Learn and Play Group Begins

Recently I started a Learn and Play Group at our home.  It has been so much fun!  6 children ages ranging from ages 4 years old to 10 months old get together with their mothers for a little over an hour.  We sit in a circle, read some short books, sing 2-3 songs, do a craft/art project and then have play time.  I've found that doing these activities with a group rejuvenates me to do these type of learning activities with my 1 year old the rest of the week.

It has been a fun challenge to come up with activities that can benefit all of the age ranges on some level. Especially craft/art projects with young ones that are still exploring with their mouth!  So far we made edible finger paint (recipe), homemade playdough that is non-toxic (recipe), and shake and see bottles.  None of the crafts went how I envisioned, but we had fun and I think it was still a learning experience for the kids.

Sewing: Taggy Blanket

Babies love to find tags on blankets and toys to play with them.  Taggy blankets provide babies with an over abundance of tags to touch and explore.  I made my first taggy blanket for a friend from high school that just had a baby boy.

Again, this project reinforced from me that sewing in squares or rectangles is one of the easiest things to do.  Despite looking at this tutorial, I still almost sewed the tags inside the blanket instead of outside the blanket!  I'm so thankful that in sewing that we can redo mistakes and are not stuck with them!  One side of the blanket was minky material (the bumpy side), which was more difficult to work with than I expected, but it still came together.

Psalm 63

Photographer unknown.  Picture was in an e-mail forward.

 Psalm 63:5-8 
 "My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
   and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
when I remember you upon my bed,
   and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
for you have been my help,
   and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
My soul clings to you;
   your right hand upholds me."

I have found great encouragement in meditating on God.  How wonderful to be protected, like a baby bird under its mothers wings.  I have much to sing for joy about!