colton and I made faces at the bathroom mirror after bathtime, and I let him hold my small, makeup mirror during diaper changes. He often does not like diaper changes, but he cooperated well while playing with the mirror. Also, we went with some friends to a nearby park, and Colton was able to play on the playground. I would say that getting out of the house in the morning to take a walk or go to the park is key for us in our home. Then, I made a little game that I call "Blanket Ball". I take a blanket, tuck one edge into a dresser drawer, and shut the drawer. I hold onto the other edge of the blanket, throw a soft ball onto the blanket, and shake the blanket up and down to bounce the ball off of it. Colton thought this was hilarious, and he loved running to retrieve the ball and throw it back on the blanket. We also tried this game using other soft toys instead of the ball. Finally, I used a blanket to take Colton for a magic carpet ride around the house (he sat or laid on the blanket and I pulled him around the apartment). I think that he could have played this game all day - he loved it when I twisted the blanket back and forth in a zig-zag pattern and made him bounce as we went. Also, he had a great opportunity to balance when he sat up and tried to hold onto the blanket. Finally, this was a good arm workout for me, and although I love to work out, I find that I usually have to sneak exercise in where I can. All in all, it was a busy but fun day!
- "Key Hole Practice" - Saturday, September 15th - Okay, so I realize the title of this game may freak out some mothers. Why in the world would I want my child to know how to unlock a door? That is a good point, so let me explain my reasoning behind this game. Colton loves keys... real keys, that is. He doesn't get too excited about playing with his plastic keys anymore, now that he has discovered how cool real keys are. Well, I am all about tailoring fun to my child's specific interests, but I am also less than thrilled about Colton playing with my keys. My solution: take an empty box, draw doorknobs on it, and cut "keyholes" in them that are large enough for Colton's plastic keys to fit into. Then, let him go to town with his plastic keys, practicing on some fake door knobs instead of keying other surfaces in the home. The result: he liked it for a few minutes, but then he went looking for real keys to put in the holes. Oh well - I tried!
- "Scribble Service" and "Mom's Mag Time" - Sunday, September 16th - For today, I had Colton color (or scribble) on some paper with colored pencils (crayons are much easier for him to use, but we lost ours). Then, I wrote a little "get well" note on the drawing, and we are going to take it to a neighbor of ours who recently had surgery and loves having Colton visit. This activity makes me happy, because not only is Colton developing his fine motor skills through drawing, but he also gets to help make someone else happy today. Also, just a note that I do color with Colton during this activity, and I draw lines every once in awhile and try to get him to copy me. This "copying lines" is a skill listed on my son's eighteen-month-old pediatric survey, so I figure it didn't hurt to practice it sometimes. Finally, I was thinking that these "scribble notes" can be given to a toddler's babysitter, church leaders, etc. I will definitely have to do this activity with him again! So, for my other activity. During "wind-down time" today before Colton's nap, I got sick of reading children's books. I needed to wind down too, and so I decided to skim my "Better Homes and Gardens" magazine with Colton. It's innocent, colorful, has pictures of animals in it, so I thought it might hold his attention. Surprisingly, it did. We talked about the animals, food, and other items we found in the magazine together. It was a quick "read", but it was nice to have Colton enjoy something I enjoy and learn at the same time.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
A Toddler's Mind
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to read your toddler's mind? As a mother to 19-month-old Colton, I definitely have. If only I could read his mind, there would be no more tantrums or battles, I would always know the difference between fussing about teeth or tummy problems, and there would be less frustration for both of us. Well... unfortunately I can't read my toddler's mind. But I can give him lots of attention and love, teach him along the way, and hopefully that makes up for the many, many mistakes I make as a mother.
Just a few days ago, I decided that I am going to get more creative, fun, and hands-on with Colton. I decided that every day, I am going to do some new, fun activity to entertain and bond with my boy. One key point I want to make is that we are living in an apartment right now, so space is tight. The budget is even tighter, so most of my activities and games will be using items I already have around the house. Then, I am going to write about how each activity went, so that I can eventually have a whole grab-bag of activities to entertain Colton. Although this blog is mostly for me, hopefully some other frazzled moms can get some helpful ideas out of it as well!
Just a few days ago, I decided that I am going to get more creative, fun, and hands-on with Colton. I decided that every day, I am going to do some new, fun activity to entertain and bond with my boy. One key point I want to make is that we are living in an apartment right now, so space is tight. The budget is even tighter, so most of my activities and games will be using items I already have around the house. Then, I am going to write about how each activity went, so that I can eventually have a whole grab-bag of activities to entertain Colton. Although this blog is mostly for me, hopefully some other frazzled moms can get some helpful ideas out of it as well!
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