Planning For February

I think that February is going to be a busy month for us, there is a lot that I want to achieve and it makes me feel excited.
In January I planned a fun activity for Boris to do every day, I didn't share them because I didn't start it at the beginning of the month, but seeing as I am trying to be super organised I have managed to put together a similar list for February including lots new activities and some from January that we didn't manage to complete.  I have also included some fun activities that relate to holidays that occur in February (they aren't really holidays but I don't know what else to call them, days of note perhaps?) I like doing this because, even though Boris won't understand or recognise them it somehow makes the days seem more special and with time seeming to pass so quickly these days it feels like it makes them stand out within a month that is sure to fly by.

2 - Candlemas - Make an earthen candle, make a candle cake, have a candle lit dinner,

3 - Black and white zip-lock-bag painting,

4 - Put music on and dance,

5 - Make and play with sensory play doh (glitter, essential oil etc)

6 - Make tin can stilts and tin can telephones,

7 - Send a card to a friend day,

8 - Kite flying day,

9 - Throw balls into different sized containers,

10 - Play with coloured sensory rice,

11 - Potato printing,

12 - Pick up and transfer cotton wool balls with tongs,

13 - Play with puzzles,

14 - Valentines day activities,

15 - Go on a train ride,

16 - Sort stones and pebbles,

17 - Random act of kindness day,

18 - Visit a museum,

19 - Bang on sauce pans with wooden spoons,

20 - Make a cherry pie for Cherry Pie Day,

21 - Play pairs with pairs cards,

22 - Colour pasta with food colouring and thread onto pipe cleaners,

23- Play with sensory fabrics,

24 - Love your pet day (20th) let Boris play with the guinea pigs when I clean them out,

25 - Practice using cutlery to cut up play doh,

26 - Sort buttons and beads,

27 - Polar bear day - polar bear activities,

28 - Play with packing puffs.

I have a few other things planned for February, I read somewhere that February is self-care month so will be doing a few things for that throughout the month. Of course there is Valentines day, so will be doing some extra fun activities for Boris to mark that day (as well as a few for me and my husband) It's also Boris' 2nd Birthday (excited!) so am planning for that too, and we are having both our babies Baptised in March so I have planning to do for that too!  So much going on! 

What do you have planned for February?

Fun things to do with toddlers - Playing with corn kernels

This activity is very similar to the lentils activity which I posted a while ago, except it is far less messy, (as corn kernels are bigger the are much easier to pick up and find)  I did this activity in a large plastic box which also helped keep the kernels contained.

We scooped, we poured, we banged the measuring cups together, we drove cars through them, we even poured them over our heads!  It was all very therapeutic, them make a lovely sound when poured and feel great in your hands, also, unlike lentils, they don't stick to your hands quite so much. 

Boris had fun pushing them around with his fingers, hands, arms...yes he tried to get into the box.

All good fun.  We revisited the lentils activity a while ago using the plastic box to keep them more contained.  They were easier to manage but somehow I still found lentils in the nappies of both my children that evening!  Go figure!  

Later on we popped some of these kernels with butter as a delicious snack.

A Walk in the Woods

A couple of days ago, the sun was out (rare) so I decided to take the kiddos for a walk in some lovely woods near me.  The land which houses my allotment is directly next door to these woods and I am reliably informed by one of my allotment holder friends that the woods used to be an arboretum for a large manor house that used to stand nearby. There is a huge variety of trees in the small area of woodland which is fascinating and provides a fantastic learning environment for little ones to explore.
Here are a few snaps of our visit, even in the winter the place is beautiful, there are so many interesting textures, patterns and colours to stimulate the senses.

Puddles offer endless enjoyment to toddlers

Textures

Reflections

Beautiful vistas

The sun through the trees

I am much more relaxed when walking in the woods with Boris because I know he isn't likely to knock his teeth out if he falls, unlike if we are walking on the pavement.

Fascinating twisted trunk

Popping bubbles on the surface of a puddle

Feet photos

Lots of picking up of sticks and leaves

The all important selfie!

I really hope that as my boys grow up, visiting the woods becomes a part of our weekly routine, I think there is so much to learn from the forest and it makes me feel calm and grounded.  I hope they will find the same peace and tranquillity from the trees that I do.  I am so thankful that we have spaces like this near our home to enjoy. 

Do you have natural spaces near where you live?  Do you have children who like to explore the forest?