Tag: socks

Sock Matchup

Leave a comment

Veronika is working on the concept of “matching” lately; specifically when presented with a variety of objects, can she find the two that match. This vocab word will make the most sense to your child only in context, so start with the most classic match (or dreaded mismatch!): Socks.

To make the task one step more advanced than classic laundry sorting, I put dot stickers on each of her socks with numbers written in permanent marker. Now she had pairs of socks numbered 1 through 8, and we needed to help each one find its match!

Sometimes during this task she focused on the number to make a match.

Sometimes, I could tell she was looking more at the color or pattern of the sock instead. But ultimately, she was able to find each match!

National Sock Day

Leave a comment

National Sock Day (2)

December 4 is National Sock Day, celebrating the glory that is a pair of matching socks. Today was not about lost socks from the dryer, or old socks turned into crafts, but all about a lasting matched pair.

We love celebrating silly holidays like this, so of course I treated everyone to a new pair today! I got Christmas bows, Veronika got little elephants, and Travis received Darth Vader.

National Sock Day (1)

The kids immediately wanted to race around the house in their slippery new socks.

National Sock Day (3)

Just in time, Travis’s Highlights magazine had a sock-matching puzzle to find 8 matching pairs. In a pinch, you can have fun with the real thing; do a load of laundry and have your happy helpers match up all the socks!

National Sock Day (4)

Then finish your celebration by dining on a famous pair: Peas and carrots? Peanut butter and jelly? Here’s to perfect pairs!

Fishy Beanbag

Leave a comment

Fishy Beanbag (4)

This little craft is great fun for a toddler to play with, and simple to make with items you likely have at home.

Fishy Beanbag (1)

Start with an old sock and fill it about three-quarters of the way with dried beans. Twist the end to make a tail, and secure with yarn or string.

Fishy Beanbag (2)

I drew on eyes, fins, and scales with a fabric marker; if you want to get a little craftier, cut out pieces of felt for these details. To make the fish mouth, poke the fabric in slightly where a mouth would be and use hot glue to secure.

Fishy Beanbag (3)

I wriggled the fish up to Veronika, and she was delighted! She loved how heavy it was, and began “swimming” it around the room. I actually wouldn’t make it quite so heavy next time, or we could have played catch with it and worked on her catching skills!

Fishy Beanbag (5)

I next showed her how to toss the fish into the laundry basket “ocean”. This was good fun but we quickly realized we needed more fish.

Fishy Beanbag (8)

Since I didn’t want to use up all the extra socks in the house, I simply balled one inside the other and knotted string at the end for a quick version, minus the decorations.

Fishy Beanbag (10)

Now she had a school of fish to play with!

Fishy Beanbag (13)

Scrunchy Sock

Leave a comment

Scrunchy Sock (7).JPG

This easy DIY toy will delight your baby both in sound and looks!

To start, you’ll simply need to use any old sock. I actually used a pair of girl’s tights, which meant I could have a longer snake… and could also make two, one for big brother, since he eagerly needed one after seeing the project.

Scrunchy Sock (1)

Fill each sock with crumpled cellophane, and securely knot at the end. The sound of the cellophane seemed to alarm Veronika somewhat…

Scrunchy Sock (2)

But already she loved it!

Scrunchy Sock (4)

To make it a snake, I cut out details from felt: a red tongue, white and black eyes, and yellow triangles along the back.

Scrunchy Sock (3)

Hot glue on the pieces securely before baby plays.

Scrunchy Sock (5)

Now our snake was ready to slither and scrunch!

Scrunchy Sock (6)

 

 

Sock Play

Leave a comment

sock play (1)

At about this age (10 weeks old or so), babies start to discover their… feet! One way to direct attention to those adorable little tootsies is to put on a pair of brightly-colored socks, and help your little one find his or her feet.

I bent Veronika’s legs up, and happily crowed, “Pink socks!” She instantly was fascinated.

sock play (2)

Babies love to reach for their toes, hence why they are so prone to pulling the socks right off and losing them! This time, I wanted her to do so. I loosened the sock slightly, and then it was just a matter of time before Veronika had a grip and… a bare foot!

sock play (3)

Who knew socks made such great toys?

sock play (4)