Easy Light Table

While looking for more early development activities for Rye, I crossed a slew of MomBlogs and DiYPins... they've all become a blur. If I could remember the source for this light table's inspiration, I would give credit. Unfortunately, that information is filed away amongst a zillion other items in the Lost Memory bin. . That I remembered the supplies while in the store is no small wonder in and of itself :) 

The original table I remembered looking at used a sting of Christmas lights. The cashier at Dollar General (love that place!)  So, I grabbed some push lights with adhesive backs instead:

The instructions said to line the bottom of a plastic storage bin with wax paper- I used two layers: 

Now- turn the lights on and place the bin on top of the lid, like this: 

Pour salt, sugar, sand or Pixie Sticks if you dare onto the 'table' surface~ add translucent items that light can shine through: 

Suffice it to say, this activity is best played with on a surface that is easily swept  or perhaps atop a vinyl tablecloth. 

ColorSicles

 I had seen several variations of color matching activities using paint swatches and clothespins... what we came up with was sort of a mish~mash of all of our favorite ones. I used fabric glue, popsicle sticks, clothespins and 3 swatches each of our favorite hues (the popsicle stick is between two swatches, so that the colors are on either side of the stick.) This is the first addition to a project we have under construction currently- a 'busy book' (a zippered binder found  for $1) filled with activity pouches (pencil bags marked to a quarter each)

Riley loves her 'popsicles' almost as much as playing with the iPad or watching t.v. Which is the point...she happily stops asking for a glowing screen in exchange for playtime with the popsicle bag.

She has assigned every family member a color. She walks around, handing out popsicles like the Good Humor Man and watching to see that it is 'eaten'. If it isn't, she quickly instructs us on how to enjoy our treat.

"Lick it!"

Mmm! Nothing quite as scrumptious as felt...

When she is older, the colors can be matched by hue. 

 I only had the video camera available~ these stills run together for a snippet of Rye on the first morning with her ColorSicles.

WORMS

 We are nearing the end of our Animal Science book. The chapter on worms afforded us the chance to get dirty AND eat treats... we made dirt sundaes and used gummy worms for our diorama project...we were going to do that whole pinterest Jell-o Worm thing, but ended up needing the Jell-o we had on hand for our Cell Project in Plant Science.

Chandler's Worm Habitat

Logan's Worm Habitat

Fisher's Worm Habitat

Studying worms put me in the mindset of an old song that we used to get sung at us whenever we may be suffering an episode of self-pity...and, that old song worked every time, but not, I believe, because it illustrated the futility of our folly to us in a fun and ironic way, rather, simply because it ushered the Pity Party Host & Guest of Honor  immediately from Depression into Anger .

(for the record, I had never heard the parts about "down goes the first one, up comes the first one..." 

YUCK

That would have made me even madder, I imagine...