Coffee Play

You guys, I found the best toddler activity ever, coffee! I saw this idea on pinterest originally, I've tried a few other toddler activities on there but this was by far the biggest hit. I had some really nasty tasting decaf coffee that I bought when trying to cut out caffeine after finding out I was pregnant (yeah, that didn't last long). I finally figured I was never going to drink it so decided to let Echo play with it instead. 

This has really saved me on afternoons when she is grouchy and I'm trying to get dinner made. I just scooped some grounds in to a cookie sheet and gave her a variety of spoons, bowls and measuring cups to dig in it with. We also added some little plastic animals but her favorite was scooping up the coffee and putting it in different containers. At one point she went to the cabinet and got out some muffin tins and loaf pans all by herself  and experimented with those too.

This is a great activity to try with your older baby or toddler, it will really save you on days when you are having a tough time! Just be forewarned that it can be really messy so if that is going to bother you you might want to skip it. I just keep a broom handy and let her go to town!