New Ideas...for me anyway

Okay so before you start thinking....WOW, Lea is so good, let me say that I didn't come up with these things on my own.  I am like most of you (and maybe even worse in some ways).  I struggle with new ideas of things to do with the boys to keep their attention or to have them sit for a period so I can get something done.  I don't say this to "talk myself down" but rather to encourage you and to "keep it real".  I never want my blog posts to seem as if life here is perfect.  I am rather excited though to have found some blogs that I hope will inspire me and help me get new ideas of things to do with the boys (Thanks Cris for leading me in this direction!!).  I figured I would share some of those ideas and links with you. 

Many of the ideas I am going to share with you can be made easily at home with things you already have or a quick trip to the Dollar Tree will help you.  I spent less than $10 on things I needed and was able to come up with some quick new tools for the boys. 

The first one I used a pringles can and pipe cleaners.  The blog said to use a hole puch to punch holes in the lid of the pringles can.  I couldn't do that so Jason drilled them:)  Anyway, then you use pipe cleaners and they insert the pipe cleaners into the holes.  You don't have to, but you can color code the holes (with binder reinforcer stickers...if that is what they are called) and this teaches colors and also matching.  A little easy for Caden but he has still really enjoyed it.  I also used contact paper to cover the can but you don't have to.  Oh and the pipe cleaners are stored in the can.  They actually have argued over this so I am waiting on Jason to finish his pringles at work so he can bring me another can:)

The next tool was some lacing beads.  I did have to go to Jo Ann's to find these. You can have them lace them and leave it at that or you can make sequencing cards for them to use (I did this to see if it would challange Caden).  Caden knows colors but we could work on sequence, counting, big and small, etc with this.  I would like to find different shape beads but the only ones I saw were small and I am not comfortable with those for Blake yet. 

The next tool was little rectangles of foam.  There are a lot of ideas for these out there but I am starting with numbers and matching.  I wrote the numbers 1-10 on them and then wrote numbers 1-10 on some clothes pins.  This will help with counting and matching and they can also clamp the clothes pins.  Another idea I saw with these was to just write the number "4" for example on the card and then they would count out 4 clothes pins and put on the card.

This last idea you can use an empty egg carton and cotton balls but I had these ice trays around that the boys found and had been playing with so I used them.  I also bought the colored pom poms (from the dollar tree)to use for other reasons.  You put the pom poms or cotton balls in the hole and they use tongs to pick them up and place them aside or into a container.  I also had them sorting the pom poms by color today.  Today I pulled this out right before nap time because they were being really rowdy and it had them sitting on the floor playing for a good 30 mintues!!  That is heaven:)  I did try to find the cheap little plastic tongs from the dollar tree and couldn't find any, I would recommend that if you can find them, may be easier for their little hands.

Well, just thought I would pass this along.  As the TN winter approaches and it gets dark earlier and earlier I am always looking for ways to entertain or engage them.  I would love any other ideas you may have.  Check out some of the blog links I have to the side of my blog for many more ideas.  I have more I want to do but am waiting on resources and time to make them.  This is the site that I got a lot of the homemade ideas from and this is another great site.