Toys In The Dryer turned 3 at the beginning of the month. This got me thinking that there a ton of posts that have been forgotten as new posts have taken their place over the years. It's time to bring back some of my favorite fall treats, activities, and crafts for kids that we have posted over the last 3 years. Fall Leaf Fairies - Make cute fairy pictures from fallen leaves and twigs. These hung in our kitchen for weeks! Candy Corn Pudding Treats - There's nothing special about the flavor per se, it's more so the idea that it looks like candy corn. Acorn Races - Since Lindsi introduced this fun, easy activity to my family three years ago, we've been doing it every fall! Each year gets a little more crazy! Leaf Drawing - I did this all the time as a kid. Now my kids do it! Crock Pot Applesauce - Perfect for all those apples you've picked at the apple orchard! Leaf Animals - Similar to the leaf fairies, my girls had a ton of fun making … [Read more...]
Boxtrolls Movie #Giveaway!
If you've been reading Toys In The Dryer since last year, you know that I was all excited about the movie Paranorman. This year, the makers of Paranorman have come out with a new movie called The Boxtrolls. If the animation is anything like Paranorman, it's going to be AWESOME! The Boxtrolls is another stop-motion animation from LAIKA and Focus Features. Yes, more than 20,000 props were hand made and hand manipulated to make this film. It took animators an average of 1 week to make 3.7 seconds of film which is about 90 frames (or photos). Crazy huh? Wondering what The Boxtrolls is about? Here's the official synopsis: A family event movie from the creators of “Coraline” and “ParaNorman” that introduces audiences to a new breed of family – The Boxtrolls, a community of quirky, mischievous creatures who have lovingly raised a human boy named Eggs (voiced by Isaac Hempstead Wright) in the amazing cavernous home they’ve built beneath the streets of Cheesebridge. When the town’s … [Read more...]
AT&T’s #GoPhone Review
This post is sponsored. All products mentioned and reviewed on this page are compliments of AT&T. All opinions of the products are my own. Last month I had the opportunity to review an AT&T GoPhone. While I've been a loyal customer of the competition for as long as I can remember, I thought it would be interesting to try something new and see how they compare. Thus, despite some hesitation, I decided to give the GoPhone a chance. In a previous post I mentioned some of the benefits of using a GoPhone vs a regular mobile phone. These include no contracts, cheap plans, and other things. I went ahead and compared AT&T's GoPhone to my current service provider's pre-paid plans. While both offer similar benefits and plans, AT&T's most expensive GoPhone plan is $5 cheaper than my service provider's most expensive plan. Hey, $5 is $5 and that can add up over time! The phone I was given to try was the basic AT&T Z998 Android Smartphone. I'm not a super techy … [Read more...]
Brush up on Family Safety During National Preparedness Month
Preparing your family for natural disasters is the only way to increase their chance of survival and lessen their chance of injury when disaster strikes. No corner of the world is too remote to be touched by nature's fury, be it earthquakes, fires, hurricanes, typhoons, blizzards, tornadoes or floods. And so the U.S. government has declared September “National Preparedness Month”, urging families and communities across the country to take the opportunity to learn how to survive in worst case scenarios. We in the Twin Cities area know all too well how suddenly and severely natural disasters can strike. We're no strangers to dangerous tornadoes and floods, and have had our fair share of debilitating snowfalls. (Photo credit: Justin Hobson) Children are particularly at risk of injury or death in natural disasters. Without a firm family plan in place, they can wander straight into the path of danger, often by returning to damaged yet familiar buildings like home or school. … [Read more...]
A Lesson on Sound Waves With Hanger and String
I remember trying this hanger and string sound lesson when I was younger. I came across it again while searching the internet one day and knew that my girls would love it! To try this sound wave experiment yourself, you'll need a wire coat hanger, yarn, and objects to hit the coat hanger against (a wall, a table, something else metal...). That's it! 1) Tie the yard onto the hook of the hanger leaving (about) equal amounts on both ends of the yarn. 2) Start by hitting the hanger against an object and listen to the sound. 3) Next, wrap the ends of the yarn a few times around your pointer finger. 4) Lightly put your fingers in your ears (do not plug your ears completely) 5) Hit the hanger in the same spot again, this time with your fingers in your ears. How is the sound different? My girls spent quite a while hitting the hanger against different objects to see how the sound varied. It sounded different against metal than it did against wood and even … [Read more...]
Wax Rocks
My girls love finding rocks everywhere we go. I can't tell you how many "cool" rocks we've collected over the years. The girls, however, are just like me. I think if I weren't a nurse, I would have become a geologist. Because of our love of rocks, we decided to make wax rock gems. These gems are super simple to make and look beautiful in any garden or just sitting as decor in your house. To make them, you'll need: Any amount of rocks you want to make. The smoother the better. Crayons (brand name works best) An oven and baking sheet Oven mitt or something to handle hot rocks News paper or paper plate Start by collecting your rocks then thoroughly wash and dry them. Remember, the smoother, the better. Unfortunately, we don't have many smooth rocks around our yard. Place the rocks on a baking sheet and bake them in the oven until warm. Use an oven mitt or tongs to transfer the hot rocks onto a paper plate or newspaper. Remind your kids that these rocks … [Read more...]
