Make Your Own Spring Scented Playdoughs

The official start of Spring is just 16 days away, but who's counting? And with these easy to make Spring Scented Playdoughs, you don't have to! You can dig into this well before you dig into the garden beds. We love playdough in any season here, and really need no special occasion to make a batch (or get out some store bought) for fun. And when I need a little sensory fun of my own, making it myself is quite enjoyable (shhh, don't tell my kids)!

I had the house to myself for a bit last Sunday and wanted to mix up a new batch, but I couldn't decide on a color or even a scent or add in--so I picked more than one! You can stick to one, a combo or even concoct your own. Here's how I made my three Spring Scented Playdoughs and a peek at how we've been playing with them here:

For all three recipes, I began with this base:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1 heaping tablespoon cream of tartar
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 2 cups water

Cook over medium heat on stove-top, stirring until a dough thickens and forms in the center of the pot. Remove from heat and let cool before kneading any lumps into the dough. Divide into smaller balls for however many varieties you're making (or leave whole if you're doing just one). *You can add in the optional essential oils for a stronger scent.* Kids would definitely enjoy the part of kneading the add-ins into the dough once it's cool enough to handle. To avoid staining your hands, I like to poke a few indentations into the dough and add a drop of food coloring into each one. I knead it until it is thoroughly mixed and then decide if I want to add more. For a more pastel look (like mine) use less color, for a bolder shade, use more. Liquid watercolor can also be used in lieu of food coloring.

Store your playdoughs in airtight containers or ziplock bags between use to avoid drying out. I typically keep it around for a couple of weeks--using fresh or dried leaves and flowers can shorten the shelf life a bit so keep an eye (and nose) on it!

Back to Basics Petal Playdough: This one is definitely one to get the kids in on. You can make your basic dough recipe in advance if you prefer and have it cooled and ready to go. You'll also need:

• some fresh flowers, preferably on their way out anyway
• scissors
• mortar and pestle

Here's where the fun comes in. You get to cut, tear, crush and grind those colorful petals to your heart's desire. Y had a lot of fun with this part--almost as much fun as he did kneading the results into our playdough. We happened to have some old tulips and roses on their way to the compost bin and they were given a lovely second life in this playdough.

Fresh Mint Playdough: for this one you'll add in...

• green food coloring
• chopped mint leaves
• peppermint essential oil or extract* 

Rose Petal Playdough: for this one, you'll add in...

• pink food coloring (or red)
• dried rose petals such as those bought for soap-making or potpourri, or dry, crush and mix in your own (like in the back to basics petal playdough)
• rose essential oil*

If you're a Playdough Purist, you'll probably only want one color out at a time. If you're a Wild Child like I am, let it all hang out and intermingle and mix. You only live once! We loved playing indoors in our little Garden Shop making a colorful garden tea party. We also had a lot of fun taking it outside to make birthday cakes for Dr. Seuss's birthday yesterday.

Spring will be here soon enough with its own bounty of playdough add-ins and petal play. So stay tuned! And until then...

Happy Playing!

Lavender Playdough

• purple food coloring (or red and blue)
• dried lavender buds
• lavender essential oil*

Setting Up Shop on a Budget: Recommended Thrift Store Finds

 

I am all about being thrifty here when it comes to setting up my playroom and I felt similarly when I had a formal classroom to set up as well. I shared my list of recommended dollar store finds yesterday and there are still some things that I suck it up and pay full price for when I can (or stick on a wish list for special occasions). That being said, many things can be purchased secondhand at a thrift store, garage or estate sale and now on websites like Facebook Marketplace or community groups like Curbside Pickup. 

I especially like shopping secondhand shops. It's a sense of adventure walking into a place where you have no idea what you'll find on any given day! It's also a great way to keep useful things from ending up in our landfills while saving money at the same time. I also think it teaches children a great lesson in reducing, reusing, recycling and re-purposing when they join in on the adventure. It is also helpful when they can come at it from the other end and donate clothing and toys that they are no longer using. Many thrift stores support agencies, families and people with a variety of needs and this can be something to look into when you are choosing where to shop.

So here is my list of recommended thrift store finds to keep your eyes peeled for. It is by no means a complete list and I am always randomly thinking of and discovering new ideas when it comes to using secondhand items in a playroom or classroom...

Whereas I do not recommend skimping on toys for the most part at a dollar store or otherwise due to poor quality and short shelf life, I do recommend making use of secondhand shops for gently used toys, especially vintage ones! I have found very valuable cabbage patch dolls for a few bucks at a thrift store just around the corner from my home, and while I'm in it for the nostalgia more than the monetary value, scouting out thrift stores for toys from when I was growing up is a fun activity for my kids as well. They love seeing and playing with the toys their mommy and tatty played with as little kids!

I've also found more recently manufactured toys like Legos, magnetiles/magniformers, Melissa & Doug sets, various manipulatives and building toys, blocks, toy food and dishes, barbie dolls, baby dolls, new/like new puppets and stuffed animals, character toys/figurines, Playmobile sets, and many other popular toys for kids of all ages and stages sitting in like new or even brand new condition on thrift store shelves. Active play equipment like tunnels, parachutes, tents and sporting equipment can also be purchased secondhand.

I have found that the quality of Legos new and used is no different, especially when it comes to supporting a huge imagination with an equally huge stash of blocks to build with. Lego, Duplo, Mega Blocks and similar items can definitely be purchased secondhand. And when it comes to things like Barbie or the up-charge in a big box store for a Disney character my kid may or may not like in a few years (or months), I'd rather go secondhand here, too. When it comes to plastic toys, even larger ones like kitchen sets, shopping carts, riding toys with a short shelf life before they are outgrown, etc, thrift stores are great! It keeps that plastic from the landfill for at least a little longer. Our old kitchen set just moved on to its third (at least) home. 

I like to bring my kids along with me once in a while (though admittedly not every time I go). I let them each pick out one thing (and set a budget). You must be fully prepared to "steer" them in the "right" direction and also for the aftermath of when they choose something you don't prefer (like a noisy toy and lights up and still has batteries!). But sometimes, they will find a total treasure (like when I thought S found a piece of junk that was really an expensive programmable robot building set). I do make sure that my kids are gentle and careful in the store and look with their eyes before asking to use their hands. If a thrift store is particularly crowded and stocked to the brim with breakable antiques, this may not be the one to bring your kids to. The one I usually take my kids to has a separate space with toys and very friendly staff.

S has been enamored with maps since learning about
and coloring in the map of the United States. He was
thrilled with this world atlas and especially when
we discovered a huge poster inside with a map of the
United States, which now hangs proudly in the kids' room!

Books are a great thing to purchase secondhand. If you can find them online that way, great! The thrift store is another great way to go. I have collected some great children's books, gardening books, cook books, coffee table books, art books and more for very cheap.
Also be on the lookout for children's books that may be out of print or vintage children's books with particularly lovely illustrations. Even books that have damage to them or less preferable story lines but beautiful pictures can be used to create paper dolls and story telling props by cutting out and laminating pictures. I would have a very hard time cutting up a book that is in good condition, but ones that are in poor condition and old magazines are sold very cheaply or even given away at secondhand shops and libraries and these can be great for collage. We have found amazing atlases, books about science and nature, animals, travel and places around the world--these are all great finds for curious minds. I especially treasure ones with photographs. Non-fiction books like this can also be used in dramatic play settings to encourage a print rich environment. Art books and books about artists can accompany an atelier or art shelf. Cookbooks can be a great addition to a kitchen set. Classics are classics are classics. Thrift stores are a fabulous place to round out your Beatrix Potter collection, your Little House series and any of your other favorite novels.

Clothing is often something most people think of when they go thrift store shopping and we have found some good things that way, too, for actual use or dress up--but here are some of the less obvious finds I keep my eyes peeled for:

Art supplies like embroidery hoops, sewing notions, yarn, oil or chalk pastels and other artist quality materials, knitting needles, crochet hooks, rubber stamps and even easels can be found at thrift stores. I don't use a sewing machine and cannot vouch for it, but I know others have found them secondhand. Fabric remnants and even clothing/linens to use for the purpose of re-purposing are great when purchased secondhand.

Speaking of linens-- I do not generally go for sheets, blankets or towels secondhand but I do go for cloth napkins secondhand. We have pretty much gone paperless when it comes to napkins here (aside from the occasional party or celebration). I keep a basket of mismatched cloth napkins and about once a year, I toss any that are badly stained or falling apart and replace with some "new" secondhand napkins. I also keep my eyes open for lovely vintage linens, doilies, aprons, tablecloths, etc. They don't make 'em like they used to--especially handmade items. 

 When it comes to setting up my outdoor spaces, I like secondhand finds like this toy grill for a mud kitchen and a variety of metal and tin cooking accessories to go with it. Dramatic play about cooking--whether it is indoors or outside, is so much more fun with "real" objects. I have stocked my kids' kitchen set here with "real" tea sets, dishes, bowls, pots and pans, candle sticks, cloth napkins and tablecloths, silverware, utensils, and even some "toy" dishes and accessories purchased secondhand. When introducing fragile items to children for play (like porcelain tea sets and dishes), I love the thrift store as a go-to option. If an item is broken, as will inevitably happen at one time or another, you have not lost a family heirloom and you can also find some good "transitional" objects like silver/metal tea sets and such.

 Items found in kitchen wares and home goods at the thrift store can be used inside, outside, for storage, for display, for set up and for dramatic play and even sensory play. I am ever on the lookout for

• wooden salad bowl sets
• unique tin, metal, copper and silver dishes, pots, pans and utensils
• beautiful tea sets and accessories
• pretty silverware in small sizes
• mortars and pestles 
• trays
• tin boxes
• costume jewelry
• old/vintage suitcases for dramatic play and dress up storage
• scarves for dressing up dolls and people
• other clothes for unique dress up items--I am cautious with hats/head-wear and I like to launder and/or ziplock bag or dryer treat anything made from cloth (including stuffed animals/puppets) before use
• real instruments from around the world
• interesting art and artifacts from other countries and cultures
• old phones, computer keyboards, typewriters, and similar electronics, etc. for dramatic play and even for tinkering/taking apart
• small bowls, tiny baskets, interesting jars and containers for art, sensory play, etc.
• wooden utensils in a variety of sizes for sensory play
• cookie cutters for playdough, clay and paint printing

 And when it comes to storing and setting this stuff up...

THRIFT STORE BASKETS ARE YOUR BEST FRIEND! Baskets can be expensive and I love their look and versatility. Indoors they last for quite a while. Outdoors, they last for a few years before returning to the earth. I love finding baskets secondhand. You can usually tell by the feel of it how well a basket is made. They are also great for transporting materials and giving gifts.


I also like purchasing interesting tote bags and large purses or duffel bags secondhand. They are so useful for shopping, storing, transporting things and even using as gift wrap (even better if the gift is also secondhand or made by hand)! Now with so many grocery chains and cities doing away with single use plastics, reusable bags are a must for every shopper and what's a more economical and environmentally friendly way to acquire those than secondhand?

Furniture for storage and play is another great thing to purchase secondhand. I created our current kitchen play set from a $10 piece of re-furbished furniture, and aside from the hassle of getting it into and out of my van, it has been beyond worth every penny. You can find secondhand classroom furniture at thrift stores every so often as well--think book shelves, high quality wooden kitchen sets, doll furniture, desks/small tables and chairs, child sized rocking chairs, easels, train tables, etc. You might also think a bit outside the box and look in the "grown up" furniture section for items that can be used in a different setting or re-furbished for use in a playroom or classroom.

Be on the lookout for quality tools, gardening supplies, unique artwork/decor, vases and the like. Sometimes you might even fall in love with a beautiful frame even if you aren't in love with the current artwork inside. You can use it to frame your own art or to hang/display children's art. We keep a strictly kosher home, so buying dishes and cookware secondhand is not something we'd do for our kitchen. For play, it is a great option and for those who can use it in their actual kitchens, thrift stores are a great place to shop for high quality items like cast iron and the like.

Many thrift stores are connected to places of worship or agencies affiliated with schools and childcare. I have found amazing teaching resources secondhand and classroom items ranging from furniture (as mentioned earlier) to math manipulatives, resource books, games, globes, maps and more. 

It is ever so tempting these days to shop with one click of the finger and have your purchase show up two days later. It is also expensive and it is also not always the ideal way to care for our environment and resources. When I can, I love to make use of secondhand options and thrift store shopping is a great way to do this right in your own community. Now if only I were that good at actually getting my own donations from the trunk of the car to the thrift shop...

Happy, Thrifty Playing!

More Out-of-this-World Space Themed Fun!

If yesterday's post on setting up your own Space Station Dramatic Play left you starry eyed, you'll love today's additional space themed activities: DIY NASA costumes for your aspiring astronauts and galaxy slime!

Per S's request to make costumes for our Space Station, I stopped by our local craft supply shop last night to pick up a couple of NASA orange (is that a Crayola color yet?) t-shirts for us to decorate this morning. I prepped each one with strips of thin black and silver duct tape and drew on my own version of a NASA logo with permanent marker. You could use fabric markers. You could use up-cycled white undershirts or whatever you have on hand. Duct tape and permanent marker won't make these the most laundry-friendly costumes over the long term, but since it's for dress-up, it'll do just fine!

S and Y used permanent markers to decorate their shirts. Tatty might have also gotten in on the drawing this morning as well! Next it was time to suit up and take off. S gathered some books and telescopes from our little space themed basket. He also packed along his Blueprints Book and grabbed a clipboard with Flight Plans printed from Pocket of Preschool's Space Station Dramatic Play Set. He has been very into dictating and navigating and recording various space missions. Y has been very involved in helping to count backward (and forward) and co-piloting our space shuttle. Even little C has gotten in on some of the fun and play!

We store some of our space themed books, props and materials in a small basket in front of our bookshelf.

Exploring Venus this morning...

Y has been carefully "taking notes" and documenting our space missions...

Y and S wanted C to wear a jet pack...

I'm not sure exactly what happened while we were on Venus, but Y came back to Earth in a horrible mood. He had a galactic tantrum the lasted for light years. We needed a little reset and maybe also some stress relief for Mommy and that was the perfect opportunity to make some Galaxy Slime!

To make your own batch of Galaxy Slime, you will need:

• 4oz (half a cup) of clear glue or glitter glue*
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp Borax Powder**
• glitter

*I decided to double the recipe above and had only 1/2 a cup left of each clear glue and silver glitter glue, so I used both and S and Y generously mixed in additional rainbow glitter

**A little note on safety: If you prefer to not use Borax Powder in your slime, there are recipes online for Borax-free slime (though most use products that contain the same chemical). I have never experienced any chemical burns from using Borax, however I do recommend that an adult supervise and assist, that you follow the recipe carefully and that until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the slime has congealed, little hands use a spoon or fork to mix and only adults mix by hand. Wash hands thoroughly after play each time.

Directions: In a large mixing bowl, pour in your glue. In a separate bowl or cup, dilute your Borax Powder in your water. Pour that into the glue in your large mixing bowl and mix. Mix some more. Mix some more. Just keep mixing, mixing, mixing. You can mix by hand (see the note above about safety) and mix longer than you think it could possibly take, all the while wondering and worrying whether this will every become slime. It will. It is an incredibly forgiving and slow and magical process. You will first see lumps. You will then see froth and suds. Your goop will take on a cloudy color and then, all of a sudden, it will start to become stringy and sticky and then congeal into the perfect blob of bouncy Galaxy Slime! And then it's time for the real play to begin...

I used a 55% off coupon to treat the kids (and myself) to the Safari Ltd. Space Toob for some themed play accessories. The boys also like to use plastic knives with just about every kind of sensory play dough. Y was all done whining and crying once we got busy in the kitchen concocting our Galaxy Slime and smooshing every little lump out of that ball of goop really helped calm my frayed nerves as well. So did the second pot of coffee I made once everyone went down for a nap...

When you are done playing with your slime, it can be stored in a ziplock bag or airtight container to save it between play sessions. I've refrigerated it before to keep it longer, but there's no need to do so.

It's true, there's no place like space and we've got a lot more exploring to do in the days to come! Until then...

Happy Playing!

A Peek Inside Our Playroom: Space Station Dramatic Play

There's no place like outer space! I think S and Y could both count backwards from 10 to 1 and blast off before they ever learned to count forwards. Stars, planets, astronauts and space ships are a beloved theme for kids of all ages. We've just finished off a major heat wave here and I am glad to see it go. Today's temps are 30 degrees cooler than yesterday's high and it's been steadily raining on my dehydrated garden all day. But knowing that today was going to be a soggy day and yet another in a row of days we couldn't be outside for long, I wanted to have something fun to occupy everyone.
We've still been having fun here in our Build-a-Car Auto Shop and I'm not quite ready to tear it down and do a complete revamp. And with the materials and tools we already had set out, a little tweaking to the type of transportation in mind and a few additions, turning our living room into a NASA Space Station Dramatic Play Center was the perfect next step in our Sprout Scouts play adventures. We've explored space themed activities here before and we even attended a Rocket Day event at one of our local library branches earlier in the summer. Dramatic play is a favorite way to engage in learning about nearly any topic in our house and when it comes to getting that set up and organized, I love the Space Theme Dramatic Play set by Pocket of Preschool.

Outer space is a theme that is as vast and expansive as, well, outer space! You could get really into setting up a play area and learning activities with this theme or you could keep it simple and engage the help of your young astronauts in training, as I did. I did spend a bit of time in the evening yesterday gathering my printed materials, making some jet packs from recycled water jugs, duct tape and ribbon, preparing our control panel and setting out some large paper and art supplies to make a Space Station sign for Morning Work.

The boys began the day by adding stickers, rocket ships and coloring a sign for the front of our Space Station. Next, it was time to set up our space shuttle. We used our puppet theater and a couple of chairs. You could also make the front of your space station with a tri-fold presentation board and old car seats as Pocket of Preschool did in her classroom. I really love the idea of involving the boys in setting up our dramatic play adventures as much as possible. For one thing, I need the help! It also gives them ownership of their play and learning experience while engaging their focus a lot better than when I set everything up in advance.





Setting up very little this time was partially intentional and partially because I didn't exactly have everything prepared when I decided to do this at the last minute yesterday. And what I learned yet again today is just how OK that is! Even in a classroom setting, it is OK to gradually implement a new play theme and to take a little help from your little friends.

Y and S both helped make some telescopes for viewing and observing different planets out of recycled cardboard tubes, duct tape and washi tape. Incidentally, Y's telescope also functions as a trumpet...


Both boys love the jet packs. I don't always make or have enough of our props and materials for each child to have his/her own, but in this case I am glad I saved 4 empty water jugs so we'd have one for S and Y. And since they are made predominantly from recycled materials and the rest from supplies we already had, this was a very budget friendly play theme to set up. I also recycled the cardboard backing from a large easel pad to make our control panel. I covered it in tinfoil and glued on images from the printed set. Alternatively you could also use stickers and create your own buttons and images from printed pictures, construction paper, draw with permanent marker or even glue on recycled bottle caps.

S asked for help to read the names of planets and every time we choose a destination, he "presses" that "button" first. Then both boys count back from 10 and blast off! Next they disembark from their space shuttle, put on their jet packs (with a little help as needed) and go exploring! We make up different things we see on each planet before getting back into the ship and heading back toward Earth.

Donning his jet pack...

S is moving around in a "bouncy" way because there is no gravity here on the moon!

Ready for takeoff!

Instead of having everything out and ready to go where our playroom was a means to an end, this is simply the beginning! We have a lot of exploring to do. S has already asked to make some astronaut costumes. We've decided we want to make some planets and decorations for our space station to make it look more like the solar system. Both S and Y want to know more about the planets and space, so we headed to the library to gather some books. Stay tuned for more play activities that are simply out of this world, and until then...

Happy Playing!

Parent Playtime: Make Your Own Geo-boards

 You were looking for another DIY project, no? Honestly, neither was I when I decided to build our own geo-boards. I've had the idea in the back of my mind for months now and in an effort to clean out the back of my mind so all of the more important tasks of this time of year could roll their way up front, I picked up a box of nails at the hardware store this week.

I am not handy with a hammer. I did go through wood-shop classes in middle school and that is where I perfected the art of batting my eyelashes at boys who were handy with a hammer. But when it comes to my own boys, I have a soft spot. And a husband with a to-do list a lot longer than it should be right now who doesn't need the added task of hammering about 100 nails into wooden tree planks... I do encourage and allow for woodworking activities here, and the boys also enjoy working on simple building kits with their Tatty as well.

They even built this quaint little xylophone we recently designated to the playgarden. (I'm pretty sure the neighbors love us--but at least this is our quiet xylophone...) I, on the other hand, like the idea of building and the finished products more than I enjoy actually building things and using a hammer and nails. I wish I could say I was not singing popular children's Pesach songs about slavery in Egypt while I hammered...but I can't. I wish I could say I didn't cuss like a construction worker when I missed and hammered my thumbnail...but I can't. I wish I could say the finished products don't look like I had a lot of help from kids in spacing and arranging my nails...but I can't.

But I can say that the boys love these geo-boards (phew!) and that it was worth the smashed thumb, the "creative" sound effects and the effort overall. And if you are potentially still interested in making your own geo-boards, here's how I made ours:

You Will Need:

• a wooden plank (I had several of these tree planks with bark edges from a craft supply store)
• a hammer
• nails (fewer than you'd think you'd need)
• patience (more than you'd think you'd need)
• possibly an ice pack
• rubber bands, yarn, string or loom loops

I used a piece of graph paper over the top of my wooden plank at the beginning to space out my nails. Then I decided to ditch the graph paper and just eyeball it once I got more comfortable/confident. However, if you do want to be exact, you can use graph paper and/or mark your spacing in advance. Then you're up to the hammering part. Hammer in a nail. Repeat. Repeat again. You get my drift? You'll want to make sure they are secure and as evenly spaced/straight as possible. You'll also want to find someone on Etsy who already does this and sells the darn things. That person will not be me--although I might just make one or two more for some really beloved nephews of mine.

Both boys had a great time with our new geo-boards the next morning. S is quite proficient at making shapes and designs. He even made several "pyramids" shaping the rubber bands into triangles of various sizes. You could work on letters, shapes and all kinds of things in this way. For Y, geo-boards and rubber bands are still a practice (albeit a very valuable one) in fine motor skill development. Here was his "loose interpretation:"

You can definitely purchase manufactured geo-boards, but I love the natural look of these. Older children can also help with hammering the nails with adult support and supervision. I love rubber bands the best when using these, but string, yarn and even cotton loom loops would work well with geo-boars. These would also be great to bring and use outdoors, though I am hesitant to leave them exposed to the elements for concern of rusting. Geo-boards are also a developmentally versatile material that can meet many fine motor, early math and early literacy skill targets as children grow and explore with them. While younger children can practice the skills of stretching and placing/removing rubber bands, older ones can explore shapes, patterns, letters, numbers and a number of other creative ways to use these materials. And when you DIY your own, the cost is little more than some scrap wood, nails and a bag of assorted rubber bands.

Happy Playing!

Get Outside And...Build a Fort!

I think just about everyone I know has a childhood memory of some sort of secret outdoor hideout or fort. Whether it was an actual playhouse, tree house, cardboard box, hollowed out willow tree, climbing tree, cardboard box, tent or tee-pee, there was something particularly magical and special about having a special space to play in, read in or hide out in outdoors. And in an effort to make sure my own kids are no exception to the rule that everyone I know has a childhood memory of some sort of secret outdoor hideout or fort, I decided to help facilitate their first exposure to this longtime beloved activity.

The outdoors is HUGE. A small space, a special space, a secret even a sacred space is a childhood must! In these spaces, little ones can be big. Magic can happen. Play can expand to new heights even as you are crouched down low to fit beneath a low hanging rooftop. What is it about little children seeking little spaces? I believe that they are drawn to the wonder of feeling big in them. And seeing young children at play in settings like this is such a good reminder that while fresh air and open space are so important for exercise, large spaces are not a necessity all of the time. Plenty of incredible things can happen (and developmental goals can be met) in spaces that are quite tiny.

There are some amazing structures on the market these days. We've seen beautiful playgrounds with quaint little tree houses, hobbit houses, child sized cottages and even pergolas or gazebos. But to build our own backyard fort, one we would keep a temporary structure given our space and setting, all I needed was three plastic plant stakes from the hardware store, some rubber bands, an old sheet and some clothespins. While the boys were napping in the afternoon, I set up shop in the back. I finagled the supplies into a tee-pee and decided to add in our basket of playsilks, some extra clothespins, a small basket of our favorite Spring themed books, some sticks and some rocks and stones.

S and Y both saw the tee-pee from their bedroom window when they woke up from their naps and were eager to get and play! We had a quick bite to eat and headed out back! And then, I was quite surprised that S looked at the tee-pee, but then played with the mega blocks and trucks. Y walked around the back and lifted one side of the sheet, playing peek-a-boo underneath and then took to playing inside of our parked red wagon. What was going on here? Then I realized neither of them had ever seen a tee-pee and they didn't know they could go inside!

Once I showed them they could go inside and sit or build or play or imagine, a whole scene emerged. They needed to build a bonfire to roast marshmallows. What could they use as marshmallows? S had an idea! We could use playdough! He went inside and brought out our leftover bag of peppermint playdough. He rolled himself a marshmallow and stuck it upon one end of a pussy willow branch rubbed clean of its fuzzy little blossoms. Y was very jealous. S rolled him an even bigger peppermint playdough marshmallow and stuck it on the end of an even bigger stick (all the while having me heavily guard the one he'd made for himself from his very eager little brother).

Then it was time to build the fire, but it wasn't quite hot enough yet to cook the marshmallows, S explained. They needed some help. Help from dinosaurs and little Fisher Price people and construction trucks to haul over some stones. They needed to add more scarves to the fire to "make it hotter." And then it was finally time to roast their marshmallows!

And just as they got to roasting, I heard the loud whir of lawn mowers. Oh dear, they were coming to mow our lawn! Never have you seen a crew of backyardloving marshmallow roasting tee-pee dwelling nature babies clean up so quickly and cooperatively and hurry inside! We dismantled and gathered things back to their spots and into baskets as fast as we could and went inside. It was a bummer, for sure, but easy enough to rebuild and revisit another day. Who knows what adventures will happen in the Brothers' Top Secret Hideout the next time? And, the lawnmowers were a blessing in disguise as well. Besides for trimming our grass forest back into a sizable lawn, they preempted a massive storm of thunder, a few inches of torrential rains and even hail. We had certainly been spared a soggy surprise!

So grab what you have on hand, maybe some old sheets and lawn furniture, maybe a few plant stakes or some upcycled trellises. Maybe a large cardboard box or a few medium sized ones. Get outside and build your own fort. You don't need an enormous amount of materials and space to build enormously magical childhood memories. We can't wait to build our next outdoor fort, but until then....

Happy Playing!

Make Your Own Melt & Pour Gardener's Hand Soap

Melt and Pour soap making is so easy, even I can do it! In fact, I've done it once before with these DIY Lavender Bar Soaps. It's a great way to save some $$$ on those fancy artisan soaps, to stock up on a vital household necessity using ingredients you're comfortable with and also makes for a lovely gift. I start my soaps with this oatmeal soap base, and with Pesach drawing near, using up the brick I had left in the pantry seemed a perfect way to contribute to the preparation project at hand...

As it is also the beginning of gardening season here, lots of dirty hands are coming in the house. (Not to mention the rest of the body--these are great in the bath and shower as well.) Some folks like to wear gardening gloves and although I am often rather sensory averse to certain textures (and you'd think dirt would be one of them), I love digging right into the soil bare handed. But when I do get inside, I want something to rub those dirt covered fingers clean again and somehow I just feel better using a good ol' fashioned bar of soap. Even better if it's hydrating like oatmeal soap is! And even better still if it happens to include some of my garden harvest!

Last week, Y and I traveled to our local garden nursery for two plants. Parsley and chamomile for his Peter Rabbit Garden Birthday Party. Rookie parent mistake bringing your budding green thumber to a garden nursery for two things. He fell in love with a broccoli plant and spent a good 20 minutes running his hand over various herbs and smelling them. How could I (a plant hoarder) say no to just a few additional starter plants on our way out?

I did, however, promise myself that I'm not going to "save" my herbs until the end of the season this year, but rather use them throughout their production period and I got started right away with these Gardener's Hand Soap Bars:

You will need:

• 1 lb oatmeal soap base
• lemon, rosemary and peppermint essential oils*
• fresh lemon balm, rosemary, mint (I used spearmint) leaves*
• silicone soap molds
• 1 quart sized crock pot and metal mixing bowl in comparable size or microwave safe glass dish and microwave
• metal soap tins for storage (optional)

*I used this particular combination of herbs and essential oils, but you can pick and choose your own variety!

Instructions:

I use the crock pot method for melting my soap base but if you prefer to microwave your soap base in a glass dish, you can do that instead. Just work over a medium heat setting, stopping every so often over the course of 3-4 minutes to check and stir. In the crock pot method, I fill the crock base with water about half way to create a "water bath." Place your soap block (you can cut it down with a sharp knife for more even/faster melting if you wish) into a metal mixing bowl and slip it in over the water bath. Cover your crock pot and turn onto low heat. Once your brick is melted completely (you'll want to check every half hour or so to make sure you don't burn it), you can turn the heat off and add in several drops of your oils until you've reached your desired scent. Next, grab a small handful of leaves from each of your herbs and finely chop them into the mixture. I used kitchen shears for this. Mix your concoction once more (I like using either a plastic spoon or wooden craft stick) and pour into your soap molds. You can pop the mold into the fridge or freezer for faster solidifying, but it will work just fine to leave it out at room temperature as well. I happened to leave mine out and went to go pick up S from school. Once we got home and settled in for afternoon naps, my soaps were done and ready to be popped out of the molds and stored in metal tins.

Although I did this project solo, you could involve children with it. As it gets quite hot to handle, adult supervision and support is a must. Children can definitely help with selecting scents, cutting herbs, pouring in drops of oil and mixing as well as popping the finished bars out of the mold and into storage tins if you're using those. I think the one thing I love best about soap making is how excited everyone is to wash their hands well and frequently afterward! That's always a bonus...

You can store and use your Gardener's Hand Soaps at home or save a stash to mail out for mother's day. They would make an equally lovely hostess gift or gift for a gardener you know and love. So don't be afraid to get your hands nice and dirty out there as you begin prepping your soil for planting this season! Hands and children, for that matter, are washable--you'll just need a really great bar of soap when you get in.

Happy Playing!