Summer Insanity
Summer!
Time to send the kids outside to play, while we sip lemonade all day.
Oh, wait they’re back!
Hot?
Tired?
Nothing to do?
Yikes!
Now, what?
While boredom is an awesome motivator for creative play, it can also lead to disaster.
Boredom is the impetus behind
- crayon marks on my kitchen wall,
- a giant hole in the center of my backyard,
- the sibling generated challenge of seeing how many toy cars can fit in the toilet at one time,
- and an experiment to see how quickly Popsicle pieces can melt in different spots on the new couch.
So, while I encourage free play, I also don’t ignore my kids when they ask for my input on stuff to do. I’ve sent them to paint the deck with water and create a magical dinner bouquet of wildflowers more than once.
I’ll do it again too!
Be Ready to Play
Clearly, having some play ideas up our sleeves is a good/necessary idea.
When looking for kid activities, the first stop for many of us is Pinterest. Folks, I LOVE Pinterest, but the entire summer can pass by while you look for ideas you can actually use. Plus all that time spent on your phone or on your computer is time you’re not getting to play with your kids.
Even if you do manage to log on to that computer to find Pinterest and start pinning activities, chances are that after hours of pinning you have tons of ideas, but haven’t narrowed it down to the handful that will actually work.
Or you may have tons of seemingly perfect ideas pinned and ready to go, but then trauma! The computer decides to not cooperate and then your stuck. You have no directions and can’t remember the exact steps. That’s assuming your kids haven’t already spilled coffee on your keyboard or immediately announced they’re starving the second you turn on your electrical device.
Or you’ve found a great activity, but then realize the baking soda you need was spilled by the toddler yesterday. You also forgot to pick up the “special” soap needed for the sensory something or other. Now, you’ve got to load everybody up in the car for a return trip to the grocery store. Having fun yet?
Let’s imagine for a moment that not only have you managed to pick the perfect activity, save the activity, print the directions, and by what clearly must be divine intervention, actually have all the materials you need and ready to go!
Guess what? Your kids hate the activity. They tried it; spent maybe five minutes moving pieces around. Now, your four year old is crawling out the window and your two year old is cutting your five year old’s hair. Wait, does this just happen to me?
Don’t panic. Sure that activity was a bust, but I’m going to tell you a secret.
You see, I get lots of comments on Instagram and Facebook about how awesome the activities we are doing look!
Moms ask me how I manage to get it together. How am I crafting, making, and learning with four small kids without losing my sanity?
You see, I get lots of comments on Instagram and Facebook about how awesome the activities we are doing look!
Moms ask me how I manage to get it together. How am I crafting, making, and learning with four small kids without losing my sanity?
Well, I have a secret, but it’s one I’m happy to share.
Mother Goose Time
I invest in Mother Goose Time, a play-based, thematic preschool curriculum.
Mother Goose Time is jammed packed with tons of ideas my kids love.
Creative Arts
“Invitation to Create” projects provide process based art experiences with a variety of different materials.
“Make and Play” activities give kids the opportunity to play with a toy they create themselves.
STEAM Projects
Open ended activities encourage kids to explore their environment and test new ideas through continuous, free play.
Storytime
Thematic books engage kids interest and capture their imagination.
Music and Movement
Songs inspire kids to express themselves through movement and dance, while building strength and balance.
Language and Literacy
Learning to recognize letters, practice phonics, and begin writing has never been more fun.
Math and Reasoning
Matching, sorting, counting, estimating, measuring, and playing are just a few of the ways MGT encourages kids to love math.
Community Challenge
Innovative challenges foster self-expression, cooperation, and responsibility to build positive relationships.
Enjoy Summer
Wow your kids and enjoy yourself this summer.
Have crafts and games at your fingertips with next to no effort.
Let Mother Goose Time help you make the most out of your summer!
Welcome to summer,
Coming to Mother Goose Time-Summer 2018
My kids completed these themes in 2015 at ages 3 and 2 (pictured below).
I’m thrilled to see the themes return this summer!
Nature Detectives
Scavenger Hunt!
We collected rocks, sticks, pine cones, flower petals, and more.
Then, we conducted an experiment to see which ones would float and which ones would sink.
We created a rainbow with sidewalk chalk.
We washed it away by spraying water from the hose.
Fables and Folktales
We loved Aesop’s fables.
The lion and the mouse was a house favorite.
Here my little one is playing the part of the mouse and freeing the lion from the hunter’s snare.
The crow and the pitcher taught us all about water displacement.
My kids have recreated this activity all on their own several times.
Little Goose, the toddler supplement, kept my youngest and his busy hands very happy!
***Visit Mother Goose Time to learn more!
As a blog ambassador for Mother Goose Time, I am happy to share preschool curriculum ideas, activities, and crafts with my readers. Mother Goose Time provides our family the opportunity to use their curriculum free of charge in exchange for honest and authentic stories based on our personal experience. 
