11 Amazing Dollar Store Organization Hacks

by Karly WoodMay 28, 2021

Whether you’re tired of the clutter or just getting the house in shape while you’re home so much, it doesn’t have to be an expensive task. From organizing kid toy chaos to purging your pantry, these dollar store organization hacks won’t break the bank and will give you all the Marie Kondo vibes. Keep scrolling to see some simple ways to stretch a dollar and clean the house at the same time.

Pin these amazing dollar store hacks!

Small Bins for Bathroom Drawers

Bathroom drawers driving you crazy? Pick up a few smaller bins and boxes to get everything in check. Most of the time, small organizers like these are two or three for one dollar, a major score! Use for hair ties, floss, and anything else that is rolling around in those drawers.

Organize Purses with Lid Racks

Lots of small bags and clutches lying around? Gran a $1 lid holder the next time you're in the kitchen aisle at the dollar store like The Organized Mama did, and you have instant organization! The simple and versatile holder will keep your purses neat and tidy.

Create a School Lunch Station

Keep the kids (and yourself) organized when it comes to school lunches. The brilliant minds at Design Improvised created a lunch station that includes simple bins to keep lunchboxes, snacks and containers neat and tidy. We love this idea because it give kids the autonomy to get themselves ready for school.

Spice Rack for Nail Polish

Nail polish piling up in a box somewhere? Now you can put it on display easily with a dollar store spice rack. Liz Marie shares this simple idea which not only organizes your polish, but prevents you from buying the same shade of pink over and over.

Under the Sink Clean Up

Raise your hand if your bathroom or kitchen sink cabinets are a mess! By Lauren M shows how easy it can be with a few baskets to get all the cleaning supplies and necessities under control.

Perfect Pantry

Pantry a disaster? Whip into shape with dollar store bins like The Social Home! With some careful planning and neutral products, you can store dry goods in both plastic and glass containers that will have your pantry looking like something out of a magazine shoot, no matter how big or small.

Tidy Linen Closet

Are you scared to open the linen closet because of the overflow of sheets and towels? Kim at Today's Creative Life has put dollar store bins to good use and the result is an organized linen closet. Add in some labels and you'll never end up with a mouthful of falling towels again!

Simple Toy Bins

Easily corral toys with dollar store bins. Choose from a variety of shapes, sizes and colors and simply label to keep multi-part toys like LEGO bricks, marble runs, dolls clothes, cars and more.

Car Caddy

Keep your mom mobile in ship shape by using simple plastic shower caddies! They are perfect for storing all your car essentials, like changes of clothes, snacks, wipes, diapers and pretty much anything a mama on the go needs. Castro Family Happynings came up with this idea and it has served her road-tripping fam perfectly!

Tangle-Free Jewelry

Want a stylish yet functional way to keep your jewelry tangle free? Use a dollar store wire basket like this one from Smile & Wave DIY and you have instant organization.

Clean Up Craft Supplies

Whether you're a creative crafter or your kids love to keep a huge art supply stash, getting organized with dollar store bins is a breeze. Clutter Bug uses inexpensive bins and DIY labels to get her must-have supplies in tip top shape.

––Karly Wood

Featured image: Karly Wood

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7 Toddler Gardening Activities Guaranteed to Keep Them Busy

By Hillary Swetz

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

March 27, 2021

Photo: Phil Goodwin via Unsplash

Spring is in the air, and that means it’s time to introduce my favorite toddler gardening activities! Gardening is great for kids ages 2-5 because it builds skills, gets them away from screens, and connects them with the big, wide world. Especially now, when there are fewer opportunities to get out and involved in the community, gardening can be another link in their social chain.

While it might sound exhausting to some moms, gardening with toddlers can be a lot of fun if you manage your expectations. Let’s be clear: there will be no Better Homes & Gardens cover images from your backyard. Your toddler will need to learn what they can and can’t do in the garden, and will probably make some mistakes along the way. But you’ll have something better than a pristine backyard: an occupied toddler!

Here are 7 concrete ways to get your toddler gardening that will keep them busy for at least fifteen minutes.

1. Planting
If you’re sowing plants with big seeds, call up the toddler troops. Pea, bean, squash, and sunflower seeds are the perfect sizes for little hands with limited coordination.

Start by grabbing a muffin tin and pressing it into the ground. This makes perfectly spaced indentations as a guide for your child. Have them poke one hole in each indentation (or one hole per pot if you’re gardening with containers). This will be about half the length of their pointer finger. Then they can practice putting one seed in each hole and covering it. In a few days, they’ll be rewarded with adorable green sprouts.

2. Watering
You know your kids best, so you can judge what exactly they can handle. Some toddlers might be able to use a partially filled adult-sized watering can. Others might be better suited to a toy watering can, or holding the hose with you. You can also make homemade watering cans using a milk jug with holes poked in the side. Finally, you might have a very young toddler whose best bet is a measuring cup filled and emptied over and over on some very sturdy plants.

3. Bug checks
One of the best ways to keep your garden pest-free is regularly picking bugs off your plants by hand. This is the perfect job for toddlers in the garden, especially those who love creepy-crawlies. I know my toddler just loves this job. (Well actually, she might just enjoy eating beetles.)

Teach your little one to identify good bugs like spiders, ladybugs, praying mantises. Then, learn what common bad bugs look like, including tomato hornworms, Japanese beetles, squash bugs. When you go out, bring a bucket of warm, soapy water around your garden. Every time they find one, have them drop it in the bucket.

4. Weeding
Of all the toddler gardening activities, this is the most dubious. After all, you don’t want your prized, heirloom tomato seedlings yanked up by an eager three-year-old!

I suggest only letting toddlers join your weeding team in July or later. Your veggies should be quite large by then, and the weeds are (hopefully) much smaller. Most older toddlers can follow a simple rule of “only pull the little ones.”

The other challenge with letting toddlers help weed is that they’re unlikely to have great technique. Instead of digging in and pulling weeds out by the roots, they’re likely to only yank aboveground leaves. If you’re making weeding a regular part of your daily schedule (or even just once or twice a week) this will be fine. Pulling weeds often is what prevents them from taking over.

5. Loading wheelbarrows
Sometimes, you just want to do all the weeding yourself. That’s okay, because kids can still get involved by loading up wheelbarrows. Have them follow behind you, gleefully chucking little handfuls of weeds into the wheelbarrow.

Warning: some handfuls will probably end up on you, the toddler, or other passing siblings.

6. Harvesting
Is there anything more rewarding than picking your fruits and vegetables after weeks of hard work? Get your little guys used to that joy and excitement by letting them help with the fun stuff, not just the work.

Obviously, some plants are less-suited to toddler harvesting than others. Plants that could be damaged by rough pulling are probably not a good bet for independent gathering. Toddlers should also be supervised to make sure they only pick ripe fruits.

7. Fall clean up
When the summer has passed and all that’s left of your garden is dried vines and stalks, it’s time to put your beds to bed. Toddlers are easily amused by the idea that gardens go “nighty night” for the winter and need to be tucked in, so let them help.

Have them wear those cute little gardening gloves (or snow mittens, if that’s easier) and yank up all non-perennial plants. I recommend using gloves because some common plants like squashes, cucumbers, and pumpkins, have very prickly vines.

Once everything’s out of the ground, have them help put compost on the beds. Fall is a great time to add nutrients to your garden because weeds won’t immediately grow and deplete them. Plus, the cold weather gives your compost time to fully break down and mix into the soil.

Have your little tike help you shovel 2-3 inches of fresh compost onto your beds. This job is ideal for toddlers because it requires no accuracy, serious muscles, or dexterity. If your kid can chuck their dinner off the table, they’ll do just fine with compost.

As a bonus, they get messy! (Ok, maybe that’s not a selling point…)

This post originally appeared on Homegrown Hillary.

Hillary Swetz

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

Hillary is a former high school teacher who went rogue and became a freelance writer. She's also a certified doula and yes, she'd love to hear your birth story. When not offering support and advice to families, she tends to her garden, two tiny humans, husband, and cat.

5 Games That’ll Put Good Use to Your Dictionary

by Amber GuetebierJanuary 10, 2021

Dictionary Day is the perfect excuse to dust off your Webster’s (you still have those, right?) and learn a few things. We’ve got five easy-to-medium dictionary-based games that can be easily adapted for little literati of all ages. Read on to get the word.

Fictionary

Choose six to ten words your kid may not know. For each word, write out four possible definitions and have them vote on which one they think is the real definition. For little ones, keep it simple with one or two-word definitions and don't forget to add in at least one very silly one! For older kids, choose more difficult words and throw in a couple of “realistic” sounding definitions.

Dictionary for Beginners

Put that ABC song to the test with a simple word search. Teach dictionary use with starter words, like CAT, BALL or BUG. Give them one letter at a time to help them locate the word. Example: CAT. Have them look up the C, then the A, finally the T until they find it. They'll see the alphabet within the alphabet on every page.

Pictionary: 4 Ways

Pictionary, light. Flip through the pages of a dictionary, and have your littles place their finger on a word at random. Work together or on your own to draw the word you’ve landed on (let's hope you get castle and not existentialism.).

Pictionary, advanced. You’ll need at least four players for this one. Using a dictionary, one member of the team chooses a word at random (see flip method above). Their next task is to draw the word they picked, hoping their team member guesses it (Not unlike the board game by the same name.). Teams take turns, and each member alternates drawing. You can up the ante by adding a time limit to the drawing.

Variation: If the drawing team’s mate doesn’t guess, the opposing team gets one guess at it.

Variation 2: You'll need five people. Have one person be the random word generator. They can either write or show the word to the player whose drawing. This role is best played by mom or dad.

Fake It Up

Have the kiddos make a word up and then explain or write the definition out to you. Example: decision-ing. What a four-year-old says when he is trying to decide between two equally fun ideas (ice cream vs. cake, bath vs. shower, etc.).

—Amber Guetebier

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CreateOn Unveils New Luminary Magna-Tiles in Support of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

by Jennifer SwartvagherSeptember 19, 2020

CreateOn is known for transforming Magna-Tiles with new designs using popular licenses and custom personalization. They have just unveiled a new Luminary Magna-Tiles set in support of pediatric cancer patients. The new set is an addition to the CreateOn’s first Luminary Magna-Tiles launched earlier this year in support of COVID-19 frontline healthcare workers.

In recognition of September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, CreateOn’s new Hope Catcher Luminary Magna-Tiles set is a meaningful building toy for children that also raises funds for The Dragonfly Foundation, a nonprofit organization that assists pediatric cancer patients and their families.

“We created the Hope Catcher Luminary Magna-Tiles as a fun toy to keep young patients’ minds busy during treatments, as a family activity for siblings and friends to show love and support, and to raise awareness of pediatric cancer and generate funds for a foundation helping families going through this incredibly tough time,” said Steve Rosen, Vice President, CreateOn. “September is the perfect time to partner with The Dragonfly Foundation, and we are honored to create a building toy with a valuable meaning that contributes to an important cause.”

The Dragonfly Foundation has been a staple in the Cincinnati cancer community for over 10 years. Jessica Merar, Director of Programs in Chicago, is honored to be leading the charge locally. “We are thrilled to now have boots on the ground in the Chicagoland area. My main focus is to raise funds and awareness in order to support local patients and families through diagnosis, treatment, and beyond. All funds raised locally will stay local. I’m excited and grateful to be partnering with such a developmentally appropriate, child-friendly, useful, and entertaining product.”

The Hope Catcher Luminary Magna-Tiles set includes 10 colorful magnetic tiles plus a light to illuminate the set once completed into a bug catcher shape. The tiles can be combined in a variety of configurations, and kids will love finding hidden shapes in every corner each time they rearrange the layout. An educational hands-on toy, the Hope Catcher Luminary Magna-Tiles teach children shapes, patterns, colors, and more STEAM skills.

CreateOn designed this set specifically for pediatric cancer patients, with the realization that they may need fun ways to keep their minds busy during treatments and while only having one hand free. The pieces are small enough to fit on a hospital table and are easy for small hands to assemble. When assembled as the bug catcher structure, the luminary also doubles as a night light, and brightens up any hospital room with vibrant colors and designs of butterflies, dragonflies, ladybugs, and other fun outdoor creatures. There is also a door slot on the tile of the completed structure to add notes of hope and inspiration.

By partnering with The Dragonfly Foundation, CreateOn is supporting their efforts helping young cancer patients and their families. 20 percent of proceeds from each set sold will be donated to the foundation to support their mission to help families find strength, courage, and joy.

The Hope Catcher Luminary Magna-Tiles are available now on CreateOn.com. For more information, visit CreateOn.com and follow on Instagram and Facebook. To learn more about The Dragonfly Foundation, visit Dragonfly.org, follow on Instagram and Facebook.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: CreateOn

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Go Wild: A Guide to The Bronx Zoo

by Mimi O'ConnorJuly 10, 2020

Everybody’s heard of the Bronx Zoo, and there’s a reason: it’s an incredible, beautiful, world-class destination, and New Yorkers are lucky enough to claim it as one of their hometown attractions. The zoo has been enthralling visitors since way back in 1899, when it was called the New York Zoological Society, and has continued to expand its rich offerings over the years. Should you go? Of course! Should you have a game plan? You better. Here’s what to know before you and the family get wild.

The Bronx Zoo Re-opening Update

The Bronx Zoo will be open for a members' preview July 20-23, and will open to the public July 24. Tickets are by advance purchase and timed-entry only. Click here to buy tickets. (Entry will be contact-free.)

Expect some changes and new rules: face coverings and social distancing are required, and some exhibits may be closed. You can check what's open on the day you visit via the Bronx Zoo app. (Note that the Bug Carousel, Carter Giraffe Building, Children’s Zoo, Nature Trek, Komodo Dragons in Zoo Center and Camel Rides will temporarily remain closed.)

(To see more of what's reopening in NYC this summer click here!)

When You Can Go
The Bronx Zoo is open year-round, and while of course many of the habitats are outdoors, plenty are inside (the popular JungleWorld, and the World of Reptiles among them) making them ideal for a winter afternoon trip to the zoo.

The zoo is closed on select holidays: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and Martin Luther King Day. From early November to early April, the zoo is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; from May to October hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (5:30 p.m. on weekends and holidays).

Hot tip: the zoo is free on Wednesdays.

photo: Jeffrey via Flickr

Plan of Attack: The greatest hits and beyond
Be forewarned: the zoo is huge! More than 6,000 animals occupy its 265 acres. It’s difficult, if not straight up a bad idea, to try to cover the whole thing in one day. (This fact makes a strong argument for getting a membership, but more on that later.)

If you’re looking to hit the highlights, the zoo itself recommends a two-hour tour of its most popular exhibits: Tiger Mountain, Himalayan Highlands, Congo Gorilla Forest (a must) and the aforementioned World of Reptiles.

But that’s barely scratching the surface. There’s not really a bad exhibit in the bunch, and your choices should be dictated by what interests your family most. Head to the African Plains for giraffes, zebras and lions; the Aquatic Bird House and Sea Bird Aviary for ever-popular penguins and flamingos, and Baboon Reserve to see Gelada Baboon in action.

Nature Trek

Must-do Stops for Kids
The zoo does a great job of entertaining and engaging its youngest patrons. We’d add to a must-do list the recently-renovated Children’s Zoo, which provides lots of opportunity to interact with, and learn about, different creatures, and the brand new Nature Trek, an elaborate, kid-friendly version of the zoo’s new treetop adventure course for big kids and adults. Nature Trek also provides multiple areas for free play, building with various materials and learning about animal habits.

Extra Extra!
There are two kinds of tickets to the zoo: a general admission ticket and a “Total Experience” ticket. General admission gets you access to the most of the zoo’s offerings, and you could certainly spend a whole day doing that. Note: this ticket is only available at the zoo’s front gate; you cannot buy it online. Prices are $22.95 for adults; $14.95 for kids three to 12, and $20.95 for seniors. Kids under two are free.

While the “Total Experience” tickets may sound like an upsell (and we suppose, technically it is), in our opinion, if you can swing it, it’s the way to go. This ticket grants you access to all of the additional “experiences” at the zoo, which someone in your party will inevitably want to check out; otherwise, they are $6 per person, a cost which can add up quickly. Included with this type of ticket is the Bug Carousel (exactly what it sounds like), the 4-D Theater, the Wild Asia Monorail, and the zoo shuttle, which can be a key ally and time-saver when getting around. Prices are $36.95 for adults; $26.95 for kids three to 12, and $31.95 for seniors.

As you can see, a trip to the zoo is not the cheapest outing ever, which is why, if you make two or more trips to the zoo a year, it might be worth getting a membership. For $199.95, two adults, up to four children, and one guest receive unlimited admission and attractions at not only the Bronx Zoo, but the Central Park Zoo, the Queens Zoo, and the Prospect Park Zoo. That’s a lotta zoo for your buck! (That rate is the Family Zoos Plus Membership; the regular Family Zoo Membership is $159.95 and does not include attractions or a guest admission.)

photo: Meghan Maher

Above and Beyond
If you are the adventurous type of family with older kids, you’ll want to check out Treetop Adventure, which opened in 2017. Featuring a double zipline experience, as well as a variety of rope courses of varying difficulties, the attraction is open year-round, and provides lovely views of the wooded setting in all seasons.

You can elect to do just the treetop course, just the ziplines, or both. All of Treetop Adventure is a separate admission tickets from the Bronx Zoo, with prices ranging from $24.95 to $59.95. If you’re going, it’s located at the north edge of the zoo, and there is a parking lot (with fee) at the entrance. For GPS directions use: Bronx River Parkway at Boston Road.

photo: Tammy Lo via Flickr

The Basics

The Bronx Zoo is not the cheapest ticket in town, but of course you do get a lot of bang for your buck. Total Experience tickets (which include Dinosaur Safari) are $39.95 for adults (13 and up); $29.95 for kids 3-12, and $34.95 for seniors. Kids two and under are free. (We list a zoo membership, which for $210 gives you unlimited access to numerous zoos, the New York Aquarium, and more as one of the best membership values for families. This is why.)

Get tickets here: bronxzoo.com

For food, the Dancing Crane Cafe in the centrally-located Dancing Crane Plaza serves standard fare and has both indoor and outdoor seating. You’re also allowed to bring in picnics, which can be a good way to save money and skip the typically long lines. This area is also where you’ll find first aid, the gift shop, restrooms, and an ATM.

Strollers are allowed in the zoo, and if you suddenly desire one, they are also available to rent.

The zoo is accessible by mass transit, including the 2 train (at Pelham Parkway), the BxM11 Express Bus in Manhattan, and Metro North. Click here for detailed directions.

Note that if you are driving, parking lots can fill up, and additional parking can be found at Fordham University. Driving directions can be found here.

The Bronx Zoo
2300 Southern Boulevard
Bronx
718-220-5100
Online: bronxzoo.com

—Mimi O’Connor

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Netflix’s “Floor Is Lava” Is Your Family’s New Favorite Show

by Jennifer SwartvagherJuly 1, 2020

If you are looking for a fun show to watch with your kids head over to Netflix. The streaming service just released Floor is Lava, a game show based on the popular children’s game of jumping from across the room, surfing across pieces of furniture without touching any part of their body to the floor. Be prepared, your kids are going to want to recreate the scenarios at home.

According to Netflix, “Teams compete to navigate rooms flooded with lava by leaping from chairs, hanging from curtains and swinging from chandeliers. Yes, really.”

Hosted by Rutledge Wood, the series walks viewers through the various obstacle course routes. The audience is given a clear picture of what needs to be done in order to conquer each level. Contestants need to work together as a cohesive team to finish each challenge.

As contestants advance to higher levels in the game they travel to the different rooms in a house, from scaling the bug infested basement walls to spinning around on a four poster bed.

Just remember, the floor is lava!

—Jennifer Swartvagher

All photos courtesy of ADAM ROSE/NETFLIX

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Oh, Goody! 6 Gumdrop Science Experiments to Do Today

by Amber GuetebierJune 18, 2020

Kids love candy and kids love science, so why not combine these two faves into one afternoon of learning and laughter? From launching gumdrops in a catapult to making a fresh batch of your own, we’ve found easy, edible science experiments for kids. Read on to get your science project started.

gumdrop-structures-engineering-challenge-image

photo: The Homeschool Scientist

1. Gumdrop Structural Challenge

Every list of gumdrop science should start with the classic structural engineering challenge using toothpicks and candy. We’re particularly fond of this one from The Homeschool Scientist because it helps you explain what the concepts (engineering, load distribution, physics, shape comparison) are to your kiddos while doing it. Visit The Homeschool Scientist to get going.

photo: Little Bins for Little Hands

2. Melting Gumdrop Science

When it comes to gumdrop science, Little Bins for Little Hands has more than one awesome idea to choose from. We love this melting gumdrop experiment because, well, you get to melt gumdrops! It’s a great way to use up leftover candy and it explores the concepts of heat and liquids and solids. You can use any shaped cookie cutter, too, depending on the season. Get the whole how-to over at Little Bins for Big Hands.

photo: Jen Vargas via flickr

3. Build a Bug

Put this cute idea together with your mini entomologists using gumdrops, toothpicks and any other candy or food you have on hand to make the parts. Visit the Amateur Entomologist’s Society to get graphics on parts of the insect and talk about it with your kiddos as you craft gummy parts.

photo: Joy in the Works

4. Make a Gumdrop Catapult

There is science and then there is SCIENCE! Sending candy hurling through the air because your parents said you are learning is pretty much the best scenario a kid can imagine (next to eating all of said candy). And thanks to Joy in the Works your kids can join in the science fun. You don’t need too many fancy things to make this science experiment happen, but make sure you have a camera on hand to capture their faces when you tell them what today’s kids science lesson is. Get the engineering how-to here.

photo: Oregon Dept. of Transportation via flickr

5. Create a Structural Bridge

Another take on the structural challenge is gumdrop bridge building. With toothpicks and gumdrops, you’ll want to to balance your structure between two books, end tables or similar. What shape is strongest? How will your structure hold up? How much weight can it take? It’s an excellent next-level task to see if you can make it stay!

photo: Alexa Clark via flickr

6. Make Your Own Gumdrops

Yes, candy making totally counts as science! The science part is watching something liquid turn into a (jelly-like) solid. The added joy is getting to eat the product. We’re super fond of this recipe from The Stay at Home Chef. Yum, science!

Do you have any gumdrop science experiments to share? Email us at Editor AT redtri DOT com.

—Amber Guetebier

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I Give Myself an A+ in Homeschooling!

By Jenni Dawn

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

May 4, 2020

Photo: Kristin Brown on Unsplash

It’s been seven weeks since school closed. Sometime during week one, I woke in the middle of the night and caught the teaching bug. You see, our son attends a completely play-based preschool, and therefore writing, not even letters were happening for him in the near future. So, I stepped up to the challenge and gave the whole homeschooling thing a shot. Welcome to “Mama School.”

It worked! I believe it’s still working because it dawned on me that as a parent teaching a young child, you need to have a happy medium. Our medium is “kid’s choice.” Every Friday I let my four and a half-year-old son choose every day’s subjects for the following week. Nothing is gawked at, or off-limits. We use a single black and white notebook to keep it old school, inexpensive, and most importantly, we’ll save it as our quarantine notebook and re-read it together when he’s older.

Each day’s subject is written at the top of the page in my neatest handwriting (which doesn’t say much for a leftie). We start our lesson with his re-writing of the topic just underneath mine. Poof! He’s writing and reading the letters back to me. All of the ABC songs since birth are making sense to him now, and are finally being put to work. On the first day, he chose Jupiter as our subject (you can guess what the next two week’s subjects consisted of). Today, it was sailboats! And there’s been everything in between, from sunflowers to sharks.

He sets up our “Mama School” corner with pride and I grab my laptop. We even wear special necklaces for school time—his is an acorn on a string and mine is a pinecone. They’re self-made of course. Anyway, I google the day’s subject, for example. ‘sailboats for kids’ or ‘sailboat facts for kids’ and I talk to him about the main points from the best three or four webpages. If a fact is a number, I write the number down and he re-writes it underneath. Now he’s learning more about numbers! If I need to lengthen a lesson on certain days (due to weather or my husband’s home-work schedule), I simply click on any highlighted sub-topics. It could go on forever, thanks Google!

Our lesson can fill up to two notebook pages and lasts thirty minutes to an hour. Homeschool is “scheduled” for 10 a.m. with a snack nearby for full energy and a pleasant mood (wink). It helps to break up the day and set goals surrounding it—like walking the dog together beforehand or a chore. To close our lessons he gets two rewards, one that includes a video of the subject (always a plethora of choices thanks to YouTube). And that’s how I incorporate entertainment for his only screen-time on weekdays. The other bonus is a printed coloring page of the subject. There are so many free coloring sheets and even activities for parents to choose from and print at home.

My favorite lesson to date was New York because he wanted to see where mama was from. Lots of images to show, and stories of course. He knows a bit about what’s happening in the world, so I shared some of the city’s heroic tales during this pandemic. After this week’s boat line-up, I’ve already been warned—next week we’re covering insects. Sigh!

I shared this idea with our friends and classmates in quarantine and it’s been a cool success. Some families with older siblings have even joined in on the lessons or were able to incorporate participation with their curriculum. The simplest ideas can show beautiful results. My son might remember “Mama School” forever so that potential is worth sharing on my favorite family tool, Red Tricycle.

Stay safe, healthy, and full of love!

Jenni Dawn

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

Jenni Dawn lives just outside of Los Angeles with her husband, newly rescued dog, and four year old son. She has a background in everything Entertainment, so it makes perfect sense to cover how to entertain family at home. Jenni's also a Cancer survivor with a passion for spreading hope and prevention advocacy.

My Baby Has a Day & Night Personality

By Laura Hill

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

May 4, 2020

Photo: Tim Bish on Unsplash

The first rule of baby sleep is you DO NOT talk about baby sleep.

The minute you talk about baby sleep, baby will CHANGE HOW SHE SLEEPS. I bragged to ONE person—not even a parent, just a normal person—that my daughter had been sleeping eleven hours straight at night…and she promptly stopped. She also, just for fun, stopped with the blissful and surprising two hour morning naps and now just does an hour which is exactly enough time for me to fall asleep or start something fun or…clean, I guess, but not enough time really to have any free time or really do anything at all. Basically, I have enough time to read the internet and then she’s up and giggling.

Look at me breaking the first rule again already.

If she had her way, her ladyship would be held all the time when she sleeps…which is precious, of course, but we want to instill good habits and not suffocate her with our pillows by accident and whatnot, so we have the following “sleep routine” (the internet says it’s very important to have a sleep routine) in place:

1. Boo looks tired.

2. Feed Boo boobs

3. Snuggle Boo with binky

4. Remove binky and continue snuggling

5. Try to put down Boo (pretend you’re going to put her to sleep on her back but gently encourage her to roll onto her stomach where she immediately takes on “child’s pose” with her baby booty in the air. Pat pat booty and run away silently)

6. Half the time Boo wakes up crying

7. Repeat previous steps

8. If not successful, turn on the projector that plays classical music and walk away. She usually stops crying and puts herself to sleep in under three minutes.

9. If not, call in Dada who is always successful in under ten minutes. If he is not home or willing, start over.

10. She will be asleep within five minutes to three hours and will stay asleep for one to eleven hours.

Did you know that babies aren’t consistent? Or, rather, mine isn’t. I’m sure there are clockwork babies out there who do everything the same all the time and you can just live your life predictably and I’m sure your house is also very clean and you also work full-time saving people’s lives or money or something.

During the day, she’s nearly a person, lately. She makes yummy noises when she eats people food and can clap her hands and crawl and stand up and pet (grab) the kitty. She’s no longer merely a squish of tears and poop. For funsies, we looked up her horoscope and, I gotta say, she is pretty much living up to it as much as a baby can. Aries are independent, driven, energetic, aggressive. If you ever get the chance to witness Boo versus the cat, you will agree.

But at night, The Creature emerges. I’m not saying The Creature is bad, it’s just, not quite a person. Ever since she was a tiny squish, nighttime Boo has been more bug than human. When she was little, she had a green, Velcro swaddle that made her look just exactly like a larva. And that’s what she was: squirmy body and a mouth, sucking the life force from me to sustain her. Her night time cry is not like that of a day time baby. It’s fetus-like, impulsive, and unemotional. It’s only id. Its only want: hold me, feed me, I feel alone, make me feel less alone. The Creature doesn’t know she’s a person. The Creature still thinks she and I are the same person.

The Creature is the cutest and the sweetest. She is all mouth, no eyes. Give her the binky and she immediately is subdued. Give her the nook of my arm, and she shakes her head into it and her whole body relaxes. Her little squish face is the most placid thing you’ll ever see. Such a different face from that of the person emerging in the day time. In the day time, she’s expressive and opinionated and not a little bit judge-y. At night, she’s soft eyes, petal lips slightly parted.

The Creature does not care about my emotions or needs and I can’t blame her. She doesn’t care that it’s inconvenient for me to sit upright, nuzzling her at all hours. The Creature requires sleep. The Creature does not find things funny, only cold or scary or displeasing or, eventually, acceptable.

Sometimes I feel embittered toward The Creature because she occasionally sprouts a tooth and that means she must be held at all times. Then I tell myself, stop. Look at this little thing. Soon she will change into something else entirely. The larva will hatch or whatever bugs do, and she will be her own person in both the day and night. She won’t reach for you with desperation, her eyes pinched tight, knowing you’re there because you’re always there, waiting to be received in your arms. Soon she will grow up.

The greatest wish you can wish for your kid is that they’ll grow up. As much as we want to plead with them to stay little, you want them to move on with their lives, to be free, to develop new skills and get big and tall, to fly like a beautiful butterfly or some cliché like that.

The Creature is okay by me.

The Creature is awake. Gotta go.

Laura Hill

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

Laura Wheatman Hill lives in Portland, Oregon with her dentist and two children. She blogs about parenting, writes about everything, and teaches English and drama when not living in an apocalyptic dystopia. Her work has appeared on Sammiches and Psych Meds, Her View From Home, Scary Mommy, and Motherwell.

How Kids Can Practice Their Social Skills during a Virtual Playdate

By Caroline Maguire

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

April 21, 2020

Photo: Julia M Cameron via Pexels.com

Gone for now are the days of traditional playdates, team sports, and even school recess. Who knew playing at the playground would be something we’d take for granted. We all have had to come to grips with this new normal, but as an adult, it’s easier to stay connected to your friends. But it’s important to remember that kids need to keep in touch just as much, if not more than we do. And they can continue to work on their playdate social skills.

There are many ways to keep your young one social and active with friends while on lockdown. And you can even keep working on those social skills strategies that you’ve been building on over the last several months.

Before you jump right in, there are a few things to remember to make sure your virtual playdate is a success. Ask yourself what your child tends to struggle with during play, such as joining in, sharing, managing emotions, becoming overly excited with a friend, being too bossy, or being too grumpy.

Then work on that skill and make it clear to your child that her mission for the virtual playdate is to practice that skill. For example, work on how your child talks with other children, review what you might say and what to do, role-play, and practice how a conversation might go if done virtually. Practice with family members first, and then when it comes time, help her join in with her friends.

This is the time to pick a playmate whose temperament will allow your child a chance to play better in a virtual environment and to practice using the social behaviors you are working on. Compatibility does not necessarily mean putting two like-minded children together. For example, two overly bossy, rule-oriented children might argue and a domineering child might overshadow a shy child.

Think about what games might work well in a virtual environment for your child. What activities can you try in an effort to stay connected? Younger kids may not have the vocabulary or the ability to hold a long conversation, but interactive activities can be just the right mix of fun and entertainment.

Plan a game together. Kids can get together on Zoom, Skype, Facetime, Facebook Messanger video, or any other online platform.

Plan a scavenger hunt. Have the group gather online and then agree on a list of things they can hunt for while on a daily walk with their parents or siblings. Right now, there are many neighborhoods putting rainbows, bears, and other creative items in their windows. Have them find and take a picture of someone’s chalk art drawn on the sidewalk. Maybe they can hunt for a certain type of leaf or bug. They can count how many butterflies cross their path. The options are endless. When the hunt is over, the kids can regroup and compare notes on their next interactive virtual playdate.
What about a fun game of HedBanz, Pictionary or Charades? These are games that can easily be played virtually.
Have younger kids pick out a favorite storybook. Have them take turns reading to a friend. Kids can talk about when they got the book and why it is their favorite. Make it more interactive with Caribu. The app is free right now and you can choose a book from their extensive library.
For the craft-minded kids, pull out the supplies and set up your virtual playdate at the dining room table. Kids can talk and draw together. Have a show and tell at the end of the playdate.
If your child is reluctant to get online with other kids, have them become a pen pal. How fun would it be to stay connected by sending a friend a handwritten letter? Make it fun by including a drawing or adding one of your favorite stickers to share.

Debriefs are important. After any virtual playdate, debrief with your child. Children learn by reflecting on what they are doing and how it impacts others. The more you engage with your child, talk about the virtual playdate in a nonjudgmental way and after the playdate is over, spend some time chatting with your child about what they did well and celebrate their effort saying I heard you telling Julie what to do and what game to play. Ask your child to consider the feelings of her playmate, asking her what do you think Julie felt when you told her what to choose? What choices did Julie get to make? What choices did you get to make? Let’s look at whether or not that was fair together. Then also ask your child what they struggled with and make a plan and practice for the future.

Kids can learn that even though they have to distance themselves right now, they don’t have to forget about the ties they have to their friends.

Caroline Maguire

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

A personal coach, author, teacher, and speaker whose work has inspired conversations about social skills at schools and in homes all across the county, Caroline Maguire believes all children can shine. Her work is critical to parents who support children with executive function challenges struggling to show their best selves.

ML Interest Tag: bug

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