How to Renovate a Nursery for First Time Parents

How do you Plan a Nursery?

The prospect of becoming a first-time parent is an equally daunting and exciting journey. There are many things that need to be done in preparation for your baby’s arrival, and for first-time parents, the list can often seem never-ending and overwhelming. Wondering how do you plan a nursery? A key task within that list is decorating the nursery, and organizing a space for the newest member of the family. Although it’s a joyous project, there are various factors and small details that are required to create the perfect nursery for your baby. Here at We Buy Any Home we’ve composed a guide on how to renovate a nursery for first time parents, along with things to include and some helpful tips. This article is written by Holly Herbert.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Planning a Nursery Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1- Make A Plan:

It’s no question that preparing for the arrival of the baby takes planning, and planning the nursery is no exception. Your nursery will serve as a multi-functional room, not only will it be the place where your baby will eventually sleep, but it's where you will dress them, change, teach and feed them. Ensuring you have an in-depth plan is a great way to make sure you have everything you need and no little detail is missing.

Nursery on a Budget Ideas

Step 2- Cleaning and Maintenance:

It’s vital that you ensure your future nursery is pristine before you begin to think about decorating. Babies are incredibly susceptible to germs that arise through dust, pet hair and mold, so it's important that you spend a good amount of time cleaning all surface areas. However, try to refrain from using harsh chemicals when cleaning as the fumes can linger in the air and be toxic if inhaled by your baby. 

It’s important to consider the smaller factors about the room. Are there drafty windows? Is the main light overbearing? Do the door hinges creak? All these small maintenance checks need to be fixed prior to the arrival of your baby, as you want them to have the most comfortable time in their nursery.

Whimsical Nursery Decor Ideas

Step 3- Themes and Painting:

Once you have decided where you are going to put the nursery, then it's time to get creative. If you're thinking about painting then your options are limitless. Traditional colors are usually pink and blue, however neutral color palettes are becoming increasingly popular for a minimalist feel to the room. If you're thinking of being extra creative then you may want to consider going with a theme or perhaps a mural wall. A side note- if you opt to paint the nursery, make sure you buy a non-toxic paint that won't flake.

Don’t forget to decorate the ceiling too. Babies spend a lot of time on their backs, so why not give them a feature to look at. Consider adding a ceiling mural or a soothing color to enhance your nursery.

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Step 4- A Focal Furniture Piece:

Most nurseries are centered around a focal piece of furniture such as a crib, but there are other options to choose from. A painted dresser can work well, or a large window or alcove. A small checklist of essential nursery items includes:

•  A cot (mattress and sheets too!)

• Changing table or mat.

• Nursing station.

• Storage for things like clothes and nappies (bibs.)

• Feeding chair.

A helpful tip is to ensure that everything is in reach of the changing table- including wipes, changing table covers, diaper disposal system, laundry hamper and a pacifier. This will allow you to reach for things with ease, avoid stress but more most importantly, keep your eye on your baby at all times. 

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Step 5- Don’t Forget About Flooring:

As your baby grows, you will notice that they will begin to spend more time on the floor- therefore it's an important factor to consider before they get to that stage. If you’re opting to lay down a carpet, ensure it’s a shade that won't highlight stains and spills.  Wooden floors are a popular choice, and you can put down a rug to add a pop of color and cushion any tumbles.

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Step 6- Sentiment:

This is your baby’s first room, so don’t forget to make it feel like home. Including items of sentiment for example, family photos, generational gifts such as soft toys and blankets are a neat touch to completing your nursery.

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Grandma's Homemade Applesauce: Life is Good in the Kitchen, The Heart of the Home

Miss Old-Fashioned, Homemade Applesauce like Grandma Used to Make?

When I think about childhood memories, my mind often wanders to the kitchen. The Food Network has a program dedicated to life in the kitchen, "The Kitchen" features host, Katie Lee, surrounded by beautiful LG Electronics. The Kitchen is fully equipped with LG Appliances from the Refrigerator and the Ovens to the Microwave and the LG Cook-top. It is the perfect place to make Grandma's homemade applesauce. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.*

My grandparents and the cousins circa 1975.
Grandma's Homemade Applesauce traditionally made by my Aunt Verna.

I remember peeling and coring apples on an old appliance that attached to the kitchen table. After we used the apple-corer-peeler, everything went into what could have just as easily been a torture device, but somehow we weren't frightened by it. 

We begged to have a go at peeling the apple and then placing the pieces in the apple grinder. As an adult, I realize it is far less complicated to grab a knife and just peel my apple. The grinder we used is now obsolete, but these memories have stuck with me. Recently, my mother reminded me that my grandparents moved from the family homestead when I was just 9 years old. Funny, those times in Grandma's kitchen feel like yesterday.

We'd go to an orchard or a friend's house and pick our own apples and then bring them back to make "Grandma's Homemade Applesauce." Grandma's kitchen was tiny and crowded with Grandma, my mother, three aunts, and all the little cousins running in and out the backdoor. The table took up all of the free space in the kitchen with just a small, one person width around the perimeter. It didn't matter. No one seemed to notice. It was good to be so close to each other, working together to create something to share with the entire family. Each time, we ate the applesauce, we'd remember this day. I love the homemade applesauce to this day, but we no longer make it this way.

If I'm lucky, my aunt will share some of her special sauce with me. My kids like it, but they have no idea why it tastes so good to me. Memories are made in the kitchen. Life is good in the kitchen. We all need to spend more time around the table, getting to know each other, learning new skills, and enjoying the heart of the home.

I'm sharing Grandma's Homemade Applesauce Recipe and process, so you can make your own kitchen memories. I want you to experience how good life is in the kitchen.

Old-Fashioned Homemade Freezer Applesauce

6-8 Tart Apples, washed, peeled, and quartered. (Red & Golden Delicious work well-

or your favorite, just know that some apples are softer and/or sweeter than others)

Freezer Bags

1 Tbs. Lemon Juice

1 Tbs. Butter

1 Cinnamon Stick or 1 tsp. Cinnamon

1 Tbs. to 1/2 C. Water

1/4 C. Sugar per Pound.

In large sauce pan, begin with 1 Tbs. Water, Apples, Cinnamon, and Lemon Juice. Depending on your apples you will use more or less water. Many apples don't need any water added at all. Bring to a boil and then cover and cook over low heat until desired consistency. Some people prefer chunky applesauce, so for that the cook time is less.

Stir in butter and sugar to taste, if desired.

Grandma used a food mill to strain the applesauce. You can use a blender, food processor, or leave them as they are.

Remove from heat and let cool.

Spoon into freezer bags leaving 1/2 - 1" head space.

Flatten and stack to freeze.

Applesauce is good for at least 1 year frozen and 2 weeks once thawed and opened.

Tell us your kitchen story at Mom Confessions. LG Home Appliances are your partner in creating memorable cooking experiences and “Life’s Good” moments in the kitchen.

*This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of LG. The opinions and text are all mine.

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5 Best Minecraft Gifts for Kids: Boys and Girls Love Minecraft Toys_ they make Great Birthday Presents

5 Birthday Present Ideas for Kids who Love Minecraft

My kids love Minecraft. Basically, any kid who is allowed to play it falls in love. Minecraft doesn't discriminate. Girls love it as much as boys, maybe more! So, what do you get the kid who has everything Minecraft? Here are some super cool birthday gift ideas for kids who love Minecraft! Best birthday gift ever, that's what they'll say when they unwrap your cool toy. Hugs will follow or a happy dance. Unique Minecraft Gift

All of these toys are available on Amazon, if you click and make a purchase, we get a small percentage as commission. (See disclaimer below). How do you think, we buy all this Minecraft stuff anyway? Enjoy!

Minecraft Legos are available on Amazon.

1.  Lego Minecraft*, yes please! We love it. As a person who studied architecture, but now writes a blog, these are my favorite. Oh what fun I'd have designing buildings for Steve.

Legos are great for kids ages 7 and up (they are a choking hazard). Word on the street is teens love them too! Who doesn't love to play with Legos?

Minecraft Wall Torch flash light for creative play. C'mon, let's pretend something.

2.  Minecraft Think Geek Wall Torch by Think Geek*, okay, it is really just a fancy flashlight, but we like it anyway! It keeps the Creepers away at night. It also makes for stellar pretend play. Even older kids will get in on the act. This is perfect for kids of all ages.

Cute Minecraft Animal Figures make a great birthday gift for girls or younger kids.

3. This Minecraft Animal Toy Pack* is perfect for pretend play. Younger Minecraft fans enjoy pretending with these cute critters. Older girls will love to display them in their bedrooms as a novelty.

Unique Minecraft gift: Periodic Table of Minecraft T-shirt.

4.  Minecraft Periodic Table Youth T-Shirt*. We have this and the kids fight over who gets to wear it. Yeah, we're nerds like that. It is a unique Minecraft gift for Minecraft freaks and geeks!

Minecraft Creeper Hoodie perfect gift for teens.

5.  Need a gift for a teen boy Minecraft lover? This Minecraft Creeper Hoodie* is perfect! It makes a cool Halloween costume too.


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ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Easy Breaded Chicken Recipe Baked

Looking for a Simple Chicken Breading Recipe?

Homemade Fried Chicken is a chore to make. If you are looking for an easy breaded chicken recipe that is baked, look no further! This simple solution to to chicken breading is so easy and tasty that your friends will think you stole it from a gourmet chef. Enjoy!

Easy Baked Breaded Chicken Recipe:
Southwest Tortilla with Black Beans and Avocado.

We enlisted the kids to help. At first, we grabbed a baking dish and searched for some chicken marinade. After reading the instructions on the Good Table® box, we quickly realized that step wasn't necessary! General Mills has a new product that helps you make restaurant-inspired dinners with ease. 

Soutwest Tortilla Breading Crust Mix for Chicken.

Good Table® products come in a variety of flavors that provide you with the ingredients to dress up your choice of protein. We chose chicken, because the kids are picky eaters. You can find it at Walmart near the bread crumbs.

Since the kids are so picky, we tried two varieties. Pictured below are Southwest Tortilla and Parmesan and Herb. The kids chose the parmesan- anything with cheese is a go!

We tried the Southwest Tortilla and the Parmesan Herb Varieties.

Let me tell you, this was shockingly easy to do. There is no need to marinade and no messy egg mixture to keep the breading in place. 

How to Make Easy Gourmet Style Baked Breaded Chicken

Open the box and grab a pair of scissors. Snip, snip, snip! Open the sauce coating, and pour it into a bowl. Open the breading, and pour it into the bowl! Grab some tongs. Insert chicken into sauce, turn over to coat and then insert into breading bowl. 

Step 1: Coating the chicken before breading.

The breading sticks to the sauce very well- much better than with bread crumbs and eggs. This is so much easier than your typical fried or baked chicken recipe. So easy, in fact, that the kids did most of the work! The instructions even include pictures. 

Step 2: Coating with Good Table® breading.

Spread them on foil for easy cleanup, pop them in the oven, set the timer, and that's it! You now have time to make a fancy side dish or a yummy dessert.

Look how golden brown.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of General Mills®. The opinions and text are all mine.



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ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Turkey Napkin Rings Craft for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Napkin Holder Craft

If you are hosting a family feast, you want it to be festive and engaging. These turkey napkins double as napkin rings and place card holders for your table setting. Gather the kids and the crafty family members around the kids' table and have them make this Thanksgiving craft activity while you prepare their feast. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

For Facebook Sharing:

Valentine's Day Party Ideas for Tweens Tutorial

Tween Valentine Party Activities Tutorial

Wondering what to do for a Tween Valentine Party? These Valentine's party ideas for tweens will keep kids busy afterschool. Invite their friends over for a fun filled Valentine's Day party with craftivities galore. Girls and boys alike will have fun making their own one of a kind snowflake hearts and Duct Tape Valentine Snack Treat Box to use while watching their favorite movie. Enjoy!

Heart Craftivities for a Valentine's Day Party for Tweens.

Your tweens may not enjoy exchanging classroom valentines or making valentine's mailboxes for school, but they probably enjoy eating fun food and having a party. You can make this as a surprise valentine treat for kids or you can have them help make the Valentine crafts as an afterschool activity.

Tween Valentine Party Activities Tutorial.

To decorate for our Valentine's Day party, we made a few heart crafts that are fun for kids of all ages.

First, we made paper snowflake hearts. Want the full tutorial? Click the link:  How to Make Paper Snowflake Hearts.

Once the snowflake hearts are cut out, glue them to a colorful background paper and cut them out. Use these lacy hearts as decorations hanging from the ceiling, placemats, or write fun sayings on them and hand them out as Valentine classroom exchange cards.

Make paper snowflake hearts to decorate for a Valentine's Day party.

Using colorful cardstock, make heart sculptures. Cut out two hearts and then cut halfway up the bottom of one, and half way up the top of the other. Slide the hearts together (upside down) to form a 3D base for balloons. Punch a whole in the top of them, and slip a ribbon through to attach a balloon bouquet. They make fun, whimsical table decorations too- no balloons required.

3D heart sculpture table decorations.

Next, make heart garland to hang vertically in the window. These are a good scissor skill activity for younger kids. They also work fine motor skills. Fold paper in half, draw half a heart at the crease line of the paper. 

After the heart is cut out, keep it folded and cut two- 1" slits 1-2" apart. Open the heart and weave ribbon or string through the slits.

Using a glue stick (it works just fine) or hot glue gun, attach a pom pom to the end of the garland to give it a whimsical finishing touch.

How to make heart garland for Valentine's Day party decorations.

Surprise the kids with snack treat boxes made from recycled cereal boxes. Make these ahead of time or let the kids choose their own patterns and make their own. 

At the Dollar Tree, we purchased duct tape in various colors. Not only does this decorate the box, it also makes the box sturdier giving it protection against spills or greasy food. 

While shopping, we found little red cups that make perfect Valentine treat holders. Fill them with dip for veggies or yummy candy treats. Ours are filled with Valentine candy conversation hearts.

Valentine snack treat boxes for movie time or after school snacks.

Start with a cereal box. They are the perfect size for sitting on your lap. Cut out a large flap for the main course and then cut out two smaller wholes for the mini snack cup and a juice pack or drink holder. Trace the bottom of the cup and juice box to insure you cut out the perfect fit.

Things to do with a recycled cereal box.

Carefully wrap the box in designer duct tape. When going around round the cut-outs, score the tape (cut a slit in the tape before folding it over), this allows for a cleaner, more attractive edge.

Snack box decorated with duct tape.

Once your box is covered in tape, attach a heart on the inside of the flap. Personalize it with your child's name or candy heart sayings like, 'Be Mine', 'Your the Bomb', 'Hers', or even 'Happy Valentine's Day'.

Treat box for Valentine's day or movie time snack.

Place colorful plastic wrap or tissue paper inside the food flap. Then, fold four flaps over on a paper plate to form a square, paper bowl. Fill your food section with popcorn or a mini heart shaped pizza. Click the link for the full pizza recipe tutorial.

Mini heart shaped pizza for Valentine's Day.

These cute Valentine glasses were a steal at the Dollar Tree. They have lots of fun designs. If your tweens are too grown up for juice boxes, make a special drink for Valentine's Day. Keep scrolling for our easy Valentine's Day drink recipe.

Make a special tween drink for Valentine's Day.

Ever heard of a Shirley Temple? It is a non-alcholic fun, fizzy drink. To make a simple Shirley Temple, fill a glass with lemon-lime soda and then give it a splash of Grenadine. Grenadine is sweet, so a little goes a long way. For a fun version of the Shirley Temple, just add a bit of pink cotton candy. Don't forget to put a cherry on top!

Add a layer of plastic wrap or tissue paper to protect the inside of the box.

How fun was that? Kids will love getting invited to such a fun filled Valentine's party. Once everyone has their snack box, head over to the living room and watch a fun, Valentine's theme movie. 

Peanuts is always a good choice. Charlie Brown never gets the Valentine he hopes for.

Valentine treat box complete.

Tween Valentine party ideas and activities.

These activities are so easy, if you don't have Valentine's Day plans, you can prep for this party in about 2 hours. So, go make your own fun! Hope you have a fabulous Valentine's Day!


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ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products. *We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Fall Back-to-School Party Ideas

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #Healthy4School #CollectiveBias

Fall Party Printable: Fun Ideas to Fight Colds 

Traditionally, back to school time is August or September, but now that many schools have moved to a year around calendar, back to school time can happen in the fall, winter, and spring. After a busy back to school season, we enjoyed a nice fall break. Fall break in October often means heading back to a school full of colds and flu. That's never fun! We wanted to prep for the back to school cold season and say goodbye to summer, so we had a fall theme back-to-school party. Scroll down to find some fun ideas to decorate and host a fall party. Enjoy!

Monkey Valentine Conversation Hearts Sight Word Game

Conversation Heart Sight Word Game for Kids

Get crafty for Valentine's Day using Cupid's arrows and Conversation Hearts in a Sight Word game for kids. This simple activity is perfect for early childhood literacy. Store the arrows and hearts in the monkey pocket, and then mix and match to form sentences. Scroll below for printable pattern and how to play the game. Enjoy!

Make Conversation Hearts into a Sight Word Literacy Game for Kids.

Template pattern for Monkey Valentine game.

You will need:
Construction paper, markers, scissors, glue, and scrap gift bags.

How to make the game:
Cut out pieces per pattern above. Glue monkey's face together. When gluing monkey face to paper; glue only  the outermost edge. Important: do not glue the top of the paper down (between his ears). Now you have a pocket to store your game pieces. Cut out game pieces and write simple sight words on the arrows and hearts. Make sure to use lots of action words, pronouns, nouns, and verbs.

Ideas for heart words might include feeling words like happy, sad, mad, funny.

Arrow words should include words like the, boy, girl, I, a, dog, cat, was, is, could, ran, likes. Cut more than 10 arrows to make the sentences more interesting.

How to play the game: (two players)
You will need 2 dice. Place hearts upside down on table. Each player takes turn drawing for a total of 5 hearts. Hold in hands like cards or place face down on table. Each player takes a die. Youngest player rolls first. Player must roll a 3 or 6. When a 3 is rolled player draws an arrow from the pocket. When a 6 is drawn player draws 2 arrows. With each turn, the player tries to form a simple sentence. Player must pass if they cannot make a sentence. Players can work together to make sentences too. The first player to use all of their conversation hearts wins! 


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ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

What are the Benefits of Outdoor Play?

Playing Outside Improves Mood

This post was sponsored by Landscape Structures as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Have you noticed a change in your children when they're playing outside? Sure, they may complain that they're tired or that it's too hot or even that they're bored. However, outdoor play benefits kids in many ways. Once children have built the coping and social skills needed to interact in an outside play environment, the benefits of outdoor play far outweigh their complaints! What are the benefits to outdoor play? Keep reading to learn some tips on how to keep your kids happy outdoors.

What are the benefits of outdoor play?

Be Prepared. 

When you take your kids to an outdoor play space or local park, be sure to be prepared. Bring a cooler with bottles of water for hydration, cool, healthy snacks like carrots and cucumbers, and go ahead and throw in a treat for when they've depleted all of their energy. 

You may also want to bring a change of clothes, a non-toxic bug repellent, a blanket for resting, hats or sunglasses to shade them from the sun, and a first aid kit. Whatever you can do to insure the happiness of your children and counteract any excuses they may have for not wanting to play, only increases your chances for success.

If you're forgetful and always seem to forget the essentials, keep a park preparedness kit in your car. We never leave the house without folding chairs, a vinyl table cloth, and an umbrella packed in the trunk. If you leave a mini cooler in the trunk, it's always waiting there to be filled. You can simply stop at any convenience or grocery store along the way.

Benefits of Playing Outside

Best Places for Outdoor Play

No matter where you choose to incorporate outdoor play, it's beneficial to your child. Simply being outdoors in the sunshine can boost your child's immune system because the sun gives us vitamin D which is essential to health and happiness. Dr. Clare McCarthy shares some benefits of outdoor play over at Harvard Health. Even if you have a tiny yard, be sure to create a space for your child to get in some daily outdoor play. If they like to color or finger paint, set up a table for crafting outdoors.

Water is the most fun element of sensory play.

A well designed play structure will keep your kids busy for an hour or two. You may not be familiar with the brand name Landscape Structures, but I'll bet you've seen one or two. These playground structures aren't just for swinging and sliding, they're set up with all kinds of ways to get kids moving and to encourage sensory play.

When you give children the freedom to play and discover on their own, they build self-confidence to explore more things on their own. They want to see what else they can discover without mom or dad. So, sit back and relax while the kids explore the outdoor environment and find new ways to have fun.

Hello, over there! This megaphone encourages interaction with others.

Landscape Structures playgrounds are designed to welcome children of all ages and abilities. This play equipment has all kinds of sensory elements and play activities that encourage kids to work together making it easier for them to socialize with others. These playgrounds also encourage exercise, but don't worry, your kids will have so much fun playing on the equipment they won't even know they're exercising!

Sneaky playground equipment encourages exercise.

Sensory play aids in the learning process. Children who play outdoors have more access to sensory elements as the five senses are involved in nearly every aspect of outdoor play. They hear other children laughing, birds chirping, and bugs buzzing. They feel the wind on their face and the grass on their feet. They can even taste the outdoors when berry picking or licking their salty lips.

Practicing on the bars builds upper body strength and self-confidence. 

These poles encourage learning to balance.

What will you do when it's raining? Rain is the best sensory activity! Grab an umbrella and some rain boots and slosh through some puddles with your kiddos! Reach up to the sky and savor the raindrops as they splash on your face. Show your children that rain is fun, don't discourage it. Rain even smells good! These days, most parks use rubber mulch. If storms do force you to stay inside for awhile, don't worry about the playground being wet. Be a good parent and take the first trip down the slide to dry it off for those finicky little ones.

Encourage social interaction with other kids, but don't force it. Kids are smart, they know what you're trying to do. If they're moody, they'll fight you every step of the way. Also, simply knowing that you want them to interact with other kids can make the feel self-conscious. They may feel too shy to talk to another child when they know that you're anxious for it to happen. Pretend to keep busy reading a book or returning a text. Don't get too caught up though, those little eyes are always watching you. Sometimes, they want you to watch them and know that you're proud of them. Always be ready with a thumb's up!

A simple way to encourage socialization is to point out a favorite character on another child's clothing. "Hey, look he's wearing a dinosaur shirt. Don't you love it!" Your child may not respond, that's okay. Don't push them. You've given them something to talk about. You've made a connection with another child. Sit back and watch what happens. Socializing may start out awkward. If you have a backward child, trying to force it will certainly backfire. Learn to be happy with a nod or a smile. The rest will come with time.

Outdoor play improves mood.

Sleepy kids!

As an exhausted parent, one of the best benefits of getting in a lot of outdoor play time with the kids is that you'll get to enjoy some down time when the kids take naps. Even if they are past nap taking, they'll probably stay quiet for the car ride home! Be careful not to let little ones get too over tired. Often, an over tied preschooler will have trouble sleeping through the night. They need just enough exertion for a good night's sleep. And no one wants an over tired toddler...


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