Greening Sam and Avery

a visit to the country

Is there anything better than being surrounded by extended family with THIS as your setting?

We headed to Westby, WI this weekend to spend some time with Chris's aunt, uncle, cousins and grandparents. The girls always have a great time exploring, playing with cousins and seeing the great-grandparents.

They got to build a snowman with their cousins,

and search the woods to make it complete.

And had fun with some hitch hikers (which were not so fun when they got horribly tangled in Polly's tail, the family golden retriever!).

But we also got to hike and explore their property.

And the girls got to see their dad test out his shooting skills on a fake deer.

So much family time and outdoor play over the last two days we are all exhausted!!

How was your weekend?

outdoor play link up - snow play

Welcome back to the outdoor play link up party!

My feature outdoor play idea from last week's link up comes from Sun Hats & Wellie Boots (anyone else in love with that title?!). They made a little fort for a hedgehog and learned about hibernation at the same time. What could be better than combining outdoor play and environmental education?!

Head over here to check out their post from last week!

Now, here is what we have been up to.

 

Our first snow storm of the year hit this week!  And I have to say that I am both excited and depressed that winter has begun in Wisconsin.

Excited about the winter fun that I know we will have building forts, sledding, building snowmen, throwing snowballs, finding tracks and much more. But depressed because it means a lot of putting on gear, heavier kids to carry, longer prep time to go outside, wet puddles in the garage and the occassional crabby child that does not want to wear something that they have to.

To help remind me how to get through the not so pleasant parts of winter and snow play I thought I would go through some of my tips and tricks.

1. Gear. Let's start with the obvious, what they are wearing! It seems simple but making sure your kids have the best gear is key to keeping them happy and willing to play outside in the cold. So, keep in mind that if your little one does not like to be outside in the cold it is most likely because some part of their body is too cold. Every kid should have water proof gloves/mittens, tall water proof insulated boots, water proof snowpants (I think the overall kind keep them the warmest and keep snow from getting in), water proof heavy coat and a thick hat (the ones that velcro under the chin are the best for little ones).

2. Getting the gear on. Start young encouraging your kids to try and put the gear on themselves. The sooner they can put even some of the gear on themselves the quicker and easier the process will go. If you have some time and just want some outdoor play time but the putting on of the gear is always a fight turn it into a game. Try hiding each piece of gear around the house, have them find it and then help them put it on. If they find it out of order send them out again to find another one. You can also have them lay the gear out in the order that they think will work the best for putting it on.

3. Time. Winter outdoor play is not about hours. Enjoy the time and don't be discouraged if it only lasts a few minutes. Even getting a little fresh air and some time outdoors is better than nothing!

4. Embrace what your kids want to do! Even more so than in good weather your kiddos may have something specific that they really want to do in the snow. Within reason of course, try to embrace and make possible whatever activity they have in mind. What I want to do and had in mind for our play time may not be what they are interested in so be prepared to drop your plans and take on their's!

Okay, this is a good starting point! What helps you and your kiddos get through winter outdoor play?

 

How did your kids play outdoors this week?

Share your ideas for outdoor play activities with us! Here’s just a few guidelines for sharing.

• Any kind of children's outdoor play is welcome. If it happened outside, then please link it up!

• Please do not share any competitions, promotions, or posts that are not related to Outdoor Play.

• Please remember to link back to this post and help us spread the word about the importance (and fun!) of outdoor play!

• Each week we will feature an activity from the previous week. By contributing you are giving permission for an image and link to your post to be republished.

Day 252: little eyes

Playing in the backyard with my girls is always an adventure. On good days I can just have fun with them, not worry about the chores, cleaning or maintenance that I could be doing outside and instead just play. Playing with them allows me to see their discoveries and discover with them.

Like a teeny tiny little river.

 
Or a small piece of curly bark.

 

Tiny little green growth. YAY SPRING!

 

Or animal tracks that come from no where and go no where (later explained to be a bird!).

 

Today's backyard activities also including the building of this little guy!

 
Finally convinced Sam to build a snowman with me and Avery. And we even found some fun things to help give him a face.

Remember the rain gauge? It holds water and works great! Sam was bummed that we didn't get to one though.

 

We also put some new toys out in the girls playhouse. These are projects that we made a long time ago and have not been played with much because normally they live underneath the deck. As most parents know, giving a toy a new home can often increase the amount it is played with or change the way that it is played with. Hoping that will be the case with these toys.

 
The wood stacking toy on the right we made on Day 132 and the big stacking toy on the left my dad made for us on Day 108.

Already today Avery had a great time getting out of the snow and into the playhouse to check out the "new" toys.

And probably Sam's favorite part of the afternoon was puddle jumping on our patio!

 
 

A great afternoon was had by all in the warm sunshine and melting snow!

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The Nitty Gritty!

Are you seeing signs of spring yet? Sam, Avery and I sat for quite a while today listening to the robins that have appeared in our backyard. I told Sam all about the long journey that they make every year to get away from the cold. She thought that is was "neat". Not sure that she really understood BUT she did say that she has heard robins before on our Identiflier and remembered what they sounded like. Again, probably not, but making the connection between the "toy" and the real thing is still very cool.  

We have also seen and heard Sandhill Cranes over our house in the last few days which is another sign of spring for us. The turkey vultures are starting to re-appear too.

I don't know too much about phenology and what other migratory animals/birds to be looking for but the few that I do know always make me feel so much better when I see them in the spring.

Watching for signs of spring (any season change) is a great way to get kids involved in noticing the little things about being outside. Getting them to listen for new sounds, look for new things or smell new things. At this age it is just all about teaching them how to observe, how to really "see" what is around them and appreciate it. While the seasons change can be a really neat time to slow down and really start exploring your yard and neighborhood. (more on this another day...)

And I owe you all another winner...what are the odds of this...Butterfly Wishes and Wonderland Dreams you won! You have 48 hours to email me to claim your prize. Thanks so much for entering the giveaway.

One more thing for this really long post. Check back tomorrow for more information about the "How Disposable is Your Life? Day" that we are going to host soon and the "Zero-Waste Day" that will be hosting shortly after that.

Day 251: again, seriously?

I could be sad. Depressed actually. And mad. Really mad. But I am trying my hardest to embrace what has beFALLEN me.

More snow.

Chris woke me this morning and said did you see outside. I knew exactly what he meant.

The best part of this whole thing was that Sam looked out the window and said "OH NO! Not more snow!".

HA! Hilarious.

But anyway, I know spring is coming so I am trying to enjoy what I am hoping will be our last major snow fall.

So, I decided to go back through what we did this winter and figure out what snow activity we had missed. Duh. Building a snowman. Can you believe it? Well, when Sam got home from school I had every intention of bundling them up and taking them out to build a big beautiful snowman. When I told Sam our plan she quickly informed me that they built one at school and she didn't want to do it again. Awesome.

Plan B. I went back through my google reader starred posts (anybody else have a TON of things in there?) and found snow ice cream! Woohoo. Sam was very excited about this one.

 
Don't you love that face? Have no idea why she looks so disgusted!

We used a big bowl of snow. I was a bit over zealous when we gathered snow so we had to transfer some out of the big metal bowl into a smaller bowl. Then add a 1/2 cup sugar, dash of vanilla and a cup of milk. We had to add a bit more milk as we were stirring to get the ice cream consistency.

 
 
Yum. Can't think of a better way to enjoy the snow!

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The Nitty Gritty!

I made sure to have Sam, Avery and I collect snow from an untouched area and we didn't dig down too deep. I think it is probably only good to do this when the snow is very fresh, but I won't go into what might be in old snow because my daughter has been eating it all winter and I just don't want to think about it!

I think it would be fun to try and make some flavors next time we do this. Maybe add some fruit puree!

I NEED spring! But I will continue to try and live in the moment, enjoy what I am given and not be too wrapped up in waiting for the future.

 

 

Day 238: combo day

Got two things coming at you today! A craft and some outdoor time. Totally unrelated but both super fun!

First we got an idea for making a homemade and upcycling "I-Spy" alphabet game. Idea is NOT mine I got it from this amazing lady here.

Started with these and an old baby bottle of Avery's.

And then created this!  Sam had a blast looking for the alphabet today.  

I should have put the paper inside a sheet protector so that we could use a dry erase marker and then use it again and again. Having to reprint the alphabet again and again is not very green!  

Then right before lunch Sam begged to go outside. So we did.

And found some really fun stuff!

A good mouse hole...tracks got stepped on, but oh well!

 
Some amazing bird tracks!

 
 
And then check out how excited Sam is about what SHE found in the far end of our backyard.

 
 
 
 
And Avery was there too!

 

We had a great day! Both indoor and outdoor play, learning and exploring.

Good day. 

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The Nitty Gritty!

The alphabet "I-Spy" game is made out of split peas and alphabet beads. Super simple and Sam loved it. I actually put in two complete alphabets so that it would be a bit easier for her but I think for a child that is just a bit older or use to these games only one set of beads for this size bottle would be necessary.

From our outdoor play -

One thing I have learned about having Avery outside right now is that I have to let her fall. She has to fall, whine, scream, complain and then figure out how to get up on her own. I cannot come running over to her everytime she gets stuck or falls down in the snow. Then she won't learn how to get up on her own and will always need me. She needs to learn.

So I let her struggle. I let her get mad. But she does get up on her own. And after 20 minutes or so she is toddling around the backyard getting into all kinds of fun "trouble" and not worrying about the falling at all. But we have to go through this struggle time almost everytime we go outside. It is a battle, but for me it is worth it and necessary.

Living in WI my kids have to learn to walk in snow, play in snow and LOVE snow!! 

Day 225: a quiet day

Even with running errands and cranky kids somehow this still feels like a quiet day.

Watching a movie, baking, painting, reading and long rest times are making me feel cozy and quiet today.

We did a snow painting project because even though the temperatures are warmer today (over 20 degrees!) there are BIG fluffy snowflakes falling.

Sam and I have done this type of painting project before making heart shapes on canvases last year for valentine's day, spelling out Avery's name for a welcome home banner when she was born and making simple shapes but it hadn't occurred to me to make snowflakes until I saw it here.

A simple snowflake project but it was perfect for us today!

Happy Friday everyone.

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The Nitty Gritty!

So to create these snowflakes or any other shape you simple take tape (masking tape, painters tape or today I used black electricians tape because I was all out of the other two!) and put it on the paper in the shape that you want. Then paint all around the tape. Pull the tape off shortly after painting, don't let the paint dry, and that is it!

Be sure to check back tomorrow because I have a review and GIVEAWAY!!! So excited for another giveaway and this is a good one!

Day 221: field trip - ice skating

Today we headed out to Tenney Park in Madison for some ice skating. It was warm today, well in comparison to what it will be the next four days, so ice skating seemed like a great idea.

We didn't even know if they would have skates small enough for Sam but we thought we would go and give it a try! They did!

She didn't realize how slippery it was going to be or how difficult it was going to be OR that she could fall!

So we held her hands, skated with her and she did okay.

And then she fell, several times and decided she was done.

Both girls sat on the ice and watched Chris and I skate for a few minutes and thought that was pretty neat.

Avery was good at cheering us on!

This would have been an amazing photo except that my focus is on her hat and not her face! Rats.

After we were done skating we explored some other parts of the park.

We ran out of time to do more exploring of the park which is a shame because I noticed a big flock of mallards on part of the pond and some very fresh beaver chewings in another area. This would be a great spot to explore for tracks, signs of winter wildlife and a chance to get to see some ducks this time of year.

It was a great afternoon during a warm snowfall with my girls and husband.

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The Nitty Gritty!

Ice skating outside is amazing. Being able to skate on a frozen pond surrounded by trees, birds, snow falling, and fresh air is a great experience for kids and adults!

But skating inside can be a great winter activity and great exercise too.  And apparently it is never too young to start, well I can't say that actually because they didn't have skates small enough for Avery!

 

Day 220: winter fun recap

We did some more digging out today. Only about two inches fell this morning but it was enough that shoveling was required. I hate those small amounts the most probably because they aren't enough to pull out the snow blower but enough that we can't leave it lie on the sidewalks.

Sam "helped" with the shoveling. Discoverd some big icicles that were dripping and played on the "mountains".

But today's post is more about a look back at what we did last month as a part of the January Monthly Challenge and what you all did to participate!

So here goes with the list and lots of links!

Frozen Bubbles - idea for this came from here via twitter, Welcome to Our Wonderland and here via a comment.

Painting the Snow - idea for this came from here via twitter and Child Central Station.

Exploring a frozen lake 

Winter Bike Riding

Snow Flake Matching Game

Ice Sculptures

Animal Tracks - done here, and track mysteries, and more tracking here and here

Feeding the birds - done here, and well most days!

Indoor snow - done here and here by us and at the Little Learner Lounge and Random Stuff too.

Track Makers - which were done much better over here!

Sledding

Skiing

Sure you all have had a lot of other great winter fun ideas! Would love to hear more about what you all have been up to. Leave a comment with a link so we can all check out your FAVORITE winter idea so far!

We are still deep in winter so I can use all the ideas that you have to keep me motivated to enjoy the cold or ways to incorporate cold/winter themes with our indoor play.

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The Nitty Gritty!

Nothing else for you today. Off to eat and enjoy the superbowl!!  Happy Superbowl Sunday.

Day 217: we tunneled

I can hang onto an idea for a long time before I find a time/place (and motivation!) to put it into action. Anyone else like that?

Anyway, quite a while ago Angela posted these great photos of the tunnels her kiddos had made. I loved the idea and it looked like so much fun. But until today I had never had the right pile of snow (or motivation!) to make it happen.

Today we dug a tunnel! A BIG tunnel. Okay, not that big because Chris couldn't fit in it but I could squeeze through and the girls loved it. Sam got to help me dig it out, Avery was napping. I cannot even describe in words her excitement and sheer delight when she was on one side of the tunnel with me on the other and we broke through the snow and could see each other. It was an AWESOME moment.

Once Chris got home the temperatures had dropped quite a bit so we didn't stay out too long, so I didn't get that many pictures but here are a few.

So, I got motivated. And it was a blast.

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The Nitty Gritty!

Did you see the February Challenge that I posted? Probably not. It's okay, I am awful at advertising this silly "meme" that I try to do on here (I think I can call it a meme although I am not technically sure of the definition). But I am hoping that there might be someone out there that can help me with that! I am wondering if there is someone that might be able to "help me" create a button for the monthly challenges. I want something very visible that will make it easy for people to see the challenge, find the original post in order to comment and participate and jump in at any point of the month even though I don't mention it everyday (most days!). Anyone willing to help me? 

Day 216: snow and the challenge

So if you live in the midwest or watched the news at all today you know what we did today. For almost four hours throughout the day we dug out our house, driveway, sidewalk and deck. My back is sore!

But it was a great snow day!

So in the midst of all the snow pictures I wanted to fill you all in on the February Monthly Challenge.

February is a hard month for me because it is still bitterly cold up here but I am SO done with winter. I find that I start to get into a homebound kind of slump. I don't want to leave, I don't want to do anything and I just don't want to face the cold anymore. SO this month I am challenging us all to get out of the house.

Last month we did pretty good at getting outside to play in the snow. I am not up for that anymore! Ha, just kidding. But this month I want to focus on the cool places that we can go in winter. What kind of field trips do you do in winter? The zoo? Museums? Nature centers? What does a quarry look like in winter (can you even go?)? Been to a rock shop lately? Ideas people! I need lots of ideas that are awesome so that I can get motivated to find new field trips to force us out of the house.

So please share where you go with your kids to learn, have fun and be out of the house in winter. Are they nature or green related? Of course those are the ones I am most interested in, but feel free to share ANY ideas with me. 

As always to participate in a monthly challenge (and get LOTS of link love throughout the month) all you have to do is share your idea in a comment, email me, use the hashtag #fieldtrip on twitter or post ideas to the facebook page! Lots of ways to participate. And if you feel like blogging about the challenge and the way you participated in it that will mean even more link love!

Okay, that is it for today. I am spent!

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The Nitty Gritty!

I am using the nitty tonight to ask you all for some parenting advice. I normally keep this kind of thing for my personal blog but I need all the help I can get so I am looking for advice from all of you too.

I have a biter. Avery is starting to bite, a lot. What do I do? She is a year old. How do I discipline her, teach her or discourage her from biting her sister? Anyone ever had a biter before? How did you get them to stop? Would love any help you can offer.