Get Outside And...Have a Fairy Tea Party

At the most recent meetup of my nature-based playgroup, we hosted a Fairy Tea Party at a local park and sprayground and it was such a hit that I had to share it here. Traveling with my three kids plus materials means that my activities have to be easily transportable. In an effort to preserve the financial accessibility of nature play and parks to families and children of all ages, I keep my events free of charge, so I also have a steadfast rule to use materials I have on hand. And the Fairy Tea Party has it all: the perfect combination of arts & crafts and water play with a fairy-tale theme. It's the perfect way to spend an afternoon in the sprinkler park or to do in your own backyard.

 When I do make & take projects at playgroup meetups, I like to keep them as open-ended (re: low maintenance and minimal directing on my part) as possible. Some activities do require more instruction or involvement, but with three of my own little ones on hand and a park full of attractions, I need to be able to tend to my group and my kids. I found this setup to be one of my most successful in that a certain little Y was feeling quite needy that day and C really wanted to be held, fed or worn the entire time (in 90 degree temps), and at one point I came back to our shaded picnic area to find a group of kids and adults having a great time making peg doll fairies and magic wands! Dream. Come. True!

I had set materials out on the table, a few "examples," for inspiration and our Little Traveling Nature Library was stocked with some themed reading for young readers some nature based resources for the grown ups.

We tested out Y's magic wand to see if it
could get him to stop whining that
afternoon; it didn't work...but I
think he made up for it in cuteness...

Keeping materials at a minimum and able to be used in a multitude of ways allowed for our art activities to be very open ended and independently implemented. To make your own wooden peg doll fairies and magic wands, you might include:

• wooden clothes pins (the old fashioned type, not the type with the spring)
• wooden dowels (I had very thin, short ones, you can choose any size, but I liked these for little hands)
• foam star stickers (easiest to stick onto each other or even layer)
• curling ribbon
• deconstructed artificial flowers & leaves (we have a lot of dollar tree flowers leftover from other crafts and play activities)
• tacky glue or school glue
• floral tape
• markers
• scissors
• masking tape/marker for labeling names 
• sectioned serving tray for displaying materials*

*These items are helpful if you're running a group or party. Most of the items on this list are available at Dollar Tree stores and the rest can be found inexpensively at Walmart or on Amazon.

In my examples, I used leaves as fairy wings on my peg doll and added details with marker and stickers. It was fun to see how the children and other adults got creative with flowers and stickers, etc. Wands were easily constructed with stickers and ribbons or flowers and floral tape or even combinations thereof.

And while the title of my event indicates that we had tea, I keep my public events on a BYO food/drink basis. Nonetheless, a fabulous tea party occurred in the sprinkler pad with children of all ages both from our group and just visiting the park preparing, pouring and playing with toy dishes from our collection at home. All of our play dishes were purchased secondhand at a thrift shop. These types of things make a great take-along to the pool, sprinkler park or even your bathtub. I cannot stress enough the value in having something little hands can hold (fill and pour from) when it comes to waterplay, particularly for those who may be reluctant to get wet. And I found this to be a versatile add in as well in terms of age-range. Children ranging from several months to 7 years old were having a blast!

So, whether you're planning a summer birthday party, a playdate at the park or even your own backyard, consider a Fairy Tea Party of your own. You might even take along a jug of sun tea or brew some homemade peppermint tea from your herb garden to serve along with it. We'll be back with more summer fun in the days to come.

Until then...

Happy Playing!

Pesach STEM Challenge: Building a Basket for Baby Moshe

Truth be told, there is a lot to do indoors as the holiday of Pesach draws near. And it is also true that getting those tasks accomplished with kids in the home can be quite challenging! I see getting outside with these boy as a productivity investment plan. They get the fresh air, exercise and healthy dose of vitamin N[ature] in (so do I) and we can all get a lot more done afterward.
Even more important than all of the daunting tasks that we take on each year to prepare for the holiday is the meaning and significance of this occasion to our kids. This is the time of year we want our children to ask "why" over and over and over again. This holiday is not just about our ancestors and it is not just about us; it is about our children and the future of the Jewish people as a whole. So learning about it at school and at home and engaging in meaningful play activities about Pesach are integral parts of the preparation process--just as much as the cleaning, shopping, and eating of copious amounts of carbohydrates before it begins.

I love a nice STEM challenge. I also love emptying my recycling bin. We did a similar activity to this one last year inside the house and this year I thought it would be extra fun to get outside and build! The boys were greeted at our I Wonder Station with a basket containing two water safe baby dolls and a sign reading "What can you build to carry Baby Moshe across the river?" Below the hook and basket, I set a bin of recycled materials, some craft supplies, masking tape, even tin foil. They sensory table was filled with water, the boys could use the materials in the basket and whatever else was already outside. Their challenge was to build something that could get their baby to float (or even sink) while staying dry. All kinds of brainstorming and creativity ensued...

this container closed over top and provided all around protection until..the water seeped in through the drainage holes in the bottom of it! Oh no!

This container was solid at the bottom, no holes. But...the baby was a little bit too heavy and it toppled over!

Nothing a little sunbathing won't dry off...

Parts were connected, assembled, dismantled and reassembled. Soon, even things in the yard that weren't broken needed fixing! One eager carpenter and his apprentice got busy at work repairing a wheelbarrow handle...

You don't need a lot of fancy toys and materials to carry out a fun and meaningful activity. Even though we did a similar one last year, the boys have grown a whole year older--and wiser--in their understanding of buoyancy. Even Y could now recognize items sinking and floating in the "river." (He tested quite a few!)

And the great outdoors is a wonderful place for building together, whether you're working on the best basket for baby Moshe, building pyramids with plastic mega blocks or woodworking.




So take a little break from wrapping the whole house in tinfoil, maybe bring the roll outside with you along with the contents of your recycling bin and happy playing for Pesach and all year round!

Get Outside And... Paint a Rainbow!

In my own efforts to get outside with my kids as often as possible, I'm kicking off a new recurring series on the blog, Get Outside And... These will be posts that include a simple to set up activity to bring outdoors with you. We get out plenty with no special reason, activity or destination. Sometimes it's fun and exciting to do something special while we're out there. As the weather warms up, the outdoors can be a great (safe) place to take messy play and art. Today's post is a perfect example, but I can't take the credit for the idea. I first saw the idea for Rainbow Rain Painting on Learn As You Play. We adapted the idea to bring outdoors (using a couple of inexpensive folding table-top easels we frequently bring on the go) and adding in spray bottles along with the pipettes and water. This would be a great activity to take to the sprinkler park in the summer or poolside. And, as an added bonus, those watercolor pallets that are all mixed up and dirty will have a fresh new start! If I ever go back to teaching, I'm going to do this with my students at the end of every school year!

You will need:

• easel or vertical surface 
• white paper (watercolor paper works best)
• watercolor pallet (the standard 8 color version is perfect)
• pipettes & a cup/jar of water
• spray bottles filled with water

To set up your Rainbow Rain Painting Stations, clip your paper and watercolor pallet to the easel. The kids simply fill and squeeze water from the pipettes onto each color or spray with water and watch as the colors drip and bleed down the page. We had so much fun with this one--even I spent a good long while spraying at the end!

Happy Spraying, I mean Playing!

8 Great Chanukah Activities: Day 7 Oil, Water & Light, Oh My!

Oil, water and light, oh my! Oil and water may not mix, but these two activities are a perfect Chanukah pairing for kids of all ages. We had an afternoon last week of Chanukah Creation Stations (you'll get a peek at two of our other stations in tomorrow's final Chanukah activity post). These are activities that use many similar components and can definitely be carried out together in a rotation or done individually, one at a time. They are fun and accessible for kids of all ages. They might be a little messy, so feel free to take necessary precautions with covering your work space and clothing. But by the 7th day of Chanukah, your house is probably already drenched in oil, glitter and maybe also the scent of latkes (maybe forever)!

We've done sensory play with oil and water before both contained in a sensory bottle and even in our sensory table. But this year I had the idea to include the element of light, another important component of Chanukah by using our light panel. A shallow clear bin makes the perfect container to set on top of a light table for messy sensory play. I set out a condiment bottle of vegetable oil, a couple of jugs of water with red and blue food coloring and some glitter, and a selection of pipettes, test tubes and funnels for pouring, squirting, slurping, transferring, pouring and exploring. S spent so much time with this activity and was absolutely enthralled. He kept gleefully stating the he was doing science and art!

At the very end, it was great fun to pour all of the oil and water in the basin together and explore the way they move in resistance, swirl, bubble, sparkle and shine! 

Meanwhile, Y was busy exploring watercolor paints and oil painted on watercolor paper. The way the oil resists the watercolors is truly beautiful no matter how old the artist is! He loved painting. S also enjoyed the brush and then had the idea to use pipettes as well. We used an ice cube tray for the watercolor paints (liquid watercolor diluted with water) and vegetable oil. I loved using a heavy duty, high quality watercolor paper for this as it stood up well to wet, oily painting. Even S, who got a little overzealous with the pipettes at first, didn't have any leaking through (and had a lot of fun using the pipettes to suck back up the big puddles). We hung the finished paintings on display but they can be used in collage or to create beautiful holiday greeting or thank you cards.

Well, the menorah is filling up and the days of Chanukah are dwindling to an end. Join us tomorrow for one last great Chanukah activity. Until then...

Happy Chanukah and Happy Playing!

Waterplay Wednesday: Just Add Water!

We're about to head out to one of our favorite sprinkler parks and playgrounds for my nature based playgroup. Sprinkler parks are one of my go-to outdoor summer activities and water play is something we do here year round whether we're outside, indoors or just in the tub. I can usually be found at the sprinkler park toting a utility bucket full of unusual items. This is undoubtedly a conversation starter! Some years I have a soggy child or two decked head to toe in waterproof clothing. Some years I have a dry child or two decked head to toe in waterproof clothing. Children generally love to get wet and play in water. Some do not love the "surprise" element of sprinklers and some love it one year and give it a wide berth the next! S has gone through phases of feelings about sprinklers and this year, he's back in with Y right alongside him!
Nonetheless, having something to hold in their little hands makes little ones all the more eager to get in and get wet. Having a nearby waterplay alternative like my "pop-up" water tables made from filling a plastic bin or bowl with water is a great way to be inclusive to those who are hesitant around sprinklers or unable to move about independently. Last summer S even cleverly figured out how to pawn off the job of filling our utility bucket with water for him on a willing and unsuspecting peer. I've written about waterplay take-alongs before, but here is an updated and revised list including a new section of art materials, natural items and some especially for the littlest ones!

Just add water, bring a towel and Happy Playing!

Water Play Take-Alongs

Household Items:

• cups, containers, things you can fill and pour from
• colanders/strainers
• measuring cups & measuring spoons
• large paint brushes & sponge brushes
• scrub brushes and sponges
• recycled plastic containers from produce (the ones with holes in the bottom can be especially fun!), pudding cups/applesauce cups/fruit cups
• spray bottles
• empty condiment bottles for filling/squirting
• utility bucket (great for transporting stuff and filling/pouring)
• plastic bin or large plastic bowl for a “pop-up” water table (great for very little ones or those who are hesitant to get in the sprinkler or pool)
• wash cloths and rags
• Ice! Freeze water in ice cube trays or containers of all shapes/sizes--you can add food coloring, glitter, even small toys

“Non-traditional” Water Toys:

• toy cars and sponges make a great car wash--you can even add shaving cream for suds!
• plastic animals or plastic dinosaurs
• plastic baby dolls and washcloths
• Legos/Duplos or Mega Blocks--if building towers indoors on dry land is fun, think how fun it will be in the sprinkler outside!
• balls/balloons
• plastic food and toy dishes--outdoor tea party, anyone?
• shovels/pales and toys traditionally used in sand are also fun to explore in water
• craft foam shapes and foam puzzle pieces (these make awesome bathtub stickers when wet!)

Natural Materials:

• Sticks and twigs
• Pine cones, seed pods
• Flowers, leaves
• Wood circles, drift wood
• Seashells
• Rocks and large pebbles

Art Materials--just add water!

• Watercolor paints
• Sidewalk chalk
• Watercolor pencils
• Things to paint/color on: Paper, white coffee filters, paper towels, tissue paper
• Things to paint with: paint brushes, sponges, squirt bottles and spray bottles
• Paint with water books (available at Dollar Tree)

For the Very Young:

Set up a “pop-up” water table using a bin or bowl of water (or a few) and choose some add-ins:

• Frozen teething toys (great for teething babies!)
• Teething rings
• Water safe plastic rattles and baby toys
• Any materials from the above list that are not choking hazards

Sprout Scouts Playcamp: Water, Water, Everywhere

Water, Water, Everywhere!

Every great Sprout Scout knows a good rain is great for the garden, but even so, a rainy day can be a real downer! This theme is a great way to explore and celebrate water, water life and rain. You can use these activities as a stand-alone theme or stash them away for the perfect rainy day! The very best thing about water play is that it can be done with a wide range of ages and developmental levels in mind--from infancy through adulthood. This theme has something for everyone--just add water!

Materials List:

• water!
• shaving cream
• food coloring
• sidewalk chalk
• paint brushes in a variety of sizes, especially sponge tip and paint rollers\
• plastic and/or rubber toy frogs 
• tempura paint
• washable markers
• watercolor paints, watercolor pencils
• white paper (watercolor, card stock or construction weight paper is suggested)
• nature's loose parts--pine cones, sticks, stones, leaves, twigs, drift wood, etc.
• fresh, aromatic herbs such as mint, lavender, rosemary--whatever you like and/or have on hand
• containers, colanders, sponges, buckets, etc. for exploring, pouring and playing with water and freezing water
• plastic pipettes (available on Amazon)
• sandwich size ziplock bag, sandwich size fold-top bag
• rubber bands
• permanent markers
• tape (masking tape, duct tape or even scotch tape are fine)
• balloons in a variety of sizes
• scissors
• glitter
• toy hammer and other toy tools
• party favor necklaces, jewels, wands 
• Kosher salt
• recycled brown paper shopping bags
• clear glass jar

Art:

• Rain Art: This is one of my favorite rainy day activities! You'll need some heavier weight paper and washable markers. Young artists will begin by doodling and drawing on their paper. You'll want to preface the activity by explaining that this will be Rain Art and perhaps even asking your young, artistic scientist what he/she thinks might happen to washable marker drawings left in the rain. Once you're ready, you'll set your artwork out for a bit of time in the rain--but not too long, or you'll come back in with white paper again! Observe the results, allow it to dry and you'll have a lovely work of art to display or use for collage or gift-wrap. You can also use this as an opportunity to experiment with the affects of rain on different art mediums. What happens with permanent marker? How about watercolor pencils? Crayons? 

As an indoor alternative in the event of drought, you can also conduct your rain art experiment using a spray bottle or pipettes to wet your artwork!

• Watercolor Painting and Drawing with Watercolor Pencils are wonderful art mediums for children of all ages to explore. With younger children, using a sponge to wet their paper first can help the color to more easily spread. I recommend a heavier weight paper such as watercolor paper, card stock or construction paper. You might experiment with the affects of kosher salt on watercolor. Perhaps you will experiment with other types of paper such as paper towels, white coffee filters or tissue paper. You might even bring along paper and watercolors to the sprinkler park or poolside for a shady spot activity when kids (or parents) need a break from the sunshine! 

• Ice Painting with Watercolors: One of our very favorite and most often repeated art activities at home is painting ice with watercolors! In advance, freeze water inside a plastic container or dish. When you're ready to paint, release your ice onto a tray or baking pan and simply provide watercolor paints and brushes. You may also add in additional water for washing brushes or kosher salt to create a unique texture as the ice melts Another fun way to explore watercolors and cool off at the same time is to provide ice cubes in lieu of water and brushes. You can even freeze some "ice brushes" by sticking a small wooden craft stick or Q-tip inside your ice cube tray. 
• Sidewalk chalk + Water = PAINT! Oh, this is a fun one! One you can do outdoors on a warm, rainy day or on a sunny day with added water--you might want to coordinate it, either way, with a good soak in the tub afterward! Grab your sidewalk chalk and maybe some brushes if you like (although hands and feet work just as well) and see what happens when you mix water and chalk...

• Frog Prints: Ponds can be found in almost any area and are such a wonder to explore. One of the most fascinating critters to learn about is frogs! Here's a bit of process art fun for those plastic or rubber frogs you can find at the dollar store. Set out some paper, a tray of green paint (or your color of choice), some toy frogs and paintbrushes if you wish. Once those frogs get a hoppin', there's just no stoppin'! This is particularly fun for the younger crowd...
  
  

Outdoor Activities:

• We're Going on a Frog Hunt! This requires a bit of preparation prior to beginning. Gather a selection of toy plastic and/or rubber frogs. I've found these year round at Dollar Tree stores. You can do this at home in your own yard or even at a park. You might want to count how many you have beforehand! Hide your frogs around the area, on the ground, under trees and bushes, on a leaf.... Next, you'll gather the troops. You might even provide a small container to collect their findings. You can talk about how some frogs and toads protect themselves by camouflaging into their natural surroundings, while others have brightly colored skin to ward off predators by letting them know they are poisonous. We love to do this activity outside, but it can also be done indoors on a rainy day...
  
• Rain Drums: This is one (of many) great ideas in the book A Little Bit of Dirt: 55+ Science and Art Activities to Reconnect Children with Nature by Asia Citro, MEd. You'll need a selection of different sized plastic containers (no lids necessary) and a variety of corresponding sized balloons. You'll also need a rainy day! And perhaps some rain gear or waterproof clothing... Cut the ends off your balloons and stretch one over the top of each container. Take your drums outdoors and listen, ever so quietly, to the musical interludes of raindrops falling. The harder the rain, the louder your drums will play! You might even experiment with other types of coverings and see how they sound... Or perhaps you'll test out some metal tins turned upside down that you have in your Mud Kitchen? There is something so inherently soothing about the sound of rain falling! It might even brighten up the next rainy day...
  

• Ice Castle Excavation: Ice is an oft forgotten form of water that is great for play--especially in the summer. You'll need to prepare in advance for activities like this one (and maybe explain to your spouse why you have to eat all of the leftovers tonight because you need the freezer space to make an ice castle...). Using a castle shaped bucket and/or containers in any variety of shapes and sizes (even muffin tins are great), freeze some water. You can add in glitter, food coloring of your choice, and jewels, necklaces and other trinkets from the party favor section of your dollar store (keep in mind that these may not survive the activity, so don't use your finest family heirlooms!). I find it best to prepare this the night before we want to do the activity. When you're ready, choose a space outdoors either on the ground or in a sensory bin/water table to set up your ice castle excavation. If you have a hard time getting the ice out of any container, just run a bit of warm water over the bottom. Ice excavators can use toy hammers and other tools to try to to retrieve the jewels frozen in the castle. They can also test out what happens when they add water and or kosher salt to the ice. You can use safety goggles if you wish and, as always, provide support and supervision with the use of hammers and tools with young children! 

• Painting With Water: I have great childhood memories of using a big foam tipped brush to paint fences and sidewalks with water in the summer and it's an activity I introduced early to my own kids. Big paint brushes and sponge brushes are still one of the most popular (and fought over) toys I bring to the sprinkler park each summer. It is so much fun to create designs and pictures with water and watch the sun make them disappear!

Indoor Activities & Active Play:

You can't always get outside for a good puddle jump in the rain, so here are a few activities to try inside, including some that will get you and your kids moving!

Indoor Puddle Jumping with Letters or Sight Words: Using recycled brown paper shopping bags, cut some large mud puddle shapes. On each puddle, you'll write a letter or (with older children) sight word. You can add in some music to get everyone moving and when the music stops, it's time to puddle jump. There are three ways to play (depending on your puddle jumpers' level of ability). You can call out and/or show a letter name (for letter recognition), a word (or picture) for beginning sound, or a sight word for word recognition. You can even make this into a rhyming word challenge and provide a word and/or picture on each puddle and call out rhyming word. Everyone will have a great time being active and jumping in mud puddles without any of the muddy mess afterward!

Frank the Frog: Rain Forest Yoga from Cosmic Kids Yoga:
Got a little yogi at home? We love the videos from Cosmic Kids Yoga for rainy days or afternoons that just beg for a bit more movement. Many are available on YouTube and this one is one of our favorites!

Science:

• How Do Clouds Make Rain? Water Cycle in a Bag Experiment: This science experiment is so simple to set up and a great one for teaching about the water cycle. You'll need a ziplock bag (sandwich size is fine), a permanent marker, some masking tape, duct tape or packing tape, and water. You can also use blue food coloring if you wish. Begin by drawing a body of water on the bottom of your bag and clouds at the top. Fill your bag about a quarter of the way full with water, adding food coloring if you wish. Tightly seal the bag and add some tape for reinforcement. Lastly you'll want to tape it to a window and observe throughout different times of the day how the change in sun exposure/temperature creates "fog" in the clouds that eventually drip into "rain" back to the body of water at the bottom of the bag!

• Rain Cloud in a Jar Experiment: This is another simple and fun way to demonstrate how clouds make rain! You'll need a clear jar or glass, some additional small recycled containers or cups, shaving cream, food coloring, pipettes and water. Begin by filling your glass about 3/4 of the way full with cool water. Meanwhile, fill your extra cups/containers with water and a color of your choice to set aside as your "rain." Squirt a fluffy shaving cream cloud atop your jar of water and have your junior scientists try their hands at sucking up and gently squirting drops of "rain" onto the rain cloud. As the cloud gets heavier and heavier with colored water, you'll observe colorful drops of rain coming through the cloud down into the water! It will be the most beautiful (or at least the most colorful) rain storm you've ever observed!

• Do Leaves Sweat? You betcha! In this simple science experiment, also featured in Asia Citro's A Little Bit of Dirt, you'll need a clear plastic bag, a rubber band and leaves on a tree. You can even set up more than one observation on different types of trees to compare and contrast. Bundle a few leaves in your plastic bag and gently fasten it with the rubber band so it won't slip off. Observe what the leaves look like now--maybe even draw or take a photo of it! Come back to the same spot the next day and you should see a fair amount of water in the bottom of your bag. Because the bag prevents water from evaporating back into the atmosphere, moisture that is sweated out by the leaves collects in the bottom--similar to how a rain cloud works!

• How Do Plants Drink Water? Have you ever wondered how the water we provide our gardens or from rain gets to the plants and helps them grow? In this great experiment from Buggy and Buddy, you'll observe how water travels through the stem to other parts of the leaf over a period of three days. You'll need a cup or jar, a leaf, water and food coloring. Read more about how to set up and observe your experiment at Science for Kids: Exploring Leaves.

• Sink or Float Science: Experimenting with materials that sink or float is another favorite science activity here. We do it several times a year and in a variety of ways. I especially love using items found in nature to test. Grab a basket and fill it with interesting leaves, seed pods, flowers, pine cones, acorns, twigs, rocks--whatever you can find. You'll need a basin of water and then the test is on! You might talk about what makes items sink to the bottom or float to the top. What materials tend to float? What are boats made out of? You might also try this inside with household items. Perhaps you'll talk about the difference between fresh water (like a pond) and salt water (like the ocean) and add a couple of salt water basins with a different amounts of salt. Does that affect the results of your test items? The best thing about sink or float science is that it can be done inside in a bin, in the bathtub, in your sink, outside, at the pool--wherever water is available! You can record your results if you wish or just enjoy the process. It's a great experiment to do on a family vacation or trip as it requires very little in the way of preparation or special materials.

Sensory Play:

Water is an amazing tool for sensory play. It's available just about everywhere all year round. It's usually free (or at least already included in your monthly expenses). It's allergy safe and fun for all ages and developmental levels. I have yet to meet a child who tires of a simple water table set up--just water and a container or two for filling, pouring, and transferring. You can add in toys, vegetables for washing, or even items found in nature. Water play is also a wonderful way to introduce sensory play to infants and young toddlers. Read more about that in Waterplay Wednesday: The Baby Edition. Here are a few more of my favorite water life and rain related sensory play activities:

• Frog Pond Sensory Bin: Pond life comes alive with this small world sensory bin! You'll need some toy frogs and from there, you can add in whatever natural and man-made materials you have on hand. We used rocks, a variety of wood pieces, glass gems, a plastic baby dish drainer made to look like grass that we never actually used for its intended purpose, and some artificial flowers. This captivated my older one for days! We changed out the water each evening, but when small world play and sensory play collide, the result is often hours and hours of fun!
  

• Scented Waterplay with Fresh Cut Herbs: If you happen to be growing herbs in your garden or have some leftover from a recipe, this is a heavenly way to add an additional sensory component into waterplay. The bonus is that it's totally taste safe for the still-mouthing and/or younger crowd. Choose some fresh herbs that you particularly like together (like a couple varieties of mint or lavender and rosemary...) and add them to a bowl or basin of water. You can also add in spoons for mixing or bowls/cups for pouring, but this is just as lovely on its own with two (or more) hands to splash in it! You can add as much or as little of your fresh herbs as you like, and if the thought of just tossing out fresh cut herbs when you're done simply tugs at your heartstrings too much, you can still give them another good rinse and use them for cooking or making tea!

• Shaving Cream Clouds Sensory Play: Shaving cream is such a fun sensory play material! You can squirt it right on your table top (it's a self-cleaning play activity!), on a tray or even in your tub. Little hands will love making designs in the shaving cream clouds. You can also add in a few drops of food coloring or tempura paint (one or more than one color for mixing). We love doing this as a story stretcher activity with Eric Carle's Little Cloud and trying to make different cloud shapes as seen in the book. For those who may be a bit sensory averse or hesitant to dig right in, a plastic fork or comb or wooden craft stick can be a great tool. Providing a wet rag alongside can also help children who are averse to messy play to feel more comfortable.

Family Field Trips & Extension Activities:

We are so fortunate to live near several sprinkler parks. These are so much fun in the summer! They entertain a variety of ages (yes, even the adults) and it can be active fun for the whole family. Some children are game to jump right in (and through and over and under and on top) of the sprinklers while others are a bit more hesitant. My own older one used to be the jump-right-in-type and aged into the give-it-a-wide-berth-type. For the more hesitant ones at the sprinkler park or pool, I like to offer some support tools and alternative activities. A plastic bucket or basin can be filled with water for poolside or park-side water play and combined with the add-ins of your choice. Taking along some of the art materials or activities listed above can also be a great option. Read Waterplay Wednesday: Spicing Up the Sprinkler Park for more ideas on great waterplay take-alongs.

Cloud Watching is another great (FREE) family activity! You'll need one of those perfectly blue sky and fluffy cloud kinds of days, maybe a big grassy hill, a cozy picnic blanket to lay on and maybe some sunglasses. Watch as the clouds go by and see what shapes and pictures you can find in the sky.

Talking about water conservation is something that most of us probably do without even thinking of it. How many times a day do you remind someone in your house to turn off a faucet or to hurry in the shower before the fish run out of water? Take it to the next (less nagging) level this summer by using leftover water in your water bottles to give your garden a drink or practicing using the sprinkler and hose at their most efficient hours (early morning or dusk). Additionally, you can model and talk about protecting water life by cleaning up rubbish in parks and pond areas, and avoiding the tempting activity of feeding ducks human food. If you do live near a pond, river, lake or other body of water, it's a great family field trip to take and observe the flora and fauna. You can check out a variety of interesting books, both fiction and non-fiction from your local library!

I'm throwing in a little backyard (or front yard) hack today as well to encourage and invite water play without always needing a hose and running water. I love using a large plastic spigot jug filled with water for my kids to use as a filling/pouring station. It's great for use in the Mud Kitchen, watering plants and even a quick rinse of the hands! When it's empty, simply refill it and you're good to go. Just make sure to provide separate water for drinking and in general, to avoid areas with stagnant water in your yard that can invite mosquitoes and other unwanted pests.

Well, Sprout Scouts, we will be back with our next playcamp theme soon. Until then...[don't] stay dry and happy playing!

Fun & Learning in the Garden with Incredible, Edible Herbs!

The incredible, edible herb? Herbs are a wannabe-gardener's best buddy. Even if you don't have a huge space outdoors for planting, or any space at all, you can have an herb garden! You can plant herbs in containers, you can grow some in water, you can house them indoors given proper lighting and outdoors given the proper temperature. You can savor the flavors in the dead of winter from your kitchen window. You can dry them, freeze them, cook and can your own preserves or make your own tea. The options are as endless as varieties!

Our current outdoor herb collection
with a special cameo from my
chicken feet...

For children (and adults like me), the beginnings of a garden have all the hope and potential in the world. And then there is the waiting. The long, hot, sweaty, incessant waiting. For this reason, I encourage those who are gardening with children to mix it up a bit. Start off with some seeds you sow on your own and some starter plants as well. Choose a few options that will provide you with a quick and early harvest. Radishes a great! Staggering your planting throughout the gardening season can also be beneficial. Plant and harvest those radishes early on and then grow some more (if you really love radishes) or try some carrots that will be ready in the fall. Here in Virginia, many plants do well late into the autumn season. But waiting for that first tasty harvest can be disheartening. Summer heat and drought make the work feel treacherous and everyone needs a little reward along the way. Herbs are your reward!

Our window box is home to some
pineapple sage and lemon verbena,
both delicious additions to freshly
squeezed lemonade, iced tea or water

We do start some from seed (certain ones do better for us than others) and we also buy some starter plants. You can often find small herb plants even in the produce section of your local grocery chain year round. In the spring and summer months, garden centers are brimming with interesting options. Choose some favorites you know you will use like mint, parsley, oregano, basil and thyme. Choose some unique ones you haven't tried like pineapple sage or lemon thyme, eucalyptus or chamomile. Dill, chives and mint varieties all grow like weeds! Dill will also attract certain pollinators to your garden (but beware of those that might be harmful to other nearby plants, like hornworms). Mint comes in so many varieties besides classic peppermint, but because they grow so voraciously, they don't do well in the same container without intermingling to the point of being unrecognizable in scent and flavor (who knew?). When your growing season is close to the end and before the first frost, many herbs can be easily dried, frozen and stored for use throughout the winter. How lovely it would be to taste the spring and summer months all year long? (And you'll save a bundle on the cost of fresh or dried herbs in the store off season!)
Herbs are a great way to share the garden-to-table experience in the comfort of your own home (and yard). When it comes to gardening, we dig in. I encourage playing with your food here! Nothing goes to waste when you play with the food you have grown yourself. We had a great time in our yard playing and exploring with Incredible, Edible Herbs--but don't worry, we used some for cooking and eating, too!

Lemon thyme and lemon verbena are ready for grinding in the mortar and pestle. How interesting it is to smell lemons with no lemons in sight! Show your growing gardeners how to gently rub leaves of herbs between their fingers, even while still attached to the plant and smell the incredible scents of different herbs. Can they smell the difference between parsley and cilantro? How about lavender and rosemary? Basil and mint?

• Just add scissors! And maybe a mortar and pestle... Cutting herbs, grinding herbs, smelling and handling herbs are great ways to combine fine motor skills and sensory play as your little gardener's help harvest and explore. It's also an opportunity to talk about how and when to harvest herbs and plants in the garden. Let's not forget the extreme eagerness of tiny green thumbs to pluck tiny green tomatoes!

Bring your herb scented nature looms indoors to dry and display!

• Herb Scented Nature Looms: This is such a sweet and simple way to collect and display your nature findings, whether it's from a patch of wildflowers, collected leaves and dandelions from the park or the sweet and savory scents from your herb garden. We used recycled cardboard and rubber bands to create our looms (this is a great fine motor activity in and of itself) and arranged some of what we cut and collected in the garden.

• Herb Scented Sensory Play: Water play is a favorite activity among both my boys and this water table (or bowl or bin) idea is taste safe for the very young. Choose some herbs that smell particularly lovely together like mint or rosemary and lavender... You can add in some spoons for stirring, cups and containers for filling and pouring or just some eager hands!

Lavender & Rosemary Waterplay

Peppermint & Spearmint Waterplay

• Invitation to Draw a Still Life of an Herb: Herbs are so very lovely to look at. They almost beckon a budding artist to capture that beauty on paper or canvas. The garden in a great place to introduce the concept of still life drawing to young artists. Perfection or correct representation is certainly not the goal here, but rather child-led process art and the experience of drawing or painting or otherwise capturing what comes to mind when they view the targeted objects. A variety of mediums for coloring and paper alongside our glass jar of cut herbs were all that was needed to set up this simple still life. Alternatively, you can bring a sketch book with you to the garden and have a pouch of colored pencils on the ready!

Our basket is stocked with a variety of preserved herb seed packets and a magnifying glass. These are a portion of my previous years' remainders and seed envelopes sealed in ziplock bags and are great for observation of seeds and what they look like fully grown. You can also separate your leftover seeds and their corresponding packets to create a fun matching game! With fresh cut herbs on display, the aroma of our lemon scented mortar & pestle activity plus a selection of art mediums and paper on the ready for both my budding artists, inspiration is at their fingertips!

• Meanwhile, in the kitchen... I have a confession: I not-so-secretly love how S throws a fit when it's time to come inside from the garden. That said, I don't think our neighbors love it as much and after a while, the mud-covered child who is screaming and yelling that he's still not finished even starts to get under my skin and look a little less cute and adorable. (How can a tear stained face full of dirt and mud not be a little cute and adorable?) You need a really great lure and for S, the kitchen is the place to be. So I had a batch of our favorite pizza dough already whipped up in the fridge for making Fresh Herb Bread Sticks to go with our dinner. Use your favorite pizza dough recipe or buy ready-made if you prefer. Gather a selection of cut herbs like basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary and thyme and get all hands on deck for cutting (kitchen scissors with support, a child-friendly crinkle cutting knife or even a plastic knife work well) and knead those delicious herbs right into your dough before shaping and rolling some wiggly worm bread sticks to bake up for a perfect side to soup and salad night! If you like, coat with egg wash and sprinkle with some minced garlic, kosher salt and more herbs! If you have an adventurous eater who also loves cooking, you might invite your kitchen assistants to cut up some fresh herbs mix into a batch of scrambled eggs. Is this breakfast? Dinner? Who cares! Yum!

Want to do more? We loved this invitation to create with fresh cut herbs and homemade playdough this past Thanksgiving. It was an activity that S returned to again and again (and we still had enough left over to baste our bird)! All you need is a selection of your favorite herbs, playdough (homemade is great or store bought is fine, too), some scissors and maybe a rolling pin or two...

Herbs can be a full sensory experience. From seed to sprout to harvest to table and everywhere in between, growing your own can make just about anyone feel like they have a green thumb--even me! We'll see you next time and until then...

Happy Playing!