Water Beads

 So I was wandering around my local Dollar Tree and found this kit! It's a grow your own water bead kit.  Great for a mini science lesson and for sensory.  All for a buck.

 At first, they are teeny tiny, but, after a couple hours, they are marble size.  I couldn't resist taking pics of the stages - how colorful and happy they are.

 I also bought this mini fishbowl at the Dollar Tree.  It's the perfect size but glass.

 The above photo was taken after 20 mins...

 These photos were within 2 hours.

 They feel all wet and jelly like - super cool.

Yep, that's what I am doing on a Saturday morning!

Have a fun & play weekend
Mel

Safari Ltd. Toys

I love Safari Ltd. Toys. I have been playing with them for many years in my preschool classroom and continue to use them almost daily as a nanny. They are high quality toys that teach. I am not paid by Safari ~ I just believe in their toys.

Safari Ltd. Toys by melanieshanks featuring hedgehog home decor

Throwback Thursday - Toys from Childhood

Do you remember this treehouse from Kenner?  It was one of my favorite toys from my childhood.  It came with people and a car and a spotted dog.  Eventually though, I moved in The Littles dolls, and this treehouse became their home.  I think if G had it, she would have all of her Schleich, Papo, and Safari Ltd toys move in.  I need to see if my mom still has this.

Throwback Thursday - Toys from Childhood by melanieshanks featuring home decor

Children's Book - Penguin Cha-Cha

Since it seems like Winter is nevvvvver going away (at least here in Ohio!), we might as well talk penguins.  We discovered this fantastic read aloud by Kristi Valiant a year ago, and it continues to be one of our favorites.  Julia follows some mischievous penguins around the zoo.  It really is laugh out loud funny the things these penguins do.  After we read the book, we picked out a penguin toob from Safari Ltd and made a clothespin doll of Julia and reenacted the book over and over.  It's a great read aloud.

Children's Book - Penguin Cha-Cha by melanieshanks on Polyvore

Party Croc Children's Book

Our new favorite book is Party Croc by Margaret Read MacDonald!  I have read this book no less than 20 time in 3 days.  The bright, fun illustrations of Derek Sullivan are hilarious.  The sing-song melody of the words read almost like lyrics.  There is a "chorus" of repeating lines where the croc is singing "party party going to a party party party I'm a party croc!"  I love it as much at G who is 4 1/2 (she likes to add that 1/2, don't you know?) and Roo who is 19 months.  Roo sways back and forth to the "chorus" song parts.  There is also a good lesson in the book about keeping promises, but it is not in a hit-you-over-the-head kind way.  This is a GREAT book.
Have a fun & playful day
Mel

Party Croc Children's Book by melanieshanks on Polyvore

My Etsy Shop

Playscapes are landscapes for imagination. Check out my etsy shop at www.mybigworld2015.etsy.com

More soon.

Have a fun & playful day🐸
Mel

Make a Sprinkles Necklace

We are totally making these necklaces soon!  Aren't they adorable???  A certain 4 year old said, "You can never have too many sprinkles."  And that's how we live in this house - sprinkles go on EVERYTHING!  You need only a few items - little bottles (these found on etsy), ribbon (also found on etsy or Michaels), an eye hook (not pictured), and of course some sprinkles.  Pour the sprinkles in - maybe with a funnel, put the cork in, screw in the eye hook, add the ribbon, and tie! Ta-da! Easy Peasy!
Have a fun & playful day
Mel

Math Games Mondays - Minions

BANANA!!!

Okay, who doesn't like the minions?  They are so funny!  My 3 year old nephew calls them BEE-BOs and even my 17 year old likes them.  One sure fire way to get your kids to learn is to center the games and activities around things they like.

When you think of minions, you think of math, right?  No?  Well, I cam up with a simple math game for Math Games Mondays series all about minions and math.

I found minions playing cards at my local Dollar Tree dollar store and the banana candies (because minions LOOOOVE bananas!) at a local toy store.  So, $1.00 for the playing cards and $1.99 for the candy.  You don't have to use candy.  You can use buttons, pennies, anything you want for counters.

It's a simple one to one correspondence game.  Your child needs to put one banana candy onto each spade or heart.  Have them count "one" then put the candy on, then count "two" and put the candy on.  Do this until they he has the correct number of bananas.  By counting out loud and one at the time, it is showing number value.

Repeat until all 5 spades are covered...

or all  hearts...

or all 3 clubs.

You can adapt this game for anything your child may be interested in at the time. Go with the flow and the learning will flow.

Have a fun & playful day
Mel

My Big World Etsy Shop Launch Today!

 I launched the reopening of my Etsy shop today!  I am so excited to share this with you.  It's been a labor of love (and some crying, too!) for the past several months.

 There is a saying that goes something like, "there is good in the bad."  When my father in-law was diagnosed with Stage 4 brain cancer in September 2014. that's all we could think about.  I needed a distraction, something to take my mind off this.

 I needed a project.

 So in between visiting them and helping out and working, I started sewing.  It was therapeutic and a good distraction.  I am passionate about early childhood education (as most of you know) and I am a self-proclaimed geek when it comes to small toys like Schliech, Safari Ltd., Papo, Peter Rabbit, Tinkerbell, etc.  So why not combine the two?

 Playscapes are landscapes for imagination.  All hand-stitched with tiny details, these wool felt play mats are designed to encourage children's imaginations.  Maybe Peter Rabbit is in Mr. McGregor's garden again or...

 Maybe the fairies are hiding their treasures in this cave or the animals are having a camp out or...

 Maybe Hello Kitty and her friend are tending to their garden in the forest beside a stream of lily pads.

 Or maybe Mama Bear is watching her cubs play with their toy boat by the stream.  The possibilities are endless really.  Each whimsical playscape is all hand-stitched and filled with tiny details like tufts of grass, enchanting gardens, caves, twisting streams, hollow logs, stone pathways, 3D bridges, mossy patches, ponds, etc.  I have 4 to 6 hours in each playscape, but I love how they turned out.

Each one is approximately 15 inches by 15 inches.  Ready to ship. Ready to play.  There's a link over to the right hand side that will take you to my shop.

Have a fun & playful day!
Mel

Feed the Animals

Ever see those signs that the park or zoo?   DO NOT FEED the animals!  Well, I am going to turn that thinking upside down.  I am saying feed the animals - well, maybe just the birds, squirrels, and chipmunks.  It's late winter, supplies are low.  It could be a fun activity to do with the kids.  Set some seed out then maybe make some birdseed playdough found on two-daloo.com with Safari Ltd birds or  cookie cutter shaped bird food found on apartmenttherapy.com

Stay warm and have fun!

Have a fun & playful Saturday!

Mel