As soon as I saw these cute little ghost-shaped peeps at the store I KNEW we had to make some ghost s’mores to celebrate it (finally!) being October.
And, want to know the best part about making s’mores in Texas in early October?
You don’t even need a heat source…the sun will provide that for you! 😉
jk…kind of.
If you don’t have a fire pit (or it’s just too dang hot to use it) but you’re still craving a sweet Halloween Treat, try making these spooky s’mores in the oven (or under the TX sun!)! I promise they’re just as yummy!
Well we just got back from our trip to Big Sky and I have so much to share with you!
I’m going to tray to answer some of the most-asked questions! Let’s start with our itinerary:
BIG SKY & YELLOWSTONE ITINERARY
Day One:We flew into Jackson Hole, rented an SUV & spent the day exploring Jackson Town Square (which is ADORABLE- make sure you pop into Jackson Drug Co for a milkshake, Mursell’s Sweet Shop for some treats, and get some “Old Timey Photos” taken in town!) We then drove through Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) to check out some bison and to hit up Cunningham Cabin…which I was DYING to see! The kids and I have been reading lots of historical fiction chapter books based on prairie life and early settlers, so they thought walking through an original log cabin from the 1800s was the coolest! (for a list of great book suggestions, scroll to the bottom!)
After checking out GTNP for a bit, we started our drive through Yellowstone up to Big Sky, MT. The drive was estimated at 3.5hrs but because of the backed up ONE lane roads through the National Parks, the drive took us over 6 hours! If you have an RV, love to sight see, and are not in a rush- I 100% recommend the scenic drive. We, however, had a cranky toddler, family that was expecting our arrival three hours earlier and NO cell service to call them to let them know we were safe & en route. Yikes!
Once in Big Sky, we reunited with family & ordered pizzas in from Ousel and Spur! (Accommodations: We stayed at Villa Hunt’s View & booked through Luxuryretreats.com. The house was beautiful and big enough for our group of 12, however, it’s important to note that getting into Yellowstone was a 1.5 hour drive from our house. If you plan on being in Yellowstone every day, I suggest staying someplace closer, OR in the park. Lake Yellowstone Hotel or Old Faithful Inn are both in-park accommodations, and though convenient, both are very pricey. )
Day Two: Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center *be sure to arrive early and sign your kids up for the bear feeding activity! (we arrived at 9:30am) The kids loved seeing the animals, getting a “Keeper Kid” animal button, and getting to go into the bear habitat (sans bears) to hide food for the bears! We ate lunch at Wild West Pizzeria and stopped in for coffee at Mountain Mama’s Cafe in the town of Madison. We had dinner at By Word of Mouth.
Day Three: Up at 6:30 for our Tour of Yellowstone (by far my favorite day of the trip!). We used seeyellowstone.com for the 8 hour tour. Be sure to ask for Don! He was wonderful!!! We loaded up all the carseats into the private bus and had the most amazing day touring the southern loop of Yellowstone with the most knowledgeable guide! That night we cooked pasta & went to bed EARLY!
Things to see in Lower Loop of Yellowstone:
Firehole Waterfall
Lower Falls from Lookout Point
Bison viewing at Hayden Valley
Grand Prismatic lookout from Fairy Falls Trail
Lower Geyser Basin & Fountain Flat
Old Faithful
Day Four: lazy morning, followed by The Marina at Lake Levinsky for fishing and lake activities. Then we went over to Big Sky Base Camp to explore. We ate lunch at the Hungry Moose and let the kids explore all the fun outdoor activities! That night we ordered dinner in from Andiamo Italian Grille & played cards.
Day Five: woke up early and set off for a hike to Ousel Falls! We split off and half the group grabbed sandwiches from Roxy’s and the other half ate at Lotus Pad. After lunch we went horseback riding at Ranch 320. Ages 8+ were allowed to go out on the trail, and ages 4-8 were able to do a guided “totes ride”. After that we went right over to Gallatin Riverhouse Grill for dinner, which was super fun!
Day Six: departure from Bozeman airport (1 hour and 20 minute drive…much better than the 6+ drive from Jackson!)
1. Read up! Get a few fiction and non-fiction books to read & explore with your kiddos before hand. Educational trips like this are always best if everyone has some prior knowledge. Here are a few kid-friendly books I loved (please read the reviews and decide on age-appropriateness for your children)
2. Passes! If you plan on hitting up 3 or more National Parks in a year, ask about the America the Beautiful Annual Pass. It’s $80 and gives you entry to all National Parks in the USA for a year.
3. When you Gotta Go….! Consider a travel urinal if traveling with small children. The sporadic bathrooms around the park vary in cleanliness. And sometimes there isn’t one near when your little one HAS to go! I like these for little kids, or this travel potty if you have more luggage flexibility. I’m not gonna lie, I totally would’ve used one of these a few times if we had them with us!!
4. Service & Traffic! Be aware that the roads inside the national parks are one lane! If there is a hold up, you WILL be stuck in your car waiting. Bring car games, ipads, snacks and water! Also, note that there is ZERO cell service (at least for us) in the parks. Make sure someone knows where you are and where you are going beforeentering the park. We got stuck an extra three hours on a backed-up road and had no way of calling family to let them know we were safe & en route.
5. Keep your Car Stocked! We kept a cooler filled with water & light snacks in the car at ALL times. This came in very handy after a long hike & during long car rides! We brought this yeti cooler backpack and Ryan used it as his carry-on on the plane and then we used it the entire trip as a cooler. I also kept a big bag in the trunk at all times with towels, bathing suits, rain coats, a light change of clothes, hats, and fleece jackets. The weather turned on us almost daily and it was nice to be prepared on-site, rather than wish we had the jacket we packed but left at the house/hotel an hour away. The bathing suits and towels are especially great to have on hand if you come across a fun swimming area unexpectedly! And the rain coats (with hoods) also came in VERY handy almost daily.
6. Be Comfortable! Wear layers & comfortable shoes! You’ll be doing lots of walking/hiking and don’t be surprised if you are sweating one minute and chilly the next. Not a bad idea to carry a small first aid kit in your hiking backpack with bandaids for blisters/small cuts!
7. Bear Spray! Buy it before you go, carry it everywhere! On site, it cost upwards of $50 whereas you can find it on Amazon for under $30! This is the one I packed: BEAR SPRAY (note: it IS available to rent for about $8 a day if you’d rather not bring your own.)
8. Baby Safety! If traveling with young children, I HIGHLY advise a hiking backpack and/or child harness. There are MANY areas of Yellowstone that are very dangerous for small children who may not obey rules. We kept Max in the backpack when we were near any/all steep lookouts/cliffs and when we visited the dangerous geysers and hot springs. THIS was the hiking backpack we brought and THIS was the harness. Listen, I used to judge the moms who put their kids on a leash….until I had Max! When in dangerous situations, safety comes before all else!
9. Hire a Guide! If it’s in the budget, I 100% recommend getting a Yellowstone tour guide! They know traffic patterns, the best areas for animal spotting, and can answer all of your questions throughout the day! We used seeyellowstone.com and had the BEST guide, Don!
10. Be respectful, be safe! Seems like common sense, but some words of wisdom: leave the land as you found it, pick up your trash, don’t leave food out, obey rules and signs (they are there for a reason!) and stay a good distance away from wild animals; they are dangerous and unpredictable! And lastly, have fun!!! Yellowstone was an adventure of a lifetime and a trip my family and I will NEVER forget!
Alright- I’m in NO rush for summer to be over, but let’s just say that, practically-speaking, it probably isn’t the worst idea to get some of the basic school supplies ordered. You know, so we can kick back and not think about using them for the next few weeks.
So here you go—
my “ordering list” for back to school:
BACKPACKS
Cub is issued a backpack for her grade so she’s boring (I mean, easy!) this year! 😉
Q & I love the State backpacks, so she chose this rainbow star design pictured below this year. They hold up really well (although the metallic ones can start to peel a bit. Q had the gold one last year and I actually don’t mind the “worn in” look, but it may not be for everyone.)
Here are Q’s runner-up choices & some other favorites I found:
(Most of these are already sold out on the State website, so I linked them where I could find them!)rainbow (I was pushing for this one, but Q didn’t want it!) | black graphic (this was Q’s second choice!)| metallic confetti | clear confetti (we have the older colorway of this one and both girls love it!)| purple colorway
For more on how Q personalized her backpack with fun keychains, patches, and pins last year click HERE!
BOWS
So important! …especially when you have to wear a boring old uniform every day (jk, I LOVE the uniform thing! So easy!) Anyways, here are some of my fav brands for school bows. We can only wear certain colored bows with the uniforms, but these favorite bow shops of mine have everything from cute prints to basic solids…and they ALL have given you discount codes to use, so STOCK UP!
My girls have to wear THESE saddle shoes with their uniforms, but even last year when Cub wasn’t in a uniform, I still put these on her a ton because they are comfy like sneakers but look so polished & preppy!
saddle shoes (it says “boys”, but they are unisex)
I also have loved these for NON UNIFORM school schoes: sneaker Mary-Janes (they come in lots of colors!) You can find the off-brand white ones I love and Cub wore all summer long HERE!
Non-uniform school shoes-This is my first year with both girls in a uniform, so I’ll live vicariously through you and give you this round up of some of my “would-be” favorites for school! I like to keep school shoes simple & neutral. My general rule of thumb was a pair from each category to start the year (athletic, dressy, neutral booties, rain boots) These shoe picks are based on general “rubber-sole, closed-toe, no heel” school shoe guidelines!
no-fold crew socks (not pictured) We love these because they cover the ankle but without the “fold down” look that Q is not a fan of
Ripple Edge socks So cute with a uniform without the big giant ruffle you find on other ruffle socks
Cable Knit Tights (not pictured) These are our go-to for uniform skirts & cute dresses in the winter/colder weather!
Privacy Shorts These are required under the girls’ uniforms, but I make them wear them anytime they are wearing a dress, any time of year! I love the Hidees & Moneky Bar Buddies Brands too, but they can run on the pricey side! We have to wear navy this year but I love to stock up on these shorts in white for everyday!
LUNCH BOXES & ACCESSORIES
We’ve been Pottery Barn Lunchbox’ers for years, but are switching it up this year! I love that the State lunchboxes have a spot for a lunch note, and a removable divider so we can fit our bento boxes inside! (Note: both our Lunchbots & Bentogo boxes fit inside!)
Gold (I’m a sucker for this one, since it’s the lunchbox version of the backpack Q had last year- which I LOVED!) | Strawberries (sometimes I like a sack design bag like this when I’m sending a thermos or a fun “non-bento” lunch!)|Gold Kitty (on MAJOR sale!!) |Rainbow Sequins (also on MAJOR SALE!)|Fulton (love that this one comes with a hard removable liner for easy cleaning!)
Bento Box (great if you pack foods that could “spill” into one another. This box seals each individual food compartment. But, the compartments are small. I like these better for smaller kiddos!)
LunchBots These are our favorites! They come in all sizes and compartment variations. Yes, they are expensive, but we’ve had ours for YEARS and they look brand new! They last forever! I love that they are stainless as opposed to plastic, however, the compartments are not leak proof. If I’m packing something that may “run”, I use these silicone liners inside the compartments!
Thermos (good for soups, mac & cheese, and other hot lunch items!)
Silverware I always keep these in the girls’ lunchboxes! I mostly pack “finger foods” but they are nice to have, just in case!
Water Bottle I love these for school lunch boxes because they stay cold all day with the double wall vacuum insulation and I love the silicone slip boot and the super easy to clean straw (I’m not a fan of cups with lots of little nooks & crannies that can grow mildew! yuck!)
Ice Packs- So here’s my OCD ice-pack method: a hard ice pack on the bottom of the lunchbox, stainless LunchBots box next, and then top with a soft ice pack. These Fit & Fresh hard packs are my favorite (and the kids love all the different shapes they come in!) and these are great for flat soft packs! Last year I bought all the cute plastic character gel packs from Pottery Barn & Target and they all broke mid-year! I love that these Fit & Fresh Soft Ice Packs are made with a strong nylon fabric that won’t crack or leak!
Reusable Snack Backs We love these! Q had to bring a small mid-day snack last year and this was the perfect little bag to throw it into everyday. We use these on-the-go all year round!
MAX
Max only goes to school twice a week for a few short hours in the morning. He won’t eat lunch there and is also issued a tote bag by the school, so he doesn’t need much in terms of “school supplies”. Here are a few of my favorites for little boys though!
Summer is my very favorite time of year, so I figured I share some of my very favorite items for the girls! Most of these things have been in rotation in our house for years and it doesn’t feel like summer without them! Hope you find them helpful as you kick start your own summer! 😉
Shoes:
Ok, so I have this thing for white shoes and tan little legs in the summertime! Most think I’m crazy for entrusting my children with anything white, but I just bleach those bad boys in the washing machine and they look brand new! Aside from all the white shoes, a good pair of tan sandals are a summer staple for us! Since we travel so much in the summer, I like to keep our shoe selection simple for easy outfit matching/packing!
White Mary-Jane Sneakers We love these for anytime the girls are going somewhere where sandals aren’t allowed/appropriate (i.e. church, a school day camp, etc.)
White Slides lots on the market right now but I find these so durable and easy to keep clean! THESE from Walmart are a cheaper version & look almost identical! Not sure how well they hold up though!
Saltwater sandals When we are going somewhere in the summer where shoes don’t need to come off, the girls wear these neutral sandals!
Swim:
Red Swim Suits- I love this big/little sister combo…and the price! 😉
Otter Wing Rashguards We love these! The water wings clip on & off of the rashguards making them the perfect transition piece at the beach or pool! Of course these are not a life saving device and children should always be monitored in or around water by an adult! 😉
Tribord Swim Masks My girls love these for short snorkeling stints. This is the brand we use & trust!
Toys:
sensory table -we fill with ours with water beads (I prefer these to the orbeez beads because water beads dry up and can be reused!), sensory tools, and anything else you can think of!
scrunch bucket -great for travel because it’s made of silicone & folds up!
Bike Chalktrail –My girls love making “roads” and designs with these! Don’t forget a bin of chalk!
Rainbow Sprinkler– My kiddos all love a good sprinkler day! Love this rainbow one!
This is something new we are doing this summer! Here are the materials I used.
composition books (I love how this one has a space for writing and a space for an illustration on every page!)
3-pack plastic zip pouches I held these together with a binder ring and I chose this method of storing materials instead of tools on a desk because I wanted the journals to be portable for travel! (I filled the big bag with the notebook, the medium bag with pencils, sharpener, colored pens, white out, & a glue stick and the small bag with fun stickers!)
Concept: I ask the girls to journal once a day (that’s the goal, anyways!) We set a timer for anywhere from 10-20 minutes and I usually play some music, typically while I am prepping dinner. I encourage them to write about their day/feelings/fears/accomplishments/travels/dreams, etc. I also encourage them to take pictures with their POP polaroid camera and add photos to their journal pages! If you need a list of prompts, I like this one! For kiddos who can’t write yet, ask them to doodle or write out letter sounds and then have them tell you what they “wrote”/drew and you transcribe it on the page for them! Fun Tip: Encourage relatives, friends, camp counselors, etc. to be “guest writers” in the journal throughout your summer adventures!
Summer Camera– The kids love Polaroid cameras but the “automatic shoot & print” feature on most Polaroids equates to lotssss of wasted film in our house! The Polaroid POP is pricey but I love that the images are stored in a gallery for the kids to edit (think: adding borders/stickers, adding black & white filters, etc. Nothing fancy!) and then CHOOSE what pictures to print. The initial cost was steep, but it has saved us a TON on expensive Polaroid film, otherwise wasted on cheaper Polaroids that automatically print blurry/over exposed photos!!
Stay Hydrated:
Hydraflask Water Bottles The kids love the straw feature on this water bottle. I love the simple, easy-to-clean parts and the non-sweat silicone boot that comes on it! Perfect for camps or days at the beach.
Sunscreen:
I’ve been using this Aveeno Zinc Oxide sunscreen on the kids & love it. It has a EWG rating of 1, which means the formula is super clean & low in toxins & harmful chemicals! (The EWG scores go from 0-10, with 0 being the “cleanest”) We’ve also been using the SunBum Mineral Sunscreen (also rated a 1) and the face stick! I have the SunBum Mineral Spray as well. I know we aren’t “supposed to” use sprays, but let’s be honest, sometimes I’m lazy! I find it much less gooey and easier to apply than other mineral sprays!
Let’s talk hair/scalp protection. On beach/pool days I typically have the girls wear hats, but when they don’t have their hats on, their little scalps/hair lines are exposed to the sun. So, I’ve been trying out these two products: Coola organic Scalp & Hair Mist spf 30 & Supergoop Poof Powder spf 45 Here’s my review: The Coola is a sheer spray, so it goes on clear, but definitely left the girls hair a little bit greasy (which I don’t really mind, since we typically bathe after a full day of having sunscreen on) But if you were going on a quick outing in the sun and wanted to protect your scalp without needing to wash your hair afterwards, this may not be for you. The Poof powder is a white-ish powder that you spray onto scalp and then sort of “dab” in. I used it in Ardyn’s dark hair and it blended just fine. It did leave a bit of a cakey crust by the end of the day and needed to be scrubbed out in the bath, but did not leave the girls’ hair greasy. I will say, my girls’ scalps never once got sunburn in the Caribbean using either one of these products so I give them both a thumbs up!!
Summer Attire:
Roberta Roller Rabbit Cover Ups– I know they are a bit pricey, but let me explain why we love these beautiful cover-ups so much. My girls LIVE in their RRR coverups basically anytime a swim suit is involved and every time the girls wear them, I get asked where they are from… so, I figured I would share the method to my madness. I’m a little picky with cover ups and here’s why.
I like them to be a lightweight material- I’m not a huge fan of heavy terrycloth coverups & neither are the girls. (Especially after a long, hot day on the beach!) I get the girls dried off, de-sanded, throw underwear on them and then they like to put something cool and lightweight on. Sometimes the girls will ask to take off wet bathing suits and wear their coverups for a “break” in the middle of our day…so we like them to be breathable & comfortable. The RRR tunics are 100% cotton!
I like our coverups to be long sleeves. My girls wear a lot of long sleeve rashguard swim suits so: a.) I like the coverup to actually “cover up” the arms where you can see their swimsuits and b.) when swim suits come off and coverups & undies go on, I want their little arms to still be protected from the sun. Although I think the poncho style cover ups are SO cute, they don’t have the ahem, “coverage” to work as dresses when we take off bathing suits.
Since we usually go from the pool/beach directly somewhere else, (like out to eat or to get ice cream) I like the coverup to be able to double as a little dress.
For those reasons, the 100% cotton Roberta Roller Rabbit coverups have become our favorite! They are an investment, so I buy them several sizes up and the girls wear them for a few years before having to buy new ones. I also look for them on Poshmark and our local consignment store. Bonus points for them doubling as cute tops with shorts once they grow out of dress length! navy stripe | aqua botanical (I have this one in my size!)|pale blue (DY-ing for this one!)|pink | These are the girls’ tunics pictured above– they’re on sale! (and for reference, since these are “tunics” and not dresses, I bought Ardyn a size 8 & Quinlin a 12!)
Denim Jacket These are my FAVORITE for summer because they are so light and stretchy! They live in our car all summer and get packed on EVERY trip! Also, a simple white cardigan is a summer staple in our house/suitcase for those chilly beach nights!
Never underestimate your little childrens’ ability to listen and comprehend a story. I’ve been reading chapter books to the girls since Quin was tiny, and it’s actually my youngest, Ardyn, who picks up on certain things and asks questions about parts I didn’t even think she was paying attention to! These are some of our very favorites!
Check your local pool club, country club, community center, YMCA, college campus, or anywhere around town you’ve seen tennis courts! Chances are, they do lessons!
Ardyn’s Aqua & White dress that so many of you asked about is no longer available- I’ve searched, I promise! We bought it at our club last year & the maker is Little Miss Tennis if you want to do your own searching! 😉 A few of the girl’s other dresses that I didn’t link were also purchased at our club and I couldn’t find links! So sorry! Also, the girl’s rainbow backpacks were from my Easter Basket 2018 post. They are sold out now, but I’ll link them again here in case they restock!
It’s been a while since we did one of these, so I rounded up a few things I’ve been loving (and a few things you’ve been asking about) recently! Hope you like browsing through these items as much as I loved putting them together! Happy Almost Summer, y’all! The countdown is ON…
Drunk Elephant starter pack Just a few of my fav DE products in one cute starter pack. Plus, it’s only $4 more than buying the lippe balm by itself (which is a staple in my house!) For more on Drunk Elephant & how I use it as part of my skincare routine, click here
This is my exact evil eye bracelet from our Greece trip last summer, but if you’re looking for a cheaper/easier option to purchase, I love this one and this one.
Little blue dress Bought this little number and have been loving it! It’s perfect for summer- and it’s only $22!! (note: it runs a bit on the roomy side. I ordered a medium & small and kept the small)
Veja Sneakers I’m loving these simple, classic sneakers for spring/summer. I just got myself a pair and I’ve been wearing them non-stop.
Quay Sunglasses I’m OB-sessed with this blackout cateye design…and for the price, you can’t beat it!
*For lots more of my Summer Fashion Favs, click HERE !
I get so many question about early education resources, so I figured I’d share my favorite tools in one place. Most of these games and strategies are tools I used in the classroom when I used to teach (pre-k, kinder, 1st and 3rd grades). I’ve continued using some of these tools at home when I feel my kiddos need a bit of a boost in a certain area. I should probably mention that I’m not huge on workbooks or flashcards so you won’t see that kind of stuff on this list- I feel like my kiddos get enough of that stuff at school. Granted, those tools definitely have their place. Now that Q is older she has nightly math fact flashcard practice, and we have some skill-builder books that we use in the summer but in general- I find that my kids learn best by doing, playing, and experiencing.
Of course, ALL kids learn differently and my best advice to you is something a wise person told me a long time ago- “Reading is a lot like potty training.” Wait, hear me out on this…to paraphrase: Take your child’s lead, sense their interest level and readiness. You can introduce the idea and give adequate exposure (hopefully producing interest). But you’re going to get your best results if you wait until the child shows interest and readiness. Forcing the issue before they are interested/ready may backfire on you and mastery may not only take way longer but you could also create a general dislike for the concept.
I hope you don’t feel pressured by this list, and I certainly hope you know that, for me, these tools/games do NOT take the place of outside play, laughing, building with blocks, making tents with couch cushions, riding bikes, or any other experience-based, imaginative, free-play that our kiddos need and, in turn, are actually learning from! Let them be little!…and if you see your kiddo struggling a bit, here’s a list of a few ways you can try to support their learning in a fun & engaging way! 😉
READING
Word Wheels Ardyn’s teacher introduced these to us this year and my little “reluctant learner” is LOVING them…with a capital L!!!!
pocket chart with sight words Q and I used to play this with her sight word cards she’d get in pre-k. We’d use a combination of: this boxed set of common sight words, her school sight words cards that got sent home from school, and then we’d make our own cards with friends & family names, uncommon words, etc. on index cards. Then we’d practice making sentences in the pocket chart with the cards. She loved it!
boggle junior teaches word recognition and spelling!
BOB books Quin learned to read on these books. It’s just what worked for her. I feel like with Ardyn, we need a little more time with the word wheels and some fun games before moving over to these. She gets immediately turned off my anything that isn’t “fun”.
Phonics Spelling Game This was/is a favorite for both girls. I’ve shared it on my stories before. Ardyn and I just played it the other day.
WRITING
Writing Made Simple Letter Kids My girls loved these cards. You basically build the capital letters by placing different shapes (made to look like kids doing acrobatics) onto an overlay on a magnetic tray. (That sounded way more complicated than it actually is!) Since this set is so hard to find, I’ve linked something similar: HERE and HERE (same concept: building letters with shapes)
This book technically is categorized as a learn to read book, but it’s great for writing practice as well. Two birds, one stone. Plus Ardyn thinks it’s fun because the subject matter is unicorns and rainbows! 😉 There’s also a workbook specific to (preschool level) writing and math
Handwriting Without Tear Magnetic screen and stamps HWT is my favorite handwriting and letter learning program! Both girls’ preschools and the school I used to teach at used this method! I suggest maybe getting a HWT workbook to go along with this set if you aren’t already familiar with it. Then maybe go download the song “Mat Man” on itunes as well!
I love this notebook for journaling because it has a space for drawing and writing on each page. My girls both use these for summer journaling!
Motor Skills: I was recently told that Ardyn needs some help with her motor skills: pencil grip, letter formation, cutting with scissors, etc. These magnetic tracing boards are some of my very favorite tools for practicing motor skills. I LOVE the letter (uppercase | lowercase) and number tracing ones, but also love the free form board, because any form of utensil holding while drawing/writing is great for strengthening those fine motor skills! They even have cursive (uppercase | lowercase) ones that Quinlin loves!!
Wooden Puzzles Seems obvious, but these wooden puzzles were household favorites for learning ABCs & 123s as toddlers…plus, in my opinion so much better than a flashcard because it also teacher motor skills and hand-eye coordination
MATH:
MagnaTiles Teaches early Geometry skills…kids will have NO idea they’re learning. All three of my kids love their magnatiles. 😉
Zingo 1-2-3 A fun number bingo game- teaches counting, number sense, patterns, relationships. (Ardyn also loves the WORD builder version of this game)
Go Fish You’d be surprised how early you can play Go Fish with little ones. It’s the perfect game to introduce numbers. We used to play with our wooden puzzle numbers nearby as manipulatives in case we got stuck on a number!
Motor Math Game Ages 4+, teaches +/- in a fun, fast-paced car race game
Pizza Math Several games in one- teaches early math skills, patterns, grouping, critical thinking, hand-eye coordination
Super Sorting Set Helps with matching, patterning, classifying, sorting, counting.
Rainbow Fraction Tiles OR Fraction Tower Cubes (for those little lego lovers!) These tools are great for younger kids just to play with (they’ll be inadvertently learning) and great for older kids who may need some visual/hands-on help with fractions! I bought these for Q recently who is in the middle of a “parts & whole” unit at school and she loves using these to help with her homework.
Wooden Puzzles Like I mentioned above- we LOVE these puzzles. And we took the numbers off the puzzle and used them in so many different ways. I found it so helpful for the kids to have a 3-D number they could hold, trace, examine and manipulate in their hands. Really cements learning for those visual/tactile learners. (Same goes for the letters)
Telling Time: I love this fun “What Time is it?” Game for ages 5-9, a fun way for kiddos who are learning time telling to practice. Also, I’ve had one of these Big Time learning clocks in my classroom for as long as I can remember. I LOVE that the hour hand moves AS you move the minute hand, to show true-to-life clock settings, I do wish however that the hour marker said “00” instead of “60”. If you want a two-for-one deal, I LOVE this Time Telling kit which includes a smaller version of the Big Time learning clock plus interactive tools for playing time-telling games!
EDUCATIONAL “SCREEN TIME” TOOLS:
Osmo Genius Kit for ipad |Tiggly for ipad We aren’t huge on screen time in our house, but when they kids are on ipads, it needs to be educational. We got these sets for the girls for Christmas last year and they are great!
“FREE” RESOURCES:
You don’t NEED all the fancy expensive games to help your child get a jump start on learning. Here are some totally free ideas that you can do with things you probably already have lying around the house.
images via pinterest
Get a baking sheet and some magnetic letters- boom a homemade magnetic learning game
Draw out the letters of the alphabet on some paper. Give your kids some play dough and have them “roll the dough” and then place it over the letters you’ve drawn out to form the letters and/or numbers
Get kitchen tongs, a muffin/cupcake pan or an ice tray and a bowl of colored pom poms. Have your kid use the tongs to sort the poms by color or number or size. Fine motor skills, counting, and sorting/categorizing skills!
Get a baking sheet with a taller lip around the edge. Pour some kinetic sand or shaving cream inside. Have your child draw the letters in the sand/cream.
Fill a giant ziplock with several colors of paint. Tape it shut, then tape it to the counter/table. Have kids mix the paint colors and “draw” out letters/numbers inside.
Get your wooden puzzle (linked above). Dump all the letters or numbers into a plastic bin filled with sand, water beads or any other sensory material. Have your child go fishing for letters/numbers. Once they dig one out, they need to place it in it’s correct spot on the puzzle.
Go on a nature walk: talk about the animals, people, trees and cars you see. Talk about sounds, colors, shapes, and letter sounds
Get a piece of cardboard and write all the capital letters around the sides. Then get large clothespins and write the lower case letters on them. Have you child match upper and lowercase letters by clipping the clothes pin onto the correct letter.
Grab some letter cookies (Trader Joes has them) and print out (or just write) the ABCs on a piece of paper and have your kids match the letters. If they match correctly, or better yet- can name the letter sound, they get to eat the cookie!
Pinterest is FILLED with great ideas. Just search “Early Learning Activities”
EDUCATIONAL WEBSITES:
(some may require membership and/or school registration so contact your school and ask if they have a log-in you can use!)
1 My Tory Burch Miller Sandals have been a fav for a few years now. I prefer the patent version over the leather because I find them better suited for the beach/pool
3 These are cheapie knock-offs to the Steve Madden Greece sandals
4|Steve Madden Greece Sandals. I got these last summer and absolutely love them!
5 I bought something similar last summer when we went to Greece and wore them almost every day!
6 Wish List item. I think these are so simple & classic and would go with anything!
7 Just bought these and I had to exchange for a half size bigger because they were too tight- but I LOVE the look of them! Can’t wait for my new size to arrive!
8 Wish List! I think these are adorable for dresses, white jeans, etc.
9 Ok my hair dresser had these on the other day and I made her give me all the deets and then ordered them right from my chair. They’re so cute!!!
10 Another wish list pair. I think these are the sweetest slides ever- that tiny blue & white stripe detail is so adorable!
13 I actually just bought the sole society version of these, but they are all sold out, so I found these- super similar and shhhhh! I might even love them more!
14 Target “wish list”! In love with these simple two-tone slides. They’d be great for the beach
15 I have a pair from last year and I just love them
16 These are THE sandals so many of ya’ll asked me about from Sea Island. And guys, get excited…they are from TARGET!! Run…before they’re gone!!!!
Need More Summer Goodies? Check out my other posts here:
Y’all know by know how much I love books- ALL books- but board books hold a special place in my heart. They’re so sturdy and colorful and full of the promise of creating little life-long lovers of reading. Plus, there’s nothing better than seeing those cardboard pages in the chubby little hands of your babe! Amiright?
Board books will always remind me of sitting in a rocker with one of my babies in my arms during that special bonding-time before bed, some of my most treasured memories with all three of my kids. Not only are board books nostalgic for me, but they are also important because they’re most likely your child’s first introduction to concepts such as counting, rhyming, colors, and narrative. When I sat down to write this post and I was thinking about my most favorite board books, I was instantly flooded with memories…Q in my arms, giggling to the Belly Button Book and then reaching for her own, Baby Cub trying to recreate my Pout-Pout fish voice from behind her binkie, all snuggled up in my lap in her footie pajamas. Ugh- they’re just the best memories. I’m always so sad when my kids outgrow their board books and want to move on to more advanced books (which, don’t get me wrong- is equally cool and fun but I don’t know- those first formative years are just SO special!)
I’ve always kept a basket of board books next to the rocker in all my babe’s nurseries. I keep about 10 books in there at a time and I like to cycle them out to keep things new and fresh. Of course, my three kids have always had their favorites that HAD to be in the basket at all times, and I’ve loved seeing which books each of my babes has been drawn to over the years. To this day, the girls will thumb through Max’s board book stash and reminisce about which ones they remember and which were their favorites.
Since I feel like I’ve got a pretty good handle on board books by now, and since the options available are almost overwhelming, I figured I’d put together a list of my top 30 most beloved Board Books of all times! (I tried for 20 but just couldn’t do it! Ha!)
I Love You Stinky Face My sister introduced me to this one. My little nephew Grant LOVES when she reads it to him!
The Pout Pout Fish Quite possibly one of my favorite books to read aloud!
Baby Lit (We love them ALL! Max’s favorites are Peter Pan, The Jungle Book, Wizard of Oz, Around the World in 80 Says, Sherlock Holmes…ok, really- just ALL of them)
No, David! All of my kids get a kick out of David and his naughty adventures
Big And Little This one is a bit harder to find for some reason, but you can buy it used on Amazon for super cheap (which is what I linked) but some reason Max LOVES this book and it’s so simple that he has it memorized and goes around the house reciting it!
Tails I typically shy away from lift-the-flap books that can technically get ruined by little hands, but this one is a super fun sensory book to read together
Peek-a-Who The “peek-a-boo” idea without the flaps that can get torn off!
Hello, World! (This is an incredible educational series with the most captivating illustrations! My nephew loves the Solar System one, and Max loves the My Body one!
The Napping House One of the most beautifully illustrated books- it been a favorite of mine from back when I used to be a nanny
Piggies another one of my absolute favorites from the couple who did The Napping House- this is the most fun little book about your ten little fingers with the most incredibly captivating illustrations!
sight words bingo
Go Fish
Jordan & Co 