Outsidethetoybox on LTK

Outsidethetoybox

This one was so fun, and I love how the finished pieces look on my mantel 😍

I made the cones from repurposed cardboard, but you can also grab craft cones at most craft stores. Just paint on some glue, pour the sand, and let it dry! I love that this craft sand comes in bottles that control the pour, perfect for kids!

#LTKKids #LTKSeasonal #LTKHoliday

This one was so fun, and I love how the finished pieces look on my mantel 😍 I made the cones from repurposed cardboard, but you can also grab craft cones at most craft stores. Just paint on some glue, pour the sand, and let it dry! I love that this craft sand comes in bottles that control the pour, perfect for kids! LTKKids LTKSeasonal LTKHoliday

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This Fry ‘n Fly game is such a blast, I was literally sweating trying to catch the flying eggs with my kids! Great for visual tracking, coordination, and tons of family fun. It also makes an awesome gift idea!

#LTKKids #LTKFindsUnder50 #LTKGiftGuide

Every cat lover needs this puzzle game! It has 60 challenges from easy to expert where the goal is to get all the cats inside boxes. It is the perfect gift for the cat person in your life.

#LTKGiftGuide #LTKKids #LTKFindsUnder50

Such a fun magic-reveal coloring book. It’s perfect for when they want a Christmas craft… but I cannot handle one more mess 🤪.

#LTKKids #LTKHoliday #LTKSeasonal

Which would you choose, camper or sweet treats?
Either (or both) would make an excellent gift for a preschooler!

#LTKGiftGuide #LTKKids #LTKmomlife

Such a fun game for toddlers and, let’s be honest the whole family too 😂
Such a fun gift idea for toddlers.

#LTKKids #LTKGiftGuide #LTKmomlife

Peppermint oobleck for the win.
Here’s what I used:
2 cups cornstarch
1 cup water
A couple drops of peppermint extract

I tossed in some scoops, little cups, mitten tongs, risers, and plastic peppermints and my kids were happily mixing, pouring, and “cake decorating” for a full hour. So good!

Tip: When you’re done, toss the leftover oobleck in the trash, not down the drain.

#LTKKids #LTKHoliday #LTKmomlife

Whether we’re creating sensory bins, sorting by color or size, counting, or making up gingerbread stories, these loose parts invite so much open-ended fun and creativity.

🎄 Bells
🍬 Acrylic peppermints
🍪 Gingerbread resin charms
💡 Mini plastic light bulbs

So many playful possibilities packed into a handful of festive pieces!

#LTKHoliday #LTKKids #LTKSeasonal

I love a good gingerbread house project… but let’s be real, some days I just don’t have the energy (or patience for the mess 😅).

This magnetic tile set is so perfect for adding some Christmas magic without the mess. Plus, they are reusable. I can definitely get behind a holiday craft that doesn’t go straight to the trash after.

#LTKSeasonal #LTKHoliday #LTKKids

As a teacher, I’ve found some of the best play materials where you’d least expect them…like these rainbow acrylic risers!

Perfect for open-ended play, light exploration, sensory bins, and color mixing 🌈

Skip the toy markup and grab these rainbow acrylic risers instead.

#LTKFamily #LTKHome #LTKKids

This gumball machine is so fun! Each gumball hides a little surprise called a Wishie! Inside, you’ll find squishies, stickers, and positive affirmation messages. The lights and sounds make it feel extra magical. There are 7 gumballs in total, but I love that we can even reuse it later for fun notes or an advent countdown. 🎁

I’m already calling it, this one’s going to be a hit with my kids this season!

#LTKGiftGuide #LTKKids

I think our cat block might be my favorite 😹

I used to tape photos of friends and family onto blocks in my classroom and now my kids can’t get enough of it at home!

There’s just something magical about seeing familiar faces show up in their block worlds. They build houses for grandma, drive to school with their cousins, and make up the sweetest stories.

It’s such an easy way to spark imagination and support connection.

#LTKKids #LTKFamily

Pretend play is how kids learn. They watch, imitate, and explore real-life experiences in their own way.

So when your preschooler wants to bake a Thanksgiving pie just like you (but you still need to get dinner on the table 😅), this pretend pie set is the perfect solution!

This Little Tikes Creative Chef Pie Set comes with cloud dough crusts, pretend whipped cream, and even a cherry jar that opens (The details are so good)!

#LTKHoliday #LTKSeasonal #LTKKids

True story 👇
My son asked for his construction trucks and kinetic sand… but I couldn’t resist giving it a little Halloween twist 🎃

I added orange + yellow risers and a few pumpkins and voilà! Instant fall construction site 🍂

Both kids were obsessed! They mixed colors with the transparent risers, dug, built, and created endless construction stories.

#LTKKids #LTKHalloween #LTKSeasonal

An invitation to play is exactly what it sounds like, an open-ended setup that invites your child to explore, create, and discover on their own terms. There’s no right or wrong way to play, and that’s the magic of it.

This one was as simple as color-changing lights + transparent treasure tubes. My kids explored color mixing, shadows, reflections, and building. They then continued to use them as props in their pretend play.

#LTKKids #LTKFamily

20 Prek kids and their families loved this Fall Sensory bin! The pumpkin pie spice was the favorite, just add oats so it lasts longer.

#LTKKids #LTKSeasonal #LTKFamily

I helped set up a sensory play date for my son’s Pre-K family engagement event, all about literacy through play. Each bin connected to a favorite book and letter activity, and it completely reawakened my preschool teacher heart. This pumpkin patch letter hunt was a success!

#LTKKids #LTKHalloween #LTKSeasonal

A spooky sensory bin perfect for learning through play this Halloween.

#LTKSeasonal #LTKKids #LTKHalloween

Sharing my favorite Target Circle Week deals (as a mom + former preschool teacher)

#LTKKids #LTKFamily #LTKSaleAlert

Since I hung this giant Halloween coloring sheet, my kids keep coming back to it day after day. 👻

It’s the perfect activity to leave out all October and by Halloween we’ll have a colorful banner to display!

Bonus: hanging it on the wall sneaks in extra benefits like upper body strength, core stability, and the coordination kids need for handwriting and everyday skills

#LTKKids #LTKHalloween #LTKSeasonal

My kids are obsessed with these sticker books. We have had multiple versions and they are always a hit.

I love that the stickers are right next to the scene, the spiral binding makes it easy to keep flat, and the designs are so fun!

The Halloween one, The Little Spooky Village, has been the perfect mix of festive and screen-free fun. Plus, it’s a great fine motor activity and helps kids build language and storytelling skills as they play.

#LTKHalloween #LTKSeasonal #LTKKids

If you’re at the point where you cannot handle buying another toy that gets played with for two days and then forgotten, this is for you 👇

I put together a full list of non-toy gift ideas, things kids will actually get excited to open and use on repeat.

#LTKKids #LTKFamily

I rate these fall crafts for toddlers/preschoolers high because they are either super easy to set up, engage for a long period of time, have great learning/skill development potential, or come out with a beautiful end result.

#LTKSeasonal #LTKHalloween #LTKKids

I have been envisioning these for weeks and they lived up to the hype I created in my mind!

Here’s what we did:
🎃 rolled out Crayola air dry clay
🎃 used a pumpkin dough cutter to cut shape
🎃 pushed mosaic tile pieces (with rounded edges) into the clay
🎃 Let it dry and then coated with mod podge

My kids had such a great time working with the clay and mosaic pieces that they created several other unique pieces. It was a great fine motor activity!

#LTKFamily #LTKSeasonal #LTKKids

The lightbox makes this so magical right?

Inside the bag is clear hair gel and a couple drops of food coloring. Be sure to tape it shut to make it extra secure. I drew on the lightbox with a wet erase marker and it wiped right off when we were done.

#LTKFamily #LTKKids #LTKSeasonal

Here’s a roundup of 3 Fall-themed sensory bins and how much my 3 year old played/liked them…

1. Kinetic sand farm scene (8/10). He enjoyed this one and liked to retell the story of The Little Blue Truck while playing.
2. Fall Pretend Baking (10/10). He played with this one for hours and came back to it for multiple days. He loved adding real pumpkin pie spice.
3. Fall Count & Graph (6/10). Adding the matching pieces and the dot marker made this much more interesting than just the worksheet, but still was the least played with out of the 3.

#LTKKids #LTKSeasonal #LTKFamily

Light and Halloween seem to go hand in hand. I love to integrate light into sensory play during this season. Here are some of our favorite Halloween light activities.

#LTKKids #LTKFamily #LTKSeasonal

Honestly, I originally thought of just rescuing the spiders from under the web, but my 3 year old had a way better idea to stick the spiders to the tape web.

He also sorted by color, counted, and compared. So this super easy sensory bin was actually packed with fun and learning.

#LTKFamily #LTKKids #LTKSeasonal

How busy does your neighborhood get on Halloween?

Ours is one of those neighborhoods that people drive to for trick or treating. It’s so fun but it gets a little hectic with crowds and cars. These pumpkin lantern lights were perfect for spotting my kids. They were also great for lighting up their buckets for finding the perfect treat. We got multiple comments on what a good idea they were.

#LTKSeasonal #LTKKids #LTKFamily

Here’s a recap of favorite lights we use in our Halloween activities:
1. Color changing lights (the best is in a sensory bin with @kineticsand )
2. Lightbox- we did sand writing and added our haunted house magnetic tiles on top
3. @glopals water activated light cubes perfect for potion play
4. Flashlight for a spooky shadow hunt
5. @crayola Light-Ups Recolorable ghost and pumpkin

#LTKKids #LTKSeasonal #LTKFamily

I love Kinetic Sand because it’s pretty easy to clean up and it doesn’t dry out. The purple is so fun for Halloween and the lights make it even more magical!

#LTKSeasonal #LTKKids #LTKFamily

When it comes to teaching letters, I always start with something that matters most to kids…their name!

Learning sticks when it’s personal. A child’s name is often the very first word they recognize, and it’s exactly where I start as a preschool teacher when introducing letters.

#LTKFamily #LTKKids

This activity was so easy to set up with just sticks I found in the yard, tape, easel paper, and watercolor paints. It was also a fun way to talk about how trees change in the different seasons. My kids got to work saying, “I’m making a summer tree” or “This one is a winter tree.”

#LTKSeasonal #LTKFamily #LTKKids

These spooky magnetic tiles were a favorite last Halloween and they were sooo excited to take them back out this year! The lightbox added more magic to the play.

#LTKSeasonal #LTKFamily #LTKKids

If I could start fresh with sensory bin supplies, here’s exactly what I’d do:
✨ Start with a few go-to bins: under-bed storage bin, Target circle platter, Brightroom 3-drawer, and small stackable acrylic trays.
✨ Stock some basic bases (Kinetic Sand, butter slime, play dough, cornstarch, baking soda + vinegar, shaving cream, dyed rice) in pantry containers.
✨ Add a handful of tools (scoops, droppers, mallets).
✨ Organize themed figures in their own bins—this Target Farm Animal set completely changed how I store figures and makes setting up so easy. They have other themes too!

#LTKKids #LTKFamily