Tag: Toddler

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Holiday How To Sensory Play Summer

How to Make an Easy 4th of July Sensory Bottle

4th of july, sensory bottle, july 4th, july 4, independence day, america, patriotic

Sensory bottles are one of my favorite ways to make a holiday more exciting, and this 4th of July sensory bottle was a hit with my kids. This sensory activity keeps the kids busy as they make the sensory bottle and watch the glitter and small objects swirl together and settle back into the bottom.

Making a sensory bottle is easier than it sounds, and you don’t need many materials. You can also substitute the materials I recommend for something else you have on hand already.

*this post contains affiliate links*

4th of july, sensory bottle, july 4th, july 4, independence day, america, patriotic

Benefits of Sensory Bottles for Kids

Research shows that sensory activities benefit children in many ways. It promotes their mental health, encouraging emotional regulation, relaxation, and tension relief. Sensory activities stimulate interest, promoting curiosity and encouraging a child to learn and explore.

Sensory bottles help build sensory skills by stimulating the senses. The differing colors, objects, sounds, and materials help. Additionally, when the child touches the bottle to turn, twist, shake, or squeeze, it furthers the sensory experience.

Sensory bottles stimulate fine and gross motor coordination. They also help a child focus as their eyes follow the movements. It encourages them to be present and set aside distractions.

How to Make a 4th of July Sensory Bottle

Materials:

  • A clear bottle (recyclable water bottle, tea bottle, or a glass jar – I used an empty vinegar bottle)
  • Water (from the tap is fine)
  • Glitter glue (I used the silver from this one, I probably should have used 2 of them)
  • 4th of July necklaces (or confetti)
  • Hot glue gun
glitter glue, sensory bottles, glitter for sensory bottle, craft glitter glue

Directions:

  1. Empty and clean a clear bottle.
  2. Fill the bottle 3/4 of the way up with water. You will fill it more after you add the rest of the materials.
  3. Add 1- 2 bottles of glitter glue, depending on the look you are going for. I used 1, but I wish I would have used 2. My bottle is larger than a regular water bottle, however, because I used a vinegar bottle.
  4. Cut 4th of July beaded necklaces into small pieces and put them into the bottle of water and glitter, or use 4th of July confetti instead of the necklace pieces.
  5. Fill the bottle the rest of the way with water.
  6. Replace the lid, and hot glue it shut.
4th of july, sensory bottle, july 4th, july 4, independence day, america, patriotic

Final Thoughts on 4th of July Sensory Bottle

Sensory bottles are easy, fun, and so much fun. This 4th of July sensory bottle was a great way to kick start our July 4th celebrations. What fun activities do you have planned for Independence Day?

For more sensory fun, click here. Or, you can read other 4th of July ideas in a separate post by clicking here.

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Big Kid Big kid fun Family Activities Parenting Teenager Toddler and Preschool Age Fun

15 Ways to Give Your Child a Perfect Day

Give your child a perfect day, perfect day for birthday, perfect one on one day

Whether it is for a kid/parent date, a special day for your birthday boy, or a day that’s just all about [name of child here], there are plenty of reasons to give your child a perfect day. With 5 kids in our house, it is SO hard to give the kids the undivided attention they desperately crave, which is why I decided to come up with the “perfect day” idea for my kids.

It all started when I began implementing scheduled dates where each child would get one on one time with one parent. Chris (my husband) and I take turns taking the kids on dates, one at a time.

I got tired of having to spend a ton of money each time, however, and had to start brainstorming more child/parent date ideas that were relatively inexpensive. That is when I decided to start having some of the dates be all day adventures, full of things that my kids love to do but I don’t always get the time to participate in.

Give your child a perfect day, perfect day for birthday, perfect one on one day

How to Give Your Child a Perfect Day

1. Make their favorite breakfast.

There is no better way to give your child a perfect day than to start it out with their favorite breakfast. If they want to help cook or prepare it, definitely let them do it, but, if not, you can put on their favorite cartoon and let them relax until it is time to eat. My kids always choose pancakes, waffles, bacon, or all of the above LOL.

2. Go to the park and actually play with them on the playground.

I’m guilty of taking my kids to the park and then finding a comfortable place to sit and read a book, especially with my 5 year old. Now that he’s more independent it’s easy to let him play on his own, even though I know he loves it when I actually play WITH him. When I’m giving him a perfect day, however, we do things like play tag, hide n seek, or the floor is lava on and around the play equipment.

3. Go on a nature hike, and spend time noticing the little things.

Some of the parks we go to have trails that go through the woods, but if we are playing at one that doesn’t, we have nature trails nearby. The Dahlem Center is our favorite place, and I like to let the kids choose which way we go. We’ve been hundreds of times and I still don’t think we’ve seen all there is to see there.

Walk with your child on a trail and look at every little thing they point out. If they want to walk slowly, you walk slowly, too. This day is just for them, after all, so let them set the pace no matter how much you want to hurry along.

4. Talk with them, but try to do more listening than talking.

Throughout the activities of their perfect day, spend time talking and listening to your child. There are so many things they want to tell you, but when you are surrounded by the rest of the family it may be hard to get it all in. Let your child express themselves and chat your ear off all day long.

5. Let them help you make a lunch of their choice.

Sometimes, instead of making lunch, we stop and have lunch at the place of their choice. If you do make the lunch at home, however, let your child help you. I find that one of the better bonding times spent with my kids is when we are cooking together.

6. Take a nap with them, or have quiet time with them.

Instead of putting them in their bedroom alone for nap or quiet time, go with them. Lay in their bed and just cuddle, talk quietly, or read books together. Just having you there with them will mean the world to your child.

7. Play their favorite outside game.

After quiet time, head outside for a while and play whatever your child wants to play. This is the perfect time for you to play those games that you normally don’t have time to participate in.

Give your child a perfect day, perfect day for birthday, perfect one on one day

8. Build a fort with them.

All of my kids like to make forts. They are constantly asking me to build one with them, but, on a normal day, I’ll enlist when one of the other kids to help instead. On their perfect day, however, this changes and I build the biggest and best fort with them

9. Watch their favorite movie in the fort while eating their favorite snacks.

Since you have to make the most of your fort, you should gather all the best snacks and bring them into the fort. We also like to grab pillows and blankets so we can get extra comfortable. Then, you should let your child choose a movie to watch from inside of the fort while you enjoy those snacks.

10. Take them to the dollar store and let them pick out a few items.

My kids choose their weirdest stuff, and that is perfectly okay. Oftentimes, we buy a package of balloons, blow them all up, and play games with those for a long time at home.

Other times, we buy paint and make artwork. You can even find dress up items and snacks that your kids will love! It’s not about the quality here, it’s just about giving your kid an amazing day.

11. Participate in whatever play activity they ask of you.

Don’t tell your child no today (unless it’s a safety hazard or expensive). If your child asks you to play, then go play! This is their perfect day, and they will love nothing more than you playing with them with all of their favorite toys.

12. Let the child choose and help cook dinner.

Okay, let’s get real here… you may not be able to keep your entire family out of the house for the entire day, so dinner time may include the rest of the family. Even so, this is still one child’s perfect day, so let them choose dinner and help cook it if they want to.

13. If they like baths, let them play in the bath extra long.

My kids LOVE bath time, but, with 3 littles who needs baths, I tend to rush them along. During their perfect day, though, they get to spend as much time as they’d like playing in the bathtub.

14. Read an extra book or two at bedtime.

I’m not one to say no to extra books anyway, but there is a point where I’m thinking I just want to go and read my OWN book LOL. The perfect day means they should get extra, however, so sometimes that means I’m reading to them for an hour straight or until they fall asleep.

We don’t just read the words, we also look at and discuss the pictures and events that are occurring in the book. With my 5 year old, I ask if he recognizes any of the words on the page, too.

15. Lay with your child as they fall asleep.

Allow them to ask questions or talk while you lay together instead of shushing them for bedtime. They’ll get sleepy and quiet eventually, and then they’ll fall asleep.

Give your child a perfect day, perfect day for birthday, perfect one on one day

Important Tips For Giving Your Child a Perfect Day

  • You must be present!

This is the first and most important tip. Your child craves your undivided attention, so make sure you’re giving it to them most of the day. This is their perfect day, after all, so put the phone, computer, laptop, tablet, etc. away and be present for your child.

  • Customize the day for your child.

Each child is different, so you may have to change things around a bit. With my daughter, we make time for DIY facials, mani’s, and pedi‘s. This is our “thing”, so we make sure to do it each time. It’s her favorite part!

  • Listen to your child – even the things they aren’t saying.

If your child doesn’t seem to be enjoying an activity on their perfect day, move on! Definitely don’t take it personally, instead take note for next time that they would rather do something else.

Give your child a perfect day, perfect day for birthday, perfect one on one day

Final Thoughts On Ways to Give Your Child a Perfect Day

At the end of your child’s perfect day, your child will go to bed so happy and feeling so loved and noticed. There is nothing better than that, and it is something your child will remember for a very long time. If you make this kind of thing a regular tradition, your child will remember it for the rest of their lives and maybe even pass it along to their own kids someday.

You may also find that after you give your child a perfect day you’ll feel great, as well. While you may have skipped housework or other things you need to get done at home, seeing your child so happy and spending one on one time with them will make it all worth it.

What would you do to give your child a perfect day? Tell me about it in the comments! I may just add it to our own perfect day routine.

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Big Kid Big kid fun Family Activities Holiday Home How To Our Family Parenting Printables Teenager Toddler and Preschool Age Fun Toddler and Preschool Age Learning

30 Things to Do This Spring With Free Spring Bucketlist Printable

things to do this spring

Spring is FINALLY here and while the temperatures in Michigan still keep slipping into the high 30’s, I think we will soon get some relief. Since next week is supposed to be significantly warmer, I knew I had to move quickly and take the list of things to do this spring out of my notebook and turn it into an actual printable.

I swear, in Michigan, we get 6 months of winter temperatures, 2 WEEKS of spring temperatures, and then the summer temperatures come in full force. It’s a little insane if you think about it.

We have already knocked out a few of the suggestions on the list, but I had only been keeping track in my notebook before creating the free printable. My kids were super excited to check things off the list when I printed it to hang up, though, so I’m glad I let them take over with the tracking!

Anyhow, without further ado, here is the list of 30 things to do this spring:

things to do this spring, spring bucket list, things to do with kids

Things to Do This Spring

1. Go on a nature scavenger hunt.

Sylas (4) LOVES scavenger hunts. Any type of activity where he has a to search, hunt, or follow a map is right up his ally. Since spring brings on a whole new range of textures, sights, and smells, I thought a nature scavenger would be best. This gives the littles a chance to explore the fresh earth and all that it has to offer.

A quick Pinterest post led me to the perfect nature scavenger hunt. I planned on creating one myself, but since this one was so perfect, I didn’t bother.

Nature Scavenger Hunt

2. Fly a kite.

Spring is pretty breezy, which means it’s the perfect time to fly a kite. Find a spot that’s slightly higher than just a flat area of land, and the flight will soar so high.

We are lucky and have a park just minutes away from our house with a huge hill. My kids go to the top of the hill to fly their kites and from down below, it is pretty magical. When they do it, the kites rarely hit the ground, either, which is pretty awesome.

3. Play tag at the park.

It’s true that you can play tag at home without ever leaving the house, but it just isn’t as fun. By going to the park to play tag instead of doing it the usual way, you are allowing your children to play one of their favorite games in a totally new environment, and how cool will that be for them?!

4. Jump in puddles.

Make use of all the rain that spring brings with it, and have some fun jumping in those puddles. This is the perfect time to pull out the rainboots but, if you don’t have any or don’t feel like looking, just go barefoot!

5. Plant or tend a garden.

Believe it or not, kids LOVE to learn about the land we live on. This is the perfect way to allow them to learn, have fun, and do something productive. I have many flower gardens throughout our yard and half of them were planted by my kids over the last few years. It’s so much fun for the kids to see their hard work pay off when the plants grow into something beautiful.

You can plant flowers or vegetables. Kids tend to try new foods if they made them, so I’m thinking that if they were to plant and grow their own vegetables, they may be more likely to eat them? I’m not sure if that logic works but it’s worth a shot!

6. Have an ice cream bar.

On one of the warmer nights, set out the ingredients for an ice cream bar. This could include multiple flavors of ice cream, chocolate syrup, bananas, candy pieces, sprinkles, chocolate chips, cherries, whipped cream, and anything else that you enjoy on your ice cream. To make this one even more fun, you can take your kids to the store and let them choose their own toppings.

Ice cream bar

7. Go for a walk or hike.

This may be one of the easiest suggestions on the list, to be honest. This is because it’s free, easy, and there is no prep work involved. You can take a walk around your neighborhood, or you can venture out and find some good hiking trails in your area.

8. Have a game night.

My kids LOVE game night. We get out all the kid games and play them one after another until the kids get bored or I bribe them with a movie. Come on… as much as we love game night, you have to admit that we can only settle so many arguments before we’ve had enough.

Anyhow, we choose some yummy snacks (mostly store bought, but we also let the kids choose a few homemade options).

9. Feed the ducks.

This is something that I have never done before, which is pretty crazy if you think about it. I’m super excited to take my kids to do it. There is this super cute park in my city that is pretty popular for feeding ducks (and it has a super old train that kids love!), so I plan on going there.

Now that I think about it, though, I don’t even know what to feed ducks. Is it bread? I’ll have to google that in a minute.

10. Have a barbeque.

Make sure it’s kid friendly! Unless you don’t have kids, that is. Then make it 100% grown up friendly. Since I have kids, however, mine will have to be kid friendly.

That means hotdogs, hamburgers, and lots of kid friendly side dishes. I’ll probably do this one with a bunch of the other outside, at home ones while the food is cooking. No one says you can’t combine multiple ideas from the list at one time. 😉

11. Spend time star gazing.

Honestly, I feel like I don’t spend enough time simply enjoying the outdoors, especially at night time. Instead, I go inside the minute the sun is gone, preferring the bright warmth of my home.

This spring I plan on changing that and enjoying nature a little more. Disconnecting for a while and spending calming time with my kids while learning about our world sounds so peaceful. I also have a star gazing book I’ve been dying to put to use, so this will be the perfect time for that.

12. Blow bubbles.

Kids love, love, love to blow bubbles. All ages. Take some time to do this WITH them, and they’ll love it even more.

13. Draw with sidewalk chalk.

This is the perfect time to practice letters, numbers, sight words, name recognition, and art. The possibilities with sidewalk chalk are limitless. You can also pull out some classic sidewalk chalk games such as tic tac toe and hopscotch. Another fun idea is to draw lines on the ground and have your kids walk on them.

14. Have a picnic.

Kick off your shoes, settle back on a blanket, and unpack your picnic basket. Kids love to have picnics, and it is the perfect time to simply talk and unwind with your littles.

15. Read books outside.

So this probably won’t go as planned, but I envision all of us sitting calmly, relaxing while reading books outside. My kids will probably run around instead, but it gives me a good excuse to read outside and maybe, just maybe, my kids will join me for a little while.

things to do this spring, spring bucket list, things to do with kids

16. Play hide and seek outside.

Face it, everyone in your house knows all of the hiding places inside. It isn’t even fun anymore when you already know where to look. Take the game outside now that the weather is nice!! Set a few ground rules to ensure that everyone remembers to be safe, pair a grown up or big kid with the toddlers, and search for new hiding places!!

17. Watch the sunset.

Is there anything more relaxing and breathtaking than a sunset? End one of your perfect spring days this way, and invite your kids to enjoy it, too.

18. Have a movie night.

Make it complete with popcorn, movie theater candy, and a yummy drink. Let loose a little and let your kids have a fun night laughing at their favorite movie with you and their siblings. It’ll be a night they’ll remember for years to come.

19. Make a spring craft.

I never need an excuse to make crafts, and if you give me an excuse, I may go a little bit crazy. Spring is the best time to do crafts because you can get a little bit messier than normal by moving craft time outside.

Paint a little more, use nature-inspired items on crafts, and maybe even incorporate some ice cubes or squirt guns. Luckily, Pinterest has TONS of options to choose from, and if you follow me on Pinterest I have a board already dedicated to it.

20. Play catch.

Baseball, football, whatever kind of ball you’ve got… just get outside and play catch. So many memories and bonding moments can happen during these seemingly little moments.

21. Paint rocks outside.

Go on an adventure and find your own rocks to paint! This will make them even more special. When you’re done you can save them or head out and hide them around town for others to find later.

22. Run barefoot in the grass.

My kids have already done this a million times this spring, so I think I can cross it off now.

23. Look for shapes in the clouds.

This is another time to lay back, unwind, and give your kids a chance to talk to you. Even better, it may just be a good time to laugh and be silly with them.

24. Shaving cream play outside.

Wear play clothes (or work clothes if you’re an adult), and get messy with shaving cream. I intend to work on letters, numbers, and sight words with my kids, but I know it’ll eventually turn into kids being covered in shaving cream. If it’s warm enough, you can just use a hose to clean off.

25. Have a bonfire.

In the spring, the evenings can be pretty chilly, so after the sun sets, light a fire and put on a hoodie to stay warm. Make it an even better night by roasting some marshmallows and making s’mores.

26. Go to yard sales.

Yard sale signs are the first indicator that spring is here. Stop by a few and let your kids grab a couple toys that may or may not break by the end of the day. You might get lucky and find some super cute home décor, a new patio set, or something even better.

27. Have a toy car carwash.

Get some hot wheels cars dirty and let your kids clean them with toothbrushes, soap, and water. If your kids are anything like my kids, they LOVE water play. Add in some cars and soap and it’s going to be the best day ever.

28. Watch a sports game.

This should be easy to do if you just hit up your local sports field on a Saturday morning. You’ll likely find soccer, baseball, tennis, or track this time of year.

If you have kids in spring sports, you’ve likely already watched a sports game or two this year. I’m in your boat, and I’ve written a post about how to survive spring sports season.

29. Go for a drive and find a new park.

I’m pretty sure that we’ve already played at every park near me, so this may take a trip to a nearby city. I love to explore and I know that my kids do, too, so I think it’ll be fun!! This may just have to be our picnic day.

30. Collect plants and other items to make into artwork.

You can make a collage, a picture frame, letters or a name, or anything else that you little artists come up with. Let them choose their own materials and follow their own ideas. It’ll be fun for everyone, and it is the perfect time to teach them (show them) about trial and error.

things to do this spring, spring bucket list, things to do with kids

Things to Do This Spring Bucket List – Free Printable

My kids always LOVE to check items off of a list. They likely get this trait from their list-loving mother, but I’d say she isn’t that bad. 😉

Since we all agree that lists are awesome, I tend to create bucket list printables for every occasion. To thank you for reading my blog, I’m giving the printables away for FREE. Feel free to download and print the spring bucket list printable so that you never forget the 30 things to do this spring, and please send it along to a friend who may like one, as well!!

Okay, I may have gone a bit crazy and created three different printables, but I couldn’t help myself. Choose whichever one you like best!!! The link for each one is below the corresponding picture, just click where it says “Spring bucket list”.

things to do this spring, spring bucket list, things to do with kids
1. Spring bucket list
things to do this spring, spring bucket list, things to do with kids
2. Spring bucket list
things to do this spring, spring bucket list, things to do with kids
3. Spring bucket list

Final Thoughts On Spring Bucket List – 30 Things to Do This Spring

Spring is finally here, and you have to get moving if you want to do all of the spring-inspired activities! Spring doesn’t last long, unfortunately.

What are some of your ideas for things to do this spring? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

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Big Kid Family Activities How To Our Family Parenting Toddler and Preschool Age Learning

Build Your Child’s Vocabulary: 9 Tips For Parents

Build Your Child's Vocabulary

When your child begins going to school they will be more successful if they have an expansive vocabulary. Not only will it help them communicate and understand better, but it will also help them learn to read. This is why it is so important to build your child’s vocabulary.

The vocabulary that your child already knows and is familiar with will be what they build their reading skills on. Knowing more words allows children to understand words and stories better, but it also helps them determine what a new word means based on the context of the rest of the sentence.

This all goes back to having a decent vocabulary. You can help build your child’s vocabulary at home before they ever even begin preschool. It isn’t difficult to do, it simply takes consistency on your part.

Build Your Child's Vocabulary

Ways To Build Your Child’s Vocabulary At Home

1. Talk with your child.

Have normal conversations about all parts of your daily life together. Don’t refrain from using words that the child might not understand right away, and avoid using “baby talk” altogether as it could hinder the process. The child will use the context of the conversation to begin forming a meaning for the unknown words that you use.

In an article written by William O’Grady for the Cambridge Extra (an online linguistics magazine), O’Grady explained that,

“Children need to hear language being used to talk about things …. This is the type of speech that provides children with the raw material they need to learn a language…”.

O’Grady Article

By talking with your children about normal, everyday things, you are helping them learn to determine the meaning of a word, how to use it in a sentence, how to ask questions and all other aspects of language.

2. Read with your child every day.

One of the best ways to build your child’s vocabulary is to read with them every single day. Every time you read a book with your child, you are helping them learn new sounds and words. Over time, they will start to use the context to fully understand, but they must develop a decent vocabulary before this is possible.

While reading a book, it is also the perfect time to stop and explain new words to your child. If you notice a word that they may not have heard before, you can ask them if they know the word and, if they don’t, you can help them understand. You will be able to explain it in a child-friendly way while also explaining to them how that new word fits into the story (the context).

3. Avoid introducing too many words at once.

Children will never remember the words you are trying to teach them if you introduce a bunch all at once. Their little minds need a manageable amount of information. No more than 5 words should be introduced at once.

You can, however, add a previously taught word into the mix along with the 5 new words. This will just help solidify the word that was already taught and won’t overwhelm them.

Build Your Child's Vocabulary

4. With the help of your child, create a child-friendly definition for new words.

After you explain what a word means, try to come up with a more child-friendly version of that definition. Ask your child what they think the word means, and form the definition from what they say. You will want to clear up any misunderstandings, but try to keep the language the same.

5. Ensure repeated exposure to the word.

When a new word has been introduced to your child, it is up to you to enforce repetition of that word. Without repeated exposure, your child will likely forget the word completely.

6. Show the child an example.

You can show your child an example by showing them a picture. If a picture isn’t an option, show them something that describes the word. For instance, if you are teaching your child the word “furry”, you could show them (and let them feel) the fur of a dog or cat.

Build Your Child's Vocabulary

7. Show your child the word.

Write the word down and show it to them. Or, if it is printed in a book, show them which word it is. Seeing the word written can help them remember it later.

If your child can write, you could even have them write the word on their own. This also promotes letter recognition.

8. Have your child say the word.

Saying the word is probably one of the best ways for your child to commit the word to memory. By having the child use their auditory sense, they will be able to recall the word more easily next time.

9. Show your child how YOU figure out unfamiliar words.

Let’s face it, everyone struggles with a new word every once in a while, even adults. When you come across a word that you aren’t familiar with, try to figure it out by speaking out loud about it. Let your child see how you figure out a new word. They do learn from you, after all.

Build Your Child's Vocabulary

Final Thoughts On Ways To Build Your Child’s Vocabulary

Children will be more successful in school if they have a more expansive vocabulary. Not only will it make the process of learning to read a little easier for them, but it will also help them communicate better.

In order for your child to have a large vocabulary, you should spend time teaching your child new words. You can do this by reading and talking to them, promoting the regular use of new words, having them say the words, and by writing the words. Creating a child-friendly definition and example helps, as well, as does showing them how you figure out new words.

Which of these 9 tips you are planning on trying out to build your child’s vocabulary? Do you have any additional tips? Tell me about it in the comments!

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Allergies Our Family Parenting

Living With Allergies – Our Journey to the Diagnosis

When Liam was just a couple of months old, we knew something was wrong. It didn’t seem life-threatening, but it was stressful and sad that our baby had to go through the vomiting, breakouts, and upset tummy every single day. At first we never even considered that we might be dealing with allergies.

His pediatrician was no help at all. She kept brushing off our concerns by saying things like, “Oh it’s JUST eczema” or “His digestive system isn’t completely developed yet, just sit him up after feedings”. So… we continued trying to control his eczema (which itched so bad it would make him bleed) and kept sitting him up after feedings while he puked up EVERYTHING that he just ate.

I was in tears most days. My son, my BABY, had scabs and sores on his face around his mouth from scratching at the eczema on his face so much. I felt like I couldn’t even take him in public without people judging me as a mother. That’s selfish, I know. But if you could have seen some of the looks I’d get after people saw his face. It was terrible. I did everything his pediatrician recommended to keep it under control and when those methods didn’t work, I went to the internet for tips. Those didn’t work, either.

 

Would Formula Help?

Continuing my internet search, I was trying to figure out what was causing all of these problems. When I typed in the symptoms, I kept getting results that said Liam had allergies. I was breastfeeding and began thinking something in my milk was causing the reactions, but I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what the trigger was. We decided to put Liam on formula and stop giving breast milk altogether.

The formula didn’t help, either, though. So then I had the added guilt of no longer breastfeeding added to all my other mom-guilts.

 

6 Months

When the vomiting wouldn’t stop even after he was 6 months old (that is the magic age his pediatrician kept telling us), I couldn’t take it anymore. We switched pediatricians. The new pediatrician gave us some new ideas to try but, since he didn’t know much about Liam’s history except what we told him, he would have to monitor it before he could determine what the underlying cause was. Fair enough.

We started trying the new ideas for controlling everything and then just a couple weeks after switching to the new pediatrician, we felt like we were getting some answers. We actually saw a nutritionist at our local WIC office and she suggested that Liam may have a dairy allergy. All of his issues were signs of allergies and, more specifically, a dairy allergy or sensitivity. She wanted us to try changing his formula to one without dairy.

I immediately called his pediatrician who said that it was a great thing to try and that it was going to be his next suggestion anyway. We started the new formula that same day.

Liam stopped vomiting as often, and he did get some relief from his eczema. The problems never fully went away, though, but we were thankful for even a little relief.

 

Fast forward to April when Liam was 14 months old.

I made scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast and Liam was loving it. He had been eating eggs regularly for about two months and loved them. Well, as he was eating his scrambled eggs, I noticed he was itching around his mouth. We still struggled with eczema around his mouth so I immediately started stressing and saying, “stop itching buddy, you’re going to make yourself bleed”. I moved his hands away from his mouth a couple of times and then started cleaning up the kitchen. I looked over at Liam and his entire face was covered in hives. COVERED.

I grabbed the eggs from in front of him, picked him up, and started washing his hands and face. As soon as that was done, I called his pediatrician’s office and they said to give Benedryl and watchfor signs of an anaphylactic reaction. I was TERRIFIED. Nothing like this had ever happened before, and I had NO IDEA that he may be allergic to eggs.

With all of my research on allergies, eggs had never even seemed like a problem.

I wouldn’t let him sleep in his crib that day because I wanted to keep an eye on him nonstop. The next day we took him to the doctor and were told to try the “baked egg” challenge. This is where you feed the child something that has egg baked in it. So cake, brownies, something like that. We did, and he reacted again. The doctor said to stop eggs immediately and completely and referred us to an allergist.

The Diagnosis

We met with the allergist and Liam was tested for the big 6 allergies. Peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, shellfish, dairy, gluten. He only reacted to eggs during the test, and it was determined that he had a SEVERE EGG ALLERGY. We would need to carry an epi-pen at all times, as the allergist thought the allergy might become even worse.


The Struggle

Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep your child away from eggs? He eats anything and everything, so if someone leaves a snack cake around, Liam will eat it. He doesn’t understand allergies, so he doesn’t know any better. If he sees ranch on someone’s plate and he can reach it, guess who is eating the ranch? It is SO HARD. There are even some brands of granola bars that have eggs in them! Pesto? Nope. Donut Sundays were canceled in our house, and my older toddlers learned to ask, “does it have egg?” whenever someone tried to give Liam a snack. My big kids learned to read an ingredient label, and we all learned to not feed Liam anything that doesn’t have a label.

When we go to restaurants we have to ask the server to put in an allergy alert and make sure his food is cooked separately. We have to wipe down high chairs and tables with disinfectant cleaner, even if they already appear clean. Sylas (he’s 4 Y/O) always says to our servers when we order Liam’s food “Make sure it doesn’t have egg, please. He’s allergic”. And even when he says this when I am ordering a hotdog for Liam, or a plate of fruit, I don’t correct him and tell him that it’s not necessary to ask, because you never know when it WILL be necessary for this additional reminder.

Re-creating our favorite recipes to be egg-free has been tricky, as well. Fried chicken? We have to dredge it in buttermilk now. Fettucini Alfredo? That’s just a nope because I don’t like the cauliflower version. Chicken fried rice? We haven’t had it since we found out about the allergy.

 

The Scare

It is terrifying that my son may mistakenly be exposed to something that can cause him to stop breathing. With allergies, our lives instantly became a little more meticulous and careful. Our awareness of ingredients and “safe foods” became an obsession.

Liam still wants to eat eggs. If he sees someone eating one he’ll yell “want egg!” over and over again until the egg is out of his sight. He hasn’t yet learned what it could do to him. He just knows that he isn’t getting what someone else is having. I’m afraid to leave him with a babysitter due to this. I also have to ask, “Do you know how to administer an epi-pen?” to every single person I leave him with. And then I’m still not comfortable.

This is what life with an allergy kid looks like. It is scary, and please don’t mind when I am overly obsessive about anything my child touches. Don’t take offense if you see me wiping down chairs and tables are your house. I just never know when that surface had been touched by something with egg.

 

Need Some Tips for Cooking with Allergies?

If you are familiar with food allergies, you understand what we are going through. I am going to start posting allergy-friendly versions of favorite foods, so keep an eye out for that!

Do you know an allergy kid or does your child have allergies? Is there a recipe you would like that is allergy-friendly? Let me know in the comments!

Categories
Holiday Toddler and Preschool Age Fun Toddler and Preschool Age Learning Toys

Gift Ideas for a 3 Year Old Girl

Christmas is coming so we all have a whole list of people to buy for. It can become overwhelming trying to find the PERFECT gift for so many people. A gift guide can come in handy for that. We have five kids and a large extended family so, while I LOVE shopping for gifts, sometimes I draw a blank on what gift to give to a certain person and I look for gift ideas online.

When I have to buy gifts for a child of a different age range than I am familiar with, I look on Pinterest for a gift guide. Do you do the same? If you do, I can help you out with some of those. I’m starting with a gift guide for a 3-year-old girl first because my daughter’s birthday is coming up.

My daughter is turning 3 years old next week!! It is so unbelievable.

I’m excited about her birthday because I know she is going to LOVE her gifts. She is a girly girl, but she also doesn’t mind playing rough and getting dirty.

The only problem is, she already has the stuff she really loves. We don’t want to buy her toys that she will get bored with, and we don’t have space for many more large objects. In desperate need of gift ideas, I turned to Amazon.

Once I began looking on Amazon, things just started standing out to me that I KNOW he will love. I’m sure you all run into that with the kids in your life, too. Gift giving can become tricky. That is where a nice gift guide full of gift ideas comes in handy.

***This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.***

Gift Guide for 3 year old

Gift Ideas For a 3-Year-Old Girl

JaxoJoy Complete Kids Cooking and Baking Set – 11 Pcs

gift for a 3 year old girl

My daughter loves to pretend she is a chef or baker, dressing up and pretending to cook. She also loves to wear an apron and chef hat while she helps me make dinner or bake brownies. She would be so excited to unwrap her own chef set.

This JaxoJoy Complete Kids Cooking and Baking chef set comes with an apron, chef hat, oven mitt, glove, whisk, wooden spoon, rolling pin, and four cookie cutters. My favorite thing about this set is that it comes with an oven mitt and glove. The polka dots and frills are so cute, as well.

The best part about this chef set is that the utensils can actually be used for cooking and baking. She doesn’t just have to pretend with this set… she can actually help cook with utensils that are her size! How fun is that?!

Of course, she can still play pretend with it. My daughter wears a chef hat and apron (not nearly as cute as this one, though) while she’s playing in her toy kitchen. It is the cutest thing.

The apron and chef hat can both be washed in the washing machine, so there is no worry if they get messy. Both items are also made to fit any size girl. The hat is elastic, and the apron can be tied at different sizes.

Disney Princess Dress Up Trunk

gift for 3 year old girl

This Disney Princess Dress Up Trunk comes with four shirts, three skirts, two headbands, one tiara, one choker, three bracelets, one pair of earrings, one necklace, three rings, and a storage trunk. The outfits and accessories allow the child to become Belle, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White.

The storage trunk is made of cardboard, which has been decorated to fit the princess theme.

My daughter loves to dress up, so I know this one will be a hit. I do wish that it came with shoes, but for this price, those could always be purchased separately.

This dress up playset is rated 3.5 stars out of 5 on Amazon. The problems with this dress up play set are that Belle and Snow White have to share the yellow skirt, so four children could not play at one time. Another issue is that the material isn’t made from the best quality.

Even with the low quality, my daughter will love this playset and the cost is great.

Flybar My First Foam Pogo Jumper

Flybar My First Foam Pogo Jumper gift for 3 year old

It’s a Pogo stick for toddlers!! This Flybar My First Foam Pogo Jumper is made of foam (obviously), a spring made from bungee type material, and has a foam grip for the handles. and has a squeaker, so it makes a fun noise when the child jumps on it.

An added bonus: This toy is intended for toddlers but can hold up to 250 pounds. This means that adults and kids of all ages can try it out!

The Flybar Pogo Jumper is a great way for a child to stay active, so on days when the weather isn’t cooperating and she has to stay inside, she can still get her wiggles out and exercise in the house. This toy can also help enhance hand-eye coordination, balance, and strength.

It is rated 4.3 out of 5 stars on Amazon. Two big complaints about the Foam Pogo Jumper: (1) It squeaks and (2) that……. the squeaker stops working pretty quickly. Um, what? Some hate it, others hate that it doesn’t last longer… it seems there is no happy medium.

Educational Insights Playfoam Combo 8-Pack

gift for 3 year old

Playfoam can be molded in shapes and creations, and it is supposed to never dry out. It also isn’t supposed to stick to anything, so unlike with play-doh, slime, and putty, your couch and carpet should be safe.

For my daughter, I plan on using it to practice making letters and shapes just like we did with play-doh.

Not only is this Playfoam just going to be so much fun, but it also has some educational and developmental bonuses, too. It helps to develop and enhance the child’s artistic ability, creative play, tactile, and sensory exploration.

Another perk; the muscles that she will be using to play with this Playfoam are the same muscles that she will later be using for writing and drawing.

It is rated 3.9 out of 5 stars. One problem is that it can leave a stain on surfaces. Other issues are that if collects pet fur and fuzzies if it falls on the floor, it doesn’t come in re-sealable containers, and there is only a small amount of each color.

VTech Care for Me Learning Carrier

gift for 3 year old girl

VTech’s Care for Me Learning Carrier could be perfect for teaching a little girl how to care for a puppy, or to give a “pet” to a little girl who doesn’t have a real one. It comes with a stuffed animal puppy, a comb, bottle, a  food dish, dog toy, and of course, the carrier.

Whenever the door of the carrier is opened, the carrier says a phrase that helps the child learn opposites. The buttons on the outside of the carrier light up and when they are pushed, they teach colors, shapes, and pet care tips.

Another awesome feature is that when the letter beads are moved, the carrier teaches the child letters and plays music.

This VTech pet carrier is rated 4.6 out of 5 stars on Amazon. The only complaint is that the door of the carrier is hard for a toddler to open and close, so they often need help with that part.

KidKraft Chelsea Doll Cottage with Furniture

gift idea for a girl 3 year old girl gift guide

I have been wanting to get my daughter a dollhouse since I first found out I was pregnant with a girl. I’m not kidding.

With Christmas coming up, I spent the last couple of weeks researching doll houses and searching for the right one. I wanted one that was big and had lots of rooms.

The biggest struggle was the price point, however, because I didn’t want to spend over $100 on a dollhouse for a three-year-old. Luckily, I found the perfect one and I am so excited for her to see it under our Christmas tree.

This KidKraft Chelsea Doll Cottage has two staircases, three floors, and 17 pieces of furniture. Another awesome feature is that the windows actually open and close, which my daughter will love. This dollhouse is big enough that my other littles can play with her if they want.

The house is made for four-inch dolls, but five-inch dolls work fine, too. The dolls don’t come with it, though, so those would have to be purchased separately.

It is rated 4.1 out of 5 stars. There are images on the walls of the house that show a toilet, a stove, and other household items, but then there is also physical furniture for the toilet and stove. Another issue is that some of the dollhouses come with pieces that don’t fit together properly.

Our Generation Dolls Violet Anna Doll

Gift for girl, gift for 3 year old girl, gift guide

My daughter has been wanting a doll that she can dress up and do her hair. After researching, I came across the Our Generation dolls. I chose the Violet Anna ballet doll because I am signing Josie up for a ballet class as soon as she turns three.

This doll has arms and legs that move, and her outfit can be changed. Our Generation offers SO MANY cute outfit options that can be ordered separately. The ballet doll comes with a leotard, tutu, tights, and ballet shoes, so it is perfect for what we need right now.

You can also buy vehicles, animals, sports equipment, career items, and many other accessories to accompany the Our Generation dolls.

Spirit Riding Free Barn Playset

Spirit Riding Free barn, gift for 3 year old girl, gift for a girl
My daughter is OBSESSED with horses and loves the show Spirit on Netflix. This Spirit Riding Free Barn Playset comes with a Lucky doll (the main character), Spirit (Lucky’s horse) a bridle, wheelbarrow, tack box, trough, hay, weathervane, bucket, ladder, chair, ottoman, lamp, a sign, and a sheet of stickers so the child can decorate the barn how she wants it.

This barn playset also comes with eight fence pieces, so she can build a fenced in area next to the barn. The barn has an upstairs area for the characters to hang out, and the lower level holds three horses. It has a sliding door to make it easy for the horses to come in and out.

There are two sides to this playset so more than one child can play at a time, too. Extra horses and characters can be purchased separately (more gift ideas, maybe?).

This barn playset is rated 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon. Complaints are that there are many small pieces, and also that the materials used are cheap.

Playskool Mrs. Potato Head

Mrs Potato head, 3 year old gift idea, girl gift idea

This Mrs. Potato Head comes with 10 accessories including eyes, a nose, mouth, purse, hairdo, tongue, hands, ears, and legs with shoes. All of the pieces can be used on other Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head figures, so they are interchangeable.

The child can work on putting all of the pieces where they “belong”, or she can put an ear on the face and the eyes on the side. This toy is so much fun because she can do whatever she wants with it.

I am thinking that this could be the perfect quiet time toy because it is fun and engaging at the same time, and can keep a child busy for quite some time since they can put the pieces where ever they want.

It was rated 4.3 out of 5 stars on Amazon. The biggest complaint is that the hair doesn’t stay on. There were also complaints that the storage area in the potato isn’t big enough to hold all of the accessories, so you may need a different storage solution.

PicassoTiles 26 Piece Building Blocks

I bought these Picasso Tiles as a cheaper alternative to Magnatiles for my 10-year-old for Christmas last year and they were a hit. My 10 Y/O loved them, but so did my toddlers. My daughter is always trying to sneak into my son’s room to get his Picasso Tiles. He doesn’t like the littles to play with them, though, because … siblings.

The best thing about the Picasso Tiles is that it is an amazing opportunity for children to learn in many different ways. They can learn colors, shapes, and numbers, all while learning about magnets and using their imagination. I also love that more than one child can play at a time.

These are definitely being bought for Josie this year. She will be so excited that she has her own Picasso Tiles! I know this is my favorite choice of all the gift ideas so far.

The Picasso Tiles are rated 4.8 out of 5 stars on Amazon. The only complaint has been that the 26 pieces aren’t enough, but I think that for a 3-year-old it is plenty.

Play-Doh Cake Party Gift Ideas

gift guide, gift ideas for 3 year old girl

My kids and I love play-doh. It is so much fun. There are so many creative options, and so much learning potential.

This Play-Doh Cake Party set can be perfect for a 3-year-old girl because she is starting to understand how things work. She will have a blast making cakes by using the oven and cutters.

This set comes with five play-doh cutters, a decorating tool, two plates, a spatula, fork, knife, three containers of play-doh confetti compound, and two containers of regular play-doh.

With so many different options, this play-doh set might keep my daughter busy for at least an hour. I can’t wait to find out!

Final Thoughts On Gift Ideas for a Girl

There are so many options when it comes to gifts for a 3-year-old girl. It can be hard to choose the right one. She may receive three of the same gift, or she may just be uninterested in the toy that was advertised at your local toy store. It’s hard to say exactly how a child will react to a gift. So, I’m hoping that my gift guide will help you out.

I am an experienced mom, and I have a daughter who is turning three in just TWO DAYS (Where does the time go!?), so take my advice – I know what 3-year-old girls like. Even if she doesn’t reaaallly know herself, I normally have a pretty good idea for gift ideas.

Are there any gift ideas you would add to this list? Is there a gift you’ve been considering but you’re unsure of? Which gift on this gift guide is your favorite? Tell me all about it in the comments! I love to chat!

P.S.

I am going to be posting gift ideas for a 10-year-old boy, a 14-year-old girl, and a 1-year-old boy in the next couple of weeks so watch for those, too!! I’ve already put together a gift guide for a 4-year-old boy so if you’d like to check that out, here it is: Gift Guide for a 4-year-old Boy.

I hope your holiday shopping goes well and that you find the perfect gift for every person on your list. (If you don’t find the perfect gift, just search on Pinterest for a gift guide).

Categories
How To Our Family Parenting Toddler and Preschool Age Fun Toddler and Preschool Age Learning Toys

8 of the Best Play Kitchens For Kids

Play kitchens are more than just fun for our kids because they are also a great learning experience. It is important for toddler and preschool-age children to learn through play, and dramatic play allows them to fill the role of a chef, waiter, mom, dad, or any other role. Your kids can express themselves while they learn about everyday concepts and organization.

Using a kitchen playset has other perks, as well. It helps children become familiar with different foods in a positive way, so maybe your children will be more likely to try (and enjoy!) vegetables a little more at dinner time. Your children will also begin to learn cooking skills.

These play kitchens are easy to set up and are very durable. Most of them come with many accessories including dishes and food, so your kids will never run out of ideas. A play kitchen also offers the opportunity for multi-child play.

It can be difficult to choose a kitchen playset because there are so many options on the market, but I have narrowed it down for you. I have researched some of the best kitchen playsets available, and I am going to give you the details about each one.

Kitchen Playsets, play kitchens

Best Play Kitchens

Teamson Kids Play Kitchen

play kitchen, kitchen playset

The Teamson Kids Play Kitchen has two refrigerator doors, one that includes a pretend smart screen. It includes storage space, an oven, a stove, a sink, and everything else that will make this seem like a real kitchen to your kids. This kitchen is big enough for more than one kid to play at a time so socialization is encouraged.  

Specifications

  • Product Dimensions: 27.5” L x 11.8” W x 37.2” H
  • Product Weight: 20 pounds
  • Assembly Time: Two hours
  • Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Step2 Best Chef’s Toy Kitchen Play set

play kitchen, kitchen play set

The Step2 Best Chefs Kitchen Play Set has an oven, refrigerator, counter, and an open kitchen window to pass things through. This kitchen playset has lights and makes noise. It comes with a recycling bin and has hooks attached to hang cups or other items. There are 25 total pieces included with this playset. It is easy and quick to put together.

Specifications

  • Product Dimensions: 11.5” L x 34.4” W x 38.5” H
  • Product Weight: 21.4 pounds
  • Assembly Time: 20 minutes
  • Rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars

KidKraft Uptown Natural Play Kitchens

play kitchen, kitchen play set, dramatic play

Featuring a refrigerator, freezer, microwave, oven, and dishwasher, the KidKraft Uptown Natural Kitchen can make your child feel like they are in a real kitchen. Kids love to pretend to be grown-up and do all the things their parents do. Using the appliances that their parents use could be so exciting. This kitchen playset also comes with a phone, paper towel holder, and chalkboard.

Specifications

  • Product Dimensions: 43” L x 17.8” W x 41” H
  • Product Weight: 72 pounds
  • Assembly Time: three hours
  • Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars

Little Tikes Cook ‘n Learn Smart Kitchen

kitchen play set, play kitchen, bluetooth kids kitchen

Unlike many other kitchen playsets, the Little Tikes Cook ‘n Learn Smart Kitchen uses Bluetooth to connect to an app that you can have on your cell phone or tablet. This kitchen playset also has sound effects for cutting food, cooking, and running the water. It comes with 40 accessories so your child can be entertained for hours.

Specifications

  • Product Dimensions: 17” L x 22” W x 30” H
  • Product Weight: 10 pounds
  • Assembly Time: 30 minutes
  • Rating: 3.6 out of 5 stars

My Little Chef Teamson Kids Wooden Play Kitchen Set

kitchen play set, play kitchen

My Little Chef Teamson Kitchen Play Set is made from wood and has a stove, cabinet, oven, and microwave. It is durable and can give children the feeling that they are in a real kitchen. There are different color options available, as well. The assembly time for this kitchen playset is very short, about 30 minutes, so your kids could be playing in no time.

Specifications

  • Product Dimensions: 38.25 L x 11.50 W x 36.75 H
  • Product Weight: 54.67 pounds
  • Assembly Time: 30 minutes
  • Rating: 3.8 out of 5 stars

Step2 Elegant Edge Play Kitchen Play Set

kitchen play set, play kitchen with food

This Step2 Elegant Edge Play Kitchen Play Set has everything that a real kitchen has. It has a microwave, oven, dishwasher, stove, phone, refrigerator, and a sink with a faucet and sprayer. This kitchen playset also has a silverware drawer, baskets for food, plate, and cup racks, and cupboards. Plus it comes with accessories including pots, pans, and food. It has a light and makes noise, too, so your kids might just love it!

Specifications

  • Product Dimensions: 102.5” L x 36” W x 39” H
  • Product Weight: 70 pounds
  • Assembly Time: One hour
  • Rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars

Best Choice Products Kids Wood Kitchen Toy Toddler Pretend Play Set Solid Wood Construction

kitchen play set, play kitchen, wooden kitchen playset

This Best Choice Products wooden kitchen playset has two separate stove tops so it can be easily used by multiple children. With five drawers, it can hold many accessories and make clean up easy. It also has six smaller areas for storage.

Specifications

  • Product Dimensions: 39.5” L x 11.8” W x 42” H
  • Product Weight: 48 pounds
  • Assembly Time: About two hours
  • Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Smoby Bon Appetit Electronic Roleplay Kitchen with 23 Accessories & Cooking Sounds

play kitchen, kitchen play set

The Smoby Bon Appetit Electronic Roleplay Kitchen has unique features compared to other play kitchens. It has a pretend espresso machine and three coffee pods, along with many other accessories.

If you are a coffee drinker, you know that your children like to pretend to drink coffee sometimes. It could be so much fun for them to be able to role play making coffee.

This kitchen playset also comes with plates, cups, forks, knives, spoons, pans, boxes, and utensils. The best part is that the price of the kitchen is much lower than other kitchen playsets.

Specifications

  • Product Dimensions: 20.5” L x 13.2” W x 38” H
  • Product Weight: 7.6 pounds
  • Assembly Time: 30 minutes
  • Rating: 3.6 out of 5 stars

Final Decision About Play Kitchens

Kitchen playsets are such a good toy to buy for your toddlers and preschoolers. They are great for your child’s development, so much fun, and a way to keep your child busy for long periods of time. If you need the perfect Christmas or birthday gift, you might want to consider a kitchen playset.

Just make sure you do your research (or use the research I have already done) and read comments/reviews about each play kitchen that you are considering. You’ll want to find the perfect one for your child and your home.

Now that you have an idea of which kitchen playset you want to buy, read my post about 7 Ways to Play with a Pretend Kitchen for Dramatic Play! It is full of ideas and activities for the kitchen playset to make it even more exciting for your littles.

Let me know which play kitchen you think is the best one! Is it one on this list or do you have a different play kitchen that your kids love? Tell me in the comments!

Kitchen Playsets
kitchen play set, play kitchen for kids
Categories
Parenting Toddler and Preschool Age Fun Toddler and Preschool Age Learning

Name Recognition Puzzle and Scissor Practice – DIY

My four-year-old is starting school soon and, while he can recognize his own name, he is still learning to put the letters of his name in the correct order. I want him to know how to write his own name before school starts but first, he needs to know what order the letters go in. This DIY Name Recognition Puzzle and Scissor Practice activity has been perfect for that.

Since this puzzle was so easy to make I made one for my two-year-old as well. If she can be further along than my four-year-old is right now, I will be so excited because we won’t have to cram the summer before four-year-old preschool starts.

The cutting practice involved in this activity is so good for both of them, too, so it was definitely worth the few minutes it took me to put the activity together.

This activity is so simple, it will only take a couple of minutes to prepare. Plus, it will keep your kids busy for a while.

DIY Name Recognition Puzzle and Scissor Practice

To start, I drew a “sun” shape onto a piece of yellow paper. It was *supposed* to be a sun, but it definitely didn’t turn out as round as a sun. My kids didn’t mind so I didn’t fix it LOL.

I cut the shape out myself and then wrote their name on it. I left space in between each letter so that I could draw lines and they could cut on the lines.

That was all the preparation I had to do… they did the rest!!

I gave my kids scissors and explained to them that they had to cut on the lines that I drew. Sylas (four-years-old) did it with no problem and Josie (two-years-old) just needed a little help with hers.

That was it! It is so simple. Sylas is already putting his whole puzzle together on his own and starting to recognize where the letters go in his name.

What name recognition activities have you done with your kids? Tell me about it in the comment, or even drop a link if you’ve written a blog post about it!

If you’re looking for even more name recognition ideas, check out my other post- Name Recognition with Caterpillar Letter Matching

 

Categories
Parenting Toddler and Preschool Age Fun Toddler and Preschool Age Learning Toys

7 Ways to Play With a Pretend Kitchen for Dramatic Play

My kids have a pretend kitchen that they LOVED when it was new to them. They spent at least an hour every day playing with it. After a couple of weeks, they got kind of bored, though, and I found myself just picking up the play food and dishes off the floor after they were dumped out and not played with.

IMG_3980
This is the first day that we had the pretend kitchen… we hadn’t even gotten the food and dishes in it yet.

I contemplated getting rid of the entire playset but knew I would regret it as soon as it was gone.

The only option was to find ways to make it more fun and exciting for the kids so I began brainstorming some ways to play with it.

It worked! I taught the kids a couple of new ways to use the pretend kitchen playset and they fell in love with it all over again.

7 Ways to Play With a Pretend Kitchen

*this post contains affiliate links*

  1. Cooking/Following recipes
    I know that most toddlers can’t read but that doesn’t mean they can’t follow directions! Using pictures with just a few words is all they need, and usually, they can figure it out from there. They use the pictures as a guide and eventually, they may start recognizing the words that are included with the picture. Even if they can’t figure out what the recipe is calling for, they can still pretend to create a meal or a treat from a recipe. If they see you do it when you’re cooking real food, they’ll be so excited to be able to do it with their play food. You can create recipes using Canva (if you click the link it’ll take you right to their recipe card template!) or even just Microsoft Word. Keep it short and simple, and don’t forget the pictures! The recipes (I’ve only made 2) I created for them are not even close to as cool as some of the ones I’ve found on Pinterest so I definitely plan on stepping my game up there.Recipe Book by Emily at LaForce Be With You – link
    none size-full wp-image-704″ src=”https://momwifewine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/IMG_2695.jpg” alt=”IMG_2695″ width=”320″ height=”240″ /> [/caption]
  2. Grocery shopping/Putting food away
    We don’t have a grocery store set up, but I just take small baskets and sort out some of the food that way and then they come through with their shopping carts and choose which food they would like to “buy”. We use play money for this.. we actually made it ourselves and it looks NOTHING like real money aside from the fact that it is green. You could use monopoly money or anything else you have. After they “buy” their food, they push the shopping cart “home” to the kitchen playset and begin putting it away. When I first had this idea I was worried they wouldn’t want to put it away but turns out they really like to do it! I guess I shouldn’t be surprised because when I go grocery shopping they love to help put groceries away.
  3. Restaurant
    This one is their FAVORITE!! We use the play money, a tablet, and a pencil. I sit at the table and they come over to take my order. Then they go and prepare/cook whatever it is I ordered and serve it to me. It’s so much fun. I want to take this a step further and make a menu for them soon. There are a couple menus I’m considering.. the first one you can purchase (this isn’t an affiliate link, however) and the second one could be made at home. If you don’t feel like creating your own you can buy one for pretty cheap on Teachers Pay Teachers (pictured below).6f80c829b3cc3cb46ec0ddad52ef8300Created by Andrea Miller on Teachers Pay Teachers – link920e0ebb14fa0d8877f213a3bc127469Created by ObSEUSSed – Link
  4. Setting the table
    Josie really enjoys this one. I used paper and traced a toy plate, fork, spoon, knife, and cup onto 2 different pieces of paper. I also wrote the word out for what goes where because we are working on recognizing words. When the kids are setting the table they use the paper as a placemat and place everything where it belongs. We usually do it before we play restaurant.IMG_7652
  5. Washing dishes
    This one is fun because they love to “wash” dishes. I’ll admit, this is the one we do the least often because it usually results in them asking for real water in their kitchen playset. I let them do this sometimes. Other times I tell them to just pretend or to pick something new to play.
  6. Pizza shop
    I have a small tote where I store all of their “pizza” pieces. These pieces were all cut out on paper, but plan to re-do them on felt soon. I cut a circle on brown paper for the crust, small red circles for the pepperoni, and a bunch of small yellow pieces for the cheese. You could also include green peppers, mushrooms, ham, pineapple, etc.
  7. “House”
    I’m honestly just not sure what else to call this one… Josie likes to play mommy and feed her baby doll. She puts her baby’s highchair right next to the kitchen and cooks for her, then pretends to feed her the food.Sometimes she sneaks real food for her baby doll

Usually, throughout all of the “cooking” activities, they wear a chef hat and apron that I picked up at Dollar Tree.

You will definitely need play food to go along with the kitchen playset. The pretend kitchen comes with a little, but not enough. I have found the best deals on Amazon.


JaxoJoy 122-Piece Deluxe Pretend Play Food Set Beautiful Toy Food Assortment

This is the kitchen playset that we have. When you click the link below you’ll be able to see lots of other options, as well. There is literally a pretend kitchen for every budget!

Step2 Lifestyle Deluxe Kids Pretend Kitchen

I love watching them use their imagination and pretend to do real, everyday activities. It is such a good learning opportunity and if you play your cards right, they’ll be working on letter/word recognition, number recognition, and counting. They’ll get practice using writing utensils and speaking/asking questions. The possibilities are endless.

I did have to show my kids the first couple of times they did some of these activities. Now I’m usually able to leave them to it. They either do the activity I showed them or create an entirely new activity. I still play with them sometimes just to reinforce the learning opportunities involved.

If your child has a kitchen playset, what do they like to do with it? We’re always looking for new ideas!

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On My Mind Parenting

Febrile Seizures – What Every Parent Should Know

One thing I never learned about during pregnancy or even during the toddler years (until now) was febrile seizures. I had literally never heard of them and I read books, articles, pamphlets given by the doctors, and any other baby/toddler related reading material I could get my hands on. I read EVERYTHING. I thought I was so prepared and mostly I have been. Until now.

On Sunday night, my eyes were opened to febrile seizures (also known as fever seizures) when my 1-year-old had a seizure.

All day Sunday Liam had a low-grade fever. 99.4 is the one temperature that I remember. We chalked it up to teething and just tried to keep him inside (the real feel outside was over 100 degrees), keep him hydrated, and give him lots of cuddles. We monitored his fever throughout the day and it never went over 100 degrees. Totally fine, we’ve dealt with that countless times.

Bedtime came along and he went to bed without a problem. Nothing was unusual aside from that low-grade fever that had been lingering all day. I decided to not medicate the fever because it was so low and I really don’t like giving Tylenol or Motrin unless it is completely necessary.

Around 11 pm he woke up screaming. It wasn’t just a fussy little cry that I would normally ignore and let him go back to sleep on his own… it was a scream like something was wrong. I rushed into his bedroom and picked him up out of his crib. He was BURNING UP. I don’t think I’ve ever felt a child so hot before. I yelled for my husband and rushed downstairs to grab a thermometer. As I was taking his temperature, my husband went to get the Ibuprofen because it was obvious he needed something. I took his temp. under his arm and it read 102.6… with that kind of reading you have to add a degree so it was well over 103 degrees.

At the time, I was so worried and wasn’t thinking straight that I didn’t even add the degree, even though I normally would. In my head, his temp was 102.6 and even that worried me. Chris went upstairs to run a luke-warm bath to help cool him down.

I was cuddling Liam and talking to him about taking a bath because that usually makes him smile and cheers him up. I got no response but I kept talking and cuddling. All of a sudden he turned his head and started to shake. It was just a little shake. I remember saying, “oh buddy, you’re really not feeling well, you’re shaking a little”. Still no response from him. The shaking continued and I felt like my heart stopped beating. He was drooling, too. I knew something was wrong, even though the shaking was nothing crazy. It seriously was just a little tremor almost. Before I even said anything or reacted, my step-daughter sat up off the couch with a terrified look on her face and in that instant, I jumped up and started yelling for Chris. He wasn’t hearing me so I ran to the stairs and yelled even louder. He came running out and I said, “take Liam, I need to get dressed. We’re going to the hospital”.

When I came back downstairs the shaking had stopped but now he was just staring off. He literally looked like he was asleep with his eyes open. Chris was frantically trying to get him to respond or even look at us and rushed upstairs to splash water on his face. He was still out of it. All of a sudden, he blinked and turned to look at us. It still wasn’t his normal look, but it was something. We quickly loaded him into his car seat, gave Nevaeh strict instructions on what to do at home and who to call if she needed something (don’t worry, she’s old enough to babysit and both of the other toddlers were sound asleep), and headed to the hospital.

I sat in the backseat with Liam so I could keep an eye on him. I held his hand and talked to him the whole time. He still wasn’t being himself, but he was at least responsive. He wouldn’t talk to me, wouldn’t smile at me, wouldn’t even say “car, car” like he normally does when we are in the car. It was just a blank look, but he was blinking and looking around so I took it as an improvement.

So – we get to the hospital, told them what was going on and then sat in the waiting room. 15 minutes pass and they call us back to get him registered and take his vitals. At our local Emergency Department, we would usually have to go back to the waiting room after that until a room opened up. This time we didn’t have to do that.

They took his temp and it was 102.9, and that was about 30 minutes after Ibuprofen. Then they checked his other vitals and found that his blood oxygen levels were low and he wasn’t receiving as much room air as normal. They got a room for him immediately, gave Tylenol, and the doctor was in shortly after.

It was determined that he had a febrile seizure, which happens to toddlers when their fever spikes very suddenly. These kinds of seizures can last anywhere from a few seconds to 15 minutes. I honestly couldn’t tell you how long Liam’s lasted because at that moment the last thing I was worried about was watching a clock. I would guess around 3-4 minutes.

After this determination was made, it was time to figure out if something serious was going on. What?! The seizure wasn’t serious!? In my eyes it was, but the doctor said it’s more common than people realize and that since it was short, there wasn’t going to be any long-term effects.

Now, the first thing that popped into my mind was, “If this is so common why have I never heard of it before?!” After talking to several other mom friends, I realized that they hadn’t either!! All of those books and articles and pamphlets and nothing could even warn me that my child may have a seizure caused by a fever?! I’m still in shock.

Liam was tested for the flu, RSV, and strep throat. He had X-Rays done to determine if he had pneumonia or anything else going on in his lungs. He was checked for an ear infection. Nothing.

He slept most of the time we were there and didn’t even wake up when they checked for the flu and RSV. He was exhausted.

When that was all done and the tests all came back negative, they checked his vitals again and they were back to normal. Well, mostly normal. He was still only breathing 98% of room air, but it was better than the 90% before. His temp had gone down to 99.something. He was looking better and actually sitting up and talking. They sent us home.

We left with no answers other than to follow-up with his primary physician, give him amoxicillin, and rotate ibuprofen and Tylenol every 2 hours around the clock for 2 days.

Fast forward to the next day when we followed up with his primary physician… he said to not give amoxicillin (luckily we hadn’t filled the prescription yet. We wanted to wait for a more definite answer from his pediatrician) because it was just a virus and to not give the Tylenol/ibuprofen so frequently unless his fever came back.

We had a second follow-up appointment with Liam’s pediatrician today and all is well. He is a little congested but other than that he is good.

The most terrifying moment of my life turned out to be kind of “normal” in toddlers. While things could go wrong, as long as you are monitoring your child closely when it happens and helping them stay safe, everything should be okay.

I don’t want other moms to be as clueless about these seizures as I was. I can’t believe there isn’t more information readily available.

What to Know About Febrile Seizures

  • These seizures normally happen when the child’s temperature is above 102 degrees.
  • Febrile seizures do not always mean something serious is wrong.
  • If your child is having a seizure, lay them on the floor or hold a small child face down on your lap.
  • Lay the child on their side to keep their airway clear.
  • Stay calm! It’ll help calm the child and you’ll be able to think more clearly.
  • Try to time the length of the seizure.
  • You don’t have to put anything in your child’s mouth to hold their tongue – it could actually injure the child.
  • Talk to your child in soothing tones.
  • I was told that we don’t have to bring him in if he has a febrile seizure that is shorter than three minutes, but you should call the doctor immediately and ask their opinion.
  • You should take your child to the emergency department if your child’s fever won’t come down with Tylenol or ibuprofen, or if they are not acting normal. Go with your gut, you know your baby better than anyone else.

I hope it never happens to your little but, if it does, just try to stay calm (easier said than done, I know) while you assess what your next step should be.

Have you heard of febrile seizures before? Do you have any experience with them? Let me know in the comments!