ID Mommy Project: Make a Fall Leaf Placemat!

My favorite time of year, fall, also happens to be the shortest season here in Minnesota.  So, knowing that snow is not far away, we try to take advantage of every nice day we have left!  Here's a great project that you can do with your kids that combines some outdoor fun with preservation of those pretty fall colors.  I came up with this project idea a few years ago as an activity to do while babysitting my niece.  Today I was out raking leaves with the boys, and thought I'd try it with Sammy!

First, collect some leaves.  This is a great opportunity to learn about different colors, different types of trees, changing seasons, and why the leaves turn colors. If you don't have a lot of leaves in your own yard, it's also a great excuse to go for a walk at a nearby park or nature center.

This part you can do inside the house, but since we were collecting leaves in the back yard, we did it on the back step.  Get a roll of clear contact paper, unroll about 18" or so, and peel back the paper to expose the sticky side.  (sticky side UP)  Use a couple rocks to hold down the corners if needed, to keep it from curling back up.

 Next, start sticking your leaves down!  I find it works best to put the most colorful side down, however, either way will work. Make a collage with your colorful findings!

 We stuck down the sumac branch and then took off the thick stem to get them all positioned like that, and then surrounded it with other leaves.  This part is fun for the kids, to arrange and flatten the leaves so they stick to the paper.

 Now, peel some more of the backing off of the roll, and fold the contact paper over so you are laying down another clear layer over your leaves, with the sticky sides together.  Peel away the backing as you roll.

 Now rub and press the 2nd layer of contact paper so it sticks to the leaves and all around the edges.

 Cut off the roll and trim around the edges if needed.  Now flip it over, hold it up to the sky, and watch the colors glow! 

 "See?!!"

 Now show your little brother what you made!!

We used this one as a placemat...you could also finish off the edges nicely with some ribbon or colored tape.  These would also look pretty just hung on a window!

ID Mommy's Favorite Toy List for 2010

A couple years ago I posted my list of favorite toys on my Junk Mail Gems blog, and now that I look back on it, I realize my 2 year old has most of the items on the list!  I have a few more new finds this year to share. With one child's birthday the day after Christmas and the other's in January, I tend to start my shopping very early to spread out the expense!  It's not often that I buy expensive toys for my boys, because we do so much garage saleing and thrifting throughout the year. But, when Christmas and birthdays come around, that's where I prefer to splurge and buy good, quality toys that I know are going to be around for years to come.

Here are a few toys on my list so far for this year! I'm using a lot of Amazon linked images here so hopefully they work...if not I've tried to include links to the original manufacturer's websites as well.

The constraints of gravity go out the window for your little architect with these little blocks from Tegu which have magnets hidden inside.

HaPe International has some really neat vehicles, made out of bamboo.  I just love how the shape of the bamboo is still present, yet they look like really cool, modern designs.  I already bought a couple of these for my youngest and am stashing them away for a few months until his birthday!

 

HaPe also has some really cool doll houses with adorable furniture sets:



Their other brand, WoodyClick, has more really cute construction sets and other wooden vehicles:

I'm such a sucker for wooden toys!! I snatch them up whenever I see them at garage sales.

I've mentioned Sprig toys in my previous list.  They have a really cute dolphin adventure playset now with a little boat.



These "Scanimation" books by Rufus Butler Seder are very cool.  We have the "Gallop" one and there are many more out there now.  The animals move when you turn the pages.  Here is a YouTube video, since it really can't be described without a visual.


If plush toys are your thing, these Ze Super Zeros toys are super adorable, quirky, and creative!




MiYim also makes some really sweet little organic soft toys, teethers, and blankies perfect for babies on your shopping list.



Puzzles are a hit in our house.  I like the idea behind these layered puzzles, where you actually stack the pieces on top of each other.  Learn what's inside your body, how a tadpole grows to be a frog, or even how a baby grows in it's mother's tummy!


Mindware is one of my favorite toy sites/catalogs to browse. There are a ton of cool toys there that will be more appropriate for my boys when they are a little older.  But, these puzzles caught my eye too, as being another twist on your average puzzle, in that they can be assembled in multiple ways, leaving some room for your child's own creativity.  There is a bug and a robot, which is convenient for me, being that we have a kid with a bug themed bedroom and a kid with a space/robot bedroom!

Can you tell I have a thing for wood toys? I think it may be the industrial designer in me who just can't get enough of toys that embrace raw materials.  I just find them refreshing in today's sea of roto-molded plastic toys that seem to get bigger and of of less quality as time passes! That's it so far for my list, but I'm sure I'll come across more fun toys between now and Christmas that I'll be sure to share.   In the meantime, let me know if you have any of these, if you like them, or if you have any other cool favorites!