Rose Petal Confetti and Potions

Don’t throw away those flowers just yet! Grab a hole punch and strengthen those little fine motor skills while making confetti – what you do with it is up to you! We took ours out to the mud kitchen and made potions that not only looked beautiful but smelled good too! 

What you need:

• Flowers
• Hole Punch

What to do:

1. Gently remove petals from stem.
2. Use hole puncher to create confetti.
3. Save in a jar, use for an art project, or take outside to play with!

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Dino Dig

This was a two part activity- both were so much fun! First we made our own dinosaur bones and fossils out of homemade clay, then I buried them in our garden for the boys to dig up. They used shovels and sifters to find the bones and then cleaned them with paintbrushes. I honestly have no idea if they found them all… I’m hoping we discover a few more that were left behind when we plant our vegetables in a few weeks! 

What you need:

• Baking Soda
• Cornstarch
• Water
• Measuring Cup
• Pot
• Shovels & Sifters
• Skewers
• String

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What to do:

For the clay:

1. Mix 2 cups baking soda and 1 cup cornstarch.
2. Stir in 1 1/2 cups water.
3. Place over medium heat, continuously stirring until it thickens and becomes dough like (about 10 min).
4. Let cool and knead – adding cornstarch or (baking soda) as needed to reduce stickiness.
5. Use immediately or wrap in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator. 
6. To make bones we just used our hands and molded until they looked like bones. For the fossil prints we used toy dinosaurs to make footprints and also pressed different parts of their bodies (teeth, tail, etc.) into the clay.

For the dig:

1. Find a good plot of dirt and dig to loosen the soil if necessary.
2. Use 4 skewers and string to rope off the prepared area.
3. Bury your bones and fossils – not too deep!
4. Invite your child to be paleontologists and dig for the dinosaur bones.

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Recyclable Rocket Ship 🚀

I discovered after a closet clean out that I’ve been hoarding recyclables – so we used them to build a rocket ship and blasted off to space!

What you need:

• Boxes
• Recyclables
• Markers
• Glue

What to do:

Build, stack, glue, draw, play and use your imagination – there is no right or wrong way to do it! We left our rocket ship in the living room for almost an entire week and every day the boys would rebuild and rearrange – it was never ending fun!

Boxes of Fun

Over the years I have taught in classrooms with all kinds of toys and materials. Some have had more than others but one thing is for sure – the fanciest toys don’t compare to an empty box and an imagination.

What you need: Box, scissors, paint, glue, paper, tape – pretty much anything and everything in your junk drawer and recyclables.

What to do:

1. Work together with your child to decide what they want to make or create something you need. For example, my 2 year old kept hiding his toy cookie tray in various cabinets around the house calling each one his oven – so we turned a box into an oven and the cookie hide and seek problem was solved!
2. Find a box that fits your needs.
3. Cut, paint, glue, decorate and create!
4. Keep the project going… “Liam’s Castle” has been in our basement for over two years and it now is decorated with artwork from all sorts of friends and cousins. Noah has recently taken it over and calls it home for Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the gang. So keep taping, fixing, coloring and playing!

*Adding lights, hidden doors, and telescopes are a few of the tricks we’ve picked up along the way! The most important thing is to pretend, create, explore, and have fun!