Day 30: Cox Arboretum MetroPark

Day 30                                                                       
Duration 2+ hours

What a gorgeous place to celebrate the completion of month one of our 365 Days Outdoors! challenge. The Cox Arboretum had spectacular views, tranquil ponds, and exciting wildlife sightings along the paths.  We slowly made our way through the winding trails past bridges and flowers, stopping to enjoy the peacefulness of the day on the benches that were scattered throughout the park.  Each time we spotted another creature enjoying this warm and sunny morning, we stopped to observe them and discuss what that animal was doing. Of course, I did most of the discussing, but you listening patiently, taking in every word.  You were in your stroller and out, walked back and forth and around, but also took time to rest.  We did find a spot that was deemed our favorite and spent a big amount of time there. Here are some of the wonderful sights we saw today.

One Month and Counting!!!

"It is not the language of painters but the language of nature which one should listen to...The feeling for the things themselves, for reality, is more important than the feeling for pictures." ~Vincent van Gogh

 

It has been one month since we started our 365 Days Outdoors challenge!  During the month of April, we have ventured outside in all types of weather...rain, sunshine, sleet, wind, and temperatures ranging from the 80's to the 40's!  Who knew April could be so confused? I can't tell you how much I have enjoyed this conscious effort to spend 15 minutes outside each day with my son. Click HERE to see the full list of activities we participated in this month! 

   

"Teaching children about the natural world should be treated as one of the most important events in their lives." ~Thomas Berry

Day 29: Stops Along the Way

Day 29                                                                        
Duration: 30 minutes

I love finding stops along the road on our way to whatever destination we may be headed towards.  There are so many beautiful sights to see along the road and hidden gems that may be awaiting your arrival.  This afternoon we did make one lunch stop to stretch our legs, relax, and eat. Not only were we able to enjoy an impromptu picnic, but we also found a lovely WWII tribute memorial and an original mile marker that was used along the historic National Road.   

DIY Travel Sensory Bins

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We're getting ready to hit the road and travel with Daddy shortly! I love that we can tag along on his trips and explore different towns and cities.  However, if it happens to rain a lot, we need to be prepared for spending some down time in the hotel.  Just in case the weather turns ugly, I put together a few sensory bins to keep us busy! 

All I needed was two of your empty wipes container for transport and play!  I filled the first one with the different bases to line the bins.  The sandwich size baggies were big enough for each, so I was able to fit three in the container: green peas, blue rice that we dyed from an earlier activity, and the chocolate scented playdough that we made just a few days ago.

Next, I added some tools that you could use for any of the bases.  I filled up the second container with cups, spoons, a cookie cutter, scoops, and a muffin cup. 

We had to figure out some themes for these changeable bins, so I threw in some dinosaurs/rocks to use with the chocolate playdough, insects/trees for the green peas, and sea creatures/marbles for the blue rice.  These fit in nicely to the second container as well!

When it was all said and done, I had two easy-to-pack tubs to keep us entertained! So, if we have a little down time from all of our exploring, we can head back to the hotel and play in our interchangeable sensory bins!

Bonus Idea ~ Apple Themed Travel Bin

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Day 28: Road Trip!!

Day 28                                                                      
Duration: 20 minutes

Packing is the most difficult thing to do when getting ready for a trip.  I always want you to be comfortable and happy while we're on the road, but let's face it Grady, you need a lot of stuff!  While I am deciding what we need to take on our trip this week (we're heading out with Daddy during his business trip!), you can pack your own bag for a mini-vacation today! 

I got one of our smaller suitcases and filled it up with shredded paper to make your packing more like a treasure hunt! Hiding in the paper were items that you can take along and put in your smaller suitcase for safe keeping. This activity took an extra long time because each item you found, you either wanted to play with it or put it on. It was so cute to watch you "use" the items as you discovered them in the case!

     

Day 27: To Grandmother's Office We Go!

Day 27                                                                   
Duration: 25 minutes

The clouds have parted and the rain has stopped. Again.  We enjoyed a quiet stroll together up town and surprised Grandma by stopping it to see her at work!  I just love the view from the top of the hill! 

Carrying my keys, as always!

Weekly Kid's Co-op - Inspiration

This is only my second week linking up with the Weekly Kid's Co-op and already I feel immensely inspired by the wonderful ideas shared across the board.  Looking through the posts, you can see how much time and effort these parents put into creating an educational and loving environments for their children.  Here are three posts that really got me thinking about how to create lasting memories and a healthy dose of encouragement for my son.

Day 26: April Virtual Book Club, The Carrot Seed

Day 26                                                                         
Duration: 20 minutes


We were so excited to find out that the Virtual Book Club for Kids was featuring The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss for April!  Last month we were lucky to come across this book club on Toddler Approved and couldn't wait to participate again (since we both love books!).  

 
This book is perfect for you, Grady, for so many reasons.  #1- You love to eat carrots! #2- You and Daddy just started a garden, so you know what it's like to put seeds and bulbs into the ground. #3- You love hats. You kept pointing out that the little boy had a hat on just like you.

Since you love carrots so much, we decided to take you out grocery shopping to pick out your own!  They had a shopping cart that was just your size, so you loaded it up with all of the carrots you could find.

Father and Son Fun- Cinco de Mayo (Rainbow) Pinata

This weekend is our weekend to celebrate!  The 5th of May is special to us in so many ways.  When people hear the date May 5th, they automatically think of Cinco de Mayo.  What they don't know is that it is also your daddy's birthday and Korean Children's Day all rolled into one!  That's right, we have 3 times the celebrating to do!

Since this day will honor both you and your dad, we thought a Father and Son multicultural project was in order.  Pinatas are a perfect way to add a little Mexican culture to our Korean Children's Day festivities!  Since Children's Day is all about the kiddos, we thought you would love to break open this project and find some yummies inside!  

You and Daddy couldn't wait to get to work!  We blew up the balloon, gathered strips of newspaper, and created the paste. (1 part water, 1 part flour, and a Tbsp. of salt) I wasn't sure how you would like getting your hands all sticky, but never fear, you dug right in!

 

We had to let the pinata dry overnight before we could add color to it.  When it was dry to the touch, we were able to add string to hang it up and a flap for the goodies to go inside!  (For complete instructions click here.)

When Daddy was finished preparing the pinata, you began to glue the tissue paper (and crush it!) for the finishing touches. 

You and your dad create such a beautiful pinata!  The last step to this project, was adding the treats.  I decided to pick up some fruit snacks to stuff the pinata in anticipation of Cinco de Mayo and Korean Children's Day! We are all looking forward to busting this pinata open!

Day 25: Exploring the Park

Day 25                                                                        
Duration: 2+ hours

The simple joys of exploring a local park...smiles, giggles, a beautiful sky, the warm breeze, bouncing, and special mother/son time.

Day 24: "Jo MacDonald Had a Garden" Storyboard

Day 24                                                                       
Duration: 30 minutes

One of your all time favorite songs to sing is Old MacDonald.  You always try to sing along when he has sheep, cows, and ducks (your loves).  That's why I was so excited when we came across the book "Jo MacDonald Had a Garden" by Mary Quattlebaum.  It is about the farmer's granddaughter who is now planting and watching her garden grow. We love to sing the story to the tune of the classic song and you bounce along with excitement. Since you have so much fun with the book, I thought we would make a foam storyboard to use as a extension to show the progress of Jo's garden.

We used the foam pieces on the patio door to create our own garden while we sung the story once again.  Each page of the book explained what Jo and her cousin did to help the garden grow and how the garden changed as they progressed.  As we read, we paused to add a new piece to our foam garden by spraying it with water and "sticking" it to the patio door. You had such fun learning what each piece represented and what sound it made in the story!

In that garden was some soil...

And a worm...

Planting seeds with Jo.

And in that garden she had some water...

The bird, plants, and sun were also part of Jo's garden.

Your garden!

You even enjoyed putting the pieces back in the bag.

This is such a fun book that we will be sure to read again and again!  Next time, we may download the song to help us with our singing! 

     

Day 23: Breaking in the boots!

Day 23                                                                       
Duration: 15 minutes

The weather was very uncertain today...rain, sleet, snow, and sunshine.  We had fun watching all of the changes.  When the precipitation came to a halt, we went out to have some family time.  Yesterday we got you new rain boots, so you and Daddy headed out for a little walk to break them in this evening.