Ocean Birthday Party

In my Facebook feed, this memory showed up! I was asked to create a simplistic, modern Ocean Birthday party.

This is what I created. Craft paper table cloth - easy to roll out, easy to clean up, and if the kiddos get antsy - they can color on it!

I always incorporate fresh flowers into my parties. It just adds something special to the party. Here, a bunch of white scheme flowers from my local Kroger add a beautiful touch. Their vases are actually soup cans covered in scrapbook paper.

I found wood cutouts at Michaels and got glued them to dowels. Also, I added a little whimsy to the straws. I used Martha Stewart paper punches. Blue plates and bottled water lend themselves to the ocean theme, too.

I added Safari Ltd Incredible Creatures sea turtle, fish, and other ocean creatures to tie the whole theme together.

Simple touches, beautiful details, and cake! made the day special indeed.

Have a fun and playful day
Mel

Math Games Mondays - Desert

Math Games Mondays returns with a simple and fun game.

I found this cactus clipart on etsy.com  Simply buy, download, and print out one sheet for each child playing.  You could also use stickers on a piece of cardstock in a grid fashion.

The "game pieces" are Safari Ltd Desert Toob toys. (This is not a paid endorsement, but I do LOVE their toys!)  You will also need one dice or spinner per child.

The child rolls the dice and counts the number of dots. Then, he covers up that many cactus. For example, if  rolls a 4, then he would put 1-2-3-4 toys on the game board. 4 cacti would have 4 toys on them (one on each). The, they roll again and again until the whole game board (all the cacti!) are covered.

This game teaches counting and one to one correspondence.

Have a fun and playful day!
Mel

Math Games Mondays - Desert by melanieshanks featuring Omniware serveware

Omniware serveware
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60% OFF SALE Digital Clip Art Succulents Clipart Flowers Cactus Clip...
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Perfect Party Favor

I love parties. I love the planning and details. My sister says, "all the little details stress me out, but you...you thrive in details." That is true, but she can cook! I am not a cook. At all.

I am doing an upcoming post 101 Ways to Use Safari Ltd Toys. I thought, "Party Favor!" They would be perfect in a small box or these little pillow boxes.

Favors. Check. What else is on the party list?

Have a fun and playful day.
Mel

Parties!

 So Facebook sends me this photo and says: Look what you posted 3 years ago today.  Ahhh.  I totally forgot about this.  Three years ago I was setting up parties for a play cafe. 

The above one is Ocean Theme for a cutie pie of a 3 year old.  The play cafe owner wanted the parties to be kiddo friendly but simple.  Okay!  Brown butcher paper covered the tables.  All the flowers were fresh, in white but different varieties.  The flower vases are actually soup cans covered in scrapbook paper.  I used Safari Ltd ocean animals to bring the theme together.

 Here's an Elmo party that I got all the stuff for but, because of strep throat, we never had the party.  The One year old loved Elmo and music.  So we were going to make Elmo harps.

 Below is a Fairy Land party that we hosted at the local community center. 50 kiddos dressed in fairy attire joined us for fairy house making, wand creating, and dancing with the Fairy Queen.

I do love putting together kid's birthday parties.  I like adding all the tiny details, seeing the kids's smiles, remembering childhood.  I always incorporate fresh flowers.  I think that adds a special touch. I also do a simple craft at all the parties that I put together.

How do you party?

Have a fun and playful day
Mel

The Adventures of Hush the Hedgehog

Me: We got to California in two weeks. What are you taking?
G: Uh, animals and clothes and swim suit. What are you bringing?
Me: what do you think I should bring?
G: Hush the Hedgehog for sure and maybe a swim suit.

Hush is our Safari Ltd Incredible Creatures Hedgehog that tends to pop in our play pretty often. G loves him.  He was part of our pet shop and sometimes, he just goes along with us.  It's one of her/my favorite toys.

Well, this will be an adventure. My nanny family is going for a conference for 8 days! I am going along to help with the girls.  It should be an adventure! It's the longest that I have ever been without my husband. I hope I don't get homesick. I actually am looking up fabric, craft, and toy stores in the area!

The countdown is on. I hope Hush packs lightly!

Have a fun and playful day
Mel

small motor skills - a balancing act

My friend Cari teaches preschool and sent me this idea. I revamped it a little.

Golf pegs are stuck in playdough (recipe below). Kiddos exercise their little finger muscles trying to balance small toys or marbles pom pom balls on the peg.

We played with small toys from Safari Ltd toobs or erasers or pom poms.

Roo who is 21 months mastered it quickly.

Smelly Playdough Recipe
1 box corn starch
1 bottle conditioner - any scent
Mix

It smells so so good! We used kiwi lime off brand from the Dollar tree dollar store. Any scent works great and really wakes up the brain.

Have a fun and playful day
Mel

My Big World 2015 etsy shop

 This week, my plan was to complete 2...maybe 3...new playscape play mats for my etsy shop.  www.mybigwold2015.etsy.com  But there was sickness in the nanny house and I volunteered at my daughter's school.  I also road tripped to see my daughter at college.  Best laid plans, right?  I completed 1.

Completing One was disappointing but...I was able to just concentrate on adding so many tiny details to this one.

 There are so many ways to play with these playscape play mats.  I had a ton of fun this morning, staging different ways which a child might play with this.

 This Lakeside play mat has a 3 dimensional leaf boat.  I have never done a lake playscape or a boat before, but I love the way that it turned out.  This play mat is wool felt approximately 15 inches by 15 inches - not huge, so you could take it along in the car or to a restaurant or to a playdate.

 Gardens have been a part of every play mat that I have done so far, because my late Grandma Helen loved working in the garden.  I have many, many fond childhood memories beside her in the dirt talking, laughing, planting, weeding, picking.  The gardens on the play mats are a little more whimsical than Grandma Helen's, but I think she would have enjoyed them just the same.

 Whether it be tiny Japanese eraser hamsters, Safari or Schleich, or Papo animals, Lalaloopsy, Hello Kitty, dinosaurs - whatever your child is into...they can play on this play mat.

 These photos show all the tiny stitches and itty bitty mushrooms.  Each play mat takes me 6-8 hours to make, as they are all hand stitched.

 A Playscape is a landscape for imagination. "Imagination is more important that knowledge." - Albert Einstein

 I have been in the early childhood education field for 20+ years and know that children learn through play.  They need time to just play, to be creative, to let their imaginations run wild.

 Where will their imaginations take them?

 On a boat ride in a leaf on a lake?  On a picnic beside the lake?  A walk in a whimsical garden?

Have a fun and playful day
Mel

Safari Ltd Incredible Creatures Penguin and Chick

Imagine this.  A tiny, squeaky voice saying, "Oh my goodness! Look how cute that baby penguin is!"  You are smiling, aren't you?

With quality toys like Safari Ltd.'s Incredible Creatures Penguin and Chick, you really will smile.  The mama (or dad, not sure which!) Is about 5 inches tall.  It is very detailed and painted so carefully, so life-like.  I am amazed by their toys every single time.

I have used Safari Ltd toys in many capacities over the years as an early childhood educator, mom, Auntie, nanny, and community center arts teacher.  They are my 'go to' toys, because 1) Safari Ltd toys are always high quality, detailed, and well priced, 2) they have a huge selection of animals 3) their Too line have a theme to fit almost any theme you are looking for.

I do talk about Safari Ltd toys on my blog A LOT.  I am not getting paid to say these wonderful things (but wouldn't working at Safari be sooo fun?!), but they did send me 5 items to review. I only talk about products on this blog that I have used and played with and trust.  I trust the quality.  I know their values.  I love their toys.

I have an upcoming post of 101 Ways to Play with Safari Ltd.  Stayed tuned.

Have a fun and playful day
Mel

Creating Healthy Eaters Through Play

Have you ever thought about subliminal messages? Well, ponder this. Creating healthy eaters could be as simple as play.

On Nick Jr's Peter Rabbit, he is always eating fresh foods straight from the garden or forest. Stage you child's play with healthy foods like Peter Rabbit.

Maybe set up a mini farmer's market in your child's dress up area or in their dollhouse. Promoting healthy eating as easy as...not pie :)

Researchers have studied this for years, but moms know that children learn through play. Setting the stage with healthy food will send the message that apples and broccoli are examples of eating healthy.

I am a big fan of toys at the table. "Oh, Peter Rabbit is goubg to try some blackberries. How about you try some, too. " you might say.

Provide healthy snacks and encourage them to try new things.

Play with garden or farm toys and talk about where food comes from. I am always surprised when kids think food comes from the delivery man!

It's okay to play with your food!

Maybe provide healthy foods in the dollhouse can influence healthy food choices at dinner time.

It's all about positive attitudes towards being healthy and eating right, being a good example, and opportunities to play and act out scenarios of healthy food.

Have a fun and playful day.
Mel

Birch Forest 2

Here are some more scenes from our playing in the birch forest. It was easy to create this little forest We used light blue Crayola Model Magic as the "ground", birch paper straws from Cupcake Social on etsy, and a few buttons, toys, and mushrooms.

Literally, children's imaginations can take this simple idea anywhere.

It was sooo fun to stage and play - okay, mostly play!  We did play A. LOT.  It's the simple things that allow the most imaginative play.  You could make this bigger for more toys or you could make individual for table top play for a classroom or for toddlers and children who will play side by side but not together.

Check out Cupcake Social on etsy.  She has a TON of amazing party stuff.  I will definitely be ordering from her in the the future for parties AND play.

What will you play today?

Have a fun and playful day
Mel

Safari Ltd Toobs - A Review

Let me be completely honest with you.

I have used Safari Ltd. Toobs in a plethora of ways for many years.  So when Safari Ltd. asked me to review a few of their Toobs - it was a no-brainer.

As a preschool teacher, Auntie, craft teacher at the local community center, nanny, and that woman who sits at the table beside you at the restaurant and saves the day because your kids are screaming because the food is taking too long and she offers small toys to your children to help calm them (true story!), I have always relied on the quality and durability of Safari Ltd Toobs.

Safari Ltd has many variations of Toobs - something for almost any theme you can think of.  The toys are small - about 2 inches tall - but they don't skimp on detail.  The toys are realistic and high quality.

They sent me 3 Toobs - Dinosaurs, Exotic Birds, and Rainforest.  You can see the detail, the precise paint jobs, the vibrant paint.  Usually 6-12 animals come in a Toob and cost $9.99 or so. 

I am working on an upcoming post of 101 Things to do with Safari Ltd. Toobs, but for now, let me give you some ideas.  Easter egg stuffers instead of candy.  Cupcake toppers.  Math counters.  Game pieces.  In church or restaurant quiet bags.  In the car toys.  Dollhouse accessories.  Stocking stuffer.  Fun mail.  Birthday gift.

Or you can play with them on a playscape like above.

I really like the variety of animals that Safari Ltd. puts in their Toobs.  G, age 4, squealed when she saw the tapir in the rainforest set.  She reallllly is into tapirs right now.

Recently, we used some of the animals in our terrariums.  They added a lot of whimsy and fun to our little terrariums.

Disclaimer:  Safari Ltd has seen my posts about their products and sent me several things to review.  They did not pay me to write this glowing review.  I do LOVE their products - Toys that Teach - and would only give a positive review if I felt strongly about the product.  You will note that I do not recommend many things on this blog, but I will HIGHLY recommend Safari Ltd toys to anyone!  See www.safariltd.com for more educational and creative toys - including their large selection of Toobs.

Have a fun and playful day
Mel