We have had a busy, busy month. Baby Rex is officially a toddler now - 1 year old, walking, running, and CLIMBING!! Keeping him busy, engaged, and challenged is becoming more of a challenge for me too. Here are some of our favorite Fall & pumpkin themed play times.
Baby Rex and Little Bear had a great time exploring a few little pumpkins and gourds. The different textures were very intriguing to both boys. This provided a great opportunity to narrate their activity; introducing new adjectives, reviewing colors, beginning sorting concepts, and so much more. I think Rex's favorite was the baking pumpkin. He really like the sound when he smacked it's smooth texture and thought it was hilarious when I rolled it across the floor.
Pumpkins and gourds also make excellent tub toys. They float!
Pumpkin Patch Playtime
We visited several pumpkin patches this month too. Rex LOVED LOVED going to the farm! So much to see, smell, touch, and explore! This was the first time he played in hay and was very inquisitive. I had a great time following him around watching him explore independently, seeing what grabbed his attention. Days like this are great when I can sit back and let Baby Rex take the lead.
Family quickly outing to the MD Renaissance Festival turned into some impromptu hay sensory play. Near the entrance there was some hay thrown about to help keep the dust down. This was clearly the highlight of his day. Seeing Rex's interest I was quickly reminded that even the simplest things can turn into the most amazing experiences. The joy, intrigue, and excitement on his expressions was priceless.
Later in the month we had one of our friends over for a little toddler science lesson. It was a HIT! Z-Rex really got a kick out of the slimy pumpkin guts and seeds. He was really into smelling the fresh cut pumpkin too. I love having sensory play dates. They learn so much from watching and observing the other child play and interact with the same materials.
To keep a toddler entertained during a hurricane, bring nature inside. The high winds knocked down these amazing big leaves. I brought some in and left them in the laundry room for a bit to dry out. Baby Rex treated us to a fall foliage parade.
After using the full cobs of Indian corn at our play date, I saved the kernels for sensory bin filler another day. We love metal pie plates, muffin tins, or cups in our sensory bins. Baby Rex loves to hear the different sounds it makes.
When we were done with the bin I put the kernels into water bottles and plastic eggs to make noisy shakers. Easy ideas to stretch your materials and manipulate them in different ways for new experiences.
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