Lately I've been thinking of creative ways to entertain Miss L at home. I'd much prefer arts and crafts to television, although I will admit that Miss L and I do watch Curious George on PBS on a regular basis.
Here are some of the ways we spend a morning or afternoon at home:
1. I set up a playlist on my iPod with Music Together, Baby Loves Jazz, Lisa Loeb, They Might Be Giants and Dan Zanes songs. I play the music and dump a ton of musical instruments on the floor and Miss L dances and plays the instruments while I sing along to the songs. I've also found that she loves Latin pop music so I created a separate playlist with Juanes, Julieta Venega, Laura Pausina and Lenine.
2. We set up crafts at her little play table. We use crayons, easel paper, construction paper, toddler scissors, toddler glue and yarn scraps. As I mentioned to Mama V sometimes we have a finished object, and oftentimes it gets taken apart by Miss L a few minutes later. I try to focus on the act of crafting rather than having something finished, especially with the short attention span of a toddler.
3. Small puzzles have been great. Miss L has a box that contains four puzzles with each puzzle only containing four pieces. This makes it less frustrating for Miss L and more likely that we can finish it and then talk about what is in the puzzle picture. The Melissa & Doug wooden puzzles are great too. Miss L's favorite puzzle right now is a farm animal puzzle that has mom and baby animals.
4. Recently we received a recipe for homemade playdough from Miss L's yoga/art class. This is wonderful to mold into different shapes. You can use cookie cutters or stamp molds with it too. Here is the recipe:
1 cup flour
1 cup water
1 cup water
1/2 cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 tablespoons oil
Food coloring (optional)
Mix all ingredients in a pot. Cook over low heat until thickened. Cool, knead and have fun!
I am wondering if you have any other creative activities for home!
Hmmm... trying to think of other arts and crafts you can do. Master X has the attention span of a squirrel, so we don't do a lot of time-consuming activities since he gets bored very quickly. We're a big fan of the Crayola color wonder fingerpaints (and now markers, thanks to Mama V) because they're clear and only work on the special paper. Sometimes we do glue projects with pasta. I had this great idea to teach Master X his letters by using alphabet pasta, but I think we might have started a little too young. We've also tried stringing cereal, like the natural fruit loops, on necklaces... reduces the choking hazard when it's edible, and making stamp-like paintings by dipping things in paint (eg, half of an apple or a piece of citrus). The other thing Master X loves is sticker books. He prefers to stick the stickers in random areas rather than where they belong, but it makes him happy, so who am I to judge? Sometimes we make cards for relatives with stickers and crayons and everyone loves receiving them. Hmm.... Halloween is coming. Maybe pumpkin painting?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recipe! Must first buy cream of tartar, then I'm all over it. And Mama A has added on some great ideas.
ReplyDeleteChez Master K, we're just starting to get into things other than trains, trucks and general truculence. I subject him to my cooking activities all the time, and he loves to "help" out (flour all over the floor, check). So I've been squirreling away emptied baking containers such as Morton's Salt containers, glass yeast jars, etc., and am planning to set him up with a mini-kitchen someday soon. We don't have the space to get him his own little play stove, but I think some makeshift boxes and Mama's love shall do. I'm secretly hoping that Master K becomes a Master Chef. I think his first recipe will be Play Dough!
I would like to echo Mama A and the short attention span squirrel comment and Mama V's truculence comment. Generally speaking we have crayons and colored pencils, lots of blank paper and a roll of paper that goes on the train table (could be used on the floor as well)...Oh yes and stickers. Recently the truculence is taken in to the tub and Master D spends 30 mins or so "washing" them, him and the tub as an activity.
ReplyDeleteI also allow him to take out the measuring cups and spoon out oatmeal and rice in to bowls and of course make a mess all over the kitchen floor but he is happy nonetheless...
Thanks for the recipe I am going to try this.
Mum used to make us that playdough! It was so much fun. Will have to make it for Master R. Mum also used to make us easy wash glue with just flour and water.
ReplyDeleteI often cook with Master R. He loves mixing (and eating!). I let him taste it at every stage. Now at nursery he spends a lot of time at the play kitchen.