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| Happy toddler= Happy Mama |
I have dubbed those hours between 4-6PM in my house the "howling hours". For some reason at the strike of 4 all our toys render themselves "boring", and the ample amount of fresh air out my backdoor is deemed "too windy." Thus, howling begins.
To minimize the howling, and to allow me that much needed time to keep an eye on those bubbling pots of my stove, I have created a "creativity box." The box is just a large plastic Sterlite Organizing bin with drawers, which I now keep several easy to assemble (and guaranteed to keep small hands occupied for at least 20 minutes) activities that my wee one can do on his own. Last week I shared our Modern Art Sculpture that we create using pipe cleaners and spice jars (you can see more detail on this post). This week the new favorite is the button snakes.
I can't take credit for these easy to assemble "snakes." I've seen them all over other blogs (see: this blog, this blog and this blog) and within the pages of my Montessori books. But great ideas are meant to be shared, and this one has been a lifesaver for me. The snakes are a great way for E to learn how to button and unbutton (as potty-training is in full swing), and he also just has fun sorting all of the felt shapes by color and size.
The howling still starts every day, but at least now I have a few more tactics that save my eardrums and my time in the process.
What are your clever ways to keep your children busy during the hours before dinner?
What a cute guy you have there! It's sneaky of them to be so adorable and so loud at the same time, isn't it? We saw my 1 year old nephew in Cali a couple of weeks ago, and our tactic with him was to let him bang wooden puzzle pieces together. Also loud, but better than screaming.
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