Baby Basics Picasso's - Cactus Footprint Craft

Once a month at our momstown Milton Baby Basics Program we get a little messy creating keepsake Picasso masterpieces with our infants. This month our theme is the desert so cactuses were the first thing that crossed my mind. Typically the infants are the only ones who participate in the creations but not today - I decided to get the mamas involved as well. After all leading by example the best way to teach your child.

The moms were game and wasted no time painting their feet to get the project started. We worked in pairs so while one mom was painting her foot, the other mom would keep the babies occupied.

Once we worked our way through the assembly line we started bringing up the infants for their turn. Again working in pairs, each person helped to paint, stamp and wipe up the mess. We matched the "seasoned" moms with the newbies to help keep down the stress levels. Words of encouragement could be heard if the little ones began to cry. Remember that crying IS a normal reaction to something that is new and not to let it prevent you from introducing it again and again to familiarize!

After putting on some floral embellishments our little masterpieces were complete. The moms were so proud of how great they turned out and appreciated that BOTH their prints were incorporated in the final product. Some even chatted about how to go about getting them framed!

As always, new members are welcome so register here to join us next time!  All  one year memberships purchased in 2013 will receive a Today's Parent magazine subscription for 12 months!

momstown Milton Babies enjoyed water sensory play at our Baby Sensory Exploration Program

Babies love water!  Our momstown Milton Baby Sensory group recently had a wonderful time splashing around with a water bin filled with colourful toys! 

Water sensory bins are a simple way to engage your child's playfulness, curiosity, and sense of adventure.  

Our bin was filled with foam letters, sponge shapes, plastic and squishy balls, and boats.  We spread a plastic table cloth under the play area and had some towels on hand for bigger spills.  The little ones had a blast playing in the water. They loved splashing with their hands and feet, and interacting with one another as they played with the balls and toys.

All of the babies started with their clothes on, but soon the mamas saw that wearing only diapers was a better plan! 

The little ones enjoyed standing in the water with help from mom.  This quickly moved on to sitting in the bin.  They were having so much fun that it was difficult for them to wait their turn!

Now that summer is approaching, it is a great time to create a backyard water table.  It need not be fancy - a Rubbermaid container and some toys is really all you need!

Regardless of season, you can have sensory fun with your kids every bath time! Try bringing new toys into the tub, even items from the kitchen can be really fun for little ones in the bath - ladles, funnels, a plastic turkey baster for squirting water, etc.  Adding a couple of drops of food colouring to the bath water, and/or a half teaspoon of a cooking extract like peppermint or vanilla can really add to the sensory experience of bath time.  

To learn more about what momstown Milton is all about - Click Here

To register for a 6 week FREE trial membership - Click Here

If you are a business that would like to sponsor our events or advertise with us please contact info.milton@momstown.ca

 

Submitted by Paula Porter, a momstown Milton member and

 mother of two children.