11 Super Awesome Perks of Homeschooling

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I love homeschooling. I really, really do. We have chosen to homeschool our kids for several compelling reasons, and I'll admit it is a lot of work, but there are also some super secret awesome perks to homeschooling! Here's my list:  

1. No School Traffic. It's a little known fact that each time you get stuck in school traffic it takes approximately 47 seconds off of your life. I'm reducing my stress and my risk for a school traffic induced cardiac event by homeschooling.

2. I Have a Realllllly Good Excuse as to Why My House is Never Clean. (They're always with me...when would I have time to clean!?)

3. We Can Take Vacations in the Middle of the School Year. Since school started in our district last year, we've been to Connecticut, New York, San Francisco, and will soon take a road trip to Zion National Park. Traveling when other kids are in school is a huge benefit, and means cheaper hotel rooms and flights (not going during peak season), and less crowds.

4. We Can Sleep In. Waking Tater up out of a deep sleep is like waking up a hibernating bear. It starts the whole day on the wrong foot. Letting her sleep until she's ready to get up ensures no Tater Bear and we all live in harmony.

5. No Make Up Work. If Tater is sick, we wait until she's healthy enough to do studies. No racing against the clock trying to make up worksheets, and no risk of missing out on something.

6. Feeding My Book Addiction in the Name of Education. When I see a really cool world atlas at Costco, well, I have to buy it. You know, for school. Same thing for craft supplies. I have a craft supply problem. But it's for art class, so it's okay.

7. We Never Get an Email That Says: "The Whole Class Has Lice". My kids have good immune systems and are exposed to plenty of germs from doctor's offices (Junior has SO many appointments), playgrounds, neighbor kids, and sports, but we also have the option to isolate if we need to.

8. I Don't Have to Ask "What Did You Learn Today?" And, if she says "nothing", well, I'm more than happy to add some more work =)

9. We Can Do Schoolwork Outside. Or at the Beach. Or Basically Anywhere. We live in San Diego. If we want to sit outside on Wednesday at 10am and soak up the 74 degree sunshine, we can, and we can still get all our work done.

10. Field Trips. Legoland? Sure, let's talk about engineering. The Zoo? Okay, we'll talk about the habitats of animals. The park for a picnic? Help me measure out ingredients for our pasta salad...water boils at what temperature? Even with all the structured curriculum we use, there's still plenty of time for fun, educational outings. And I don't even need to sign a permission slip.

11. I Get More Time To Spend With My Babies.  As much as they exhaust me, I genuinely enjoy spending time with my kids. They're growing up so fast, and I'm grateful I get to spend my days with them.

Sharing Secrets from the Future...A Look Back at Diagnosis Day

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Thinking back on the date September 12, 2012 stirs many deep feelings inside of me. It was our D-Day...Diagnosis Day. The day my baby boy was diagnosed as being profoundly deaf. The day my life as I had known before ended, and the day a new life, one as the parent of a child with special needs began.

I see myself sitting in that little room alone with only my baby and the doctor who broke the news. I was scared, sad, and lost. I didn't know where to go, what to do, how to think, or why. Why him. Why my baby? Why me?

Now, almost two and a half years later, and after another diagnosis of sensory integration disorder, I wish I could tap myself on the shoulder and whisper to myself a few secrets about the future. A few little secrets that would have lifted my downcast head and dried the tears upon my cheeks. Secrets that would have given pause to my fears and replaced them with little glimmers of hope and tiny inklings of wonder. If only I could have seen then what I see now, this is what I would have told myself that day:

"You may not be able to heal him, but he will heal you."
He will heal you of your flawed definitions of "perfection" and "normal". There is no such thing as normal, and perfection is the love, innocence and joy he exudes. He will heal your desire to control life, and remind you of the importance of faith. He will heal your selfishness and replace it with compassion and empathy.

"You will meet amazing people along the way; people you could not imagine a life without."
The doctors, specialists and therapists you connect with will make an impact that lasts a lifetime. You will forge deep bonds with other parents who are going through similar issues, and they will be a built-in support system you come to rely on. 

"You will learn about unconditional love."
We all long to be loved and accepted no matter what we do or who we are, and your child is no different. He cannot do anything to earn your love, in fact, he will bring a lot of challenges you didn't expect, yet you will love him more than anything. Likewise, he will see you in your most exhausted, frustrated moments, and still, he will be your biggest fan.

"You'll be part of a miracle every day."
After Junior gets his cochlear implants, you will see a miracle every single day. Tears--happy, happy ones--will sting your eyes when he hears you whisper "I love you" and whispers "uh lub oo" back. You will call to him from downstairs and he will run out of his bedroom, wondering what you want. You will ask him to hand you his plate and he will. He will try to sing along at church, he will ask you for more apple juice, he will bob his head when the radio is on. He will always be deaf, and yet he will hear you. And you will never, ever take that for granted.

"You will get the encouragement to keep going when you need it most."
There will be days where you're tired and sore about your circumstances, but you will also come to rely on the little breezes that give you rest and encouragement. Just when you feel ready to give up, something will happen to keep you going. You will meet another parent further down this path that can give you a glimpse of good things to come, someone will send you an encouraging article or quote, or your child will do something to remind you that it's all okay. It's all worth it.

"You would not change him."
Yes, there are many parts about his deafness and sensory processing issues you will want to change. You will long for a good night's sleep (I might leave out the part where he's still not sleeping through the night at 2 years old.) You will be sad when people treat him different for no reason, you will get jealous of the parents who don't seem to work as hard as you do, and you will still ask "why". "Why" will never end. But, you will also come to a beautiful place where you accept every part of who he is, and realize that all those parts make up the perfect little boy that you love.

I know you can't imagine what this path is going to hold. God created this path for you...you'll never know why, but you'll take great comfort in knowing it didn't just happen...you were made for this. It will be a trek, but always remember this: the higher the mountain, the more incredible the views. And from here, the view is pretty good. You've come a long way. Sure, there are some other, higher mountains in the distance, but a future me will have to share those secrets later. I'm sure the view will be even better.

DIY Pattern Block Velcro Board

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So, it's no secret that I'm in love with dollar store cookie sheets. You can make all sorts of cool things, like this project, and this one (one of my most popular posts ever), and they're only a dollar meaning you can buy 2 or 4 or 17. They're also magnetic, which is great fun. (It's no surprise that magnets are one of my favorite things in the world, seeing as how Junior has one implanted in his head.)

Like magnets, Velcro is just fun. It makes things stick without making them sticky. I have issues with sticky things. Ick.

My kids love playing with blocks and making designs, and I knew there had to be a way to make blocks portable. We're in the car a lot, and Junior's been watching way too much Curious George on the DVD player. In an effort to get the theme song out of my head, and to keep him more actively engaged during car rides, I decided to take on the challenge of making blocks portable.

I ordered 15 feet of Velcro Stripsfrom Amazon (affiliate link), and also purchased some Velcro dots from an office supply store. I ended up using both the dots and strips...more on that below, but you really only need the strips.

Supplies:

• Velcro Strips(affiliate link)
• Wooden Pattern Blocks
  OR Plastic Pattern Blocks(affiliate links)
• Cookie Sheet (I love getting these from the Dollar Store!)

We had a set of wooden pattern blocks from our math curriculum that I used to make this tray. We had 250 blocks in the set, and I probably only used 40 for this project, so we still have plenty left over for math.

First, measure out the length of the cookie sheet, and cut Velcro strips (you can use either side of the Velcro, but I did the pokier side for the board and the softer side for the blocks) to that length. Carefully attach the Velcro to the cookie sheet in one layer, making sure not to overlap the strips.

Once you've covered the cookie sheet with Velcro, get out the blocks you want to use. I used a variety of all the shapes. Probably about 40 in all. Take the opposite texture from the Velcro you used on the board (if you used the spikier side on the board, use the soft side for the blocks. If you used the soft side on the board, use the spikier side for the blocks.)

I used the strips on the board, and started using the dots on the blocks. But, I found they didn't stick as well, so I finished up using a little of the strips for each block. The strips seemed to stick better, but the Velcro itself didn't stick to the blocks as well because I had to pull so hard to get the blocks off. Tater said she preferred the dots better because they were easier to use. It's your preference.

Once the Velcro is attached to the blocks, you're done! Store the blocks in a plastic bag, and make sure to keep the board clean, otherwise it won't stick as effectively.

I'm excited to add this to my Road Trip Must Haves for our next trip!

I'm linking up at Tater Tots and Jello and Flamingo Toes

DIY Valentine's Day Glitter Crayons

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Hi, my name is Sara, and I'm addicted to crayons.

Two years ago, my mother gifted me a 64-pack of Crayola crayons in my stocking. I still hoard them in my dresser, don't allow my children to touch them, and open them to smell their crayon-y goodness after a long day. Few things in this world are as pure and delightful as a box of brand new pointy crayons. Who wants to give me an "amen sister"?

Okay, so now that we've established that I have an unnatural love for school supplies, I'm going to show you how to make your own homemade heart shaped crayons. Because it's Valentine's Day. Who doesn't want heart shaped crayons for Valentine's Day?? And, they're super duper easy.

You only need two things. A heart shaped silicone mold and crayons. The heart shaped mold was at Michael's for $9.99, but I found a 50% off coupon, so it was only $4.99. The crayon bag is filled with all the broken/partially melted/restaurant freebie/Dollar Store crayons I hold onto for this very reason.

First thing you want to do is heat your oven to 325 degrees. Then, sort out your crayons. For this project, I used all shades of red, pink, purple, and white.

Next, you have to get those pesky little papers off. Either you can be smart and use a knife to slice the papers off, or you can be like me. It's possible I have purple crayon permanently lodged under my fingernail. It was a labor of love. How fitting.

Once all the pesky papers are off, snap your crayons into pieces and place inside the molds randomly.

Now comes the glitter. Glitter, glitter everywhere, on my floor and in my hair. True Story. Sprinkle your desired color (or colors) onto the broken crayon pieces. Tater chose the glitter, and she chose pink, purple, silver, white, and red.

Now, it's time to melt these babies! Stick them into the 325 degree oven (put the mold on a cookie sheet so it doesn't bend on the rack and give you uneven crayons), and allow to melt, about 15 minutes.

After about 15 minutes, they'll look like this...hot liquid.

Pull the cookie sheet with the mold on top out of the oven and let sit, undisturbed, until completely cool. This is crucial! Completely cooled I tell you...you can't rush love.

Or else you'll end up with a broken heart

So please, for the love of the crayons, don't release them from their heart shaped home until they're completely cooled. It should take about an hour.

Slip them out of the molds once cooled, and feel the love.

These are going to make a great Valentine's treat for Tater's friends. If she weren't homeschooled, I would totally make them for her class instead of giving candy. I'd tape them to pink card stock and write something witty like:

"I'm drawn to be your Valentine"
                                  
                                     OR
"I'm Cray-zy for you"
                                   
                                      OR
"You're Crayontastic"

So, that's it. That's how you make crayons...Cray-zy easy, right? (Sorry, couldn't resist.) Think of the possibilities for other holidays (I have a Christmas tree mold for Christmas, and a Star mold for 4th of July), and inexpensive party favors...you may become a crayon addict too. Not that that's a bad thing, though...

First Grade Curriculum Choices: MIDYEAR UPDATE

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One of my most popular posts this year was the curriculum we chose for Tater's first grade year. But now our curriculum looks vastly different than it did at the beginning of the year! We've made so many changes that I figured another post was in order to let you know what we've liked and haven't liked from the original list. (Make sure you check out my original First Grade Curriculum Choices here.)

Mystery of History Volume I-I'm still enjoying this, although there is a lot of reading that can be dry at times, so I'm not sure how much Tater is actually retaining. She likes the activities, and I love that it's biblically based and interactive. I've supplemented with library books to bring more depth into some of the topics, but we're continuing with this curriculum for the remainder of the year and will reassess for next year.

Horizons Math 1-This was one of the only math curricula I could find that wasn't common core, which was a major reason I chose it. Tater has breezed through it...she can do the worksheets independently and hasn't really needed any help. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. There is definitely a lot of review built in, which is good, but I don't find it challenging enough. I'm not sure if we will continue with this math for second grade, but we will finish the first grade book then decide from there.

Horizons Phonics K-Tater seemed to be a little behind in reading to start the year so I put her in kindergarten phonics, but we made it halfway through this workbook only to realize that it was becoming way too easy. An official reading assessment from my aunt (who is a first grade teacher) showed that she was above 2nd grade reading level, so we dropped Horizons Phonics K and have moved into First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind as well as a reading comprehension workbook I picked up at Lakeshore. So far we are loving First Language Lessons.

A Reason for Handwriting-We are still using these worksheets, but Tater's handwriting is still terrible. I'm considering dropping the Handwriting curriculum to just focus on copywork and letter practice.

A Reason for Science-We are only using this about one week out of five. I haven't thought the lessons were that clear, so I had to explain quite a bit that wasn't mentioned in the text. Most of the time we are just doing experiments from Magic School Bus Science Club (Tater's birthday present last year), and some science kits she got for Christmas. I also picked up a Natural Science visual encyclopedia and she does daily journal entries about different plants and animal species.

God's Great Covenant-Since Mystery of History has a lot of lessons on Biblical history, we have dropped God's Great Covenant for now and are just using a combination of MOH and a Bible Storybook. Perhaps when she gets older I will revisit God's Great Covenant, but I would prefer to focus on the stories and God's character more than the dogma at this age.

All About Spelling-We are now in book 2, and I can't say enough about this curriculum. Tater is turning into a really proficient speller because she is learning the rules of spelling instead of random words. I plan to continue All About Spelling for the foreseeable future. Although, I will admit I've been using the tiles less and less, and have been using a whiteboard instead. 

Classical Conversations-We still meet with our CC group once a week, but review time is basically just during class day and sometimes the CD in the car. I don't think we are going to continue with CC next year, just because our current curriculum is already more than enough.

Road Trip USA-I enjoy this curriculum put out by Confessions of a Homeschooler, and we will be continuing it. I like all the activities included, although printing everything out was a huge task.

World's Greatest Artists-Tater likes the art projects in this curriculum from Confessions of a Homeschooler, but I'm not sure we needed a whole curriculum, plus the companion books have been difficult to find. Just printing out examples from each artist along with a painting project will be good enough moving forward.

Read Alouds-We have finished these read aloud books since September...Little House on the Prairie, Davy Crockett: Young Rifleman, two Boxcar Children books, and Prince Caspian.

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Top 10 Posts of 2014

Wow. This year is already coming to an end. How does this happen?! As soon as I get used to writing the year, it changes. Oh well. My genuine hope for all my readers is that 2015 will bring many blessings and joyous moments.

To wrap up the year, here are my 10 most read posts this year...I've got some great new posts coming in 2015...thank you so much for following Save Money, Live Joyfully!

1. You Know You're a CI Parent If...

2. Dear Lady Who Told My Deaf Son to Be Quiet

3. DIY Jeopardy Board

4. Slow Cooker Recipe Collection

5. Lego Patterns Travel Game- Free Printable

 

6. Find a Homeschool Schedule That Works for Your Family

7. DIY Lego Travel Tray

8. Our First Grade Curriculum Choices

9. Tips for Entertaining on a Budget

10. 30 Life Lessons for My 30 Years

20 Household Objects for "Inventor" Kids

My 6 year old, Tater, is a natural born inventor. From the infamous "baby slingshot" she invented when Junior was a newborn (a prototype I did not allow her to test out), to the more recent new and improved "up-the-stairs-diaper-lifter" (a good idea, but not a particularly hygienic design), she's always been one to tinker.

Here are 20 household items I always try to have on hand for her when she gets a creative bee in her bonnet and wants to invent something. Putting the little, loose items together in a cute container makes it extra easy for her to grab when she's bored.

You'll be amazed what creative contraptions your child will come up with...the possibilities are endless, even with these common and somewhat random household objects. When your child is done, you can either toss everything or recycle the items for the next creation.

Most of these things can be found at the dollar store, and if packaged right, would make a really cute DIY gift.

*Certain listed items could be a choking hazard and are recommended for children aged 5 and up. Please supervise children at all times.

1. Rubber Bands
-all different sizes and colors 

2. Paper Clips
-the big clippy ones are extra fun

3. Bottle Caps
-save the caps from your water bottles and juice gallons for different sizes

4. String
-a ball of endless wonder!

5. Tape
-what is it with kids and tape?! 

6. Straws
-we love the big smoothie straws, although the flexible ones are useful too

7. Plastic cups
-paper cups work too

8. Paper plates
-extra points for colorful paper plates

9. Wooden Spoons
-get a pack of them at the dollar store

10. Single Hole Punch
-how else is string supposed to fit through a paper plate?

11. Markers
-for decorating the invention

12. Paper 
-for drawing a model/design

13. Wooden Chopsticks
-who knew!?

14. Paper Muffin Liners
-yes, really...

15. Empty Plastic Containers
-wash out those sour cream and yogurt cups

16. Popsicle Sticks (Craft Sticks)
-one of the best "creative" supplies you can get

17. Cotton Balls
-every invention needs a little padding

18. Metal Washers
-these are super inexpensive at hardware stores

19. Plastic Spoons
-one word: catapult

20 Aluminum Foil
-these turn into balls, wrap thing, become a cover...more useful for the kids than for me!


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Post Roundup-November 2014

It's hard to believe that another month has passed us by, and that 2014 will be drawing to a close this month. Here are all the posts from Save Money, Live Joyfully in November. The most popular post this month was an open letter I wrote to a woman who was rude to Junior because of his challenges. I also have a free printable Christmas budget worksheet for you, as well as some easy stocking stuffer ideas for men. So, take a look, and don't forget to Pin your favorite posts!

Junior/Special Needs
Dear Lady Who Told My Deaf Son to be Quiet
Junior's Update-November 2014

Christmas
FREE Christmas Budget Printable Worksheet
25 Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Guys


Kids/Homeschool/Learning
Free $10 Credit to Educents
5 Must Have DIY Travel Activities

Recipes
10 Ideas for Best Ever Homemade Cheese Sauce

Saving Money
Why I Stopped Couponing (and How I'm Still Saving Money)

Book Reviews
Discover God's Heart Devotional Bible (Bible)
Inside the Test Kitchen (Cookbook)
365 Moments of Peace For a Woman's Heart (Devotional)
Farewell Four Waters (Fiction)
The Pizza Bible (Cookbook)
Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Bible Reference)

FREE $10 Credit to Educents=FREE Learning Activities!

 

Educents is the premiere and most trusted Daily Deal site for educational toys, games, and activities. Often, Educents will even offer activities or curriculum at a 100% discount. These free worksheets are perfect for our homeschool or for keeping Tater occupied while we're in the car!

They also offer deep discounts on learning games and toys--perfect for Christmas gifts. 

For the holidays, Educents is offering a special deal. If you join Educents here (it's free), you'll receive a $10 credit...no minimums...and many things are under $10, so you can get some great toys, games, or activities completely FREE!

Keep checking Educents for some useful activities and great deals...new offers start daily!

*This post contains an affiliate link

Junior's Update-November 2014

The longer we have been on this special needs journey, the more "normal" it has become. Letting Junior be Junior means I don't notice his limitations first; I notice him first. That said, it's still exciting to hear him say a new word, reach a milestone, or make progress.

Last week we took a long weekend road trip to the Bay Area. The kids did surprisingly well on the 8- hour-each-way drive, thanks mostly to DIY Travel Games and the DVD Player. Junior had a couple of meltdowns, but overall he did well considering he didn't nap in the car at all.

I celebrated my 30th birthday up there, and Junior even tried to sing me "Happy Birthday"! It came out "Hap uh buh", but at least he tried!

Junior loves fish, so we took the kids to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Junior ran around with boundless energy, running from one exhibit to another, but occasionally would stop to see a creature up close. He picked out an octopus hat as his souvenir, and spent the trip home saying "hah", for hat. He loves to wear it!

Junior is going to be 2 and a half this month, and has been hearing for 20 months. His language should be that of a 20-month old, but he's above in some areas and below in others. His receptive language (what he understands), is excellent. He understands several hundred words and phrases. His expressive language (what he can say) is behind a bit, but he says roughly 80 words. A stranger wouldn't be able to understand much of what he says, but we are confident that his annunciation will dramatically improve as he gets older.

Junior has also shown interest in letters and numbers recently. I started showing him letter and number DVDs in the car and working with him when we get the chance, and he can recognize and say all his letters, and can count to 10. I'm so impressed with his willingness to learn, but also understand that his inability to communicate at age level must be very frustrating for him.

Which has been the reason we're doing Occupational Therapy (OT). He gets very frustrated very easily, and takes it out in ways he shouldn't. (Throwing, hitting, tantrums, etc.) The hope for OT is to give him coping skills, and to make his body and brain work together more efficiently. He's also a very poor sleeper, so we're hoping that OT improves that area of his life (and ours!) as well.

The next step in his speech progress is going to be 2-3 word phrases. He has recently begun using several 2 word phrases "more ____", "want _____", "hi _____", and the new words he's saying include hat, play, phone, pizza, hungry, and stop.

I can't believe how quickly the rest of this year has been flying by. I'm sure his next words will be "turkey" and "buffet"!

Read Junior's Story HERE

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5 DIY Travel Must Haves for Kids

For my 30th Birthday last week, we took a long weekend family road trip up to Northern California, to the town where my husband and I first lived after we got married. We wanted to take the kids to some of our favorite places up there. The drive was 8 hours each way, and while we did utilize the DVD player at times during the trip (Junior has been in a screaming phase lately, so the DVD was for my sanity and survival), I also brought along a lot of fun activities to keep the kids occupied. 

Travel Lap Tray

This is so easy and inexpensive. It makes for a great all-purpose travel tray. Definitely my top must-have for any road trip or plane ride. See the instructions here.



 Lego Patterns Travel Game (Free Printable)

My 6 year old has a lot of fun with this Lego pattern game, and it's easy to transport. Make sure you pack a few extra pieces in case they're dropped! Get the printable here.






 DIY Lego Travel Tray

We've brought this super easy Lego tray on every trip we've taken in the last year, and I can guarantee at least 45 minutes of quiet when my daughter is building. Find the simple instructions here.





 Felt Funny Faces

For some creative fun, follow this tutorial for making a Felt Funny Face kit. Working on their Travel Tray, let your child mix and match facial features to create their own funny faces. 







Imagination Connect the Dots

Purchase a sketch pad from the dollar store, and draw a bunch of dots on each page. Have your child connect the dots however they want, and have them tell you the story behind their "drawing". See some examples here.




What are your must-have travel activities? Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook!

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Post Roundup-October 2014

I can't believe it's November already. It seems like October just flew by! It was a busy month here. I turned 30, we took a family road trip, and Junior got a big boy bed! Here are all my posts from the month of October.

About Me

• 30 Life Lessons From My 30 Years
• 10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Me

Special Needs

• Junior Being Junior is Better Than Being "Normal"
• The Burden of Comparison: A Momma's Struggle

Kids Fun and Activities

• Surprise Ice Cubes Sensory Activities
• Stinker's New Name

 Homeschooling

• Homeschooling When Your Child is Uncooperative

Recipes

• How an $11 Roast Lasted Us 4 Meals

Book Reviews

• The River (Amish Fiction)
• A Star for Jesus (Children's Christmas)
• Tacolicious (Cookbook)
• Feast for Thieves (Fiction)
• Finding God at the Kitchen Sink (Nonfiction Encouragement)
• The Southern Foodies Guide to the Pig (Cookbook)
• Honor  (Fiction)

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Surprise Ice Cubes Sensory Activity

As I've mentioned before, we've been helping Junior work through his sensory processing issues caused by his deafness, and part of that is creating many opportunities for him to experience a lot of different textures through play.

This weekend, in a moment of blazing Mommy Glory, I got out the well-loved sand-water table and filled half of it with water, and the other half with dried beans. I imagined my children gently playing with the water and running their hands through the beans while giggling in delight. I then imagined them playing outside for an hour while I cleaned the house, then we would all meet inside for hot cocoa and freshly baked cookies.

Hahahaha. Hahaha. Ahem. HAHAHAHA.

This is what happened after 10 minutes. We had to order a ShopVac. Not joking. By the way--wet black beans stain concrete. 

Soooooo, I decided to find some less messy sensory play ideas. Because I have better things to do than pick dried beans out of grass. Junior loves playing with ice, so I wondered how I could turn ice play into a sensory rich activity. I found a few ideas for ice drawing, ice cube shapes, and freezing toys inside of ice cubes. Perfect.

All you need is an ice cube tray, water, and some small toys or craft supplies.

I couldn't find my big ice cube tray, so I had to use a tiny one, but it had different shapes, so it was fine. I placed one item in each little slot and filled it with water, then froze it. After a couple hours, I gave them to the kids to play with...outside, of course. They held them and played with them until the ice melted and they were left with a surprise!

Here's a picture of how they turned out.

Here are some ideas for ice cubes tray fillers: 
(*always keep an eye on your children to make sure they don't put any small items in their mouths once the ice melts. Consider the age of your children when using items that could be a choking hazard.)

• stickers
• glitter
• buttons
• marbles
• small plastic animals
• beads
• feathers
• bouncy balls
• wooden letters and numbers
• craft pom-poms
• fruit such as cut grapes or strawberries (for an edible surprise)

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Linked up at: A Mama's Story, Enchanted Homeschooling Mom, Mom's the Word, and Parenting and Homeschooling in Faith