Dinosaur Eggs

 

Dear Lyla, one day you and I went outside during Lottie’s nap and collected a bowl full of sand and a bowl full of dirt.  Then, when you weren’t looking, I snuck baby dinosaurs into them and let them out to dry for almost two weeks.  You got a package of dinousaurs from your grandma and have really loved playing with them, so I knew this would be a very fun activity.  When the eggs were finally firm, I set out the below invitation.  At first you were just interested in the baster and water but then became inquisitive of the foreign dirt balls.  I said “Lyla I think there might be something in them!” and that was enough for you to get after them.  You grabbed the hammer and went to town hitting them.  I was surprised at how much work it took to get them open.  As soon as enough dirt fell away revealing the colored animal you got so animated and work diligently to free it.  You proclaimed, “a dinosaur!”.  From there you you didn’t rest until every dinosaur was free.  You would said “a baby one!” or “a big daddy!”.   After that you said you were going to give each of them a bath in the water.  You also stuffed on into the hole of the baster and said you were taking it to the moon!  LOL

Colored Sand

Oh so much messy play fun!  You girls both LOVE sand.  Lottie, you love sticking your toes in it and running your feet through it.  You also love feeling it run through your hands.  Lyla, you’re into making me the most delicious sand cupcakes ever made.  You also enjoy chucking sand across the room :/  Such fun is well worth it though. 

Discovery Bottles!

I’ve wanted to make you guys discovery bottles for months, but kept putting it off because it seemed kind of overwhelming.  There are so many options and I wanted to make every kind!  I’ve since realized this can be a work in progress and find it fun to add to your collection as your interests grow.  It was funny Lyla because when I first set them out your instinct wasn’t to explore them but to stack them! You since realized thers everything imaginable in them from googly eyes to creepy crawlers.   The favorite bottle as of late is the magnet bottle.  Lyla you love running a magnet along the outside of the bottle and making the metal pieces (cut up pipe cleaners) move all about.  You’ll say “look at it mom!!” as it moves.  It’s like magic! I sort of just used what materials I could find at the dollar store and made ones based on your interests.  You love dinosaurs and helped me collect the rocks and dirt for their habitat.  You also helped me poor all the materials for the other habitats (like for your farm animals).  We did this around spring so we have one full of grass and bunnies which you also love.  Lottie you have enjoyed the one that looks like an ocean and one that mimics a hurricane!  We keep them on the book shelf in the living room and you  two both enjoy pulling them down for a little exploration from time to time.