Well, this post has been forming in my brain a few days and I have something really cool to add so I finally got to it - with pictures and all.

Les you doubt stay-at home-parents get a little stir crazy at times:



Dh says it was BM's idea, but well, I knew he was a little genius, but I think he had a little help from daddy - LOL.

But this is my free stuff for kids #1 - milk carton blocks (juice too I guess - I see some oranges in the picture). You just take 2 1/2 gallon cartons, cut off the tops, let them air out and dry first please (LOL) and then put them together to form a block. I was wary when dh started the tedious, long-time task of making blocks when BM was almost 2, but about 18 months later he has quite the block collection. & he sure LOVES them. The sweetest thing is he just started giving some to his little brother - figure he needed some too. Another thing he likes to do is build a wall in his doorway with those. Well the uses are endless...

#2 - Well, it was free to us. A relative is teacher and passes off her endless bottomless pit of presents every holiday season. & this is one we weren't really thrilled to get. But whatever. IT was a little bulb that grows into a huge flower. Finally after ignoring it a month or 2, dh got it out and started watering it. The thing has grown so FAST and BIG you see - the kids love coming down every morning and measuring it - too see how far it grew over night - often an inch or 2. I don't know why we were so anti-flower at first. Has been great fun. & it is beautiful.



#3: Science experiments. When my older son was 2 dh got 2 science books they started going through. Granted my 2yo is a lot more like a 4-5yo but definitely can not go wrong at 3 or 4 with these.

Book- Everything Kids' Science experiment book

Book - Science Play (for 2-5 yos)

This makes "science experiment" one of my child's first words. He LOVES the stuff and can't get enough.

So I will share our favorite #1 experiment. Balloon Rocket! You need tape, a balloon (or a few), a straw (courtesy of taco bell I believe - LOL), and a long string. You can put the string anywhere but we tied one end to the top of the stairs and one end to a chair downstairs -makes it really fun. But you can just put it anywhere at an angle or even straight across a room.

Run the string through the straw first before you tie it up. Then blow up a balloon and tape it to the straw, while holding the neck of the balloon closed (a little tricky). Then let go of the balloon and you have a little rocket. That one is so cool - the kids would play with that for hours... They love shooting the balloon up to the top of the stairs!