DINO PENCIL TOPPERS DIY

What is better than a set of pretty new pencils? Pretty new pencils with dinos on top! I was going to make these for Elliott - and truthfully he will most likely confiscate them - but for now they are all mine. These would be awesome to put on top of your kiddo's pencils and would make for great play breaks amidst all that learning. They are super easy and pretty fast to make. Here we go!

First, drill your dinos. You'll want to stop occasionally to be sure you can fit the pencil in there securely. You'll most likely have some plastic shavings when you are done. Mine looked like white chocolate. Do not eat them! 

Next, paint! I went with white, but whatever color combo your little heart desires would be just fine. After a few coats and after they are totally dry, you are ready to add them to your pretty pencils.

Aww, dino love.

WE LOVE: EQUILIBLOC

I am sure you have all played Jenga. Equilibloc is kind of like Jenga, but with colored blocks and dice! You roll the dice to see what color block you should take, so it's even trickier! When I saw it online I had to order it for us. However, I have to admit that I was pretty disappointed when it arrived in the mail. The colors aren't even close to what they show online. But still, it's a super fun game and Elliott loves it! It's the perfect family night game and it has quickly become a favorite. Along with the ring toss game of course. It's fun to see how tense this game can get! Elliott just thinks it's hilarious when one of us knocks the tower down. Not so much when he is the culprit. But ain't that the way it goes with toddlers?

PLAY CLOCK DIY

My parents recently came back from a trip and of course they brought gifts for the grandkids. Among those gifts were some pretty rad little watches! Elliott has shown a lot of interest since then on being able to tell me what time it is. He doesn't quite grasp the concept yet - he doesn't even recognize all the numbers - but hey, that's what learning is all about, right? So I made him this simple play clock to practice with. I used foam sheets to make the face and the hands and a regular brad to connect them. Super easy and surprisingly durable! He's not ready to tell time yet, but he's getting there! Here are the instructions to make your own play clock: 

Cut a circle from your foam. You can use something to trace if you want to be more exact. I for one love the sloppy look.

Next, cut out your hands! They don't have to be arrows, you can use whatever you want! Use an awl, or just use the brad to make holes through the hands and the face.

This is just for looks, but I painted the brad to match the numbers. I thought it would be a nice punch of color.

Write the numbers onto the face with a paint pen or maybe a sharpie. The paint pen worked awesome and won't smear or chip off easily. Plus, I love the neon. 

Now just put it all together and you have yourself a play clock! 

Hours and hours of educational fun.

RING TOSS DIY

This is such a fun project! It's one of those projects that you are just giddy about, you know? We have literally been playing it for weeks. I initially made all the rings black, but since have made a bunch of more colorful ones. Even more fun! This DIY is a lot like this one here, but with some minor differences. Of course, the colors are all customizable, but it costs next to nothing to make and is endless fun for the whole family. You can see the full tutorial here. Have fun! 

WE LOVE: ENDLESS ALPHABET

If you have little ones and you don't already have Endless Alphabet, get it. It's the best app! Elliott has learned so many more letters and the sounds they make. He's just a few steps away from reading. And his vocabulary has increased a ton! Not only is Endless Alphabet super educational, it's a lot of fun and the illustrations are amazing. I love sitting with Elliott and watching him play it so I can see the little cartoons at the end of each word he spells. I have to admit, I have never paid for an app, let alone one that costs $5. But the reviews were too good not to give it a try. And boy am I glad I did! Best $5 I ever spent. Except for that one time I bought a pair of Elton John sunglasses at a gas station for $5. This app is tied with those sunglasses.

Here's a little demo video. Isn't it adorable?