Ooey Gooey!

A few weeks ago I shared at a MOPS meeting about ways to entertain your kids over the summer. The things that came to my mind were of course turning off the TV and reading but I also had to introduce this group of women to Lisa Murphy...the OOEY GOOEY Lady! It was so fun to "relive" this time in my life and remember how much she impacted me so many years ago. I heard her speak on September 18, 2002 when Connor was less than a year old! She was fantastic, hilarious and passionate. The main things I took away from her talk I still try to practice with my kids...

1) Lots of free play time - Goes well with our homeschooling schedule

2) Lots of play dates - I try to make sure my kids have lots of opportunities to learn all they need to out of playing nicely with others;)

3) Lots of real experiences through play!

I think the 3rd one was so much easier when they were younger. It should be the other way around now that they are old enough to clean up;) She encouraged us to always think about "why" we say no...usually because we don't understand why they want to do what they want to do, or because we don't want to clean up the mess! So, lately I have been trying to be more aware of both of those things as I work to be child centered still! They just have turned in the fingerpaint for watercolors and the play dough for modeling clay, but the concepts remain the same.

In my research...I ran across some old pictures that brought back memories. Someone asked how to throw an ooey gooey party so here you go.....in pictures....

Enlist good help...

Someone to help with the prep work and someone to hold the baby!

Invite lots of friends...




Have lots of paper....and paint!

Encourage Helpfulness....

Play clothes are mandatory...and a hose is just a good idea;)

You will never have too many handprints! Trust me on this one...

Have snacks.... or just put spaghetti in the sensory table!

AND...a critical component of the ooey gooey experience is the sensory table or tubs. Our favorite items were colored spaghetti, potato flakes, flax seed, coffee sand, rice, bird seed, sand, and of course water.

The best advice I can give took me a few playdates to realize....

Always separate the space where you have the dry and wet materials in your sensory table/tubs, or you get something like this and trust me....it isn't pretty!

What fun times! My boys still remember and the three of us had so much fun going through these old pictures. I love the experiences they were allowed to have and miss those days....So, let your kids dig in the dirt, and play in the mud puddles...they ARE learning something and they will love you for it;)