cloud dough

 In case you didn't already know,
we are big fans of DOUGH around here!

It's inexpensive and easy to make,

appealing to the senses,

and incredibly effective at strengthening fine motor control.

Oh yeah, AND it's FUN!!!

We've been enjoying The Imagination Tree's 4 minute play dough so much lately,

we decided to give their cloud dough a try, too.

Have you ever made cloud dough?

It's really simple - just flour and oil.

(We added a little glitter, too, so I told Elise it wasn't safe to eat...  

as you can see, she couldn't resist a taste here and there when she thought I wasn't looking!)

Elise was instantly enamored with the texture.

I, on the other hand, kept expecting it to feel like regular play dough,

but it was actually more comparable to wet sand.

Like wet sand, cloud dough is great for making imprints.

We tried shells, stones, and twigs,

but Elise was happiest just digging her fingers in...

and her toes...

and eventually her entire body!

The Imagination Tree's Cloud Dough

7 cups flour

1 cup vegetable oil or baby oil

glitter!

* We only made half a recipe, but next time I think we'll make the whole recipe and put it in a big tub.  Then, Elise can really get into it, and the mess will be slightly more contained.  I'm still finding dried-up chunks of cloud dough in random places around the house!

hand-knit story props for The Mitten by Jan Brett

I'm so excited to share these little animals I knit to go along with The Mitten by Jan Brett!  Elise and I both love them so much, we're having trouble deciding who gets to sleep with them at night...  ;)

It was so much fun making this beloved story come to life.  Elise knew exactly what I was up to - she even helped me choose the yarn!

Whenever she overheard me telling someone about my project, she would start sneezing like the bear does at the end of the story,"Aaaa-choooo!!!!"

The Mitten is one of those stories that is especially fun to retell with props...

 Alone...

 ...or with a friend!

For all of you knitters out there, I made most of the animals from patterns I found on Ravelry.  The badger, mole, and mouse were my own inventions!  

Here are a few pattern links, if you're feeling inspired to make your own set:

• bear
• fox (modified)
• owl 
• rabbit
• hedgehog
• mitten

Find me on Ravelry here and Facebook here!

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bottoms up!

Here's a little video of Elise pouring her own drink - one of her most favorite things to do!

Happy weekend, friends! 

washing dishes with a toddler

Dr. Maria Montessori called them 

the humble tasks of daily living:

sweeping

dusting

folding laundry

preparing a meal

scrubbing the floor

watering plants

washing dishes...

basically, any task that we adults would refer to as a "chore."

I try to include Elise in as many of these tasks as I can.

Not because it makes my life easier

(Actually, it usually makes my life more difficult - ha!)

but because it is so satisfying to her,

the little adult-to-be!

I had been struggling to find a safe way to include Elise in dish washing...

but a porcelain sink, fragile dishes and toddler hands

 just seemed like too dangerous of combination.

Then, I saw Sixtine washing dishes at her house,

and I realized Elise didn't need to use the sink

- a basin of warm, soapy water would work just as well!

Brilliant!  

(Not me, obviously(!), Sixtine's mom, Deb!)

Elise started out washing the dishes from our afternoon tea party.

It was so much fun, she washed all the dishes leftover from lunch, too!

I just stood across from her at the sink and rinsed.  Easy peasy.

It was the highlight of my week - and it's only Wednesday! ;)