let's play!

We just had a 2 year old birthday at the beginning of the month and we are still playing with wonderful gifts from Christmas, so this post a toy review!
I make a wishlist on Amazon (a fantastic idea from a dear friend!) and email family this list when asked for gift ides, I have a list for each kid and a hidden list that I have reminders on, so I can switch, delete, and keep so I don't have to rack my brain when it comes time for birthdays. It works great because I can always note where to buy and they don't need to go through the website!

Little People Zoo
I think this has changed over the years, but if you are lucky to find this one, it's great! Our oldest received this as a 1st birthday gift and would have never thought to get it, but it turns out the zoo and all the animals have kept both of them entertained throughout the years!

Alfie
I mentioned this in an earlier post and I think it is such a great toy for the older ages. It's a little robot computer and has a little cartridge and cards that help kids learn many a thing. Alfie interacts and makes jokes while playing different games and informing kids about the subject on the card. My husband remembers having one of these in the 80's sharing and playing with his siblings!

Kitchen
Both kids love playing restaurant and "making" lots of fun things! I have added many containers, bowls, spoons, cups, etc to the collection, and have been gifted (velcro)cutting foods, and I found a little grocery cart at a resale shop! This one is keeps their little imaginations going!

Cars and Ramps
There are so many cars in the playroom and we have created so many ramps out of gift wrap tubes, paper towel tubes, we add stacked books for hills, we add our Magic Tracks for a raceway, and the list goes on! Anything that we can build with, has been used! And I've found tall, swirly and loop-de-loop ramps at resale shops. I don't think racing cars will ever get old!

Magnets
It started out with the typical letters and numbers magnets on the fridge, then we nailed some sheet metal to the wall in the playroom, and now we have great shape pieces to make all sorts of fun designs with! Another great magnet toy is Magnaformers, they are free-standing, mostly squares and triangles you can build with!




Dot Paint
This is a fun, minimal mess paint or for small hands not skilled for a palette and brush! I've seen another brand that is refillable, so if you have a little artist constinaly painting and want to reuse bottles, look up http://www.discountschoolsupply.com






Trampoline
Enough said! It's a little big, but worth it! We have dance parties, fancy feet jump contest, fastest jumper races, and much more on cold days when they are full of energy!

Legos

Last but not least, we like our Duplo Legos and the little people in the sets! But I came across a fantastic add on from another brand, Hubelino, that fits perfect on Duplos! It's a ramp system or a marble run, we use the large shooter marbles, along with the balls that it came with and it all works together! Even the teenage nephews liked playing with it! Although, to build bigger towers with more turn going in and out of multiple levels, a grown ups help is needed.

If you are into making some cool toys for your kids, check out my Pinterest page 'Being Mom', I have pinned some awesome little things that you can create that will keeps kids entertained and learning. Some turn out great and we still have, others have been well played with and that was that!

TOYS DON'T HAVE GENDERS

xo

follow me

There has been so much going on, I can't believe there's been no time to write!! Not even jotting down ideas! Well, this blog is off to a slow start and I am trying to get it together, but in the mean time follow me on Pinterest and Instagram.
If I can't get a few minutes to write a cohesive post, I know I can get at least a couple seconds to scroll through and post some ideas or fleeting thoughts on either of those two platforms! https://www.pinterest.com/chrisannetcraig/

BE 100% YOU

xo

fun without the sun

The cold snowy St. Louis winter is almost behind us {and it really wasn't that bad this year} but the wet and windy spring is just around the corner, and on days that I need to pack a carry-on size diaper bag because the weather is not sure if it will rain, be humid, drop to freezing, or be sunny and delightful, I still plan indoor activities for S&Z.  All the great Pinterest ideas have been cycled through, everyone is just going crazy, and Z doesn't understand that even though the sun is out and bright she might get blow away ... so now what?!

I love letting them play in the rain and splash in puddles, it's a fun sometimes activity, and we are getting back into the swing of things walking and finding scavenger hunt items which is great, but I need to have my inside plans as a back up! Here are a few of our favorite places to go when it's just not quit ideal weather conditions!

~Library! There are so many great events that the St. Louis County Library puts on, it's the best! Such a variety for every age as well as Home School kid activities, it's definitely worth a look at their online calendar!

~Forest Park! Yes, I know it's an open park (the site of the 1904 World's Fair and the seventh largest urban park in the country!) but the wonderful museums that our park has is worth a look! The History Museum, the Science Center , the St. Louis Zoo, and the Art Museum all have awesome activities for kids throughout the year that will also amuse the elders in your group, and cost little to nothing to enjoy them!

~Miss Kelly's Gym! We love this place! Three days a week they have an open gym time for two hours and all the equipment is available for kids to swing, tumble, and balance on with a instructor in the space to help out. It's $8 per kid and if you are enrolled in a class, that kid is free. Everyone is so great and really make it a wonderful place to play!

~Dream Play Rec Room! This is a playground retail store that has a few days a week that kids can come and play on the inside displays! There is a $5 cash charge for each child and playtimes vary, but not bad price for an hour of running, swinging, sliding!

~Whole Foods! Yes, it's weird but they have activities as well as tours every month, free of charge! Check out your location for the calendar!

~Sky Zone! The best trampoline park around has a toddler time on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 9am-10am and open jump times Tuesdays-Sundays, it's $5 and a fee for jump socks.

And if those weren't enough, there is ... The Magic House, Monkey Joe's, Toy Tyme in Chesterfield Mall, Bounce U, Kokomo Joe's, We Rock the Spectrum, Chesterfield Sports Fusion, Hi-NRG, Contemporary Art  Museum toddler Tours, Mall Playgrounds, The Butterfly House in Faust Park, Barnes & Noble Storytime, Rise Coffee House.

DON'T FORGET TO PLAY!

xo