From the category archives:

Indoors

Rainy day activities to make you and baby smile

Activity #208: Pitch a tent

December 28, 2010

My friend Jeanine once told me there’s lots of fun time to be had with a baby at an outdoor store like REI: you just set up a sweet pad in the display tent with several of the Thermarest mattresses, chirping bird toys, and bright colored water bottles and have a blast. The first time [...]

Activity #344: Find your rainy day meccas

November 16, 2010

What do Studio Grow, Sadie Dey’s Cafe, Habitot, and even the Berkeley YMCA have in common? They’re all fighting for my rainy day toddler entertainment dollars. Whitney challenged me to go to them all (not a problem, I was making the rounds anyway) and write up my opinions. Several years later, it has led to [...]

Rainy day activities to make you and baby smile

Activity #271: Make a cheap-o rattle

October 28, 2010

Faced with all his usual toys, Holden turned toward his faux rattle and rolled it and shook it for 2 days. Here’s how to make this awe-inspiring toy: Wash and remove the label from a small container Let dry (important or it all turns to mush and is fun for noone) Insert about 6 Cheerios [...]

Activity #235: Do baby bench press

June 30, 2010

Do you want to squeeze in some exercise during your day? But also just want to lay around? While lying on the floor, hold baby above you and rhythmically lower baby to your face, kiss baby’s face all over, and raise baby back up again… I used to like to say “kiss the baby” when [...]

Rainy day activities to make you and baby smile

Activity #399: Appreciate the art around you

June 24, 2010

Can you rummage through your house and find all the lady bugs…or all the elephants, or hearts? Using your child’s puzzles, toys and books, find all the examples you have of a single subject matter. “It’s interesting to compare the ways different illustrators depict the same thing,” rookie mom Becky wrote to us in an [...]

Activity #576: Build a fort and hide in it

June 8, 2010

If you and your baby are home before your mate, the activity/game of the day is to build a simple fort with a sheet draped over a large table and wait to be discovered. I recommend strategically placed binder clips to secure the loose edges. To make it fun for the baby, bring pillows and [...]

Rainy day activities to make you and baby smile

Activity #363: Do Music Together

May 20, 2010

Yes, I’m endorsing a product/service here. No, I am not being paid to do so. It’s called Music Together and two past experieinces made me decide to recommend this activity. Several of my friends had done Music Together for three consecutive “semesters” and then decided to skip a semester. During that period we met at [...]

Activity #84: Smile

April 30, 2010

I have heard — and totally believe — that babies give their first real smiles right when you don’t think you can go another day without one (like you’re starting to joke about how you want to leave junior out by the dumpster, ha ha?). When your baby smiles, praise him and smile back to [...]

Rainy day activities to make you and baby smile

Activity #11: Photograph every day moments

April 20, 2010

If you’re looking for more photo ideas, we’ve got ‘em: Milestones- smiling, pushing up, reaching for an object, holding a toy Gift outfits- the more ridiculous, the better the picture Where your baby hangs out- the background of your house will also be fun to look back on in 25 years Whitney’s (paying) job sometimes [...]

Activity #289: Unroll the bubble wrap

March 31, 2010

Thoughtful reader and not-so-rookie mom, Tanyetta, shares this tip for entertaining a gaggle of energetic toddlers: Get a strip of bubble wrap, roll it out in the middle of the floor and watch the kiddos have a ball making their own unique type of fun! Inspired by Tanyetta’s suggestion, I unrolled some large bubble wrap [...]

Rainy day activities to make you and baby smile

Activity #548: Make ‘em tap

January 28, 2010

When fellow parenting blogger and amateur fashion designer Mike posted about tap dancing with his daughter Emme, I knew Julian and I had to try it. Mike gives Charlene credit, and she gives someone else credit, but it doesn’t really matter as long as Julian gives ME credit for the idea of taping quarters to [...]

Activity #210: Roll, bounce

January 20, 2010

If you still have that yoga ball around — and you’re not currently using it for ab work — get it out to thrill and impress your baby. We kept ours in Holden’s room for about 22 months — until his new brother was born and the room just got too crowded. Each morning, he [...]

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