Exploring Textures with Playdough

I love playdough.  I love the texture of it.  I love the creations. I even love the smell (am I weird?)  But what I love most about playdough is the educational benefits.  Playdough is probably the number one way to play to strengthen those small muscles in little fingers.  While they are molding and smooshing and manipulating the playdough, those little finger muscles are getting a workout.  And strong finger muscles are needed to hold a pencil properly and control it and write.  Who knew playdough was so amazing, right?

Today, we explored playdough and pasta (lions and tigers and bears oh my!).  We rolled the pasta across making ridges and made flower or gear impressions by pressing the end of the pasta into the playdough.

Phew!  That was a mighty good workout!

Have a fun and playful day
Mel

Straw Necklace Update

Our straw necklaces turned Put super cute with this orange polka dotted ribbon that we had left over from another project. Miracle of miracles, we had just enough ribbon for BOTH necklaces! Simple and easy easy project.

Have a fun and playful day
Mel

Whimsical Garden Play Mat

This whimsical garden playscape play mat is now on etsy.  www.mybigworld2015.etsy.com

There are so many ways to play with this wool felt play mat is all hand stitched. Each playscape takes me about 6 to 8 hours to complete.  This one hosts a large rainbow garden, a hollow log that toys can actually pass through, a meandering path, grasses, teeny tiny mushrooms, and more.  It's just waiting for a child's imagination.

Have a fun and playful day.
Mel

Straw Necklaces

This morning, we practiced some scissor skills by cutting up these happy color straws.

After nap, we are going to string them into ribbon to make necklaces - which is good small muscle exercise.

Have a fun and playful day
Mel

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

Fairytale Playscapes

Playscapes or play mats are landscapes for the imagination.

These are all in my etsy store (link to the right). Each one is stitched by hand as nd too about 6 hours to make.

Kids can gather their favorite toys and play for hours.

I took tons of photos so you could see how the playscapes can be played with.

All my playscapes have 3d qualities - whether it be a cave to hide treasure or a hollow log for a fox to hide in or a bridge for dwarves to cross the stream.

I add a garden to every playscape, because my late Grandma Helen loved her garden. I have happy childhood memories working beside her in that garden.

Playscapes are unisex - boys or girls will find creative ways to play with them.

The playscapes are small - approximately 15"x15", so you can take them with you in the car, to a restaurant, or to church.

All these can be found in my etsy www.mybigworld2015.etsy.com

Have a fun and playful day
Mel