Mama Loves Foam Stickers

I've used foam stickers in my classroom in the past, but I underestimated their worth for the toddler set until just this last month.  I needed a quick and easy way to make a card for Daddy for Valentine's Day (and earlier this week I already mentioned my fear of painting with twin toddlers at the same time), so I broke out the foam heart stickers and let Sam and Anna go to town.  It was easy AND quick and turned out cute too.  I do have to peel the paper backing off for them, but unlike regular stickers, there was no accidently folding over or creasing with the foam stickers. 

Both kids self selected their hearts and placed them where they wanted.  At first, Anna's was a AB pattern of same sized hearts, but the she started layering them on top of the others.  Sam's was completely random, but I think nicely balanced overall.  I love how both of my little ones had completely different styles that reflect their personalities so much.

So a few days later we played around with foam ocean stickers, and it was just as fun for them.  Sam and Anna love pointing out their art and discuss the animal names, colors and counting them while they hung on our refrigerator.

I've seen that you can glue smaller foam stickers to milk caps for a really inexpensive instant stamp, but I haven't tried that yet.  I'll have to add that to my list of future artsy projects to try!


You can get foam stickers almost anywhere: the Dollar Store, Target, Walmart, craft stores, etc.  I got the heart ones from Michaels for a school project, and the ocean foam stickers I've had for a long time so I'm not sure where they came from.

Think of the other possibilities!  Stick 'em to Easter eggs for an easy and fast decoration.  Stick 'em to craft sticks for instant puppets!  Stick 'em to a rolling pin and with paint, make a large scale piece of artwork (or kid-created wrapping paper)!  Sorting by color, shape, matching game...

I'm linking up with Julia's Mama Loves today!

A WAHM with SAHM ideas

I came to the conclusion a few days ago that I'm a working-outside-the-home-full-time mom with stay-at-home mom ideas (or is it goals? or both?).  I see and know all those fun interactive learning activities out there and I wanna do 'em with my own children too.  Besides waiting and wanting and hoping for children for what seemed like forever, teaching young children has always been my career; my passion. Obviously I'm not just going to do that kind of stuff with the children I teach every day.

So despite an already too full plate with not enough time in the day to get done what needs to be done... sometimes I throw all that other stuff out the window and find joy in creating those hands-on activities and doing them with my littles anyway.  After all, there's no dire need to do one more load of laundry today, and the math tests I've toted to and from school in my bag have already waited a week to get graded- what's the problem with waiting another day?  The kindergartners in my class won't notice and I'll find more happiness in a fun game/activity created out of love than laundry and math tests any day.

Here's what we've been up to:

Fingerpainting

Thanks to Julia, I've gotten past my fear of painting more than just Sam and Anna's hands and pressing them to paper in a very controlled format. I finally gave in and let Sam and Anna freely explore with paint. They had a blast and kept requesting paint for hours. It was surprisingly not that messy.

Beads-in-Bottles

First, Sam and Anna practiced fine motor skills by putting beads in the empty bottles while highly supervised.  Then, the caps went on, and Sam and Anna watched the beads move as the shook them like maracas.  Temper tantrums ensued when I tried to put them away which shows how much they liked it. (And yeah, a character top... but it was a gift so I didn't pay a cent for it and Sam likes it.  He's worn it twice.)

Pom poms in a container with a hole

 Lots of fun with this too, but we've gotten to the point where it's as fun to them to spread the pom poms around the room instead of put them in the container.  Less fun for mama though.  I'm thinking this is going to be a good bring-to-church quiet activity.

Velcro craft sticks

 I made the sticks with Velcro idea that's been floating around pinterest. I think this is something I'm carrying over for my classroom too. We made shapes together and some letters and discussed patterns... but Anna really loved making a necklace out of them the most. (Sam was still napping when I took these pictures)  Another good quiet church activity that'll get tossed into the diaper bag next week.

Color Matching Balls and Tees

Julia, you inspired me to make this. My meticulous Anna patiently sat for a long time carefully placing the wooden balls atop the matching golf tee and carefully replaced any that fell off. This wasn't Sam's kind of activity though- he wanted to forcefully smoosh the balls on the tees (which then got pushed further in the craft foam) and he didn't quite have the desire to go carefully and slowly to successfully balance the balls this day. Hence, no pictures of him here.

There!  Proof that a mama that works outside the home more than 40 hours a week can still do fun and hands-on self-created learning projects with her toddlers, too.

Mama Loves Pipe Cleaners

I'm really trying to make an effort to do more things with Sam and Anna this year that require more than just the toys we have laying around already.  I've had to expand my horizons into learning through play experiences for the young set.  Although I'm only a student teaching experience away from being a licensed teacher for birth through pre-k (I currently hold a teaching license for kindergarten through 5th grade, but could expand it to 8th grade with a class or two as well), teaching toddlers is a little out of my usual comfort zone.  Hooray for pinterest, for really helping me out with an idea or two... or 50.

Idea #1:  After seeing this pinned over and over, I sat my wee ones in front of our colander and pipe cleaners and witnessed just how much fun sticking colorful sticks into little holes can be.

Idea #2: I brought home some lacing beads form my classroom, to see how Sam and Anna could do with the fine motor skills needed to lace a string through the holes.  It was a huge challenge for shoelaces, but pipe cleaners provided just enough of a help to make it challenging, but still do-able to put several beads together without help.

Idea #3: I made this project out of an oatmeal can and page reinforcers after seeing a similar one using a pringles can.  Sam and Anna had a ton of fun poking the pipe cleaners into the holes, even if they aren't getting the matching colors aspect completely yet.

Idea #4: I also put the pieces I snipped off the pipe cleaners to make them the right size for the oatmeal can in a empty water bottle for my little ones to manipulate with magnets.  They had so much fun with this that I need to hurry up and make another one so they can each have their own to use.

Idea #5: Finally, I'd love to make these phone number bracelets for my wee ones  on a pipe cleaner for the next time we are out in a busy public place, but I just can't find any number beads to use.  I've tried several craft stores in our area.  If you have a suggestion of a place to check for number beads, please let me know!

Pipe cleaners are more awesome that I ever realized.  I wonder if the inventor of the pipe cleaner ever had any idea where his idea would go!

I'm linking up with Julia's Mama Loves today!


* Disclaimer:  Some of these ideas contain small pieces that would be considered choking hazards.  Sam and Anna were under strict supervision during this activities and of course, I would suggest that any child that uses similar projects be under supervision as well.