Tots and Me... Growing Up Together: Littles Learning Link Up: Guest Post

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Littles Learning Link Up: Guest Post - 5 Winter Activities To Do With The Kids

Each month you will find:

A seasonal round-up (toward the beginning of the month)
A guest post featuring crafts, activities, tips, snack ideas or other early childhood topics. (toward the end of the month)
Posts where I share what I have been up to with my preschoolers and/or early elementary children.

Each week, I will host a link up, where you can share either what you have been up to recently, or old posts that may go with the theme. Feel free to link up more than one post.

Each week I will continue to feature a couple of posts from those that have been linked up.

I hope you will continue to share your wonderful posts, and I hope you will find something new to try with your child.

It would be great for everyone to stop by and visit the other linked-up posts as well. Check them out, leave some comments, pin those that interest you. Let's make this a real party and socialize with each other.

Today I would like to introduce you to Jeniffer from Thou Shall Not Whine

Today Jeniffer is going to share her family's top 5 winter activities.

During the winter, it can be easy to discount the outdoors and just plan to stay inside all the time. But there is still so much we can do with our littles after the weather turns cold. Over the years we have established more and more family traditions and fun activities to do in the snow. Here are our top 5 Winter Activities.

1 Find animal tracks

After fresh snow, there's nothing more fun than taking the littles out to find animal tracks. We take pictures of the tracks we find, usually deer, birds, dog, raccoon, etc., and then come back in and look through our favorite nature books to find out who was in our yard! They get so tickled when we have a whole family of deer come through.

2 Build snowmen and igloos

Want to test to see if you are a control freak? Try building a lopsided, uneven, one-eyed snowman. Trust me, it will put your inner perfectionist to the test. Once I get over my initial need to have perfectly smooth snow and symmetrical parts... we have so much fun! We build snow doggies, snow kitties, even snow trees! You're only limited by your (or their) imagination.

3 Write our names and letters in the snow

This is a fun one. Both of my littles can spell their names and "write" them with crayons, but it's a whole new ballgame when it comes to writing it in the snow with a stick! The trick is finding a stick that's the right length for each kid. Once they get the hang of it, they are so proud!

4 Collect pine cones and feed the birds

Kids love pine cones. Its just a fact. Collecting, decorating, making into bird feeders... you name it, kids are somehow naturally drawn to pinecones. We like to roll ours in paint and make neat paintings to hang on the school room walls. Or roll them in peanut butter instead and then give them a good coat of bird seed- your feather friends will thank you, especially in these colder months.

5 Spray paint the snow

I know what you're thinking... spray paint the snow?? Yes! The littles love it! Just put a couple drops of food coloring in a spray bottle of water and let them go wild. On a side note though... make it clear NOT to spray each other! That stuff doesn't come out easily! The idea is just to have fun! Have fun with your littles and make memories that last a lifetime. After all, isn't that what this whole mothering thing is all about?

If you would like to guest post on Littles Learning Link Up, please contact me via email. My email address can be found on my About Me page. I am scheduling posts for the next several months and would love to include yours. I ask that the guest posts focus on subjects relevant for young children (toddler through early elementary). This could be crafts, activities, recipes, or various tips and advice. I am always open to suggestions. Details will be emailed to those who are interested.

Now Onto:

Littles Learning Link Up Features

On my last Littles Learning Link Up post, there were 26 wonderful posts linked up. I will be picking one randomly selected post to share, plus the top clicked-on post.

Don't forget to stop by other posts that are linked up. See what catches your eye, stop by, pin the post to a relevant board, and perhaps leave a comment to let the author of the blog know you have been by for a visit. I know I appreciate others commenting and letting me know they have read my posts, so I am sure others do too.

This week's randomly selected post is:

Mihaela from Best Toys 4 Toddlers shared Slippery Lego Duplo Fine Motor Practice.

And here is this week's most clicked on post:

Shelley from Steam Powered Family shared Beeswax Sheet Candle Making.

Join the Party!

I would love to have you join in this week! What sort of activities do you do with your young children? Do you have some favorite activities you would like to share? I invite you to link up below. I will be pinning posts on my Toddler Ideas or other relevant board, and I would love to feature some of the activities each week from what is linked up.

Please know I may share a picture from your post and link back to it, along with sharing how we used your idea in our school time. By linking up you are giving me permission to use a picture from your post. I will ALWAYS give credit and link back. Additionally, if you choose to try out any of the ideas with your child, please make sure you give credit where credit is due.

Linky will be open through Sunday night, to give me time to check out all the posts and get the Features organized. Please take the time to visit some of the other wonderful posts linked up.