A few posts ago I was talking about learning materials I had made for my little ones. This video shows how I have been using the shape learning materials with my son. I am just introducing shapes to him so I have been starting off simple with him. Giving him the shape and asking him to match the circle. As you go along you can increase the difficulty by making your little one choose between multiple shapes by asking which one is the circle. Eventually the goal would for them to be able to do the whole thing by themselves as a “quiet time” activity. Many of us now are desperately searching for activities our little ones can be independent with so we can get a few things done around the house OR work from home. This is one of those things you can add to your arsenal after a little bit of work.

If you are interested I can make these activities for you and send them to you at home! They are $5 per activity, order 3 or more and its free shipping! As always happy teaching, playing and momming!!! Leave comments below of you and your kiddos enjoying some fun activities!!

It’s Easter week! In celebration I am attempting to do special Easter activities all week with the kiddos! In quarentine we can’t have a big family party but we can do some fun things to celebrate. Man that has been hard for my little ones to understand. We are always out and about so to be staying home ALL the time is pretty stressful for them. So to start off we did a Easter egg color explosion experiment! This is super fun for the kiddos…..mine loved participating in this!!!! Watch the video above to see how we worked together and had fun!

What you will need: egg carton (plastic worked well and then I didn’t need the plastic eggs), plastic eggs (if you can’t get a plastic egg carton or you want to do the extension activity to make it harder), food coloring, vinegar, baking soda.

Remember the key as with all activities is prep!! Having everything set out cuts down on the lag time and allows you to be fully engaged which fully engages your little one! Being fully engaged makes it so much more fun and creates lasting memories!!!

Fun extension activity to make this more challenging for your kiddo! Using colored eggs with baking soda in them color your vinegar. Then have your little one match the colored vinegar to the appropriate colored egg.

Afterwards I got out some good old dot markers and some dot marker Easter print outs. I had them dot in the spots! A little hand eye coordination work! Check out these great printable a here: https://www.theresourcefulmama.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/dot-activity-easter-printable-2-secure.pdf

As always have fun guys!!! Getting messy is expected and have fun with it……cleaning it up together can also be fun! Get in there and experience with your little ones it’s the only time they are this little. Leave a comment and let me know how you and your family enjoyed this!

During Virtual Mommy and Me today was just one of those days where someone is crying, someone is sleeping and someone is running around in their diaper! We have ALL certainly been there but we did do some fun stuff with pipe cleaners and Pom poms! Simple color, shape and fine motor activities that will provide your little some fun while learning. As always mommas preparation is key! I started by taking a few different colored pipe cleaners and making circles out of them and setting aside a Pom Pom in each color to prepare myself. I read a story about colors (today I did my first book of colors from Eric Carle but the crayons book of colors is also really good too!). Then I placed a red circle, a red Pom Pom and a green Pom Pom in front of my daughter and asked her where red went. After asking her 2 times I gently put my hand on top of hers and guided her to place the red Pom Pom in the red circle. You continue to do this until you cycle through all the colors you have prepared (at first 2-3 colors is sufficient). As they get the hang of it you can increase the amount of circle and Pom Poms you place in front of them.

Another fun activity is holding up a colored circle pipe cleaner as a little basketball hoop and placing 2-3 Pom Poms in front of your little. Ask them to place the correct colored Pom Pom in your “hoop”. This is really great for fine motor skills and hand/eye coordination!

You can also use both the Pom Poms and pipe cleaners for shapes! Take a piece of paper and draw several shapes (to make it more challenging use a different color for each). Then ask your child to either use the correct colored Pom Pom to “draw” the shapes or have them twist the pipe cleaners into the coordinating shapes!

One last activity for the fine motor development and color matching! Take a colored straw and some pipe cleaner circles. Place then in front of your child and ask them to put the correct colored circles on their straw. Ex: Can you get all the blue circles on your straw? Also you can make your circles in varying sizes to make it more challenging!

To start you can watch this great read aloud on YouTube with your little (or use it to occupy them while you get yourself ready!).

Super simple materials: pipe cleaners, Pom Poms, straws, paper, crayons and glue. 6 different materials and a bunch of educational/fun activities for your little to do with you!! As always leave a comment and let me know how it goes!

Learning time for your Littles……sometimes it’s like well where do I start? Basic concepts like shapes, colors, numbers, letters and their names are great places to begin! During my time working in preschool and special education classrooms I picked up this handy skill of making learning materials! I just recently put together these activities for my 2 year old to work with (well and his 1 year old little sister because she is super duper nosey!). There is a shape, number, color, letter and name match. Super simple Velcro pieces that you can use over and over again! Also after a while when your little has mastered the skill you can use them for quiet time/independent activities to keep them busy while you work or do 1 of the other million things a moms gotta do!

I figured I would see if anyone is interested in buying them. $5 per activity buy 3 or more it’s free shipping. My email is msowa729@gmail.com put learning materials in the subject line.

As always stay sane mommas and leave me a comment!

Today in Virtual Mommy & Me we made play dough together! I have to say it went VERY well and everyone really enjoyed making/playing with their pay dough. First step here mommas (or daddas) is to prep your activity print out the recipe (I will put it up on her), pull out your bowls, spoons, measuring cups, ingredients and dough tools! That way your not fubling for them as your in the middle of this activity. Use the hand over hand strategy to guide your kiddo to doing what you need them to do if they aren’t independent……it’s important they get their hands in it and explore! I use a REALLY simple recipe with 4 ingredients that is no bake from my days in the daycare/preschool room. Read the recipe with your kiddo really get them involved it will make them feel so proud and accomplished when they are done. On the plus side this activity can work on counting, hand eye coordination, reading, fine motor skills, requesting/talking and colors!

Above is the Play Dough recipe I print out to “read”with my littles while making it. This recipe card has visuals and words so that they can pair the visual to the words giving them the opportunity to become independent/feel like they are “reading”.

Play Dough Recipe:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup salt
• 1 cup water
• As many squirts of food coloring as you want!
• Mix it all together with a spoon until dough forms.
• Use your hands to knead the dough.
• Play the day away!

Once your dough is made you can have your little roll a ball on the table, squash it and then use their favorite cookie cutters to make shapes. You can also have your little roll it out into a snake then use your snake to make shapes, numbers and letters! If you want to work with colors have your little divide dough up and mix colors together to see what color they make! Play dough has endless amounts of possibilities and also is a fabulous sensory issue to deescalate a child when they are over stimulated!

Please leave comments below and also leave a photo of your little enjoying your play dough experiment if you do it together! I would love to see the joy spread from home to home! Happy experimenting!

Normally you go to work and drop your little kiddo off at daycare/school/the nanny. Everyone has fun and gets their work done….life is wonderful! Well now your little kiddo is sitting at your feet screaming or pulling on your device as your trying to have a meeting. Little ones require so much attention and energy it seems impossible to get things done with their nosey selves around! Well I will tell you there are things you can do, however it takes some prep work! Just like any teacher of any age group does prep work is your key to success! To start with I will tell you that setting aside 3 key times for yourself are going to be important here. First your prep time which you can do the night before or you can do a weeks worth at a time in one session whatever works for you. Second a 20-30 minute time to sit down and work on some learning activities with you little one…..littles LOVE to learn new things! Third a 20-30 minute time where you actively play and engage with your little one. I know these things don’t sound mind-blowing but they will set the stage for success….your little one need your attention especially in these uncertain times that they don’t understand at all.

As for indépendant play I would say to start with something your little LOVES and is good at! You can create sensory bins or play stations for them to interact with on their own. Also taking out 1 toy at a time for them to play with and focus on is key. Disclaimer its ABSOLUTELY going to get messy….littles are sooooo not neat and organized! (Altho a good learning activity is cleaning up!) Examples of sensory bins would be sand with sand toys, water with water toys, water marbles with fine motor tools, play dough with play dough tools/cookie cutters or soapy water to “wash dishes” in. Examples of play stations may be blocks/legos with “blueprints” to build, a tool bench with an activity, a play kitchen with a menu to make, dolls that need to be “taken care of” or a racetrack with cars. I would also recommend getting involved in their play for a few minutes every 40 minutes to an hour so that all hell doesn’t break loose! In some further blog posts I will show pictures/video of what some of these things can look like! Plus some other ideas and learning activities!

I hope this has helped get you started. Remember take a DEEP breathe and hide in the bathroom for 15 minutes to collect yourself we are all struggling together and doing our very best!

Man has it been a busy week…..anyone with me? I’m a stay at home mom normally but with no mommy and me, no school, no sitter and no playground it’s been an adventure!! So what’s an ex special ed/early ed teacher to do? Why not start a virtual mommy and me group? Yup that’s what I did and I will be adding pictures and descriptions of all the fun art and activities we do here in this blog! So to start us off this week my kiddos and I made some oatmeal cookies to end the week. Baking with babies can be stressful but there are ways to ease the stress. First off simple recipes and second prep your ingredients out in front of you to make it easier. They love love love to pour, mix and watch everything combine in front of their little eyes!!! Well and who doesn’t enjoy a cookie fresh out of the oven? So below I will add the recipe we used and some cute pictures of the kiddos getting involved!

Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsps baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 cups old fashioned oats

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and get baking sheets ready (line with parchment paper or use non stick)
• Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla until combined.
• Add flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and oats. Mix until combined.
• Scoop cookies onto baking sheets (I used a mini scoop for the kiddos but you can use bigger if you want). Bake 7-10 minutes or until edges are just lightly golden brown.
• Let cookies rest on cookie sheet 2 minutes then transfer to cooling rack.
• Eat the yummy cookies!!!

Most importantly don’t be afraid to get messy with them kiddos and let them explore!!! There is always bath time!

So your home….the days are coming and going…..they ALL feel like the same damn long day! You figure this is how your small kiddo is going to finally steal your sanity for life right? Well I mean they could win the battle yes but there are ways to change this. How you may ask? Well….Schedule, schedule, schedule my friends! This may seem insane or like too much work but I’m here to tell you its not. See toddlers are still learning how to communicate and struggle with expressing themselves (even if they CAN talk so imagine those that can’t!) so a schedule/routine really helps them keep it together! You have to, however, do what works for your family (and well whatever keeps mommy sane is what works!) so there is no one schedule cure that works for everyone. So then why am I rambling on over here you may wonder? Well there is a general guideline that will work for ya! In my world sleep is super important so I try to make sure that if activities need to get juggled around its not nap time or bedtime (not always successful but I would say 90% of the time I am). I suggest finding what that is for your family first.

So as I said I’m not super crazy and don’t get stressed if I need to move things around. I also do try to change it up sometimes to reduce boredom! Also I am a firewife (hubby works FDNY), stay at home toddler mommy to basically Irish twins (13 months apart), and I live on a property where we are required to take care of animals and the grounds. So my schedule is pretty tight on a daily but I find that if I keep my schedule going that I can get to everything and have fun with my babies (which is the whole point right?). So here goes I will lay out our every day schedule:

• Wake up time- diaper changes and I try to limit it to books or a toy in the living room while I run to make breakfast. (anywhere from 7-8 AM)
• Breakfast and free play-I’m not gonna lie I like to watch live with Kelly and Ryan and Good Morning America so the kiddos get to eat breakfast on the couch as well as cuddle and play. (normally 1/2 hour after they get up unless I don’t have to cook much then its right away bc they are “STARVING” always lol)
• Get dressed-Once they have finished breakfast and their breakfast free play I get everyone dressed for the day and normally diaper changes!
• Family Walk OR Car Ride/Snack time- We pile in our Veer with the dog and walk our property or take a ride in the car if its bad weather. Also they will have a snack during this time….keeps them occupied as I do what I need to do.
• Outdoor play or Garage play- I let the kiddos run off some energy, kick around a soccer ball, etc. OR go to the playground OR play in our garage with the trampoline, slide, etc. (Depends on the day/weather)
• Learning time-We come inside wash our hands and get into highchairs. I will work with them with some learning materials (colors ID shape ID) sometimes we have a virtual mommy and me group where we read a story and do an activity. (Again depends on the day)
• Lunch time
• Book time- I may put on a read aloud on YouTube or read myself (depends on whats going on)
• Nap time- They take about an 1 1/2- 2 hour nap after lunch (during this time I muck stalls and care for the property if I’m alone or Ill prep dinner, clean up and prep a afternoon activity)
• Snack time- my kiddos tend to be crabby after they get up from nap so I give them a snack and let them watch an episode of a tv show like the magic school bus.
• Afternoon activity- I will do a science activity, art activity, sensory activity or if its super nice head outside to play a bit more.
• Free Play- They get some free play so that I can make dinner for everyone.
• Dinner time
• Bathtime
• Night time movie- this is when we clean up our toy area and our bedroom sit together and calm down again I will leave out 1 toy or books for them to use for 40 minutes generally.
• Book and Bedtime- I would say between 7:30-8 PM they are in their beds for the night.

Before my kiddos get up I feed the horses and after they go to bed for the night is when I do dishes, clean the house and prep for the next day. When do I rest…..lol I guess when I’m dead? This is a general outline of what I try to do for them everyday. Sometimes we have special outings, classes or just plain old lazyyyyy days because we need one! Recently there have only been the odd lazy day no other extras so I try to keep them entertained with different activities throughout the day! Know your kiddos though…..I didn’t include times on most things because each child has a different attention span. For toddlers I would say a learning activity is going to be 15 minutes mayyyybe 20 if its super intriguing to them. Free play can go 30 min- 1 hour depending on your kiddo (and how trashed you want your house!) Sometimes you need an hour to breathe so its totally ok that free play is gonna happen and the place may get trashed. I try to limit screens on an everyday basis so when I give them tablet or TV it will really get their attention. But absolutely ZERO judgement here its exhausting to be with toddlers day in and day out so if you need to plan in screen time for a break or sanity do it! Each child is different and has different needs and guess what? Tomorrow is another day and what didn’t work today can get changed for tomorrow!

Some great supplies to have on hand to keep those toddlers busy and learning in a quarantine!

Supply list:

Hi All! It sure has been an interesting start to 2020 hasn’t it? In light of what has been going on in the world and figuring out our new normal I decided to change what this blog was about. I have been an early educator and special educator for 10 years (lol maybe more). I am now a stay at home mom and so I kinda feel like I have been training for this! I figured I would start putting out some handy tips and supply lists for those out there who need some insight into what the heck to do with their toddlers while stuck at home! So first things first your gonna need to get your hands on some supplies! So below I am going to put together a supply list for toddlers (I would say 6 months-4 years old). I was the mom who got them into things super early! And then in further posts I will give some ideas in how to use theses supplies!

Supply List:

• Paint
• Glitter glue
• Shaving cream
• Ziplock bags
• Corn starch
• Food coloring
• Dot markers
• Crayons (recommend egg crayons for little ones, jumbo crayons 2-3 and regular crayons 3-4)
• Construction paper
• Elmers glue
• Those silver trays for cookouts
• Pom poms
• Pipe cleaners
• Paint bowls
• Play dough
• Play dough accessories (you can use regular cookie cutters as well)
• Peg board
• Manga tiles
• Magnifying glass
• sand
• Water beads
• Animal toobs
• Shovels and other sand toys
• Containers with lids
• Magnets wands and magnets
• Bubbles
• Tornado tube
• Sidewalk chalk

This list is a good place to start! All of these things can be purchased on amazon, target or your local grocery store! Also remember for your young kiddos the simply stuff will keep them occupied as well….nature is a world of exploration for them!

“No I don’t need the tallest tower to prove to anyone I ain’t weak. I turn my pain into power ever tear’s a diamond on my cheek. Queens don’t hate, queens don’t fight. Queens don’t stay unless their kings treat em right. Oh every jewel on my crown you better believe I earned it. Won’t keep people around that don’t think I deserve it.” Queens Don’t Raelynn

How do you do it? A question I hear daily from everyone. How do I…..really I have no earthly idea I just do. I think it partially comes from the way I was raised. I watched my grandmother handle the world and everyone rely on her. Putting on her big girl panties and just dealing with whatever life was going to throw her way in any given day. That’s something you learn by just doing not something that can be taught.

I grew up in a great big Italian family where ALL the women had very strong opinions about EVERYTHING. For a long time I lived my life according to what they thought would make me happy…..following the steps they had told me were the ones you took. I had not always agreed but did it anyway…..I didn’t necessarily always know what I had wanted out of life but I knew what I didn’t.

It wasn’t until my mid to late twenties that I made a mental decision to do better. To live MY best life and a life I wanted to live. It was not easy at all and I had to listen to a lot of negative things. Luckily I have an amazingly supportive husband and we are a pretty kick ass team!

I was a performer in my teens and switched into backstage work in my early twenties. Then swapped into early childhood education/special education. I have worked with horses as well. I have worn so many different hats sometimes it blows my mind! But I did it all in search of what would really make me happy……I have always wanted to just be a mom and for years I was told I couldn’t only do that. So I looked down every path that interested me. You know what? I wasn’t really happy until I became a mom.

When my husband and I decided that we were gonna make me being a stay at home mom work. Again I got a lot of judgement…..but let me tell you it is the hardest damn job I have ever had. My husband also happens to be a fireman for NYC so life can be stressful and hectic just from that alone….the fire wife life is not for everyone add kids to it and it is incredibly hard at times. But it comes with some serious perks!

Getting to this place has been a roller coaster ride but I am so happy now that I’m here! That does not mean that it’s butterflies and rainbows 24/7 but I know it’s what I want. Every mistake and chance you make provides a lesson to help you on your journey. And when you get it right things truly do fall into place…..but it takes a lot of work/pain/sweat/tears to get there.

So when someone asks “How do you do it all?” I smile and say oh I don’t know. But really the answer is my life has raised me to be able to do it. Worse things can happen and will happen. It may be cliche but if it doesn’t kill me I’ll just get stronger!