Trains

We took a day trip to a fun train ride in Maryland. Love Bug and her brother Jedi LOVED it!

It was open seating and we happened to be in the right place to board first. We chose the open car, because it was 92 degrees outside.

They brought their bears, were given Teddy Grahams, and couldn't wait for the train to get going!

Love Bug had such a great time! She was so excited every time the whistle blew.

The train ride was 35 minutes each way. It went past farms, trees, and along the freeway for a while.

Jedi's favorite part was going over a bridge and stream.

The Conductor came and took the ticket stubs. Love Bug thought he was funny.

Once I told her she could stand up, she didn't want to sit down.

On the way back, we stopped at a community park for a picnic. They had storytime too, Goldielocks, but Jedi didn't want to go, so we headed back to the train.

We sat in the kaboose on the last part of the trip.

Jedi had an awesome seat up top!

It was a great trip and we'll definitely be doing it again!!

Tots Together Days

While we've been busy getting things ready for Love Bug's grandparents to move in, I've been thinking quite a bit about our upcoming school year. Things are going to be pretty crazy the first month or so of school and I wanted to nail down my plans for Tot school with Love Bug so we're ready to start!

Love Bug will be 31 months when we start school this year. We really enjoy our time alone, and we also get together with friends for a day at the park most weeks, and sometimes outings on Friday's, until it gets too cold outside.

This year I decided to add a day each week when other tots around Love Bug's age can come over and join in the learning fun.

I shared my schedule and list of preschool units that I will be using with the mom's of the tots invited to join us, and they are welcome to do them at home with their own little learner. It's not at all required though. Then we will get together to do an activity and some fun learning games based on our theme for the week.

I'm doing it drop in style, to make things more simple. We'll do things on our own if there happen to be weeks when no one else can come play with us.

I'll update my blog to let everyone know how well it works out (or doesn't ;)

We're not gone...completely

I know I created this blog, started posting like crazy, then disappeared! Things are changing around our household. Love Bug's (and all her sibs for that matter) life is getting shifted around a bit. Grandma and Grandpa are moving in with us this summer. That means changing rooms around like crazy. The biggest  change happens in the playroom, where all the tot school magic happens. Grandparents are moving in to that room and we are relocating to the attic room! It's been a huge project, and although I had big plans to keep up with the tot school this summer, it's just not as regular as I would have liked it to be.  Part of our move has included reorganzing all of our school tools (and some new tools) and I'm excited to get busy using them again. Love Bug can't wait either!

I've also been printing and putting together some great preschool packs in preparation for school starting in September. I am still in awe at all the amazing preschool lessons you can find online.

We have been busy making things fun where we can, and that has included swim lessons, park trips, lots of reading books, playdough, puzzles and other fun things around the house.

Stop back by in September, when the dust settles and the real crazy begins. I'll be posting lots of fun things I'd love share.

DIY Kid's binoculars

These fun fuzzy binoculars are sure to be a hit when you use them to go on Safari with the Safari Caboodle!

You will need:

2 heavy duty plastic cups

1 piece of adhesive felt- any color

1 piece of fleece (about) 9x13 or additional felt any color

18 inches of 5/8" ribbon

ribbon or string for strap

hot glue gun

Cut circle holes out of the bottoms of two cups leaving a 1/4 inch edge.

Cut adhesive felt in half lengthwise

Wrap felt on cup making sure to keep it flat on the fatest part of the cup (the top). Where ends come together, trim so it lies flat.

Place cup upside down on table and pinch the felt in two place. It should look like this.

Cut the felt close to the cup where you pinched it. This will make small "seams" on the sides which will be unnoticed. Fold down the felt on the top, pinching and trimming as you did on the sides. Cut extra felt away.

Measure the fleece around your cup and trim to fit. Try not to pull on it as you measure, you'll want to be able to stretch it as you glue it on.

Fold down over the top and trim it allowing enough fleece to tuck inside the cup. You'll be covering the sharp edge of the cup.

Working on small sections at a time, pinch and trim fleece so it lies flat on the top. Tracing the bottom of the cup onto extra fleece, make two disks per cup. Cut the center out.

Your fleece should look similar to this when you've finished trimming it.

Keeping the fleece at the edge of the lip of the cup, use hot glue to glue the first straight edge down the side of the cup. You'll be working in small sections and stretching it a bit as you go. Trim the edges where they meet if needed.

On the bottom of the cup, glue down the sections so they lay flat. Be sure to add a bit of glue to the tip and fold it under to the inside of the cup.

Hot glue one disk to the inside of the cup, covering the raw edges of the tucked fleece.

Glue the other disk on the outside of the bottom of the cup.
Repeat with the second cup, and then glue both cups together at seams.

Using a sharp knife or scissors, poke holes in the sides for strap. Tie a large knot on the inside of the ribbon and hot glue the knot to the inside of the cup.

Starting on the bottom of the binoculars where the two cups come together, hot glue the 5/8inch ribbon to the wide end of the binoculars. Continue around the outside with one long ribbon. Trim and glue where you began.

Voila!! Ready for Safari!!

Try them out on your little monkey.

Safari Preschool Caboodle

Go on Safari

with your tot!!

Download your free Safari Preschool Caboodle early learning kit.

Homemade Playdough

I ran across this homemade playdough recipe here and absolutely love it! Its so smooth, the perfect consistancy and kept in a sealed container- lasts for a very long time. (some of mine are working on 9 months)

I added flavorings to them and they smell delicious! Mint, tutti fruiti, orange, lemon, cinnimon, vanilla, blueberry, black licorace,  and bubble gum.

I tripled the recipe and store them in 1 cup containers.

Princess tot school

I fell in love with the preschool packs on 1+1+1=1, especially the princess pack. (I fell in love with the entire site- truth be told) Lovebug is obsessed with princesses! It was so much fun making this set and I couldn't wait to use them with her.

This week we were working on the Letter P, so Princess worked right into it.

P is for Penguin. I love the letter craft ideas from Totally Tots.

Okay- I love everything from totally tots.

 We worked on Love Bug's princess puzzle.

This is her favorite puzzle and she wants to do it several times every day.

Love Bug loves stepping on things. She walks on books on the floor, much to my dismay. She walks on school papers, coloring pages, toys, clothes, you name it.

I was thrilled when I saw this idea from Confessions of a Homeschooler. Floor numbers!

 Permission to step on something. Brilliant!

As expected, Love Bug adores them!

These weren't part of the princess set, I made them by printing extra matching cards and setting my printer to print 75% larger. I also used a few pictures from the knight preschool pack since there weren't enough pictures to make 10 cards from the princess set.

 We played with purple play dough and ate popcorn!

 The princess preschool pack.

 Lovebug really enjoyed the matching game.

 Floor counting cards

 Patterns- she doesn't quite get it yet.

 Lovebug likes to point to the shapes. She can't do the number cards yet.

 She also loved rolling the die and helping put Cheerios on the graph.

 We aren't quite to the "what's different" card, but she did love the story and helping me read it.

I love that the preschool packs have room to grow. There are things that she can do now, and things she'll grow into. Lovebug's older brother Jedi is VERY excited about some of the other preschool packs that I've made. (and honestly, so am I)
Thanks again Carissa!