ONEderful "Summer Camp" Morning

So, we've reached the stage of busy-ness!  Miss Millie Janalee is busy, busy, busy!  We have stayed on the go a lot, so there has not been a shortage of things to do or entertain her.  Now that we're home for a little while, I felt like our days were getting redundant.  Blame it on me being used to staying on the go with fun activities.  I try to alternate toys I pull out from her toy chest each day, but I still feel like there's only so much you can do in the confines of our little apartment.  It's a big exciting day when we venture out to Toys R Us or stroll to the  mailboxes.

So, yesterday I began my Pinterest search for 1-year-old activities.  My inner-teacher came out with flashing lights as I began to think of what I had around the house.  First up...eating and playing with our Cheerios.

We're not one of those families that eats around the dinner table right now.  Mainly because Russ is studying his tail off for boards coming up, his schedule is pretty sketchy, we are rarely home, and Millie Janalee and I prefer to eat our breakfast in the living room.  She usually eats her Cheerios off the ottoman while standing against it.  And I eat mind sitting in the chair beside her.

I'm a teacher.  I've known the benefits of using muffin tins for things.  But...duh!  I never pulled it out.  So, I gathered all her Cheerios off the ottoman and began dropping them in the muffin tin.  Of course, I counted them out loud for her!  What else would a teachery mama do?!

Millie Janalee loved it!  She loved the sound they made when they dropped into the pan.  And she loved fishing them out with her little fingers.  And, after a while, she loved picking up the muffin tin and shaking it until all the Cheerios were scattered around the room.  I figure our floor is probably cleaner than her paci after a full day's crawling, so I just left them there and let her find them throughout the day.  Ha! 

After breakfast, it was time for ART!  I love a good craft project!  I haven't done much any since we've lived in our apartment.  Basically, I get stressed out when things get unorganized and everywhere.  In a small space...it's difficult to find a place for everything.  I figured this art activity was mess free and easy enough to try with my Little Bit.  It was Ziplock art.

You need:

• Ziplock baggie
• paint
• paper (or not - you can just do this inside the bag without paint)
• baby oil (I failed to use this, but I will next time)

Ziplock baggie art

I picked up Millie Janalee and placed her in her high chair, but next time I'll probably just let her sit on the floor.  My little student was ready to paint! 

I squirted a few places with paint, and placed the paper inside the baggie.  Of course I checked the seal of the bag a few times before we started.  Seeing as how I used acrylic paint and not washable.  It's all I had.  (I have since bought washable Crayola paint.)  I taped the baggie to the high chair and showed Millie Janalee how to spread the paint around.  Truth be told...she was probably equally as interested in trying to pick up the baggie that was taped to her high chair.  This is why I will probably just let her sit on the floor and play with it next time. 

But, all in all, I'd say she's a little "Baby Picasso" in the making!

When her project was completed, I took all the tape off so she could finally pick it up.  She was so proud of her art!  She held it up for me to see...

Then, I realized that she was just playing Peek-a-Boo...

She enjoyed squishing it around...

This is the part I'm not pleased with.  When I began the task of taking the paper out of the bag, the paint smeared as it came out.  I've gotta figure out how to take the art out of the bag without messing up her art.  I would label this summer art craft as a semi-success.

Millie Janalee's first abstract painting!

Feeling inspired and productive with our structured morning, I didn't stop there!  I found a few things around the apartment for us to try some Marble Art.

You need:

• a container with a top (I chose a shoebox)
• yellow paper ovals
• black paint
• marbles (I didn't have marbles, so I found these glass beads I had leftover from making refrigerator magnets)

I taped the yellow paper ovals to the bottom of the box, squirted a little black paint in the box, and threw the beads in.  Then, I put the top on and taped it shut...very well.

Now, Millie Janalee could paint!  I showed her how to shake the box and hear the beads bounce around.  She was a fan!  She picked up the box, turned it over and over and over, shook it around, and kicked it.  After a little while, I decided it was time to check her artwork.

Obviously, she wasn't finished painting.  Maybe next time I'll just let her play with the box until she gets distracted by the next best thing.  This is what happened when I took the box up...

I opened the box to check out her work, and it looked so good!  Millie Janalee is such the artistic thing!  Ha!

Millie Janalee's marble art

I took the painted ovals up, and laid them out to dry.  Later in the day, I glued them to paper and added wings and antennae to complete her bees.  Of course, I labeled the art and dated it at the bottom.  It now hangs proudly on our refrigerator!

As soon as we finished our "summer camp" activities, it was 12:30 and my sweet girl was rubbing her eyes.  Naptime called!  Our morning went by super fast, and I felt like we weren't sitting around playing with the same toys in the same spot again.  It was a "one"derful summer camp morning!