easy monday mornings

One of my favorite things to do on Mondays is to set up an easy independent activity for the kids. It helps me ease into the week and since Mondays are also my main house cleaning day it buys me some time when the kids aren't all up in my business. And as an introvert I do enjoy when they're not all up in my business.

This works best when it's not an entirely new activity, but with some new portion. Also best are sensory activities. It is rare that I can set up an art activity with them and expect them to run with it without some extended presence or direction on my part.

One of our favorites is a round cake pan half full of baking soda and a few bowls of colored vinegar. They've done this activity several times over the years, but maybe this time I'll only put out eye droppers, or only spoons and forks, or a few plastic trees/animals, or the magnifying glasses. The basics are the same, it's just the tools that will change. The very best part of kids is watching how a simple change in the set up will entirely change how they interact with their environment. That and the free hugs.

Today, though, we've got a bunch of muddy plastic eggs from our easter egg hunt yesterday -- photos to come as soon as I can upload them.

So, I set up a washing station for them. Because I have them wash stuff all the time the new aspect of this is the eggs. Also because we do this frequently I know they already know the rules.

Here are the keys to making this successful (read: mama doesn't have to yell about water everywhere)

• space for both kids, but not next to each other. we learned last week that cheetahs will only eat in a star formation so that there's no fighting over portions. kids are just like cheetahs. 
• roasting pan 1/4 full of warm soapy water
• oilcloth drop cloth to protect the floor
• two cleaning cloths
• two towels
• everything on a tray
• extra clothes, because obviously

The best ever is to set this up outside, but even though the weather is getting better it's not warm enough for water outside. 

Either way, 1/2 an hour later they're still playing and cleaning. 

We'll take a break in a bit and let everything dry and then they can put them all back together!