Playtime

Our Sloomoo Review

| Patti Webb

I saw an IG post a couple months ago about the Sloomoo Institute. When I forwarded it to Mary, I could feel her immediate squirm. But in the description, they use the magic word: sensory.

So, under their reasoning of blog research, we bought tickets and packed up three kids for a slimy field trip.

The Sloomoo Institute is an immersive, sensory-play experience, integrating ASMR and exploratory activities in multiple slime rooms. Our full experience took about two hours and our kids put up a serious fight when we had to leave. Here are some of our highlights:

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Holiday Gift Guide 2022: 4+ years

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

Kids grow up so fast and the gifting selections out there reflect that as they reach school-age.

For early school-age kids, executive functions are steadily maturing and they can focus and recall information more efficiently. They seek to play with others, continuously refining their social skills and looking for friendly competition.

Honestly, there are so many options out there for this age group that it can be difficult figuring out what gifts are both beneficial to your child’s development (because yes, they’re still growing and learning), and will also be enjoyed for the long haul.

Here’s our top picks for 2022 for 4 and up.

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Holiday Gift Guide 2022: 1-3 years

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

If there was ever an age range that had so many options, it’s this one.

Why? Because 80% of your child’s brain develops by three years old.

Toddlers have reached many of their developmental milestones, meaning more self-awareness and independence. As they refine their gross motor movements, they are also putting words together to form simple sentences, modeling observed behaviors, and becoming an active participant in their environment.

Quick recap of our handy dandy gift criteria:

  1. Is it cool?
  2. Does it support child development?
  3. What makes it stand out from all the rest?
  4. What do the reviews say, specifically with durability and longevity?

Here’s our toddler recommendations for 2022.

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Holiday Gift Guide 2022: Newborns – 12+ Months

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

It’s the most wonderful, magical, and stressful time of the year. How do we know? Because we’re giving you our 2022 gift guide way, way early…

How do we figure out what gifts we like? We narrow it down to a few things:

  1. Is it cool?
  2. Does it support child development?
  3. What makes it stand out from all the rest?
  4. What do the reviews say, specifically with durability and longevity?

So without further ado, here is the first of our FIVE gift guides for 2022.

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1,000 Hours Outside: Progress Report

| Patti Webb

As of 10/23/22: 191 Hours, 50 minutes
Monthly average: 26 Hours, 15 minutes

My family started our #1000hoursoutside challenge at the end of April. At the time, our girls were just out of pre-school for the summer.

Six months later, we are in Pre-K at our bigger elementary school with set start and dismissal times. Our weekly hours took a huge cut because TBH, there are only so many hours in a day. Which brings me to a close reading of what this challenge actually entails.

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