I love spring! I love summer! After being cooped up all winter I love the feeling of being able to spend all afternoon outdoors with my toddler. Here are 5 fun activities to do as soon as the warm weather hits.
1. Go Riding!
Toddlers love to ride along and enjoy the warm weather. Take out a toddler trike and get riding. Be sure to review bike and sidewalk safety rules before heading out.
2. Make a picnic!
Pack up supper and eat it outdoors on a kids sized picnic table. Invite the neighbors to make it even more fun.
3. Play tag.
Such a simple game, so much fun!
4. Go a nature walk.
Show your toddler the budding flowers and trees. Check it out every day and share your toddlers delight as the leaves start to grow. Have fun watering the flowers together and learning about different plants.
5. Check out the nearest playground.
Enjoy watching your toddler run around while you catch up with some adult friends.
Looking for a side dish that is fun to make? Something that will keep your toddler entertained all afternoon? Try this delicious version of hush puppies!
Ingredients:
Cocktail size franks
Mashed Potatoes
Kellog’s Corn Flake Crumbs
Make the mashed potatoes in advance and be sure that it’s fully cooled off. You can season it with salt and pepper, and add in some fried onions, butter or oil.
Have your toddler wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water before starting and set up a kid friendly workspace that your child can reach easily.
Give your toddler one cocktail frank and a scoop of mashed potatoes. Tell them to hide the frank inside the potatoes until they no longer see it. Once that’s done they should shape it into a ball (or oblong shape). Roll the potatoes in the cornflake crumbs and put on a cookie sheet. Repeat with each frank until they are done or lose interest (just being practical!).
Bake on 350 degrees until golden – usually 1/2 hour to 45 minutes. Enjoy!
Does your toddler love the kitchen? Check out Ultra Quirky Tot‘s full line of fabulous play kitchens and toddler toys!
If you’ve got a real girly girl, why not have a garden theme for her next birthday? You might think flowers are usually used for more mature gatherings, but there are ways to make a spring garden birthday party fun and age appropriate for toddlers. If you are planning on having an outdoor party this spring or summer – a garden theme is an awesome choice!
Invite:
Send out an invite telling guests to come to your daughter’s ‘secret garden’. If your daughter has a favorite flower, use it to decorate the invite – or why not try neon flowers for a bold look?
Decor:
Decorate your garden giving it a fun and whimsical look.
You can make flowers out of regular balloons. Use one color for the center and a second color for the five balloons tied around it. If done right it will form a flower!
Choose your daughter’s favorite colors and go all out with it. Don’t limit yourself to just pink and red. Colors are in this season – try orange or aqua! Get some fresh flowers in those colors and scatter it around.
For centerpieces you can make chocolate flower molds on a skewer and stick it into flower pots. Got a trellis? Use it as a backdrop for your buffet table and pin pictures of the birthday girl on it.
Find some paper goods with a flower theme and work from there to find matching tablecloths and napkins.
Food
Decide if you want to serve lunch or just some good old junk food. You can make sugar cookies shaped like a flower, serve gummy worms and for the healthy ones fruits and veggies (use a flower cookie cutter for the melons!)
If you are serving lunch do a picnic! Prepare a mini-basket for each lucky invitee with a cold cut sandwich, box drink and pickle.
What to Wear?
Ultra Quirky Tot has a fabulous line of toddler birthday tutus that are just perfect for your garden party!
This adorable Spring Garden tutu has such fun colors and great style! $38
At $26 this birthday tutu fits your theme and budget!
If you are going for the super-elegant look – this flower tutu fits the bill! $61.95
What ever you choose – don’t forget to top it off with a huge flower headband to match! $18
Entertainment:
Pin the petal on the flower.
Have the kids decorate their own flower pot. If you are really brave hand out some seeds and let them plant their very own flower. Be sure to send home care instructions for their delicate new bud.
Scatter cut outs of flowers all over the garden before the party starts then have a hunt to see who can find the most flowers.
Play some outdoor games. Take out a ball and play catch, kickball or any other fun games you remember playing as a kid!
It all started when we went to Disney World this past summer. No – wait! It started way before that. My toddler’s obsession with everything Disney can probably be traced back to the playmat she had as infant, surrounded by Winnie the Pooh and Eeyore.
Disney definitely knows what they are doing. Toddlers delight in spying a Minnie Mouse, get thrilled when seeing a Cinderella in the store and can spot a Tiana from miles away. As we walk down the aisle in our local Target, my toddler can see dozens of different Disney characters on assorted products. A sippy cup becomes so much more special when sporting three pretty princesses.
So why fight it? She dressed up like Minnie Mouse for Halloween, sleeps on a Tiana pillow and loves her Sleeping Beauty pajamas. One thing I want though, if she’s going to wear it it should have some class. Here at Ultra Quirky Tot we have adorable Disney tutus that your toddler will love – and moms will too!
If you are looking to cheer up a toddler -send them a Disney gift basket! It’s the thing you know that they will definitely love.
And why not get her this adorable rhinestone personalized t-shirt for this summer?
Take heart in knowing you are not alone. All toddlers squeal when they see a Mickey Mouse. When I went to Disney World, even I got caught up in the magic. Until we find out just what it is exactly that Disney does to rope in all these precocious toddlers – we’ll just have to shell out the money and purchase the stuff!
As a kid, and throughout my young adult life, I loved to read. I read books by the dozen, devoured magazines weekly and knew word for word the advertisements on the back of the cereal boxes. Then I became a mom. Being a mom means dedicating my time to my wonderful children. I’m so happy to do it, but every once in while I want to read a good book. Not a quick magazine to read between naps, not Facebook blurbs of what my old friends are up to – a real thick book where you get lost in the plot.
I hate, however, when I start reading a book and it just goes nowhere. The plot doesn’t work and it doesn’t keep my attention (which, truthfully has decreased tremendously with mommmying.) That’s why I was so excited with Lost Island of Book Reviews.
Sara lives in Orlando, Florida (lucky her!) and she reviews books so us busy moms will know we are spending our precious time on a really good read. She recently reviewed Ultra Quirky Tot and loved our selection of toddler products that are geared towards raising a kids who loves to read.
She loved this adorable kids bookcase - who wouldn’t? It’s so full of girlish charm.
This adorable kids rocking chair was another one of her favorites.
Check out her full review!
We’re always getting in more products for your toddler that you’re sure to love! Here are some of the latest and greatest that just arrived at Ultra Quirky Tot!
Spring is coming and we’re ready! This adorable Spring Garden tutu is the perfect tutu for toddlers! Its fun colors and adorable design make it a real winner! Parents also love the price – it’s just $38. This adorable tutu makes a great choice for spring portraits, Easter gatherings or summer birthdays.
If you’re doing some serious spring cleaning, you’ll want to spruce up your kids room decor and organize – all at the same time! Check out our new magnificent girls toy box!
I’m crazy about hotel style linen. I’ve got it in my master bedroom – I just love the cool, crisp look of the linen set. That’s why when I found this set of boys bedding I just fell in love with it! Get it for your boys room and you’ll love the modern look that this kids bedding set has.
How cute is this? Get a personalized Easter apron for your little one! They cost $20 each and come in both a girls and boys version!
We’re constantly on the lookout for the latest and greatest for your toddler! Keep stopping by UltraQuirkyTot.com and click on our “What’s New” section to see what we’ve got!
OK, moms – how was your week? We saw some cold weather here in New Jersey. Quite a dreary week with cold, rainy days. Looking forward to some sun on Saturday. I find that we need warm weather when we change the clock – long days need to be spent outdoors!
Time to cheer you up after a long week and let you know that you are not alone – parenting woes are shared by all! The best way to survive is to laugh!
OMG! This is so true. Last time it happened my toddler was about to throw her half eaten grapes into the orange juice container!
Yup. “Pick up your toys.” “Hang up your kids bathrobe.” “Put your backpack into the closet.” “You can’t wear the tutu to the grocery.” No one even listens.
No comment necessary. We all it do it.
Red potatoes are a wonderful choice for little kids. Healthier than french fries, the small size makes it fun for little kids to eat. I always slice them into quarters to make sure it’s not a choking hazard. Here is a delicious and simple way to prepare the red potatoes so that both toddlers and adults will love them. It’s quickly, easy and oh, so delicious! The trick to getting it to taste so soft is to mix the spices directly into the oil before drizzling.
The recipe does not have exact measurements. You can put in more salt and less garlic powder and vice versa – depending on your family’s individual preferences.
Take a 7 ounce cup and fill half way with olive oil. Sprinkle in the following spices:
Salt
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Parsley
Paprika
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix all the spices in the cup until well combined. Cut the desired amount of mini red potatoes into quarters and place in roasting pan. Drizzle the spiced oil over the potatoes and mix until fully coated. Put in the oven and bake for approximately 1 hour or until brown. During baking time remove the potatoes from the oven and re-toss once or twice.
Serve with meat or chicken for a delicious supper. This recipe also works well for formal dinner parties and special occasions.
While you are busy in the kitchen, keep your toddler busy with one of our exciting toys from our toddler toy department! Check out our play kitchens, educational puzzles for toddlers and fun wooden building toys!
Canvas art is an upscale way to decorate any room. Hang a gorgeous, kid friendly artwork on your children’s bedroom walls and you’ll be on way to cultivating a love of the arts. Canvas arts come in a variety of sizes and can be framed or simply stretched over wood. I love the stretched look – it’s unmistakeably canvas and pops!
This is how the back of a stretched canvas looks.
At Ultra Quirky Tot we have a whole line of adorable canvas art for kids. The styles range from bold to delicate to whimsical. Browse our full kids canvas art selection and find one that matches your kids room decor. Here are some of our customer favorites.
This soft looking canvas wall art is personalized with the name of your choice making it a great personalized gift. $99
This fun canvas wall art is both pretty and educational! Help kids learn to count. recognize numbers and decorate their room all at the same time! $120
Inspire your kids to be the best they can “bee” with this pretty inspirational canvas art. Choose from a choice of 10 different sayings including bee creative, bee happy, bee positive and much more! $99.99
Is your little boy having a party? If he is the bravest hero you know, he’ll probably love a huge army themed birthday party! Here are some ideas to make is super special!
Invite:
Send the invitation on camouflage designed paper. Let the little recruits know exactly where to report, what the mission is (celebrate the birthday!) and the precise time to arrive (in army time, of course!)
Food:
Serve some cool army rations to the hungry platoon in the mess room. Set up a buffet of franks ‘n blanks, chicken nuggets and some green and brown jello! Leave water bottles out for those thirsty men. If you do not want to serve real food decorate the table with cameo tablecloths, paper goods and napkins and serve green & brown colored food & snacks. You can serve cameo cupcakes, green taffies, pretzels, biscuits, and green jelly beans.
Decor:
Decor is no pressure – you can keep it simple or go all out and have a blast! Some ideas are green balloons, a huge American flag in front of the house and a giant obstacle course out back for some serious training. Sprinkle some mini flags and small solider figures around the buffet to decorate the table. Hand out plastic military helmet to all guests as the walk through the door, as well as a name tag that says “Private” before their name. The cake can be shaped like a tank, a training base or just camouflage colors. Check out Pinterest for some awesome ideas!
What to Wear:
Have your party boy dress up in full uniform!
This army costume for kids is from our adorable selection of toddler Halloween costumes. It costs $23.95 and is simply awesome!
For a unique look get your toddler a personalized camouflage birthday hat with their name and age on it! $24
What to Do:
There are so many things you can do with your little soldiers. Here are a few ideas you can try. Not all of them would work for younger toddlers, pick and choose based on the birthday boy’s age.
Pin the medal on the solider.
Set up a complete training obstacle course and have the kids try to complete it.
Create a boot camp – have a professional gym teacher or a retired solider come in full uniform and have the kids march to his instructions.
Count out a bunch of small plastic soldiers in a jar and have the kids try to guess how many soldiers are in there. The one that has the closest guess wins the jar.
Head out the backyard and have the kids split up in the teams. Aim water missiles (balloons) at the opposing team and see who gets wetter! Please note: Balloons can be a serious choking hazard. Please makes sure there are enough supervising adults present before doing this activity.
Goody Bag
Get a camouflage designed goody bag and stuff it with special treats and mini plastic soldiers.
At ease!
Recent Comments