Our Mommyhood

By Betsy, Contributor, Funky Mama Bird (@funkymamabird)

It’s a hot summer day and the toddler has run you into sweaty circles. He’s bored, you’re bored and you’ve run out of things to do.

Never fear; in your house this minute are some inexpensive supplies that you can use to create some fun, outdoor activities for your toddler. Some will need some preparation; others can be done in minutes. Intrigued? You should be. Now, head into your kitchen and gather up the following supplies:

·         Food coloring – or, if you have it and your kids are past the eating it stage, liquid water color paint works well, too.

·         Several large bowls filled with water

·         Scoops and measuring cups

·         Ice cube trays

·         Paper

·         Paint brushes, sponges or q-tips – whatever’s on hand

·         Shaving cream

·         Rice

·         The foam trays meat comes packaged on (washed and dried first, natch)

·         Any plastic bakery or salad container marked with a recycling symbol “6″

·         Markers

·         Scissors

·         Your microwave (OK, you can just leave that where it is, and go find it when you get to that point)

Got all that? OK. Mix up some water with food coloring and fill the ice cube trays with different colors, freeze for later.
Mix up some more food coloring and water with a different color in each bowl. Head outside where your toddler is unlikely to stain things. Now, you have several options for colored water play:

1.       Dump one color of water into another to watch the color change

2.       Paint or sponge the colored water onto the paper

3.       “Draw” with a frozen colored cube

4.       Place a frozen colored cube into a different color of water and watch the reaction as it melts – have your toddler swirl to see the effects

Next, mix up some food coloring with some dry rice and hide small toys in it – you have an instant, colorful “sand box” that can be used to mix colors, hide objects or just play in.

You can also add food coloring to shaving cream – either let the kids just plunge their hands in, or put it in large plastic bags they can squish to watch the colors change and mix.

When you’ve run out of food coloring, or your kids are older, make some homemade shrinky dinks. Cut some shapes out of the foam trays and plastic containers. Have your toddler color them in with markers. Foam trays go in the microwave for a few seconds, while the plastic goes in an oven heated to 200 degrees for 3 – 5 minutes. For best results, cut the shapes really large so your toddler can get the full effect of the shrinking.

If your toddler is old enough and has fun engaging in water play, he or she is old enough to add some color to the mix. I’ve found that a plastic art smock aimed at a 5 year old keeps my 1 year old clean from the splashes, and his hands clean up with just a little scrubbing. Raid your cabinets the next time you’re looking for something cheap and fun to do and bring some color to your day.

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