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Kendra | Learning For Littles
Earth Day fun ๐ŸŒŽ๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’š . This activity is from Earth Day fun ๐ŸŒŽ๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’š
.
This activity is from last year, but it was a good one! We did an ocean clean up activity and Mia loved it! 
.
.
I used pasta as our โ€œsandโ€ and just water with a drop of food colouring for our ocean. Tossed in our ocean animals and then some โ€œgarbageโ€. Mia scooped out all the garbage and put it in the garbage can.
.
The benefit of doing an activity like this for Earth day is it is a great invitation to talk about why we donโ€™t litter, why we recycle, etc. 
.
Now, Earth day activities are so much fun, but of course not actually overly helpful for our Earth, and while they can be a great conversation starter, I wanted to list some other ways you can involve your kiddo in Earth Day that may be a little more impactful ๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’š

So, what are some impactful Earth day activities that are kid friendly?! Here are a few ideas:

๐ŸŒŽ Plant a tree
.
๐ŸŒŽ Start a garden 
.
๐ŸŒŽ Make a DIY bird house 
.
๐ŸŒŽ Do a garbage pickup around your neighbourhood
.
๐ŸŒŽ Teach your little one about proper recycling
.
๐ŸŒŽ Buy second hand toys where possible 
.
๐ŸŒŽ Learn about and implement composting
.
๐ŸŒŽ Set up a rain barrel in your yard
.
๐ŸŒŽ Eat less meat leading up to Earth day

.
.
What are some other easy but impactful ways to get your little ones involved in Earth day? Let me know below ๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’š
I blinked and now you are four. . How can time go I blinked and now you are four. 
.
How can time go so slowly and so quickly at the same time? How is it that I often count down the minutes until bedtime, and yet I so desperately want the years to slow down? 
.
Motherhood is a crazy ride. One that I donโ€™t think you can ever truly prepare yourself for. Everyday is filled with frustration, exhaustion, questions, worries, but also so much laughter and joy and oh so much love. Peaks and Valleys, highs and lows. I think thatโ€™s the best way to describe motherhood. One day you are consumed with guilt for losing your patience, another day you feel like you are rockin it (but those days seem rare). Iโ€™m often so overwhelmed at the thought of having to teach her so much, while Iโ€™m only still learning myself. I have constant anxiety that Iโ€™m ruining her, that Iโ€™m doing a terrible job, or that Iโ€™m just simply not a very good mother. Am I supporting her feelings? And I being a good role model? Ugh. Motherhood. 
.
Is it all worth it? The lack of independence, the changed body, the constant worry, the 500 daily questions, the sticky hands, the thousand loads of laundry, the big emotions, the irrational meltdowns, the pure exhaustion? Yes. Honestly, she is a pain in my ass like 80% of the time, but still worth it 100 times over.
.
But that is Motherhood... Hard. Like really fโ€™ing hard. But still absolutely and totally worth it (at least most days ๐Ÿ˜…). 
.
So, share with me: what in motherhood have you found the most rewarding, and the most challenging?! Share below ๐Ÿ’œ
Oil & Water fun ๐Ÿคฉ . . This is a really fun acti Oil & Water fun ๐Ÿคฉ
.
.
This is a really fun activity and probably one of Miaโ€™s new favourites. She played with this for a good 25-30 minutes and mama actually enjoyed it too ๐Ÿ˜‚
.
All you need is some oil, water, food colouring, and some droppers. 
.
.
She loved the way the bubbles formed in the oil and was so fascinated the entire time. Definitely a win and something we will do again! 
.
Shout out to @busytoddler for the awesome idea โค๏ธ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป
Do you ever feel like itโ€™s your job to keep your Do you ever feel like itโ€™s your job to keep your toddler or preschooler entertained all day?! I know I did. I still do some days. However Iโ€™ve come to realize that boredom often turns into free-play, independent play, pretend play, etc. 
.
Many of us can be quick to throw a screen on as a filler. Maybe when we want to clean up, have work to do, or have something else that is going to pull us away from our child, so we toss the TV on, or hand over the iPad. But, do you know what started to happen when I stopped throwing our TV on while I was busy? My child started to go off and play instead. She started to use her imagination and will now go off and play freely on her own. 
.
Now donโ€™t get me wrong, Iโ€™m not saying no screens! We still watch TV daily and have occasional tablet time, but now I rely more on her entertaining herself instead. Now I no longer feel like I need to be entertaining her all day, setting up an activity, or throwing the TV on as a filler. 
.
Our kids are capable of so much more than we give them credit for! When I started allowing Mia to be bored, her imagination and creativity really started to shine through. We need to let go of the idea that our toddlers and preschoolers need to be entertained and occupied all day, everyday. 
.
I will always love setting up activities for Mia, and I will continue to do so. But we do structured activities every other day and it takes up maybe 10% of our day when we do. Being a mom is exhausting and we need to give ourselves a break, and simply know that it is okay for our toddlers to be bored. They may complain at first, it may not come right away, but eventually with consistency they will be going off and playing on their own more and more. 
.
Do you agree? Have you had experiences with this that you want to share? Drop a comment below ๐Ÿ’œ
More Bumble Bee fun ๐Ÿ But this time with play d More Bumble Bee fun ๐Ÿ But this time with play dough! 
.
.
This is an oldie but still a favourite tray of mine. I love putting together play dough trays because they are easy and always well received. Also so open-ended! It is always so fun to see how Mia will interact and engage with the tray. Play dough is one activity that will keep her busy for a good amount of time because she will typically play with it in a few different ways before being done โœ”๏ธ 
.
Thatโ€™s a win in my book! ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป
.
.
If your feeling the bumble bee vibes make sure you check out our other bumble bee themed activity from a few days ago! โค๏ธ๐Ÿ
Water beads + shaving cream, a new go-to in our ho Water beads + shaving cream, a new go-to in our house. 
.
Such a cool sensory experience and one that always keeps my 4 year old occupied. It doesnโ€™t have to be fancy. Toss some water beads into a bin of shaving cream and add some spoons and scoopers. In this version we also included a expanding colander that is actually made to go in your sink. It was a dollar store find and worked perfect here ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป
.
.
Have you tried this fun sensory combo yet? Will you give it a go, or does the thought of this messy activity give you nightmares?! Let me know in the comments below ๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ’œ
Save the Bees ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ’›๐ŸŒผ . . With Earth day fast Save the Bees ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ’›๐ŸŒผ
.
.
With Earth day fast approaching, I really wanted to do a bee themed activity. Bees are so important when it comes to this place we call home. They are pollinators and actually play a part in every aspect of our eco system! 
.
I was always scared of bees growing up, but as Iโ€™ve learning more about them, I find them so interesting. Last year when a bee got into our house, Mia and I caught it in a jar and put it back outside, and she thought that was โ€œSO COOLโ€. 
. 
Including bees into our play has helped Mia go from being really nervous of bees to being more intrigued and fascinated by them. 
.
.
In our bee themed activity we used some little bees from a game we have and our new โ€œbuild a gardenโ€ set. I also added some black beans and a DIY bee hive. The activity was perfect for explaining why bees needs flowers and how important bees are to the world all around us! ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ’›
We are so happy to be seeing the warmer weather an We are so happy to be seeing the warmer weather and are getting outside as much as we can lately. 

One thing we love to do is bring out Magnetic Tiles outside to play! Our garage door, as well as our front and back doors make a great place to play with our tiles ๐ŸŒˆ

Have you used your Magnetic tiles outside? If so share what activities youโ€™ve done in the comments below!
๐ŸŒŽ Earth Day is coming, and this year we are doi ๐ŸŒŽ Earth Day is coming, and this year we are doing something a bit different. ๐ŸŒŽ
.
Usually for Earth day we do something pretty simple like a relevant activity and chat about not littering and taking care of the planet. But this year Katie from @early_childhood_fun101 reached out and let me know about a challenge she was putting together to eat meat free for one week leading up to Earth Day! 
.
So, how exactly does eating meat free help the earth? Well did you know that Animal Agriculture actually plays a factor in our current environmental crisis? I actually didnโ€™t really know this, Iโ€™ve never looked into if Iโ€™m being honest, but when Katie told me that by eating meat free for ONE week I could save 77 trees, I thought to myself, what a great way to celebrate Earth Day! It was a way that actually seemed impactful and attainable. 
.
Donโ€™t worry we will still do a fun Earth Day themed activity too ๐Ÿ˜‰ ๐ŸŒŽ 
.
Will this make me stop eating meat forever? Honestly, probably not. I enjoy BBQ season too much! However, I donโ€™t eat much meat to begin with, and this has opened my eyes and will most likely impact how often I eat meat moving forward. It is also something I can see myself doing yearly now, leading up to earth day! 
.
So, if you are still reading this and you are looking for a great way to make an impact this Earth Day, you can join myself and a group of some other amazing ladies (swipe to see who has joined in already), head to the swipe up link in my bio to add your email. OH and I forgot to mention that Katie even put together a meal plan to make it EASY to complete this challenge! So swipe up to join in and get your meal plan! The challenge starts April 14th ๐Ÿ˜Š๐ŸŒŽ๐Ÿ’š๐Ÿ’™
Follow Us!
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learning.for.littles

Kendra | Learning For Littles
Earth Day fun ๐ŸŒŽ๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’š . This activity is from Earth Day fun ๐ŸŒŽ๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’š
.
This activity is from last year, but it was a good one! We did an ocean clean up activity and Mia loved it! 
.
.
I used pasta as our โ€œsandโ€ and just water with a drop of food colouring for our ocean. Tossed in our ocean animals and then some โ€œgarbageโ€. Mia scooped out all the garbage and put it in the garbage can.
.
The benefit of doing an activity like this for Earth day is it is a great invitation to talk about why we donโ€™t litter, why we recycle, etc. 
.
Now, Earth day activities are so much fun, but of course not actually overly helpful for our Earth, and while they can be a great conversation starter, I wanted to list some other ways you can involve your kiddo in Earth Day that may be a little more impactful ๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’š

So, what are some impactful Earth day activities that are kid friendly?! Here are a few ideas:

๐ŸŒŽ Plant a tree
.
๐ŸŒŽ Start a garden 
.
๐ŸŒŽ Make a DIY bird house 
.
๐ŸŒŽ Do a garbage pickup around your neighbourhood
.
๐ŸŒŽ Teach your little one about proper recycling
.
๐ŸŒŽ Buy second hand toys where possible 
.
๐ŸŒŽ Learn about and implement composting
.
๐ŸŒŽ Set up a rain barrel in your yard
.
๐ŸŒŽ Eat less meat leading up to Earth day

.
.
What are some other easy but impactful ways to get your little ones involved in Earth day? Let me know below ๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’š
I blinked and now you are four. . How can time go I blinked and now you are four. 
.
How can time go so slowly and so quickly at the same time? How is it that I often count down the minutes until bedtime, and yet I so desperately want the years to slow down? 
.
Motherhood is a crazy ride. One that I donโ€™t think you can ever truly prepare yourself for. Everyday is filled with frustration, exhaustion, questions, worries, but also so much laughter and joy and oh so much love. Peaks and Valleys, highs and lows. I think thatโ€™s the best way to describe motherhood. One day you are consumed with guilt for losing your patience, another day you feel like you are rockin it (but those days seem rare). Iโ€™m often so overwhelmed at the thought of having to teach her so much, while Iโ€™m only still learning myself. I have constant anxiety that Iโ€™m ruining her, that Iโ€™m doing a terrible job, or that Iโ€™m just simply not a very good mother. Am I supporting her feelings? And I being a good role model? Ugh. Motherhood. 
.
Is it all worth it? The lack of independence, the changed body, the constant worry, the 500 daily questions, the sticky hands, the thousand loads of laundry, the big emotions, the irrational meltdowns, the pure exhaustion? Yes. Honestly, she is a pain in my ass like 80% of the time, but still worth it 100 times over.
.
But that is Motherhood... Hard. Like really fโ€™ing hard. But still absolutely and totally worth it (at least most days ๐Ÿ˜…). 
.
So, share with me: what in motherhood have you found the most rewarding, and the most challenging?! Share below ๐Ÿ’œ
Oil & Water fun ๐Ÿคฉ . . This is a really fun acti Oil & Water fun ๐Ÿคฉ
.
.
This is a really fun activity and probably one of Miaโ€™s new favourites. She played with this for a good 25-30 minutes and mama actually enjoyed it too ๐Ÿ˜‚
.
All you need is some oil, water, food colouring, and some droppers. 
.
.
She loved the way the bubbles formed in the oil and was so fascinated the entire time. Definitely a win and something we will do again! 
.
Shout out to @busytoddler for the awesome idea โค๏ธ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป
Do you ever feel like itโ€™s your job to keep your Do you ever feel like itโ€™s your job to keep your toddler or preschooler entertained all day?! I know I did. I still do some days. However Iโ€™ve come to realize that boredom often turns into free-play, independent play, pretend play, etc. 
.
Many of us can be quick to throw a screen on as a filler. Maybe when we want to clean up, have work to do, or have something else that is going to pull us away from our child, so we toss the TV on, or hand over the iPad. But, do you know what started to happen when I stopped throwing our TV on while I was busy? My child started to go off and play instead. She started to use her imagination and will now go off and play freely on her own. 
.
Now donโ€™t get me wrong, Iโ€™m not saying no screens! We still watch TV daily and have occasional tablet time, but now I rely more on her entertaining herself instead. Now I no longer feel like I need to be entertaining her all day, setting up an activity, or throwing the TV on as a filler. 
.
Our kids are capable of so much more than we give them credit for! When I started allowing Mia to be bored, her imagination and creativity really started to shine through. We need to let go of the idea that our toddlers and preschoolers need to be entertained and occupied all day, everyday. 
.
I will always love setting up activities for Mia, and I will continue to do so. But we do structured activities every other day and it takes up maybe 10% of our day when we do. Being a mom is exhausting and we need to give ourselves a break, and simply know that it is okay for our toddlers to be bored. They may complain at first, it may not come right away, but eventually with consistency they will be going off and playing on their own more and more. 
.
Do you agree? Have you had experiences with this that you want to share? Drop a comment below ๐Ÿ’œ
More Bumble Bee fun ๐Ÿ But this time with play d More Bumble Bee fun ๐Ÿ But this time with play dough! 
.
.
This is an oldie but still a favourite tray of mine. I love putting together play dough trays because they are easy and always well received. Also so open-ended! It is always so fun to see how Mia will interact and engage with the tray. Play dough is one activity that will keep her busy for a good amount of time because she will typically play with it in a few different ways before being done โœ”๏ธ 
.
Thatโ€™s a win in my book! ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป
.
.
If your feeling the bumble bee vibes make sure you check out our other bumble bee themed activity from a few days ago! โค๏ธ๐Ÿ
Water beads + shaving cream, a new go-to in our ho Water beads + shaving cream, a new go-to in our house. 
.
Such a cool sensory experience and one that always keeps my 4 year old occupied. It doesnโ€™t have to be fancy. Toss some water beads into a bin of shaving cream and add some spoons and scoopers. In this version we also included a expanding colander that is actually made to go in your sink. It was a dollar store find and worked perfect here ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป
.
.
Have you tried this fun sensory combo yet? Will you give it a go, or does the thought of this messy activity give you nightmares?! Let me know in the comments below ๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ’œ
Save the Bees ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ’›๐ŸŒผ . . With Earth day fast Save the Bees ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ’›๐ŸŒผ
.
.
With Earth day fast approaching, I really wanted to do a bee themed activity. Bees are so important when it comes to this place we call home. They are pollinators and actually play a part in every aspect of our eco system! 
.
I was always scared of bees growing up, but as Iโ€™ve learning more about them, I find them so interesting. Last year when a bee got into our house, Mia and I caught it in a jar and put it back outside, and she thought that was โ€œSO COOLโ€. 
. 
Including bees into our play has helped Mia go from being really nervous of bees to being more intrigued and fascinated by them. 
.
.
In our bee themed activity we used some little bees from a game we have and our new โ€œbuild a gardenโ€ set. I also added some black beans and a DIY bee hive. The activity was perfect for explaining why bees needs flowers and how important bees are to the world all around us! ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ’›
We are so happy to be seeing the warmer weather an We are so happy to be seeing the warmer weather and are getting outside as much as we can lately. 

One thing we love to do is bring out Magnetic Tiles outside to play! Our garage door, as well as our front and back doors make a great place to play with our tiles ๐ŸŒˆ

Have you used your Magnetic tiles outside? If so share what activities youโ€™ve done in the comments below!
๐ŸŒŽ Earth Day is coming, and this year we are doi ๐ŸŒŽ Earth Day is coming, and this year we are doing something a bit different. ๐ŸŒŽ
.
Usually for Earth day we do something pretty simple like a relevant activity and chat about not littering and taking care of the planet. But this year Katie from @early_childhood_fun101 reached out and let me know about a challenge she was putting together to eat meat free for one week leading up to Earth Day! 
.
So, how exactly does eating meat free help the earth? Well did you know that Animal Agriculture actually plays a factor in our current environmental crisis? I actually didnโ€™t really know this, Iโ€™ve never looked into if Iโ€™m being honest, but when Katie told me that by eating meat free for ONE week I could save 77 trees, I thought to myself, what a great way to celebrate Earth Day! It was a way that actually seemed impactful and attainable. 
.
Donโ€™t worry we will still do a fun Earth Day themed activity too ๐Ÿ˜‰ ๐ŸŒŽ 
.
Will this make me stop eating meat forever? Honestly, probably not. I enjoy BBQ season too much! However, I donโ€™t eat much meat to begin with, and this has opened my eyes and will most likely impact how often I eat meat moving forward. It is also something I can see myself doing yearly now, leading up to earth day! 
.
So, if you are still reading this and you are looking for a great way to make an impact this Earth Day, you can join myself and a group of some other amazing ladies (swipe to see who has joined in already), head to the swipe up link in my bio to add your email. OH and I forgot to mention that Katie even put together a meal plan to make it EASY to complete this challenge! So swipe up to join in and get your meal plan! The challenge starts April 14th ๐Ÿ˜Š๐ŸŒŽ๐Ÿ’š๐Ÿ’™
Follow Us!
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