It never ceases to amaze me how something simple can be SO big! What am I talking about? Bunny prints, that's what. My mom never hid my Easter basket and I always wished she did. I decided long ago that I would hid the baskets, but last year I took it a step farther, further, farther? Which is correct? Hmmm, I dunno. I drew some bunny-shaped prints on a piece of paper and then photo copied it several times. I had full intentions of cutting the feet out, but after one set I decided that idea was over rated! So I grabbed my pink marker and traced them. I spread them all over the house in a trail that led the kids to the baskets. They LOVED it! This year I'm going to take it another step farther, further, farther? Shoot, I don't know the grammatically correct word there. I'm planning on making a cut out pattern and sprinkling a VERY light amount of flour to leave prints throughout the house. Low and behold after a bit of track following their baskets were found! I think this … [Read more...]
Make Rainbows on Your Walls
Technically it's still winter. The first official day of spring isn't until tomorrow. With the unseasonably warm weather we've been having in Minnesota over the past week however (80s in March!!), it's been feeling down right summerish! This has made me and the girls want to do things to get rid of those winter blues...so...in honor of St. Patrick's Day and to get us in the mood for spring and Easter in a few weeks, we decided to make rainbows on our walls. Making rainbows is great way to cheer you up no matter what time of year it is. It can even be done on a rainy day! You'll need: A glass pan or jar A mirror that fits in the pan or jar Water A white wall or ceiling (or white paper to cover a colored wall/ceiling) 1) Pour the water into your glassware. The exact amount doesn't matter. I filled ours up about half-way. 2) Put your mirror in the water. 3) Place it in a sunny spot. 4) Play with tilting the mirror until you see rainbows form on the … [Read more...]
Cooking WITH your kids
I know this subject has been touched on before by many people, experts, and blogs but I felt it necessary to reiterate the importance of cooking WITH your kids. Why cooking with your kids is important: Cooking with your kids teaches them the importance of eating together as a family Cooking with kids teaches them simple math Cooking with kids teaches them problem solving Cooking with your kids encourages them to try new foods Cooking with your kids give them a sense of accomplishment There are plenty more reasons but those are my favorites! My son and I made pizza together....it doesn't have to be complicated, just creative. We talked about fractions while making the pizza. He doesn't like onions or mushrooms on his pizza so we discussed that two halves of the pizza make one whole. He helped put the ingredients that he wanted on his half and the things I wanted on my half. The best part of the whole time was the conversation...we took time to talk about our day, what … [Read more...]
Leprechaun Hunt
We went on a Leprechaun hunt the other day. It wasn't anything fancy but they really enjoyed it. It ended up costing me a whopping 99cents! I bought a package of lucky clover stickers at the store a week ago for 99cents and cut them up into separate stickers. I gave each child their own piece of paper to collect the stickers on too. When they went down for a little rest time the sneaky Leprechaun left stickers all over the house, silly little guy! I made sure to tell him that he needed to leave the same amount of stickers for each child (to avoid an argument.) They loved running through the house looking for stickers. Some were pretty easy to find and some were really hard. I actually forgot where they all ended up so the hunt lasted quite a long time. All in all they each collected 6 stickers. I loved listening to their stories along the way. I heard a lot of encouraging each other, a lot of congratulations for finding one and a few "that silly Leprechaun" comments. I think … [Read more...]
Popsicle Stick Puzzles
I had some extra craft sticks, a.k.a. Popsicle sticks, left over from another craft so I thought I'd put them to some good use. So I grabbed a bottle of Mod Podge (but school glue would work too) and a photo. Here is what you will need: craft sticks a photo (or a colored picture) mod podge (school glue) scissors Carefully attach the photo of your choosing to the craft sticks (line them up all nice and neat). Glob on a good layer of glue or mod podge and let it dry over night. After they are completely dry you can use a scissors or a blade to cut them apart. Then let your child see if they can put the puzzle back together again. My 5 year old son loved this...the only correction he gave me (ha ha ha) was that he wanted a photo of himself rather than his brother and sister. … [Read more...]
Plates In The Dryer–A MN Blogging Event
Toys In The Dryer and Color Me Mine Eagan will host the first ever Minnesota blogging event--for kids! We happily invite our Toys In The Dryer readers, fellow bloggers, and their kids to: Plates In The Dryer Monday, April 30, 2011, 4-6 pm Color Me Mine in Eagan (Tickets available via Eventbrite starting March 1, 2012) We all know that blogging and other social media takes time away from family. Toys In The Dryer, however, would like to encourage you to spend more time with them. Come socialize with people in your social media circle AND spend time painting pottery with your kids! Donate to charity while you're at--It's a win-win for everyone! This event isn't just for bloggers/blog readers, it's for the whole family so husbands, wives, and significant others are welcome and encouraged! Kids of all ages are welcome too! Have an infant? Make a plate with his/her handprint or footprint! Have a teen? See the beautiful things he/she can make! One (per child) … [Read more...]
