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Intentional Play Dough Setups: Creating High-Value Sensory Experiences at Home
There’s something deeply satisfying about watching your child lose themselves in imaginative play—the kind where they’re so absorbed that an hour passes without them asking for a screen. Homemade play dough has become one of our most-used tools for creating these moments. Not because it’s cheaper than shop-bought (though it is), but because I know exactly what’s in it. No artificial fragrances, no questionable preservatives, no synthetic dyes unless I choose to add them. Just clean, simple ingredients—and when I use organic flour and natural colorings, it’s genuinely as pure as the food we eat. But the real magic isn’t just the dough itself—it’s how you present it. A thoughtfully…
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Bug Hunt Afternoon: The Screen-Free Activity That Actually Works
If you’ve ever desperately needed an afternoon activity that gets kids outside, costs nothing, and genuinely occupies them for more than 10 minutes, let me introduce you to the bug hunt. Not a nature walk. Not “let’s look at insects.” A proper bug hunt—with missions, magnifying glasses, containers, and the kind of focus that usually only screens provide. My kids have done this activity dozens of times and still ask for it. It works for toddlers (supervised), works for school-age kids (independently), works in gardens, allotments, parks, even small patios. And it costs roughly nothing. This is the outdoor activity that actually delivers. Why Bug Hunts Work So Well For…
