In celebration of Earth Day, we decided to focus this LuCk Date on recyclables. Recycled crafts allow for endless exploration and experimentation. We picked several projects we could make out of these commonly disposed of materials, spent a couple of weeks collecting recyclables (egg cartons, paper rolls, newspaper, corks, etc),and then got creative!
Recycled Stamp Market Tote
At the LuCk Date everyone got involved in stamping their market totes. Each table had a sampling of recycled materials to paint their totes with. It was so fun to watch what materials and colors each child chose to use.
Toilet Paper Roll Castle
It was really fun building castes out of cardboard tubes! We had all kinds of materials on hand to decorate these recycled kingdoms.
Since this was a mixed-age LuCk date with a variety of interests and attention spans, we had several sensory bins available for the kids to explore as they finished their projects. One of the bins was filled with blue colored rice and a bunch of rocks and shells that we've collected during our walks on the beach. We threw a couple of shovels in, and let the kids jump right in.
Because well-fed kids are happy kids, we made a butterfly snack pack for everyone to enjoy! These were super easy to make, and a big hit. One of our older participants even re-used the clothespin to make newspaper butterflies to take home!
After snack, we opened up another sensory bin filled with birdseed and plastic bugs. The great thing about sensory bins is that they naturally lend themselves to independent play. The kids started using the cardboard tubes and other materials to explore the sensory bins. Watching the moms take a moment to chat with a friend or watch their child explore is what this LuCk Date was all about!
Project Guides
When we first started thinking about LuCk, we knew we wanted to "bring moms together, one playdate at a time"(it's our tagline for a reason!) One of the most unexpected things I have discovered about motherhood,is how isolating it can be. True story: when I was pregnant, I used to watch Karen walk by my house pushing a very tiny Lucas in his stroller. I remember thinking "oh, there's a mom in my neighborhood!" By the time Chuck was 9 weeks old, I was so desperate for human interaction that I basically shoved my daughter into her stroller and walked around the neighborhood looking for Karen. When I finally found her, I was 99% sure that I came on a little too strong and was 100% sure I was never going to hear from her again. One day, she left a note in my mailbox with her number on it "We keep seeming to miss each other. Give me a call!" Most of our conversations would revolve around mommy-hood and what things we were doing with our kids.
A year later, we decided to start documenting and blogging about our adventures with Lucas & Chuck. Sure, it gives us a reason to take way too many pictures of our kids, and a great way to show friends and family what we're up to. But, it was always our hope to create a real-life mommy-hive to share ideas with. At one point during our LuCk Date, I looked around and saw a sea of mommies bent over their kids, helping them assemble cardboard tube castles. They were laughing, chatting, playing, and smiling. I looked at Karen and thought, "we did it!" Thank you The Best Time Ever for letting us take over your awesome space! And, thank you Fairfield County Moms for helping us "bring moms together, one playdate at a time!"
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