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I got the biggest kick out of this Dad sharing some great simple games to do with your kids. They are really simple and you probably know how to do many of them yourself. Sometimes it just takes a reminder of all the simple things we have at our fingertips that can be fun learning games. Enjoy!

Bus Craft

There is nothing better to a toddler then Buses, Trucks and cars! Anything with wheels is always a hit!  Strollers, trains, play cars you name it, if it has wheels they love it!  To celebrate their love of wheels, here is a Bus Craft.  Before creating this craft I would suggest reading the book, School bus by Donald Crews.  It’s a fun, colorful book about the journey the bus takes during the day.  Talk about the bus, how big it is, what color it is compare it with your car.  How many cars would fit in the bus?  When reading the story point out the word Bus and the B sound it makes.  You can point to the b when illustrating this point.  It is just another opportunity to reinforce the letter and sound connection.  Then have fun creating this craft!  Give the bus a name beginning with B to emphasize the B sound.

Supplies:

• Construction Paper (Yellow, Black, White, and a background color)
• Glue Stick
• Scissors
• Aluminum foil

Steps:

1. Cut the bus shape and glue it to the background paper
2. Cut two circles for wheels and Glue to the bottom of the bus
3. Cut two smaller circles and glue in the wheels
4. Cut to thin rectangles for the doors
5. Glue doors side by side and out line with black marker
6. Fold door open to make it look like the door is opening
7. Cut Aluminum foil into one piece for front window and 3 rectangles for back windows
8. Glue in place
9. Get creative and draw a road or a Stop sign on the background paper if you like!

Have Fun!!

Do your kids love Trucks, buses, cars or trains?  What is their favorite?

photo credit: MissFancyPants

In honor of Earth Day this week I am going to be featuring many crafts in honor of Earth Day.  They will either be made of items I have in the house or have a nature theme.

For click and comment Monday I am going to ask you to do some type of earth day post and then you can get some linky love by posting that link here!!  Let me know what you are doing for earth day.  If you have some Earth Day Crafts on your blog-let me know-I am going to feature a few here!

Hope you all are having a great weekend!

The other day we had paperplates in the house and decided to make a bunch of projects out of them!!  My Daughter looked at them and said “let’s make a project out of this” so off we went!!  Today I will show you the Paper Plate Tambourine we made.  It was really simple and fun to make.  My daughter loves playing music so she is really excited to add this to her instrument collection!!

Making a Paper Plate Tambourine

Supplies

• 2 Paper Plates
• Pasta/beans/Rice
• Stapler
• Crayons/Markers/Paint

Steps

1. Color (or paint) outside of plates
2. Pour Pasta/Beans/Rice in one plate
3. Put other plate on top and staple every 1/2 inch so contents doesn’t fall out
4. Shake your Tambourine!

Have fun with it!! Make a bunch and make a band!!  Take a coffee can and make a drum!!

Here is another of my Fun Activities for Toddlers !  This shaving creme craft will bring lots of joy, giggles and fun!!  My kids love doing this!!  It’s messy-but a fun and easy activity !  It can be done with kids old enough that they won’t eat it!  You know your child and if they will put it in their mouth.  My kids by 2 were fine with this type of activity.  This activity is really good for kids 2-7 (some kids older would like it too!).

Kids love to get their hands messy and feel fun textures!!  They also learn by doing things in different types of mediums!! This is a fun activity that let’s kids practice their letters while enjoying getting to play in shaving creme!!

Supplies:

• Some type of board, cardboard, chalkboard, white board (plastic plate works too!)
• Shaving Creme
• Smock, Apron
• Wipes or paper towels

Steps:

1. Put Smock or Apron on your child
2. Put a little bit of shaving creme on your board
3. Let your child spread it all out- They will love this!!
4. Show them how they can draw a letter in it with their pointer finger
5. Then erase it by wiping your hand over it
6. Let them try
7. They can do letters or draw shapes what ever you want
8. Be there to show them how to draw a letter or shape and they can try it next.  You can also help move their hand as they get the feel for it.

Depending on the age of your child you can help them write words, letters, shapes.  They can make pictures or whatever they want.  At the end you can even have them help you clean up the boards in the sink.  Have fun!!  Keep on the look out for more fun activities for toddlers!!