For those of you who don't frequently check out the other blog (OMS Daily), we did a cool brown stair/marble extension I remembered reading about at The Wonder Years long ago: rolling a marble down the stair as a control of error.
When we tried it, we were delighted to discover a musical surprise. :)
Thanks for the great idea, Amy!
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Valentine's Day Heart Stamping
Another simple, cheap, easy craft idea my husband saw on pinterest courtesy of Rust & Sunshine -- thanks for the great idea!
We tried this craft because even our toddler could do it. Simply fold and tape a toilet paper roll into a heart shape, and stamp away.
All of the girls enjoyed this activity -- even our 7-year-old. Now that the stamps have dried (we used some pink acrylic paint we had on hand), the girls plan to go back and add layers of hearts in different colors, write special messages, and them send them to family members for Valentine's Day.
We tried this craft because even our toddler could do it. Simply fold and tape a toilet paper roll into a heart shape, and stamp away.
All of the girls enjoyed this activity -- even our 7-year-old. Now that the stamps have dried (we used some pink acrylic paint we had on hand), the girls plan to go back and add layers of hearts in different colors, write special messages, and them send them to family members for Valentine's Day.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Shaving Cream Bath Paints
This is another great idea my husband found on pinterest: colored shaving cream bath paints. I loved this activity because it was fun, cheap, and easy, it used ingredients we had on hand, and it was virtually mess-free -- much thanks to Having Fun at Home for the great idea!
First, the girls sprayed shaving cream into muffin cups (and really, haven't you had fun right there?). Then they dropped in a few dots of food coloring and swirled:
When they were done, they had a lovely rainbow assortment of bath paints. We happened to have a set of neon food colors in addition to the usual ones--and we experimented by mixing other colors--so we made a variety of shades.
The girls used regular paint brushes and sponge brushes to paint our bathtub walls, etc. They had a blast! And although I don't have any pictures of the paints actually being used (way too many naked tushes :), I think this "after" picture gives a nice feel for how much fun the girls had:
First, the girls sprayed shaving cream into muffin cups (and really, haven't you had fun right there?). Then they dropped in a few dots of food coloring and swirled:
Don't these look delicious? ;)
When they were done, they had a lovely rainbow assortment of bath paints. We happened to have a set of neon food colors in addition to the usual ones--and we experimented by mixing other colors--so we made a variety of shades.
The girls used regular paint brushes and sponge brushes to paint our bathtub walls, etc. They had a blast! And although I don't have any pictures of the paints actually being used (way too many naked tushes :), I think this "after" picture gives a nice feel for how much fun the girls had:
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Great Montessori Curriculum Website
I was away from blogging for a while, so I apologize if I'm telling everyone something they already know...
The other day I came across justmontessori.com, which is written by a 3-6 Montessori teacher in Albuquerque, NM. She has made her entire curriculum available -- day-by-day, week-by-week!
In her own words, her resources are freely available for use by Montessori school teachers, people teaching in Montessori co-ops, homeschooling Montessori families (like ours :)--in short, anyone with the desire to learn about or better implement Maria Montessori's methods. She also has a blog, a great overview of the different facets of Montessori education, and free downloads. The site is completely free, but she gladly accepts donations. If you haven't been there yet, definitely check it out!
The other day I came across justmontessori.com, which is written by a 3-6 Montessori teacher in Albuquerque, NM. She has made her entire curriculum available -- day-by-day, week-by-week!
In her own words, her resources are freely available for use by Montessori school teachers, people teaching in Montessori co-ops, homeschooling Montessori families (like ours :)--in short, anyone with the desire to learn about or better implement Maria Montessori's methods. She also has a blog, a great overview of the different facets of Montessori education, and free downloads. The site is completely free, but she gladly accepts donations. If you haven't been there yet, definitely check it out!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Homemade Bird Feeders
My husband is loving pinterest. The other day, he saw this simple idea for making bird feeders out of toilet paper rolls, and he and the girls made them last night (thanks to The Moffatt Girls for the fun idea).
First, they spread peanut butter on the empty toilet paper rolls...
(Our seed of choice is safflower, which we use to attract cardinals, titmice, black-capped chickadees, nuthatches, and even the occasional woodpecker. Also, squirrels aren't very fond of safflower, so they leave our feeders alone unless they're starving).
We put the finished rolls in the refrigerator over night...
...and this morning, my husband laced them down the braches of an overwintering Rose of Sharon that abuts our deck:
Yum!
Long ago, I put together a birdwatching activity that the girls can use to track the birds that come to our feeders. I'll have to put it out again, since the girls got to make these feeders themselves. I've already seen black-capped chickadees (shown in the photos above) and titmice (and a squirrel (and our dog :), too -- the peanut butter is a little too tantalizing for them to resist. :)
Happy birdwatching!
First, they spread peanut butter on the empty toilet paper rolls...
...and rolled them in bird seed:
(Our seed of choice is safflower, which we use to attract cardinals, titmice, black-capped chickadees, nuthatches, and even the occasional woodpecker. Also, squirrels aren't very fond of safflower, so they leave our feeders alone unless they're starving).
We put the finished rolls in the refrigerator over night...
...and this morning, my husband laced them down the braches of an overwintering Rose of Sharon that abuts our deck:
The verdict?
Yum!
Long ago, I put together a birdwatching activity that the girls can use to track the birds that come to our feeders. I'll have to put it out again, since the girls got to make these feeders themselves. I've already seen black-capped chickadees (shown in the photos above) and titmice (and a squirrel (and our dog :), too -- the peanut butter is a little too tantalizing for them to resist. :)
Happy birdwatching!