Bubble Picnic

Last weekend we attended the annual Bubble Picnic at the Early Childhood Development Center for our local school district.  Alyce has attended it on previous occasions but this year Luke also got to enjoy it.

The Bubble Picnic is an open house at the center where they have sensory stations setup for the kids to use.  A lot of them focus on bubbles because bubbles are fun, cheap, and easy to clean.  On top of bubbles they have lots of other stations inside and out focusing on some developmental or sensory concept.

We got a late start on the day and didn’t get to the picnic until 12:00; one hour before closing.  One hour was just enough time to get it all done.  The first thing we did was to play with the bubble wands and making some big bubbles.  Alyce would chase after and pop them while Luke would reach out for them as we held them on the bubble wands.  After the bubbles Alyce and I took some egg beaters to a big tub of soapy water churning up even more bubbles.

Next we went inside for some crafts and to play on the kids play equipment.  While Alyce was busy making a sun catcher with our Parent Educator Ms. Cathy Luke was focused on running beads along wire paths.  After both of those Alyce and Luke played on the kids playground.  The indoor squishy blocks are a perfect environment for Luke.  They provide just enough obstacle to keep his attention on climbing but with everything being squishy there is no penalty for failure if the falls off something.  Alyce and Luke both seemed to enjoy the tunnel and slide the most.

After a few more crafts it was time to leave but before we left Alyce wanted to go down the big twisty slide a few times so we headed back outside for a few turns on the slide.  About that time both kids were running empty on food and were starting to show.

 

The Bubble Picnic is always a blast and when the weather cooperates it is even more fun.

Dad's Night Out

A few weeks ago Alyce and I went to what I think will be our last Dad's night out event. Like in some previous posts Dad's Night Out is an event where Dad's get to spend time at the Early Childhood Development Center with their kids without the Moms being around. Really more than Dad's night out it is Mom's night off.



The reason why this is going to be her last time is that Alyce is starting to get too big for the things we do there. She has mastered climbing over the blocks and using the cars to the point she loses interest in them quickly.

Even though she is getting to be too old for this event there are many other events developed for older children. I look forward to those in the future as it will give time for just Alyce and myself.

Dad's Night Out

A few weeks ago even before our trip that yielded the Sharing story Alyce and I attended another event at the Early Childhood Center "Dad's Night Out". It was an event held for the Dad's to bring in their kids for some father kid quality time. The event is fairly low stress with no scheduled activities. It is a lot dads playing with different things alongside of their children. The main items for Alyce anyway were the Little Tykes toy cars, heavily padded climbing blocks, and a plastic toy house. These are all things that Alyce has played with in the past but they still hold her attention. The blocks were especially a hit as Alyce has been practicing her jumping skills and a place where everything is padded is a great location to do it.

Here are some pictures of the event.

Sharing

Mommy and I witnessed something tonight that left us speechless. Alyce, our daughter shared! And it wasn't a little share; this was a big share.

Tonight Mom and I went to Locomotion Commotion. It was a one time class at the early childhood development center of our school district. Locomotion Commotion consists of a bunch of kids all playing in a gym with a myriad of different toys. Alyce is a big fan of the gym. Every time Alyce attends they put out a different set of toys with a few larger pieces of equipment sticking around. One of Alyce's favorite things to do is to go down the slide.

Another one of Alyce's favorite things at the center are the push cars. Push cars are the same childhood toys that mom and I had. Whenever Alyce sees one of these toy cars she HAS to have it. Tonight was no different when we showed up. Alyce made a bee line to the car and claimed it as her own. After a while we pulled Alyce away from the car and onto other things like the slides or stacking blocks. Later in the evening Alyce again took possession of the car. However she took possession in front of another pint sized playmate.

This is where things get interesting. Alyce noticed this other boy crying about the car. Alyce got out of the car, held the door open, and gestured towards the boy. She was willing to share the item she held most dear. Mom and I were dumbfounded. It was great to see a milestone right in front of us. Our little girl is growing up right before our eyes.

At Her Class

Today Alyce had her first day of her new class. The class is at the early childhood center. Alyce is looking like she is having some fun and Mom is enjoying some time out of the house where Alyce can burn up some child energy. If only we could find a way to harness that energy and power the world.