7 Inside and outside activities with a preschooler.

If you have another baby in the house and your preschooler is already on holidays, like I am, then I have some fun activities you can do to survive and make happy both of your kids.

1. I used to go walking a lot with my baby while my first son was in the nursery. Now, I had to think that my kid won't walk as much as I do. So my daily walking routine, changed on going to different kids' parks to uncharge somehow his battery.

2. Outside activity - Feeding pigeons, this activity is always a good idea, every time we fed pigeons our kid enjoyed. He loves to run after them. What is great as well.

3. Read books, great inside activity. Here I would like to mention that I have observed that if my preschooler is not watching any video or TV, he is keen to listen while I am reading. As well it is great activity for a not sleeping baby.

4. Playing with montessori toys or not so montessori, leaving him play alone, while baby need your attention.

5. Inside activity - scissors. Help to develop his fine motor skills on cutting paper. By the way, it is montessori activity as well.

6. Inside activity - painting. If till now, painting was more for developing his skills on discovering colors and create new things. Now this activity is to develop his ability to write with pencil.

7. Outside activity - zoo, discover the greatness of nature that exists in the World. Here you need help. Daddy is always with us on such complex activities.

Now, our kid is with his grandparents, my parents-in-law, and I understand how much free time I have for me. If you have somebody who can help you, just leave them to help you. I was too tired after such a full activities week. And yes, my preschooler didn't have any screen activity during these days.

P.S. You can follow us on socials. I began to upload little videos with our daily routine. Come and enjoy them.

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Zoo fun activity. All wild animals in a single place.

Our toddler loves animals, I think all kids love animals, domestic or wild ones, doesn't matter. We decided that it would be a good present for our kids to buy a familiar one year pass to Barcelona Zoo. Because this park is very big, going there with a toddler and a baby, makes impossible to see all animals in one day. And the decision to buy a one year pass was a good one, as we have seen all animals just going there 5 times.

Apart of the great number of animals inside of the park, there are some interactive parks for kids to play, as well places to eat and enjoy the atmosphere of the park.

I leave you some images of our visits there.

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Toddler outside activity. Playing with sand.

It is summer and one of my favorite outside activities is to go to the beach. But what to do, if you have a toddler, who enjoys a lot sea and beach, and a newborn baby who can't stay more than an hour at the beach, and you have to go or early in the morning or late in the evening? The answer is to go to the park and play with toddler there with sand...hmmm...not the same... I know... Even though, my toddler loves sand and even more he adores time when I play with him. Once he is a big brother we spent less time together, as he has to play with daddy or alone while mummy takes care of little one. And I feel that we have to play and spent more time together.

Playing with sand - is a great montessori and fine motor skills activity.  And of course, is one of the easiest activity when you want to spend some time with your toddler, to disconnect from all the things that are not done. Toddler develops his imagination, thinking, concentration and in the same time he knows that there is a person who appreciate his work.

Try to play with sand with your kid, I asure you that you will enjoy even more than your kid.

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Week #3: 5 Great Outdoor Activities that Encourage us to Play with Our Kids

When we were still living in South Africa, I bought a life-saving book, written by Dawn Isaac, titled “101 Things For Kids To Do Outside“. Not only did this book offer us ideas for hours of fun and constructive activities, it also saved my life (read sanity) during those LONG holidays.

Now we’re in the twilight of our first Michigan Winter – worlds apart from where we were a year ago! And I must confess that I cannot wait for the snow to melt and the newness of Spring to arrive… So we can again get down and do some of the “101 things for kids to do outside“. There are so many great ideas in this book, but I’ve decided to share my 5 favorite ones with you:

1. A “Potion” Lab

A Potion Lab

This is such an exciting playtime activity. Set up a table in your garden, with a waterproof table cloth. You will need many containers of different shapes and sizes. A funnel, jugs, tweezers, anything that might be found (and is safe) in a science lab. As Dawn writes… “After all dragon’s blood and giant’s snot call for some very careful handling”.

Next is food coloring mixed with water, and for a fizzy experience add some bicarbonate of soda before splashing in a little vinegar. She also suggests a few more exciting ingredients, such as: glitter, poster paint, flour, rice and vegetable oil, (give these some creative names ie: unicorn tears, etc.).

The possibilities are endless :)

2. Rustle up a Bird Feast

Bird Feast

I love this idea for Spring and Summer. One sure way to get the birds into your garden!

You will need: cut-off branches, large plant pot, bricks or stones, soil or sand, garden wire, unsalted and un-buttered popcorn, apples, orange halves, lard (rendered fat), flour, oats and birdseed.

If you don’t have a large tree to hang your creations from, you can build your own tree using the plant pot, sand, cut off branches and bricks. Use unsalted and un-buttered popcorn and thread onto the garden wire to make “nibble rings”. You can also thread apple slices onto the garden wire for a fruity treat. Slice up the oranges into rings, make a mixture out of the lard, flour, oats and birdseed fill the rings  and thread onto the wire (exact proportions in the book).

You can hang these from your made tree or from a tree in your garden. Colorful and pretty!

3. Setting Up Camp

Setting Up Camp

I cannot wait to get camping! Our kids are finally at the age where they can appreciate what it’s all about! I think making the frame is the most difficult, but once it is done you can throw over any blanket and decorate to your own desire. You can lay a blanket down on the floor inside, pack a picnic and whala!

4. Create a Paving Stone Gallery

Paving Art

I’ve been doing this with my kids since they could hold a piece of chalk! I think people would see our driveway as a collection of beautiful artworks! The possibilities here are endless. You could use chalk, powder paint, homemade paint and brushes. Let the creative juices flow! The best part about this activity is that you can hose it down when done… I choose to let the artwork linger!

5. Last but not least “Start a mini vegetable garden”

Garden

This is just gorgeous! Nothing like planting seeds, letting our children watch them grow and then EAT the Produce!! You can prettify or separate the garden by adding seashells or stones. You can use an old bucket, wheelbarrow, wooden crate or baby bath! The kids just love getting dirty!

OKAY!

I just HAVE to add one more favorite! This is for my youngest son! He is OBSESSED with wildlife, especially lions!

6. Building a mini Rockery!

Rock Garden

Collect some rocks, stones, and green vegetation… then build a little rockery structure in the corner of  your garden. Bring out some animals and there you have it! You can change this to a fairy garden, etc!

HOURS OF PLAY AHEAD!

I hope you enjoyed this post, I, for one, am feeling really positive about Spring! If you have any new ideas please comment below!

There is nothing more therapeutic than getting outdoors, with the sun on your skin! It is definitely a must when you are a mama! Once the kids are into their activities and you have spent some one on one time with them, you can sit and watch them play with a cuppa tea or a glass of wine!  Your choice, your delight!

Dawn has activities for every season, she has written a second book “101 Things For Kids To Do On a Rainy Day”

Some rules:

Always ask an adult
Never eat what you make…
All photo’s and ideas credited to Dawn Isaac, Will Heap (Photography), and the book: “101 Things For Kids To Do Outside”. #LOVE  http://www.amazon.com/dp/1770857117/.

Please visit Dawn’s website  http://www.dawn-isaac.com/

With love

One Messy Mama

x

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10 Summer Activities for Kids - inspired from other blogs

Those who follow me on twitter have already seen some tweets about how hot is in Barcelona this summer. More than for 2 weeks we do not do any other activities at home than storytelling while our toddler is playing in water with his toys. And on weekends we go to the beach, to play in water and to pass great time together.

Looking through other blogs that I use to follow, I have seen a lot of ideas of toddler activities for this summer. So, I would like to share some ideas with you:

1. Water baloon hunt  - this game is amazing, I saw kids playing even in the parks of Barcelona.

2. Summer ice cubes - I loved this idea, for sure our toddler will enjoy playing with these ice cubes

3.Sponge water bombs - I think it is the easiest game I have ever seen to prepare and to enjoy it with kids.

4. Home made giant bubbles -  I have seen this kind of bubbles for the first time in the parks of Barcelona and it amazed me, I didn´t know that it is not so difficult to make at home as well.

5. Water displacement activity - this one is great one for toddlers 3+, I will wait for one year more.

6. OMG- this one, has to be so much fun for your toddler - Bubble Wrap Stomp Painting

7. This Sponge building is amazing games for adults as well. I was playing something similar with my colleagues at an offsite. Brings your attentions and develop your thinking

8. Writing in Sugar or in flour, I have seen different ways to do, it is wonderful montessori activity for your toddler. It brings their attention and makes them develop sensitive skills

9. Ice Chalk - how great is to write with an ice chalk ? I liked the idea

10. Rainbow Bubble Snakes - firstly it is very beautiful to see a lot of bubbles, then it amaze our children to see them.


Once I will try them, I will publish our images as well.

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Another day, another place in Barcelona - Sagrada Familia

This is not a travel blog, I know, but this blog is my place where I share all great moments that I have with my toddler. All inside activities and outside activities that we do together. Traveling is our hobby and one of my life goals is to see all the world together with my toddler, and in this way to show to my toddler the life outside the place he was born, because every place is unique in its way.

Barcelona is a city that I fall in love from my first day when we came here to live. This is a very beautiful city not just for tourists but for its citizens as well. That's why I want to continue with my project Discover Barcelona, and this time I would like to present to you dear mothers and families, Sagrada Familia (The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família). If you come for the first time to Barcelona, I would advice to write this place under "must see place", but if it is not your first time in Barcelona and you travel with children, then this place it is too crowdy to take a walk here.

The church project began long time ago the construction, official date of comencing 1882, and then in 1883 in this project was involved the famous architect Gaudi, taking control over the project and transforming this architecture into an unique project combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms to this. When Gaudí died in 1926, the basilica was between 15 and 25 percent complete. After his death, the project continued the activity, but very slowly. (source Wikipedia) Even though, the architects who continued with this project, tried to maintain the idea of Gaudi regarding this project. The project is supposed to be finished in 2026, that's why nowadays you can see a lot of changes during your visits to Barcelona.

Interior of  this church is very shy, there are a lot of mosaic colors that play with each other, and on a sunny day, the church is very beatiful inside. Not only the colors make this church beautiful, but as well its architecture.

My impressions are, I wouldn't take a walk there outside of Sagrada Familia, as it is very crowdy and you have to stay on fourth with your baby. Because Damian like running and playing outside, so this is not the safest place to do this. But, inside the church, it is amazing, and there is a lot of space to go, that's why my toddler didn't get bored.

I advice you to take a tour inside this amazing unique church.

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Tibidabo - a place for everyone in Barcelona

Last month was a difficult one, as our little sunshine got a cold twice, then I followed him, this made us not very keen of doing a lot of activities inside nor outside... but, this don´t stop us to share the little things we´ve done together.
About outside activity, today I will share with you some older images in the post, as we have been there several times and I would like Damian to grow up to go there. As he would be able to enjoy from outside activities that offer this park of amusement.
Tibidabo is a great place for little once and for people who like to travel and are keen to see new places. The place represents a mountain that overlooks Barcelona, there you can afford spectacular views over the city and coastline. At Tibidabo you can enjoy your stay by going to the church, that took 60 years to construct and is topped by sculpture of Jesus, or more likely to enjoy the Amusement Park, near 7Ha big, that was opened on 1899. This amusement park is considered the oldest one in the world and that is still functioning.
Apart of the amusement park, there is a part that you can relax and stay on a picnic, enjoy great views with a cup of coffee at the bar or to take a walk within this magic place. As mentioned above this is a great place to visit for everyone. IhI really advice you to go there, as it is a place to visit for everyone.

Enjoy!

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