Match box cars have been a staple in my home since Aj was just over a year old. And, on days when we were indoors with nothing to do, I would pull out the flour and let him drive his cars through it.
I would put a LARGE beach towel on the kitchen floor, put different sized plastic lids, bowls, cooking sheets and measuring spoons out and put a cup or so of flour into each vessel. Then, he would load flour onto the dump trucks with the spoons and take it from one bowl to the other! It was great fun for about 30 minutes.
Then I would clean all the flour back into one big tuperware continer (to save for next time) and let him stand at the sink with the water running slowly and wash all of his cars, spoons and bowls. The washing was great for another 30 minutes of fun!
I speak of all of this in the past tense, because once my little barbarian, Si, came along the flour was inevidably EVERYWHERE and while it was probably more fun for them, it was a LOT more clean up for mommy!
I live in a condo, so any time that we can get out and get some fresh air, we take advantage of it. We load Si into the wagon and Aj pulls her around the complex looking at ducks and golfers (we live on a golf course).
The other day we went out for a walk and Aj started picking up leaves and handing them to Si and I like they were presents. We ended up with a stack of leaves to throw back into the grass (because leaves are NOT allowed in my house) when I had a craft idea... leaf people.
I told Aj and Si that they could each pick one leaf to take home to make a special surprise.
When we got home, we rushed to the table where I pulled out glue, goggle eyes, crayons, pipe cleaners and paper. We glued our leaves, drew arms and legs and then glued on the eyes and mouth. Afterwards I cut them out and glued them onto strips of cardboard (I didn't have Popsicle sticks). Voila! Leaf people!
Craft Supplies: Leaves Paper Crayons Glue Goggle eyes Pipe-cleaners Cardboard strips or Popsicle sticks
Memorizing the 50 States Being a traveller at heart, it is important to me that my children understand the world, and seek to explore it. I've started by teaching my son about the USA and once we've completed the USA, I plan to move on to Canada (my home country) and then on to the rest of the world. I started by posting a map of the USA in a learning corner. Next, was an attempt to teach him, and me, all 50 states. Thankfully, I stumbled upon the 50 States that Rhyme Song:
This was a GREAT, easy tool that helped AJ and I learn our states. We went stanza by stanza and in about a week we had it memorized. Now, we go over it about once a week so that he doesn't forget it. When we review it, we usually sing it together, very loud, and dance around. Si joins in and now she is learning her states too!
Here are the lyrics to help you learn it as well:
Alabama and Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas California, Colorado and Connecticut and more Delaware, Florida Georgia and Hawaii, Idaho Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, still 35 to go
Kansas and Kentucky Louisiana, Maine Maryland, Massachusetts and there's good old Michigan Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri and Montana Then Nebraska's 27, number 28's Nevada
Next, New Hampshire and New Jersey And way down New Mexico There's New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio... Oklahoma, Oregon Pennsylvania, now let's see Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee
Texas and there's Utah Vermont, I'm almost through Virginia and there's Washington And West Virginia, too Could Wisconsin be the last one? Or is that 49? No, Wyoming is the last state In the 50 states that rhyme!
