Slime Pie ~ Invitation to Play

Slime, who doesn't like slime?? Little Bit LOVES slime! The slime I made will last for several months so we will use it in lots of ways but for now we are using it to bake. Using the slime for pretend baking was Little Bits idea. She started making pies so I ran with it and quickly pulled together a few play cooking items. She has not tired of slime pies yet.

 I made a batch using the recipe found on Growing a Jeweled Rose. The recipe is very simple but I do want to add a disclaimer: when I made the slime it DID NOT look right, it looked like a hot mess. I made it for a play date that we were having at my house. I let the kids play with the not so great slime because kids do not care it looks right or not they just like to play with yucky stuff ;) After about 5 minutes of play it was perfect! Do not give up on the slime if it does not mix together at first, just play with it to get it to the right consistently.

 Little Bit loved making the slime into eggs. Slime does not hold its form the way play-dough does but that doesn't matter to Little Bit. The slime is easy to move, cut and pull apart which is why I think she loves it so much. After making eggs she used the eggs to make pies and cookies.

We used several different baking accessories: 

• egg carton
• fork, knife, spatula
• play pie pans
• play cookie sheet
• real microwave (Little Bit pretends this is her oven)
• cookie cutters

Slime baking has been a hit at our house. When I am cooking she loves to play with her slime and bake. I love that the slime is easy to clean up and doesn't easily dry out. Do you play with slime? What are your favorite slime activities?

Shell Pets

We had a lot of fun playing with shells this week. The book Marcel the Shell with Shoes on Things About Me was a great way to introduce our shell pet activity. Marcel has a very unique look and the book is funny to read as he explains what he does around the house. After reading the book Little Bit painted her shells. Originally I planned to paint 2 but she wanted to paint more. That night while we were out on a date she talked the babysitter into painting even more! So we have a several painted shells.

The shells turned out great! Little Bit only wanted two of the shells to have eyes. Little Bits babysitter showed her how to add sand to the shells after painting them, which added a fun texture. I love our babysitter! We also have a box that Little Bit decorated as a house for our shell pets.

 Painting our shells was Little Bits favorite thing we did all week. What fun things have your done with shells?

Train Books

We just finished up T is for Trains Unit. Little Bit loved playing and reading about trains. Below is a list of books that we read as we learned all about trains. There are fiction and non-fiction books included on the list. Little Bit enjoyed the non-fiction as much as the fictional books. The books range from ACB books, rhyming, informational, and classic story books.

The Little Engine that Could is a classic story. Little Bit loved the story and that the train was a big helper. Totally Tots has a few ideas that you can use when reading the book.

Trains Steaming! Pulling! Huffing! This is a book that shows what a train does and its parts.

Steam Train, Dream Train perfect for bedtime story time.

The Goodnight Train is another fun book to read as your little one is getting ready to go to sleep.

Seymour Simon's Book of Trains is full of facts that older kids will love. Little Bit enjoyed looking at the pictures and matching the train pictures to trains she found in other books.

Train Trip is about a little boy that takes the train to visit his grandfather.

I'm Fast! A train races a car to Chicago. Check out the book to see who is the fastest.

The Train Goes Clickety-Clack is a fun book to read and listen to the sounds a train makes. The book also explains what the train does.

All Aboard ABC This non-fiction book was Little Bits favorite. She loved the pictures and explained to me what she had seen on Thomas that was in the book. Bonus - it is an ABC book!

Hey Mr. Choo-Choo Where Are You Going? This book have a great rhyme to it and fun pictures.

Freight Train is a simple read with bright color cars. I enjoy the pictures in this book, they are so bright and gives the feel they are moving. You can also find lots of ideas to use with this book at Virtual Book Club for Kids. 

 All Aboard! is a easy read with great pictures of real trains. Little Bit liked the pictures and the sounds the of the train you make as you are reading.

Trains, Cranes and Troublesome Trucks is one of many Thomas the Train books you can read. Thomas the train is a favorite of Little Bit. This is a story about the troublesome trucks that cause the trains to wreck.

Prairie Train is a sweet story about a little girl taking a train across the prairie to visit her grandmother in the city. The story has a rhyme and good description of all the things that happen on the train ride. As we read this book Little Bit talked about how she rides in a car to see Grandma not a train. For older kids you can discuss how train rides were different in the past compared to train rides now.


There are many more train books that are available that were not included in the list. I would love to know what books are your favorite. What train book does your little one love?