-
30 Ways to Play All Day in the Backyard
It is finally summer and finding novel ways to play in the backyard is going to be clutch to get us through this summer of social distancing. With the majority of our favorite activities either being closed, cancelled, or just too much of a hassle to make work, I am looking at ways to turn our backyard into the backyard park of our dreams. As our neighbors and friends are growing older, we have been the happy recipients of a lot of backyard equipment. We have also scored some great finds on our local buy, sell, trade page. In addition to the new equipment, I have found that introducing a…
-
52 Ways to Stay-n-Play at Home
It’s official, we are all going to be staying safe at home for a few more months. Since this will be our new normal for the foreseeable future, I went digging back into the archives to compile a list of activities you can do at home – so you wouldn’t have to do the digging. Check out the list for fun ways for the littles to stay busy all while learning through play at home. Most of the activities are a pretty simple set up, use a lot of items you probably already have at home, and will hopefully keep your littles busy for 10 to 90 minutes (fingers crossed!).…
-
Behind the Scenes with Lisa Armitage, owner of Goldfish Swim School
My family has been connected with Goldfish Swim School here in Columbus in some capacity since August 2016. After all of these years of raving about how much we love Goldfish, I finally had the chance to connect with the woman behind the pool, Lisa Armitage, the owner and water safety expert of the Goldfish Swim School – Central Ohio locations (Dublin/Westerville/Lewish Center). Lisa is such a lovely person and it is instantly obvious upon meeting her that she has so much passion for what she does. She is the reason Goldfish Swim School is here in Columbus, and for that I am extremely grateful. Read on to learn how Lisa…
-
Toddler Talk: 13 to 18 Months
Your child is now one-year-old which officially makes him a toddler. Crazy, right?! At this stage he will probably be on the move – crawling, cruising, walking – will most likely be getting into everything, and will be starting to say his first words. Your child understands more than he can express. He will respond to his name consistently and will continue to follow simple directions such as “want up,” “come here,” and “give me.” He will recognize familiar objects and demonstrate how those objects should be used (picking up a spoon or cup and feeding a baby doll). He will begin to recognize body parts and will start pointing to…
-
25 Ways to Play this Winter in Columbus
The first 3 months of the year are the longest for me! (As I’m sure they are for everyone else). This year I am attempting to shift my mindset. Instead of lamenting about the season, I am to actually looking forward to things that I generally only do during wintertime. I have thought back on our winters with the kids and have compiled a list of outings I tend to save for wintertime. I have also thrown in a few that are on our list to try this year. Will you join us in shifting your mindset this winter? Tried and True Hunt for Bison at Battelle Darby Creek. The bison…
-
Our Baby Playdate at Goldfish Swim School
Last month I collaborated with Goldfish Swim School to host a Baby Playdate. We invited babies 4 months to 36 months to participate in a free mini level lesson at Goldfish-Westerville. During the lesson, the babies experienced how Goldfish makes learning fun. The babies participated in songs, ball play, and parent/child interactions throughout the lesson. And, if the baby was willing, he had a chance to interact with the instructor through back and fourth glides. Parents experienced how swim safety skills were built into the lesson. And of course the babies had a chance to float on the duck mats and twirl around the pool. If you missed our playdate,…
-
17 Ways to Experience Christmas in Columbus
The holiday season is upon us and the anticipation to create magical moments is real. I have compiled a list of ideas that include some of our favorite holiday traditions and some that we have been waiting to try out. Santa’s Workshop at the Lazarus Building Stop by Santa’s Workshop at the Lazarus Building on December 7th from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Mr. Clause will be available all day to take photos in the original sleigh from the building’s former life, there will be crafts led by the OSU Urban Arts Space, and the Orange Line Holiday Train will be on display in the windows. Holiday Lights at the Columbus Commons …
-
Giving the Gift of Experience
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn commission if you click through and make a purchase. Providing your child with new experiences naturally exposes him to new vocabulary. These experiences can capture your child’s attention and provide an opportunity for you to model new vocabulary in the appropriate setting. These experiences can happen anywhere, whether it be heading out to visit a new place, participating in a class, or having a fun activity delivered straight to your door. In addition to promoting language development, these experiences support your child’s cognition, sensory, fine motor, and creativity. The holidays are a great…
-
30 Ideas for 30 Days of Kindness
For the past few years I have felt the need to recharge and really focus on kindness this time of year. With World Kindness Day falling on November 13, November just seems to be the perfect month for this focus. Children learn by observing adults, even when those adults aren’t intentionally trying to teach them anything. This month I am challenging myself to be more intentional in spreading kindness in hopes that my children will learn and follow my lead. Celebrate World Kindness Day on November 13 by completing 1 random act of kindness. Help the Pelotonia Team by creating holiday cards for cancer patients. Each card will be delivered…
-
Early Language Learning at Goldfish Swim School
Disclaimer: We were provided free swimming lessons by Goldfish Swim School in exchange for collaborating blog posts. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Did you know that toddlers who have stronger language outcomes differed in two ways from their peers: their parents repeated words more often, and they were more tuned in to the language as infants, and thus better able to process what was being said.* A benefit of starting swimming lessons at a young age at Goldfish Swim School is that your babe will be exposed to the same skill week to week which inevitably means he will hear the same words and directions each week, which…