An Ikea Hack!

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Ikea Hack

After another epic trip to Ikea-land, we came home with one too many cardboard boxes and some new MALA florescent paints. But instead of just taking our paint to plain old paper, we decided to create GIANT CARDBOARD MURALS… $10 never went so far!

Toddlers will love it if you shake the cardboard back and forth underneath them as they squirt the paint, modern art style.

For bigger kids, tape a cardboard slat on the bottom of an outdoor table. Then have them lay on their backs to paint, Michelangelo style!

Ladybug Lost Her Spots!

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Ladybug

 

Counting becomes fun when a Ladybug loses her spots! It’s part game, part craft, and all learning!

To play you’ll need a paper plate, red paint or crayon, glue, plus extra paper to precut a head & plenty of spots. Googly eyes come in handy too.

1. Have your little decorate the ladybug’s back (paper plate) red. Glue your bug’s head onto the top. But oh uh, this ladybug is missing her spots!

2. Next, hide the ladybug’s spots (black circles) around the room. Count aloud together as your toddler finds them. (We hid 12 because that’s as high as we know how to count!)

3. Now it’s time to glue the spots onto the ladybug’s back, hooray! You saved her spots and saved the day!

 

Pom Pom Play!

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Pom Pom Play

 

We love PomPoms at SoCal Moms because they keep little bodies busy for a long time. You’ve seen these at the store, but did you know you can use them for a lot more than just crafting?

– Practice sorting them with toddlers. Sort by color or size. And use salad tongs or tweezers to sort for an added challenge!

– Get silly and sort them with your toes! Put some cups down on the ground and kids will get a kick out of filling the cups up with poms using only their feet!

– Move them using only your breath! Just like you are blowing out birthday candles, you can blow them across a table or floor. Make sure you are behind, not above the pom, to make it race the fastest!

Spice Painting!

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IMG_4700Your little Picasso has created art that looks good, and maybe even feels good. But have they ever created art that smells good?

Kids of all ages love to explore smell, so this week try SPICE PAINTING!

Mix a bit of water and glue with some of the different spices you have in your cabinet. The brighter hued and strongest smelling work best. Think mint, curry, or cinnamon. You can even add a few drops of extract for extra scented fun. Dip your paintbrush in and try not to get hungry!