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Mama Smiles

Joyful Parenting

MaryAnne at Mama Smiles Welcome to my blog! I'm MaryAnne, and I write about building a rewarding family life through mindful parenting, hands-on learning, and creative family activities. Learn more.

toddler activity

Winter Fun for Kids: Bring in the Snow for Winter Sensory Play!

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Do you have kids who love to play in the snow, but they don't feel well or you just can't keep dressing them up to go out for two minutes? Try bringing in snow to play with indoors! Winter sensory play brilliance! We don't see much snow since we moved to sunny California, but back when we lived in Massachusetts it was a fixture of our lives for months on end. The kids … [Read more...] about Winter Fun for Kids: Bring in the Snow for Winter Sensory Play!

Five Little Ducks Activity with Free Printable

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Free printable Five Little Ducks printable coloring page plus more nursery rhyme inspired activities for children. This week's Virtual Book Club for Kids theme is Nursery Rhymes. I'm highlighting an old post of ours featuring Five Little Ducks. Over in the Meadow is another nursery rhyme we love. This week I made a rare venture into semi-structured crafting with my … [Read more...] about Five Little Ducks Activity with Free Printable

Corn Starch Sensory Play – Making Oobleck

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Have you made oobleck with your kids yet? This sensory play material is made using corn starch and water and actually cleans up remarkably well. We color ours with non-toxic washable paint in place of food coloring, because food coloring can stain. But if you have a child who is prone to tasting I recommend playing with it uncolored. Everybody has been sick a lot at our … [Read more...] about Corn Starch Sensory Play – Making Oobleck

Growing Grass and Other Earth Day Learning Activities for Preschoolers

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Growing grass and other Earth Day themed learning activities for preschoolers. This week's Virtual Book Club for Kids pick is The Earth Book by Todd Parr, paired with an Earth learning theme. You can also read What Does It Mean to Be Green for this week. All of the activities are wonderful ways to celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd. Growing Grass: A Fun and Easy Earth … [Read more...] about Growing Grass and Other Earth Day Learning Activities for Preschoolers

Baby Play Ideas and Taste Safe Toddler Activities

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Baby play ideas activities that are safe for babies and toddlers who want to put EVERYTHING in their mouths. Taste safe activities for babies and toddlers. A wonderful activity resource for play dates for babies!   It's been raining in California! It's wonderful for getting out of the drought, but some of my mom friends with small children are going crazy! … [Read more...] about Baby Play Ideas and Taste Safe Toddler Activities