Fast Fun: balloon boppers

1. Decorate a paper plate.
2. Tape a paint stirrer to the plate.
3. Blow up some balloons.
4. And bonk away!

(idea from the Toddler's Busy Book...and from Laura's awesome preschool blog)

Fast Fun: Sticky Stars

We seem to have a lot of made up games at our house. Sticky stars if one of them. This little game started with my first home preschool year with Afton. I put star shaped sticky paper on items in our house starting with the same letter. Now we play it that way, or just put the sticky's up randomly and seek them out. My kids love this game. And of course I love how easy it is to set up and clean up.

End of Summer Fun: Special Days

Do you know about this great calendar of Special Days? National S'mores Day! Waffle Day! Smile Week! Send Summer off by celebrating a special day. It can be the on the actual day or you know what...you can make it up! Want Friday to be Double Scoop Ice Cream Day...now it is!

Let your kids choose one fun day each day this week and then help them plan it out. It can be an art day, a fun food day, or an outing. Keep it simple and keep it fun and keep it tied to celebrating the summer.

At my house, we'll be catching up on the missed and going to be missed summer activities like making a strawberry pie, swimming, and going to the zoo days.

Oh and this idea works anytime! Awesome huh?!

And aren't the knit ice cream cones in the photo so cute? Head over here to get your pattern!

Squish Bags

Squish bags from the past

Squish bags are a favorite fast fun activity at our house. First, grab a zippy bag for your kids, second let them fill the bag with an assortment of "goo" from the fridge (we love ketchup, jell-o, grapes, mayo, mustard, jam) anything with a more liquid than solid ratio works. Then seal the bag and let your child squeeze and squish the contents into a fantastically contained mess!!! If your kid is of the strong variety, you'll probably want to double bag the bag!

This idea (like so many others!) comes from The Toddler's Busy Book.

Travel Games: felt face

I'm trying to avoid the dollar store stock up for my approaching road trip. Last night I made these felt face boards for my kiddos. Here's what I like about this car friendly activity:

• Fast to make. I made two in under and hour.
• Cheap cheap cheap. Cardboard from a leftover box and felt from my stash.
• Quiet. Need I say more?
• Multiple uses. The circle becomes a small felt board for other felt activities.
• Easy to change. Afton informed me we need ears and earrings!

I found the idea for this in my Toddler Busy Book.