Month: September 2020

Waterfall Game

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Waterfall Game (4)

A rather aimless Veronika seemed in need of entertainment of a Sunday morning, so I pulled out two simple items to create a game: pennies and a jar!

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I placed all the pennies on a tray and then filled the jar almost all the way with water. If you’re playing with big kids, turn it into a more of a competition. Take turns dropping pennies into the container. Game over when a player’s penny makes water spill over the edge!

Of course Veronika couldn’t have known we were playing a game against each other, but she did get into the rhythm of turn-taking. I added a penny, she added a penny, and so on.

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Then we just started adding pennies by the handful!

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I made a big deal out of it when we reached that point where water sloshed over, so she got excited too.

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Your toddler won’t get it yet, but there’s watery science at work here (surface tension! displacement!) that he or she will absorb (heh). Veronika loved watching the water spill.

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After that I dumped the water out so she simply had a jar and pennies. Now, she loved the ker-plunk of dropping in the coins and kept busy solo for a while longer.

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A Hero’s Tale

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I’m still juggling how to handle storytime, now that Veronika wants her bedtime book at the same time as big brother Travis. This can sometimes make Travis jealous of what used to be our time together! Last night I stumbled upon this useful alternative and although we probably won’t repeat it every night, we’ll certainly do it again.

The idea is simple: instead of reading a story, I spun a tale. Of course it was about a little girl named Veronika, who happened to have… a Superhero Brother Travis!

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For each of the stories I told, Superhero Brother swooped in to save the day, whether rescuing the family during a hurricane, or saving a field from a giant pumpkin.

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I simply made these stories up on the spot, and chances are you can do the same. The idea is to make the older sibling feel special. To add to the fun, we acted out the tale with dress-up dolls.

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I also suggested that Travis draw illustrations. He loved adding to his picture as the stories unfolded.

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Not only was he so proud, but Veronika clearly could tell the stories were special.

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If we keep this up, soon we’ll have a whole binder full of Superhero Travis illustrations, depicting the ways he can care for and save his little sister.

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Note: This game would work equally well if you keep the story less farfetched. Just play up the ways that an older sibling actually helps the younger one on a daily basis, and he or she is sure to feel special.

Beanbag Races

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The kids got silly with our beanbags today! In general, beanbags are a fantastic item to keep handy in the toy bin. They apply themselves to so many games, whether learning, developing gross motor skills, or honing concepts of object permanence. But sometimes you just need to get silly and race!

On your mark, get set, go!

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I had the kids get down into crawl position, each with a bean bag on their back. The idea was to race across the living room carpet, but truth be told, no one ever made it that far.

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The kids thought this felt so funny and got fits of the giggles. So inevitability the beanbag fell off after a few seconds.

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Your family might be more skilled and want to turn it into a true race. You could race two kids against each other, or have one child race against a timer.

Veronika loved the way the bean bag felt so much that she then wanted to test it out against other body parts.

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Soon she was touching it to her toes, her knee, and her tummy.

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Plus her favorite: her head!

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Balloon Tennis

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Here’s a game that you can easily adapt for just about any age, from toddlers to big kids!

To make simple tennis paddles, trace around the top of a craft stick on the back of a paper plate. Make two slits, one spaced near the top of your tracing mark and one near the bottom.

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This way, you can thread the craft stick through for a sturdier handle. Add masking tape for extra insurance!

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Now blow up a few balloons and it’s time to play.

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For toddler Veronika, the joy was simply in tossing balloons her way and seeing if she could bop them back with the paddle. “Whap!” she said, every time she chased after a balloon.

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Older toddlers might enjoy the challenge of trying to bounce the balloon up and down on their paddle without letting it hit the ground, but this skill was beyond Veronika.

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Still, she loved the game since we added music in the background to add to the enjoyment!

For even older kids, turn it into a tennis rally!

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Travis and I hoped to get to ten, but I think the most we ever managed was 5!

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Inevitably that balloon bopped away, but we had a fun time in our attempts.

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Messy Wading Pool Play

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We’re about to store away the inflatable wading pool that’s been on the patio all summer, so it was time for a messy last hurrah! On a final hot morning, I dressed Veronika in her bathing suit and we headed outside for two games.

First up was Spaghetti Splash. The night before, I cooked up a box of spaghetti. You could even use two or three packages of spaghetti if you really want to make an impact with this game.

Toss the spaghetti into the baby pool, along with 1/4 cup vegetable oil and a few drops of food coloring. We chose blue! Mix it all up with your hands.

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Veronika loved getting her hands right into the mixture. She would reach for a big handful…

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…and then make it splat onto the bottom of the pool.

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And of course lots ended up on the patio.

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If your child wants to, encourage him or her to climb right in! Veronika was hesitant though, and much preferred using her hands for this game. So then it was time to segue-way to the next messy game: Jell-O Jumping!

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Out went the spaghetti and in went 4 packages of prepared vegan jel dessert (try Simply Delish). This time, not only was Veronika willing to put her feet in…

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…she loved it! She stomped through it and squished it between her toes.

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Before I knew it, she plopped right down. “I’m lounging,” she announced, and she sure was. She delighted in scooting her bare legs and toes all through the jello.

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Believe it or not, even the clean-up was fun because we pulled out the hose. Hose down the tub (and kids!) and then tuck that wading pool away until next summer.

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Science of Air Kiwi Crate

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Kiwi Air (10)

Travis latest crate from Kiwi Co. focused on the science of air, using a game of homemade air hockey to illustrate that air has matter, weight, can push things around, and more. This kit earns high marks for both the Science and Art components of the STEAM acronym.

First, we made the various parts of Balloon-Powered Air Hockey. The mallets are a simple matter of attaching felt to the bottom of provided cardboard circles, with a foam donut on top as the handle.

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The puck was a touch complicated to rig together, with a balloon stretched over a tube on top of a smooth clear disk. There is a hole to insert the provided air pump and inflate the balloon. Travis loved doing this and wanted to practice over and over, before we even set it down on a table.

Once on a table, the air is released from the balloon, which then propels the disk forward.

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To make Spray-Art Scoreboards, we again needed to use the crate’s air pump. Now, it attaches to the lid of the Kiwi Crate (or any shoebox) with a sticky foam piece. Attach a provided ink marker just below where the air will come out.

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We then affixed number stencils to the paper on the provided scorecard pads. When you squeeze the air pump (hard!), it blows on the marker so forcefully that ink sprays down onto the paper around the stencil.

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This had definite wow factor. You do need to pump the air quite hard, so some grown-up assistance was required. Repeat until you’ve covered all the scorecards, then remove the number stencils.

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Now it was time play! We rigged our regular table into an air hickey table which form the alleyways on either side that will stop the puck from flying off sideways.

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Pump up the balloon and play!

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I do have a few small quibbles with this crate. It comes with two balloons, but both had an air leak after only one round of air hockey. Also, because the balloon puck lasts under a minute each time you inflate it, you really can’t get into a rhythm of playing the game.

But in terms of illustrating the science of air, it made its point. And my 6 year old liked beating mommy at the game!

We turned to the Explore magazine for a few final experiments. First up was an oldie-but-goodie (a Coat Hanger Balance), that gives an easy visualization that air has weight. Attach two balloons to either end of a hanger, one inflated and one not. Suspend the hanger from a pencil and notice the slight tilt.

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Then we made a Marshmallow Squasher! Add mini marshmallows to an empty plastic water bottle until it is about half full. Insert the air pump into the bottle, sealing around the top of the bottle with play dough so no air can escape.

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Hold the play dough firmly with one hand and squeeze the pump with the other… and watch the marshmallows squish down!

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People Puppets

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People Puppets (6)

Veronika loved a recent twist on block play, where we adorned regular building blocks with faces. Today I used roughly the same idea to make people puppets!

Simply cut out faces of family and friends from photographs, then attach each one to a jumbo craft stick. Cover with clear contact paper to seal and protect.

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That quickly, the puppets were ready to play. Veronika loved saying hello to them!

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(Though she sometimes seemed put out that they didn’t respond back!).

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We acted out all sorts of familiar scenarios between parents and kids, or just made up silly stories. Either way, she definitely marveled at the fact that people she knows were right in her hands in puppet form.

She also just loved carrying them around.

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This was simple but engaging puppet play, and easy enough for any day.

Balloon Fun

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I’m of the firm opinion that balloons are not just for birthdays. To wit, here was a fun way to play with a few on a random rainy morning!

I blew up about five balloons, which of course is half the fun right there. Veronika loves to pretend she’s blowing them up with me. (Note: always supervise balloon play closely, as they can be a choking hazard).

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I then hung each balloon from a string and suspended them from an archway. Give your child a wiffle bat and let the balloon bopping begin!

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Veronika took a few swings, but then honestly preferred just walking underneath them. She loved the way they bounced on top of her head.

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We invited big brother Travis over, but one whack of the bat took them all down from the ceiling – whoops! So perhaps you’ll want to save this one for younger toddlers.

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Blueberry and Banana Yogurt

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Blueberry Banana Yogurt (2)

Here’s an instant upgrade over a standard cup of yogurt in the morning!

Ingredients:

  • 1 banana
  • 2 (5-ounce) non-dairy blueberry yogurts
  • 1/2 cup rice cereal
  1. Divide the banana evenly among two bowls and mash with a fork.
  2. Add 5 ounces yogurt to each bowl, and stir in 1/4 cup rice cereal.

How I Feel

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How I Feel (6)

Here’s a great activity for siblings that gets giggles (because it tickles!), checks off the arts and crafts box for the day, and will have siblings thinking about what they love best about each other. You can do this with two or more siblings of any age.

I needed to first trace both kids on a big sheet of craft paper, and Travis volunteered to lie down first. Veronika laughed as I traced around him with crayon.

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She was clearly eager for her turn!

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This little one loved being traced!

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Next, fill in the outline of each sibling with how they feel about each other. I posed the question to Travis, asking him to describe words about Veronika and his emotions. I thought he might mention some of their inside jokes or games, but instead he said, “I love her, that’s all!” Can’t argue with that, so we wrote that in.

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Pose the same question to a second sibling. Obviously if you play the game with a baby or toddler, he or she won’t understand the concept. In that case, older siblings get to fill in words about the baby inside their outline. Travis said “copy” (because she always loves to copy him!), “cute”, and “love”.

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If your kids want to get creative, you can then draw on faces, hair, or other feature. My kids just liked rolling around on the paper afterwards, and that was fine, too!