For all the little ones who love the Wiggles, Barney, Thomas, Bob the Builder, etc - Amazon is having a great kids DVD sale!

These tips from Lifehacker are great, I wouldn’t have thought to bring bags for the candy or anything like that. Here’s a sample:

“Bring provisions. Take along a few healthy snacks and plenty of water - and be prepared to share with those around you.”

I would also add to the article’s suggestions that you’ll want to bring a blanket, camera (make sure to get the little one’s reactions) and a few band-aids/first-aid items (Lil’ Duck is obsessed with jumping or stepping on and off the curb, and has skinned up his knees and hands before).

As you can see from my Thursday Thirteen list, my little guy is always looking for new activities. Here are some ideas that do NOT involve my nail polish or other forbidden items:

• Make posters out of poster boards. You can use photos of family and friends, or cutouts from magazines of foods/animals/other interesting items. Lil’ Duck loves the gecko in the Geico ads, so I have a few of those on there. It gives them something fun to explore and they like to help make it too ;).
• Along the same idea, use a little photo book to display their very own favorite photos (get reprints or use rejects though, Lil’ Duck has been known to take them out of the sleeves and tear them to shreds).
• Boys tend to love cars - hot wheels, fisher-price, etc - they can be launched off tables, rolled up and down walls, stacked, etc. which provides hours of amusement.
• Be sure to take them outside and run them around as much as possible if you want to sleep at night - go to the park, the mall, just take a walk around the outdoors even, throw them in the pool, you get the idea.
• Bubbles!!
• Puzzles - Lil’ Duck loves the letter and number ones right now, needs a little help sometimes, but he will sit and play with them for quite a while.
• Make a kitchen cabinet for your little one - put tupperware, spoons, colanders, etc in there and let them play while you work. Lil Duck also likes to take out all the pots and pans and put Cheerios in and out of them, stack them & put lids on them.
• Online toddler games

Some mommy friends of mine were discussing how wonderful play-doh is and how much their children love it. They claim that their little ones sit and make Elmo with all his body parts out of playdoh, squeeze it, shape it, build with it, etc. - yeah right.

I think they are secretly plotting against me, hoping that I will innocently purchase bright colors of play-doh and find my house brightly colored with mashed bits of the stuff in everything. I can tell you what Lil’ Duck would do with it, and no good would come of it. I know what he already does with all of his food, unfortunately I can’t stop feeding him though…

Mix 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1/3 cup of cornstarch in a saucepan, then slowly add 2 cups of cold water. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly until the mixture is a clear, smooth gel. When cool, stir in 1/4 cup of liquid dishwashing soap. Scoop into plastic containers, and stir in food coloring drops or tempera paint.

Not responsible for the ensuing mess….

Music education begins at birth. If children are immersed in quality music, they will develop a musical ear that will allow them to learn to read & appreciate music as they grow.

1. Listen to high quality music every day, from various genres (variety is excellent for training the ear).
2. Develop rhythm with various activities. Using body parts (feet, hands, arms, etc), encourage tapping, clapping, flapping, etc - along with music and alone. Using various tools - toys, drumsticks, etc - to tap along will add interest and help this development as well. Without a sense of rhythm, there is no ability to create music.
3. Give them opportunities to create music. If you have a keyboard/piano, sit them down, teach them how to play the keys gently (do not allow them to bang, respect for music is important even at this age), and allow them to explore. Any other instruments that are sturdy enough for toddlers can also be used.
4. Encourage them to express how different types of music make them feel. This sounds advanced for toddlers, but this can be as simple as having them dance around happily or slowly weave around. When they are a bit older, have them color a picture or shape play-doh to express their feelings about the music. The important thing is for them to realize that music can convey ideas, emotions, and feelings.
5. Make it fun. Sing along with a silly song and encourage them to do the same, dance around to some techno music, relax with some classical or New Age music. Make it a part of daily life, something to be enjoyed and embraced, nothing formal or forced.