The Homesteady

Farm-Themed Play, Books & Activities

Two weeks ago Kristie and I were visiting my parents' house and while Miles played, the four of us casually brainstormed a few different themed "weeks" of play, books, and activities that might be fun to put together for our two-and-a-half-year-old. It's a relaxed way to give our activities a bit of structure. (And oh boy do I love a theme.) 

The first one we did was Farm Week! Here's what we made, played, read, visited, and supported...

(I also saved everything under a story highlight on Instagram.) 

PLAY

• I prepped a couple of farm-themed activity boxes. (These sit in a stack in our kitchen, easy to grab when we need a distraction or quick activity for Miles. I put them together with fresh play prompts usually once a week when he's napping or after he goes to bed. This system was inspired by The Mama Notes!) One sensory box with oats, measuring tools, a few plastic farm animals, and yellow pom-poms, and one box of dried chickpeas with pieces of one of his farm puzzles hidden in it. 
• I made a mini felt garden where he can plant and harvest his pretend fruits and vegetables, inspired by this tutorial. I cut up a pool noodle and covered the pieces with one length of brown felt, tucking it in around each noodle and hot-glueing in place.
• Inspired by Happy Toddler Playtime, I put together a farm-themed sensory discovery bag. I cut out animal photos from an old Grit magazine and laminated them, then "hid" them in a big Ziploc bag along with birdseed. 
• Another prompt to get him engaged with puzzles he's tired of: I wrapped pieces from another farm puzzle in streamers so that he had to unwrap them before putting the puzzle together. (Another Mama Notes hack!)

ART

• I cut pig shapes out of pink construction paper, and let Miles get them all "muddy" with brown paint.
• I made horses out of toilet paper tubes and popsicle sticks (loosely based on this tutorial) and we painted them together (and added googly eyes). 

OUTINGS

We're so lucky to live in a part of the world where we have easy access to all kinds of farms. We spent one day visiting Quonquont Farm (where Kristie and I got married seven years ago!) to pick blueberries and cut flowers from their garden. Each of us picked a bouquet to bring home, and quoted lots of Blueberries for Sal while we filled a pint. I caught a teeny-tiny frog in my hands to show Miles, who aww-ed a bit before saying, "Put it back where you found it, Mom." (My budding conservationist.)

That afternoon we visited Flayvors of Cook Farm, where we often go to visit the cows and eat ice cream. His favorite flavors are vanilla and black raspberry.

BOOKS & TOYS

[Affiliate links]

Two farm-themed toys that Miles has loved for awhile and gave some new attention this week are this plush horse set and this flower garden kit. And just a couple farm books that are always in rotation around here...

• Big Red Barn
• Click Clack Moo (great for introducing civil disobedience :)
• The Animals of Farmer Jones

GIVING

I finished listening to the New York Times podcast the 1619 Project this week, and I recommend it SO strongly! It’s shattering and beautiful and horrific. I felt especially impacted by June and Angie Provost’s story.

Since it was Farm Week, we'd been thinking and talking a lot about farming and land. I think Miles is not old enough yet to really grasp the centuries of land injustice and theft that underscore this country’s history, but he is constantly watching and listening to what the adults in his life are doing.

Please join us (especially if you’re having Farm Week for your family too!) and support an organization like the Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust, which works to resituate Black and Brown farmers, earth workers, and land stewards. (Even if it’s just by giving a little, little bit every month.) Let your children see you prioritize this work. Tie it to themed play like Farm Week. Make it normal for them to hear you to talk about equity and reparations.

DIY Hip Bag for Back-Carrying Babies

Even though Miles weighs 34 pounds now, I still "babywear" him every chance I get. I wear my carrier around my waist when we hike together so that when he gets tired of walking, I can just sling him on my back (he's too heavy for me to wear comfortably on the front anymore). The carrier I use [affiliate link] can hold up to 60 pounds, so as long as he wants a ride, I'm ready!

I can't use our diaper bag when I wear him, though (it's backpack style). I don't like managing the extra straps of a shoulder bag when he's already on my back. And the carrier makes it tough to keep things in my pockets, so when it comes to my phone and keys, I usually stick them between the waistband and my body (which obviously isn't that secure or comfortable).

This is a very simple tutorial showing how to add elastic loops to the back of a small makeup bag. The waistband of the carrier can be threaded through these loops, and the bag worn on your hip while walking, adventuring, or hiking. 

Scroll down for a video!

You will need:

• A small zippered pouch (I found this one in Target's dollar section last year)
• Elastic
• A hot glue gun, fabric glue, or a needle and thread (how you will attach the elastic depends on the fabric of your bag)

Measure and cut two lengths of elastic that will fit vertically on the bag. Fold over each end of the elastic, and attach to the bag using the appropriate method. Slip your waistband through to wear. 

Learn. Feel. Act.

I know your and your family's minds and hearts have probably been busy lately tackling this work, but I wanted to share some resources I've read and listened to over the past few weeks. This short list is obviously by no means exhaustive, but will hopefully one or two will be useful additions to your antiracism toolbox.

And listen. This work is far from done, and it's important that those doing it not burn out. Try planning to spend 20 minutes every day to read a book or article, listen to a podcast episode, or call a politician. Just one thing, every day.

PODCASTS

1619
Unruffled episode: "Raising Antiracist Children"
Life Kit Parenting episode: "Talking Race with Young Children"

ARTICLES/ESSAYS

America is On Fire
For Our White Friends Desiring to Be Allies
Antiracism Resources for White People

BOOKS

Talking About Race: Books for Kids Age 0-3
How to Be an Antiracist

8 Very Specific Things That Are Making Quarantine with a Toddler Easier

In addition to things like creating (and sticking to) a family routine, lots of FaceTiming with relatives and friends, and spending time outside every day, here are eight very specific things that are making quarantine with our 2 1/2-year-old easier. 

Mac Barnett reading books on Instagram. Mac has written some of our all-time favorite children's books, and Miles loves watching him read them on Instagram. (Silly hats required.) It feels a little like more forgivable screen time, and we'll usually watch Mac read one or two while Kristie is getting lunch ready. 

Sneaking chocolate. (For the moms, not Miles.) We've always kept a pretty robust stash of dark chocolate in a high cupboard in the kitchen, but in quarantine life it's grown substantially. We sneak with abandon. Those tiny treats (and tiny breaks) make me feel so good. 

Toy rotation. I love this a lot. Once or twice a week I'll do a quick sweep of the house while Miles is sleeping, and bring down to the basement whatever toys have fallen out of favor lately. I'll bring up one or two that he's forgotten about while I'm at it, and when he wakes up and rediscovers them, it's often like getting new toys! We did this recently with his wooden train tracks, and he's been rocking independent play with them since. 

Family Folk on Spotify. Having music on makes everything better (and helps us avoid turning on a screen when that's something we're aiming for) -- but there are only so many times I can listen to the Frozen II soundtrack. I recently found the Family Folk radio station on Spotify, and we love it. I don't even mind continuing to listen by myself once Miles has wandered with Kristie out to the backyard.

Involving Miles in chores. Does it take approximately thirty times longer to fold laundry, do dishes, or sweep the floor when a toddler is "helping"? Yep. But what else do we have to do? Miles likes helping, and we're teaching him how to take care of his own home someday. Plus I can get household things done (slowly) while hanging with him. 

Art walls. Starting in March when daycare closed, we began hanging up in our living room almost every piece of art Miles has created while home with us. Now we have two full walls (floor to ceiling) decorated with his artwork. It's not the decor I might have chosen during simpler times, but he's so proud to see his work, and really enjoys helping to hang up new paintings or drawings. 

Invitations to play. I get so much delicious satisfaction out of setting up "invitations to play" while M naps. Admittedly I did this more often when the weather was cooler; now that it's so lovely I feel less pressure to keep him engaged indoors. I turn to Pinterest and Instagram for inspiration for crafts, handwriting exercises, and sensory bin ideas. Again, I do this mostly because it fills my cup. Miles does like them, and sometimes will get really engaged and play for a good while, but more often than not he'll give the activity a few minutes and then move on. 

Throwing shit in water. This is our time-tested, tried-and-true, always-wins activity. Whatever the weather, whatever his mood, if we take Miles to a body of water (even a big puddle) and provide a little bundle of sticks or pile of rocks, he's happy. For a loooong time. 

Kid-Made Gift Idea: Watercolor Jewelry Dish

I've noticed something sweet: lately when it comes to sharing projects and tutorials, I'm simply snapping a few photographs of the things we're already making, rather than planning projects specifically for this blog. It feels so...easy. I like thinking about my content in terms of public journaling or keeping a record of the creative parts of our lives (as opposed to concerning myself with what will perform well analytically or to attract sponsors -- although that does deserve a little bit of time). 

Anyway, these lidded jewelry dishes were a family project, and resulted in Miles's Mother's Day gifts for his grandmas and aunt. 

You will need:

• Air dry clay [affiliate link]
• Rolling pin
• Watercolor paints [affiliate link]
• Round cookie cutter

I rolled out the clay and used a cookie cutter found in my grandma's cookie cutter box to carve scalloped circles for lids. (My mom told me after we gave it to her that this particular cookie cutter actually belonged to my great-grandma, so Miles's great-great-grandmother. That made this project feel so much more special!)

I enlisted Kristie to make pinch bowls that would match the lids in size -- she is so good with clay!

Once the lids were totally dry, Kristie set Miles up with some watercolors and foam brushes. I always love his watercolor creations and these were no exception. So pretty! 

DIY Photo Lacing Toy

This is another to add to Miles's growing collection of homemade lacing toys (this was a quick one, and I made another inspired by Fran's DIY to put in his Easter basket). 

I think adding photos of familiar faces to his toys and games helps him stay engaged a little longer – like the memory game I made last month. He adores my parents' dog Chance (though he was disappointed to learn recently that Chance doesn't know how to play basketball like Air Bud), so I used his cute mug for this project.

You'll need:

• Cardstock paper (the heavier weight, the longer it'll last)
• Printer
• Hole punch
• Yarn
• Masking tape
• Optional: Laminator [affiliate link]

Print your photo onto the cardstock paper. Cut out in desired shape – I picked a heart for Chance because we love him. Laminate now if you have one (not necessary – I didn't – but it'll really extend the toy's life). 

Use your hole punch to create holes around the edge of your shape.

Cut a long-ish length of yarn, and wrap each end tightly with masking tape.

Stitch away!

My Mother's Day Wish List

This year, my Mother's Day wish list is about comfort and crafting (two of my favorite things!). 

Untamed by Glennon Doyle [affiliate] / A sweatshirt from my alma mater
A new candle for my home office [affiliate] / A home laminator [affiliate]
An incredibly comfy bra [affiliate] / A necklace with my favorite job title [affiliate]
Shiny new stitch markers / Craftfulness: Mend Yourself by Making Things book [affiliate]

*Lots of small bookstores have made arrangements for delivery. Please check with your local bookseller before using the links in this post. 

My Home Workspace

Home sweet home office!

I've shared a lot of kid-themed content here lately (because my life has been pretty kid-themed lately) and wanted to give you a look into the space I'm using to work from home during social distancing/quarantine.

I'm breathlessly grateful to still be working full-time, especially while Kristie's freelance projects have (understandably) dried up for the time being. I will typically get in a few solid hours of work in the morning while Kristie and Miles keep each other entertained. We eat lunch together and take turns putting him down for a nap (a process that has recently gotten really long). I get more work done while he's napping. In the afternoons I try to get outside with him for awhile – hopefully giving Kristie a little break. After he goes to bed at night, I'm back online for another hour or two catching up. It's not a perfect system but it's a routine that is working. There hasn't been a day that's ended with me feeling like I've fully shown up at work, with Miles, with Kristie, and with myself, but that's not necessarily new to our current situation :) I read in a great book [affiliate link] before going back to work after maternity leave that "work-life balance" is a myth. It's more like a pendulum – either you're (physically/emotionally/mentally) home too much, or at work too much. I found so much freedom in the permission to just embrace that swing back and forth, to let myself off the hook from having to do it all, all the time. It's much easier and much kinder to just remind myself that the pendulum will swing back again. I'll catch up on the thing that's not getting attention right now. 

Gosh, this got long. ANYWAY.

Once my job switched to remote, we cleaned up the craft room a bit and I set up my workspace there. 

I got a few things like fake succulents, a nice candle, and market lights just to make it a little more enjoyable.

It was also a good opportunity to go through big plastic bins of videography equipment and old craft supplies, and reorganize what I could. We even ended up with a space just big enough for a dressup area for Miles. I like that he and Kristie can come in and play while I'm working. It really feels like a room all of us can use. 

How to Send a Long-Distance High Five

Now seems like a good time to cultivate a penpal or two for your child, don't you think? April (for the few days that are left) is National Card & Letter Writing Month, and the postal service needs our help besides.

A few weeks ago Miles and I whipped out the construction paper and kid-safe paint to make some "long-distance high fives" to send to friends and family members. I explained what we were going to do, and then painted his palm and fingers before helping him make a firm print on construction paper. We made dozens like this (he enjoyed washing his hand off between colors) and then once he'd gone to bed that night and the handprints had dried, I cut them down and wrote a little message on each. Into envelopes they went, and off to our loved ones' homes. 

And, happily, they had the desired effect. Miles received his own letters and gifts in the mail in return, and lots of texts too. While he doesn't grasp the concept of a penpal quite yet, this activity helped us all feel a little more connected. 

Eating What We're Reading

Starting during the winter I turned to Miles's books for inspiration on what we could make, bake, and eat together. He's been engaged in cooking and baking lately, and is especially excited to eat the finished product when he can recognize a snack from one of his favorite books (and read it while we eat). 

Here's a little bit of what we've been reading and making:

Annie & The Wild Animals / Corn cake muffins from this cookbook
Emily Writes: Emily Dickinson & Her Poetic Beginnings / Gluten-free vanilla donuts
If You Give a Moose a Muffin / Lemon poppyseed muffins (very good with gluten-free flour)
Blueberries for Sal / Easy one: We just added frozen blueberries to our smoothies
Curious George & the Pizza Party / Gluten-free pizza crust mix

The Amazon links are affiliate links, meaning they'll pay me a tiny percentage if you make a purchase through the link, but I highly encourage you to explore whether your small local bookshops are doing online ordering and check with them first. Let me know if you're cooking your way through your child's library, too!