Spring Activities

Since it's officially Spring, I'm going to put up my list of activities to-do with the kids. Right now, we're more focused on Easter crafts, but next week we're going to start back checking things off our list! Some of these activities are completely obvious and others not so much. But maybe it'll help someone with their "what to do" dilemma. And the list makes a useful point of reference for me. 

1. Park
2. Roller Skating /Biking/ Skateboarding. ...you know, feet on wheels?
3. Bubble Play
4. Pool Play (I actually blogged about this, you can read that here. It's definitely something we're going to do again this year! )
5. Walks/Jogs
6. Milkshakes/Ice Cream
7. Painting Outside . Let the kids paint the yard in washable paint, it'll rain eventually!
8. Spring Photos
9. Rainy Day Outdoor Play - it's the perfect whether to play in the rain! We jumped puddles and danced in the rain the other day during our walk.
10. Cookout- the kids can help prep the food and you can enjoy a dinner under the stars/clouds/sun.
11. Field day. This is me reliving my childhood and giving them one all at one time. One leg races, bobbing for apples, tug of war, dodgeball; our family is gonna play it all!
12. Star Gazing ...or take it a step further with backyard camping or just go camping
13. Hiking. I wouldn't do this, because I'm not one with nature, but my husband plans on doing this with our boys.
14. Fishing. Again, another one I won't participate in.
15. Shopping Spree. It's nice to just let the kids blow $25 at Dollar Tree every once in a while. And letting them help pick out their much needed Spring/Summer clothes is a must do!
16. Chalk. Bring back hop scotch!
17. Slip n Slide. This is more fun than a pool, because you get muddy.
18. Sports. It's a good time to play some football, baseball, basketball, soccer, etc. Or to practice flips and cheers.
19. Water balloon fights.
20. Nature Exploration. Find bugs and plants, observe and discuss them.
21. Outdoor Interactive Story Time. Change of scenery.
22. Gardening.

I'll probably add to the list if I think of anything else they want to do, or if they think of anything else they want to do.  But for now, we'll have tons of fun focusing on the 22 items already listed. 

Activities for Babies

Since you stuck with me for 2 days while I talked about potatoes, I am doing a Friday post this week, and it features my beautiful baby girl!

I post a decent amount of activities that I do with my preschoolers.  But I don't really talk about the things I do with Noelle, my seven month old.  I have been playing with her all day since I am feeling better, so I thought I'd share our usual activities.
Keep in mind she's 7 months, so there are no crafts.  She's still at that stage when everything goes straight to her mouth. Also, her attention span is short, so our activities with her last 3 to 10 minutes.
1. We Sing Together 
I sing lyrics and she kinda just "aaaaaaaah"s! It's super cute, and she is the only person that enjoys my singing.  I bought the kids some echo microphones and jingling instruments, and we have impromptu concerts at-will. So it's definitely one of my favorite things to do with all the kids.
2. I Read/Tell Stories 
Sometimes I sit with all three to read stories, sometimes it's one at a time, and other times I read to whoever is paying attention.  When Noelle seems to be listening, I make sure to move my hand and change my voice to keep her interested.
3. We Talk & Clap
Noelle is a little girl that loves to talk.  She is goofy and funny, and we have conversations all day long.  She often claps mid-conversation; so we talk, giggle, and clap. And we giggle, clap, and talk.  It seems to be getting us somewhere, because after almost 3 months of prying, she is finally starting to say "ma ma"! (Of course, this is after she's perfected hey, Dadda, and Bruhba(brother))
4. We do Shadow Play
I'm convinced my child thinks that a shadow is some other person playing with her.  But she looks for them and likes playing with them.  So sometimes we are all just sitting on the bed casting shadows on the wall, while Noelle attempts to headbutt them all. Hey, nobody's perfect.
5. We Dance 
We wiggle, bounce, and shake.  She pulls up on stuff, so she loves doing her baby butt bounce. Give the child a beat, and she will move to it. The girl has been blessed with the rhythm that has skipped her entire immediate family. 
6. We Poke & Tickle Her
I have a "pokey stick".  It's a finger pointer that I got from- you guessed it-  Dollar Tree.  I poke my children (gently) in the belly with it! They all love it, but Noelle loves it the most! And then there's old fashioned tickling that drives them all insane! 
7. I Play with Her "Through Her Eyes" 
This one is more fun for me, because you kind of get to see things the way babies do.  But I get down on her eye level and mimic her, and it helps me understand her just a little bit.  She gets a good kick out of being copied.  And it's a really fun way for us to bond.
8. We Bathe 
I put that baby in the tub with me sometimes.  We splash, grab bubbles, and play with toys. And she has learned to trust and explore more.  She used to sit in my lap and cling on to me.  Now she'll crawl through the water, throw toys,and even try to pull herself up on the edge of the tub.   A bonus of this, we smell good afterwards.
9. We Play "Keep Away" 
It's funny, until she gets mad.
10. We Play "Peek-A-Boo"
A game as old as time, but she freaks out! So it's a staple game that we all play with her.
11. They Play Wrestle 
This is more how Jeffrey plays with her.  But she enjoys it.  He gently flips her, picks her up, pushes her over, playfully hits her belly, and blows in her face.  She kicks and smacks him in the face.  And she giggles.  Oh my goodness, she does not stop laughing the entire time.  And playing with Daddy tires my tough girl out pretty fast
12. We Play Her Games 
Her games suck, but she enjoys them the most.  I put her down and she pulls down plants, squeals like a wild banshee, chases the broom, and looks for the tiniest piece of anything to try and stick in her mouth.  She also crawls into any space that she should not be in, and knocks anything she can reach off of the table.  To put it simply: she makes a big mess.  Her games never end, and they can be quite nerve wrecking.  But I have no choice but to play with her, and I can't help but laugh with her (sometimes). 

These are most of our main activities, but we do bond with her in other ways. Like we eat snacks together, take strolls, play with toys, encourage her to walk, etc.  What are some things that you all do with your babies?