Painting and Valentine's Sensory Bin

Zaxxon got an easel for Christmas this year.  He loves it, but last week I decided to let Kal'El use it, too.  Paint and toddlers scare me, especially when used in the same sentence, but I decided it would be worth it to include Kal'El in the fun.  In fact, I'm starting to realize that he probably ought to take over my tot school posts, as Zaxxon is in preschool now.

Anyway, while watching like a hawk with a rag ready to clean errant paint off all surfaces except the paper, I let him have at it.

He loved it, of course.  He especially liked pulling out a brush, making a stroke, and then putting the brush back in the paint jar backwards (handle first.)  Silly, silly boy.  More paint to wipe off those little fingers.

Zaxxon played around with the dry erase side for a while, while Kal'El painted.

His family portrait (Kal'El is pretty tiny, you'll have to look closely).  Zaxxon, of course, is the largest figure.  Wait though... If I remember my high school psychology class correctly, children tend to draw the person they perceive as being in charge of the family the largest.  Uh oh.......

Zaxxon painted too.  He paints so much, particularly at preschool, that we've long since run out of wall space.

Kal'El still loves the sensory bin.  I got it set up for Valentine's Day (below,) but this was him playing with the Christmas one.

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And now presenting the Valentine's Day Sensory Bin!

Inside the bin:

• red and white elbow macaroni
• red, pink, and purple pom poms
• red and pink glass stones
• pink and purple porcupine balls
• foam hearts
• heart, kiss, and I-heart-U mini-erasers
• heart, star, and flower gems
• measuring cups and tongs for scooping, sorting, etc

I painstakingly sorted out the green macaroni from the Christmas bin, leaving only Valentine's colors--and I fully plan to do the same with the red and add the green back in next month for St. Patrick's Day.  This is the first time I've actually done two holiday themed bins in a row, this close together.  Kal'El really likes the sensory bin, though, so I'm hoping to get this done a little more often in 2013.

The boys loved it, of course.  They always love a new sensory bin reveal.  So much new stuff to explore!

Unfortunately, Kal'El seems to think the glass stones look like candy, because they keep going in his mouth.  The day I revealed this, I'd been hoping it would grant me fifteen minutes of peace while I made lunch.  No deal--had to be supervised.  Oh well, Kal'El will get there someday.

Kal'El sure liked having it to himself while Zaxxon was in preschool

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Kal'El trying out some crayons.  He, like his brother, prefers markers, but they make such a mess I'm less inclined to let him use them.  Especially when I'm hoping that some drawing implements and a piece of paper taped to the table will keep him occupied for a time.