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Kids don’t always need traditional toys to make mindful memories. Sometimes, it’s the household items around your house that they can play with for hours. The items listed below can spark inspiration for active play, dramatic play, fine motor activities, and even introduce toddlers to foundational STEM concepts. And no worries if you don’t have these items around the house, they all cost less than your average toy and nearly every item can be purchased secondhand! Active Play Balloons I can’t overstress the convenience of having a pack of inflatable balloons on hand year round. Kids still adore a classic game of Don’t Let the Balloon Touch the Ground, also known as Keepy Uppy! Literally, blow up a balloon, tie it, and throw it to your kid, they’ll naturally dive in to give it a hit, and stay busy for a solid 30 minutes or longer! Why do kids love playing with balloons? Kids love playing with balloons because they’re so light and move through the air slower than balls. Toddlers appear to be excited by the slower speed of the light ball and perceive it to be easier for them to catch the balloon. What tends to happen is the light weight of the balloon makes it a lot harder for them to predict where the balloon will ultimately land. So, younger toddlers end up having less chances to catch the balloon (they can generally expect balls to land somewhere very close to their hands). However, they do spend a lot of time eagerly and blissfully running after the balloon– which makes balloon play awesome for active play! Safety Note: Balloon play should be supervised for kids ages 1-2, and/or amongst kids that mouth toys Developmental Benefits: Gross motor skills; eye-hand coordination; spatial reasoning Teaches: Problem solving; perseverance Laundry Baskets While your laundry basket may be full of a pile of laundry, I invite you to dump it out every now and then and let your kiddos play with it. Laundry baskets are especially handy for sibling play! Older siblings often have younger siblings hop in the basket and push them around the house. In doing so, the older sibling gets a good workout in, while releasing a lot of energy. Typically, the younger sibling will unsuccessfully try to role reverse and attempt to push their older sibling around. After struggling for a few minutes, the younger sibling learns the limits of their strength and also gets a good workout in. Kids can also use laundry baskets for imaginative play– a classic hamper can resemble a boat, perfect for pairing with a magnetic fishing game. Have child sit in the boat and distribute the fish around the boat. Then have the child use magnetic fishing rods to reach out of the boat and catch the magnetic fish. Safety Note: This activity is best suited for the first or main floor of the house. Avoid having kids do this on the upper floors of your house unless you have a baby gate blocking all staircases. Tip: Works best on carpeted flooring. Developmental Benefits: gross motor skills; balance; coordination; spatial awareness; proprioceptive input Teaches: self-awareness; collaboration; imagination Travel-Size Spray Bottles I recommend toddler-friendly spray bottles often because they’re perfectly designed for small hands. When filled with water, toddlers can easily use these for play in a variety of ways, including: outdoor water play; sensory play; cleaning toys; and even for art activities. Developmental Benefits: fine motor skills; cause & effect; hand-eye coordination Teaches: self-awareness; autonomy Dramatic Play Tea Light Candles (Battery Powered) When I worked at a nursery school, a bright 2 year old showed up to our classroom with a handful of battery powered tea light candles. Her mom raved about how much fun her daughter had finding creative ways to use the tea lights throughout the weekend and gifted them to our classroom. For days we watched kids play with (and fight over) the tea lights until it was time to rotate the toys. Needless to say, I added tea light candles to my toy box and have used them with many other toddlers. Here are a few use cases: Dramatic Play: pretend campfire; fancy dinner; DIY lantern) Constructive x Pretend Play: used to light up magna-tile building; dollhouse accessory; Encanto prop Mini Flashlights Toddlers marvel at the literal and figurative power mini flashlights bring them, but also, flashlights are just flat out fun! You'll likely find kiddos turning off all the lights and going off on an adventure in the dark! Why do kids love playing with flashlights and tea lights? Kids love playing with flashlights and tea lights because it provides them with a bite-size piece of autonomy. The autonomy comes in the form of being in charge of their own light source that they can freely control with the flick of a switch. Flashlights also allow toddlers to explore familiar surroundings from a new perspective and even taps into a comfortable dose of scary play, which I’ll write about soon! Developmental Benefits: perception; observation; cause & effect; intro to STEM (concepts of light and shadow) Teaches: autonomy; conservation Lululemon Bags Throughout toddlerhood, kids pretend to go shopping. Lululemon bags happen to make great reusable bag props. Kids can comfortably pack, unload, and carry around play food or toys without trouble. Standard reusable bags are half the size of toddlers, which makes them awkward for them to carry and usually results in toddlers dragging the bags. Not to worry, you don’t have to buy anything from Lululemon to get your hands on one of their reusable shopping bags! It turns out that Lululemon bags are very easy to find at the thrift store. In fact, I’ve purchased them for as cheap as 49 cents at a local Amvets! Why are Lululemon bags good for dramatic play? The design and the size of the bags is the true value. To be clear, it’s less about the brand and more about the function and convenience of the mini reusable bags–  they’re perfectly shaped for tiny humans to hold and handle with ease. If you have a Wegmans in your region, they also sell this size. On rare occasions, you can find them around the checkout area of Target. To my knowledge, Lululemon is the only national retailer that widely distributes this size bag. Additionally, the snap button adds more appeal for toddlers. Nonetheless, if you happen to wear a lot of Lululemon branded clothing, your kiddo will be stoked to carry around a bag with the same logo as their caregiver. Toddlers love reenacting home life! Developmental Benefits: coordination; balance; object manipulation Teaches: independence; body-awareness (hey, I’m strong enough to carry groceries); responsibility (I can help my family carry bags when we go shopping) Intro to STEM & Fine Motor Skills Calculators Kids love pressing buttons (occasionally yours), but calculators are a great screen-free and sound-free way to entertain kiddos. Why do toddlers like playing with calculators? Calculators allow toddlers and even big kids to explore the depths of numbers freely. Developmental Benefits: Intro to STEM (early numeracy (number recognition); number exploration; counting; mathematical thinking) Teaches: curiosity; problem solving Sensory Bin Tools Sensory bins are a playground for the imagination, and you don't need specialized equipment to create one. Everyday items like measuring cups, clear containers, Tupperware, and even clear lids from Seventh Generation detergent can be repurposed for endless fun. These tools are excellent for scooping and pouring, helping little ones refine their motor skills. Even old toothbrushes can be included for a unique twist, allowing toddlers to practice cleaning their toys while they play. This kind of creative reuse not only sparks joy in kids but also teaches them valuable lessons in sustainability. Measuring cups, clear containers, tupperware, clear Seventh Generation detergent lids Good for scooping, pouring, Developmental Benefits: cause & effect; object manipulation; hand-eye coordination; observation Teaches: resourcefulness; curiosity Reusable Ice Cubes Have any reusable ice cubes in the freezer? These are perfect for little hands and can turn sensory play into a sensational experience. Kids love exploring the cool, smooth texture of the ice cubes and naturally turn to counting, stacking, and sorting them. The cubes can be played with inside an empty sensory bin or with water play. In water, toddlers can scoop, transfer, and watch them float. Developmental Skills: fine motor skills; sensory exposure; pattern recognition; exploration of cause & effect Teaches: curiosity; observation Colanders Sure, colanders are useful for straining water, but they’re even more useful as a toy for toddlers to practice fine motor skills. Flip a colander over and voila, you have a tool for kids to feed pointy objects through! Examples: DIY flower bouquet; heart stick bouquet Developmental Skills: precision; planning; cause & effect; spatial reasoning Teaches: diligence; attentiveness Before purchasing another toy, take a minute to be mindful of what you already have around the house— your set of hair rollers just might be your toddlers new favorite toy!

No pool in your backyard? You’re not alone— only around 15% of households in the U.S. have swimming pools. But that doesn’t mean your toddler can’t enjoy the benefits of a pool without actually having one. Let’s take a look at some water play supplies you can start gathering now to keep your kiddo cool all summer long! Supplies for Epic Water Play Fun Sensory Bins Toddler-friendly Spray Bottle Bubbles Household Toys Sponge Brushes Old Toothbrushes Sprinkler or Splash Pad Plastic Ice Cubes Sensory Bins A few years ago, Target came out with clear personal size storage bins and you know what they're perfect for? Cheap sensory bins! The clear transparency of the bins provides toddlers with a comprehensive visual of the materials inside the container. The low height of the bins make them ideal for kids to easily reach in and start playing. Plus, they don't require much water to fill up and are easier to dump and/or move to a shady area than say a water table. If you're not convinced yet, a Target reviewer of these bins, named Cathy, wrote, "These are awesome for sensory bins! I love that they fit a good amount and are shallow so my son can reach in and play while seated at the table!" Developmental Benefits: Fine Motor Skills, Sensory Exposure Toddler-Friendly Spray Bottle These travel size spray bottles are an easy way to keep kids cool while encouraging independent play! Fill these little guys up with fresh cold water before heading outside and watch your little one find endless uses! They're basically designed for small hands to manipulate with complete ease and the only setting is a mist. There isn't knob to adjust for a direct squirt, which means your kiddo will not have to constantly run over to you asking for help adjusting the setting. Adult-size tools and supplies aren't always optimal for toddlers. Would you give a toddler adult-size scissors to use? Of course not! Sure, there's a significant risk of injury, but my main concern with this scenario is the fact that it's asking a toddler to demonstrate advanced fine motor skills (scissor handles are heavy). Two and 3 year-olds should be focused on developing muscle strength in their little hands. Mastery with tools takes time and lots of practice to develop. These spray bottles are also a gentle method of exposing sensory avoidant kids to sensory play. Over the years, I've worked with a handful of kids that have been scared of to run through a sprinkler, but none have ever been scared of getting misted with these spray bottles or trying them out. I first came across these spray bottles at my local Wegmans (in the travel-size section). But, you can also find them on Amazon. Tip: The travel size spray bottles you typically find at Target or Walmart are bit larger in size, which is why I recommend the Good-to-Go travel size spray bottles, especially for younger toddlers. Developmental Benefits: Fine Motor Skills (good practice with hand-eye coordination), Active Play (physical activity), Mindfulness of the Environment Bubbles There are many reliable bubble solution recipes floating around out there (get it)? For the sake of time and water waste, I pass on making my own bubbles- the margin for error and waste is just too high. Instead, I buy a huge bottle of bubble solution from Target (128 oz.). This bottle will likely last you all season long. I've tested many bubble solution brands over the years. These bubbles are the most bubbly, most reliable and most affordable on the market- only $5! This jug of bubbles can be used to refill personal size kid's bubbles, fill up bubble machines, and as soap solution for cleaning toys in sensory bins. Developmental Benefits: Fine Motor Skills, Emotional Regulation (learning not to get too upset if/when they can't blow a bubble), Patience, Cognitive Development (exploration of cause & effect), Sensory Exposure Household Toys Not many parents realize that you don't HAVE to buy new toys for summer. Pull out an old clear tupperware container or buy one of the sensory bin containers mentioned above, throw in some bubble solution, water, and repurpose toys you already have around the house! Open up your notes app and make a quick list of your kid’s toys that dry fairly easily. The next time you need to keep a kid busy, challenge them to get their favorite action figure or barbie really dirty outside. Then, ask them to give the toy a bath in the sensory bin. This short video has some other ideas you can try using this approach! -> Developmental Benefits: Fine Motor Skills, Problem Solving (what can and can't be washed? how long will an object take to dry?), Patience (waiting for toys or objects to dry) Sponge Brushes Unsurprisingly, sponge brushes are great at absorbing water. They're fairly cheap, you can find them at the Dollar Tree or a larger pack from the craft store. Sponge brushes can also be used for indoor crafts on a rainy day. These brushes are good for painting wooden crafts and/or as a mixing tool with a shaving cream activity. Developmental Benefits: Fine motor skills, Cognitive Development (exploration of cause & effect), Creativity Old Toothbrushes Instead of throwing away your kid's old worn toothbrush, store it with sensory play supplies. Toothbrushes are easier for small hands to manipulate than dish brushes. When washing small toys like Hot Wheels or even seashells, smaller bristle heads allow toddlers to take their time as they bathe or clean their toys. During the activities where they use toothbrushes, kids tend to be a lot more mindful and observant of the qualities of the toys or objects they're cleaning. I often hear kids excitingly point out something about a toy that they never noticed before. Developmental Benefits: Fine Motor Skills, Language Development (practice communicating observations), Mindfulness Sprinkler or Splash Pad Sprinklers are more than just practical tools for watering your lawn— they're often a source of pure joys for many kids! Splash pads are one of the most convenient ways to cool down a toddler while they play independently. Both sprinklers and splash pads present little to no risk of drowning for toddlers, so constant supervision isn't required 100% of the time. That means, you can take take a breather, grab some water, and even load the dishwasher before returning outside to play with your kiddo! Developmental Benefits: Gross Motor Skills (running, jumping), Active Play, Sensory Exposure Plastic Ice Cubes Throughout the summer, keep a bag of small plastic ice cubes in the freezer. Ice cubes are a sensational addition to sensory bin play. I've also worked with many 2-3 year olds that enjoy stacking the cubes to form a tower or sorting them into to make patterns. Note: Most 2 year olds will require monitoring while playing with these cubes considering they can be a choking hazard. Developmental Benefits: Fine Motor Skills, Sensory Exposure, Pattern Recognition, Cognitive Development (exploration of cause & effect) Common Questions About Water Play:

We all know how commercialized Valentine's Day is in America, but it's very difficult not to acknowledge the mega popular holiday. Here are four Valentine activities for toddlers chosen with intention. Creative Play: Tissue Paper Heart Craft Year Round Play: Fake Flower Bouquet No Prep Activity: Heart Stick Bouquet Sensory Play: Valentine Sensory Bottle 💕 Tissue Paper Heart Craft Kids love making tissue paper window art. The beautiful blend of colors resemble stained glass windows. Just a glimpse at one of these hearts on your window will brighten everyone's day! Best For | Creative Play Ages | 2+ Prep | Low Mess Level | Low Supplies Needed: Red, pink, or purple construction paper Red, pink. or purple tissue paper Scissors Clear contact paper- $6.99 Target Masking tape (optional) Step 1: Prepare the Heart Freehand No heart template needed for this one! Simply fold a sheet of construction paper in half and draw half of a heart on the fold. Keep the paper folded and cut along the line you drew. You should be left with a heart cutout— feel free to set this heart aside for a later project. Open construction paper to reveal the larger heart your kiddo will be using. Step 2: Cut Up Tissue Paper Cut various colored tissue paper into small squares and drop them into a bowl or small basket (toddlers will have an easier time picking the pieces up from a container versus on the table). Step 3: Prepare Contact Paper Roll out enough contact paper (about 8 in.) to cover the surface of your large heart, then cut it down the line. Repeat a second time. Think of it as a giant sticker over the construction paper. Next, peel the contact paper and set it down on a table, sticky side facing up towards the ceiling. Next, carefully take the large construction paper heart and press it down onto the contact paper. Step 4: Kid Takeover Allow the child to stick the pieces of tissue paper all over the sticky heart in any way they want. It might be tempting to micromanage how many pieces kids stick on, but the more open-ended you keep this activity, the cooler the pieces turn out! Step 5: Final Touches by Grownup Once kid is done, check to see if any pieces of tissue paper overflow to the borders of the heart. If so, fold them over or cut them slightly off. Now it’s time to use the second piece of contact paper you cut earlier. Peel the contact paper. Starting with one section of the contact paper, carefully press it down over the kiddo’s tissue paper heart (doing one section at a time helps reduce any air bubbles). Finally, cut out the heart, leaving a thin border around the edge of the heart. You can use tape or use contact paper scraps to attach the heart to a window. Developmental Skills: fine motor development, in particular, spatial reasoning; Teaches: creativity; patience; imperfection 💐 Fake Flower Bouquet Flowers are everywhere throughout the Valentine's Day season. But, flowers aren't just relevant to Valentine's Day. This flower bouquet activity can be used all year round (spring activity; summer activity; winter activity to brighten up the season). Best For | Year round play Ages | 1 ½ + Prep | Moderate Mess Level | Low Supplies Needed: Fake flowers -$1.25 per bundle Dollar Tree Wire cutter - $7.99 Joann Fabrics Colander - $1.25 Dollar Tree Fabric placemat (optional) Instructions: Step 1: Get Fake Flowers Pick out a few Valentine themed fake flower bouquets from the Dollar Tree. (Red carnations, purple roses, pink peonies, etc) Step 2: Use Wire Cutters to Cut the Flowers Remove the sticky price tag. Then use a crafting pair of wire cutters to cut the stems of the flowers to various lengths. Repeat the process for each bouquet until you have a mix of flower colors. Step 3: Kid Takeover Turnover a colander and allow the child to insert the flowers into the holes of the colander until they’re happy with their flower arrangement. 😊 One time a kid and I liked their arrangement so much, we kept their bouquet intact and used it as a centerpiece during dinner! Developmental Skills: precision; spatial awareness; color recognition; counting Teaches: patience; appreciation for nature ❤️ Heart Stick Bouquet (No Prep) Heart Stick bouquets are very cheap to set up with a trip to the Dollar Tree. Although the sticks are glitter heavy, toddlers tend to spend 20-30 min on this fine motor activity. I've also worked with a few kids that adore using these as wands for dramatic play. Note: Try spraying a coating of matte mod podge on the hearts to reduce glitter shedding Best For | Frugal fine motor play Ages | 1 ½ + Prep | No prep Mess Level | Low Supplies Needed: Valentine's Day Wooden Glitter Heart Picks Colander - $1.25 Dollar Tree Fabric placemat (optional) Instructions: Step 1: Buy Heart Sticks I’ve only been able to find these at the Dollar Tree (labeled as Heart Picks on the packaging) Step 2: Locate or Buy a Cheap Colander Either use a colander you have on hand or purchase a red one from the Dollar Tree (labeled as a slotted spoon on the tag) Step 3: Kid Takeover Developmental Skills: fine motor development, in particular, spatial reasoning; precision; counting Teaches: patience ⏳Valentine Sensory Bottle Perfect for little hands and curious minds, this mesmerizing bottle is filled with red static glitter and decorative gems to offer a calming experience for kids and grownups alike. It's an easy way to incorporate the Valentine theme around the house, while engaging the senses. Best For | Sensory play Ages | 1 ½ + Prep | Low Mess Level | Low Supplies Needed: Empty water bottle Heart shaped gemstones- $1.25 Dollar Tree or $9.99 on Amazon Valentine table scatter- $1.25 Dollar Tree Red & white static glitter - $2.49 Michael’s Baby oil 20 oz. bottle- $3.99 Target Clear bin or box for easier cleanup (optional) Instructions: Step 1: Locate an empty plastic water bottle The design of Voss water bottles makes them ideal for sensory bottles. However, most craft stores sell slightly taller, but similar bottles. Step 2: Pour in static glitter Static glitter adds an awesome effect to sensory bottles... but sticks to anything and everything! Use a popsicle stick or another long object to push the glitter into the sensory bottle. (This step is when the bin or box is super convenient at collecting spills and makes clean up a lot easier.) Step 3: Add gems Add all of your cute gems. Depending on your location and time of the year, you might be able to find heart shaped gemstones or vase filler at the Dollar Tree year round. If not, Dollar Tree's Valentine's Day inventory goes on the display the first week of January. At this time, you can easily find a pack of Valentine table scatter, which includes themed gems. Step 4: Add baby oil Pour in enough baby oil to fill up the bottle. Step 5: Twist lid on tightly and shake Twist the lid back on the bottle and give it a shake. Observe the movement of the contents inside. Add more glitter if you notice too much empty space. Step 6: Apply clear packaging tape Once you're happy with the results, add a clear piece of packaging tape along the lid to prevent leaks. This should also prevent curious kids from opening the bottle. Developmental Skills: observation; intro to STEM (kinetic energy) Teaches: perception; curiosity; patience

Sarah’s Silks offers such a variety of open-ended toys— which toy is the best fit for the kiddo you have in mind? Over the past couple years, I’ve used the following Sarah’s Silks toys with 20 kids in total (ranging from babies, toddlers, and big kids) during countless babysitting gigs. Kids use playsilks in a number of creative ways, but let's take a closer look at how they engage with various types of Sarah's Silks toys. ✨ Giant Playsilks Price | $15- $25 Best For | Baby play; dramatic play Most Popular with Kids | Rainbow playsilk; star playsilk Giant Playsilks are a must-have for epic fort-building. While you probably grew up draping blankets and sheets over your childhood forts— giant playsilks bring a completely fresh dynamic to fort-building. Many of the giant silks feature a beautiful ombré blend of colors that simply leave kiddos in awe. Each silk also has a subtle hint of transparency, yet still allows kids to feel a sense of privacy as they play independently in their forts. Kids adore this paradox and literally laugh out loud about it! Giant playsilks have been my most popular and most frequently used toy amongst the kids I work with between ages 2-8. These particular play scarves are also amongst the most multi-purposed toys in my collection. How kiddos incorporate playsilks into their builds varies depending on the setting of their playspace and materials at our disposal (toys they own or materials we find around the house, like large cardboard boxes). Some kids use standard dining room chairs to hang the scarves from. Sometimes kids ask for help putting together a fort kit, then drape playsilks over the structure. Other times, kids upgrade their cardboard boxes with silk doors or turn their play couches into clubhouses featuring skylights made of patterned silks! As you can see, there are countless ways to use giant playsilks, which is why kids can spend so much time playing independently while using them! Teaches: Creativity; imaginative thinking; problem solving Developmental Benefits: Fine motor skills ✨ Playclips Price | $8- $28 Best For | Fort building; strengthening fine motor skills Most Popular with Kids | Tall playclips Now, you might be thinking, how do kids make the playsilks stay in place when they’re building a fort? In order to keep playsilks in place- and bring fort building to the next level- you’ll also need handy dandy playclips! Playclips are kind of like giant clothespins minus the metal. However, these clips are handcrafted from maple wood and bound together by an extra thick (and extra durable) white elastic band, which allows the clip to contract open and close. I have the older version of the tall playclips that were 4.5 inches in height. Towards the bottom of the playclips are two notches on both sides, where elastic bands were placed to support kids in retaining their grasp. In the current edition of the playclips, the size has been reduced by an inch to 3.5 inches. According to their website, this change was made to better accommodate the small size of kids’ hands. It looks like the size reduction has made it unnecessary for the playclips to include additional grip bands. (Hey, less pieces, less problems) Around the age of 2 ½, kids have developed the muscle strength to use the 4.5 in playclips with total ease. Kiddos younger than 2 ½ tend not to have the hand strength quite yet. I’m excited to order a set of the newer 3.5” playclips and try them out with younger twos— my guess is after a few tries, they’ll be able to confidently attach them to the playsilks. After 2 years of bringing playclips to various houses, I’m happy to report that none of the kids have managed to break the elastics. Teaches: Creativity; problem solving; patience Developmental Benefits: Fine motor skills ✨ Classic Playsilks Price | $18- $22 Best For | Baby play; dramatic play Most Popular with Kids | Rainbow playsilk; star playsilk Classic playsilks are 35 x 35 inches which happens to be around the size of many baby play mats. It shouldn’t be too much of a surprise to hear that classic playsilks effortlessly complement baby play! These silks are perfect for fans of the blue and green ombré play scarf that comes in the Lovevery explorer play kit. Toddlers and big kids use these to drape over “doorway entrances” of their forts or cardboard box doors. Grownups can even loosely tie a standard playsilk around a kid’s body to create a makeshift cape, skirt, or dress. By far the classiest use is when kids decide to turn one into an elegant tablecloth spread! Teaches: Object permanence; creativity Developmental Benefits: Fine motor skills ✨ Silk Capes Price | $24- $34 Best For | Dramatic play; dress-up Most Popular with Kids | Rainbow silk cape I’m sure you’ve seen or own typical kid’s capes— ya know, where the black ones are for Batman, red ones for Spiderman, etc. Similar to the design of the playsilks, Sarah’s Silks capes are simply covered in beautiful patterns or ombré colors. But the true magic of these capes is the fact that they do not resemble mainstream superhero characters. The simple design allows kids to expand their imaginations beyond the media. Instead of always pretending to be their favorite superhero character, kids are encouraged to create their own version of a superhero. Unless your little one is a buttoning pro, most kids under 4 will require assistance in putting the cape on and taking it off. The button itself and the hole for the button are quite tiny which makes it tricky for kids. Over time and with practice, children under four can learn to fasten and unfasten the button without help. But I do wish the company would make a velcro version of the capes. Note: Silk capes are made of heavyweight (8 momme) mulberry silk. This silk feels slightly less “silky” than the playsilks, which are lightweight silk (5 momme). Still worth the purchase though! Teaches: Creativity, imagination Developmental Benefits: Fine motor skills (buttoning); gross motor skills ✨ Balloon Ball Covers Price | $16 Best For | Mixed age group play; active play Most Popular with Kids | Rainbow balloon cover Sarah’s Silks balloon covers are a toy accessory you never knew you needed. For some bizarre reason, letting an air balloon hit the ground feels like you’d be committing a mortal sin. Rather you’re 2 or 60, stretching a ligament an extra few feet is practically a reflex. While the company recommends the balloon covers for ages 3 and up, I’ve actually found them ideal for ages 1 and up. You can introduce these to kids as soon as they can walk comfortably. While typical balloon play can make adults nervous with little ones, balloon covers allow you to tuck the knot of the balloon inside of the cover and out of a little one’s sight. It’s common for 1 ½ year olds to mouth or even try biting the balloon ball. But, they only end up mouthing the fabric versus the balloon. Basically, the cover puts a much safer barrier between a latex balloon and a kiddo’s mouth. (Supervision is still required at all times with this age) Balloon covers are also a fun way to keep tabies (babies/toddlers) and big kids active, especially for families without the space or budget for pikler triangles or large play equipment. Since everyone already loves a game of Keepy Uppy (balloon ball), why not double the fun by using these majestic balloon covers?! You can find the covers both in the rainbow pattern pictured above, as well as in a star pattern  resembling the popular star playsilk. Note: Balloon covers are essential for Bluey fans wholly convinced that balloons pop when they touch grass. Teaches: Problem solving, upcycling Developmental Benefits: Gross motor skills; eye-hand coordination ✨ Playmaps Price | $14- $22 Best For | Pretend play Most Popular with Kids | Rainbowland playmap Sarah’s Silks playmaps are so cool to look at, they’re very hard not to impulse buy. Kids adore these playmaps when they’re brand new. However, I store all my playsilks in a drawstring bag (for easy travel from house to house). After a few weeks my playmaps accumulate so many wrinkles. Kids are not interested in straightening them out to view the maps— I’m also uninterested in ironing them, knowing that they’re going to get re-squished shortly after. With that said, as long as kids have a way of keeping their playmaps wrinkle free, these can be a lot of fun for pretend play! Grab action figures, animals, little people, even Barbie could have an adventure on a themed playmap. Depending on the season and time of the year, sometimes the company makes playmaps that connect through bridges or pathways! Teaches: Problem solving; imagination Developmental Benefits: Storytelling; language development As we wrap up our look at Sarah's Silks, it's clear these toys go beyond ordinary fun— they're gateways to a kid's world of imaginative play. From fort-building to dress-up, each silk or accessory brings a touch of magic to everyday play, encouraging kids to create and explore. All of these toys will make simple, yet powerful, additions to playtime. Before you head over to add one to your cart, find solace in knowing that you're not just buying a toy, but an adventure for a little one! FAQ About Sarah's Silks Toys

You’ve probably heard how important it is to read to your baby– pediatricians are even participating in initiatives to stress the importance of new parents reading with their little ones. In the newborn days, a baby's color spectrum is still forming and caregivers are almost over advertised the importance of high contrast art cards and black and white books. But by 4 to 6 months, a baby's vision is fully developed, yet caregivers are left in the dark regarding which books are best for babies in their next stage. Well, Montessori style board books are a great resource for little ones. Keep reading to learn why. What makes a book Montessori? Montessori style children’s books feature real life experiences, which can include photographs and realistic drawings of everyday life. But, it’s no surprise that the books published during Dr. Montessori's life span looked a bit different than today’s children’s books. Let’s take a look at more current research that addresses this question. Before becoming a bestselling author with her book Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius, Dr. Angeline Lillard conducted a survey in 2011 to identify what Montessori teacher trainers in the U.S. considered to be authentic Montessori materials. Lillard's goal was to uncover if there was general consensus on the materials and to identify which materials are the most debated. Of the 100 AMI¹ and AMS² trainers surveyed, at least 85% of the trainers highly agreed that realistic books were a necessary material in the classroom. This gives us a basis of what to look for in Montessori books-- realistic images and story lines. But, is there science behind this Montessori philosophy or was it simply Maria Montessori's personal preference? Why read Montessori style books with babies? It turns out there is science behind why babies love looking at other babies and why the Montessori method advocates for realistic books! One study by developmental psychologists revealed that when it comes to teaching babies about the real world through books, the type of pictures have a significant impact. In fact, the psychologists found that 15-18-month-olds learn to associate pictures in books with objects in the real world based on iconicity. Iconicity is simply a fancy way of saying how realistic the pictures are. So, if you're aiming to teach vocabulary or build early literacy skills, cartoon-y images might not be the best fit. Instead, you'll want to go for board books with realistic images, such as photographs or realistic illustrations. The more life-like the pictures, the higher the chances that the information your baby learns from the book will stick with them (Ganea, Pickard, Bloom and DeLoache 2008). Now that we know there's science to support the use of Montessori style books, let's take a look at some of the best books for babies: Global Babies Publisher | Charlesbridge Global Babies was the first Montessori style baby book published from a multicultural lens. The vibrant colors within each photograph paired with cheerful baby faces from around the world, captivates the attention of tiny readers! Each photo highlights traditional clothing, daily life, and customs of babies across an impressive 17 countries. Through exposing kids to multicultural media in the early years, caregivers can teach little ones to recognize and honor our differences while also developing an appreciation for the shared values and connections that unite us as humans. Global Babies is part of the Global Fund for Children board book series. I also highly recommend Carry Me and Global Playtime. The photography is seriously top-notch throughout every book in the series. Special Note: when you buy any book from the Global Fund for Children, a percentage of each sale goes towards positively impacting children's lives across the world! Baby’s Best Friend Words & Photographs | Suzanne Curley Publisher | Tiger Tales Baby’s Best Friend is perfect for dog lovers- especially dog owners. Each page features a baby and a different breed of dog happily frolicking. The photographer, Suzzane Curley, does an unbelievable job capturing the most adorable photos. This short board book is a supportive aid in modeling how kiddos can gently interact with a pet dog, while also preparing them for interactions initiated by the dog. Peekaboo Baby! Words & Pictures | Ellie Boultwood, Hannah Cockayne, Kylie Hamley Publisher | Priddy Books As the publishing company behind the megapopular, First 100 Words (which I also recommend), Priddy Books is quite well-known for using real life photographs of babies and everyday objects in their books. The company has sold over 100 million books in over 35 different languages. Peekaboo Baby features a bunch of babies at play or engaging in daily tasks such as mealtime and bathtime. Although it’s a short board book, there are two concepts that make it stand out from similar books: the use of circle cutouts on each page allows babies to peek and predict what will happen next. Secondly, the Mylar mirror on the final page is a real mirror, not the warped type of mirror disappointingly found at the end of many board books. Baby Up Baby Down Publisher | Abrams Appleseed You can probably guess what Baby Up Baby Down is about from the title alone– pigs! Just kidding, it’s about opposites.The book uses photos of six different babies to gently introduce young readers to opposites. The “clean vs. messy” depiction is highly relatable amongst this age group based on the many “uh oh” responses I’ve heard from babies. The background throughout the book is all white and all children wear a different colored onesie in a solid color, which makes the pages less distracting and keeps the attention of kiddos. Making Faces is another popular board book from the same publisher, which I can also highly recommend! Baby Faces Words & Photographs | Margret Miller Publisher | Simon & Schuster Similar to Intrater, Margret Miller’s book features close-up photographs of baby faces (hope the title didn’t give too much away)! However, Baby Faces depicts photos of babies making various facial expressions, including yuck, yum, stinky, and a few more. Teaching babies and kids about various forms of emotions and expressions helps build a solid foundation for healthy emotional intelligence later down the line– books are a great tool for this! Baby Faces also won the Book of the Year Award by Parenting Magazine in 1998, which makes it an even more special addition to your little one’s bookshelf. Smile! Words & Photographs | Roberta Grobel Intrater Publisher | Scholastic Published way back in 1997, Smile is the oldest book on the list, but it’s a timeless gem in my opinion. The narration is from the point of view of a caregiver trying to get a baby to smile for a photo. (We’re all familiar with that struggle.) There are eleven different babies featured and each photo is a close-up shot focused solely on their facial expressions. Who Says Peekaboo? Photographs | Vanja Kraguli Publisher | Highlights for Children Designed to be a baby’s first hide-and-seek book, Who Says Peekaboo uses photographs of babies and animals, combined with clip art toys. Babies are introduced to three animal sounds, including a playful puppy, a musical kitten, and an outdoorsy duck. The high quality Mylar mirror at the end invites you to play your own game of peekaboo with the baby you're caring for. Lovevery Books The Lovevery board book collection is the latest addition to the Montessori style category. Their books are very well loved by parents and babies– they even make a few 2 ½ in board books that are a handy distraction during diaper changes. Parents were such fans of Lovevery books that the company used their feedback to roll out more books! The books are full of practical, everyday life experiences in real life photos, which support babies in building a foundation for language development. Plus, their inclusivity is impressive. Co-founder & President, Rod Morris, spoke on the impact of their book collection during a interview: "Our books give customers their first opportunity to have a children’s book that involves say, a ceremony for a First Nation’s family, or a child with a limb difference. They give an opportunity for families to have a conversation around a family that’s different from theirs, or often we hear back from a family that for the first time, they got to look at a book with their child that is reflective of their family." The only caveat is that you have to be a Play Kit subscriber in order to buy their books. Their website attributes the exclusivity to the fact that, “the Book Bundles complement the play essentials and existing books in the Play Kits and ship more sustainably by being included in The Play Kits box you’d already receive.” But, because I’ve found these books to be such a beneficial resource for babies- and so well made- here are a few workarounds without a subscription: Ask a subscribing friend with an older toddler if you can borrow their baby books; check Facebook Marketplace; join the Lovevery Resale Facebook Group. ABC Kids Words & Photographs | Laura Ellen Williams ABC Kids continues to be one of my most popular board books amongst babies. This isn’t just your average alphabet book– each page includes a real life photo of a carefree kid depicting the corresponding action or noun. Although published in 2000, Williams was quite ahead of her times in terms of diversity and inclusion. The board book is full of BIPOC kids at play. It’s unlikely that your kiddo will learn ABC’s so early on, but they will genuinely enjoy every photograph. Something else that makes this book unique is its size (think: vertical postcard). It’s less common to find Montessori style board books this size. ABC Kids fits snuggly into tiny hands allowing little ones to turn the pages with ease. All Kinds of People Words & Photographs | Shelley Rotner & Sheila M. Kelly All Kinds of People is the younger version of the popular picture book, Shades of People, adapted for baby board book form… but, it doesn’t disappoint! Kids from a large variety of different ethnic backgrounds are pictured on each page. As an adult, you might notice that the photos are a bit outdated, but your baby won’t. One of my favorite things about this Montessori style book, are the beautiful adjectives and phrases the authors use to describe other kid’s skin, such as, creamy, shade of gold, sandy, and cocoa. Which Montessori style board books am I missing? Please add a comment with other books titles so I can expand on a broader list for caregivers like you! FAQ Montessori Books Citations: ¹AMI: The American Branch of the Association Montessori Internationale, founded by Dr. Montessori to carry on her work ²AMS: Association Montessori Society, founded by Nancy Rambusch to represent Montessori in America ³Montessori, M. (1989). The child, society, and the world: Unpublished speeches and writings, p. 44-6 (Vol. 7). Oxford: Clio. ⁴Montessori, M. (1997). The California lectures of Maria Montessori, pp. 40-5, 1915. Oxford: Clio ⁵Montessori, M. (1989). Creative development in the child II (R. R, Trans.) p. 224. Madras, India: Kalakshetra Press.

Remember those fun little pedometers that you could clip onto your pants and they tracked your steps extremely inaccurately? Yup, I owned one too. Thank god we've come a long way in the advancement of pedometers since then! These days you don't even need a pedometer or wearable tracking device to begin racking in rewards for your steps. While I've sported my Fitbit religiously for the past 6 years and counting, you don't necessarily need one. All you really need is a modern smartphone! Read on to discover how you can begin reaping easy peasy passive benefits from pairing your phone or smart health device with two awesome apps! Androids and iPhones have pre-installed health software that automatically track daily steps. This is a convenient perk if you tend to have your phone on you at all times. Evidation Evidation (formerly called Achievement) is my absolute favorite passive app. Following the initial app installation, the app will automatically link with your step counter device and you'll begin collecting points. How to Earn Points: Points per Step: 10,000 steps = ~30 points/day Access to Tracked Heart Rate: 6 points/day Access to Tracked Sleep: 6 points/day Exercise Points: you can earn up to 80 points/day for exercising alone (I'm not an exerciser so I can't really speak to this, but I'm sure it's possible!) Short Surveys or Health Trials: between 25-150+ points depending on the survey Click to Read Articles: typically 3 points/click of article Rewards: Evidation is partnered with Tremendous, a very reputable payout platform. This integration allows you to redeem your award in a variety of ways. Your options include, donation to charity, prepaid VISA card, bank deposit, Paypal payment, or a gift card. Some popular gift card options are Target, Amazon, Starbucks, AMC Theatres, and Uber. How Many Points Do You Need for a Reward: You need a minimum of 10,000 points in order to cash out for any reward. 10,000 points = $10 Smartphone Compatibility Evidation is compatible with most smartphones, including Apple and Samsung products. iPhone Users: Find help linking your Apple Health data, here. You can link your Apple Watch to Evidation by syncing your Apple Health data which is automatically collected from Apple Watch users. Android Users: Find help linking your Samsung Health data, here. Fitbit Users: Find super easy instructions, here. If you're ready to get started with Evidation, feel free to use my referral link to receive 100 bonus points upon creating your account which also provides me with 100 bonus points! Dick's Sporting Goods I’ve been using the Dick’s Move rewards program for about 5 years! You can link the program with Apple Health, Samsung Health, and Fitbit. Every day that you take 10,000 steps, you’ll receive 3 points. After you’ve racked up 300 points, you’re given a $10 reward to use on a purchase. The best part is, you're not required to spend any minimum amount! How Does Monetizing Your Routine Help Make Mindful Memories? You can then use your $10 Dick's reward on brands like Patagonia, which is a Certified B corporation and makes a number of products from recycled materials! Most recently, I used a reward towards a Hydroflask water bottle. Even if you save up a couple Dick's rewards and use them towards holiday gifts, you'll still be saving money that you can then put towards your next sustainable purchase. As for Evidation rewards, your options are endless. You can donate your reward to a charity that aligns with your views or transfer the money to your account via Paypal and spend it at your next trip to a local business. Are These Apps Worth Downloading? The step tracking feature on the Dick's Sporting Goods app and Evidation are completely passive in design so you can stress a little less about finances or automate donations to charities. Ideally, this type of monetizing provides space for you to focus on making mindful memories in the present. Is it actually worth it to spend time saving up all these points? Absolutely! Will you get rich from it? No, not by any means. But, most people already own a step tracker; why shouldn't you profit off of the data your phone or health device is already collecting? Give these apps a try and let me know what you think of them in the comments below! Sincerely, Briesh P.S. Stay Conscious + Curious!

Since 2020, guns have been the leading cause of death for children and teens in the U.S. We’re currently living in a time where it’s impossible to shield little ones from violence, it seems to be everywhere. Many kids witness violence at home, in their communities, on the news, and even at their own schools. How do we, as caregivers and parents, change this narrative? For starters, it’s now more crucial than ever before that we teach and model values of peace, empathy, acceptance, and kindness. One of the most underutilized resources in countering violence is through children’s books. Why Use Picture Books? I bet you can still vividly recall a few books from your childhood? Perhaps you remember feeling disappointed for Peter in The Snowy Day as he reaches into his pocket for his snowball only to discover that it’s completely melted away. Or maybe you sympathized with the tree in The Giving Tree as the main character took and took from the tree until it had nothing left to give. That, my friend, is the magic of picture books- when written and illustrated well, they stay with us forever! Today, there’s an increasing variety of children’s books available that cover an array of topics. Adults can utilize picture books to initiate meaningful conversations with kids on abstract concepts, including peace. By introducing toddlers to books that explore themes of peace, in an engaging, age-appropriate way, we can foster these values in little ones early on. The following stories allow kids to take a look at these values being performed by other kids or characters. Let’s take a look at the list! Peace Author | Baptiste & Miranda Paul Illustrator | Estell Meza Theme | Peace meets Nature Best For | Ages 2 and up You’ll quickly notice each page of Peace features kids of diverse backgrounds and abilities alongside animals. The authors, Baptiste and Miranda Paul, (power couple duo) provide various examples of what peace looks like in everyday practice. They use lyrical rhyming poetry to explain to young readers that peace is intentional. By choosing peaceful ways of interacting with others, we not only make our friends happy, but also cultivate an environment for wildlife to thrive. Estell Meza’s moody, yet colorful illustrations are incredibly well done and are sure to capture little ones attention. Readers are presented with a surprise expandable spread on the last page. A special author’s note at the very end explains how peace and violence impacts both animals and nature. Wild Peace Author | Irene Latham Illustrator | Il Sung Na Theme | Peace meets Mindfulness Best For | Ages 2 and up Wild Peace begins with a little girl feeling overwhelmed by chaos going on around her at home. Unable to physically escape, she finds solace in her imagination, envisioning a vibrant forest. The story explains to kids that when they find themselves feeling overwhelmed, they can always look towards nature to ground them in peace. From watching cold raindrops fall to the ground as they form into puddles, to listening to the soft melodies of birds, turning outwards towards nature is an amazing mindfulness skill toddlers can start learning early. Usha and the Stolen Sun Author | Bree Galbraith Illustrator | Josée Bisaillon Theme | Peace meets Communication & Vulnerability Best For | Ages 3 and up On the front book jacket of Usha and the Stolen Sun is a peaceful quote from renowned poet and theologian, Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, which reads, “Raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.” A young girl, named Usha, lives in a dark and gloomy community without sun. How come? Well, one day, the people who made rules for the community decided to build a huge wall to keep the sun only for themselves. Listening to stories from her grandpa about his childhood and the days when the sun existed brings Usha great joy. After sharing another story, Usha’s grandpa admits that he’ll probably never live to see the sun again. This sad admission motivates Usha to venture off and bring back the sun. The message of this one is that having conversations and being vulnerable with people that hurt us can actually be more powerful than taking physical action. Galbraith writes in prose without rhyming words, but makes sure to use words that 3 year olds can easily grasp. It’s also worth highlighting the intentional avoidance of divisive language, such as “bad guys, enemies, etc.” There are many gems in this book, including Bisaillon’s pictures, that make for a really important discussion with kids. Can You Say Peace? Author & Illustrator | Karen Katz Theme | Peace meets Multiculturalism Best For | Ages 1 and up Karen Katz is both illustrator and author of Can You Say Peace? This picture book was actually created in recognition of International Day of Peace, which is celebrated around the world on September 21 each year! Geared towards 1-2 year olds, it’s a vibrant introduction to multiculturalism. There are phonetic pronunciations for learning how to say, “peace” in each language. Katz shows a painted illustration of a child in 11 different countries going about activities in their community. Honestly, I was quite surprised to see a BIPOC kid on the page for Australia. While I was previously aware of indigenous Australians, I admittedly didn’t know that there are Afro-indigenous Australians, such as the Warnman people until turning to that page. Most children’s books depict kids from Australia only as white, since minorities make up such a small percentage of citizens. I loved seeing such a simple illustration challenge the norm. Sometimes we forget that, even as adults, we can still learn alongside kids as we read with them. On the last page, there’s a world map showing where each language is spoken. At the bottom of the page is a list featuring how to say “peace” in a bunch of other languages! The Peace Dragon Author & Illustrator | Linda Ragsdale Theme | Peace meets Fantasy Best For | Ages 3 and up Ready to introduce your kiddo to a new favorite dragon? This dragon loves something even better than tacos- peace! As toddlers grow into “big kids'', many tend to develop an interest in fairy tales and mythical creatures. Rather it’s their size, ability to fly, or the fact that they breathe fire, dragons captivate kids and are inarguably the most well-known fantasy creature in the world (followed by unicorns and mermaids, in case you were wondering). The Peace Dragon begins with a boy named Scherr that encounters a dragon named Omani. Each page keeps you on your toes, unsure what will happen next. Of course the moral of the story is centered on peace, so it has a peaceful ending. However, it’s also quite fun to read a kid’s book that’s less predictable than most. Without giving too much away, there are a couple clever illustration details Ragsdale includes that makes this book really stand out. Upon flipping through the first few pages, The Peace Dragon appears to be wordy, but it’s just the handwriting font fooling you. It actually takes less time to read than a Julia Donaldson book! At the end, Ragsdale shares her heartbreaking, yet heartwarming motivation for writing the book. You and your little one will be inspired to spread peace. Plus, you can head to The Peace Dragon website (also a nonprofit org) where kids can learn how to draw their very own peace dragon! Regardless of your personal views on issues such as gun control policy, we caregivers have agency in guiding kids not to become mass shooters! It’s our responsibility, as members of society, to supply children with media materials, such as picture books, that both allows them to envision peace and equips them with essential skills to cultivate it. Each time you sit down to read a book with a little one is an opportunity to nurture their imagination in a way that empowers them to be mindful contributors to a collective, peaceful future. I hope this book list supports you and your loved ones throughout your quest to make mindful memories!

Summertime is everyone’s favorite season to take advantage of the beautiful weather! But, it can be challenging to entertain a toddler on a hot summer day without a pool. Not to worry, there are tons of water activities for toddlers that are guaranteed to keep them busy and cool. Plus, all of these activities are jam packed with hidden educational skill developments! So, go check the expiration date on your kiddo’s sunscreen- you’ll definitely be inspired to send your kiddo outside after reading these activities! Note: Check out this post to learn more about the supplies needed for these activities. Water Themed Sensory Bins Wash Toys Toddlers really enjoy cleaning. Ever notice how your little one is always looking to help out with a chore? Lean into this interest by allowing them to clean their own toys! Here's a short list of hand washable toys to get you started: ✅ Baby Dolls, Barbies, or Action Figures ✅ Zoo Animals ✅ Hot Wheel or Matchbox Cars ✅ Toy Dishes Set Up: Grab a sensory bin or clear baking Pyrex dish, add dish soap or bubble solution, a small wash cloth, an old toothbrush. Hidden Developmental Skills Being Applied: Fine Motor Skills Teaches: Responsibility, Problem Solving (which toys are washable?), Buoyancy (sink or float) Clean and Observe Seashells Seashells are such a treasure, especially for kids. Rather you gather a collection from the beach or buy them from the store, your little one will be in awe. If your kiddo takes a liking to seashells, be sure to check out this list of easy crafts and activities to try with seashells. Hidden Developmental Skills Being Applied: Fine Motor Skills, Observation Teaches: Appreciation for Nature, Introduction to STEM topics Bring Out Reusable Ice Cubes It’s handy to have reusable ice cubes in the freezer all season long. This way, you’ll be able to pull them out whenever needed. Fill up a sensory bin with water and drop the ice cubes in. Let your kiddo explore the cold sensation of the cubes. Many kids take notice of the water inside the cubes as it begins to thaw out and even shake the cubes to see and hear the water moving around. Other kids actually like stacking and building with these on a tray without the water. I recommend trying both activities! Hidden Developmental Skills Being Applied: Fine Motor Skills Teaches: Introduction to STEM topics, Sensory Exposure, Buoyancy (sink or float), Cause & Effect (stacking) Explore Pom Poms in Water This activity actually comes from Susie Allison— I'm sure you know her, she's the teacher, business owner, and play advocate behind, Busy Toddler. Honestly, her kids made it look super fun and I already had lots of pom poms on hand. I tested it out with two groups of kids and I have to say, it was a hit! Set Up: Fill up a sensory bin with water. Then throw in lots of pom poms. Offer scoopers or any tool that can be used as a scooper. Clear containers like a clean peanut butter container or a clean vitamin container make great tools for collecting pom poms. Toddler size colanders are also perfect for this activity. Group 1, kids ages 2 and 6. Group 2, kids ages 2, 3, and 5. Both groups engaged in the activity way longer than I expected. At first, I wasn't really sure what they would do with all the pom poms. But once the supplies were added in, their creativity went wild! I think part of the appeal of this activity comes from using the pom poms in a completely unexpected way. To dry the pom poms, pour the water out from the sensory bin and dump the pom poms into a garment laundry bag. Then put them in the dryer for 1-2 cycles. Hidden Developmental Skills Being Applied: Fine Motor Skills, Sensory Exposure, Communication Teaches: Observation, Introduction to STEM topics such as Counting, Absorption, Buoyancy (sink or float), Vocabulary, Color Recognition Have a Toddler Style “Car Wash” Do you happen to own any toddler vehicles— ya know, one of those Little Tikes Ride-on Trucks? Great! Pull out a bucket, fill it up with water, then add dish soap or bubble solution. Throw in a couple old sponges and ask your kiddo to give their ride a wash. Did I mention that toddlers love cleaning things?! You can even turn up the fun factor by having them put on their bathing suite. You can also try this activity with a wagon or even a push trike. Hidden Developmental Skills Being Applied: Gross Motor Skills Teaches: Task Completion, Perseverance, Responsibility Spray Bottle Squirting The only set up required for this activity is to fill up a travel-side spray bottle with cold water and hand it off to your toddler. Send them outside with it and I guarantee they’ll come back to you later reporting all the uses they found for it. Over the years, I've used these spray bottles with 50+ toddlers, and they've come up with clever uses that keep their bodies moving, including: watering plants and flowers, spraying themselves to cool down, spray tag, cleaning play equipment, and erasing their chalk drawings! It could be the size of the bottles, maybe toddlers love these things because they look like they’re designed for kids their size? Whatever the reason, spray bottle squirting is also a unique option for caregivers looking for a lighthearted alternative to water gun play. Hidden Developmental Skills Being Applied: Gross Motor Skills, Fine Motor Skills, Cause & Effect Teaches: Autonomy, Independence, Mindfulness of Nature Paint With Water Did you know that toddlers can also use sponge brushes to create magic?? This activity works best if you happen to have a wooden fence in your yard or any structure that's made out of wood. Simply give your kid a small bucket of water and a sponge brush. Ask them to "paint" the fence using the water. On a hot day, the water dries fast- like in minutes. That's where the magic comes in- toddlers are puzzled at how this all works. Many toddlers like to use the sponge brushes to practice writing letters, words, and drawing shapes or pictures. It’s also common for kids to attempt to paint an entire surface area before any of it starts to dry up. I’ve yet to witness a kid successfully achieve this ambitious goal… but they have a ball trying and it usually keeps them busy for 40 min or longer! Hidden Developmental Skills Being Applied: Fine Motor Skills Teaches: Introduction to STEM topics, Creativity, Patience Turn on a Sprinkler or Try a Splash Pad Water play or any play doesn’t have to be complicated! Hooking up a sprinkler or a splash pad to a water hose can be enough to cool kids down. Plus, kids love chances to show off their bathing suits. If you’re introducing your little one to a sprinkler or splash pad for the first time, they might be a bit nervous or scared. Try running through the sprinkler yourself to show them how fun and refreshing it is. If they’re still scared, ask them if they want to hold your hand as you walk under together. If they’re still resistant, it’s okay, don’t push it. Leave the sprinkler running for a few min but give them some space to observe or get a hand wet without your eyes glued on them. Hidden Developmental Skills Being Applied: Gross Motor Skills Teaches: Adaptation, Sensory Exposure, Cause & Effect

You can create mindful memories with your kid using the simplest materials, including playsilks! In case you haven't heard of them, playsilks (sometimes known as scarves) are colorful fibrous wonders that can nurture countless hours of imaginative play for little ones— without cluttering your home. From baby play to fort building with toddlers, these dreamy fabrics help cultivate mindful play while nurturing timeless discovery. After exploring the activities listed below, you’ll soon find yourself and your kiddo unlocking a world of inventive activities! What is a playsilk? Sometimes referred to as play scarves, playsilks go beyond being pieces of fabric—  playsilks are vibrant, transparent toys that spark creativity! What are the educational benefits of playsilks? While all play is educational, playsilks are beneficial in developing toddlers creativity and problem solving. This makes them great tools for open-ended play. With babies, playsilks offer sensory exposure while allowing them to explore cause and effect. What ages are playsilks for? Playsilks are suitable for all ages! In fact, you can purchase them in various sizes based on your kiddos age. What are Sarah’s Silks? Sarah’s Silks is a popular brand of playsilks made from non-toxic dyes and naturally sourced silk. The soft, silk texture of these scarves, along with the variety of designs, truly sets the company apart from other playsilks. Parachute Play with Babies Babies can get bored in play gyms, especially if their hanging toys aren’t rotated. You can easily vamp up play gym time with parachute play. How to Play: Open up playsilk. Hold the opposite ends. Slowly lift the playsilk up and down a few times before settling it over baby's play gym for a couple minutes. Throughout the interaction, speak to baby aloud, smile, and laugh. What are babies learning through parachute play? Cause-and-effect Sensory exposure Through parachute play, babies are observing cause-and-effect. They begin to put two and two together— when their caregiver lifts up the playsilk, they begin associating your action with a really cool visual and the feeling of the air blowing on their skin (sensory exposure). If your baby has lots of hair, it's adorable to watch their big smiles or even hear them giggle as the playsilk blows their tiny strands of hair. Peek-a-Boo Peek-a-boo is one of the most classic games around and it's so simple to engage in. 🙈 How to Play: You can introduce Peek-a-boo to babies as early as you'd like (newborns won't quite understand it, but still a way to bond). Cover your face with a playsilk for a few seconds then pull it off. Some babies will begin comprehending the way the game works as early as 11 months, but by 18 months, many babies are able to replicate the game for themselves. If you catch your little one covering their face with a playsilk, take it as an invitation to engage in play. You can call out, "Where's Lincoln? Lincoln where are you?" When the child uncovers their face, you gasp in surprise and say, "hi, there you are!" What are babies learning through peek-a-boo? Object permanence Cause and effect Babies begin to develop an understanding of object permanence, which is the concept that objects, including themselves, continue to exist even when they're "out of sight" by their caregiver. When babies play peek-a-boo with playsilks, they're also experimenting with cause and effect. (ie: when they cover their faces, their caregiver plays peek-a-boo with them) Fort Building Playsilks are hands down one of the best additions to epic fort building. ⛺️ How to Play: In order to connect the playsilks to dining chairs or other items around the house, you'll definitely want to have a few sets of playclips. For young toddlers, it might be easiest to build the fort for them, but definitely include them in the process as much as possible. (ie: can you hold this scarf here? Which playsilk do you want at the top of the fort? Can you attach the clip?) With older toddlers, you can demonstrate an example of how your kiddo can connect the playsilks to chairs. Then, take a step back and see if they can do it by themselves. What are kids learning through fort building? Problem solving Fine motor skills Cooperation Through experimenting with design of forts, kids can learn basic STEM principles of engineering and physics. When using playsilks to build forts, children learn A LOT about load-bearing and weight distribution. Fort building happens to be a great activity for siblings or playdates since it encourages kids collaborate, problem solve, and communicate their ideas with one another. Additionally, attaching playsilks to household objects using playclips strengthens fine motor skills. Dancing with Playsilks Unfortunately, as a society, we don't encourage kids to dance anymore-- unless your kid is taking a dance class. Even then, there's little space made for kids to dance freely without structure or steps to memorize. Having props like smaller playsilks or scarves can prompt them to dance. How to Play: Turn on some tunes or let your kid pick a song they love and hand them a playsilk. This could also be an opportunity to expose kids to instrumental or classical music. If you can't stand classical music, try searching for a classical pop playlist (Lindsey Sterling is an incredible pop violinist). What can kids learn from dancing with playsilks? Gross motor skills Spatial awareness Mindful listening Dance helps toddlers develop gross motor skills, spatial awareness, and even self expression. While dancing with playsilks, toddlers practice mindful listening as they try to stay attuned to the melodies and rhythms of the music, the movement of the scarves, and the movement of their own bodies. Dramatic Play (dress-up) Dramatic play involves dress up, and with playsilks in your playspace, a playsilk can quickly turn into a superhero cape, a dress, a skirt, a belt, or anything else. 🦸🏽‍♀️ How to Play: No instructions really needed here. Your toddler will come up with ideas themselves, they may ask for help with tying a knot in the playsilk to attach it to their body. The important thing is to go with it and yes, that means even if your son pretends he's wearing a dress. What can toddlers learn from using playsilks in dramatic play? Innovation Social Emotional Learning Dramatic play allows kids to reimagine their abilities and express emotions. It also encourages creativity and imagination while improving communication skills. Imaginative Play Imaginative play is another area that should be encouraged more in the early years. Today, caregivers are too focused on "kindergarten readiness." This might be an unpopular opinion, but I think a kindergartener that can tap into their imagination and come up with unique stories or ideas will have far greater achievements than the kindergartener that had to spend everyday of summer filling out pages of those kindergarten readiness workbooks. 🌄 How to Play: If given the space, kids will feel comfortable engaging in imaginative play on their own. I've seen toddlers use playsilks as blankets for baby dolls and stuffies. I've seen kids use playsilks as tablecloths, and even as swords. Playsilk maps can also get the creative juices flowing. What can toddlers learn from using playsilks in imaginative play? Executive function skills like planning Storytelling, communication skills, and self-advocacy The playsilk maps are great story prompts. As long as caregivers nurture and encourage imaginative play, a playsilk can be anything! Is there a particular playsilk activity that your litttle one gets lost in? If so, I'd love to know more, feel free to share it in the comments below!

Ready for some heavy news? The average baby will go through 1,500-1,800 diapers a year! Traditional diapers are made out of society’s go-to resource, you guessed it, plastic. Many sustainability experts and eco-conscious parents suggest that cloth diapering is the best alternative to traditional disposable diapers. While cloth diapers are an ideal alternative to disposable diapers, they’re certainly not the only alternative. Some of you might not be interested in devoting the time to cleaning cloth diapers or perhaps the idea of cleaning pee and poop out of diapers grosses you out. I totally get it. Cloth diapers are just not for everyone and that’s okay! At the time of writing this, April 2022, no diapers on the market are 100% biodegradable, yet. Here’s a list of five of the best disposable diaper brands incorporating eco-conscious materials into their products. Coterie Materials | wood pulp & polyester Price | $95 for 4 week supply Subscription | $85/month What makes Coterie best for your baby? I’ve used these on a newborn in the past and I have to say, I wish I had my own child to use them on every day! The softness of these diapers is so lovely, it feels like you’re touching fabric. They’re also highly absorbent which tends to be an important quality for any diaper. No one likes leaky diapers. What makes their diapers eco-conscious? These diapers are made with 25% plant-based materials. That’s not a huge percentage but it’s considerably better than your average commercial brand diaper. What sustainability practices does the company have in place? Coterie donates 1% of all their diaper sales to Diaper Recycling Technology (DRT), a company developing technology with the ability to recover 95% of raw materials produced from a used diaper. DRT is also working to create a special camera that can identify diapers within waste steams. Where are Coterie diapers made? They are manufactured in Canada. Where can you purchase Coterie diapers? Currently, Coterie diapers can be purchased directly from their site. Their most popular sizes, 3-5, can also be found at your local Whole Foods. Does Coterie offer sample/trial packs? You can try out a trial pack of 10 diapers for about $14.50 ($7 for diapers, $7.50 for shipping). With their trial, you have the option of choosing two different sizes (5 of each size or 10 of one size). Eco by Naty Materials | wood pulp & plant-based materials Price | $10-15/pack Subscription | ~$40-70/month What makes Eco by Naty best for your baby? Eco by Naty is trending these days! Probably because these diapers are designed without plastic or harsh chemicals which creates an absorbent and breathable diaper for your baby. What makes their diapers eco-conscious? Eco by Naty creates diapers that contain 0% oil-based plastic. Instead, they use wood pulp and plant-based materials within each section of the diaper. What sustainability practices does the company have in place? What’s really impressive about Eco by Naty is that the company has been around since 1994 but they refuse to patent their diaper. Their reason is, they actually want more diaper businesses to adopt their model! The founder believes that the more eco-conscious diaper brands on the market, the better off the planet. Additionally, their diaper packaging is made with plant-based material that's certified by TÜV Austria. Where are Eco by Naty diapers made? Naty diapers are manufactured in China. Where can you purchase Naty diapers? Eco by Naty can be purchased directly on their website or on Amazon. Recently, the company established a partnership with Target. While their diapers aren’t sold in Target stores yet, you can add them to your online Target order. Does Eco by Naty offer trial/sample packs? A quick google search of ‘Eco by Naty trial’ suggests that they do offer a trial pack. However, it appears that this program isn’t open to U.S. residents currently. This is a Swedish based company so it’s likely the trial program is open to Swedish and EU residents. Dyper Materials | viscose fibers from bamboo & wood pulp Price | ~$25/pack Subscription | ~$80/month What makes Dyper best for your baby? Dyper prides their diaper in safety. Similar to other eco-conscious diapers, Dyper doesn’t use any perfumes, chlorine, latex, lotion, inks, alcohol, TBT or Phthalates. However, Dyper diapers have a Standard 100 certification by OEKO TEX to back up their claims. Upon checkout, you can choose either a regular or wide-fit diaper style. For the convenience of parents, Dyper has an SOS feature available to regular subscribers. This can come in handy if, say, you happen to underestimate the number of diapers your baby will go through as a newborn; the SOS button will deliver you a pack within 4 hours! How’s that for convenience? What makes their diapers eco-conscious? Both the top and back sheets of the diapers are 100% viscose made from bamboo fibers. What sustainability practices does the company have in place? Dyper’s, ReDyper Program, makes the company especially unique. Adding this feature to your subscription allows you to collect and ship your baby’s soiled diapers to Terracycle for proper composting. Like me, you might be thinking- is it actually better for the environment to ship heavy, smelly diapers full of pee and poop across the country just for composting? Terracycle says yes! Under the company’s service, dirty diapers are composted in 14 weeks. The resulting compost is then reused for landscaping projects and sod growing. Where are Dyper diapers made? Dyper diapers are manufactured in China Where can you purchase Dyper diapers? You can order Dyper diapers right from their website. They can also be found on Amazon, Thrive Market, or Grove. If you have a baby registry, Baby List, makes it easy for expecting parents to add Dyper diapers to their registry. Does Dyper offer sample/trial packs? They do have a sample pack which includes three diapers and a shipping fee of $6. Tip: I have used this brand on a couple kids in my daycare class and they worked quite well! I never noticed diaper rashes on any of the kiddos and they never soaked through their pants. The only time we experienced leaks was when a child was working on potty training and wore diapers just at nap time. For older toddlers, maybe consider an overnight diaper for periods of sleep. Andy Pandy Materials | bamboo fibers Price | ~$15/pack Subscription | ~$40/month What makes Andy Pandy best for your baby? Andy Pandy diapers use bamboo fibers that are highly absorbent and naturally wick away moisture, preventing diaper rash. What makes their diapers eco-conscious? The family-owned company states that due to their heavy reliance on bamboo fibers, their diapers are about 87% biodegradable. What sustainability practices does the company have in place? The main sustainability practice that Andy Pandy endorses is its participation in the Eden Reforestation Project. Under this partnership, Andy Pandy plants two trees per item purchased. It appears that the company also donates a portion of its profits to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, although it’s unclear how much. Where are Andy Pany diapers made? Andy Pandy diapers are manufactured in Canada. Where can you purchase Andy Pandy diapers? You can buy Andy Pandy diapers directly from their website or from Amazon. Does Andy Pandy offer sample/trial packs? They do offer a sample pack, which includes 6 diapers. But, this is a popular offer and it’s often sold out. For this reason, I’ve been unable to view the price of the sample pack. I will reach out to the brand for more info! Ecoriginals Materials | cotton, wood-pulp, non-GMO corn starch Price | $20/pack Subscription | ~$80/month What makes Ecoriginals best for your baby? Ecoriginals relies on its unique plant-cell technology to ensure absorbency and 12 hours leak free. Although, I hope most of you will change your little one’s diaper more often than every 12 hours. What makes their diapers eco-conscious? Ecoriginals diapers are made out of 90% plant-based and biodegradable materials. The only parts that aren’t biodegradable are the sticky tabs and the leg elastic. What sustainability practices does the company have in place? Ecoriginals proudly presents its brand as the world’s first plastic neutral diaper company. What that means is that with every order, they reclaim 25 plastic bottles from the ocean, plant a tree, and offset 10 kg of carbon emissions by installing solar panels. Additionally, Ecoriginals is the only diaper company that packages its diapers in home compostable packaging. Where are Ecoriginals made? Ecoriginals are manufactured in New Zealand using renewable energy. Where can you purchase Ecoriginals? You can buy Ecoriginals right from their site or from Amazon. Does Ecoriginals offer sample/trial packs? Yes. Their trial pack includes a full pack of diapers (actual number of diapers vary by size you select- newborn comes with 30), three packs of home compostable wipes, and a permanent 25% discount if you choose to subscribe. You get can get all of that for $20 and free shipping which is a pretty good deal! *definitely check out the size chart before ordering though because a pack of 30 diapers is a big trial commitment* Note on Diaper Sizing These are all great brands to choose from! Each of them has hundreds of positive reviews. The only critiques I’ve found with any of the brands have been around sizing. It’s important to keep in mind that every diaper brand is different. It’s natural for sizes to run differently from company to company. For any readers out there that have menstruated, think back to having to buy disposable sanitary pads at Target for the first time… trial and (possibly embarrassing or inconvenient) error taught you which brand carried the size that fit you best. (Post about sanitary pad brands using eco-friendly materials soon!) The trial offers or sample packs are a simple way to test out what works best for your family. Ideally, you want to avoid ending up with boxes of diapers sitting in the nursery for months because you: (a) never get around to exchanging them for the right size (b) feel guilty for spending the extra money on them/getting the wrong size so they just sit there even though your kid is now potty trained (c) both. An alternative to buying trial packs is to ask friends with babies if they use eco-friendly diapers. If they do, see if they’re willing to give you a couple to try out! Another option is to see if someone nearby is willing to spare a few diapers in your local Buy Nothing or parent-centered Facebook group. If you already know your friend is using eco-friendly diapers and you’re uncomfortable asking to bum one, try this: schedule a play date with them at their house. Pick up your baby and say, “wow someone needs a diaper change.” Frantically check your diaper bag and say, “shoot I forgot my diapers!” Why Are Eco-friendly Diapers So Expensive? Let’s be honest here, diapers using eco-friendly materials are notably more expensive than your average diaper. Well, 95% of conventional diapers are using large qualities of plastics to produce their diapers. Plastic is a lot cheaper to manufacture in large quantities than materials like bamboo or wood pulp. See where I’m going with this? Yes, you will have to dish out some extra money for these brands but I think it’s worth it for the sake of reducing diaper waste and diaper rashes! Frugal Tip: Cost should not deter your family from reducing waste or having safe diapers for your baby’s skin! All families should have access to eco-friendly resources. You can use apps like Shopkick, Evidation, Fetch Rewards, Ibotta, or Receipt Hog to rack up points that can be converted to gift cards (including Amazon and Target) or Paypal payments. I recommend stacking up as many points as possible on lots of these apps and budgeting all earnings towards your diaper fund. I might not have a child to purchase diapers for, but I personally use these apps and others to offset the higher costs of trying to be a sustainable consumer. If you’ve tried these brands, share your experience in the comments below or message me directly. Your thoughts will be sure to help other eco-conscious parents make mindful memories! Sincerely, Briesh P.S. Stay Conscious + Curious

Maybe you can't afford to purchase your kid a set of play food? Or perhaps you don't like the play food options currently on the toy market. Here’s a simple solution: reduce waste and save money by repurposing recyclables into dramatic play toys! First things first, put yourself in a kid's shoes by asking yourself, what would make this package look or feel realistic from a child’s perspective? Creativity is key here. There are countless ways to repurpose recyclables. Stuck? Here are some ideas to get your wheels turning. Oreo Thin Bites Step 1: Eat a pack of Oreo Thin Bites. Step 2: Rinse and dry out package. Step 3: Fill package with small lids. I used contact case lids because I've accumulated so many and they’re difficult to recycle. Step 4: Zip seal the package back up and apply clear tape over seal. Shredded Cheese Step 1: Save clear cheese container or any clear food container similar to this one. Step 2: Cut up small pieces of yellow and white yarn. This is tedious and takes some time, at least ~15 min but worth it in the end. Step 3: Stuff all your pieces in the container. Step 4: Apply lid and clear tape. Juice Boxes Step 1: Drink and save 6-8 juice boxes, rinse them out and leave to dry for a day. Step 2: Line up juice boxes (the way you see them on the shelf of a grocery store) onto clear Con-Tact Paper. I found the contact paper to be helpful in holding the juice boxes together as I taped them together using clear Scotch Packaging Tape. Bonus: As featured in the pic at the top of the post, items like plastic sauce jars & dressing bottles can easily be repurposed by pouring respective paint into the bottles and shaking it up until the paint is evenly dispersed amongst the inside of the bottles. Then glue the lids close! Trust me, these simple recyclables are likely to be more memorable for your kid than cheap quality play food. Kiddos tend to mouth those products (which likely contain icky BPA) more than they do packaging- probably because they recognize that packaging is inedible. But, heads up, they will try to open the packages. So, do make sure you use lots of tape or glue to seal all contents properly. What kind of toys will you make? Share your creative ideas for recyclables in the comments below! Can’t wait to hear what you come up with! Sincerely, Briesh P.S. Stay Conscious + Curious!