Recently Pinterest has opened my eyes to the world of Tinker Trays. It is a STEM focused activity. For future generations, STEM is the educational buzz word of the days. It is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. A way to create more engineers in this world. Which is fine with me.
So I have been setting out a caddy on the boy's desk full and random craft type objects for them to just have fun with a be creative. Sometimes I give them a task like asking them to make a bed for Goldilocks. But mostly they have more fun making up their own things to do.
We made a rare trip to the $0.99 cents only store and I found a few more things to put in their trays.
Outside the store was a coin operated car. I have the inability to say no to those cute coin operated rides. It is such a fun and simple part of childhood. (And hey, it's less than a trip to Disneyland)
One of our finds at the dollar store was bumblebee and ladybug wings. Ted was so excited he put on the bee wings and ran outside to look for bees. He said the bees will think he is one of them.
That night was donned our best pirate garb and headed to the Aquarium of the Pacific.
We had to pick up daddy from work and we ended up arriving at the aquarium about an hour too early so we wandered around outside. A part of my wondered if people would think we were crazy all dressed up like pirates and then I remembered that it was Long Beach and we were probably not even the craziest dress at the pier that day.
The name of the game for Tyler and me is efficiency. We know how to beat the crowds at events. Once inside we hit the photo op section.
Then we moved quickly along to the craft and coloring stations.
We picked up all the free handouts. Barely made it into the first showing to the puppet show and finished the scavenger hunt in order to win Ted his booty (a handful or toy gold coins). It was fun. And stressful at times. The kids are not necessarily at their best at 7PM on a Friday but we were able to wrangle them and keep the good times going.
Then on Saturday and Sunday we watching General Conference. In this picture Tidus and I are watching it on my computer but Tyler figured out a way to get it on our TV so we watched most of it on that.
Saturday evening we took the kids to see the newly released Boss Baby. I blame bus stop billboards for the fact that Ted has been waiting 2 weeks to see this movie. That first theater we went to was completely sold out for the next 2 showings so we drove to another theater and ending up waiting an hour and a half. During that time was went for some Weinerschnitzel, Goodwill and Dollar Store action. Here the boys are playing dress up at the dollar store.
And we scored a $7 Razor scooter for Ted at Goodwill which was pretty fun.
Monday I spent most of nap time building a shadow box and puppets for the kids. I got the idea from What's Up Moms. Which is where I get most of my ideas. Ted loved it. Tidus made it his mission to destroy it. I became upset with him after repeatedly telling him to stop smashing in the paper on the front of the box. Eventually he received a spank on the bottom. He gave me the biggest frown and I immediately apologized for my actions. I am still a work in progress.
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