Blog Archives - The Keating Crew

Toy Guide 2020 | Toys 1-2 yrs

10/23/2020

Fun toys my 10 month old and 2 year old have loved to play with!

1. Motion Bubblers
This is our favorite, but there are so many different sensory bottles you can get and so many you can make too! This is similar to a lava lamp. When you tip it over, the bubbles are created by different colors. It looks so cool! Both kids will play with it and, now at 2, Lincoln loves to count the bubbles and name the patterns the colors create.

2. All-natural crayons
So, toddlers put things in their mouth constantly. These are all natural and made from beeswax. Aside from that, they're chunky and easy to hold. They resemble chalk sticks in size. The colors are vibrant and unique. The kids love to take out the box of these when doing art projects. They have quite a few bite marks, but don't have paper to peel or snap easily.

3. Cleaning set
This is actually one of my favorite purchases ever! A common phrase in toddlerhood is "me do" or "me help" and this set makes it not turn into a battle. Whenever there's a mess, Lincoln will go straight to his broom and dustpan and "help" me clean. We added a small swiffer to it so he feels included when doing that task as well! Such a fun item to have!

toy guide 2020 | toys 2+

10/22/2020

Fun toys picked out by my 2 year old boy that he loves at home!

1. Duplo set
Okay, these are the best for 2 year olds. They still are large enough to handle for small hands, but fit together better than the megablocks. They have cute sets with cars or trucks or people and animals. The directors to make big projects are easy to follow for both of us. Perfect intro to building and creating.

2. Magnet tiles
Again, these are a perfect set to start STEM projects. At this stage, Lincoln struggles with understanding how to balance them without a base, but we talk through it and I find he doesn't get too frustrated. He likes making things like garages and houses and barns out of the tiles. The shape recognition is also really awesome to see!

3. Water coloring mat
I got this during quarantine and at that time Link was too little to really get it. Now, he loves to play with this mat. He shakes the water marker and it makes really awesome rainbow designs. Ours features animals and letters around it and I find his tracing and trying to make straight or curved lines has really begun to show!

Toy Guide 2020 | ED 1-2 yrs

10/20/2020

Educational toys picked by my two kids, 10 months and 2 years for 1-2 year olds!

1. Band in a box
This set is really fun and interactive. I love that it's all wooden and metal so there's no extra plastic or anything fake. The instruments resemble real instruments and sound authentic. They have held up extremely well. We love the box, too. Easy to store! Both children approve!

2. Soft blocks
I love everything about these for 1-2 year olds. Primarily the fact that they are soft and squishy because you know they're going straight into the mouth. They feature colors, textures, sensory areas, and numbers. They are easy to stack together, but also easy to use for other projects (art! bath!).

3. Chunky puzzle set
I love this brand and this puzzle because the pieces are large but not knobs. The knob puzzles are great, but hello mouth toy! These are still large and easy to manipulate for a little person but also easy to try to fit in for when they're closer to 18 months and up. I love the themes, too!

TOY Guide 2020 | ED 2+

10/19/2020

Educational toys picked by a 2 year old boy for preschool level learning!

1. Magnetic fishing game
This is such a fun game because it has all the best features: hand-eye coordination, focusing to complete a given task, letters, colors, and patterning. I think this toy ages well since you can continue to expand on the knowledge your child is learning as they grow.

2. Duplo toy train
We love this one because firstly, duplos. This is Lincoln's lately craze, but also because it focuses on colors and numbers and eventually we can learn sequencing which there aren't a lot of toys out there that do without it being too much!

3. Skills puzzles
These particular ones are my favorite because they fit well into the spaces and are easy to turn for little hands. Again, it drills in the letters, shapes, numbers, and colors, but in a fun way that's not overwhelming.

2 year old schedule

10/10/2020

6:30 AM: Wake up
7 AM: Breakfast (yogurt with granola + half a banana or sometimes smoothie + fruit)
9:30 AM: Snack (raisins or fruit bar or chips and dip or rice cake)
12 PM: Lunch (really anything with a veggie + fruit + treat)
12:30-2:30 PM: Nap
3 PM: Snack (cheese stick or cottage cheese or pretzels or nut bar)
5 PM: Dinner (changes but I give him items I know he eats so he goes to bed full)
6 PM: Bath, jammies, books
6:30-7 PM: Quiet playing
7 PM: Bed

10 month old schedule

10/10/2020

5:45/6 AM: Wake up
6:15 AM: 6 oz bottle
7 AM: Breakfast (yogurt + granola or bar + cheerios)
9 AM: Nap #1
10:30/11 AM: Wake up + 6 oz bottle
12 PM: Lunch (protein like chicken or eggs + steamed veggies + berries + pouch)
2 PM: Nap #2
3 PM: Wake up + 4 oz bottle
5 PM: Dinner (pasta or mac&cheese + veggie pouch + banana + cottage cheese or cheese stick)
6 PM: Bath, books, jammies, lotion
6:30 PM: 4 oz bottle
6:30 PM: BED

Fall Bucketlist 2020

10/10/2020

Make a leaf pile

Carve a pumpkin

Matching PJs

Haunted House

Decorate the house

Left to do!

Halloween costumes
Pumpkin Picking
Attend a fall festival/event
Trick-or-treat
Family picture for holiday cards
Go for a hike
Make an apple dessert

Pre-Tantrum Tips

10/3/2020

How to stop a toddler tantrum before it ever begins...

Here's the actual truth, you can't. HOWEVER, I do believe that you can equip your child with coping and self-regulation skills to where a tantrum is a quick and relatively painless process. Tantrums are developmentally appropriate for toddlers as this is a time in their life when they discover their autonomy and that they're an individual in a big, big world.

But that doesn't mean your child should be miserable and fighting with you all the time in this crazy power-struggle. It starts from day one and it starts with you setting them up for success. The tips I mention below are all practiced in my house (as much as possible) and I think they've helped Lincoln, my two year old, be able to work his way through tantrums better.

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