Spring into Joyful Motherhood: Your Weekly Guide March 31

Featured Activity: Easter Egg Tunnel Drop

Before you store the plastic Easter eggs away for next year, put them to use by setting up this easy, quick-to-clean-up activity. Ideal for post-Easter play, it caters to toddlers of all ages—offering the little ones a playful introduction to Easter traditions and providing the older toddlers with a delightful way to extend the holiday excitement. It's a perfect blend of entertainment and education.

Materials needed

• 4-6 plastic or paper cups

• Plastic eggs

• Large plastic bin

• Basket (hamper, cardboard box, storage bin)

• Clear packaging tape (or duct tape if your toddler is destructive)

Instructions 

• Cut off the bottoms of the cups. You can use plastic cups too, but styrofoam or paper cups have softer edges when cut.

• Tape the cups to the sides of the container. Make sure you take them securely so that there aren’t any gaps. This will ensure that the cups stay in place.

• After that, you are ready to play! Have your toddler collect eggs and drop them through the “egg tunnels.”

Educational Opportunities:

• Learning colors: This activity makes it easy to talk about colors! You can talk about the different egg colors while you hunt and drop them in, "Can you find a pink egg?"

• Physical activity encourages movement and exploration, improving gross motor skills.

• Language Skills: allows for word introduction: egg, color words, up, down, through, into tunnel, etc.

• Counting: Count as your toddler drops eggs into the bin. 

A Week of Activities

Sensory Exploration

Ice Excavation Adventure

• Materials Needed: Ice cube trays, small plastic toys (e.g., animals, dinosaurs), water, salt, droppers or small spoons, and trays or large bowls.

• Instructions: Place small toys in ice cube trays, fill with water, and freeze. Once frozen, pop the ice cubes into a tray or bowl and provide your toddler with salt and warm water in droppers or spoons. Encourage them to use the salt and warm water to melt the ice and 'excavate' the toys.

• Developmental Benefits: This activity enhances fine motor skills through the use of droppers and spoons, encourages problem-solving as toddlers figure out how to free the toys, and introduces basic science concepts such as the states of water and the effect of salt on ice.

Movement

Obstacle Course Fun

• Materials needed: cushions, blankets, chairs, and any safe household items to create obstacles.

• Instructions: Set up a simple indoor obstacle course that requires toddlers to crawl under tables, walk along a cushion path, jump over a rolled-up towel, and navigate through a tunnel made of chairs and blankets. Adjust the complexity based on your child's age and ability.

• Developmental Benefits: Encourages gross motor skill development, spatial awareness, and physical fitness. It also boosts confidence as toddlers navigate and overcome obstacles.

Nature Exploration + Art

Nature Exploration + Art

Leafy Storyboards

• Materials needed: Cardboard or thick paper, glue, collected leaves of different shapes and sizes, markers or paint.

• Instructions: After a nature walk to collect various leaves, help your toddler glue the leaves onto cardboard to create imaginative scenes or characters. They can then add details to their creations using markers or paint.

• Developmental Benefits: Supports creativity and imagination by transforming natural materials into art. It also encourages storytelling skills and can be used to teach about different types of trees and leaves.

Science Exploration

Dancing Raisins

• Materials needed: Clear glass or jar, water, baking soda, vinegar, and raisins.

• Instructions: Fill the glass halfway with water, add a spoonful of baking soda, and stir until mostly dissolved. Add a few raisins and then slowly pour in vinegar to cause a fizzy reaction. Watch as the raisins begin to dance up and down in the glass.

• Developmental Benefits: Introduces basic chemistry concepts through observation of the carbon dioxide gas bubbles forming on the raisins, making them rise and fall. This activity sparks curiosity and encourages scientific questioning and observation.

Cognitive Development

Shadow Matching Game

• Materials Needed: Toy figures (animals, dinosaurs, etc.), a flashlight, and a blank wall or sheet.

• Instructions: Arrange the toy figures on a table or the floor near a wall or a hanging sheet. Use the flashlight to cast shadows of the toys on the wall. Challenge your toddler to match the toy figures to their shadows, moving the toys closer or further away to align their shadows perfectly.

• Developmental Benefits: Enhances visual and spatial awareness as toddlers learn to associate objects with their shadows, improving cognitive skills like matching and categorization. This game also encourages the development of fine motor skills as they adjust the position of the toys, and fosters creativity and imagination through playful interaction with light and shadows.

What’s for Dinner?

Mom Moment - Empowering YOURSELF this week

Motherhood is a beautiful mess of new experiences—challenging yet rewarding, exhausting yet exhilarating. And in the midst of our busy lives, it's crucial to remember that taking steps toward building the motherhood journey YOU dream of is not only possible but necessary. Whether you're navigating the early stages of motherhood or juggling the demands of growing children, I want you to feel empowered to create motherhood you wake up excited about.

1. Set Aside Quality Time for Reflection: Dedicate at least 15 minutes this week to reflect on your feelings you have this week. Use a journal (I use the notes app on my phone) to jot down your feelings, challenges, joys, and aspirations as a mom. This practice can help you understand what aspects of motherhood you love and what areas you might want to change or focus more on. It’s a powerful step towards creating a more fulfilling motherhood experience.

2. Implement a 'Me-Time' Schedule: Identify at least two 20-minute slots in your week dedicated solely to self-care. This could be early in the morning before the kids wake up, during nap times, after they go to bed, or maybe when another caregiver can watch them (I know easier said than done). Use this time to engage in activities that rejuvenate you—reading, a short workout, a hobby, or simply sipping coffee in peace. Prioritizing your well-being is essential for nurturing a positive and loving motherhood experience.

3. Create a Family Ritual: Establish a new weekly family ritual that you look forward to. It could be a simple Sunday breakfast, a weekly craft time, or an evening walk. The goal is to create consistent, quality family time that allows for bonding and making memories. This ritual should be something enjoyable and manageable, fostering a sense of belonging and happiness within your family dynamic.

Try to incorporate these ideas into your week. If you don’t get to them (hello, busy moms over here) or simply forget, that’s okay too! The idea is try and carve out moments for yourself where you are giving back to yourself, not just giving to everyone else.