I have B1’s first IEP meeting next week- what do I need to think of or know or go in ready to ask for?
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We have 2 year old birthday party where the forecast is light rain. Original location was park. Now I think we might move the party to our house. Can’t move the date bc husband’s surgery is the next day and we have lots of family in town for the party.
What are some good indoor activities to set up for 2-4 year olds? Cover my walls in activity paper and unleash the crayons? Bubbles?
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pin the [thing] on the [other thing]
Depending on our party theme over the years, we pinned anchors on boats, the earth into the solar system… I can’t remember what else.
Balloons were always a hit
oh, I think we pinned the light saber onto the jedi once?
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Glow sticks, lights off, sandstorm on. RAVE
Jk. Maybe.
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Light sticks, partial lights off, bonus projector night light, kid friendly dance music.
Painter’s tape some construction paper or paper decorations on the floor, scattered all over one room. Basically do Twister but whole body. “Everybody fiiiiiiind - RED! Yay, you found red! Now, can you find … BLUE!”
Or a variation is to do “would you rather” and the kids go to one side of the room or the other of they’d rather do x or y. Would they rather fly or have super speed, would they rather be a car or a dog, etc
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Thanks for all the ideas! It all worked out! The rain held off until the last 15 minutes, so the kids spent most of the time in the big gravel pit out back. This pump + a 5 gallon jug is worth its weight in gold.
Balloons were the other big hit. I had some art supplies prepped upstairs but it was so nice out, the kids never made it to the 3rd floor.
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I have a milestone birthday happening next week and no idea for any suggestions to tell my almost ten year old. Mr. Meer will help him with getting/buying the gift. Any ideas?
I don’t wear jewelry often, only occasionally make up and I’d want to pick that myself. They just got me some plants for mother’s Day which I put in a big lovely pot that was a past birthday gift.
Last year he insisted on giving me a unicorn blanket (because he “knew” I lived unicorns from an offhand comment I made once 
) that was obviously child sized and now lives in Kiddo’s room.
I’m asking Mr. Meer for us to go on a family vacation next year to a particular destination so he’s not really getting me a physical thing at this point. (He has asked but stuff I want either I can get or it involves plane tickets so I’m not helping the situation at all, lol.)
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Is he a crafts sort of kid? Would you like him to write and illustrate a book or a “why I love mom” type thing?
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A nice watch? Would you wear that?
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Acts of service/chore coupons? He seems like the right age for that.
Or maybe he could plan an activity for you to do together? Like a favorite board game and dinner, or something?
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Oh I’m just realizing these may not be up to par for a big milestone birthday. I’m just always trying to think of experiences rather than “stuff” for gifts lately.
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No, those are good suggestions! And I definitely don’t really need any more “stuff” type gifts.
Thanks everyone, I’ve passed the ideas along to Mr. Meer.
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Also make a book list and they choose from that?
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Parents of 6+ kids… what do 5,6,7 year olds do for fun? Why is mine bored?
People with science degrees or labcoats, what should our experiment rules be? Once written, can anyone deliver them by video or chat?
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Not a science degree person but this is what we’ve come up with over time for experiment rules:
We have a designated area - the porch, which is not usable in summer afternoons unless he was playing in water recently.
All drinks must be in a lidded container. I usually put ice water out for him to keep him out in the heat longer. Open cups are specifically not for drinking (they have vinegar or soapy water or water with salt or or or).
Clothes for this must be “okay to get messy” clothes which is most of them so it’s fine.
Playing in the dirt is fine, bringing plants in from the yard to go into experiments is fine. For my “indoor cat” kid this doesn’t come up often so we encourage it as much as we can.
My child will ask for endless amounts of vinegar/citric acid, baking soda, salt, water with food coloring, etc. so I try to basically make up a tray/several containers at the beginning and say when that’s all used up he doesn’t get more. Sometimes I remember shaving cream but that doesn’t clean up as well.
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Latte is super into her art zone lately. Yesterday she and Husband made a kite out of sticks and a plastic grocery bag. Before bed she was putting stickers on an activity book she got for her birthday. Quiet time she builds her train set, listens to her Yoto, and flips through books. She is fascinated with writing and has been making cards for people a lot and labels for things and copying book covers. Her latest fixation books are the Molly American girl doll books because we found one in a free little library. That and using the swing/climbing stuff in our front room is how she spends most of her home time. And we go to the park a lot. There it’s a lot of art with chalk, arranging wood chips, swinging, monkey bars, exploring the nature area and moving sticks around.
Her neighborhood bestie is turning 7 this week. She does a lot of reading, making cards for people, and making friendship bracelets out of little rubber bands.
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My just turned 7 year old says she’s bored and we let her be sometimes. She finds toys to play with or crafts to do or she goes to play outside. Being bored isn’t always something we need to resolve.
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Oh yes that’s true, most of the aforementioned play is because we refuse to: play rough more, read a book to her at that moment, she’s closed in quiet time because me and the bub need a nap, etc. Sometimes it’s happily fully picked by her (usually when we need to leave soon) but often it’s because she’s angry and “neglected” first lol.
She doesn’t often use the word bored necessarily, but when she does, I usually just say that’s fine, I know you’re a creative kid and you’ll figure something out. And then she makes noises of exasperation and an annoyance, and we all carry on. 
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I misread this at first and was confused how a kid could be bored in a house with 6 children. That said, depending on what I’m doing or have the energy for in a bored moment, I offer a chore that needs doing. Sometimes the chore gets done!
As a lab coat owner, I’d focus on safety, so rules around food near the science and appropriate clothing while doing the science. Both of these are ymmv. Is contamination or ingestion actually risky? No food or drink. Is it FAFO? Oh well, learn to label. Is it safe, but you don’t actually want ingestion? Different spaces or otherwise different access (like the covered cups above).
On clothing, is it going to get stained or ripped? What do both parties find acceptable for that risk? Moving bits? Nothing loose. Heavy or sharp bits? Close-toed shoes.
Where’s the designated science area? Where’s the designated non-science area? What’s a do-what-you-want-without-asking activity or reagent? What’s an ask-before-conducting-an-unauthorized-experiment activity or reagent?
When does cleanup have to happen and where is proper disposal?
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I was wracking my brain to figure out who had more than three.
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