Outsidethetoybox on LTK

Outsidethetoybox

This looks like pretend play… but here’s what’s really happening 👀💌

As my son delivers Valentine mail to each house, he’s practicing SO many foundational skills:

🚚 Big body movement + pre-writing

🔢 Number sense

👀 Subitizing

🗣️ Language + pretend play

📦 The mail truck we used is one of my son’s favorite vehicles

#LTKSeasonal #LTKValentine #LTKKids

This looks like pretend play… but here’s what’s really happening 👀💌 As my son delivers Valentine mail to each house, he’s practicing SO many foundational skills: 🚚 Big body movement + pre-writing 🔢 Number sense 👀 Subitizing 🗣️ Language + pretend play 📦 The mail truck we used is one of my son’s favorite vehicles LTKSeasonal LTKValentine LTKKids

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How cool is this magic water paper?! Perfect for low pressure handwriting practice.

As a former teacher, I know the biggest hurdle for kids is often the fear of making a mistake. This ‘magic’ paper is such a game-changer, it uses just water, so they can practice their letters over and over without the frustration of erasing or wasting paper.

It’s a zero-mess win for my Type B heart and a huge confidence builder for my kids. Plus, the water ‘disappearing’ as it dries keeps the novelty alive way longer than regular pencil and paper!

#LTKmomlife #LTKKids

I love any excuse to add a little extra active play to our day, and this balance beam and stepping stone set is perfect for that! It’s affordable, fun, versatile, and stores compact (what’s not to love?!).

These large heart gems are also such a great open-ended Valentine’s Day find, we’ve been using them on repeat for movement, sorting, counting, and sensory play ❤️

#LTKKids #LTKActive #LTKValentine

Add this sensory writing trick to your Valentine’s list! 💌

As a former teacher, I’ve found that changing the writing tool or surface is the easiest way to boost motivation without the power struggle.

#LTKSeasonal #LTKKids #LTKValentine

5-year-old boy birthday gift idea.

#LTKKids #LTKmomlife

One year old birthday gift idea.

#LTKBaby #LTKKids #LTKmomlife

This is more than a Valentine’s sensory bin 💗

Friendship can be hard for little kids and they don’t always know what to do when something doesn’t feel kind or fair. I love this activity because it gives them language, visuals, and a safe way to sort through real situations.

As my daughter was placing the hearts, we talked about:
✨ what being a friend looks like
✨ how certain actions make us feel
✨ what we can do instead when something isn’t kind/friendly

It’s simple, hands-on, and opens the door to conversations that really matter…especially right now.

The heart cards + sorting mat are included in my Valentine’s Day Printable Pack, so you can set this up in minutes 💕

#LTKSeasonal #LTKKids #LTKValentine

My daughter chose these hair charm kits for 2 of her friends’ 7th birthdays.

#LTKKids #LTKmomlife

This counts as graphing for preschoolers 💗📊

One of my favorite low-prep math tricks from my teaching days: turn loose parts into the graph by copying them.

What they’re learning while they play:
• counting with 1:1 correspondence
• displaying data visually
• comparing more / less
• visual discrimination
• reading letters, words, and simple phrases

These fake conversation hearts are so fun for Valentine’s Day activities:
• easier to read than candy hearts
• limited, kid-friendly phrases = built-in literacy
• reusable year after year

⚠️ Not for kids who still put things in their mouth—they look very real.

#LTKKids #LTKValentine

Indoor days don’t have to mean chaos 🙃

When we’re stuck inside (cold days, summer heat, sick days, all of it), these are the movement toys we reach for again and again. They help my kids get their energy out and support gross motor skills, without needing a ton of space.

#LTKmomlife #LTKActive #LTKKids

I’m officially skipping candy and junky class Valentines.
This one erupts 🌋 and actually gets used.

As a teacher-mom, I love Valentines that are hands-on, memorable, and easy to put together. This volcano kit is definitely a unique and fun option! The eruption experiment never gets old, so here’s a recipe to repeat at home.

Repeat-at-home volcano recipe:
• 2 tbsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp citric acid
• Food coloring, dish soap, or glitter (optional)
• Add water to erupt

#LTKSeasonal #LTKKids

If you aren’t allowed to bring food/candy or just want something a little different, here are some really fun non-candy class Valentines.

#LTKSeasonal #LTKKids

I’m officially skipping candy and junky class Valentines.
This one erupts 🌋 and actually gets used.

As a teacher-mom, I love Valentines that are hands-on, memorable, and easy to put together. This volcano kit is definitely a unique and fun option! The eruption experiment never gets old, so here’s a recipe to repeat at home.

Repeat-at-home volcano recipe:
• 2 tbsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp citric acid
• Food coloring, dish soap, or glitter (optional)
• Add water to erupt

#LTKSeasonal #LTKKids #LTKmomlife

This snowy white compound is soft, stretchy, so satisfying, and not sticky like most slime, which made it perfect for our winter sensory setup.

#LTKSeasonal #LTKKids

🙋‍♀️ if you live somewhere snowy. We don’t get much snow here in Las Vegas, but even if you do, these ideas might be better than battling boots and mittens to play outside in the real stuff anyway.

Our favorite indoor “snow” play ideas for toddlers:

• Baking soda + conditioner (3 parts baking soda, 1 part conditioner)
• Insta-Snow powder
• Shredded coconut
• Baking soda + vinegar
• Painted pasta
• Cornstarch + shaving cream (equal parts)

#LTKSeasonal #LTKKids

I’m not trying to have a perfect playroom.
I just want toys my kids actually play with.

Over the years (and a lot of preschool classrooms later), I’ve learned that when toys are visible and easy to grab, kids use them more. That’s it. That’s the secret.

These are a few storage pieces that work well for us:
• stuffy organizer
• clear drawers
• sensory bins
• hardware drawers…mostly for me so I can pull loose parts fast, throw together a sensory bin, or extend their play ideas on the fly

Nothing fancy. Just simple systems that make play easier 🙌

#LTKmomlife #LTKKids #LTKHome

Sometimes the simplest toy rotation is just helping kids see what’s available. When toys are out of sight, they’re often out of mind. As soon as I moved our fire station magnetic tiles and Clixo into clear bins, my kids went straight for them.

You don’t need to rotate everything on the shelf for new toys, small changes to the setup can make a big difference.

#LTKKids #LTKHome #LTKmomlife

Ok but this light box made this writing activity 1,000x better and instantly gave it a fun New Year’s vibe ✨

Handwriting is something I’ve been really intentional about practicing lately, especially because both of my kids kinda struggle with it. This keeps things playful, low pressure, and actually enjoyable instead of frustrating. Definitely one to try.

#LTKSeasonal #LTKKids #LTKHoliday

Fizzy play is my go to way to celebrate the New Year with kids. It’s so simple just vinegar and baking soda (and a little extra glitter if you are feeling fancy) and the fizzy reaction is just so exciting and satisfying to watch.

#LTKHoliday #LTKSeasonal #LTKKids

You probably have all you need in your pantry. This 2-ingredient “snow” dough is an easy, low-prep sensory material that makes the perfect base for a winter sensory bin.

Recipe:
• 1/2 cup shaving cream
• 1/2 cup cornstarch

Mix and adjust as needed:
– Too crumbly? Add shaving cream
– Too sticky? Add cornstarch

#LTKSeasonal #LTKKids

My kids are obsessed with Tully the penguin… and the puppy and unicorn versions are just as cute! They love following the yoga cards, doing the poses, and then snuggling and playing with it like a little friend.

#LTKActive #LTKGiftGuide #LTKKids

I want to make a seasonal activity for each tube now.

The Changing Seasons Sensory Tubes are an easy way to support seasonal vocabulary, language-rich conversations, fine motor exploration, and calm focused play.

I love how each tube feels different when you slow down and really watch the fillers move. For winter, we took it one step further and paired the tube with a winter-themed sensory bin using fake ice, play dough “snow,” and arctic animals.

Learning tip: Narrate what your child notices and wonders. This builds vocabulary, attention, and confidence without turning play into a lesson.

#LTKSeasonal #LTKKids

Simple Christmas counting sensory bin, made a little more magical with the lightbox 💡

#LTKSeasonal #LTKKids #LTKHoliday

✨ Play dough + festive cutters → 8/10
Great for squeezing, rolling, and fine-motor work (always a solid win in our house).

✨ Green rice + mini light bulbs + counting trees → 7/10
Still fun, but adding it to the lightbox definitely boosted engagement and curiosity.

✨ Kinetic sand gingerbread decorating → 10/10 ⭐
The clear favorite...creative, calming, and played with again and again.

#LTKHoliday #LTKKids #LTKSeasonal

If you have a kid who builds rockets out of anything they can find, this one is such a fun (and unique!) gift idea.

The flexible pieces, the wheels that actually glow, the open-ended building… it all invites so much hands-on exploration.

#LTKKids #LTKGiftGuide

If Santa were a preschool teacher, this is what he’d slip into every kiddo’s stocking. ✨

These little All About Me family counters from @learningresources look simple… but they pack in SO much learning:
• counting + early math
• sorting by color, size, and “family”
• endless pretend play
• language + storytelling
• fine motor practice
• social-emotional conversations (“Who is in your family?”)

Basically: a tiny manipulative with huge play + learning power.

A way better stocking stuffer than another random trinket 😅

#LTKHoliday #LTKKids #LTKGiftGuide

We absolutely love crafting around the holidays (okay… year-round). There’s just something so magical, calming, and connection-filled about it. ✨

#LTKSeasonal #LTKKids #LTKHoliday

Keeping it simple (and festive!) with a Christmas play dough invitation today 🎄✨

I pulled out some of our favorite loose parts, a few dough cutters, the tools my kids always reach for, and the Christmas play dough mats from my Activity Pack — and they were off.

#LTKKids #LTKSeasonal #LTKHoliday

Such a fun and unique little gift for kids. Perfect for the stocking!

#LTKHoliday #LTKGiftGuide #LTKKids

So many excellent finds for kids under $10 for Cyber Monday!

#LTKCyberWeek #LTKGiftGuide #LTKKids

This one was such a hit with my son. He decorated so many little gingerbread people and kept coming back to it all afternoon. I pulled together a few simple pieces: gingerbread kinetic sand, fake sprinkles, cinnamon, cookie cutters, and some loose parts and it turned into the cutest holiday invitation to play.

#LTKHoliday #LTKKids #LTKSeasonal

When you don’t want to give another toy but you still want them to be excited. These practical gifts are still fun to open.

#LTKKids #LTKHoliday #LTKGiftGuide

These lil dino buddies are both pop toy and sensory tube. They make a great toddler gift or travel toy.

#LTKGiftGuide #LTKKids #LTKCyberWeek

Such a fun and easy Christmas craft that makes a beautiful keepsake ornament. We made extras for teacher gifts too.

#LTKHoliday #LTKSeasonal #LTKCyberWeek

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

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