How we played: ball + box + stairs + mama

It's amazing how easy it can be to entertain a kid sometimes. With all this wet weather (and not wanting to spend money on indoor play places) I've had to do some digging around on Pinterest for ideas. And then sometimes you just come up with a game. 

Whit's been in a throwing MOOD the past two weeks. So the other day I figured I'd let him get it out of his system and throw some of his balls down the stairs. We started out with just two, but of course, that wasn't enough....

All we do is let him throw them down and we try to catch them in the box, fake not being able to catch them (he finds it hilarious), or let him try to throw them in the box without us helping. And we've been at this for four days straight now. I saw a post on a blog (not that I can remember which one...grrr!) where she had her child drop balls into a box over the back of a chair. At first I thought, how easy that must be! Well, we tried it and um, no not so easy! Apparently it was working on some sort of skills for Whit and interesting enough to keep him engaged for a while. Which is exactly what you need in a rainy day activity!

How we played: DIY bubbles, son!

Easiest thing ever. I wish I had looked it up sooner, but I guess it's one of those things you pin and never look back on? But once Whit became a bubble addict, I had to do something 'cause the store bought stuff ain't cheap, sister!

1/2 c Dawn
2 c water
2 tsp sugar

Combine and boom! you're done. So far it's worked great and keeps easy in a mason jar in the closet.

And works in every bubble thing we own: big bubble wands, little bubble wands, and bubble guns. Except the big Fubbles pot we bought, it's just as annoying with this as anything else. Don't waste your money! Bite the bullet, be a lazy mom and buy a decent bubble gun. Your lungs will thank you!

Also:

Just don't do it. That sucker gave us two bubbles and was done. I knew better. I had read reviews, but fell into the "but it's so cute" and "surely a Fisher-Price thing would work" traps. Trust me, it's crap, don't buy it! 

Spend that money on a bubble bazooka! :-)

How we played: rice bin

Plastic bin + rice + anything = fun. Lots of quiet fun.

And sometimes messy fun. Before Mamacita learned better. Now when we play with this I put down an old shower curtain I use as a drop cloth now. But seriously, Whit was enamored with this for 20-30 mins. Which is seriously one in the win column. 

Little man played so long with it he was pretty exhausted and ready for nap time. Not asking for it, mind you, just ready.

You can put whatever you want in the bin, we used a couple of measuring spoons and metal measuring cups (they made a great sound when he poured rice on the back of them) and a funnel-like piece from one of his travel-food-carrier-thingies. And best part is, you put the top back on and pack it away when you're finished. But definitely pack it away, the next day Whit saw the bin out and started begging to play with it instead of eating breakfast. Another lesson learned!

Speaking of lessons, have you ever noticed that Sun-Maid raisins have kernels of wisdom on the inside flap?
Yeah me either, but I'm rather enjoying them...

How we played: ball pit

Pack n' Play + bag of balls = best. thing. evar!

I love how the best toys are the easiest. I wish I could save all this money and time by making toys and games for Whitman, but I don't. I still spend way too much money on him, but he's our first born and we're allowed that, dagnabit! I try to console myself by saying it's an investment for his future siblings, but let's get real: the only thing more fun than buying clothes, is buying toys. 

I got this idea from a lady at work who said her daughter-in-law did it with her son. They would put a lot of balls in a laundry basket and the kid loves it. Well overzealous me had to do it bigger and I still want to add even more balls. Because honestly, what's better than a pit full of stuff?! One of my favorite memories as a kid was the foam cube pit at Pat Gray's, a gymnastics studio where you could have birthday parties. You'd do cake and presents downstairs and then let the kids loose on the equipment upstairs. One set of uneven bars was over a huge pit of foam cubes and we were constantly swimming in it a la Scrooge McDuck.

 

Whit loved it! And still does <--- that's the shocker. The ball pit has been going strong for almost three weeks now and it's still as fun as day one. The first day we had it, Whit would try to throw the balls out and we were hitting them back in while quoting Dikembe Mutombo from the Geico commercials.  

"Nuh uh uh! Not today!"

As the newness wears off, we've found different ways to make it fun. We've tried the muffin tin game, which Whit is only slightly interested in. Throwing the balls out and into specific things: gift bags, baskets, his car seat. Hiding other toys in the balls and asking him to find them. Sometimes he will just lay flat on them and move his arms around enjoying the feeling. 

But Dikembe Mutombo is still his favorite.