Inside, cold weather fun!

So, we live in Maine, and it's winter...cold. That means we can't go outside and play all too often. I am not a big fan of having Tate watch too much TV. He never cared about it at all until recently. Now he will pay attention, and actually enjoy a few shows...Disney Jr. stuff, and Backyardigans (he loves those little dancing, singing creatures)! Anyways, I try to limit the TV to a bit in the morning a occasionally in the afternoon if I need to get dinner together and he just doesn't want to let me!

We have been trying fun new things inside and Tate has been having fun exploring. Most activities geared towards "toddlers" are still too advanced for him, so I look for things that will be Tate approved!

This is actually a very recent picture of an outside activity with daddy that I just had to post. I was feeling under the weather, so Tate and daddy went for a walk on the beach on a sunny, warmer day. Obviously daddy doesn't care too much about matching...Tate's outfit was all over the place! But I heard the outing was a big success...running from waves and all!!

This is a common activity while mommy cooks. Tate loves to be in the kitchen with me, so these are his noodles and measuring cups. He scoops, moves, and sometimes tries to eat the raw noodles! It really works to keep his attention and I think he enjoys that fact that he and I are doing the same thing at the same time.

Shaving cream with food coloring for bath tub finger painting! This was the first time, which you can see, most of the painting was done by me...he hasn't quite mastered spelling his name yet. He mostly prefers to paint himself!

This is our homemade light box. I got this idea from a great blog called play at home mom...they have lots of great ideas (many more that I would love to do and have done, just need to get some pictures). The actual light boxes are pricey $50 and up. I made this for $5...proud of myself! All of Tate's toys are so much cooler to him on here. He loves when I pull it out. We usually do this in the evenings before bedtime. It helps to calm him down and he really studies each thing, especially the water bottles filled with items (buttons, glitter, coins, etc.).

I found these vinyl boxes at Dollar Tree and they are great for the light box and he loves them all day to put cars, balls, puzzle pieces, really anything in. The pom-poms are from a sensory bin that needs more work...but he loves pom-poms and loves them even more on the light box!

Reading! The kid loves books...especially ones with cars, trucks, tractors, trains, things that go in them. I have found good simple books at dollar stores for learning objects and words. He loves those types of books and they seem to really be helping him...he is starting to point at more and more things when I ask him!

Coloring! Tate is getting much better and much more interested in coloring. Lately, I know when he is done because he will set all the crayons down, survey his work, and clap! I guess that means the masterpiece is complete. I put the paper in a cookie sheet to keep the paper and crayons from falling on the floor a hundred times during the coloring process. He doesn't care that it is there and it makes his art time last a lot longer because he doesn't get frustrated or distracted due to loosing his crayons!

I made some playdoh from a simple recipe that is edible (but not tasty) and uses koolaid to color it and give it a nice smell. It has taken Tate a few times playing with it to actually use his hands to manipulate it. He seems to really enjoy it now though. We use some kitchen tools and cookie cutters and have some fun!

Water beads!! Another idea from play at home mom. If you don't know what these are, you should check into them...maybe I will do a little post on them cause they are super cool and so fun! See how excited Tate is about them?!?

This is after a lot of playing with them by Tate, daddy, and mommy...don't judge, they are really cool! If anybody wants to know more, leave a comment and I will do a post, I have more pictures including pictures of them "growing"! Seriously, they are cool...kids of any age 1 and up would love them! They are a bit messy, but fun!

Another, in the kitchen activity, putting pom-poms into different sized holes in a butter container! See what I said about him loving to put things in the vinyl containers. I have really started to try to become resourceful in re-purposing things to make activities for Tate. I have found that he enjoys exploring things like this butter container just as much, if not more than, his toys sometimes. So Tate and his mommy are on a new explore and learn adventure and we are having a lot of fun so far...with so much more to come!!!

Now see what Tate thinks about all the fun we have been having...

"Gee, thanks mom for cutting holes in a butter container for me!"

"Oh...and I might actually eat a snack for you if you bring it me on my couch, in an ice cube tray all cute, and turn on some Backyardigans!"

I am up for anything to get this kid to eat. Apparently changing it up a bit and giving him a snack with each bite in an ice cube slot worked...at least for today!