Hellobee

I shared previously that I will be attempting to plan activities for Little Lion this year based on a monthly theme. April’s theme is Spring and Weather. These activities are intended for Little Lion, who will be 13 months old, but they could easily be adapted for an older or younger child. Please consider your child’s current development when planning activities for him/her since you know your baby best.

I don’t know if any of you were starting to go a bit stir crazy from the awful weather this winter, but we are SO EXCITED about Spring! After more snow and ice than this southern girl has ever seen in one year, this month I plan to spend as much time outside as possible. So instead of following my previous format for monthly activity posts, I thought I would share a round up of fun outside things to do this Spring (and Summer!).

1. Find a Playground – We try to make it to a playground every day. We are fortunate to live in an area that is very family friendly, and there are at least 10 playgrounds within a 5 mile radius, two of which are in our neighborhood, and many are designed for the toddler crowd exclusively. One of these is a church playground, which is always unlocked. Because I was concerned about using it without permission, I contacted the children’s services staff and asked if it was okay if we play there. They said we were more than welcome. This may be something you can check into, especially if you don’t have a public playground close by.

2. Trucks – LL has some giant construction trucks that were handed down from some friends. He loves to push them around the yard. He isn’t to the stage of imaginary play yet, but these keep him entertained for quite some time.

3. Bubbles – A childhood classic… no outside-play arsenal is complete without bubbles. If you are up for something even cooler, try making snake bubbles!

4. Sidewalk Chalk – Same as bubbles. Sidewalk chalk is inexpensive and a great, easy, and mess-free art activity. And if you are feeling thrifty, you can even make your own!

5. Water Play – LL is too little for a full-fledged water table, but I have found that Tupperware containers with about 2 inches of water in them serve the same purpose. I leave a couple of these in the yard while he plays, and he will frequently come over and splash in them. Now that it is warm outside I don’t really care if he picks up the whole thing and dumps it on himself…we just fill it back up with the hose :)  I plan to make these sponge balls. So much fun!

6. Oobleck – The mother of all goop. One part cornstarch, one part water. When mixed properly it has the properties of both a liquid and a solid. Squeeze it and it turns into a solid, so much so that you can break it in half. Let it go, and it turns into a liquid, oozing between your fingers. This stuff is magical. And in case you still aren’t impressed…check out this video of people running across an entire pool of oobleck. Hello, bucket list.

7. Balls – Again, incredibly inexpensive but so much fun. Right now Little Lion is learning to throw and kick, and with more space to run he loves to chase them around the yard.

8. Look for animals – LL loves a good squirrel sighting, and we have robins and other birds all over our yard. If you have older toddlers, making a bird feeder for your yard may be a good way to draw in some wildlife. This pinterest board that I found has lots of DIY ideas.

9. Paint – Painting has never been easier! Strip down to just their diaper, and have the hose ready! You can make your own fingerpaint (edible for the littles who still put everything in their mouth) or just use washable paint (easier to get out of hair!).

10. Tin Foil River  – This is one of those things that I have had pinned on pinterest since long before I had kids. I can’t wait to try it!

11. Sprinkler Play – Another oldie but goodie.  For us this will most likely consist of setting up this hose sprinkler toy which was a gift from LL’s grandparents….but if you are in the running for coolest parent of the year, you can try building this backyard waterpark. SO fun.