# Weekly Toddler Activities: Jan '03



## Breathe (May 18, 2002)

Hi All,

This thread is a cooperative effort, based on a previous thread where we toddler mamas decided it would be helpful to share weekly "lesson plans" of activities for our precocious little ones. (old thread: http://216.92.20.151/discussions/sho...0&pagenumber=1)

This way we can each take a turn being creative and/or doing a little research to come up with several activities, and then the rest of the time we can benefit from each other's planning. The schedule for posting weekly activities follows:

Week of:
1/5 Breathe
1/12 sozobe & Curly Locks
1/19 nuggetsmom & BensMom
1/26 comet & tara
2/2 sleepies & Hannah
2/9 momcat & peggy
2/16 Bella's Mama & lisa2s
2/23 grumo & carminex
3/2 oceanbaby & mama2kyla
3/9 brookelynnp & tinaq
3/16 MirandaW & MegsMom
3/23 LiminalOne & reesa
3/30 Drewsmom and Aloha Deb

If you'd like to be added to the schedule, please let me know and we can keep this going as long as people are interested! Of course anyone is welcome to lurk, subscribe, send feedback, etc. -- no exclusions here.

Since this was my little scheme, I'll go first (but do see the old thread for lots of ideas that have been submitted already!). (By the way, I'm putting a lot of ideas since no one shares this week with me -- I think 5 activities is a fine number for each person to aim for.)

Week of January 5th:

1) Household Collage. Use your old mags and junk mail to cut out colorful, interesting pictures of people, places, animals, etc. to post around your house. If Baby still crawls some, you can put these on your kitchen floor under clear contact paper. You can put smaller pix in those magnetic photo sleeves and slap them up on the fridge (I bought some at the drug store). Tape them up to the lower cabinets in your kitchen. Use all of these to stimulate language as you discuss and label the pictures. Maybe older Babes could tape up their own pix w/a roll of tape while you cook? And once Babe is creating her own artwork, tape it in those same places @ the house.

2) Homemade Cardboard Blocks (longer-term project). You know those expensive cardboard blocks you can buy in the developmental catalogues? Make your own instead! Save small boxes (tissues, sturdy food boxes, boxes you get in the mail -- and ask friends & neighbors to help you collect) and have Baby use them as building blocks. You can cover them in contact paper (sticky and more time-consuming) or wrapping paper (I bought solid colors left over from Xmas) or even keep them plain so Baby can see the words and writing on them. Aim to collect several of the same size, and even one or two really big ones to serve as the base for towers, etc. I'm even saving some plastic juice bottles to be the turrets (or whatever ds imagines!). Keep the blocks in a laundry basket for Baby's use.

3) Surprise Boxes and Bags. My ds loves to empty boxes and bags, so I sometimes fill a shopping bag or empty Kleenex box with random objects after he has gone to bed. Then when he comes down in the a.m., he discovers the bag and sets about empyting it and exploring the objects -- the more unusual the better. (a whisk, an empty lipstick box, a magnet from the fridge, several paper cups nested together, a magazine he can shred, old gift certificate cards, etc). Maybe an older Babe would enjoy trying to figure out where each thing gets put away?

4) Light Play. Don't put away all of those Xmas lights just yet! Take a strand and decorate the bedroom or bathroom (or any room) with them and then sit in the dark and enjoy the beauty! Also invest in a sturdy, plastic flashlight and let Babe shine it all over the house -- day or night. Baby can illuminate objects for you to name, and vice versa. And if you really want/need to, you could save the flashlight solely for diaper changes/dressing or other potential protest times so it's a special treat to use. (Good luck wrestling it away after the dipe is changed!)

5) Make a Tent. Drape a blanket or sheet over the couch and a chair or two and show Baby how to go inside the "tent" (hut, fort, house, what have you). My ds is too young to really get into imaginative play, but still enjoys reading books in there, crawling thru as if it were a tunnel, playing hide and seek, etc. Babe would probably also love to have a "picnic" complete w/sippy cup and a cracker -- just go with the novelty as long as you can!

6) Blanket Rides! Okay be careful, but you can give Baby a ride around the house by having her sit on a blanket while you pull it. Be SURE to make slow starts and stops! This is great for developing balance and gross motor skills, and could also be used as you go from room to room attempting to do housework! Maybe Babe could put a stuffed animal or doll on the blanket and do the pulling?

7) Baby Tether Ball. Hang an inflatable beach ball from the ceiling so it comes down to about Baby's head-level -- I would have to think that lower could be a very dangerous strangulation hazard. Let Baby bat the ball with hands, paper towel rolls, wrapping paper rolls. Take turns, etc. (I've never tried this, so if someone has experience with how to hang the ball safely, please tell.)

8) Toy Picture Matching. Wondering what to do with all those toy catalogs you get? Cut out the pix of toys you have in your home. GLue the pix onto a piece of cardboard and gather the toys. Baby can match the toy to its picture. (I suppose you could also cut out pix of the toy from its packaging.) Maybe older babes could go in search of the toys on the board themselves?

9) Masking Tape Roads. Lay down a piece of masking tape (the blue kind used for painting is even better) on the kitchen floor and show Baby how to line up blocks, cars, people, etc. on the tape (maybe say "Bye-bye tape"?) Older Baby might drive little cars on the tape as if it were a road. Even older might be able to walk on it? Or Baby could jump over it. (BTW, I saw this in a book and LOVED this idea. Ds, however, could not have been less interested in the darn tape! Good luck!)

10) Color Sorting and Matching. Fill a sensory table (see old thread) or box or rubbermaid container with objects that are all the same color. Discuss and label with younger Babe. With older babes, have 2 such containers and many objects of 2 different colors and have Babe sort objects into proper container. You could make your own containers with oatmeal boxes covered with construction paper. Older Babes might be able to go on a "hunt" thru house in search of objects to go in each container -- maybe a younger one could look for one color, with Mom's help?

Hope this helps out there -- I'd love to hear what works and what doesn't -- and please write in with any modifications or ways to expand on these ideas. I know you awesome Mamas are full of ingenuity and I need some!

Here's to a wonderful, stimulating, and adventurous new week (and year!) with our growing toddlers! I feel certain *WE* will learn so much!










Fondly,
Eleanor
Mama to a Dear, Dear, Dear, DEAR Son! (9/24/01)


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## Deirdre (Dec 1, 2001)

Wow! Thank you very much for the GREAT ideas!

-Deirdre


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## tinaq (Aug 26, 2002)

This is a great idea! Thanks! Please add me to the list!


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## Breathe (May 18, 2002)

You're on tinaq! I've put you down for 3/9 with MegsMom.


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## merpk (Dec 19, 2001)

Wow.

Have no clue when to do any of those things, but I enjoyed so much reading the list of them and imagining doing them ...










Great thread (but don't add me to the list ... I'll just go into lurk mode ... :LOL)

- Amy


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## amymarie (Jun 21, 2002)

This is a really good idea...I work and sometimes feel so tired to think up fun stuff to do...now I can just read and play! Thank you so much.


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## sozobe (Aug 5, 2002)

Looks great! Thanks for the model. I'm set for week of the 12th.

A question about the paired names for each week -- is the idea to work together to come up with a single "lesson plan", or each independently do half, or each independently do all of it for a total of two shorter ones, or...?

(Just re-read and saw the "five activities" part -- that's clear. Oops.







)


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## sleepies (Nov 30, 2001)

i will write down my date not to forget.
I can't wait to try some of your ideas!


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## Breathe (May 18, 2002)

Hey, Guess I'm feeling a little vulnerable here -- with my ideas "stuck" to the top of this forum and feeling like others could (and will!) certainly be more creative . . . but I did want to add that these ideas are for when you and your toddler are just DONE with the usual fun activities. You know, like playing outside, helping in the garden, baking, doing laundry, etc. I'm assuming you all do that stuff already, so these were just things you might try when your little one is standing with little hands on hips saying, "and what now, Mama?"









And I *tried* to think of things you could do together, with very little prep time. Like the masking tape on the floor, I think you can do w/Babe watching. And the collages and light play you can do together. The homemade blocks and sorting pictures are definitely "after Babe has gone to bed" projects, but I'm kinda hoping dh will pitch in and help me while we catch up and veg. on the couch. In any case, I know you'll take what you can and leave the rest.

OK, that's enough of me being silly and defensive (even tho all your feedback has been positive!).

Onward, Troops!


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## MirandaW (Apr 22, 2002)

This is a wonderful list! I can't wait to try this out on my little ones. I would like to take a turn, too.

Miranda


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## peggy (Nov 19, 2001)

Breathe, these are fabulous ideas and Thank you so much for organizing all this!!

peggy


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## Serena (Nov 24, 2001)

You are a wonderful mother! I must be PMSing because I'm honestly on the verge of tears that you were sweet enough to write all this up. I actually stopped reading in the middle to go make dd a surprise bag of stuff from around the house, and I will try the blanket rides, cutting out catalogs, and making a tent as well!! I feel like a very inferior mother that I didn't think of these things myself.







Thank you very much!!

(Though I must add that if I got any sleep I'd probably be more imaginative!)







:


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## Breathe (May 18, 2002)

Okay, I'm not PMSing and now I'm all teary -- THANK YOU, Serena (and peggy and MirandaW)! *I* was feeling inadequate, which just goes to show that we mamas are tenderhearted and very sensitive . . . just like our babies need us to be, right? (Oh, and I am WITH you on the sleep deprivation -- it really robs you of that creative energy, doesn't it? Exactly why I need this kind of help from other moms!) Stick with us as I'm sure there are weeks and weeks of wonderful ideas to come!

And Miranda, glad to have you join us! I've put you down for the week of 3/16 and feel certain at least one more person will want to jump in before then.

Going to bed grateful for this wonderful place (MDC, that is!),
El


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## brookelynnp (Jan 1, 2002)

WOW! This is awesome and exactly what I have been looking for. I would like to be added to the list but I am not sure exactly how it all works.


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## Kishor'sMami (May 28, 2002)

Wow, what an incredible idea!! I've already tried the blanket rides and he just loves them!

I've been so busy that reading your toddler activities definitely is motivating me to slow down and enjoy time with my little baby (who's not so little anymore).

haven't been on mothering in a while... but i'm so amazed at how much i missed out on, and how awesome you guys are... your support for each other, your style of talking... your priorities!

thank you again!


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## mamakarata (Nov 20, 2001)

did the tent for my 13mo. he was hesitant until i put some of his toys in it. then it looked a light bulb went off in his head and he went in for a little while.

he also had fun tearing it apart. whatever. as long as he is happy!!

happy playtime!


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## Megs Mom (Mar 19, 2002)

Hugs to all and thanks to El for the AWESOME ideas! I can't BELIEVE you were feeling vulnerable after putting all that great stuff out there!


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## nuggetsmom (Aug 7, 2002)

El,

these are great! And I might add that the flashlight was the greatest five dollar investment I have made! We have tons of them in case of a middle of the night earthquake. I give it to DD on the changing table.
The hut, also a good idea. I think DD is going to love that, and I am saving it for a rainy day (when we can't spend the whole day outside, which is my copout default activity- I don't know what I would do if I lived in a rainy place)
Thanks for the wonderful organization too. I am thinking up things for my week!
J

PS I am now sad that I got busy and broke down all the christmas boxes for recycling. And they are gone except for the huge one that I cut "doors" in and DD plays in it. And not with the playkitchen that came inside either


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## Curly Locks (Oct 21, 2002)

Dh and I love the ideas! I want to try the ball from the ceiling and make it removable of course. Has anyone tried it yet or have experience on how to hang it? I told Dh about the fort and blanket ride and he is going to try it out too. Thanks again, El for getting this started!























I love the flashlight idea too! Here's another idea to keep little one happy during diaper changes: About a month ago ds and I made a necklace using yarn (could use ribbon or yarn) and asorted pasta noodles. I was planning to wear it to occupy his hands during nursing...which works a little too well. So I take it off during nursings on days when I wear it. But once when I was wearing it during a diaper change (which by the way can be so untolerable to ds) he wanted to hold the necklace so I took it off and he was happy as could be!


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## Breathe (May 18, 2002)

Oh, I am SO glad the little tykes are enjoying the activities! We are LOVING the blanket rides (got that one from a book) -- ds likes to ride facing forward, backwards, on all fours, and even lying down, which seemed to calm him in an amazing way! And I find it interesting that when I can entertain him well for a short period, he is then more likely to play independently for a while. Maybe he's just maturing, but we are both enjoying it!


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## nuggetsmom (Aug 7, 2002)

Hi,

DD is not much into riding on a blanket because I don't think she gets that she is supposed to sit down, but when I tried it with the laundry basket she loved it. We have concrete floors and they allow good sliding of the basket. I attached the yoga strap to it so I could pull it. Later she gave her bear a ride in it too.
J


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## Megs Mom (Mar 19, 2002)

Quote:

_Originally posted by Breathe_
*I find it interesting that when I can entertain him well for a short period, he is then more likely to play independently for a while. Maybe he's just maturing, but we are both enjoying it!*

I am finding the same thing. If I play with Meg for a while, then I can get up and do something else while she continues to play...

I have been using the Slow and Steady book a lot, and I love it. We have been having a lot of fun taking lids on and off of various containers this week, and putting things in and out of the containers!


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## Curly Locks (Oct 21, 2002)

Funny that you mentioned the laundry basket, Jacqueline! We haven't tried to blanket ride yet, but we are going to try it! I think it will be easier on my back then pushing the laundry basket...which we do a lot and ds loves! Maybe I should use a belt or something to tie to the basket since I don't have a yoga strap.









El, I like how you all hi-jacked the other thread! And maybe this one is being hi-jacked too???..







Either way I think you all are so awesome and kudos to El!!









Heather


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## momcat (Aug 9, 2002)

Megs Mom - I thought ds was the only weird kid who loved lids! He's fascinated by lids of any kind. Strange boy. (He gets it from me, no doubt...)


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## grumo (Dec 12, 2001)

We did blanket rides today. I lined up some stuffed animals that dd could pick up as passengers along the way.


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## Curly Locks (Oct 21, 2002)

*Week of January 12th lesson plans:*

Hi! I'm Heather and my cutesy tootsie ds recently turned 13 months. We've tried out some of these ideas and hope you enjoy them. They are pretty basic and some of you may be doing some of these things already. I'm really excited about this thread and I'm psyched about trying out your lesson plans! You mamas rock!!!







Sozobe will be submitting a lesson plan this week as well.
















Dance to Music~ Let your toddler draw (or scribble) on a piece of paper using a crayon and make it into a flag by attaching a stick to one end using glue, turn on the radio to lively music, and let your little one march around the house carrying the flag.








Footprint/Handprint Angel ~ Trace around child's foot ~ this will be the angel's body (toes down). Trace around the child's hand ~ this will be the angel's wings. Cut a round circle for the head or paste a picture of the child's head on the angel. There are many modifications you can make. We used two handprints for the wings and you can cut out a photo of your baby's hands or feet to glue onto the angel's body. Idea is from: http://www.strainedpeas.com/recipes/...craft035.shtml Or you can make Baker's Clay and press the hands or feet into it. Here's a link to a clay recipe: http://www.kidsturncentral.com/crafts/crecipe22.htm








Baby's Kitchen Cabinet~ Ds has a cabinet in the kitchen w/ some small metal tins and pots and pans we bought from Goodwill since we were short on that sort of thing. Some of the other contents include: empty oatmeal containers, half gallon jugs w/ a few beans inside and super glue the lid on, pasta in a zip lock bag, empty paper towel rolls, small sealed Tupperware container w/ popcorn seeds inside, wooden or plastic spoons, Jello molds, and empty egg cartons. Ds loves his cabinet and plays in it often. We're always adding new things to it to keep it interesting.








Laundry helper~ Why not have fun with something you have to do anyway and teach your little one an important life skill? Here's what works for us: I put ds on the dryer which is right next to the washer and keep one eye and one arm on him at all times while I load the washer and I hand him clothes to throw in the washer as well. He loves to watch the water fill up too! When it's time to put the clothes in the dryer he stands in front of the dryer and helps to throw in the wet stuff. When I'm folding the clothes he likes to sit in the laundry basket of warm clothes and tries to help fold. This has become a fun activity that ds and I enjoy now that he is so mobile and he loves helping. It takes a little longer to get the task done but it's a lot of fun! I must admit that sometimes I do it when dh is home to save time. But it's not as fun w/o my helper. [Notes: Try pushing or pulling the laundry basket with little one inside. You can use a belt or yoga strap to pull the basket along the floor. Also, If you have stairs use a laundry bag to toss the dirty laundry down the stairs and then use a clean bag to toss the clean clothes up inside of later.]








Feeding Time~ Now that ds is 13 months he is really getting into the food thing! And he is getting more interested in learning to "do it myself." So that's what we are trying to encourage. We put him in his highchair and give him his food w/ a utensil and let him touch, spell, taste, and see the goods up close and personal! He's gotten so talented lately! He can actually get some of the oatmeal in his mouth and doesn't always spill the bowl on the floor. This is one activity he really enjoys! When we try to feed him now he gets very frustrated b/c he wants to do it himself every time. My baby is a toddler now!

More cute toddler activity links:
http://www.123child.com/misc/toddler.html
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/toddler/
http://www-personal.engin.umich.edu/...ddler/list.htm


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## sozobe (Aug 5, 2002)

*Week of January 12th Lesson Plans Part II:*

Great job, Curly Locks! (And a sticker for Excellent Usage of Emoticons.







)

*Cabin Fever in-Cabin Field Trips*

Perhaps you live someplace perpetually sunny and temperate, but if you're like me, you're stuck in a coooold, gray, thoroughly unpleasant January. Even going to the store is a Major Expedition. That doesn't mean you must forgo the beach and picnics and carefree jaunts to the zoo, though. Just use a little imagination!

- We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo ~ For this one, setting up is half the fun. Get a bunch of stuffed animals, pick an area, and make a zoo! You can go the cage route -- boxes, or masking-taped-off areas (we have a tiled kitchen floor, which works well) -- or you can have an enlightened, cageless zoo, with the desert animals on the coffeetable, the tropics animals on the couch, etc. You can also get pictures of animals from the internet (google image search), print them out, and tape them on a wall. (Can do this for a farm, too.)

- Beach Blanket Bingo ~ Replace your bathroom towels with the beach towels, put on swimsuits, get out the shades, close the door and run the hot shower until the bathroom's all nice and warm, then go swimming! The more ambitious could try a bathside sandbox, but I worry about the mess. Get out the beach toys, or buy a beach ball if you don't have one (they're cheap.) Then splash and play!

- Teddy Bear's Picnic ~ at the end of your busy day, or right there in the zoo, lay out your picnic blanket and dig into your picnic basket for a nosh. Pack brightly-colored plastic plates and silverware, make sandwiches and lemonade (or whatever you can stand to have in your living room -- though I guess there's no reason not to lay out the picnic blanket on your kitchen floor) and talk about the day's adventures.

*Make a Book*

There's a few ways to do this, depending on your child's interests and what sort of equipment you have. It can be very basic to pretty fancy and durable. With some combination of:

-Photos
-Magazine pictures
-Catalogue pictures
-Internet images

You can

-Paste
-Scan and print
-Copy and paste into a document

the images and add captions by hand or with the computer. For example, my daughter loves to go to the zoo, and she especially loves the polar bears. She asks me to tell "the polar bear story" all the time. So next time we go to the zoo, I will be bringing the camera, and will take pictures of her at critical junctures -- entering the zoo; seeing the polar bear sign; her face when she first sees the polar bears; various shots of the polar bears; shots of her watching the polar bears; shots of her saying goodbye to the polar bears; and whatever other unplanned goodies occur. Then I will paste the photos on to construction paper, with captions (clearly handwritten, fairly simple), put two pages back to back, and laminate. (You can buy no-machine laminating paper at office supply stores.) After about 5 pages (8 images and captions, front and back cover), I'll punch holes and bind with yarn or ribbon. And she'll have her permanent "polar bear story"!

*Wrapping paper romp*

This one I referred to before -- I had some leftover wrapping paper from last Christmas that I didn't particularly like (hubby bought it







: ) and let dd go wild with it. She loved it! I bought some more about a week ago, 15 feet for 50 cents. There's all kinds of things you can do:

-Make a fort
-Hide
-"Wrap" things
-Tear it into tiny pieces
-Manipulate it into objects -- a crown, a sceptre, etc.
-Make lots of noise!

There is a book called "Wrapping Paper Romp" which is a nice addition to the activity if you can find it at the library.

*Mouse Paint*

My dd just got an easel and so is especially interested in painting now, but this could be done without that. Paints are pretty cheap (we use Crayola), and "Mouse Paint" can be found lots of places in paperback.

Then, go ahead and play with making colors. Start with just red, yellow, and blue, then make green and orange and purple. You can also prep by drawing mice and the cat on the paper the child will be using.

You could also buy some cat-toy mice and let the kids paint with those directly. (!) (Saw that idea when looking for the "Mouse Paint" link.)

That's just four, but since the first one's so long, hope that'll do!

Happy playing!


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## Curly Locks (Oct 21, 2002)

Sozobe~What a neat list of ideas and thanks for the "sticker." I have a roll of wrapping paper we bought at the $1 store that we never used for Christmas. We're going to try out the Wrapping Paper Romp!







Oh, and here's a sticker for you, my lesson plan pal Great job!


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## Breathe (May 18, 2002)

Thanks Curly Locks and sozobe! Heather(aka C.L.), I love the flag idea and will try that soon (if I can prevent ds from eating the crayon!) -- he loves to dance and march so this ought to be a big hit! (and I thought of you this a.m. as ds "helped" w/the laundry!)

And sozobe, the book idea is a terrific one, too! We have so many pix on our computer, I just need to take an afternoon and print some out -- ds will be THRILLED! (Oh, and did you know there's a book and song called "Teddy Bear's Picnic"? Sorry I don't know the author, but it's cute!)

Great job, mamas! What lucky children you have!









P.S. Now I can't find it, but whoever suggested the water play in a pot on the kitchen floor -- thanks for that fabulous idea! Ds now begs for it everyday, and his 3 newest words are "pot, scoop, and ice" (I've been putting a few ice cubes in the water to prolong the play so I can cook!).

See, I knew this forum was full of creative mamas!


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## Breathe (May 18, 2002)

Hey Everyone,

After being inspired by sozobe and Curly Locks' art ideas, I got brave today and let ds try the crayons again . . . He did much better, altho once he tried to eat one, he then had to hold each one up to his mouth so we could say "not for eating" to every color!







This activity reminded me of a few tips I could share:

I had a leftover piece of packing paper that was about 3'x 3' -- I got it our for the coloring bc I thought it might be big enough to contain ds's scribbles. Turns out he wanted to sit right in the middle of it, but this was a FAR better plan! He was able to color all around him, sometimes doing 360 turns, and the paper surrounded him at every turn. He also loved the crinkling of the paper as he wiggled, so it turned out to be a fabulous idea . . . his, of course!

Also, the crayons we use are the new (?) Crayola washables -- they are 100% water soluble, so they wash right out of carpet, diaper covers, walls, etc., AND your child can even color on his highchair tray and then you can wipe it off with a wet cloth. Pretty much turns any surface into a whiteboard. (and can give you a few minutes in the kitchen!)

And for a free and endless source of great art paper, call your local newspaper. They will often set aside the ends of the rolls of newsprint (completlely clean) for anyone who asks, particularly if you say it's for children's art work. I've now done this in 3 different towns, and it was free every time -- In fact, they had so many rolls, I took 4 for myself and wished I knew more people who could have used them, cuz I'm pretty sure they just get thrown out (even tho they still have yards and yards of clean paper on them). Some newspapers may even have white paper (the newsprint is kinda gray), and some may have the glossy white paper that coupons are printed on (great for painting, once your child is old enough!). The rolls store nicely in a closet and you can just roll off as much as you need -- even huge pieces for murals, body tracings, etc. If you can find a source in your area, there's really no need to ever buy drawing paper again, AND you're doing a good thing for the environment! Good luck with this!









Edited to add: Oh, and a friend who is in the process of moving says her 14 mos old has had fun coloring all of their boxes with those washable crayons (probably wouldn't want her walking around with them if they weren't so washable!). Maybe MegsMom can have Meg do that while she's unpacking!


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## Curly Locks (Oct 21, 2002)

Ds loves the water in a pot with ice cubes!!! We tried the water in a bucket and bubbles and he loved it but I know that's a drowning hazard (even when I'm in the room it scares me). Well I was putting warm water in the bucket and he decided to climb in one day and take a bath! It was pretty funny! But I really like the water in pot much better!







He added some old carrots and other stuff too like he was cooking a soup.

Thanks, Breathe for the other suggestions!


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## Megs Mom (Mar 19, 2002)

Yes! Let Meg color the boxes! I love it!

We bought a house, by the way (our first). We move out of our 400 sq. ft. hotel room Feb. 3! Hurray!


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## LiminalOne (Mar 1, 2002)

Hello

Just found this thread after losing track of the last one, but I'm so psyched (overwhelmed actually) by all of the great ideas. Now, the question just is which should we try after Finn wakes up from his nap. I love the zoo adventure with stuffed animals and have been wanting to make a book for some time and the toy match-up game. Choices, choices?? Add me to the list of contributors and I'll try to come up with something new when it's my turn.

Cheers
Angie


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## AvalonDaughter (Mar 24, 2002)

This is great!!! Thank you thank you thank you thank you for doing this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Mothernature (Jun 10, 2002)

I'm loving all the great ideas. We're doing the trip to the stuffed animal zoo/safari after naptime. I can't wait. I also wanted to add that the dance party was a giant hit. Dh and dd did this while I got a night out last week. Dh used to DJ before our lives changed. This was a great way for him to dig out the old 12" records and mix it up. He said that Zen tore it up on th dance floor. (Dh took the Christmas light/tent ideas and transformed our living room into an instant romper rave.









Gotta go, Safari time.


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## nuggetsmom (Aug 7, 2002)

Bowling. Use 2 or 3 soda bottles and hot glue the covers on. Make sure the ball is fairly large about 12 inches in diameter. This ball should be a beach ball type of ball nothing hard. Place the bottles close together. Show your toddler how to roll the ball into the bottles to knock them down.

Smelly Socks
To Make: Fill each sock (I used horrible baby socks from target) with a different smelling material- such as cloves, dried oregano, cedar chips, dried orange peel, cotton balls sprayed with perfume or room freshener. Sew or tie the socks closed. Put these in a small container such as a basket.

Naomi couldn't care less about these socks, but it seemed like a fun thing to do. Let me know if anyone is actually successful with this one.

Stick-It-On and Peel-It-Off Picture
This gives children practice using their thumb and forefinger to manipulate things. The child is learning language as he learns the name of what is on the picture. If you use photos of other children in the class, or family members, this becomes a social activity. This is also a sensory activity as the child learns about "sticky."
Place contact paper on the wall at the child's level, sticky side out
Cut out magazine pictures (you can laminate them if you like) or photo's or fabric pieces. I used craft foam cut into ducks, flowers stars etc.
Let the child press the pictures onto the sticky paper. Then let the child peel them off again.

Sticky floor: Put the contact paper on the floor sticky side up and tape it down with masking tape. Then let the toddler walk on it with socks on OR barefoot. We haven't tried this yet.

52 card pickup: Yup, throw the cards all around. I held them between thumb and fingers and they sprayed out. Then get toddler to pick them up and put them in a box that you cut a slot in. Naomi likes to sing a song "cleanup cleanup, everyone everywhere" whenever she is picking stuff up.

Of course Naomi's favorite activity today is attack of the teddy bear and watching football with daddy...









Good luck everyone, and have a wonderful fun filled week.


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## pioneermama (Aug 3, 2002)

thanks so much for keeping this going! there are wonderful and fun ideas here!


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## Breathe (May 18, 2002)

Thanks, nuggetsmom! My little guy is gonna love bowling! And it sounds like I gotta get some clear contact paper -- there are just so many creative uses! (LOVE the sock idea, too -- we have SO many unusable socks lying around! IF ds doesn't like 'em, I think I will!)

Oh, and another card idea -- Instead of throwing out all the used-up gift cards I have from the holidays (you know, those plastic credit-card-type things they now give you in stores when you have a store credit), I now give them to my ds and he likes putting those in the slit in the box, too. I'm always so glad when he'll use something that is otherwise WASTED! (Isn't it ridiculous that they insist on giving you a new card each time?!? Just think of all that plastic going into the landfill after only one use!!)

Speaking of recycling . . . Has anyone out there gotten some free paper rolls from their local newspaper? Any more tips about how to go about this?


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## BensMom (May 4, 2002)

Hi Mommas! Sorry Iâ€™m late. My DS is 22 months and here are a few ideas I have come up with to entertain him.

More Fun with Contact Paper: Take clear contact paper and tape it sticky side up to the table. Get some glitter confetti (I did this at Christmas and bought a bunch of Christmas confetti cheap) in little shapes. Put the confetti in small bowls and let the child pick up the confetti and stick it onto the contact paper. Once done, put another piece of contact paper over it, cut into a rectangle, and you have a placemat. This is obviously one that requires supervision, but my son is a major-mouther but he was having more fun with the sticky than eating them. You can also cut out shapes of paper and use that if you donâ€™t want to use confetti.

More magazine fun: Open up a paper grocery bag and stand it up next to the child. Give them a magazine and let them tear out one page at a time, crinkle it into a ball and throw it into the bag. It sounds so simple, but DS loved this! He then had fun emptying the bag and filling it a few more times. He liked the sensation of crinkling the pages and â€œmaking a ball.â€

Piggy Bank: Again, requires supervision, but I bought my son a sturdy plastic piggy bank and give him a small pile of change. He loves putting the coins into the Pig. (Every now and then he tries to put a coin in his mouth, but now I think he is just doing it to get a rise out of me.) Then once you have the money in the pig, you can shake it and make lots of fun noise.

Lacing Beads: I bought some big wooden lacing beads that came with a dinky little string. He is way too young to lace them on the string, so I got a thin wooden spoon and turned it upside down. The spoon part holds the beads on, and the handle is thin enough to hold the beads. And it is easier for little hands to control than a string. If you donâ€™t have any beads on hand, you can cut up toilet paper rolls, use hair bands, or anything round to put on a stick/utensil.

Shoe Fun: DS loves trying on shoes. So I will gather up some of DH and Iâ€™s shoes and let him try them on. DSâ€™ shoes are too hard to get on himself, but he can get the big ones on. Then he tries to walk in them â€" so I have to make sure he is in an open area. Slippers are especially fun since they are soft and pliable.

One more for outside fun, â€œpaintingâ€: Get a paint brush and a cup of water and have them â€œpaintâ€ the house, fence, etc. They can see the water go on and change the color of the wall, but there is no mess. This wasnâ€™t as successful for us, since DS kept trying to drink the cup of water. Maybe next summer. But I figure someone out there might have use for an outdoor activity.

Hope these ideas arenâ€™t too blatantly obvious!

Jenn & Ben


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## nuggetsmom (Aug 7, 2002)

Sometimes the blatently obvious ideas are the best. They are easy to do and I, for one, didn't think of all of them.

The placemat idea is great. and I never thought of having DD put the coins in her bank.

BTW, the contact paper on the wall worked out well if we use pictures from postcard and greeting cards becuase they are stiff.


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## Breathe (May 18, 2002)

Yeah, thanks BensMom! These "obvious" ideas are the easiest to do, bc you already have the materials you need. And this isexactly the kind of help *I* need: how to be creative with things that are right under my overwhelmed and sleep-deprived nose!

Here's another coin-in-the-bank idea I used to do w/my kindergartners:

You can make your own penny bank-type thing out of an empty oatmeal container. I covered mine with contact paper first, and then cut slits all over it, with the slits rotated around to different orientations (some vertical, some horizontal, some on angles). Then let your child push coins (or even better, poker chips from the dollar store) into the slits. This develops the pincer grasp (thumb to pointer finger, important for writing) and fine motor strength bc they have to push kinda hard to get the chips thru the cardboard, and also develops coordination bc they have to turn their wrist to line up the chip with the different slots. (Got this idea from an Occupational Therapist who worked with K's with very poor fine motor skills -- but it's fun for all children, I think!)

Once this is mastered, you can put colored dots beside each slit to signify what color goes in each one, then they can match the poker chips to correct slots (you can also put the dots on the poker chips, if you want to have them match more than red, white, and blue). (And once the color matching has been mastered, save the can -- don't throw it out -- 'cause later it can be a letter/word/picture matching can.)


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## reesa (Apr 22, 2002)

Can I be added to the list as well?


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## Curly Locks (Oct 21, 2002)

Thanks for the fun ideas for this week!!! Everyone is so creative! I like the basic stuff too! I loved the bowling idea as well. My ds had more fun watching me knock down the bottles. He tried to do it but he's not quite there yet! I can't wait to show dh when he gets home! And I am going to try the coin thing today too.


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## Breathe (May 18, 2002)

Hi All,

Here's the latest schedule -- no changes, I've just added more people to the list (brookelynnp, LiminalOne, & reesa):

1/26 comet & tara
2/2 sleepies & Hannah
2/9 momcat & peggy
2/16 Bella's Mama & lisa2s
2/23 grumo & carminex
3/2 oceanbaby & mama2kyla
3/9 brookelynnp & tinaq
3/16 MirandaW & MegsMom
3/23 LiminalOne & reesa
3/30 Drewsmom and Aloha Deb

Comet & Tara, You guys still on for next week?

Thanks, Everyone, for making this so easy and helpful!


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## tinaq (Aug 26, 2002)

More great ideas, Mamas!!! This thread is so helpful, I have gotten SO much use from it! My dh is leaving for 6 months next wk & I have received so many activities from this thread & the links that I'm no longer quite as anxious about what I'm going to do w/ my 20 mo in the coming months. Thank you, Mamas!


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## BensMom (May 4, 2002)

Magic Carpet Rides were a huge success! We are snowed in today, so I decided to try some of the ideas. DS just layed there like a sack of potatoes and *loved* being dragged around the house. He even learned a new sign from it - "Again"!

(Mom was quite exhausted after the activity, though. But it is a great arm workout!)

Keep 'em coming, mommas!

Jenn


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## tara (Jan 29, 2002)

I will be posting later with my ideas for the week!


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## tara (Jan 29, 2002)

Ok, I'm back! Earlier the babe was asleep in my lap so I couldn't gather all my info... *Here are Tara's Ideas for Entertaining Your Toddler This Week!!* (and, my babe is 14 months old, so these are things a young toddler like him might find interesting, though a few of them would be appropriate for older kids...)

1. Oh, The Fun That Can Be Hand With Containers and Lids! Jackson is really into containers right now. All kinds of containers - boxes, jars, plastic food containers... He especially likes jars, and I just watch him closely when he's playing with one. We will get out a few random containers and put things in them (small toys, food) and put on the lids. He enjoys pulling stuff out and putting it in and pulling it out and putting it in. And, there is a little lesson in finding the right lid to put back on, which is challenging when the containers are a series of plastic containers or similar jars...

2. Magnet Fun! I bought a bunch of magnets shaped like fruit and vegetables at the dollar store and Jackson plays with these on the fridge. Make sure your magnets aren't choking size. We also received a set of wooden alphabet magnets as a gift, and these go on the washer/dryer so if laundry itself isn't enough entertainment, he can play with the magnets. Jackson especially likes sticking pictures and stuff up with the magnets. At my parents' house, they have made magnets with photographs by sticking magnet tape to the back, and Jackson really loves those (keep in mind your photographs will get oogy). You can also buy little clear plastic magnet frames if you want to protect your photos better.

3. A Book of Loves! Make a photo album of all the people in your child's life! Ideally pictures of your child with these people, to remember good times together... I have done this with a little photo album picked up at the dollar store, but it could easily be constructed of contact paper-enclosed photos. My child loves photographs, and will thumb through his album and kiss the pictures. We tell stories about the people and what we've done together. I think this is an especially good way to keep relatives who live far away in mind...

4. The Good Old Fashioned Refridgerator Box! Find an appliance/furniture store and score a big box. Cut out windows and doors to make a house and have your child help color or paint the outside (or make a spaceship. Or a laboratory. Or a store/restaurant/car/schoolbus - the possibilities are endless!). I remember having an insane amount of fun with a refridgerator box at the age of 7, when I was allowed to cut out windows and stuff myself (in fact, I was allowed to sleep in it and that was the coolest thing ever). My nephew at 3 had an entire laboratory inside one. Jackson right now mostly likes to run in and 'hide' waiting for me to get him!

5. Good Old Fashioned Play Dough! Mix 1/2 c. salt, 1 c. flour and 2 tbs. cream of tartar. Add 1 c. water, 1 tbs. oil and food coloring (next time I do it I'm going to experiment with natural colorings like turmeric...). Cook over medium heat stirring continuously until the mixture forms a lump. Cool and knead well. Store in plastic bags or sealed containers. Little toddlers just like to knead it and rip it apart and feel the texture (ok, they like to eat it, too, which isn't a disaster but I try to discourage it). Older toddlers can build things. I have enjoyed building a few things myself (part of the fun of having kids is playing like one yourself!)

Some of these you probably already know about buy may have forgotten... They are pretty simple, but sometimes simple is good fun. Enjoy!


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## grumo (Dec 12, 2001)

to add to magnet fun... I bought magnetic sheets at Office depot that go in my printer, and I can make my own magnets. I am starting with pictures of people she knows, but I think I'll move on to animal at some time. The sheets are pretty expensive though, like $15 (?) for 5 8.5x11 sheets.


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## mamaDsofi&iri (Nov 24, 2001)

Great Ideas!!!









I just found this thread. I too, like the simple best...

Don't sign me in... You are having so many great ideas, I fear by the time it's my turn everything will be already done







Also, I WOH, so my time is kindda limited...

Sofi (2years &4 mo) is high into imaginative play, making anything into little people or animals that talk to each other, etc. I mean, like cereals or cookies! She comes up with great things









I'll print the list and tell you how it goes!


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## mamaDsofi&iri (Nov 24, 2001)

Editied to add:

OOuuups! I didn't mean to post this twice! I'll delete it...

I'll print the list and tell you how it goes!


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## brookelynnp (Jan 1, 2002)

I have loved all the ideas and I still want to be a part of the group planning but I am due with my baby the week I am scheduled to give my ideas. I think I will still try to do it but if I do not please hope that it is because I am giving birth. Last time I was three weeks late.


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## Drewsmom (Jan 12, 2002)

wow, i love this thread! what a huge help it's been, i come on during nap time and have something to do with ds in the afternoon (the hard hours). i would love to be added to the list. i'll be temporarily moving on feb. 22 so may be a little frazzled then until the comp. is reset up. the blanket ride, water play at the sink and the cards into a shoe-box with a slot have been MAJOR hits. In fact, I usually pay for everything with a debit card and ds sorts his "credit cards" into the shoe box and feels very mature I think







. Thanks!!


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## AlohaDeb (Jul 30, 2002)

I'm definitely going to be using some of these ideas -- and please add me to the list!

Sometimes (like today) when I'm having morning sickness and it's rainy all day and my creativity is just lagging, I just WISHED there was some kind of list or suggestion area I could refer to! I even did a search once on MSN, but didn't come up with much! THIS IS THE ANSWER!


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## Breathe (May 18, 2002)

Thanks for all the positive feedback, Mamas! I am SO glad this is helping keep the little ones busy and stimulated! Mine is loving it that his mama finally has something for him to do!

*brookelynnp & Megs Mom:* I have switched the 2 of you so brookelynnp can be one week earlier -- we wouldn't expect you to be posting with a brand new baby in your arms! (Hope that's ok Megs Mom -- I thought an extra week might be good for you w/the moving chaos.)

*Drewsmom and Aloha Deb:* I have added you to our list -- Welcome! (Didn't know you were pg, Deb! Congrats!)

*sleepies and Hannah:* Still on for this coming Sunday? I will start a new thread for you this weekend.

*Peggy* , will you stick the February thread once I create it, please?

Everyone be sure to subscribe to the new thread when it pops up!

It just warms the cockles of my little heart to think of toddlers enjoying blanket rides from NC to Alaska and back!


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## Iguanavere (Nov 26, 2001)

I want in! I have some ideas...but asm typing with 2 mo. in arms and trying to keep ds 2.5 occupied....more later...


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## Megs Mom (Mar 19, 2002)

Quote:

_Originally posted by Breathe_ *brookelynnp & Megs Mom: I have switched the 2 of you so brookelynnp can be one week earlier -- we wouldn't expect you to be posting with a brand new baby in your arms! (Hope that's ok Megs Mom -- I thought an extra week might be good for you w/the moving chaos.)*
Oh, MAN, do I HAVE to have extra time?







Thanks for running the show, Breathe. We put a magnetic picture frame over a magazine picture of a dog yesterday, and put DOG in magnetic letters above it! Big hit! Meg goes up and says dog and kisses it, and pulls the letters off one at a time while I tell her what they are.

Also, I got Slow and Steady and we love that as well! It will be my source for lots of ideas for us here, I think.

We did a trial Gymboree class today (not that I could ever afford to pay to go regularly) and frankly, Mamas, they have NOTHING on us!







I wasn't even sad that I can't afford to go back!


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## Megs Mom (Mar 19, 2002)

Hi, tara! Don't know if we're supposed to add reactions/feedback, but, um, I have some!









Meg is 13-1/2 months and LOVES containers and lids. It's still challenging for her even if they aren't very similar, so we do it that way. Tupperware, a pot, a baby food jar, for example. Very different sizes.

Magnets on the washer and dryer are an awesome idea I never thought of. I'm totally going to do that after we move into our new house (MONDAY)!

I've been meaning to make a book of loves forever, here's the kick in the pants I need. The pics in my wallet are great entertainment when I get caught somewhere waiting w/o a toy or book.

Going to have lots of moving boxes on MONDAY which (was it here someone suggested this?) Meg will be copiously decorating.









Love the play dough recipe, can't wait to use it!


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## tara (Jan 29, 2002)

Thank you, Megs Mom!!


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## freethinkingmom (Nov 21, 2001)

Do you think we could break up the group by ages? I'd love to have an online playgroup with other mothering mamas, but dd is ahead of most of the ideas on the other thread.

Maybe:

Weekly Toddler activities for 12-15 month olds

Weekly Toddler activities for 16-19 month olds

Weekly Toddler activities for 20-23 month olds

Weekly Toddler activities for 24-27 month olds

Weekly Toddler activities for 27-31 month olds

etc.

This way it can be more age specific. I'm looking for btdt mamas too who can enlighten me on "what to do next" so I can check the activities for the next age group. Know what I mean?

I'd be into being apart of this for sure! My dd is 23 months today.

Let me know what you think mamas!

julie

ps. I'm going to cross post this into the weekly toddler thread.


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## Breathe (May 18, 2002)

I've moved us to a new thread for February:

http://216.92.20.151/discussions/new...ead&forumid=31

I hope sleepies and Hannah will be posting later today (haven't heard from either of them in a while!) -- if not, I've gathered a few new ideas I can post tonight.

And freethinkingmom, I think it's a really good idea to break things up -- I also suggested this way back, but didn't have anyone respond who was willing to take up the charge. Would you like to be in charge of a thread for "older toddlers"? I doubt if we can do as many as you suggest above, but maybe we could do 12-20 mos in the current thread, and you could do 20+. What do you think?
See you all in the new thread!


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## mamakarata (Nov 20, 2001)

hmm, when i click on the link, it brings up a reply field (i think) on the new thread, but am unsure.

anyone else this is happening to?

i'll search on mdc instead.

el, in case you read this, i had one silly idea to add if you don't have enough.

i didn't sign up for a whole week, because i don't have enough yet.


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## sozobe (Aug 5, 2002)

I had a problem with that link, too -- this should work:

http://216.92.20.151/discussions/sho...threadid=40549

I'm also interested in an "older toddler" group. My dd is 27 months. (Wow, I had to think -- after 2 years of knowing her age by month, I've been calling her "2" for the last three months.)


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## AlohaDeb (Jul 30, 2002)

PLMK if I can help somehow???

DS is 23 months.


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## MirandaW (Apr 22, 2002)

Since there are two moms coming up with the suggested activities each week, why don't we have one the one mom of the week suggest younger toddler activities and the other mom suggest the older toddler activities?

Miranda


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## Breathe (May 18, 2002)

Are any of you mamas wondering what happened to the ideas? We're over on a new thread for February, so if you wanna keep getting new ideas (or sharing them!), you've gotta come over and subscribe:

http://216.92.20.151/discussions/sho...threadid=40549

We seem to have lost people in the shuffle, so I'm just trying to gather the flock, so to speak!


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## AvalonDaughter (Mar 24, 2002)

I am lost in the shuffle. I like the idea of two threads but where are we?


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## Najiasaidi (Sep 17, 2004)

Thank you so much for the great ideas. I'll try them with my son who is sleeping at the moment (in Ireland). Please put me on your list but am not sure how this works.


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## Maple Leaf Mama (Jul 2, 2004)

Oops, I posted this on the other thread, then saw the link to this thread. Sorry Ladies!

Can I play too? I just found this thread.

I have a 2.5 year old.
One thing that she thought was fun was to make edible snowflakes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. You take a large flour (works better, more plyable) tortilla. Fold it in 1/2, then 1/2 again. Cut shapes (triangles etc) out of it to make a snowflake (like you do for paper snowflakes)-The fancy scissors would make this look even better.

Unfold and place on a cookie sheet.
Mix sugar and cinnamon together and sprinke on top.
Cook for 7-10 mins until the sugar is melted and bubbly (give or take a few mins)

Let cool and eat.
------------------------
Also, I bought a bunch of different grades of sandpaper. I had her color them (I also drew a picture) on the rough part.
Hear up the iron.
Iron the sandpaper sheet, rough side down onto a sheet of paper.
The heat melts the crayon into a pointalistic picture rendition.
The different grades make each picture look different, and then explain why.
Fun stuff!


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