Teaching Toddlers 104: Playdough Playtime!

Everybody loves play-dough! It's squishy fun that molds into any shape your imagination can dream up, which is what makes it the perfect tool when it comes to toddler exploration! If your child doesn't like to color, playing with play-dough is a fantastic indoor alternative!

One of Nico's best birthday presents was this cool Playdoh Beach Creations bucket. It came with 4 tiny cups of Playdoh, and a bunch of different molds and tools to sculpt the figure of our choice. 

 

 

That little bucket included all the materials we needed for almost an hour of play time, and that best part was that Nico didn't even realize this was a lesson! 

 

He developed his motor skills, as he practiced scooping it out of the cup with the tiny shovel, and his imagination when he pretended to "feed me" his Play-doh food! 

 

 

 

Then, he tried to actually take a bite and found that it was not appetizing. 

(There are edible play-dough recipes that are very easy to make for extra sensory fun!)

 

Aside from learning that this specific play-dough is not food, we went over the colors and constructed different shapes! 

 

 

 And, as hard as I tried to avoid it, we ended up with mixed colors. 

My advice? Don't fight it.

But that's what play-dough is for; to make messes and mix colors and to fire up their little imaginations!

 

Teaching Toddlers 103: Water Exploration Day

One impossibly hot summer afternoon, Nico and I decided to go outside to play. We don't have a fan in the living room/play area, so we roamed into the side yard hoping to catch a breeze. After watching Nico sweat it out for a few minutes, a brilliant idea occurred to me. 

I could turn the broiling day into a teachable moment! Nico already knew it was hot, he told me as much several times in both English and Spanish, so I came up with a fun way to cool him off without leaving the house and without wasting too much water. 

I went inside and grabbed a milk carton that I had been saving for a spontaneous craft, and using scissors, a sharpie, and a stapler, I turned it into a "watering can" and a "water house"!

It's okay if the pitcher has holes in it! The point is for the little one to see and feel the water fall out

The hole in the front is so that water can been seen going through the carton

The flap on the side is so that the toddler can see the water pouring off onto the ground

  

Once our supplies were assembled, I went inside and gathered water from the sink into a large pitcher. 

That's when the real fun began! 

Nico learned about pouring water, and that though it is tangible, it cannot be grabbed, only felt and contained. Of course I wasn't trying to explain those complicated concepts to my 23mo, he was content to figure it out in his own way.

Please excuse his naked lower half, we are still potty training =)

 

 He also learned that some things sink in water, while other things float, and that if you put enough force on an object in the water, you can push it to the bottom.

 

By the end of our little experiment, he was cooled down and soaked! 

He ended up running free in his birthday suit without a care in the world, and the hot hot sun was long forgotten! 

It was just another day of trying to keep my Gummy Bear from melting! 

3 Yummy Toddler Meals They Won't Refuse

It can be incredibly frustrating to get a toddler to eat, let alone be sure that they are getting an adequate amount of vitamins and minerals. Their little bodies are going through big changes that have a monumental effect on their appetite. Sometimes, my little one will ask for more, and sometimes he only takes 3 bites and he's done. 

The key is preparing foods that he can enjoy, that have nutrients packed into every single bite. 

 One of the things I learned not to do is give him what I know he likes just because I know he will eat it. French fries may be tasty, but they are certainly not an everyday thing. 

 

The following meals are colorful and healthy, and they have Nico running to the dinner table every night!

Salami and Swiss Cheese Sandwich with Mustard and Margarine, and Carrot Sticks and low fat Ranch dip

 Kielbasa Sausage with Carbonara Elbow Macaroni, and Juicy Cucumbers

Homemade Fish Sticks, White Rice & Black Beans w/ Fresh Chopped Spinach, and Juicy Cucumbers

**BONUS**

For a delicious and nutritious dessert, Apple Slices with Vanilla Yogurt!

Inspiring Youth: Yamiles Elicier

Iconic, stunning, bold, original. 

That is what comes to mind when I think of the new clothing line, Zelimay by 18 year old Dominican-Puerto Rican designer Yamiles Elicier. 

Yamiles has always been passionate about fashion designing, loving every part of the creative process. By the age of 10 years old, Yamiles was already designing and tailoring her own clothes, though she lacked the confidence to share her genius with the world until she was around 14. 




Her decision to begin sewing her own products was due to her limited financial situation, but the young woman is an optimist; she would see amazing pieces in store windows and on magazine covers, and instead of thinking "I wish I could afford that", she thought "I know I could make better!" She was inspired to create clothing that people would crave! 

Now, the ambitious young woman doesn't let any circumstance hold her back. Her inspiration stems from anything, from Tumblr to architecture, that is beautiful and catches her creative eye. Once she has an idea in mind, virtually nothing can stop her from making that vision a remarkable work of art. 

Sure enough, as soon as people realized her immense talent, the orders began pouring in! The first piece she ever created for someone was a green v-neck dress that she made for her cousin. The sexy gown was tailor made to hug and compliment the curves of the voluptuous woman. Needless to say, the client was extremely satisfied, feeling great and looking great as she sported a Zelimay original. 

Model: Cousin of designer

That was when Yamiles realized that she had what it takes to become the next Oscar de la Renta or better! 

"I realized that my dream could be a reality when I not only saw that I was equipped to start my own brand, but when others were there to support me as well." - Yamlies E.

The talented young fashion designer also stated that there is nothing more amazing than having strangers believe in her work as if they knew her personally. When she sees others wearing her ensembles, she sometimes finds it hard to believe that she could produce such breathtaking designs. And when she wears her own pieces (she would be crazy not to!) she feels exhilarated and professional, like nothing and no one can touch her. 

 

Perhaps one of her best qualities is that Miss Elicier never shies away from a challenge. She constantly pushes herself to go above and beyond what she was previously capable of. The words "comfort zone" are foreign to her, as she is accustomed to breaking limits and not letting anyone tell her what she can or cannot create. Fashion has enabled her to grow and become more patient, daring, and selfless. Her family, who has witnessed her evolve into a mature artist, is one of the sources of her unshakable confidence, having always encouraged her and supported her talent and dreams. 

Yamiles has already had enormous amounts of success, landing photo shoots with models, features in magazines, and even interviews on television, but she humbly acknowledges that she still has a long way to go. She is grateful for every person who has entered her life and who desires to work with her. 

Model: Mitchelle M Cobb, 34 years old  Photographer: LUXe Creative Imaging

Within the next 5 years, Yamiles envisions Zelimay to be an international brand and a household name, having shows all over the world, and establishing a little family of her own. But for now she continues to build a strong foundation for her brand. She is well aware that this is only the beginning and that there is no where to go but up.