Construction sensory bin

We found a fun way to bring some sand/digging/construction activities indoors now that it's getting chilly. The water didn't stay in the pond long, though! Also I forgot to add any "guys" which I think would have kept his interest for longer. He enjoyed it though!

Pushing dirt.

Filling the truck with rocks.

Abraham has really been getting psyched about Halloween, so I came up with a couple little activities to fuel his interest: making pumpkin and ghost faces with magnets and a Halloween sensory bin (inspired by this post).

I just cut out a pumpkin from construction paper, taped it to the fridge,
then glued black paper to a magnet ad we got in the mail and cut out shapes.

Abraham decided he needed to use ALL the pieces to make a face.

I really like this cute face he made. It has a mustache. 

Halloween sensory bin - we had the black and white beans left over from
another sensory bin, I picked up a few little things from the dollar store, and
dyed some rice orange via this method.

I made the ghosts out of packing material. I planned to use tissue paper
but couldn't find any white.

In typical Abraham fashion, this turned into a role playing activity with
the skeletons. They have made their way out of the bin and all over
the house, including the bathtub. :)

Seasonal

We have really been enjoying the fall weather and trying to get outside as much as possible. We went on a little nature walk around our yard the other day, collecting cool leaves, flowers, and acorns. Then we made a quick batch of cinnamon play-dough that smells delicious. (The play dough recipe I use is here, but in this case I added cinnamon and no food coloring. It's a really great recipe. Stays soft for a long time even if (often) left out.)

Concentrating

Our collection

my little comedian

Me: Guess what we're having for dinner. It starts with a "t".
Abraham: Tomatoes?
Me: No, but good guess.
Abraham: Tizza?

*    *    *

Me: Do you want crackers or pretzels?
Abraham: A cracker named pretzel.

*    *    *

To go along with his constant pretending, he has also started sometimes narrating himself. After a bath, I'm getting his pjs out and I suddenly hear, "A naked boy lunged at his mother, knocking her over!" Not enough warning for me to escape, however.

overheard

"Then his mother said, 'It's time for lunch!' But he was dead."

generosity

Abraham: What are you eating?

Me: Granola with milk.

Abraham: Can I have a bite?

I give him a bite.

Abraham:  You know it’s a good idea to give some to somebody who doesn’t have any. Let’s practice that.

Me: What about if I just share some with you and give you some bites?

Abraham: No, I think you should put it right here. (points to his spot at the table)

I give in because, hey, isn’t this what I’m trying to teach him? As he sits down and digs in he says, “Now I’m happy! Are you happy?”

What a sweet kid. Either that or very manipulative.... :)

our day

This is either about how to get kids to eat their veggies or about how awesome my child is. Either way. After a morning of working and playing outside, we came in to get cleaned up. While Abraham was showering, I cut up some raw veggies, and then when it was my turn to shower, I told him his choices of things to do were to play with toys in his room or read books in the living room. He picked read books. And then I just casually mentioned, "Oh, if you need a snack before lunch, I put some veggies in a bowl on the table." He immediately replied, "I need them." Then when he looked in the bowl he said, "I love these!" Then he sat on the couch and looked at books and ate vegetables while I showered. Isn't that just every parent's dream??