Taking an Experience Home!

We had the awesome chance to see a drummer at our local library yesterday! It’s a free Summer Program and they will be doing lots of cool events that we plan on attending! The kids loved seeing all of the different percussion instruments from different countries! When we got home we decided to get out all of our instruments to play with and then we made our own Maracas! I think these awesome experiences can mean so much more is we take the experience home with us to explore it more!

I saw the Maraca Idea on Pinterest somewhere. 2 plastic spoons, a plastic Easter egg, beans and tape! The kids loved it and they carried them around for the rest of the day!

Angry Bird Snack!

I saw these angry bird fruit snacks and new that my boys would love them! Let me just say that fruit snacks are considered candy in my house(as in we never have them) so my boys were extra excited! I gave them the fruit snacks along with “building materials” so they could play:)

They loved this snack and activity:) Their little buildings were cute and they spent about 30 minutes eating a 2 minute snack!

Fun and learning with stickers!

Do you ever buy stickers that your child is so excited about, just to see them slapped on paper and it’s over? Well, here are a few fun and educational ways to use those stickers and to get a little more bang out of them! The first activity we did was a simple clue game. I wrote clues on the top of the paper. Caden(5) read each clue and then picked a sticker that best fit the clues. He loved it and had a great time practicing reading!

Another fun activity that gets the creative juices flowing is finishing the picture. I let the boys pick 3 stickers and then they used markers and crayons to finish the picture.

Here’s how they turned out:) I love them! Drake’s(4) is outer space and Caden(5) drew a race track;)

We also use them to make cards for our friend’s birthdays! I wrote out the words and the boys used it as a guide to find the write letters.

On the inside they did another “complete the picture” and they both picked cars because that is what they thought their friend would like :)

WINNER

True Random Number GeneratorMin:Max:Result:1Powered by RANDOM.ORG

The Winner is........................... NUMBER 1!! I can't believe it! LOL I know it looks like I typed in 100 but I DID type in 59! Not sure how to post the actual picture:)

Jeremy, Lana, Brenna and MasonMay 15, 2012 9:31 PM

I almost don't want to be number one because I'm worried it's bad luck, but I guess there's as good a chance as any! haha So fun!

Good thing you took a chance!!! Email me your address and I will have your new Bissell Perfect Sweep Turbo sent right to your door!!

Some of you asked where to get one and I saw them on Amazon. Just type the name into the search bar on Amazon! Thanks for playing my first giveaway!

Magnet Sensory Bin

I used black beans as the base and then tons of magnets and a variety of magnetic and NON magnetic things. I wanted to make sure that there were wood, plastic, fabric, metal, glass and aluminum so that the kids could do a lot of experimenting.

I would say this is the most popular tub I have every done! The kids loved it!

Continuing Patterns with Dot Paints

To set up this activity I drew black lines across the paper and then started 5 different patterns. Caden(5) used the dot paints to continue the patterns. He also had 2 blank rows at the bottom to create his own patterns. This was pretty easy for him(except for the 4th one down).

After he completed the patterns we talked about the core of the pattern(the part that repeats). He circled the core in each pattern. The 4th one down was hard for him so that is why it is circled several times: to help him understand the concept of a core repeating. The very last one was started by him and he said, “This one is for you to do and it is really tricky!” So I finished it and he was very impressed with me

This activity could be simplified by just using AB patterns and changing up the colors only.

Bissell Perfect Sweep Turbo Giveaway!

I was given this really cool sweeper from Bissell and they said I can give you one too!!! Well, ONE of you;)

I have never done a giveaway before but I LOVE THIS SWEEPER! We have had it for about a week now and the kids use it for everything! It picks up sand, pepper, cheerios, dried up noodles, dirt, pine shavings that got out of the bunny cage, and even marbles!!! There is no suction so it is safe for the kids to use!

(Jack 3 years old) It recharges when you plug it into the wall and last for a whole hour! The handle comes in three pieces so I left the middle section out and TADA! It’s the perfect size for my kids!

My favorite part is how easy it is to empty! Caden(5) and Drake(4) can do it all by themselves! LOL If you look in the picture below you can see that there is a pretend spatula in the container! This thing doesn’t mess around;)

Enjoy this Video of my sweet little 1.5 year old! She and all of her siblings love to use this!

Ally Loves her new “Tool”

Want  to win one? Leave a comment! That’s it! I will be closing the Giveaway Sunday night at midnight, and will announce the winner on Monday:)

OPEN TO USA ONLY

Easy Summer Snack- Pudding Pops!

I cut a slit in the top of each pudding cup. Stuck a baby spoon in each cup and then stuck them in the freezer. I figured that the baby spoons would hold the pudding pop better then a stick, and I was right!

The kids loved it! Of course we ate them OUTSIDE and then played in the pool! Fun, easy and MESSY snack:)

First Aid Kit

I have five children and 3 of them are very active boys! They get hurt pretty often and I was getting sick of running all over the house looking for Band-Aids, Neosporin, thermometer, teething gel and all the other little things you need to care for sick or hurt little ones. Solution put it ALL in one spot! I did this 6 months ago and I have loved it!

Band-Aids, cleansing wipes, and Neosporin on top

In the tray that sits in side we have: Thermometer, Children’s Advil, gas drops, teething gel, Lanolin cream(I use it for the kids when they get chapped cheeks) saline nasal spray, eye wash cup and ear ache relief drops.

The very bottom has: Peroxide, aloe Vera, itching creams, 3 kinds of medical tape, and wound closure strips.

You can also lock the whole thing if you want to.

I can’t tell you how much time and frustration this has saved me! I feel so prepared now if anything happens with the kids. And I can bring the whole kit with me on car trips or camping!

Balance Beam

Several Years ago I posted about how to Make Your Own Balance Beam

Well now my boys are MUCH bigger and taking gymnastics so they needed a heavy duty beam to practice on at home. I measured the one at their gym class and then went to Lowes and picked up:

• Four 5 inch Lag bolts(My husband said that is what they are called)
• One 8 foot 4by6 board
• One 2by6 board

Cut two 18 inch pieces from the 2by6. Counter sink two holes. My husband did this using a one inch drill bit(just deep enough that the head of the screw would not stick out). Then screw them to the beam

Here is what it should look like from the bottom

Here is what it should look like from the top

Sand it up:) As you can see I worked very hard on this part

My little Gymnasts love it! And it is much heavier then the first one and the boys can do cartwheels on it and everything! It was very cheap! Less then 12$

Way Out in the Dessert

We live in a beautiful desert so the last 2 weeks we have studied it!

We focused on:

• Evaporation
• How plants and Animals adapt to the heat and lack of water
• Cacti
• Desert animals

We read many wonderful desert books! We have quite the collection and the kids really enjoyed them.

Nature cooperated so nicely with my theme this week! The Saguaro Cacti were in full bloom in my neighbors yard, bees were humming all around them!

We also watched birds nesting in the cacti

“Starling”

See the baby poking out? The kids loved watching them!

“Gila Wood Pecker”

After observing we went in side and drew pictures of what we saw.

Another day we did a science experiment to learn about evaporation. I set up my sister’s Oil burner with water in the dish. I used a wooden block to raise the candle up higher. Once we saw wisps of vapor or steam rising, we placed a big plastic pretzel barrel over the top with a hole cut in the side(so the fire could get oxygen)

The results were precipitation collecting on the inside of the barrel. I let the kids put their fingers inside to feel the moisture.

On the Shelf

Real cacti to observe and study

Desert animal puzzle

Desert Sensory box

And we had lots of lego fun this week:) Nothing to do with the desert but the boys in my class loved it!