3 cool things to keep your bored Toddler busy...sometimes...if you're lucky.

Pace gets so bored in the mornings while the boys are at school and Luna is in the Kindergarten. I'm just not stimulating enough for him. He wants to run, bulldoze and scatter his toys
e v e r y w h e r e, and eat unceasingly. I try to be the cool mom and play and read with him, but I just can't occupy all his time and he does need to learn to play by himself.

Today was a bad day. I was not a cool mommy. It took every bit of my energy this morning to do what seemed like chasing Pace around the house. He striped bare as most days (and usually several times) and demanded a morning bath time. I gave in, and after just 5 minutes of his 'bash' he was done. WhaaAAT? I mean, if it were a 20 minute bath and I could actually get something done, that would be different....but 5 minutes? Then he wanted new clothes and a new die-pa on pronto. So I dressed him, again, and gave him a snack. It seemed so late in the morning but it was only 9!! None of my cool mommy tricks were working. The rest of the day rolled on. Honestly, T~G~I~F!!!!

So, if the following three things work for you. YEAH! These are just ideas....not that it'll save your life e v e r y morning. Hahaha.

Here are three cool manipulatives that will give them a lesson learning while 'playing'.  And the best part is that they are super easy to do at home.

Have a great weekend!! I'm so ready for it!

1. Help 'clean' (sweeping into a square)
I saw this on Pinterest, and thought it was so cool that I would do it. 
I finally did! 
The first thing that I ever 're-did' on Pinterest. 

                                                                                     Source: picasaweb.google.com via Maggie on Pinterest

I really think he'd rather sit in it, than sweep...maybe in a year or so....

2. Stopping & Pouring Fun

Pace loves water as most kids his age do. I find him in the toilet, at the bathroom sink, and at the kitchen sink standing on a chair all the time getting into the water. He can even start his own bath at the age of two! He strips down, takes off his 'die-pa', turns on the water and hops in. It's not cool when the other morning I was French braiding Luna's hair and there he goes....hopping in the tub saying, "Mommy, bash. Mommy, bash". That's 'bath' in Pacey talk. So, after dropping Luna off at Kindergarten, I thought I'd be a cool mommy and let him 'play'. I grabbed a tray, two small tupperware cups and a sponge and he had a blast. Thankfully it was just water, and the spills were easy to clean. And...he had lots of fun. This is similar to the Montessori work, 'stopping and pouring'. The only difference is, we used plastic instead of glass, and I let him drink the water. lol! What a great fine motor skill & coordination activity.

 3. Building Towers

These blocks are actually made out of cardboard. In my opinion, the best ones are the wooden ones. We have some wooden blocks as well, but I love how these blocks are graduated, and Luna could stack them in order of the size. 

This is like.....totally us...check out this parent rap!!!!

http://www.dump.com/parentsrap/