Perfect DIY Spring Toddler Activities

This month I decided to try and focus on toddler activities that I can make from things found in our home. Since Spring has kind of arrived, and Earth Day is right around the corner, I figured it was the perfect time to use recyclable containers and DIY some Fine Motor Fun. 

This fun activity comes from pipe cleaners cut in half (better for little hands), and a creamer container.  

Ms Bell spent days on and off playing with this activity. She can open and close the top by herself, and place the pipe cleaners in the hole. This activity works hand eye coordination and fine motor skills. Great skills for Toddlers to be learning. 

Any canister with a lid will work for this. Just cut a circle in the top big enough for lids to fit through. 

Easy Peasy, and Toddlers love to place items into a hole. 

How about a fun easy Spring time egg carton. We colored the egg carton in a pattern and then we discussed what color pom poms we would be using. Bells worked on picking out the matching pom pom for each space. It's amazing how you can recycle so many things you use regularly. for toddler activities. If you don't already, start looking at things differently before you get rid of them. Try thinking about how things can be repurposed. 

We also had block play with our DIY water colored blocks. Purchased at the craft store and painted with AP Certified watercolors. We can never leave Sensory play out. This week we did an easy Spring Jewelry bin. Bells loves playing with beads, so I thought it would be fun to get everything together in one pretty bin and play.

I hope this helps show you how you can turn things you have around the house into fabulous learning fun.
Check out our Spring Pinterest Board  for more ideas.  

Visit Natural Beach Living's profile on Pinterest.

The Fun and Hands On Girls of American History

Starting our new homeschooling year out I decided to add in American History. We have been traveling the world with our geography and just finished our Road Trip USA curriculum. We have dabbled in World History for over a year and it was time to move on. I was thrilled when I found Girls of American History. I know you might be thinking,"Really"?!? Since I have boys that I am homeschooling that might seem a little odd, but I think it's very important for them to be well rounded, and for them to get to know girls that have done great things. All while exploring the different cultures and time periods. 

Girls of American History was great, we started off with the Unit Study with Josephina, It took place in 1824 in Southwest America. The unit study is filled with all the information you need to teach, it has weekly plans for reading and crafts. It is filled with ideas for lapbooking, food, and even field trips and It is planned out in a way that makes it easy for you to follow. It was also very easy for me to cater it to my boys. 

We added the Draw Write Now books into our day(suggested in the curriculum as an option) because we love the Draw Write Now series. My boys love to draw and make their own books so it seemed fitting for them to make a book from this time period. They drew covered wagons, animals, and southwest artifacts that went along with the stories of Josefina. It was great to have a time line included in the curriculum and be able to map out the families travels.

The crafts that we choose to go along with Girls of American History Unit 3 Southwestern America were Springfield Leather Company Beginners Starter Set - Indian Lore leather stamping and weaving for kids . Perfect activities for any girl or boy. We ended our month with a fabulous southwestern fiesta.  

I highly recommend checking out Girls of American History Unit Studies, you can purchase the whole set or order them individually. Everything is online so it's easy to print and teach immediately. Gotta love that and of course if you have a girl that loves American Girl Dolls, your daughter will be in American Girl Doll heaven. I am counting down the years until I get to do this again with my daughter. Can't wait!

I was given the Girls of American History Unit Study to use with my children in return for an honest review. 

Under the Sea Jello Sensory Adventure

I am so excited to be taking part in the 40 days of sensory fillers series. I'm even more excited to share with you this fun, slippery, slimy, tasty Under the Sea Jello Adventure. 

How fun is this? 

A lot, if you can imagine and it was really easy to put together. We simply followed the directions on the package of Jello for Jello Jigglers. In fact I had my older boys make it for Math/Science in the morning, we added in the Sealife Mega Toob , and then set it outside covered for a couple of hours. By the early afternoon it was set and ready to be explored. If it is not cold where you live this is still easy to do, just use a large bowl or bin that fits in your refrigerator.    

Exploring the cold, sticky, slimy, tasty, gooey blue jello was awesome.

 We also had fun talking about the different creatures that live under the sea. 

In the end, this was a fabulous fun sensory learning experience for everyone. I hope you have the chance for some Jello play of your own. 

Make sure to follow along at Little Bins for Little Hands to see all of the other great sensory bin filler ideas. And hit the follow button so you have hundreds of sensory play ideas at your fingertips on my Sensory Play Pinterest Board. 

If you enjoy sensory play with your children I would love for you to Link Up to share. 

Explore and Learn in the Garden

I am so excited... today I am being featured on The Educators Spin on it, as part of their Kids in the Garden series.  As a lover of all things natural, I felt it would be an honor to share how we incorporate the garden into our living and learning.  

Please head over to The Educators Spin On It to check out this great series. 

American Girl Doll Giveaway

Many of us have little girls that love American Girl Dolls. In fact I just finished up a few History unit studies using the American Girl Doll books. My boys absolutely loved them and I did too(review coming soon).So when I was asked to join in on an American Girl Doll Giveaway, I jumped at the chance. 

I would love for a Natural Beach Living reader to win their very own doll and book.  

American Girl characters past and present show girls today that they can do great things if they believe in themselves and each other. From a Native American girl living in the Northwest in 1764 to a contemporary girl whose passions inspire action, the characters in every story illustrate the power of determination, imagination, courage, and hope—the same spirit that inspires modern American girls.

One lucky winner will receive an American Girl Doll & Book.

Organized by: Mom Powered Media. Giveaway ends April 1st at 11:59pm, open to US and Canadian residents, ages 18+. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck.

Entry-Form

  Disclaimer: The participating bloggers were not compensated for this publication and are not associated with any of the companies named above. No purchase is necessary to enter. One entrant per household, per address. Void where prohibited by law. The odds of winning are based on the number of entries received. Winner(s) will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond. My blog is not responsible for product shipment/delivery. This event is in no way administered, sponsored, or endorsed by, or associated with, Facebook and/or Twitter, Google, Pinterest. Contact teri@mompoweredmedia.com if you have any additional questions or comments.

Letter of the Week Preschool D

I have been having fun these days with Little B. This is such an exciting stage in life with so much to do and learn. Of course I seem to feel that way about every stage. Teaching the alphabet is so important and of course a vital part in the beginning stages for reading, writing, and the path to their success in learning.

I waited patiently for Little B to show signs of interest in the alphabet and it has happened. He is so  excited now to learn the alphabet, writing, and first steps to reading. Yay!!! I am  working with him on a Letter of the week curriculum. I say curriculum but really it's so much more than that. I'm using mostly 1+1+1=1 and letter of the week for fabulous printables. I add great books, puzzles, sensory play and more to create a well rounded learning experience.

This week little B was working on the letter D. Here is my set-up for his trays and table.Some of the trays I put out for this week are his Dog pattern board, a tray of dinosaurs, a basket of dolls with clothes (perfect for practical life), a tray with dice (perfect for math and counting practice), and a sand tray for letter practice.

I usually change the tray and table set-up 2-3 times a week. Here are a few pics of little B's tot time this week.



Letter D puzzle and number ordering 1-10


Tot time notebook


Pointing out his letters 

Dog Pattern Blocks

Duck Lacing

Dinosaur stamping

Dinosaur Puzzle

 This has been a great week with letter D, I can't wait to see what next week has in store for us. 

                                             

                                     

These are a few items we used this week for tot time fun and learning. If you purchase any of these items from Amazon through my link my family receives a very small percentage to go towards new Montessori materials. A great BIG Thank You.  

Edible Peanut Butter Dough

Are you ready for an amazingly easy to make dough, that tastes yummy, and can be used in so many different ways? YAY!!!! I'm so glad you are, because this edible peanut butter dough is all that, and more. 

The ingredients for this amount, which I would say is 1 serving of play.
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup powered sugar
mix and knead until it looks like this. A scrumptious looking caramel colored ball.

The great thing about this edible peanut butter dough is you can play with it just like any other dough, only it's edible and it tastes yummy. We rolled it into balls, we made letters, we squished it in between our fingers. O and the smell, peanut butter... delicious

I knew when it was time to share an edible dough with you that I was definitely going to share our peanut butter dough, because it has been a favorite for many years. I can still remember my oldest son, who is 19  playing with peanut butter dough when he was five. In fact I can still picture him licking all of his fingers. Such great memories, and even more to be had with this wonderful dough.

 Moldable just like any other dough, yet tasty.

This dough isn't only great for toddlers, your whole family will love it. I hope you have a chance to try out edible peanut butter dough with your children.

Please make sure to follow me on Facebook and Pinterest so you don't miss all of the excitement to come.

Please visit the other hosts for many more ideas on edible dough. 

Lemon Lime Adventure~Look! We're Learning!~Glittering Muffins~Still Playing School~ Little Bins for Little Hands~Natural Beach Living~The Eyes of a Boy~Powerful Mothering~ Wildflower Ramblings~I Heart Crafty Things~Delightful Learning 

12 months of sensory dough hosts

Please read the following guidelines before linking up. Share family-friendly posts related to the month's theme. Feel free to link old or new posts that highlight your favorite recipes for sensory dough. Failures and unsuccessful attempts are welcome. We ask that no posts are linked with copy/paste recipes from other sources. If you use a recipe from another source, please link back to the original recipe. By linking up, you give permission to share your post and one photograph in future posts and through social media channels. Visit 2-3 other posts that others have shared. Discover new ideas and meet new friends! If you would like to, please grab the 12 Months of Sensory Dough button for your blog. The linky will remain open for two weeks. On the 12th of each month, all co-hosts will post a new dough with their spin.
Visit our 12 Months of Sensory Dough Board.

An InLinkz Link-up

Iesodo Where Fun and Faith Take Flight

Looking for a family movie with teachable moments and a great story line? 

You are in luck, I found a great one for you, Iesodo (Yay-Sa-Doe) is filled with excitement.

These birds have many adventures and have to make choices along the way, hopefully the right choices. A wise dove named Lesodo, who's name means "The way of Jesus", is the leader of the flock. He helps out many of the feathered friends in the Holy Land.

 My children and I have been enjoying the movie Love and can't wait to see the others. One of the greatest things about these movies is they can be enjoyed by the whole family and we love having family movie nights.

With three wonderful movies
Believe
Love
Faith
and many more to come, now is the perfect time to start watching them with your children.


 Visit the website for loads of great information, games, crafts, a behind the scenes video, and more.

You can enjoy many great stories about Iesodo and his friends, teach your children valuable lessons, and enjoy time together. Sounds perfect to me.

We are looking very forward to our next family movie night.  

Another go to spot online for loads of great information homeschool.com

The DVD Iesodo Love was given to us in exchange for an honest review. We honestly loved it.

A Lifetime of Play with Elves & Angels

You know when there is that special something that you look at for a long time? You take the time thinking about it, you love everything about it, and so desperately want to have it? 

That's how I have felt about the Elves & Angels Playstands. For awhile now, I have admired them from afar, looking at other families pictures, seeing them online, and in catalog's. It was one of those things I have longed to have for my children. I have asked myself and friends, "Are playstands necessary"? Are they worth the money? Are they stable enough and made to last for years? Well I finally get to answer all of those questions, and more. 

Come along with me into my reality, and see for yourself how incredibly amazing the playstands can be.        

So real quick let's talk about set-up, I was a little nervous at first to let my husband know what he was going to be doing one Sunday afternoon, because my husband is not even close to being handy. Sorry honey :) But here's the thing, David Smalley genius behind Elves & Angels must of known that some of us are visual learners because he actually sends a disc to watch each easy step being done. My husband was in heaven and he had the playstands put together in a quick 20 minutes. Afterwards he commented on how he could tell David really takes pride in every toy he makes and how amazing he thought the company was. All that from the video, I was impressed and ready for play.    

Not only are the playstands beautiful, they are large enough for several kids at various different ages to be able to play. You can tell they are made from the top of the line materials, smooth finishing and extremely sturdy. I also am a huge fan of the extra shelving, it gives so many extra ways to play, and they can easily be added or taken off in minutes. Playstands can be played with in a million different ways from our dolly market, to puppet shows, kitchen, house, farm, the possibilities are endless.   

I am cherishing all of these special moments. 

Why am I such a HUGE FAN of Elves & Angels, because I love their story, because they are a homeschooling family with twelve children that I admire. Because they are a small business that believes children should be surrounded with beautiful handcrafted toys. Because their customer service is impeccable, and I truly believe in good customer service. Because after 24 years David still loves what he does, and is determined to create the very highest quality wooden toys available. Those are just a few things that keep me coming back time and time again :)   

If you are looking for "Heirloom Quality Toys" look no further, Elves & Angels is at the very top of the list.

Being able to have and enjoy these Waldorf playstands with the children is truly special. The children always have an invitation to play whatever they can imagine. 

So have I answered the questions I had asked myself time and time again, and I am sure you have probably asked yourself ;) 

YES!!!!

Elves & Angels Waldorf Playstands are even more Amazing in person.

One of the best investments ever- totally worth every penny! 

If you would like to see other pictures of my children playing with the playstands and different ways we have used them, please visit me on Facebook.

Just in case you are curious about a few of the other toys pictured I'm listing them below:

Lovely Northern white pine Stable is Sam's Stable 

Beautiful handcrafted kitchen shown above is Julianna's Kitchen 

Sweet natural wooden Cradle in the top picture with the Waldorf dolls is from The Toymakers Daughter

Waldorf Dolls are from several different gifted dolly makers. 

My family was given these lovely Waldorf Playstands in return for my honest opinion of them, and we honestly LOVE them.