Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto

Drum roll please...I present to you the newest member of Aiden's ever growing stuffy collection...Robot:

Want to make a robot for your little person? It's really quite simple. All you need is some felt, embroidery thread, needles, scissors, cotton wool for stuffing and a pattern.

For Robot I extrapolated from a pattern for a mechanical felt panda that I found in The Cute Book by Aranzi Aronzo. I photocopied and enlarged the pattern, selected fabrics and thread, cut out my pieces, added a few pieces for the face and front panel and then sew sew sewed until Robot was complete. It was a fairly quick project; I made Robot over the course of five evening hour-long tv watching sessions. And the result - a happy little boy with a new robot friend!

Happy robot-making,
Creatively yours,
Maya :)

Music Video Monday: Joel Plaskett "Fashionable People"

The Rundown
I realize I've been a bit Sesame Street heavy with the music video selections (it's just that Sesame Street has so many excellent videos that we can't seem to get enough of them) so to switch it up I'm going throw some Canadian content, a la CBC Kids, your way.

Up to bat this week is Joel Plaskett's "Fashionable People." In this super fun video Joel helps Mamma Yamma loosen up for a photo shoot. Joel and Mamma try on a whole bunch of crazy hats and costumes while striking poses for the cover of the formidable Yam Fancy magazine.

Why We Love It
If you happened to be walking past our house last Friday, when this video was on TV, and peered in through our front window, you would have seen Aiden and I wearing a cow print cowboy hat and a bright yellow trapper hat still in our PJ's, having a whale if a time dancing around our living room. I'm pretty sure that upon realizing how much fun we were having you would have run up to our door, rang the doorbell and begged to join in. Being the fun-loving people that we are, we probably would have given you a hat and let you dance with us. So why do we love this video? We love it because of its infectious ability to induce silly, crazy dancing while wearing equally silly, crazy clothes.

Creative Extensions
1. Find some fun clothes to dress up in, pump up the volume on some upbeat music and dance around while pretending to be on your own photo shoot.
2. Make a mini magazine with you little person based on something they are really into (or perhaps a magazine all about your little person - great for family presents). Take photos or draw pictures for your magazine. Help your little person write articles and stories for their magazine. Make copies to give to your loved ones.
The Video

Happy dressing up,
Creatively yours,
Maya :)

Impromptu Colour Mixing

Earlier this week, while we were eating lunch, Aiden spied out of the corner of his big brown eyes a rogue marker lying on the counter top. As soon as my little observer spotted the incredibly-awesome-potential-mess-making vehicle he couldn't resist and said "Marker hold". I weighed my options and decided that although we were still eating our lunch taking a short interlude to make some impromptu art was worth the disruption, so I gave Aiden the marker and a few others that were lying around on the counter too. We didn't have any paper in the near vicinity, but Aiden, being the resourceful little guy that he is, grabbed a piece of paper towel that was on the table and started to dab the markers on the towel.

As you can imagine, the paper towel soaked up the ink from the markers and as Aiden used different colours, the ink mixed and created new colours. This was an excellent exercise in colour mixing, and even better as we were watching "Three Primary Colours" by OK Go. When Aiden finished his creations we put them up on the fridge for everyone to see. They really are quite stunning or as Aiden says when he walks by the fridge "Pretty". Here's the step-by-step if you want to try it yourself:

Paper Towel Pictures
Supplies
Paper towels
Washable markers
Directions
1. Provide your little person with a sheet of paper towel and some markers.
2. Show your little person how to colour on the paper towel if they are new to markers.
3. As your little person makes marks on the paper towel, the ink will spread causing the colours to mix. Talk to your little person about the colours and how new ones are created when the ink mixes.
4. Hang up your little person's creation and marvel at it every time you walk by it.

Happy colour mixing,
Creatively yours,
Maya:)

For The Birds

From the word go Aiden's Dad and I have always said that Aiden can be whatever he wants to be when he grows up. We just have two requirements - whatever he ends up doing he should do something that he loves and has a passion for, and that overall he is a kind, caring and good person. He's already got the second requirement down and I'm pretty confident he'll have the first one taken care of when he gets to the stage of figuring out his life path.

For now my job is to provide him with as many unique and interesting activities as possible so he can discover what he's passionate about and to encourage his natural goodness. Part of that is caring for others - both human and non-human others. So earlier in the week we decided to show our feathered friends some love and made them some bird treats. Here's how we made them:

Bread Bird Feeders
Supplies
Day old bread
Cookie cutters
Peanut butter
Bird seed
Yarn
Spoon
Plate

Instructions
1. Cut the bread into shapes using cookie cutters. You might need to help your little person with this if the bread is hard.
2. Make a small hole in the top of each bread shape.
3. Thread the yarn through the hole and tie a knot.
4. Spread peanut butter on one side of the bread shapes. If you don't mind the mess, your little person can spread it on with a spoon or their fingers.
5. Pour some bird seed onto a plate. Have your little person dip the bread shape into the seed.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 on the other side of the bread.
7. Hang your bird treats in a tree in a sheltered spot for your bird friends to enjoy.

Happy bird watching,
Creatively yours,
Maya :)

Music Video Monday: Musica

The Rundown
This Sesame Street video features Rosita (for those of you who aren't avid Sesame Streeters, she's the blue Latina monster) and a host of various animals, including a sheep, a collie dog and some chickens, playing percussion instruments while singing an incredibly catchy song (it has been running through my head on repeat since we watched it this morning before our breakfast picnic) about musica.

Why We Love It
I'm happy to report that Aiden's Grandpa has just finished building a house in Costa Rica. In the upcoming months, when we manage to squeeze in a trip to our new holiday home, we will need to know a few Spanish words, and what better word to start with for a little musician than musica? And what better way to learn the word for music than through a song about music? Also, who doesn't love a music video that has a collie playing maracas? Enough said I think!

Creative Extensions
1. Create your own instruments from cardboard tubes, paper plates, metal pie plates, jars, beans, pasta and rice. Decorate the instruments with various craft supplies. Make a sound word for your new instruments and add additional verses to the song.
2. Play some more Latin or other world music. Listen for specific instruments. Make up a song about the instruments that you hear.
3. Teach your little person about volume and tempo by playing your instruments quietly and loudly or fast and slow. Encourage your little person to move to the music using quiet and loud steps or fast and slow steps. Be sure to get in there and dnce alongside them.

The Video

Happy musica making,
Creatively yours,
Maya :)

Music Video Monday: Letter J Robot

The Rundown
This is yet another uber cute video from Sesame Street. It features one of the cutest robots I've seen (believe it ot not, he's even cuter than Wal-E), who sings about all kinds of things that begin with the letter J (yep, the letter J not the letter R as he's the Letter J Robot!)

Why We Love It
Like many little guys his age, Aiden has entered the Robot phase and he adores robots, so of course this one was a huge favorite when it came up on the Sesame Street channel uploads list. The only problem with this video is that the robot is so adorable that every time he comes on screen Aiden yells "Hold" as in "I want to hold/hug the robot". I think I'm going to have to try my hand at making a plushy robot.

Oh, and of course the educational factor of this video - it teaches little ones J words in a fun and memorable way.

Creative Extensions
1. Make a plushy robot (see above)! Have your little person draw a robot or draw it with them if they are little toddlers. Photocopy the drawing and enlarge if necessary. Cut the picture out to form a pattern. Cut two pieces of fabric in from the pattern. Sew fabric together and add embellishments like buttons for eyes and pompoms for buttons etc. Stuff the shell and voila you have a plushy robot designed by you and your little person.
2. Make robot masks: Provide your little one with paper plates, foil, buttons, electrical tape and any other miscellaneous craft supplies. Find some robot pictures for inspiration or look through robot books at the library, and then create a mask based on the robots you found. Dress up in your masks and play robots with you little person. Make up names and characteristics for yourselves as you go on your robot adventures.
3. Make edible robots http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/edible_robots.htm

The Video

Happy beep, boop, beeping,
Creatively yours,
Maya :)

The Drawing on the Coffee Table

There are several things that are pre-requisites for being a little person. Some of these things include not wanting to put on coats, jackets, shoes, toques or mitts before going outside (they just get in the way anyways), wanting to touch and/or put things in electrical sockets and a desire to draw/paint on any surface but a piece of paper.

In my effort to have a peaceful, happy household with an equally peaceful and happy toddler, I decided to encourage my little Picasso's love of creating his masterpieces on alternate canvases. Yes, this may backfire on day, but for now, when we have washable art materials, I say let the wild rumpus begin!

And how, you ask, did we do this? Window writers and bathtub crayons. I have to say, we have had an amazing time creating all kinds of artwork on our mirrors, glass top coffee table and bathtub. And seeing the look of sheer joy and excitement on Aiden's face as he colours these alternate surfaces is worth the few extra minutes it takes to windex the table, mirrors and tub.

Happy colouring,
Creatively yours,
Maya :)

Mom Evaluation

I love being a full-time stay-at-home-mom. I feel very privileged and lucky to be able to be with my little guy everyday and see him learn, grow and take on all kinds of new challenges. I find immense joy in spending my days going on adventures and playing with Aiden. I really am living the dream.

But what I absurdly find challenging is not the moments where Aiden is having a rough time or the lack of adult conversation, it is the lack of formal measuring and evaluation tools. We spend our entire lives being evaluated - in school we take tests, in the work world we have performance appraisals and reviews, and call me crazy but I actually like having these in place. Evaluations give me a sense of security, knowing where I'm at and what I need to do to improve and grow. But in my career as a Mom, there is nothing like this in place.

What I have come to realize is that at the end of the day it is not so much a grade or a score that matters. It is all about whether you have a happy, secure and healthy little person - it's more a case of the proof is in the pudding or rather in the little person.

But just for fun I thought I'd share with you my criteria for measuring my daily success at being the best Mom I can be.

Criteria For A Great Day
Did your day include the following?
1. Free play
2. Reading/story time
3. Imaginative play
4. Creative project
5. Music and movement time
6. Active play
7. Outdoor play (weather permitting)
8. An outing to somewhere with people other than just the two of us
9. Singing/finger songs
10. Discovery activity
11. Learning activity
12. Quiet time

Did you provide the following?
1. Healthy, nutritious food for meals and snacks
2. Hugs, kisses, tickles and cuddles
3. Full-undivided attention during the day
4. Opportunities to nap and sleep in a comfortable environment
5. Words of praise and encouragement
6. Opportunities to try something new
7. Chances to practice already learned skills
8. A safe, happy environment
9. Fun activities
10. Conversational topics to encourage communication

Is your little person the following?
1. Happy most of the time
2. Secure
3. Hitting milestones
4. Healthy
5. Engaged with the world
6. Sweet, gorgeous, adorable and lovely

If you answered yes to most of these, well done, you are doing a marvelous job!

Happy evaluation,
Creatively yours,
Maya:)

Music Video Monday: Three Primary Colours

The Rundown
In this video OK Go (you know the treadmill guys) show us the three primary colours and what you get by mixing the colors with each other..

Why We Love It
Now that Aiden has his letters and most of his numbered mastered, he's working on his colours, and what better way to start with a video featuring OK Go. The video does a great job of showing little people exactly what happens when the primary colours are mixed and what colours you get. And true to OK Go form, it is a very unique and creative way to teach primary colours. I only wish this had been around when I was an art teacher!

Creative Extensions
1. Go on a colour scavenger hunt. Go for a walk and find as many things as you can that are in a certain colour. Take a picture of your finds and frame it for some cool artwork for your little person's room.
2. Have a colour based meal: Choose a colour and make a meal using things that are only in that colour.
3. Experiment with colour mixing by making tie-dyed paper towel or coffee filters: Wet the paper towel or coffee filter. Give your little person some washable markers. When the markers touch the paper towel or coffee filter the colours will run into one another, mixing to create new colours. Take this one step further by asking your little person to create names for the new colours you made.

The Video

Happy colouring,
Creatively yours,
Maya :)

Little Chef

For the past few months one of Aiden's favorite activities has been imaginary cooking. He is a little chef, measuring, mixing, stirring and seasoning his creations. Lately his preference has been making soup or something spicy and hot.

To encourage his budding chef skills we toyed with the idea of getting him a play kitchen for Christmas. We decided against it as we don't have enough space for another big item and I think, if I'm absolutely 100% honest, Aiden's Dad and I were concerned with the gender stereotyping associated with kitchen play-sets. Don't get me wrong here, I am in no way, shape or form suggesting that cooking is a girls thing or that boys should only play with so-called boys toys and vice versa. I think we were both worried about what his buddies would say later in life if he told them that he had a play kitchen when he was little. Silly in this day and age to worry about things like that, I know, but it was a worry nonetheless. And if you have a play kitchen for your little guy or a train set for you little girl, all the power to you, you go for it!

So in lieu of a play kitchen I decided to make a chef station for him in our kitchen. Here's what I did:
Homemade Little Chef Station
1. Clear the bottom shelf of your pantry or a low cupboard that has a shelf at your little person's height.
2. Fill the shelf with old spoons, measuring cups, plastic bowls, empty cereal boxes, pastry brushes and various containers.
3. Fill old spice jars with rice or pasta or Cheerios or cereals that your little person can use to make their concoctions. Put these on the shelf.
4. Make imaginary food out of construction paper. I just tore up pieces and placed them on the shelf in a container for Aiden to imagine whatever he wanted them to be.
5. Show your little person their new chef station and ask them to make you a snack...you'll be amazed at what they create.

This activity not only encourages your little person to use their imagination and teaches them about measuring and food preparation, it is also a great way to keep them entertained while you prepare breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Happy chef-ing,
Creatively yours,
Maya :)