Toddler Fun

I don't know about you, but I have pinned SO many cute toddler activities. They seem fun, but a lot of times they look so overwhelming (requiring me to think ahead and prepare) or messy (like sensory art projects), that I've been hesitant to try them. However, I'm making it a goal to actually USE my pins. Here are two of the of the fun Pinspired activities Kiddo and I have been up to this summer.

First, we tried Contact Paper Window Art from Fun at Home with Kids. Kiddo loves stickers, so this was an instant success. I talked about colors and shapes as he put the pieces of tissue up on the window. While the tissue paper shapes started out in a bowl, he much preferred scattering them all over the floor and stepping on them so they stuck to his feet. : ) It took us a few days to fill the sheet of clear contact paper. The final product looked like stained glass. It was so beautiful, we kept it up for a few weeks.*  I wish I had a picture to share, but I can't find one. (This was pre-blogging.) If I do, I will be sure to add it to this post.

*I would not recommend leaving masking tape on a window for an extended time like we did. The sun dried out the adhesive and left a residue that was difficult to remove. Thankfully, the same trick that worked for Cleaning Stubborn Stove "Gunk" worked really well here. I used the oil method with some elbow grease first, and then followed up with Windex. Good as new!


Another fun activity I pinned was the Little People Bath from My Nearest and Dearest. This is just a simple activity to keep a toddler busy, although adding more bubbles would make it more of a sensory experience. 

Kiddo really enjoys playing with water, so he loved washing and drying his "peebo." I loved it because it was very simple to set up and clean up. However, I did learn a few tips for next time:
First, a half-inch of water or less is plenty. I started with about two inches, and he dumped it on the floor while trying to step into the container, soaking the towel I had laid out, as well as his shorts when he sat down. Which leads me to suggest doing this on a tile floor or outside, and having extra towels on hand. The good news is, soapy water is easy to clean up! We will definitely be doing this again!

In the future, I would like to be more intentional about trying some of the fun pins from my "Preschool Activities" board. Realistically, I'll aim for 2 a month, especially with the full schedule we'll have in the fall.  I'll be sure to share about our experiences!