Category: 1-1.5 Years

  • Pipe Cleaner Pokes

    Pipe Cleaner Pokes

    I made this busy activity for Riley for our road trip vacation to Las Vegas. We were going to be on the road for 9+ hours and though we were breaking it up into 2 days and making stops along the way, I knew I needed something to keep both boys busy (other than 9…

  • Paper Plate Snowman

    Paper Plate Snowman

    I absolutely love these snowmen. I love anything that involves the hands of my kiddos, and they love it to – Riley especially, he loves having his hands traced. He’d be happy doing that all day long. Seriously. Paper Plate Snowman Paper Plate Black, orange, and scarf colored construction paper (let your child pick!) Googly eyes Crayons…

  • Simple Catapult

    Simple Catapult

    A few days after the Christmas craziness Brad and the boys created a simple catapult that created hours of endless fun. When I say simple – I mean simple. We took some of the wooden spoons from the kitchen and laid them on the edge of the table with a small ball in the scoop…

  • Footprint Reindeer

    Footprint Reindeer

    Landon announced this morning that he wanted to do a reindeer project. I really didn’t have anything in mind on the spot other than a footprint reindeer where you do painted footprints and hand prints (very similar to the end result of this project and a great messy variation), but Riley was awake and I…

  • Painting with Corn

    Painting with Corn

    We had a great sensory and art experience using corn to paint. This is a great fall time activity as corn is fully in season. We started by talking about how corn grows and how to shuck corn. Shucking corn provides many different sensory experiences as well as a life skill lesson. The different textures…

  • Toilet Paper Tube Painting

    Toilet Paper Tube Painting

    Process is much more important than product when children are exploring art. The discoveries they make on their own along the way as well have much more of an impact developmentally than if you direct and model process for them. Painting with “non standard” objects is a great way for children to learn about the…

  • Tape-Resist Pumpkin Painting

    Tape-Resist Pumpkin Painting

    This is a fun and quick pumpkin craft! Tape-Resist Pumpkin Painting Large piece of white construction paper Painters tape Orange paint Draw and outline of a pumpkin on your white construction paper. I just “free” handed a pumpkin. Using painters tape cut different shapes to make the face of your jack-o-lantern. Landon insisted on wanting…

  • Pumpkin Prints

    Pumpkin Prints

    Painting using non-standard painting objects is a lot of fun – give it a try. When you think boredom has struck, pull out the paints but no paint brushes then look around for random things that won’t be ruined by paint and have a blast! Pumpkin Prints Paper Paint Mini-pumpkins Imagination We used some of…

  • Cardboard Coloring

    Cardboard Coloring

    Want a way to keep a preschooler or toddler busy for a while? Want to have fun with them while fostering imagination? Cardboard …and markers and some tape sometimes, but really cardboard. Riley’s new car seat box is a nice big one. Last night Landon was getting antsy – it was too hot to go…

  • Baked Cotton Balls

    Baked Cotton Balls

    I came across this post on pinterest from Play Create Explore  – I think it’s a super great idea, not only as a sensory activity, cooking activity and color practice, but a great way to get out a little aggression and pent up energy. As you may figure out by now we have allergy considerations due…