A Very Mickey First Birthday

Last week, my youngest turned one year old!  Infancy seems to pass so much quicker with each baby and I'm sad to see this first year go.  As I write this, I still haven't come to terms with the fact that my baby isn't really a baby anymore.  He is a full-fledged toddler, climbing and getting into everything in sight.

Since his birthday fell right before our first family trip to Disney, we decided to do a Mickey Mouse party for our little one-year-old.  His 2-year-old brother is obsessed with Mickey and we figured it would be a good way to get everyone in the mood for our vacation.

Last Minute Father's Day Crafts & The Weekly Kid's Co-op

Father's Day is just a few days away. This week we've been making some cute crafts and cards for Dad. 

 We used magazines and construction paper to make a "Gifts for You" tie.  The kids created a collage of all the things they'd buy for Dad if they had all the money in the world!

Then, I saw these super cute fingerprint fish from Frogs and Snails & Puppy Dog Tails and we turned them into adorable Father's Day cards.

The kids had a lot of fun painting these!

If you're looking for more last-minute crafts, check out these Father's Day crafts that we highlighted last week.

Want more ideas for spending time with your kids?  Be sure to follow us on our NEW Facebook page or Pinterest and sign up for emails to keep up with all the latest crafts, activities, and kid-friendly recipes! 

Now it's your turn to link up your ideas and get some new ones with this week's Weekly Kid's Co-op. 



 

Encouraging Pretend Play in the Kitchen

Tons of research has been done on the importance of imaginative play for toddlers and  preschoolers.  When children play pretend, they are working on developing social skills and practicing their problem-solving skills in a safe and controlled environment. 

The other day, the kids helped me bake the cakes for Baby C's first birthday party. Even after the cakes were in the oven, they still wanted to bake, so we set up this baking center to keep them occupied. I was so amazed at how nicely they played all morning long. They really loved using our real kitchen tools with their play kitchen and cooked up some "pretend" yummy treats for us.

In their center, I included:

An empty carton of eggs with plastic Easter eggs.

Rubber cupcake liners

muffin pans

a bundt pan

a handheld mixer

measuring spoons

measuring cups

sprinkles

spice containers

pot holders

an apron

wooden spoons for stirring

mixing bowls

empty ingredient boxes

The kids practiced breaking the plastic eggs and measured ingredients.  They mixed everything up and used our play kitchen to bake their creations.  

They even interacted with various print by "reading" the directions on a box of cake mix and following recipes in our cookbooks.

The baby even joined in on the fun and enjoyed "helping" in the kitchen and shaking the sprinkles containers.

Want more ideas for spending time with your kids?  Be sure to follow us on our NEW Facebook or Pinterest pages and sign up for emails to keep up with all the latest crafts, activities, and kid-friendly recipes!

Letter Splat - Learning Letters with Toddlers

Summer is here and we are enjoying being outside as much as possible. We're getting creative with our learning and I'm having fun making new outside games to help the kids review our preschool skills. Last week, we had lots of fun with Letter Splat. I used to play this game with my 4th graders to review geometry shapes and terms. It turns out that it's just as fun for 2-year-olds as it is for 9-year-olds.

Father's Day Activities from The Weekly Kid's Co-op

Lots of great Father's Day ideas were shared in last week's Weekly Kid's Co-op! Here are some of our favorites!  These are sure to make the special guys in your life feel appreciated next week!

School Spirit Chocolate Covered Pretzels

For my son's preschool graduation, we made these fun chocolate-covered pretzel rods in the school's colors. They just barely made the cut for "acceptable party snacks". We're going to go ahead and consider them healthy because they contain pretzels, right?

Getting Kids Ready for a New Sibling

Welcoming a new addition to the family is a special time for everyone. It can be an overwhelming time, though, for the big siblings that can often feel neglected and question their place in the family with so much attention going to the new baby.  If you're expecting a new addition, there are a few things that you can do to get your older children ready for their new sibling.