Marbles Museum

We are fortunate to have an amazing children's museum located in Raleigh. Marbles Museum offers classes on Tuesdays for toddlers. It is a great opportunity for G to interact with other children, explore new things, and Mommy gets ideas for activities to do at home.

 The sensory table was filled with rice and beans this week. G loved scooping them into pots and pans and stirring them around. It was also fun to scoop and practice pouring.

 There were also children size brooms and dustpans so the kids could practice sweeping up when rice went over board.

 G just liked filling the dustpan up with rice. :)

 They also had a table with GAK (which is a mixture of borax and glue) They colored the GAK blue and put plastic animals inside. G loved digging through the GAK to discover what animal was hidden.

 Some of the children were more timid with touching the GAK so it was great for them to have a chance to try something new.

 G loves getting messy as you have probably figured out by now. She went to town! I would hide the animals again and she would dig them out again. This went on for a good 10 minutes.

 Painting! I always enjoy their messy station. Today there was black paper and white paint. They also had cool little puff balls that made a great design. This is always the station that is the hardest to replicate at home for me. She is the least interested in it and it requires the greatest clean up energy.

 I always let her try it once, but after that I steer her clear of this table. If she would stay longer and enjoy it I would totally be willing to clean up, however I am a reasonable Mommy. If all she wants to do is smear her hand in paint and run off - then it's a no. You've got to use your brain. :)

 Their kitchen/house chores area had a vacuum! G loved pretending she was vacuuming the floor. At home she usually helps me, literally under my feet, so it was no surprise she loved having one that was G sized to push around.

 We are really working on "pretend" play and how that means you don't really eat the "pretend" food and it is finally working! This girl takes small bites in the air next to the food and puts it back down. It has taken thousands of times gently correcting her and modeling appropriate pretend behavior, but I think it is finally paying off. :)

Our class at Marbles goes for 4 weeks so I will keep updating on the new stations so we can remember these ideas for home!