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Views From a Step Stool

Open Minds & Messy Hands

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60+ Awesome Activities for 1 Year Olds! {Tested and Loved}

60+ Awesome Activities for 1 Year Olds! {Tested and Loved}

May 11, 2016 By Katie Chiavarone 7 Comments

Looking for activities for 1 year olds? You can find TONS of activities for toddlers and preschoolers to do from fun sensory play to fantastic busy bags. The only problem is that a lot of this awesomeness is not geared for one year olds.   Toddlers and ‘1 year olds’

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Filed Under: Arts & Crafts, Babies, Edible Sensory Play, Learn Through Play, Mess-Free Sensory Play, Sensory, Toddler Arts & Crafts, Toddlers, Uncategorized Tagged With: 1 year old, activities for 1 Year Olds, Arts and Crafts, fine motor, gross motor, Homeschool, kids, kids activities, moms, parenting, sensory play, toddlers

Simple Ways to Nourish Your Child’s Imagination

Simple Ways to Nourish Your Child’s Imagination

January 15, 2016 By Katie Chiavarone 6 Comments

Imagination and creativity are integral components of play in children. As we get older, we tend to focus less on imagination and more on reality. That is, until you have children of your own. They plant you right in the middle of a tea party with stuffed animals, take you

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Filed Under: Edible Sensory Play, Preschool Science, Recipes, Sensory, Sponsored Work Tagged With: breakfast, healthy, imagination, minerals, moms, nesquik, preschoolers, pretend play, toddlers, vitamins

‘Inside Out’ Edible Water Beads: Exploring Emotions through Sensory Play

‘Inside Out’ Edible Water Beads: Exploring Emotions through Sensory Play

July 13, 2015 By Katie Chiavarone 2 Comments

Have you seen the movie ‘Inside Out’? The movie is about feelings and emotions, a prominent topic in our house at all times. Raising spirited kids,  I am constantly discussing feelings and appropriate ways to deal with emotions. This is usually discussed in our calm down corner, but I also try to talk

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Filed Under: Babies, Edible Sensory Play, Elementary, Learn Through Play, Preschoolers, Sensory, Toddlers Tagged With: emotions, feelings, Preschool Homeschool

Peppa Pig Birthday Party for Kids

Peppa Pig Birthday Party for Kids

June 26, 2015 By Katie Chiavarone Leave a Comment

 A Peppa Pig Birthday Party Are your kids Peppa obsessed like mine are? I admit…I kind of am too. At first I didn’t understand the appeal of the popular Nick Jr. show…until I really watched it…I mean seriously it’s pretty funny. And I also find it kind of endearing when

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Filed Under: Edible Sensory Play, Outdoors, Recipes, Sensory, Spring, Summer Tagged With: birthday party, kids activities, kids party, party, peppa pig, sensory play

Gluten-Free Spiced Holiday Playdough: Pretend Cookie Shop

Gluten-Free Spiced Holiday Playdough: Pretend Cookie Shop

December 3, 2014 By Katie Chiavarone 1 Comment

           I can’t believe I actually attempted another gluten-free playdough after our very wet pumpkin playdough experiment…but I did and actually succeeded! I wanted to set up a pretend gingerbread cookie making station for the kiddos today. We had some cold, wet weather and I was

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Filed Under: Christmas, Edible Sensory Play, Holidays, Learn Through Play, Preschoolers, Recipes, Sensory, Thanksgiving, Toddlers Tagged With: christmas, cinnamon, cookies, playdough, Preschool Homeschool, pretend play, Sensory, sensory play, spiced

Gluten Free Edible Pumpkin Sensory Play

Gluten Free Edible Pumpkin Sensory Play

November 16, 2014 By Katie Chiavarone Leave a Comment

This project was a bit of a failure considering what we had intended to create, but evolved into some great pumpkin sensory play instead! My daughter has recently been placed on a gluten free diet so our whole house has been cleaned out of all things gluten. I hadn’t even considered

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Filed Under: Babies, Edible Sensory Play, Holidays, Learn Through Play, Preschoolers, Sensory, Thanksgiving, Toddlers

Pie Crust Playdough

September 16, 2014 By Katie Chiavarone Leave a Comment

Follow my blog with Bloglovin   This week is Apple Week in our house! I am using this theme to work on some fun activities that both of my kids can enjoy, teach the letter ‘A’, and as a fun beginning to Tot School with Ava as her big brother

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Filed Under: Edible Sensory Play, Sensory Tagged With: cooking

Red, White and Blue Sensory Play

Red, White and Blue Sensory Play

July 3, 2014 By Katie Chiavarone 1 Comment

One of our favorite ways to prepare for holidays is to engage in sensory play! We have been doing so many fun activities in preparation for the 4th of July and this red, white and blue sensory play was perfect (and tasty!). It consists of jello and whipped cream, and kids of many

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Filed Under: Babies, Edible Sensory Play, Holidays, Learn Through Play, Memorial Day/4th of July, Preschoolers, Sensory, Toddlers

Red, White and Blue Spaghetti: Edible Sensory Play

Red, White and Blue Spaghetti: Edible Sensory Play

June 26, 2014 By Katie Chiavarone Leave a Comment

Our red, white and blue spaghetti is a really fun way to make some patriotic sensory play! Colored spaghetti is so easy to make and the kids just love it. I love edible sensory play for two reasons; 1) any age child can play with it and 2) my dogs help

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Filed Under: Edible Sensory Play, Holidays, Memorial Day/4th of July, Sensory, Uncategorized Tagged With: american, culture, edible preschool homeschool, food coloring, Holidays, patriotic, preschool, Sensory, sensory play, spaghetti

3 Ingredient Peeps Playdough

3 Ingredient Peeps Playdough

April 16, 2014 By Katie Chiavarone 1 Comment

  Easter is so close now and we are running out of time for all of our Easter-crafting! M is in heaven with all of the themed projects now that he is really beginning to understand holidays. He loves getting attached to an idea and really delving into it, which is

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Filed Under: Babies, Easter, Edible Sensory Play, Holidays, Learn Through Play, Preschoolers, Sensory, Toddlers, Uncategorized Tagged With: Easter, Homemade, moms, peeps, playdough, preschool, sensory play, stay at home

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Welcome to Views From a Step Stool!

Welcome to Views From a Step Stool!

I am a mom to three little ones and love to create and explore every day with them! We have open minds and messy hands, come join in our adventures!

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What’s New

  • 12 Snowman Crafts for Kids
  • 10 Elf on the Shelf Printables to Download
  • 12 Elf on the Shelf Ideas
  • Candy Corn Sensory Bin
  • Emotions Sensory Bag
  • 10 Thanksgiving Handprint Crafts

What’s New:

  • 12 Snowman Crafts for Kids
  • 10 Elf on the Shelf Printables to Download
  • 12 Elf on the Shelf Ideas
  • Candy Corn Sensory Bin
  • Emotions Sensory Bag
  • 10 Thanksgiving Handprint Crafts
  • Build a Jack-o-Lantern Sensory Craft
  • Breakfast Smoothies for Kids with BlendJet Portable Blender
  • 12 Outdoor Painting Ideas for Kids
  • Educational Sensory Bin Ideas
  • 12 Animal Sensory Bin Ideas for Kids
  • 10 Insect Themed Sensory Bins
  • 12 Bee Crafts for Kids
  • 15 Easter Chick Crafts for Kids
  • 15+ Earth Day Crafts for Kids
  • St. Patrick’s Day Emotion Cut and Paste Printable Activity
  • Valentine’s Day Charades Words
  • Printable Color by Number Valentine’s Day Cards for Kids
  • Valentine’s Day Kindness Countdown Calendar: Free Printable
  • Valentine’s Day Pixel Art Color by Number: Free Printables

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