Make your own playdoh! You will thank me later!

I made 3 quick batches of playdoh this morning for a fun play activity.  This is so easy I literally made the playdoh while I was talking on the phone to a friend!  You have everything in your house probably and once you have tried homemade playdoh you will never go back to store bought.  First things first- 

- 1 cup flour

- 1/4 cup salt

- 1TBSP oil

- 1 TBSP cream of tartar

- food coloring or a packet of koolaid 

- 3/4 cup boiling water (put a glass measuring cup in microwave for 2.5 min) 

Mix all your dry ingredients and then add the boiling water.  Give the mixture a couple turns to combine and then let it cool.  I pop mine in the fridge because I'm super patient like that!  Once it's mostly cool dump it on the counter and knead it for several min.  Initially it's sticky - that works it's way out as you knead.  

This is the awesome blog where I got this recipe and she has some great pictures and tips 

http://mamapapabubba.com/2012/09/21/the-best-scented-no-cook-play-dough/

*here is a tip of mine or an admission of my failure whatever - I cannot make double batches.  I have had great success making single batches.  The second I double a batch it doesn't turn out so take that or leave that.  

Today we used koolaid and made grape, strawberry-kiwi, and very berry playdoh.  

I put a ball of playdoh on placemats at the counter and initially only included these cool plastic picks that I found at (ahem- the liquor store).  As they played I slowly put other loose parts in the middle for them to use.  

H had been playing with the first batch while I made the others so she didn't last as long.  She did have fun sticking things into the playdoh, patting it on the counter and attempting to eat it.  W and SK got to work immediately creating.  Sk made a very elaborate hermit crab habitat and family.  If you look carefully her creations really do look like a hermit crab!  

The older two can spend an unlimited amount of time with loose parts and their imagination - I just love listening to them chatting away! 

Dish washing station

Matt and I have been working in our yard! We started earlier this spring building a deck.  After deck completion we added our chicken coop and run.  After all this building and work we needed a break!  

We are slowly but surely getting around to cleaning up around the deck and coop and making it look more finished.  While we were working our kids played outside.    They rode with us to get each load of rock.  I don't know what it is about me wanting to load everyone up and go too but we always seem to do these trips as a family.  

That being said we needed them to keep busy in the backyard.  I needed happy kids, who were not crying, and could leave us alone to work for a bit.  I had seen an idea for a dish washing station back a while ago and filed it away.  We had an old clear bin laying in the yard and a lightbulb went off!!!  

 After we ate lunch I gathered some plastic dishes, sponges, scrub brushes and a drying tray.  I put a little soap in a couple of old soap containers, filled them the rest of the way with water fot "soap."  I put a lot of soap in the clear bin and filled it half way with soapy water.  The trickiest part was carrying this heavy and awkwardly sloshy bin to the play area without getting drenched!  I am happy to say I busted out beast mode and didn't get soaked!  

The kids loved it and happily played throughout the afternoon!  If you know W he hates getting wet so we did have to listen to his whining about getting soapy water on his clothes.  Apparently logic and reason has left him because he stares at a bin of soapy water, accompanied by his sisters, sets out to play, and seriously thinks he won't get wet/soapy, or that his lovingly kind and considerate sisters won't at some point soak him to hear him scream.  So here are the pictures!  I love this activity because it takes something I have on hand, and with about 3 minutes of set up, presents it in an interesting and fun way.  

And we basically ended our day with this.... We are apparently all about safety here (especially since H fell out of a bar stool earlier this week- we thought her leg was broken- had it xrayed (it wasn't) but she had a severe limp all week.  - Matt may or may not have called her Tiny Tim all week-).  When I texted this picture to my mom she said one almost broken leg a week is enough! 

And a sneak peak of our yard!  

A simple cutting tray

A cutting tray isn't what you think....  wait yes it is.  It's a tray where you cut stuff.  Voila'!  I should end my post here!  

This is the simplest idea ever and your kids will LOVE it!  I went around the house collecting bits and pieces of random items that were scraps or could be cut.  I assembled different things that would give different levels of resistance and sent them to cutting!!!  

We have done this activity before and I was thrilled.  SK is a very good scissor-er (new word)!  W needs some practice and this is the perfect avenue!  In the tray I had scrap card stock, filters, magazine pieces, string, playdoh, plastic lid, scrap paper, and scrap cardboard.  

I lay everything in a tray and give each kiddo a pair of scissors.  Of course I remind them to be careful and not cut fingers!  With W I usually have to readjust how he is holding his scissors to practice.  

The kids absolutely adore not having direction.  They think it's fun to do whatever they want.  This time I included a magazine that the zoo sends us and they thought that was extra fun.  W tends to just cut things up into tiny pieces or shred them.  SK usually makes something or has a "plan."  This time she cut out pictures of the animals from the magazines.  

I am constantly amazed at how little direction the kids really need/want.  Almost anything I give them they will immediately jump in and create their own plan of action.  Occasionally they will ask me what they are supposed to do but generally they know what they want to do which I love!  I really want them to be creative and thinkers and I love these type of activities that promote that!  

The very first time we did a cutting tray they asked what it was.  I told them it's a tray and they can cut things however they want....enough said.  They had no more questions and dove right in.  

W was deep in concentration.  I love how attentive he is to making sure not to cut his fingers.  This is a great way to increase fine motor skills.  Kids LOVE using scissors so they don't even realize they are working on a skill!  The best part of this activity is there is no end product so it doesn't matter to me what they do!  I'm not attempting to get them to do anything specific so for them there is no pressure!

SK worked hard at cutting out the animal pictures on her magazine pages.

The straws provide a neat amount of resistance and W kept commenting on how they "jumped" when he cut them.

The pile of scraps is the result of about 30 min. of close to complete silence.  I set this up for them while H was taking a nap.  SK and W quietly whispered to each other about what they were doing and what they wanted to cut next.  What I noted most was they so deeply concentrated on their cutting they were quiet for such a long time ----- which makes for a happy Mama!

Try setting this up for your kids and let me know what you think!  Fine motor skills - check!  Quiet activity for kids - check!  Kindergarten skill practice - check!  As a K teacher myself this is a big one!  We really work on scissor skills in K so this is an awesome way to give them a jump start!  

Happy Scissoring!!!

Housers on the road - traveling with kids

Being locked in a car with 3 kids for multiple hours can be a way to torture people - just saying!  We have been on the recieving end of crying, screaming, I am bored, I need to pee, ugggggghhhhhh mom we are starving - etc!  Last summer when we made the 13 hour drive to the beach I put together an "activity bag" and pulled out things when the kids were bored. They loved it!  Now let me be honest...normally we bring the iPads and leap pads and let them watch movies when we make the 3 hour drive to the zoo and to visit great friends! 

 After putting together our on the go activity kit I already had one backpack stuffed with travel ready items.  I decided to put together a backpack for the older kids with activities for the car.  I spent 1 dollar on this.  Literally one!  I bought SK a word search book at the Dollar Tree and everything else we had on hand.  

Some of the items in SK's backpack: 

• word search

• color wonder marker book

• Where is Waldo travel book and magnifying glass

• hidden picture book and colored pencils

• Lego kit

• her digital camera 

(They had soooo much fun taking silly pictures of each other!  The laughing/giggles coming from the backseat were priceless!)

• her bird watching binoculars

• little chalk mat and chalk 

Some of the things I included for W:

• Waldo travel books and magnifying glass

• color wonder marker book

• sticker sheet and his name 

• quick lacing cards ----

Side note about these - I had read an idea on Pinterest about making lacing cards from family pictures etc.  Since it was approximately 11:30 the night before when I was putting together backpacks for the trip I had to use what was on hand.  I grabbed a couple boxes from our cardboard stash and cut out the front of some things they love like poptarts and popcorn.  I punched holes and included some plastic string and had some quick ultra cheap lacing cards. 

• Lego kit 

W and SK were thrilled to see me stuffing their backpacks with little things for them to do.  They loved carrying their own backpack and actually did a great job of putting things up when they were finished.  

Anything that has loose parts I made sure had some container.  The little marker book I put inside a ziplock bag to hold that and the markers, the lacing cards also were in ziplock bags.  The Legos were contained in the metal lunch boxes.  SKs colored pencils went into a pencil pouch.  Having something to hold each individual thing really helps them keep it seperate and off the floor!  What keeps your kids busy in the car? 

Quick water play activity

The kids spent the night with Gigi the other night.  Before I went to pick them up the following morning I filled up their water table with some fresh water and laid out some loose parts for them to play with. 

This activity stayed out for several days.  They ended up dumping cup after cup of water onto the deck, then scrubbing the deck with a pool noodle like a sponge.  They crack me up!  A water table is a simple idea anyone can set up!  Under the bed bins, dish tubs, even a big plastic mixing bowl makes a great container for water play!  Just fill something up with some water and add some interesting things in to play with!  I reccomend a strainer, measuring cups or anything they can pour.  I also added some loose items that would both float and sink.  I will admit I didn't expect the nuts to float.  

Happy playing!!!! 

This is REAL life!

I recently ran into a friend at the mall. She and I haven't seen each other in ages and she mentioned loving all the kids activities and said she has no idea how I do it all. She said "you are superwoman!" After I finished laughing I said well it's because I have probably 6 baskets of unfolded laundry for one thing. She said well you should post that so I feel better. 

So here it is- some of the un-pretty areas of my house. I promise you I didn't move a thing - I walked in and took pictures as is.  Now- we have only lived in this house for 4 months so I will say there are some areas that I just can't get quite right. This area pictured below is one of them. 

This area houses my husbands treadmill, bags of animal food, our washing machine (which is just out of frame), bins that hold the kids activity stuff, and our dog crates. Basically it's awful.  I have a piece of furniture in storage that is being moved in soon to house a lot of the kid activity/craft stuff.  The dog crates and treadmill I can't do much about.  Matt and I have been brainstorming the best pet food storage situation.  One of the kids chores is feeding our dogs and cats so it has to be in a place they can get to it.  We also have chickens so we have to house chicken food and wood bedding chips.  

This is what it looks like.  People, (including me apparently because those polka dot rain boots are mine, come in from outside and drop their dirty shoes into a fun pile by the door).  I am working on a usable solution to keep our more outside-ish shoes like that but not in a big messy heap by the door! 

This is the kids playroom, it is also the direct path to our back deck.  This is why there is a pile of shoes by the door.  Also this is our dining room area because this room and our kitchen are just one big open space.  And if you can visualize behind where the picture is taken from is the laundry room - also open. So this room is a catch all and serves numerous purposes.  This room has all tile floor so we do many of our activities and painting here too! 

And.... Just for you Dana- the laundry! Everything you see is CLEAN! What is wrong with me? I hate folding laundry with a passion - obviously! Okay fine - there is also a basket of my clean clothes piled up in my bedroom too! 

So I just wanted to open myself up to show some of these areas because it's not all perfect and Pinterest will probably discontinue my account in shame.  I'm probably opening myself up to some judgement but this is how our real life looks. If you come over it will be picked up of course and actually during the school year when we are at work/school all day vs at home it's much better!  The summer provides us all day everyday to make messes and things to pile up! 

Happy Monday!  Now---- I should probably go fold some laundry!