Snow Dinosaurs

Here's another simple (all our activities are simple) dinosaur activity. We had some unbelievable amounts of snow this winter, mountains and mountains of snow everywhere. What's frustrating, is that this snow won't pack. I've tried to show Santino how to make a snowman many times, but the snow always crumbles up in my hand like dry sand.

Santino's Art: a Dinosaur, a Dragon, and a Rocket Ship

I found, that encouraging Santino to draw is much easier, when I give him a project, a task and then explain how to do it. Maybe he is not as creative at this moment to enjoy scribbling random lines and zigzags, but he definitely gets more excited and tries to draw after he knows exactly what to do.

Active Fun At Home plus Some Science: Sticky Tape Spider Web.

I have a preschooler, and he needs his active fun every day. Our "witching hour" is right after dinner before bath time and subsequently bed time. This is when he wants to play, run, jump and burn his energy, enjoy the moments before sleep.

We play soccer, bowling, golf, basketball (using a cardboard box as a basket). Sometimes Santino just runs in circles or jumps on the little trampoline we have set up in his room. Today we set up a "spider web" and threw "flies" into it.

 

Artzooka's Recycling Challenge: Pencil Case, Glue Caps, Sprayer

Santino was watching TV this morning, and we stumbled upon Artzooka program (CBC). I remember seeing it once or twice, but it didn't stick with us, as Santino was probably too young. Today, though, he was really interested, and when the program was finished, he immediately wanted to make a fire truck (as it was shown on the TV, made out of a pencil case, a pen cap and a bottle sprayer).

I found these items, but our art challenge ended up being.. a dinosaur, of course!

I started with the body and the head, and Santino finished it up with the legs, feet and the tail. I was impressed how he himself decided to make dinosaur feet with the caps (glitter glue caps).

Here it is!

Reviving sticky homemade playdough

Santino enjoyed playing with a sheet of revived playdough, which didn't turn out so great and became sticky. Here's how to make it: screw up the home-made playdough, put it in the plastic wrap. Enjoy!

Traveling with a toddler on an airplane

We are on vacation! Yay! Florida is a bit chilly these days, but still awesome, comparing to Newmarket, Ontario.

I was silent for some time as we were preparing for our travel: cleaning, dealing with the last minute issues, like plumbing and a sick cat, finding ways to get to and from the airport (thanx, Dev! You are the best!), and a whole bunch of other little things that accumulated into a one big set of emergencies.

On top of everything else, I was stressing out about traveling with Santino, who is 28 months old, a very active little boy, often unable to sit still and concentrate for a long time... Well, here is where I was inspired and a bit relieved from my stress. All our sensory activities have been such an "attention grabber" for Santino, that I decided stop worrying and get ready.

I thought of everything what we've been doing, all Santino's favorite activities, and put together a little travel kit for a toddler on an airplane. Now, this may seem a little over the top, as I packed a lot of different activities. In a normal circumstance, this would take a few hours of quiet play. But. I remember how moody Santino can get, and the usual interest may change in an unusual setting, so all this doesn't seem that over-the-top.

So, here we go:

Some DIY activities in preparation for writing

Santino was introduced to a few new exercises yesterday and today: matching and recognizing shapes and letters. He also showed a tremendous progress in managing playdough!

Finger painting, dinosaur footprinting and playdough 3D art

While exploring all these fun sensory activities, we had put art aside for a little while. Now I started encouraging Santino to do more art, and to do it every day.

 

Santino's 2nd birthday celebration. Fire truck theme

It's been a challenge for me, but I think I did it. I had a few ideas on what to do for Santino's 2nd birthday party, I followed through on most of them. Here's what I did, and here are my recommendations based on what I learned.

I knew I wanted to do a small playdate-like party for Santino, just with a few of his friends. I wanted to make it a theme party, just for fun and also to give me a better direction for my ideas. I am a kind of person who can't just create something something. I need a theme, a direction, some kind of constraint. Then it becomes easier somehow, just because so many options that otherwise overwhelm me, get cut off and I can stay on track.

Dinos, colors and a sponge

After the dinner is finished, I have to clean up, wash the dishes, keep Santino calm, also making sure that he doesn't destroy the house. Recently I started leaving him in his high chair, buckled up (yay! no running away) and provide him with entertainment. Not TV, rather something creative. TV after dinner is not good for his sleeping routine, so I used to provide him with markers, crayons and toys to color and play.

Coloring and drawing is not his strongest area at this time. Markers quickly end up on the floor, as well as crayons.

I started thinking of other creative ideas, after researching the internet and finding amazing blogs, written by moms and their children. Mothers come up with ideas, children enjoy them.