Mom vs. the Dot: Making it COUNT!

"This is the rainiest summer EVER!!!" Direct quote from my 8-year-old. Yes, I think she is right. Yesterday, we took advantage of a gloomy day to make a chalk village.  As long as the pavement is dry, this is a wonderful activity! One of my kids' favorite outdoor activities is: The Chalk Village Break out the sidewalk chalk!  A bucket of chalk costs between $1 - $3.00.  The play lasts for hours.  We draw an entire town with roads they can drive through on their tricycles, bikes, and scooters.  I loved when they would drive a Cozy Coupe through town, but I think all my children are too big to ride in them now. So here's the basic idea: 1.  Draw roads wide enough for the vehicles to drive through. 2.  Give the kids the rest of the chalk to draw whatever they want - rivers, bridges, stores...yesterday we made a vampire jail at the request of my 3-year-old boy. 3.  Bring out the vehicles! Our favorite addit...

I have seen this idea on Pinterest before, and I finally decided to try it.  It was a rainy day, I wasn't feeling well, we couldn't go anywhere, so why not?  We had some extra painter's tape leftover from our home improvement project and it turned out to be just the right amount!! I eyeballed the design and ended up with this: We have field tested it for a week and the kids still love it!  The tape has started to come up in a few places, but that is to be expected. Added bonus:   You can vacuum over the design without destroying it.  Score one for mom!! They use their Hot Wheels cars, Beanie babies, doll house and Star Wars characters.  They've made it into a train station and train track. They use the big divided shapes for personal space to sit when we are watching a show. My preschoolers pretend it is a tight rope and try to stay on the lines. My elementary-schooler creates challenges - hopping over so many lines, etc. I have s...