DIY toddler wall storage solution for play area

We just got home from a wonderful Christmas travel tour to visit both sets of Little Biscuit's grandparents. He didn't get spoiled in the slightest (yeah right!) Today we spent a lot of time removing Christmas decor and trying to find places for all the new toys. The biggest order of business was to make a special spot for his new fire house and gear. I decided to keep it really simple and instead of buying an expensive coat rack for the fire jacket and hat, we'd stick with Command strips. Besides, the extinguisher and hatchet wouldn't have worked on a coat rack. Those I just attached using the super-techy hair tie nailed to the wall with a  photo frame nail :)  The extinguisher and hatchet both store and come out really easy...and should hold up well too since they're stretchy.

I may use the same hair tie system to store some other stuff in his room too...

Of course it's not about the storage...the fun is getting it all out to play with!

here he is all decked out...

we call him "Captain Spaghetti Face!"

(On top of Old Smoky...lol... :)

A Trip to the Swingset Showroom

Last week we decided to check out a giant play set store (Rainbow Recreation) not far from where we live...they have a free open play time for kids. They had so many cool things to do that Little Biscuit wasn't sure where to start!

Slides and swings and ladders and monkey bars and air pogo sticks...wow!
Trampolines...he loved that! But he pulled off his socks to feel the "bounce" on his toes so we had to take him off early ;)A basketball court!Setting up for a slam dunk!
His favorite discovery of all...a "just his size" play house with a full door! He couldn't stop going in and out, opening and shutting the door, sticking his head in the little round window, and washing his hands at the sink :) Too fun!Here he is inside another play house...It was a great morning and definitely worth the drive out :)

Messy play to stimulate the senses

A while back we took our little guy to the local parents-as-teachers "messy play date" event for preschoolers. They had set up all kinds of play tables full of toddler-appealing things to touch and feel, such as...

wet, gooey spaghetti noodles...a pool full of shredded paper...
a tub of green slime...
Jello!
potato flakes and sand toys...
He had a great time and the really fun part is that if we ever get bored at home we can recreate some of this pretty easily and have our own messy playtime in the kitchen floor.

Easy clean-up toy ideas

One of the exciting events of this month was being able to take down the baby gate that has guarded the kitchen since Little Biscuit's birth. Now that he's just a few months shy of two, we figured he was old enough to learn to stay away from off-limits items without baby proofing every cabinet, appliance, and door. We put happy face stickers on kitchen areas he can play in (like the now you see it, now you don't pull-out train track and toy car drawer above); we put "no" symbol stickers on drawers and places we don't want him to touch. Overall he's done a really good job following the rules...with a few slip-ups of course!
Even though he sometimes makes a mess in the floor around his play drawer, I prefer frequent clean-ups to the previous dilemma - which was frequently listening to him yell because he wanted over the gate and I wouldn't let him in. It's nice to be able to pick it up and just close the drawer when he's done. And it doesn't hurt that overall it's been a lot quieter around here lately...
...unless you count the rattle of trains and hot wheels speeding down the track ;)
Then, when the kitchen work is done, it's time for laundry...so we found a fun "secret speedway" for that too ;) Just flipped over the empty basket and voila! Gentlemen, start your engines!It's great to find these kinds of hidden play spaces all around the house! Makes the toys seem almost invisible ;) I just hope he doesn't get so into discovering the possibilities that he uses the toilet rim as the location for his next matchbox race! That might not be so easy to clean up ;)

Cheap Indoor Fun - All Smiles for Tile!

So within the last few weeks little Biscuit has learned to smile when asked :) He doesn't always comply but when he is in a hammy mood, he likes to say cheese and grin from ear to ear! Sometimes he'll even point to the smile to let you know where it is, in case you can't figure it out for yourself. Today we had a little practice time when we went to the area tile store (no real reason other than another interesting place for a toddler to explore and play).They did have a preschool-size table set up in there with some Lincoln Logs and Disney books, but he was more interested in stepping in and out of the showers and bathtubs and checking out the sinks and cabinets.
He couldn't put down this sponge...we usually just have washcloths at home so the loofah he found in a soap dish was irresistible. He carried it around all morning!

My First Pet - A Fish for a Train Lover

Well Little Biscuit got his Valentine's gift from Mommy a bit early today - a brand new aqua colored beta fish, complete with a tot-style train theme tank!Meet Donegan (named from railroad lingo for a train that has been turned into a house - since a toy train has become this guy's watery residence!)Little Biscuit had a great time feeding him, and standing in a chair to watch Donegan take a "ride" in the red caboose.Not to mention it makes a fun accessory for his choo-choo toddler room! And very easy to care for - he only needs to eat every few days, and ever-so-often water changes ;)

The Toddler Playhouse Hideout Club

An arctic blast hit this week and we were stuck inside almost all week (plus I had a particularly icky cold so didn't feel too energetic either). As you can see we were getting pretty bored and stir crazy with the usual plastic trucks and puzzles and blocks and stuffed animals...our eyes were beginning to glaze over!
Then, as if on cue, the FedEx guy delivered Little Biscuit's new PeaPod travel bed (a cool little tot-sized tent!) and everything changed for the better! Suddenly we had a whole new world of playtime opportunities! We set it up and the flap doors to his very first kiddie clubhouse opened just before naptime!
(He hasn't learned the "no girls allowed rule" yet so he let me take some pictures!)This is better than a boring ole' baby DVD anyday, Mommy!
The first meeting will come to order!
Okay mom I know the rule now...get out!His first member candidate gets initiated (do you know the secret kiss?)!

The Doo-Dad Bowl for Developmental Delight

An easy pleaser for Little Biscuit lately has been anything new and different that he can turn into toddler toys. So for a quick activity I fill up a mixing bowl with an assortment of oddments that help him explore and imagine. Puzzle pieces, blocks, chenille stems formed into fun spiral shapes, bendy straws in neon colors - you get the idea. Throw in a big spoon to stir it all up and he just goes at :) It's a sensory sensation too - he likes the sounds he makes when he stirs (and the noisier the better!)...
He can also taste it....mmm, that straw has a bold plastic flavor!Wonder what that bowl smells like inside?Touch it! Hands-on interaction is just as interesting for playing in the bowl - and all those textures are irresistable!Then it's time to dump it out all over the floor! Look at all those fun colors, shapes and sizes :)Do I have any other senses, Mommy? Can I try them all out at once?

A Nice Day for a Warm Winter Penny Kick

On those cold winter mornings when it's too cold to get out and about, there's nothing like a good old-fashioned pretend picnic with all the stuffed animal pals. Little Biscuit is just learning how to do some imaginative role-playing now and he really had a fun time with this easy indoor activity :) I pulled out the silliest dishes I could find and watched to see what he'd come up with. I don't know if he had a better time feeding his fuzzy friends or chomping on the egg beater and ice cream scoop :) It kept him occupied most of the morning. And the best part was, we didn't attract any ants!