Today's post + giveaway was sponsored by Gymboree and their new "Hop 'n' Roll" line of play clothes for active littles.
Last week was incredible. We spent Monday in Laguna, Tuesday in the pool with dear friends, Wednesday in a treehoue (more on that, soon), Thursday in my grandmother's garden and Friday at the beach. And then there was the weekend...
But between outings and in the mornings, before we set off for our daily events, we spent time at my parents' house playing games and riding bikes, chalking up streets and dancing to Carly Rae Jepsen and while there are few photographs of those small moments and none of them are particularly impressive, there is something to be said for the in betweens... the in between turns and swims and adventures...
I love the adventures, don't get me wrong. I live for them. But Spring Break is not what life looks like and for the most part, we have to create our own fun here at home...which is more than fine. There are a thousand million things to do and boredom is not an option in my house. It is the "B" word and it is forbidden.
Balls, however...
And beads...
And bikes...
And bubbles...
Those words are BOMB.
From now until May 31st, Gymboree will be supporting KaBOOM!--a national non-profit organization that works to ensure that all kids have a childhood filled with active play, especially those in underserved communities, through a series of programs and activities. Their goal is to raise enough money to build a place to play for 10,000 deserving kids in 2015. A percentage of the sales of Hop ‘N’ Roll in-store and online will benefit KaBOOM!
Geoprint romper (on sale for $12!)
Revi is wearing:
and a maraca
And a... drum?
Flutter Sleeve Striped Dress & Neon Leggings
And toothless grin hearteyes I can't even ahhhhjhakjdsha
This band is your band...
Anyway! Things to do at home during downtime is where I wanted to steer this post because summer is around the corner and most of us cannot afford to send our kids to camp full time and/or not work and/or take constant outings 24/7. SO! We make due. We provide boredom busters and stockpile cheap and easy items that help kids build their own adventures without leaving the backyard. Or living room. Or having a pool. (These pictures are at my parents' house, btw. We do not have a pool.)
To reiterate (some already mentioned above) those things are:
- Beads and string.
- Bubbles (here is a recipe to make your own. I buy mine in bulk.)
- Musical instruments. (These are the ONLY toys/items I will never give away. I still have Archer's baby piano. And you're going to have to pry it from my cold dead hands.)
- Music. MUSIC. Anything that provides music and/or dancing. Inside and outside. (We have one of those wonderful outdoor carpets made out of recycled plastic bottles that the kids use as a dance floor on our front patio. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED and super affordable. Five stars.)
- Chalk. Chalk. And more chalk.
- Paints and things to paint. (And crayons. And markers.)
- Balls (for outside) and blown + tied balloons (for inside)
As for out-of-the-house adventuring, you can go here to read my recs for kid-friendly destinations. You can also check out Gymboree's guide to new and exciting places to play in the U.S, here.
Gymboree is offering a $100 gift card to one winner. To win? Check out Gymboree's "Hop n Roll" collection (here and here) and name your fave item in the comments below. I'll pick one winner at random next Thursday March 16th. And thanks again to Gymboree for sponsoring this post!
GGC
UPDATED TO ADD: Congrats to Lisa B for winning the Gymboree prize pack and thanks to all for your comments! Much love!
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