Blog Stuff…

Bear with me as I’ll be in and out of blogland for the next few weeks.  I’ll have some posts, but predict that they’ll be pretty sporadic.  I’m putting the Monday Art Box posts on hold for the next month or so – M is too busy enjoying summer to care much about it and that’s fine with me.  I think if his Art Box disappears for a while and then reappears once Minnesota cold starts setting in, it will be very popular once again. :)

I’m in the middle of some minor home remodeling that started with tearing up the living room carpet one morning (my husband  loves when I do this kind of thing – you can imagine just how much), and I’m trying to plan our preschool activities which we’ll be starting mid-September.  I want things fairly organized and ready to go so I’m not just winging it like I tend to do.  These two things are taking up any and all spare time I have.  And that’s not much now that M is going to bed later and hubby is home more evenings in the summer.  I love them very, very much, and am grateful that we are spending so much time together.  We’ll just leave it at that, shall we?

I have a million posts (really good posts!) swirling around in this head of mine, but none of them seem to be writing themselves.  ;)  Stick with me and sometime in September things should pick up again and be a bit more lively in my little corner of blogland.  Hopefully this will also mean that I’ll be able to read and comment again on some of my favorite, but neglected, blogs. :) 

Have a beautiful day! :)

Biggie Fuse Beads

I bought a bucket of these a couple of months ago and put them out on M’s shelves as a fine motor activity.  He is crazy about them!  We also bought the set of two clear plastic pegboards, and he places the beads on the little pegs.  Once he’s made  a design he likes, I iron it for him (with the included ironing paper) and they melt together.  I’m sure most of you have seen the mini version of this for older kids, but the Biggie version is a great way to start those little fingers out!

At first M made his own designs, like these:Going clockwise from the top – a square, ,a wagon, a truck, and dragon bones. :)

But just recently he became interested in using the patterns that came with the peg boards.  Then we found more patterns for them here, which was very exciting, and I was told to print them all out. :)  *Note: the patterns for Biggie Beads start at the bottom of the page that I’ve linked to. 

His collection so far:Honestly, I think that photo shows only part of what he’s made; we’ve gone through 2 buckets so far, but I’m not sure where he’s hoarding the rest of his creations.

This has ended up being a fantastic activity for him – it works those fine motor muscles in his hand, works on the all-important tripod grasp, has helped him develop some patience and perseverance as he sees each pattern to the end, matching up the beads just right to the pattern.  It has expanded his attention span also, and gives him a good sense of accomplishment and pride in a job completed.  Wow – all that from a bucket of beads! :) 

M will be 4 soon, and once we finish up our most recent bucket of Biggie Beads, I’ll see how he does with the smaller version. 

Is there a product out there that you and your child have fallen in love with?  Share it in the comments – I would love to find more great products like this!

Have a beautiful day! :)