hide-n-(sensory)-seeking

So this was an awesome Pinterest find that I was able to put together in less than 15 minutes! I happened to have all the supplies already which made it all the more awesome! Supplies: 1 Clear storage container (the lid for mine was white, so I simply turned the container upside down.) 1 string of twinkle lights (I used white, but different colors would create cool different effects) A strip of wax paper the length of the container (this makes the surface opaque, which diffuses the light more evenly) White duct tape ( any color would do, I just like the cleaner look of the white.) Use small strips of tape to secure the twinkle lights evenly arranged on the bottom of the container, or in my case to the lid, since that was going to be the bottom of our light box. Leave the length of wire with the plug loose and make sure you have arranged the lights so as to have the plug where you will have ease of access to an outlet. Secure the lid onto the cont...

(Sorry this is so late. We had multiple power outages last night that interrupted my last few edits, and today was just busy, busy, busy! But here it is at last...)     Welcome to Wordy Wednesday! Today's subject: SENSORY BINS Every individual from before we are born seeks out sensory information in order to learn about our world and understand ourselves in it. Children are especially good at this. And every child needs to receive sufficient input on a regular basis in order to develop essential life skills. One great and easy way to encourage this kind of exploration is through sensory tables or bins. These are very good for avoiders because the contents can be tailored to their tolerance levels, but can easily have gentle challenges added in gradually. And they are fantastic for seekers, especially on sick days or yucky weather days or the I-just-really-need-a-few-minutes-of-sanity days! So basically they are A+ fantastic awesomeness for any kid, of any...

I saw this idea on ivillage.com, and thought it was genius! Especially for a baby like mine that eats everything! Step 1             Place several globs of finger paint inside a re-sealable  plastic bag. Then seal and place tape over seal for reinforcement. (I used Gorilla Tape!) Step 2         Have fun! Let Baby squish, mash, mix, squeeze, and smack to their hearts delight!       Step 3           Clean up is easy! Either hang their "art" on the refrigerator for display (and future use), or simply toss in garbage can.       Full disclosure: While I was really excited about this project, Kit was less than impressed. She poked at it for a few minutes, pushed and squeezed it a little bit, then decided that since the paint was contained, she wasn't interested anymore. The big kids ho...