CRAFT MATERIALS:

Roll of candy (we used Life Savers)
Colored tape
Foil party picks (we got ours at gourmac.com)

Time needed: 30 Minutes or Less
1. For each firecracker, remove the outer wrapper from a roll of candy. Wrap the inner lining with colored tape.

2. Insert foil party picks into the center of the roll, snapping off part of the pick if needed to get the correct length.

Toddler Bowling

Materials

• Empty plastic soda bottles or unopened paper towel rolls
• Large rubber ball

Directions

1. Line up three or four (or more) empty plastic soda bottles or unopened paper towel rolls.
2. Show your toddler how to roll a large rubber ball to knock them over.

I found this one on the same site as the post below, Another one I can't wait to try with Mara.

Toddler Train

Your child will enjoy filling up each car with her stuff and pulling the train behind her wherever she goes.

Materials

• 3 or more assorted boxes
• String, ribbon, or yarn
• Plastic straws
• Scissors

Directions

1. Use scissors or another pointed object to poke small holes in the ends of each box.
2. Insert about 1 foot of string, ribbon, or yarn into the back hole of the first box, then tie the end of the string around a short piece of plastic straw to prevent it from pulling through the hole.
3. Insert the other end of the string through the front hole of the next box and fasten it in the same way.
4. Use more string to continue connecting the boxes until the train is finished.
5. Use a longer length of string for the front hole of the first box.
6. Tie a cylindrical wooden block or small plastic vitamin bottle to the end of this string for a handle.

I found this on a website today. (fun.familyeducation.com) Haven't tried it yet but it sounded like it would be so much fun that I plan to try it soon!

Bathtime wintertime blues :)

Well, as most of you here in Utah know we have been hit with wonderful winter weather in at the end of March/beginning of April.... so the other day. I told the boys we were going swimming. They put on their swimming suits and I filled the tub with water and LOTS of bubbles. Then we threw in a bunch of cups and buckets and cars (the ones that the water wouldn't ruin) and they played and LOVED IT!!! I finally had to pull them out after about an hour because the water was cold :)

** just a little disclaimer, the bathroom did get covered in water.. the floor mostly. But it was worth it for an hour of getting to read a book in the hall by the bathroom and no fighting boys! **

Flashlights and tables

Today the boys and I, made a fort. I just took a really big blanket and stuck it over the kitchen table. Then we put our library books, cars and trains underneath it and I gave them both a flashlight and they went to town. It took up about two hours of the day and they loved it and so did I. Who would have thought they would like it that much. We even ate lunch under there. Plus they lined up the kitchen chairs across the living room and pretended like it was a bridge from one couch the the other and they would walk across it and jump onto the couch.

Socks!

It's been way to long since I have put anything on here not sure anyone is even looking at this anymore but Mara and I had fun with this today!

SOCK TOSS
Roll up three or four socks into balls.
Set out a basket on the floor.
Have your toddler practice tossing the sock balls into the basket.

Fish Game

Find a clip art of fish and print on colored construction paper, or you can just draw your own. On the back of each fish write something like the following:

1. Jump up and down three times
2. spin in circles
3. find something red (or whatever color)
4. Sing your ABC's

(you get the idea)

Then place all the fish on the floor and let each kid pick a fish and then all the kids get to do the instruction on the back.