Unplugged Play

Like many parents, Rhett and I are conscious of the amount of screen time our kids get.  Now, I am not all high and mighty about keeping them completely TV free.  TV definitely has its place in our lives a few times a week.  As a babysitter?  Nah.  As a quick diversion or chance for Rhett and me to snooze for 30 more minutes?  Bring it on!

We also got Cate a Leap Pad for Christmas.  She is gaga over it.  There is one game where you have a pet and can give it baths, exercise, treats, etc. and I swear the little kitty she created has been given so many ice cream cones, it will soon be the chunkiest Leap Pad pet in history.

However, we try to let the girls explore toys and play on their own as much as possible.  Make believe and role playing are so fun and, as a parent, hilarious to watch unfold.  I love the book Unplugged Play by Bobbi Conner.

I love this book!

There are tons of simple activities to get kids' brains moving.  It's not rocket science, but it does give some good ideas for things to do, especially inside when it's too cold to stay out for extended periods.

Here are some photos of the girls playing "unplugged" and having a ball.

"Necklace muffins anyone?"

"Try this, it's delicious!"

Here is what Cate made me for dinner tonight--whipped necklace with a side of bracelet.  

Also on the subject of playing unplugged, Cate loves to role play as a mommy so she can, as she says, "put my babies to night night."  Her imagination, when it comes to stuff like this, is hysterical.  She'll do her whole routine with me there, but it gets very creative and drawn out when she has her afternoon rest (RIP afternoon nap: July 2009-December 2012).  I never know what I am going to find when I open the bedroom door at the conclusion of her rest.  Below is a standard example of what her bed looks like.

Seahorse and Kitty both have covers and their sleepy toys. 

Once I caught her feeding vaseline in teacups to her animals.  "They needed a snack before their naps," she said.  Yuck!  That is the last time she got to have any vaseline in her room.

While they can be messy, role play and imaginative play are definitely the best to watch your children participate in.  Unplugged is the way to be!