Advanced ice stuff for slightly older kids (some preplanning required):
Freeze water on a cookie sheet and “drive” toy cars on it. Freeze water in plastic buckets for bigger ice cubes. Freeze plastic toys in the buckets (if the toy floats, fill halfway and freeze with the toy and then add more water later and freeze the rest of the way).
If they’re old enough to do talk to, ask them if they think a big ice cube will melt faster or slower than a small one. If you have two that are the same size, put one in the sun and one in shade, which will melt faster? Why do you think that?
All of these are also compatible with playing in a kiddie pool, plus then the ice melts into the pool. YMMV, my kid enjoyed this, child-me would have been like “What on earth are you thinking, that’s cold.”
Actually, I think I’m going to go freeze some of our flowers in a bucket of water right now to play with this weekend sometime when I remember I froze them.
Edit: Done. Or begun, I guess. We’ll see how they turn out post-freeze, I expect some of the flowers to get funky especially if they’re more tropical types. I also got a bit of fern and oregano and put them in a large plastic cup since they’re more vertical and frost-hearty. This will definitely need a two step freeze process since the plants want to float.
Pinterest worthy appearance: 9/10
Interest of child: 2/10
The shoe-box size tub of water was of more interest, he “cooked” with them as ingredients briefly then just did general water play. All well! Maybe I’ll try it again later in the summer when his swimming pool is involved instead of just doing it on the porch.
The one in the box in the lower left is just out of the freezer so the exterior is still “cloudy”, the two taller ones with greenery have been dunked in water briefly so you can see what’s inside easier. #thingslearnedfromwatchingicesculpturecompetitionsontv
I found out about regulating kids nervous systems and man, it works. I’ve been squashing both kids and turning the little one upside down and they’ve been much more relaxed.
What does one do if their child loves Excitatory Input, could not care less about Calming Input (he does do deep breaths on his own but that’s about it), and approximately x100 more energy than both parents together? Any links, books, etc. appreciated, I feel like I hear about this in bits and pieces.
Heavy work heavy work heavy work lol. And sensory swings, and tight fitting compression clothes, and rolling down hills. Remove batteries and light up toys and noise makers. As for calming inputs, a parent can still have lights on dimmers, control the music, stuff like that. Kind of a division of responsibility thing- you can make a calm environment overall, it’s up to them what they do with that.
Yay! Looks fabulous. Some of the best Montessori ones we’ve done- Latte’s plates in her own drawer at her height. Also in there is a small broom and dustpan, and rags so she can wipe up spills. She also likes using these rags with a squirt bottle from ikea to “wash windows”. And a step stool in the bathroom so she can brush her own teeth. Stick on ikea mirrors her height next to a brush and bows so she can do hygiene- mainly she uses it for dress up but she plays at brushing her hair which is great.
And yes, my toy shelf is an old TV cabinet I hate that stuff rolls under it but hell you can’t beat the price.
Realized I had names in one of them, so reposting. Not that anyone cares but… I have anxiety
So, I should be getting ready for bed. But I’m not. Instead Ive been inspired by the Montessori school we send Meowlet to to make his environment more soothing and helpful to him.
Montessori is all about helping kids learn to be independent and my house could do with more of that. But one thing that they do is toy rotation, clearly defining toy activities, and keeping it simple.
For.montessori you can spend a shit ton of money buying all natural wood and the special furniture but I honestly think that’s usually bullshit. So I used the principles and worked with what I had: a random set of toys from a toy sub (because I can’t be bothered to toy shop so help me), gifts from family, homemade games from early intervention teachers, and shit I had lying around.
No idea how that mickey car got into my house
Those cards near the xylophone are song cards and my son cannot actually play music but he will try and it’s cute
Yes I have not filled out his first year album lololol
Those boxes are goodwill ok?!?!?
Can you put a rolled up towel under it, pushed an inch or two back so it’s not immediately obvious to little people? Our toy shelf is also our old tv cabinet, we took the glass doors off the front and stored them … somewhere. I think I know where. We’re not putting them back on any time soon so I guess it doesn’t matter much.
I too recently posted a picture and then had to reupload it because of accidental name-showing. Right there with you.
My child, upon seeing that set up, would use the xylophone sticks on the tv within five minutes. Or he would have at that age, he might have the impulse control not to now. He would also instinctively ignore the boxes of Goodwill stuff till 24 hours before I was planning on removing it from the house and then he’d remove everything from the boxes and fall in love with something/everything in the boxes.
I also have boxes of stuff in the toy area (not for Goodwill, just boxes of stuff) and I finally gave up and ordered a few black fabric cubes to put on the other black bookshelf. All random crap gets shoveled into those boxes then it’s out of sight, out of mind. Really it was just so all the detritus wouldn’t annoy me but it’s accidental toy rotation too for all the things that don’t have a category.
I used to have a pool noodle. She found it and tried to eat it she’s VERY detail oriented unfortunately, she would find it quickly. A towel is a way better idea than other ones I found though, without eagle eyes that would have been a great idea.
(Fun fact: she takes all the blankets and towels in our living room and piles them on the couch every single day. I imagine it would end up there. It’s cute, but like… child. C’mon. I don’t need a kitchen towel on the couch)
For the wardrobe, we don’t have it super accessible yet- it’s a big dresser and while her stuff is in the bottom two drawers she can reach, but she mainly flings stuff out but what I do, and she demands most days if I try to skip, is offer a few top and bottoms (just on the floor, fanned out) and she gets to pick from there. Access on those is a little easier than some other stuff, since it’s a discrete time per day she uses them.
I do dream of doing the kallax mini wardrobe hack though.
I hate that stuff rolls under it but hell you can’t beat the price.
