A Simple Sanity Saver Before Dinner

In our house, we begin dinner between 6:00 pm and 6:15 pm most nights, unless Drew's work day has been hectic and I've adjusted times accordingly. Generally, this means I start cooking around 5:00 pm and the girls are asked to play in the Play Room while I do so. Although they have matured a little in the last few months, leaving them to their own devices in the playroom for 45 minutes or more results in hurricane like forces turning the room upside down. This has forced me to rethink the way I cook dinner and the resources and activities avaliable to them during "the witching hour."

Sometimes it is play dough, tools, and cookie cutters. They both enjoy the tactile experice of playdough and often are cooking just like I am at the time. Sometimes, we pull out the magnetic paper dolls. Miss Moo can sit and play with those for hours- switching outfits back and forth among the dolls, creating stories around their outfits, and creating dialog among the dolls themselves.  Miss Roo isn't as entertained with these dolls for as long as Moo tends to be, so I usually supplement the magnet dolls for her with a few books to "read", some blocks or legos to build with the dolls, or some small animals from our felt farm.

But my best tool is the art station. We have a little organizer from Ikea that hold all our paper, crayons, stickers, markers, and other various creative goodies. Some nights they get stickers, crayons,  and construction paper. Others, they washable markers and activity placemats. Sometimes they get huge pieces of paper and they make their placemats for dinner.*

Art is a great outlet for most people, but especially for little children. Allowing them to explore without instruction and expectation yield a great learning experience of creation for process sake rather than forced product. Moo has moved from scribbles to creating snowmen, animals, people, and forming letters on her own. Roo now repeats the way to make letters, such as "up down up down" for a M, even if she doesn't make the letter at the time. Her scribbles are starting to be more controlled and she's interested in using more than one color of crayon, marker, etc.

Giving them this freedom, and often sitting to color and create while I can if something is boiling or roasting, has made our dinner transition much easier. The girls look forward to our art nights and I look forward to the gentle time I see them spending together. They are learning to share without an adult sitting right with them. They color and create on one another's papers and occasionally together.

I am learning how to allow them to explore without feeling the need to interrupt in order to teach or direct. I'm also using their creations as a way to foster their love of art by asking questions in a supportive way - "That's beautiful! Would you tell me about your picture?" rather than "What is this a picture of?" 

So give it a try- grab the kids, some big paper, and set them at the table. Ask them to make a placemat for themselves for dinner. Let them create. Ask them about their picture. Start a pre-dinner tradition.

What simple solutions do you use for your "witching hour?" Do you ever participate with your children?

A Birthday Treasure Box a la Miss Moo

One mermaid gift, as requested.

The Dilemma

Birthdays gifts are a challenge. (Well, really gifts in general, but I digress.) I don't like buying something just for the sake of saying I have a gift. I also don't like buying "junk" - things to just sit around, lotions or soaps, gift cards to restaurants people might not even like, etc. I always try to do something that I feel will be appreciated by the recipient that has a little touch of me in it.

Last month our beloved babysitter and friend, Lizbet, celebrated a birthday. I had been brainstorming for days on something special to do for her and had come up with nothing. I mentioned to Miss Moo on the morning of Lizbeth's birthday that we were going to her party.

The Solution

"We need a present for her, Mama!!" (Boy, didn't I know that.) She went on, "I can make something for her!"

That was a great idea!! Simple, homemade, kid driven. Just what Lizbet would LOVE! But I still had no idea what to make. After breakfast, the girls and I loaded up and headed towards Hobby Lobby. As we walked through the doors I asked Moo what we should make, because honestly I was at wits end.

"How 'bout....hmmmm," her brow wrinkled as she thought.  "How 'bout we make her a treasure box for her treasures!"

 My little pirate had handed me the perfect idea. Off we went.

The Process

Our supplies (which I forgot to photograph) were:

• one small, wooden box with latch
• purple soy craft paint
• gold iridescent glitter glue
• under the sea scrapbooking stickers

For this project to be driven by Moo, it had to be a less is more theory. We didn't need paint options, locks, jewels, or other additions. We needed a process she could follow and enjoy. Her involvement was simple but crucial.

Painting

I taped some newspaper to the kitchen table. I am usually a bit particular about painting and accuracy, so I had to let that go. It's about the process, I kept reminding myself. Moo used a sponge brush to first paint the bottom and let it dry. Then together we painted the rest of the box a very bright purple. Did we paint rivets and the latch? Yes, because Moo is two and that's what they do. Perfection wasn't the point. She really wanted to make this for her Lizbet.

Exterior of one purple treasure box.

Sealing

While we ate lunch, the treasure box dried. Moo was very anxious to move on to the next step of the process, SPARKLES!! (I find it very amusing that my little girl who loves trains, trucks, excavators, and pirates also LOVES sparkles.)  Using a clean sponge brush, we used glitter glue to paint the inside of the treasure box. I chose to use the glue hoping it would somewhat seal the wood so that Lizbet could actually put things inside the box.  After two good coats of sparkles, the box was ready to dry and the girls were ready for sleepy naps.

Final Touches

Before heading to the party, Moo put the finishing touches on the treasure box. She had wanted mermaids for the inside of the box but we'd had no luck finding any. Instead she settle for treasure. I helped her place the treasure chest and she did the rest herself.

The girls each made a card for Lizbeth. Moo folded her own card and placed all the sea creatures. Miss Roo mostly added stickers to hers.

From Moo.

From Roo.

Then, since we had found no mermaids, we had to wrap it to LOOK like a mermaid. The iridescent tissue paper I had on hand from the Dollar Tree worked perfectly. As I began to wrap the box, Moo suddenly ran from the kitchen telling me to wait. She brought back an acorn we had gathered from a trip to the park with Lizbeth.

"Her treasure box needs a treasure!"

Yes, it does. So we wrapped the box, holding the precious acorn, and took it to a very happy and grateful Lizbet.

Why a Child Driven Gift

This treasure box was a great idea for many reasons. It was low cost - less than $8 for all the supplies with paint and glitter left over. It was low mess - only three steps mean that there isn't a lot of clean up if you have limited space or time.  It was low stress - Moo was able to enjoy it because there weren't a lot of steps or rules to follow. It was high result - it gave Moo something to be proud of for having made it, it gave me something to use as a process teaching tool,  and it made Lizbet feel like she was truly appreciated by us all.

It was also inspirational - I have an idea for Moo's big Christmas gift based off this original design. Be sure to stay tuned in the coming months as that idea develops and starts taking shape.

Have you ever created child given gifts? How successful were they?