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!!

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?

                       
Today was a gorgeous day for October.  The sun was shining, and the outside was calling.  So we spent quite a bit of time out on our deck.

My youngest likes to climb.  He climbs on any chair within his reach. Mama doesn't like having to chase after him and put him back on the ground a zillion times.  So I decided to get creative with the chairs, and I used them to make a large Blanket Fort!

I brought out blankets and throw pillows. I started to gather up the chairs, and put on the first blanket when bam my 2 year old had to get in on the action.  After I initially setup the fort, things took a very different turn. Daughter had other ideas....

First, she threw the pillows on top of the blankets. The blankets fell off the chairs of course.  Then the play became focused on the chairs.  The chairs were lined up. They were decorated with pillows. Giant stuffed animals were brought out, and set upon the chairs. Little brother was manhandled and moved about also. Lol!
                                                    
This afternoon my oldest son spent some time playing out there with the littles. After he resetup the blanket fort my Daughter ate her snack underneath it, and my one year old laid down. When they were busy playing outside of the fort, Mama even hid under there to get a few moments to use my phone in peace. Haha!

I would have to say this was a successful activity.  Sometimes going old school is better than high tech activities.  They had such a fun time and got lots of fresh air too!

When was the last time you made a blanket fort for your kids? Have you tried making one outside?

But that is what I love about play.  It is different for each child and each person. It takes what you know and puts an individual spin on it.

Both my kids also learned that dry uncooked pasta doesn't taste as good as cooked. Lol!

I hope that this activity inspires you to come up with your own play experience.  Kids really don't need expensive toys to play with. Just use what you have on hand.

Do you let your kids play with their food?

Around the 4th of July, our local surplus store had square red, white & blue reusable ice cubes for sale for about 99 cents a bag. Recently my daughter has discovered that they make a fun manipulative. I just found her lining them up while singing, "I'm learning colors, I'm learning colors." She also loves to stack them; plunk them in a cup; and counting them.  I love finding new uses for everyday items, and apparently she does too!

The other great thing about this activity is that it can be done at the sink and in the kitchen. The more kids spend time in the kitchen, the more comfortable they will be in this space.  The ice cubes are also something that can be frozen, so it is also a great sensory experience too.


What kitchen items do your children gravitate towards?  Have they done any Math play with those items?

I've been unpacking food items to put into my new pantry.  Today I found all of our peanut butter jars. My two year old daughter immediately saw a play opportunity.  She lined them up by colored lid; made patterns (red lid, yellow lid, red lid, blue lid); and of course counted them.  She even asked me about the contents at one point. The reds were creamy, the blue crunchy, and the yellow jar contained sun butter. She even investigated the labels for letters and pictures.  She combined her play with her other new toy, an old sushi mat. Who needs expensive learning toys when you can learn in your pantry!

We just moved about a week ago, and our home is filled with boxes and things here and there. As we start unpacking a little bit at a time we are discovering things we didn't even know that we had. The other day our daughter unearthed a large bag of elastics. A thought started brewing in my brain... Geoboards.  When I stumbled upon ice cube trays from our latest trip to Goodwill I knew we had a plan.

Yesterday I setout the Ice Cube trays and some muffin tins. All four of my kids played for quite awhile with our homemade geoboards.  My 11 year old even added a STEM spin by devising a way to shoot elastics with a muffin tin. He and his older brother took turns aiming and shooting. It's possible my oldest was shot in the eye, but I didn't see anything. Lol!

My son decided to freeze an elastic decorated Ice Cube tray. He gets a kick out of offering guests ice from "his" tray. Nothing like a little ownership in the kitchen.

So if you are looking for a fun Math based activity, look no further than the kitchen and junk drawer. Have fun!