What to Bring to Baby Swim Lessons

If you have a baby, you know that leaving the house to run an errand is like packing for an international vacation. So if you’ve chosen to sign your baby up for swim lessons? Well packing that bag is like preparing for a space shuttle launch. There are just so many things you need to remember to bring to baby swim lessons.

From bags to diapers to towels and everything in between we’ve got you covered! So check out the ultimate baby swim lesson checklist so you won’t for anything!  

A mother holding her baby while they float in the water. Text overlay: Everything you need for baby's first swim lesson.

 

Read More

Quiet Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers at Home

Need some independent activities for preschoolers? We’ve got quiet time activities for preschoolers and non-nappers that will keep your toddlers busy at home- and out of your hair, so you can get things done.

We hear it every day. “Be present.” “You’re gonna miss this.” “Babies don’t keep.”

Which is true, but clean dishes don’t “keep” either.

As much as we love our kids, sometimes we have things that need to get done. We need a few minutes that don’t involve going somewhere, or teaching the kids something, or engaging with them one on one.

What we need are a few independent activities for our toddlers. Fun little activities they can engage in while we go about with our chores or businesses.

Over the years, we’ve come up with a long list of independent activities for preschoolers to keep them learning, growing, and- most importantly- out of our hair. Read on for our toddlers’ favorite at home activities– some of them may just surprise you.

Toddler hands playing with stickers and gel clings; Text overlay: 11 exciting quiet time activities for toddlers.

Read More

Cheap Mother Daughter Date Ideas for Every Budget

donuts; text overlay: mother daughter date ideas for every budget

Looking for cheap mother daughter date ideas? We’ve got mommy daughter date ideas for toddlers, big kids, and even teenagers in this list of mother daughter dates for every budget. 

When Abram was first born, Lila was so very in love with her little brother. She didn’t feel that jealousy I’d heard so much about, and instead spent lots of time cuddling and caring for her baby brother.

But as he got older, she started to see him more as competition for attention. We decided to pour more one-on-one attention into Lila- and thus, our cheap mother daughter date journey started.

Every weekend, while Abram took a nap at home with daddy, Lila and I would go on a little adventure together. Sometimes our budget was larger and we could afford to do something extra special together, but most of the time we focused on cheap mother daughter dates.

Often, I found that it didn’t take a lot of money to satisfy her need for special time and attention. Many of our mother daughter dates are actually free community activities that we can participate in together.

No matter what your budget, we know you’ll find a few mother daughter date ideas that will give you and your daughter (or son!) a chance to spend some time together– and make lasting memories in the process.

Scroll down for our list of cheap mother daughter date ideas for every budget.

donuts; text overlay: mother daughter date ideas for every budget

Read More

Keep Playdough Time Exciting with Playdough Prompts for Toddlers

toddler playdough activities

Looking for ways to change up your toddler’s playdough play? Check out these fun playdough prompts for toddlers for fresh new ideas!

Let’s be honest here- we haven’t always been the biggest fan of our kids’ toddler playdough activities. Especially first thing in the morning. But with a little time and attention, we’ve found some exciting new ways to play with playdough that have managed to change our mind.

So whether you’re looking for a super soft homemade playdough recipe, playdough centers for preschool, or even a way to improve your child’s scissor skills, we’ve got ideas to help keep your playdough time fresh and exciting- even (especially?) for that early morning sensory play.

Read on for our comprehensive list of toddler playdough activities (and our FAVORITE homemade playdough recipe).

playdough ideas; text: unique playdough prompts for toddlers

Read More

10 Activities to Include in Your Daily Schedule for Babies

With a limited attention span and fast growing skills, it can be very difficult to stay on top of baby activities that will keep your baby engaged all.day.long. And with the first year being crucial to kids’ development, the pressure is on to find activities that will keep your baby happy, playing, and growing the way they should. Making up a baby schedule can seem overwhelming- there are so many things you’re doing just as you navigate keeping this person alive – but by sticking to basics and establishing routine daily activities for babies, you can really help to create a daily schedule for babies that will leave both you and your child feeling fulfilled.

Creating a daily routine for babies helps to make sure that they are progressing in the key areas of language, cognition, gross motor, and fine motor skills.

They seem like heavy concepts (and they are), but when you break them down, there are super fun and simple ways to help babies learn the basic skills they need to be successful in toddlerhood and beyond.

We think you’ll find that by fitting each of these activities into your baby’s daily schedule, you’ll be nurturing their growth, and having lots of fun at the same time.

So without further ado, here are the ten things that you should fit into your daily schedule for babies.

Smiling baby crawling on the grass. Text overlay: 10 fun things your baby should do every day.

This post contains affiliate links, which you can read more about at our legal page. Thank you for supporting The Salty Mamas!

Read More