These window (or bath!) play sets are SO easy and SO inexpensive we seem to make them all the time! The first one we shared was our Mix and Match Spring Flowers and then this last winter we made a Mix and Match Snowman set. I love that I can put the holiday themed sets away with our decorations and they will seem new all over again to the kids next year. Oh, and did I mention you could get all your necessary supplies at the Dollar Tree? Yep. This activity could literally cost you one dollar.
S first began designing a line of hearts.
I then reminded her that she could layer the hearts - just like she layered the features of her snowman with our Mix and Match Snowman set.
Check out how many heart layers you can get!!! Crazy, right?
When S was all done, I got a chance to play too. :)
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We happen to have giant windows that work perfectly for this - but any smooth waterproof surface will work. A sliding glass door, a shower, a refrigerator, or a bathtub wall - any will work! To make your own set, just cut several different sized/colored hearts out of foam sheets
. S is 4.5 years old now and was able to help me cut a few of these hearts herself (metal kid-safe scissors
are sharp enough to cut foam sheets)! I actually can't tell hers from mine!!! You just need the foam shapes to be slightly wet to stick to a smooth surface. If you have a young toddler and are worried about them dumping a shallow tray of water like we have here, you can wet down the surface and/or give the foam
pieces a quick rinse and hand them to your toddler when they are slightly wet.
. S is 4.5 years old now and was able to help me cut a few of these hearts herself (metal kid-safe scissors
are sharp enough to cut foam sheets)! I actually can't tell hers from mine!!! You just need the foam shapes to be slightly wet to stick to a smooth surface. If you have a young toddler and are worried about them dumping a shallow tray of water like we have here, you can wet down the surface and/or give the foam
pieces a quick rinse and hand them to your toddler when they are slightly wet.
How long they will stay up depends on a variety of factors. A general rule of thumb is around 24 hours for a window. Something very layered won't hold for quite as long because it's heavy, and something near a heating vent will dry out and therefore fall off more quickly.
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All activities here are activities I feel are safe for my own children. As your child's parents/guardians, you will need to decide what you feel is safe for your family. I always encourage contacting your child's pediatrician for guidance if you are not sure about the safety/age appropriateness of an activity. All activities on this blog are intended to be performed with adult supervision. Appropriate and reasonable caution should be used when activities call for the use of materials that could potentially be harmful, such as scissors, or items that could present a choking risk (small items), or a drowning risk (water activities), and with introducing a new food/ingredient to a child (allergies). Observe caution and safety at all times. The author and blog disclaim liability for any damage, mishap, or injury that may occur from engaging in any of these activities on this blog.
I *love* that foam sticks to windows and bathtubs! I've even cut out my daughter's name in felt so she could play with the letters. We've never tried the window though - that will be great for one of these stuck-in-the-house days!
ReplyDeleteSo fun, Emma! Yes, we have such big windows we almost always play with the sets there. :)
DeleteHmmm I am going to try this. I love all your ideas. They always look so fun!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I hope you all enjoy it as much as we do (I have to say we because I play with them too, hahaha)!
DeleteI love this idea because it's so simple and inexpensive! Can't wait to try it!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Melissa! :)
DeleteHave you ever had issues with the color bleeding from the foam? Just as a warning we tried this in our new tub and the colors bled onto the wall of the bath. Thankfully we caught it right away and washed it off!
ReplyDeleteWhoa!!! No, we haven't ever had that happen! Do you happen to know what brand it was?
DeleteWe tried this for the first time last night and it was such a success! We used precut foam pieces left over from a previous activity, a shallow tray of water (which kind of stole the show... it was such fun to splash in!), and we stuck the foam pieces to the front of our dishwasher, which worked like a charm! We played for about 30 minutes, with only a few short distractions. I'm super-pleased that my daughter (20 months old) attended to this one task for so long! Thank you so much for sharing this great idea, as well as all the other wonderful ones on your site! I can't wait to try something new soon!
ReplyDeleteThat's so awesome!!! I'm so happy to hear it! :) :) :)
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