10 Free Halloween Preschool Printables

Nothing draws me to Pinterest like the holiday season. Suddenly I want all the muffin recipes, decor inspiration, and craft ideas. Now that Ez is in preschool I've been trying to gear our crafts and activities to go along with whatever he's currently doing in school. Most of these don't take more than 10-15 minutes, which is perfect for a four year old attention span, and we've been squeezing in one or two before lunch or bathtime each day. Here are a few free printables I've collected along the way in case you're looking to occupy the kiddos for a few minutes:

• Pumpkin Pre-Writing Tracing Cards
• Halloween Shapes Tracing Sheets
• Spooky Bingo
• Color Mixing Pumpkin Activity
• Roll and Cover the Pumpkin
• 5 Senses Pumpkin Worksheet
• Orange Pumpkin, Orange Pumpkin Coloring Book
• Monster Playdough Math Mats
• Halloween Counting Worksheet
• Eye Spy Counting Sheet

Our favorite way to end the evening before we wind down and get ready for bed is with a little family dance party. Of course I put together a spooky playlist for the season 👻 If You're a Monster and You Know It is our fave:

I hope you're all enjoying the season!

A Few of Ez's Favorite Things

We didn't have much planned for Saturday, other than Ez's usual morning soccer practice, so we decided to stop by a small local airport so Ez could watch the planes take off and land. Unlike the aviation museum, where we had to pay for a prime airport viewing spot, this airport was very inviting to little aviation lovers and completely free. They have a grassy area with benches facing the runway, perfect for little kids that don't necessarily want to learn all about aviation history but just want to see the planes in action. Ez was in heaven. Literally every single day since we went to the aviation museum he has asked to go see planes. I tried taking him one other time, but there weren't many planes taking off, either because it was a weekday or because it was a little windy. Since our weekends have been pretty busy recently I've been scrambling to make up excuses about why the planes aren't flying each day. Either they're hungry and they need to eat or they're napping or they don't like flying when it's too hot/cold/cloudy/<fill in the blank>. Poor little Ez was getting used to my excuses and I think all his requests were becoming halfhearted, since he probably thought planes never fly, except for that one magical day we happened to be lucky enough to catch them in action, so when we got to the airport and there were all kinds of planes taking off and landing he was beside himself with excitement. Once two planes took off at almost the same time and he started jumping in circles, pointing and counting them: "One, two planes! Two planes! I see two planes!!" AND, as if things could get any better, a motorcycle drove past us on the runway and waved at Ez. I'm pretty sure that guy was living Ez's dream life, riding a motorcycle at the airport with planes taking off in the background. We definitely got our money's worth with that trip ;)

Later that afternoon we gave Ez his choice between playing at the park or going to see motorcycles. He chose motorcycles, of course, so we walked to a nearby dealership and let him walk around pointing out which motorcycles he liked best. We walked the whole lot twice and we even saw a few people test driving motorcycles. So, for the grand total of $0 I'm pretty sure Ez had his most favorite day of the year. The little things really are the best things. After all of that we hit up a few of mommy and daddy's favorite spots: Starbucks and Trader Joe's, followed by an Uno marathon. Declan was just content to be out and about, so it was a good day for everyone.

6 Monster Halloween Crafts

Lately Ez has been really into monsters, mostly because of this monster bowling set that he's slightly obsessed with. So when it came time to do our annual Halloween footprint craft I knew I wanted to do Monsters. I browsed Pinterest for awhile and didn't really find what I was looking for, so I improvised, but I did find a bunch of other cute monster crafts that we have either done in years past or that I'm hoping we'll get around to this year.

1. Monster Mobile from Happy Hooligans
2. Frankenstein Footprint from Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails
3. Rock Monsters from Free Kids Crafts
4. Mix and Match Felt Monsters from And Next Comes L
5. Glove Monsters from Craftaholics Anonymous
6. Monster Footprints:

This is too easy to even require instructions. All you need is some paint, some glue on googly eyes, some glue, a sharpie, and some willing (or not so willing) feet. Dip feet in paint, make a footprint, and let that dry. Then using your finger make different colored dots on the body and hair. Once that's all dry draw on the mouth and glue on some eyes. I'm sure you could figure that all out from the picture though. The hard part is successfully getting unwilling feet onto the paper. For that I suggest laying out a bunch of sheets of paper in a row and just stomping their feet on each one as quickly as possible. That way, if you're lucky, you'll get at least one good one. Good luck if you're trying to get two different feet on the same piece of paper!

Exploring the Neighborhood

One thing we're really loving about our new neighborhood is all the kid friendly places to visit. We haven't even scratched the surface as far as exploring goes, but we've already come across several fun playgrounds that Ez loves. Also, it's about ten degrees cooler here than where we used to live, so we can actually venture outside during daylight hours. Win/win!

The first park is right behind our house and Ez's favorite thing to do there is race his cars down the slide. Wherever Ez goes, at least four cars go along too. (My purse is basically the hot wheel aisle of Toys R Us with a few snacks and diapers thrown in for good measure.) Pretty much all the neighborhood kids play there, so I'm hoping Ez will meet his future bff in no time.

We also visited Happy Hollow, which has a small zoo, a few carnival type rides, and a huge playground. Ez absolutely wore himself out running around, and since 60% of my job as a parent is to tire out my toddler enough so that he'll nap/sleep, we will definitely be back.

There's a pretty big mall near us which has a run of the mill play area. Nothing super special about it, but sometimes you just need an indoor area for your kid to run off some energy and this fits the bill. Ez is definitely getting to a more social age, where I can tell he wants to play with the kids he meets, but he's also shy and doesn't know how to interact with them. Last time we went to the mall playground he just sat and watched the kids running in circles and screaming for a little bit and he tried dragging me along at first but finally he branched out and just went for it, running all over the place and screaming like a little banshee. That's basically the Ez we know and love at home, so it was nice to see him let his guard down and be himself around other kids.

Also, can I just say that as a parent of one of the littlest kids on a playground it's really hard to sit back and watch your kid be nearly trampled by kids twice his age? I totally get that. But while we were there a mom was hovering over her daughter and grabbing other kids that accidentally knocked into her and yelling at them. It was like seeing all your crazy mama bear instincts play out in real life and it wasn't pretty. So I'm definitely gonna stick with my method of suffering mini heart attacks on the inside while trying to appear calm on the outside. Much better for Ez's image, I'm sure. So, to older Ez, if you're reading this, you're welcome for not having the craziest parent on the playground.

Foamy Water Table Toddler Activity

Remember when I posted this list of 13 Outdoor Toddler Activities? Well we finally got around to doing one of them (technically a combo of #6 & #9) and it was so much fun! 

I've mentioned at least a million times that soapy water is a weird pregnancy obsession of mine, so of course I had to give the soapy sea foam a go. It's super simple to make, and uses ingredients that are most likely already in the kitchen:

According to these instructions from Two Daloo, you just combine equal parts water and Dawn dish soap with a dash of corn starch then mix it up at high speed till it's nice and fluffy. If you have some food coloring you could throw that in as well. Voila! Easy as can be! I made about three mixing bowls worth, then dumped it all into the water table, which I had already filled with water.

Since I didn't have food coloring for the foam, I threw one of these Crayola color bath dropz into the water table, which turned the water a nice refreshing Clorox blue:

I added some cups, some balls, some construction vehicles, and sponges so that Ez had plenty of activities to keep him busy:

Not gonna lie, all that soapy goodness was too inviting to pass up. As soon as I snapped a few pics I had to get my hands in there and play too.

Even though Ez is perfectly content to just play with the water table, the soapy foam added a fun new twist and he loved swirling the bubbles around, scrubbing his construction vehicles with the sponges, and splashing soap suds all over himself and everything within a ten foot radius. Honestly though, I think this sea foam would work best as a standalone sensory activity, minus the water. It lasts longer than just dumping Dawn straight into the water table, but that's kind of a moot point since once Ez gets his hands in there the soapy water is going pretty much everywhere except in the table. Next time I'll try just dumping a ton of foam in there, minus the water, and see how that works out. But whatever keeps us him happy and occupied for upwards of an hour is a win in my book.

This activity gets an A+ for simplicity, fun, and cheapness. We'll definitely break this out a few more times this summer.

*This post contains some affiliate links to products mentioned.

13 Outdoor Toddler Activities

The other night I fell into the Pinterest rabbit hole (pregnancy insomnia strikes again!) and I totally lost track of time while reading all about other parent's creative ways to keep their kids entertained outdoors. Since I figure I could use a little arsenal of activities that will keep Ez entertained for upwards of half an hour without actually having to pack everyone into the car, I put together a little list of some backyard fun that I hope will allow me to play with Ez and watch a newborn at the same time. Or at the very least, allow me to relax in the shade while he burns off some energy. Fingers crossed!

1. Colored Ice Sensory Play from Learn Play Imagine
2. Easter Egg Water Play from Things to Share and Remember
3. Trucks and Shaving Foam from Creative Playhouse
4. Shapes & Colors Hopscotch from The Cow Jumping Over the Moon
5. Construction Site Gravel Pit from Imagination Tree
6. Sponges & Soapy Water from Things to Share and Remember
7. Nature Scavenger Hunt from No Wooden Spoons
8. Color Hunt & Sort from Toddler Approved
9. Soapy Seafoam Sensory Play from Two-Daloo
10. Fizzy Car Rescue from Fun at Home With Kids
11. Water Balloon Basketball from Learn Play Imagine
12. Toddler Gardening - This is pretty self-explanatory, but I figure Ez will enjoy digging in soil and planting a few seeds. Bonus points if we actually manage to grow anything!
13. Outdoor Fingerpainting - Again, self-explanatory, but I prefer to do all painting activities outdoors where the mess doesn't give me a heart attack.

What are some of your favorite low-key backyard activities that I can add to my list? Anything that keeps your toddler endlessly entertained (ie - a miracle!) would be greatly appreciated :)

Big Brother Gift

When I saw this adorable Big Brother Kit that Lisa, over at From the North to the South put together, I knew I wanted to do something similar for Ez. So for the past few weeks I've been collecting little gifts here and there for his baby bro to give him when they meet for the first time. Here's a little peek at what he's getting:

1. Busy Trucks on the Go - yet another book about trucks to add to the rotation.

2. Since Ez's favorite animal is an elephant ("elba") I got them each a mini stuffed elephant.

3. Somehow Ez is still missing a Lightning McQueen diecast from his ever-growing collection, so baby bro took care of that.

4. We are huge fans of My Busy Books (even though the little toys wind up everywhere) so Ez is getting the Tonka Road Rally one which is full of construction and emergency vehicles, some of his current faves. If you're not familiar with My Busy Books, they are board books that come with a dozen small toys and a playmat. Ez already has the Cars 1 & 2 + Airplanes versions, and they have been consistent favorites for the past six months or so.

5. I picked up this sculpty sand in the dollar section at Target. We haven't ever used it before, but Ez likes playdough so I figure this will be a hit as well.

Some might call this good old fashioned bribery to get Ez to like his baby bro right off the bat, but as a parent I'm not opposed to a little bribery every now and then ;) I feel like seeing Mommy in a hospital plus meeting a new family member can be overwhelming, so I want to do everything possible to make it a celebratory experience for Ez. I'm hoping there's a good balance of quiet activities he can do at the hospital while not making the gifts the main focus of the visit, if that makes sense. I don't want him to overlook the fact that he has a new bro. Also, I tried to stay away from anything too messy or anything too hard or heavy that could be thrown (because I know my kid). 

* This post contains some affiliate links

Travel Town

Travel Town in Griffith Park has been on our to-do list for awhile. With Ez's train themed birthday party right around the corner, plus all the countless hours he demands we spend on the floor playing trains, we decided it was finally time to cross this one off our list. 

A few things about Travel Town: 

1 - It's free! Unless you decide to ride the train, which of course you will if you go with a train-loving toddler, then expect to pay $2.75 per person (including anyone over 18 months). 

2 - Some of the trains have "do not climb" signs - that does not mean you can't climb on any of the trains, only the ones that explicitly say so. 

3 - It's got a ton of great picnic spots. We kinda wish we'd planned ahead and brought some lunch. Next time...

Ok, so onto our day. When we walked across the bridge to enter Travel Town, Ez literally stopped walking just to stare in awe. We tried to take his hand and keep walking toward the trains, but ultimately we had to give the boy a minute to take it all in. So many real life trains all in one place...it's a toddler wonderland, I tell you. See for yourself:

Once he was composed enough to continue walking, we went straight to the nearest train and examined it from all angles while Ez pointed and said "tra-aah!" (train). Then he noticed the second most exciting aspect of Travel Town: little rocks everywhere. Actually, that may have been tied for first most exciting thing. Once both hands were holding as many rocks as he could manage, we continued down the tracks to some of the other trains that we could actually climb on.

We had to pause to wave to the little train driving passengers around the park. It makes a satisfying "choo choo!" sound, so Ez was pretty mesmerized.

Ez thought it was super cool to be on an actual train. Until he realized Daddy was standing down on the ground to take a picture, then he had to get down too.

I thought Ez would be stoked to ride the train, but he actually freaked out a little in the beginning and wanted off, which is especially weird because it wasn't his first train ride. Once it got going though he was loving it. We'll just chalk that up to typical fickle toddler behavior.

Ez also got this little penny souvenir, which he clung to for the entire train ride. As far as mementos go, you're not gonna find anything cheaper than $0.51 in the gift shop (trust me, we looked). 

Final verdict on Travel Town? Ez loved it and we'll definitely be back. If you live in the So Cal area and know a train-lover it's great for an inexpensive hour or two of fun.

#BoyMOMS Box Swap

When Elizabeth and Stephanie contacted me about a blogger swap just for boy moms, I was all in. It's always great to get some new ideas on how to entertain a somewhat fickle, always on the go toddler. I was paired up with Paula, mom of 18 month old Jacob, and even though our boys are a few months apart in age they have very similar interests - aka anything they can throw and anything that goes is a sure win. I'm sure Ez and Jacob would be best of friends if they lived closer, playing catch and trains all day long. Be sure to check out Paula's instagram and blog to see what Ez and I picked out for them.

Paula and Jacob got us tons of cute goodies, but before we could get to the good stuff Ez had to take a few moments to play with the packing materials. It's possible he would've been content with a box full of bubble wrap. #Itsthelittlethings. Once we got to the actual contents of the box we were both loving the Disney theme, or "Mimo" as Ez calls Mickey. We just bought Ez a Cars potty, so the big boy Mickey underwear is both adorable and perfect timing. And I've been seriously craving some sugar cookies - so you totally read my mind with the Mickey cookie cutters/cookie baking supplies, Paula. Also, it's a little obscured in the pictures, but there are some Ghirardelli chocolates hiding in that pile, and we all know chocolate is the way to my heart. 

The standout star of the box was definitely the wooden Mickey matching and sorting game. The little wooden chips come in their own plastic container and Ez immediately got to work dumping them out then putting them back in one by one then shaking the jar up. I have to admit, it does make a satisfying jangle sound. He also enjoyed hitting the chips with his new Doc McStuffins bubble wand. Boys will be boys. 

Thanks so much Paula and Jacob! We can't wait to bake some Easter/Mickey cookies :)

Ez was super excited to dig right in

Ooooh! Bubble wrap!

Ezz bee-lined for this Mickey game

All my pictures of the Mickey game are being photobombed by tiny little hands.

Here's a full list of our goodies:

- Sugar cookie mix + cookie icing + Mickey cookie cutters

- Ghirardelli Caramels

- Mickey matching & sorting game

-Mickey activity coloring book + stickers

- Mickey undies

- Doc McStuffins giant bubble wand

Thanks again, Paula! And a huge thanks to Elizabeth and Stephanie for organizing and hosting this swap. Ez and I loved being a part of it! Be sure to head on over to Chasin' Mason and Wife Mommy Me to check out all the other boy activities everyone put together.

Toddler Crafting: DIY Valentine's Mailbox

Yesterday Ez and I decided we needed a little break from unpacking and cleaning. I've been trying to stick to his general schedule as much as possible. We've been getting out for our daily walks, and he's still going to his weekly Gymboree class, but I've been slacking a little (ok, a lot!) as far as structured playtime goes. Thankfully Ez is a champ about entertaining himself, but I could tell by his increased clinginess that he needed some uninterrupted mommy time.

I had this blue box sitting around the house - because I have a thing about saving boxes - and it somehow miraculously survived the move in one piece. Clearly it deserved to become something more than an empty discarded box. Valentine's Day is next week, and Ez is part of a blogger Valentine exchange, so I thought he should have a mailbox to stash all his Valentine's. Enter a few tubes of paint, a sponge cut into heart shapes, plus one eager little toddler and we had a good 20 minutes of fun decorating his box. After the 20 minute mark the paint started going everywhere except on the box. That's when I distracted Ez with a soccer ball so I could clean up the mess.

Ez loves painting, but I'll admit I rarely choose that as a crafting activity. Because, the mess. I'm not a neat freak by any means, but the idea of cleaning paint out of all corners of the house really isn't appealing to me. So, here are a few tips I've learned about painting with a 20 month old and preserving your sanity:

• Put the paint directly on whatever you want painted. Eliminate the need to transport paint from one spot to another and you greatly reduce the risk of paint getting everywhere.
• That being said, paint outside if possible. Or at least somewhere that's not carpeted. That way when paint inevitably does get everywhere, it's less stress for you. We had handy dandy empty moving boxes to sit on, and once we were done they went straight in the recycling bin. Super easy!
• Pay attention to your toddler's attention span, and adjust expectations accordingly. Sometimes it's just not realistic to expect a toddler to paint 15 valentine's in one sitting. Found that one out the hard way ;)
• Let them do their thing as much as possible. Obviously the perfectly placed hearts were my doing, trying to show Ez how to use the sponge, but once he got his hands on the heart sponges he preferred making big smears. It's his work of art, not mine - at least, that's what I kept telling myself. (Although, I admit, I snuck in a few more perfectly placed hearts before I set the box out to dry. Old habits die hard.)
• Always remember the end goal, which is to have fun. Worry about messes (on the floor, on your clothes, on your legs, in your hair...wtf??!) later.

The end result. The name and the mail slit were my doing, after the box dried, of course.

Gymboree

Ez went to his first Gymboree class today. There were several baskets full of balls, so it was a pretty magical place. (Also pretty identical to our living room in that regard, but I guess it's always more exciting to play with someone else's toys.) Ez was also a big fan of the hoops and tunnels. The slides and other kids...not so much. He enjoyed the bubbles for a few moments (they are shaped like little clear balls, after all), but once he realized he couldn't catch them or throw them he got frustrated. 

Side note: Joe hates when I use the word "balls" over and over, especially when referring to how much Ezzy loves balls. Sorry - I don't know what else to call them! And get your mind outta the gutter ;)

Ez was pretty shy with the teacher at first, but he grew on him by the end of class, especially when Gymbo (the creepy clown puppet) gave Ez kisses. By the time we said our goodbyes I had to drag Ez away, and as I was signing us up for more classes my little bandit kept trying to break back into the play area. 

Any play date that ends with a sleeping toddler gets an A+ in my book.