Parents, what do you do when your plans for an activity or play date fall apart at the last minute? Well, I ask Twitter!
Last Wednesday's play/swim date fell through due to a playmate under the weather. (Side note: I'm SO thankful for parents who are courteous enough to cancel when the child is sick!) I knew that I didn't have any craft ideas for staying home, so I tweeted about it and got some good ideas! Thanks to @BrennanAnnie for the suggestion of going to a store that has a train table so that Ladybug could play.
We went to one of our local bookstores, I got a yummy banana/strawberry smoothie with a shot of espresso (YUM!), and Ladybug and I went to the kids' area. There is a nice reading area and a train table. Ladybug and I spent an hour and a half occupying ourselves. Ladybug learned more about sharing with other children, while I chatted with a nice grandmother and another mom.
After a few other children arrived, it was time for us to move on, so we went to the reading area. Ladybug played with a great Melissa & Doug puzzle while I read The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle. I am a huge fan of Eric Carle's books. I didn't know about The Grouchy Ladybug until just recently, and I was surprised that no one had bought it for Ladybug yet, considering her nickname and the fact that we receive all kinds of ladybug gifts for every occasion. (Now we will be receiving this book, thanks to Grammy!)
It was a good time for both of us. Ladybug was on her best behavior, and I was very proud that she didn't fight with the other kids and didn't make a fuss when I said we were done with the trains.
So, if you haven't checked out your local toy store or bookstore for a train table, I highly recommend doing that! I know this will be a recurring activity for us!
Photo Credit: stock.xchng
Also, Toys R Us brings out the Thomas trains every once in a while. My son had a blast playing with all of them this past weekend! Our Barnes & Noble has a monthly train morning too.
ReplyDeleteJust noticed yall have a "Grammy"! :-D That's what Jack calls my mom too. We went for the longest time trying to figure out what to call my mom....Grandma just didn't fit, Granny didn't either, and Nana was taken by my husband's mom. One day, mom was talking to jack when he was a few weeks old and referred to herself in a mixture of "Grandma and Granny" and it slipped out accidentally as Grammy. Perfect. :) It's stuck ever since. Grammy is such a cute name.
ReplyDeleteEric Carle books are great. Jack's favorite book is Brown Bear, Brown Bear. :) I don't think I've ever seen the Grouchy Ladybug though!
I think toys r us has a train table, but it's kind of destroyed. I will have to keep my eyes open. Maybe the library!
ReplyDeleteYeah! I know who told you about The Very Grouchy Ladybug. :)
ReplyDeleteOur library also has a train table. I sometimes see them in unexpected places. Keep your eyes open, and you'll find all kinds of places to take LB to play.