Winter Sensory Play Table

We’ve made it to February and that means winter is getting closer to its end. Although yesterday we learned that we still have six more weeks of winter-we honestly haven’t had too bad of a winter yet. Thankfully. I was really dreading this winter and being stuck indoors with two toddlers. I stocked up on a pile of target dollar spot novelty items, which have definitely been great for boredom busting.  I also decided that our water table didn’t get a break this winter. It’s been living in the corner of our playroom for the past few months and we’ve been using it as a sensory table. I try to change it up about every three weeks, we've had four different set ups so far:

Our first version of the sensory table was dyed pasta.  It’s simple to make your own dyed pasta:

• Add about half a box of pasta to a gallon size plastic bag. We used different shapes and textures (shells, bow ties, ziti, spirals, wheels, smooth rigatoni (I need to study up on pasta names, I'm sure there is an actual name for that). 
• Add about a teaspoon of food coloring.  I used mostly gel, but also regular old fashioned food coloring, and I didn't notice a huge difference in the finished product.  
• Finally add a small amount of vinegar (you can also use hand sanitizer) into a Ziploc baggie. Give it some good shaking until it is evenly coated, then let it sit for about ten minutes. Pour onto a paper towel or cookie sheet and allow a few hours to dry out.

We used six different pasta types which filled the table nicely.

E and C both really enjoyed the pasta. We used a variety of shapes and textures, and they actually spent a good 20-30 minutes just running their hands through the pasta the first few days. E loved using the pasta as cargo for his trucks, and C was big on filling and dumping with the play kitchen pans. We also did a simple color sort with the muffin tin (my muffin tins spend more time in the playroom than the kitchen). You could also use the pasta as counters, for fine motor practice with stringing, matching colors or shapes, or as an art medium (pressing into play-dough, making necklaces...)

Tray of various shape and color~color spots in each muffin section

We sorted by color this time, but shape or texture would be fun as well!

All sorted! 

We used the table as a light table briefly around Christmas. Basically E really loves having different things to drive his trucks through, so we played around with some old light strands and other odds and ends from the Christmas supplies (bows, small boxes, ribbons). It also added a nice little glow to the playroom in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

*Light*Bright*

Next we tried rainbow rice (made the same way as the rainbow pasta, above). This was definitely the messiest material we’ve had so far, so if you try it out just be comfortable with a little extra sweeping. E was pretty good about keeping the rice in the table, but quite a bit still ends up on the floor simply from moving toys. C, on the other hand, LOVED throwing big handfuls of rice into the floor, with a big smile on her face the whole time, fully embracing and enjoying her "defiant" side. Beyond that, both E and C enjoyed filling and dumping bottles, dropping the rice into the metal muffin tin (this makes a great sound and it was my favorite part of this table). Actually, when I wasn’t thinking about sweeping up the rice, it was pretty relaxing to play with. We also did lots of scooping, filling of trucks, burying objects (and hands), hiding little toys to search for in the rice, and we also tried out some of our bath strainers and funnels. We are still finding little rice grains here and there a couple weeks after cleaning this table up. You might try covering the floor with a large cloth or sheet in an attempt to confine the rice a little more, as I've seen some people do. 

10lbs of beautiful rainbow rice

Our newest table has a Valentine’s theme, and I even added a little shelf of related Valentine’s activities to go along with the table. I spent about $10 at the dollar store, along with some items we had at home. The table is filled with some silky rose petals, glittery hearts, foam conversation hearts, heart bead strands, fuzzy pipe cleaners, crinkly crepe paper, and a few scraps of tulle.

Red and white and pink and pink...and more pink

E&C Sweets

Play table accessories

E is working on using the kitchen tongs,
 using them to pick up the small pieces is a fun fine motor challenge

C enjoys filling the Valentine’s mail boxes up, and we count the number of items we can fit into the boxes. She also enjoys when I hide the different objects in the mailbox and she can open it and see what’s inside. I added a Target cupcake puzzle that I’ve been saving, and we have been having fun hunting for the pieces and then completing the puzzle.

Thank you Target Dollar $pot

Along with the usual scooping and filling items, we have some extra imaginative play items to fit a sweet shop theme. We have a few different pretend treats, and some oven mitts that E and C enjoy trying on.

Kitchen Fun

C's oven mitts

Check out my next post for our fun and easy Valentine's Day treat games!

February Book Picks

Ah, February, the month of all things sweet. Lots of hugs and kisses, love, friendship, and sweet treats (extra for me since it's my birthday month)! This month I highlighted a few books that fit these themes for our monthly book shelf. Plus I've included a super quick and easy fun Valentine's Day craft. It's "sleep deprived mom of 2 under 2" tested and approved, so you know it will be low effort but still cute! Oh man, I could say a lot about that sleep deprived thing right now...the 4 month sleep regression is alive and well in this house, let me tell you! Good thing Miss C is super cute and cuddly...although I do appreciate her cute-and-cuddliness way more at times that don't fall between the hours of 11pm and 5 am. Anyhow, enough of my complaining, let's get down to business!

#shelfie

Here's what we are reading this month:

"Love is a Truck" and "Love is a Tutu" by Amy Novesky:

I first spotted these two books a few months ago, back before Christmas.  I was tempted, but I resisted the urge to buy them around the holidays, knowing they would make the perfect gifts for E and C to "give" each other. Not that either of them is even remotely aware of getting or giving gifts, but it's a great excuse to buy a couple cute books never to early to foster a little sibling love right?

"Love is a Truck" and "Love is a Tutu" show the many faces that love can take on. From a toddler's loving obsession with a favorite toy, pastime, or category, all the way to the unique love with have with a special person. These books just hit home so easily when you are living in toddler land. I mean, the little boy who loves all things trucks is just so spot on my son. He is always pushing a truck, riding a truck, collecting his truck puzzle pieces, reading truck books, zooming and vrooming.  I love how these books made me think about all the little "loves" that our kiddos take on as they grow, and how silly they can be sometimes. Seriously, over the past two weeks, E's favorite "toy" has been a handful of pencils-he certainly would be saying "Love is a pencil" right now, if he could form sentences, that is! Plus, the bright, bold, tricolor illustrations are totally awesome as well, and make these books easy to spot on the shelf!

You make my heart go Vroom Vroom!

You love me?! I love you tutu!

"Three Little Words" by Clemency Pearce:

This adorably illustrated picture book explores three special little words, and all the instances where hearing them makes you feel so much better! Friendly little forest animals experience some common negative experiences that preschoolers may also go through...losing a race, scary dreams, meeting new friends...and find that hearing "I love you!" from a family member can make those yucky feelings disappear!  The final pages turn it around and give little ones a chance to think about how they can make someone else's yucky feelings disappear...I'll give you a hint-it's by saying "four little words". Any book that gives toddlers and preschoolers the opportunity to explore their feelings and help open up discussion about them is certainly a great resource, and this book could definitely do that!

A Perfect Cuddle Bedtime Story

"Duck and Goose: Goose Needs a Hug" by Tad Hills:

Well, with my over tired Mommy brain, I pulled out the "wrong" Duck and Goose book...I was totally thinking of "Duck and Goose: How Are You Feeling?" for Valentine's Day, but this one works too!  I actually forgot about a bunch of our love themed books while I was planning out which books to feature this month, oops!  Anyways, we love all the "Duck and Goose" books! Duck, Goose, and their friends are lovable in the same way my toddler is lately-adorable, silly, a little bossy at times, and occasionally misunderstood!  In this story, Goose is feeling a little sad.  His friends want to cheer him up, and try lots of different things,  Eventually they find out just what Goose needs, simply by listening to what he has to say! A perfect lesson for littles (and a reminder for moms and dads too), that sometimes the best way to help someone out is by hearing what they have to say! This book works pretty well in combination with "Three Little Words" to get kiddos talking about their own feelings, and feelings that others have too!

A glass of wine?

**Bonus** Busy Mommy Craft-Conversation Heart inspired garland:

So I love Pinterest as much as the next girl. And I've actually made my share of Pinterest projects that have turned out pretty good (and a few fails too). However, sometimes I want to just do a craft that can be completed in less than one nap time (the dishes aren't going to do themselves, and all that), with materials that I already have laying around.

E's shelf garland relocated to a toddler safe zone.
He doesn't always approve of my Mom crafts, obviously.

 Enter the Busy Mommy Craft. As easy as one, two, three (four):

1.  Using construction paper or scrapbook paper, cut out some simple heart shapes.
2. Write love themed sayings on each heart.  You could choose your favorite traditional Conversation Heart sayings, or make up your own! You could even have your little ones help by making up their own creative phrases. If you need some inspiration, check out this Smithsonian article that details the history of this favorite candy, and is sprinkled with favorite sayings both old and new.
3. If you have a hole punch, use that to create holes on each side of your heart, about 1/3 of the way down from the top. 
4. Using a length of wide ribbon or tulle, thread through the two holes in each heart. You can adjust the spacing of the hearts after they are all strung on, and to fit how you like them in the space of your choosing.