I set up the banner on the floor, and I laid all the covers under the banner (see above).  I chose not to force this activity on my two youngest.  I simply set it up and walked away. My 2 year old was the first to notice this colorful and enticing activity.  He started to match up the letters when his sister age 4 saw him at play.  She came over and they worked together to match up all the letters.  The I on our banner was the only letter that I helped them with.



 They were pretty proud of themselves when they had all the letters matched up.

I love that they are starting to recognize letters and are able to match the letters to the sign.

Can't wait to celebrate my little man's birthday tomorrow!!

Monarch Caterpillar Lazing About on a Milkweed Plant.

We have a large patch of milkweed plants alongside our garage.  They are currently home to quite a few striped caterpillars whom I believe to be future Monarch Butterflies. The kids and I have been watching them eat up the milkweed leaves for several weeks now. So far we haven't spotted any signs of Chrysalis building, but these Caterpillars are definitely growing in size.

Monarch Caterpillar Chomping on a Leaf.

I bet in the next few weeks that these Caterpillars will start wrapping themselves up for their next journey of their life cycle.  Before they do, I took some time today to capture them in their current state. Whether they were alone, with a companion, eating or lazing about, we found them to pretty fascinating creatures!

Interestingly, my daughter, aged 4, also spotted a white hairy Caterpillar crawling along our lawn.  After looking at it closely and doing some research, I believe it to be a Hickory Tussock Moth Caterpillar.  Unfortunately it is a type of Caterpillar that can give you quite an itchy rash if you are sensitive to their barbs.  I got a pretty good photo of this one, who was quite social.  But we stayed away because we are not going to take our chances.

Hickory Tussock Moth Caterpillar on the move.

I think later today I may find our copy of 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' by Eric Carle and leave it out for my younger kids to find.  We may also have a little stuffed caterpillar too for them to play with.  Hopefully we can extend this experience a bit if they are interested.

As I was looking at my bookshelf, I also found a book that may be of interest to older kids and parents.  It is called, 'Hope for the Flowers' by Trina Paulus.  It is an easy read, with illustrations, but packs big thoughts about dealing with change through the story about a caterpillar.

Have you spotted any Caterpillars recently?  Please share in the comments.  If I spot any Chrysalis building I will be sure to share with you all.  Have a great day!

We were given a used drafting table awhile ago, and I've toyed with different uses for the table since then.  After a lot of experimentation, I've discovered that when the top is laying flat it is just the perfect size for our two youngest to stand and play at.  However, they like to sit and play too, so a few weeks ago we picked up two chairs at Goodwill for $4 that work perfectly with the table.  I like the addition of the chairs because now I can also do some activities with them at the table too without having to kneel down.

I've discovered that if we keep only one activity on the table then they are more likely to be inspired to play at the table. Yesterday, I set a bin of foam blocks on the table for them to discover.  When I saw my two year old sitting at the table building,  I asked him if I could build with him.  Sitting next to each other we had fun making towers and other creations.  He had the most fun knocking down the towers that I built.  He also got a little silly and pretended some blocks were eyeballs or ears as he held them up to his face.


Today my daughter woke up early, and to make sure she was quiet while the rest of us slept, my  Hubby setup some paper and drawing supplies at the drafting table.  She asked Papa to draw a house for her and then she spent quite a bit of time decorating the drawing.  When her little brother woke up, he immediately made a beeline for the table and got to drawing too.

I  love the size of the drafting table because it is perfect for so many activities.  Just last week we did a floor sized puzzle on the table.  I could sit on a chair and they could stand and work around me.  They have also used the table to paint, for playdough play and for small world play, amongst other things.  The table has proven to be very versatile.  We can also sit and play simple board games at it too!

We are using a gifted, second-hand drafting table and some thrifted chairs to create a fun and kid-friendly space in our home.   I love all the play and creativity that I see happening when my kids are working at "their table".  I also love that whenever they discover something on the table they feel inspired to play or create.  Whatever it may be.


I also see the drafting table as a place where learning happens.   Sometimes my kids are learning how to make a structure out of blocks or how to draw.  Sometimes they are learning how to problem solve or use their imaginations.  Most often they are building up their fine motor skills through their play and creativity. When we work together at the table to put together a puzzle they are learning about teamwork and cooperation.  So this drafting table represents learning opportunities too.

Do you have a kid's table or perhaps a piece of furniture that could be repurposed for play?  Please share in the comments.

The two youngest have been asking for days to go to the playground, but the temps this past week have been in the burning hot range of 80-90 degrees.  Today has been mix of sunny and breezy, so it was finally the right weather to go.  Earlier this afternoon, we gathered up water, hats, and a picnic lunch and headed to the playground. The kids were so excited!!

After eating lunch and playing in the sun for awhile, we decided to cool off under a shady patch of Pinetrees. On the ground under the trees lay dozens of Pinecones.  My two little ones thought they looked fun to collect and play with.  They were quite resourceful and discovered that they could collect more at once using their hats to gather them up.  Papa later gave them each a shopping bag to collect the Pinecones in which made it easier to carry many at once.


My daughter, aged 4, pretended to put the baby Pinecones to bed in her hat. Her brother, aged two, loves to count things, so he spent time lining them up and counting how many he had collected.  They played with the Pinecones until they were cooled off and ready to climb and run around again.

I love how much fun they had playing in and with nature. It goes to show that the best things in life are truly free.  I also think today's family outing proved to be a success. Not only did they get to run around and move their bodies, they also did some imaginative play and even some counting too! Hopefully we can do this again soon!

There are always natural items just laying around on the ground.  What do your kids gravitate towards in nature and how do they play with them? Do you have a favorite outdoor space to take your kids?