The possibilities are endless and do not need to be prescribed to the bathroom sink. Think of all the places your little one asks for help, and how you can help them do it with less support from mom or dad!
]]>We sat down with Colorado native Abigail Green (@abigailmarygreen) to chat about her home and life as a mom of two!
In one word, describe your home’s decor before you had kids: Neutral + Coastal
In one word, describe your home’s decor AFTER you had kids: Honestly my decor style hasn’t changed much since having kids however the added (lovely) noise of children has made me desire a more calm space, so that has led me to more minimal, clean design.
Do you have a dream investment piece that you’re holding off on buying until your kids are older (and let’s be honest, less likely to ruin): A hand loomed rug! We have gone through sooo many rugs, to the point of going rug-less in our living room because the stains were just inevitable. I can’t wait to have nice rugs again 😅
Is there one item in your house that you know you’ll replace once your kids are older and less messy? I have a thing for white couches which means as a mom I have a thing for washing a million couch cushions every couple weeks so…probably a new version of our couch because it’ll be oh-so-loved by the time they’re older.
Best tip for kid proofing your house (while still making it feel like you live there too): I want our home to feel cozy, lived in but not stiff, so I try to have a home for everything. It helps when the kid things blend in as decor too - hence why I love our Audwell pieces! When it comes to baby/toddler proofing, we use these amazing magnetic locks on the inside of cabinets so you can’t see them!
Favorite DIY project in your home: Our beloved kitchen - where we spend most of our time. We re-did just about everything in here. Feels so special to be able to cook + share so many meals in a room that so much work was put into to make it “ours”.
Favorite spot in your home: Currently, my office! We just transformed it into a modern cottage core workspace & it practically begs you to sit down & stay awhile.
Favorite sustainable find: 100+ year old reclaimed wood above our kitchen window + as our fireplace mantle
Favorite inexpensive item in your home: Thrifted artwork in our kitchen
Random item in your home that your children are obsessed with: “Lips” - what Foster calls lip balm & lip gloss. I have a bit of a lip product obsession that has made its way into Foster, so she’s always stealing my lip balm all through out the day & offering a swipe of gloss to anyone else in the room.
In 1907 an Italian physician, educator, and innovator, acclaimed for her educational method, named Maria Montessori, developed a new style of teaching based on the way children learn naturally.
Montessori is an innovative, child-centered approach to education that is now being taught at home and in schools. In today’s digital age, a lot of what we see online and on our feeds revolves around Montessori at home.
What does Montessori at Home Mean?
Montessori at home encourages order, independence, and self-motivation. It is meant to help children develop competence in caring for themselves and the world around them. For our founder Lauren’s, boys, Evan (4) and Bennett (5), she noticed their love for the kitchen. She took this love and started implementing activities that help them gain independence and self-motivation surrounding the kitchen. Practicing chopping vegetables with wooden utensils has allowed them to learn about the kitchen and ask all sorts of questions. We designed our learning tower to help aid the boys in their independence so they can learn more naturally.
A few of our favorite Montessori Activities in the home
The goal of the Montessori lifestyle is for your child to learn about their surroundings and explore the world around them. By expressing encouragement and appreciation for your children’s efforts at home, you will help nurture the inner motivation that will help serve them throughout life.
]]>Here are 5 of their go-to tips…
Have patience with yourself in this. Organizing is all about developing a practice and creating systems that work for your unique home.
]]>It’s no surprise that we have a love for interior design. The foundation of audwell comes from our belief in the importance of thoughtful design and how it impacts the space we live in every day. In fact, we love good design so much that we wanted to peek inside the homes of other parents that we admire and ask them a few questions. As parents, we are all trying to balance the vision we have for our home and the reality that children bring (hello, mess). We figured there was no better way to receive design inspiration, DIY advice, and favorite finds than by interviewing other design experts.
We sat down with fellow Holland native, Hannah Jansma (aka @hannahtyler_home) to chat about the house she's building with her husband, Tyler and all the little touches that go into making a house a home.
In one word, describe your home’s decor before you had kids: Minimal
In one word, describe your home’s decor AFTER you had kids: Lived in (I suppose that's two words!)
Do you have a dream investment piece that you’re holding off on buying until your kids are older (and let’s be honest, less likely to ruin): Ironically, I just took the plunge and ordered real marble counters for our new kitchen! Some say we're crazy to do that now (as we just welcomed a kiddo into our lives). Will we regret it? We'll see!
Is there one item in your house that you know you’ll replace once your kids are older and less messy? Our living room rug. Would love to invest in a large, vintage piece.
Best tip for kid proofing your house (while still making it feel like you live there too): We're moving in a few months and are designing the new home to have a slipcover sofa, oil finish hardwood floors, washable rugs, cute baskets for all of the neon clutter, and tile on bathroom walls (especially helpful if raising boys ;)
Favorite DIY project in your home: Floating kitchen shelf.
Favorite spot in your home: Bunk room overlooking the lake.
Favorite sustainable find: Just scored a vintage pine dining table to refinish!
Favorite inexpensive item in your home: Our collection of thrifted coffee table books around the house.
Random item in your home that your children are obsessed with: Leather sofa (loves to scratch), wipe dispenser, and mom's hair!
It’s no surprise that we have a love for interior design. The foundation of audwell comes from our belief in the importance of thoughtful design and how it impacts the space we live in every day. In fact, we love good design so much that we wanted to peek inside the homes of other parents that we admire and ask them a few questions. As parents, we are all trying to balance the vision we have for our home and the reality that children bring (hello, mess). We figured there was no better way to receive design inspiration, DIY advice, and favorite finds than by interviewing other design experts.
We chatted with Zoe Bleak (aka @zoecorinne), about her intentionally minimalist home in Nashville. She has one son, Ellis (18 months) and in her spare time she sat down with us to answer a few of our favorite questions about her home.
The core mission of our company is to remove the chaos of clutter by designing quality children's products that look as good as they function and allow you to focus on what's most important—connecting with your little ones.
One way we cherish connecting with our little ones is around the table. In honor of that family time, we are introducing a new series called Table Topics. These topics are meant to be used with children of all ages and we hope they will be useful prompts to start interesting conversations around the table.
This Month's Table Topic:
FRIENDSHIP
1. What qualities make for a good friend?
2. Who is one of your favorite people?
3. Why is friendship important to you?
4. What friend do you want to see soon?
5. Who is someone new that you would like to be friends with?
Previous Topics:
EXPLORING
1. What does it mean to explore?
2. Why is it important to learn about new places?
3. What does traveling with your family mean to you?
4. What is exciting to you about visiting new places?
5. If you could pack just one thing, what would it be?
YOUR IDENTITY
1. Who do you want to grow up to become and why?
2. What do you admire most about yourself?
3. What do you want to improve about yourself?
4. Who else do you admire and why?
5. What do you love to spend your time doing?
BE THE CHANGE
1. How can you make the world a better place?
2. What small thing can you do to help others?
3. How do we make people feel welcome and seen?
4. How can you be a leader in your community?
5. What does it mean to be a good leader?
L O V E
1. What does love mean to you?
2. How can we show love to others?
3. What does it mean to be part of a loving family?
4. How do we want to be loved?
5. What does it mean to love yourself?
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The kitchen and young children might not immediately go together in your mind (hello, sharp cabinet corners and everything about the stove). We decided to start with the kitchen as our company's focus because instead of creating an off-limits zone, we wanted to invite your little one (and you) into the space by designing products that help them engage safely.
Our founder, Lauren, has two young boys and wanted to create thoughtful products that would help them fine-tune their motor skills, allow them to learn about food by being hands-on and a create a sense of independence in such an important room of the house. audwell was founded with the mission to remove the chaos of clutter by designing quality children's products that look as good as they function and allow you to focus on what's most important—connecting with your little ones.
We know that life can often feel chaotic, rushing from activity to activity and our goal is to not only ignite a passion for the kitchen in your little one but to bring everyone together and provide a moment to slow down (anyone knows that when you’re baking with a toddler speed and efficiency are nonexistent).
Our first product, the Oslo Tower, encourages your child to get involved and become an active participant in the world around them. By giving them just the right boost they need, your little ones can help with dinner (which tends to make them want to eat their dinner!) and provides them with the independence to wash their hands by themselves.
It was only natural that we created a Chef Apron next so your little sous chef could experiment without the fear of messy clothes ruining all the fun. We also created an apron for adults to encourage the lovely ritual of cooking together (and who doesn't love a matching moment?).
Our most recent product, The Goldie Chair, stems from a similar need of wanting your child to feel like they have a special place just for them around the kitchen. The Goldie Chair curves to fit your child's smaller stature and provides them with just the right size footrest for when their feet don’t quite touch the ground.
We have plans in the works for new products that will exist outside of the kitchen but the kitchen will always remain a central focus for us. It's where we naturally tend to gather, make messes and just enjoy each other's company.
]]>It’s no surprise that we have a love for interior design. The foundation of audwell comes from our belief in the importance of thoughtful design and how it impacts the space we live in every day. In fact, we love good design so much that we wanted to peek inside the homes of other parents that we admire and ask them a few questions. As parents, we are all trying to balance the vision we have for our home and the reality that children bring (hello, mess). We figured there was no better way to receive design inspiration, DIY advice, and favorite finds than by interviewing other design experts.
We chatted with Amanda Jane Jones (aka @amandajanejones) graphic designer extraordinaire, illustrator and has an eye for interior design like no other. She has three kids, Jane (8), Miles (6) and Wes (2) and in her spare time she sat down with us to answer a few of our favorite questions about her home.
In one word, describe your home’s decor before you had kids: Honestly, it was more colorful and vintage inspired and more thrifty.
Describe your home’s decor AFTER you had kids: Bringing kids into my life, although so wonderful and fulfilling has also introduced extreme chaos. I've seen my style evolve to one with cleaner lines, that's more simple / modern and more organized. It helps me mentally as a parent to have an organized house and calm surroundings. This is probably why I crave simple pieces and why I was so drawn to audwell. It's a beautiful piece that the kids love and I love to look at. [editor's note- we promise we didn't make her say that!] Making the kids' things a cohesive part of our home in a beautiful way has always been a goal. We have toys in every single room so that the kids can feel a part of things, which can turn into a big mess, but every toy has a bin or a box, so it's easy to clean up.
Do you have a dream investment piece that you’re holding off on buying until your kids are older (and let’s be honest, less likely to ruin): A nice couch! Don't look too closely at ours. ;)
Is there one item in your house that you know you’ll replace once your kids are older and less messy? Other than the couch, no actually! We've tried to be really strategic and only buy things we love, that are good quality and hope to have forever. Most of our furnishings are wood and have weathered well with children...minus a few dried boogers and scratches but those are easy fixes.
Best tip for kid proofing your house (while still making it feel like you live there too): Having toys in every room has been my best parenting revelation since Jane was born. They won't get into the [nice] books if there are dinosaurs in a box right next to them. My kids really don't get into stuff because there is always a more fun option right by it. We try to collect beautiful toys that I don't mind having out and seeing every day...and for the action figures, we just put those in a beautiful basket or tin.
Favorite DIY project in your home: Cree made our bookshelves in the front room and I ADORE them. We were at the point in our renovation where I was just ready to be done, but I'm so glad he pushed through and made them. It really transforms the room.
Favorite spot in your home: The front room / kitchen. The floor to ceiling windows make us feel like we are in a tree house. We moved from Chicago and during the winter months everyone congregates there to read, snack, have impromptu dance parties...it's a space where we naturally can all be together.
Favorite sustainable find: Esembly baby diaper covers! I haven't bought a swim diaper in over three years.
Favorite inexpensive item in your home: My steamer - I mean it's not necessarily inexpensive at $40, but not having to iron is such a treat and steaming is kind of fun—a weird therapeutic chore, ha! Favorite really inexpensive item are my Muji pens. I just love them.
Random item in your home that your children are obsessed with: Toilet paper rolls. They use them for crafts, for make believe. We always save them.
]]>We always want to be transparent with you especially when it involves our costs.
We launched earlier this year, which admittedly was a bit of a crazy year to launch any company. Since our launch in March, the supply chain (everyone’s new favorite catchphrase these days) has gotten a bit more chaotic. Due to the fact that we manufacture domestically, we are facing a few challenges:
Because of the above, we are raising the price for our Oslo Tower to $325. Shipping is still free (that part we can control!), but in order to account for the price increase on our end we have to increase the cost to the consumer.
We know this is a crazy time in life and in retail and we hope you understand. We are a small business that is thriving and surviving at the same time and we want to make sure we don’t compromise the quality of our product above all else.
As always, I am here to answer any questions you might have.
Thank you for understanding,
Lauren
It’s no surprise that we have a love for interior design. The foundation of audwell comes from our belief in the importance of thoughtful design and how it impacts the space we live in every day. In fact, we love good design so much that we wanted to peek inside the homes of other parents that we admire and ask them a few questions. As parents, we are all trying to balance the vision we have for our home and the reality that children bring (hello, mess). We figured there was no better way to receive design inspiration, DIY advice, and favorite finds than by interviewing other design experts.
We chatted with Gillian Stevens (aka @gillianstevens) about her minimal design aesthetic, her hidden talent for building kids kitchens and how she can't wait to wear her dry clean only clothes again once her kids, Henry (3.5) and James (1.5) are a little older!
In one word, describe your home’s decor before you had kids: Minimal
In one word, describe your home’s decor AFTER you had kids: Minimal-ish
Do you have a dream investment piece that you’re holding off on buying until your kids are older (and let’s be honest, less likely to ruin): Honestly, no. We have many of our dream pieces in our home already, and we just embrace the inevitable accidents and surprise artwork that pops up on our wood table or linen sheets ! It's a balance because I don't want to compromise not having a home that reflects us, but I also realize that I need to manage my expectations with keeping anything looking perfect.
Is there one item in your house that you know you’ll replace once your kids are older and less messy? I'm sure it will all get an upgrade ;). Mostly I just think I'll be able to wear my dry-clean only clothing, and store ceramics on low shelves where I want to.
Best tip for kid proofing your house (while still making it feel like you live there too): Keep breakables up high. Pick a coffee table with round edges, invest in nice looking storage for all the toys.
Favorite DIY project in your home: My husband and I do a lot of projects around the house, we designed the kitchen, he did all the electrical work, and pretty much built our entire bathroom.. We also made a cute kids kitchen for Henry!
Favorite spot in your home: The kitchen.
Favorite sustainable find: Our antique mid century credenza.
Favorite inexpensive item in your home: The mirror in our bathroom. I wanted something exactly like it, and found it for $12 at a thrift store.
Random item in your home that your children are obsessed with: The stairs.
]]>Curiosity helps our little ones be alert and aware of the environment around them. By observing how the world is constantly changing children can develop critical thinking skills and begin to learn how to apply those skills to the world around them.
High quality play, which we also talk about in this blog post, is a great way to keep a curious child engaged (and we all know half the battle of parenting is keeping a toddler engaged). We are all about finding the right activities that encourage curiosity while allowing you to engage in your little one’s world.
Nurturing curiosity daily opens the door for children to have a better understanding of tomorrow and that is definitely something we can get on board with.
Below are a few of our favorite activities that help to nurture curiosity (appropriately fall themed, of course!):
Leaf Coloring
Materials:
White, Blank Paper
Crayons
Leaves
While they work on their masterpiece, they will bring the appearance of the original leaf to life on their sheet of paper. Encourage them to name the leaf! If they show interest, research with them to find out what type of leaf it is and the tree it belongs to. One activity can be turned into a week of fun as you search your neighborhood or local park for different leaves to draw.
Thankful Turkey
Materials:
Brown construction paper (can be done with white)
Crayons
Scissors (child-safe)
Markers
Pencil
In a year filled with so many unforeseen cancellations and disappointments, taking this time to talk through what being thankful means with your little ones is important (bonus points if you think about what you’re grateful for and share it as well). This is a sweet way to engage their curiosity since it ties the real world into their art.
]]>Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Whoopie Cookies
For the Cream-Cheese Filling
Make the cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together oil, pumpkin puree, eggs, and vanilla until well combined. Add brown sugar and whisk until combined. Sprinkle flour mixture over pumpkin mixture and whisk until fully incorporated. Using a cookie scoop with a release mechanism, drop dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Transfer to oven and bake until cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cookie comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely on pan.
Make the filling: Sift confectioners' sugar into a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. Add cream cheese and beat until well combined. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla, beat just until smooth. (Filling can be made up to a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate; let stand at room temperature to soften before using.)
Assemble the whoopie pies: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Transfer filling to a disposable pastry bag and snip the end. When cookies have cooled completely, pipe a large dollop of filling on the flat side of half of the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edge of the cookies. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate cookies at least 30 minutes before serving and up to 3 days.
For more sweet ideas around the table, check out our Table Topics blog post.
It’s no surprise that we have a love for interior design. The foundation of audwell comes from our belief in the importance of thoughtful design and how it impacts the space we live in every day. In fact, we love good design so much that we wanted to peek inside the homes of other parents that we admire and ask them a few questions. As parents, we are all trying to balance the vision we have for our home and the reality that children bring (hello, mess). We figured there was no better way to receive design inspiration, DIY advice, and favorite finds than by interviewing other design experts.
We chatted with Liz Marie Galvan and her husband Jose Galvan, (aka @lizmariegalvan and @whitecottagefarm) about their gorgeous white cottage (we couldn't help ourselves) that we want to move into tomorrow. Liz and Jose have one child named Copeland Beau, age 2 1/2 and a bunch of animals (including a sheep named Grace).
Below we asked Liz and Jose a few questions about their home after they had a child.
]]>
Change up the location
Sometimes mealtime just needs a little refresh. Instead of sitting at the table or in a highchair, let your toddler stand at the counter and eat. They will be delighted at the prospect of standing and eating, giving them a whole new perspective on their food! Our learning tower has become crucial in our household when we host special “Standing Dinners” for the boys. Sometimes just changing up their normal routine and making it feel special allows them to feel more in charge of their meal, and therefore they tend to eat more.
Make all the little foods count
Toddlers love to arrange and rearrange (and rearrange) any and all things into particular orders. Why not let them do it with their food? Serve a meal of “little foods”—blueberries, little cheese cubes, peas, mini crackers—and ask them to line up each food and count before popping it in their mouths. They’ll be so focused on lining up and counting, they won’t even realize they’re eating (bonus: it’s an excellent way to serve all the random leftovers in your fridge).
Let them help prep
At this age, allowing toddlers to feel a sense of independence is important. Ask them to help prep dinner. Give them small tasks like helping mix together ingredients or cut up veggies with a kid-friendly knife (with supervision, of course!). Prep is made much easier with our Oslo Tower too—your little one can work right alongside you! When toddlers feel ownership over their meal, they are more likely to sit with it and enjoy it during mealtime.
Create a menu
Before you tell us that this seems a bit overboard, hear us out. Toddlers love choices! No need to create a diner-style menu with endless options. Instead, create little flashcards with options that you were planning on making anyway such as Eggs, Chicken, Pasta, etc. Then allow your toddler to select the meal they want to eat. During dinner, place the card next to their plate and practice going over how to spell the food they’re eating.
Sing it out
Sometimes we all just need a good dance party. The same goes for your toddlers. Play a few good tunes during mealtime and jam out. You can even make it a tradition to start the meal with the same song to kick off eating and wrap it up with another one, indicating that mealtime is officially over. Although we know we don’t need to warn you, it goes without saying that almost every song that toddlers enjoy tends to get very old, very fast!
Give them an audience
We know your little ones are already the center of attention but another way to keep them engaged during mealtime is to give them a new audience. Do they have a favorite stuffed animal? A train set they can’t let go of? Instruct them to line up their favorite objects to watch them eat- mealtime is always more entertaining with a built-in audience!
As the mom of two boys, these are just a few tips and tricks that have helped our family thrive (and sometimes, just survive) during mealtimes. We’d love to hear some of your favorite tips- find us on Instagram @meetaudwell and send us a DM about what works for your family!
It’s no surprise that we have a love for interior design. The foundation of audwell comes from our belief in the importance of thoughtful design and how it impacts the space we live in every day. In fact, we love good design so much that we wanted to peek inside the homes of other parents that we admire and ask them a few questions. As parents, we are all trying to balance the vision we have for our home and the reality that children bring (hello, mess). We figured there was no better way to receive design inspiration, DIY advice, and favorite finds than by interviewing other design experts.
We chatted with Grace Start (aka @grace_start) whose home is inviting and full of warmth. Grace has four kids who range in age from Theo (6), Wes (4), Jane (2), and Tommy, (7 months) and is a successful interior designer for Jean Stoffer Design.
Below we asked Grace a few questions about her home after motherhood.
1. Why is the learning tower your first product?
Truly out of personal need! Every day, my son would drag a dining chair into the kitchen. He always wanted to see what I was doing or wanted to "help" me. I spent hours trying to find a product that would work in my home but never found the perfect tower for various reasons. They were either too bulky, didn't fit with the aesthetic of my home, and the made-to-order towers took too long to arrive. I felt there was a gap in the market and wanted to fill it!
2. What's next for audwell?
We are currently testing the prototype for Product #2 and we just completed the prototype for Product #3 this week! We also want to work directly with our customers to understand what products you feel are missing in the market. (PS: Please let us know! We love to hear from you and you can always reach me at hello@audwell.com).
3. What's your favorite DIY project in your home?
Our wood floors! When we bought our home it was almost entirely covered in carpet and replacing the carpet with lighter colored floors made a drastic difference. I can't take credit for the DIY, but my lovely husband singlehandedly laid 1,100 square feet himself!
4. In one word, describe your home's decor before you had kids: CURATED
5. In one word, describe your home's decor after you had kids: INTENTIONAL
6. Speaking of, what are the names and ages of your boys?
Bennett (3) and Evan (2)
7. What's always in your fridge?
Fresh produce and champagne (I like to celebrate small wins).
8. Before kids, I never thought I would...?
Move back to my hometown
9. What plays on rotation on your phone?
Second Life Podcast with Hillary Kerr and Mood Booster playlist on Spotify!
10. What's your favorite guilty pleasure?
Weekly visits to the local Herman Miller/Design Within Reach outlet! (Fun fact: My husband Aaron works for Herman Miller so we're a #furniturecouple through and through).
]]>
We chatted with Savannah Jayde (aka @ssavannahjaydee) whose home is inviting and full of warmth. Savannah is mom to Miles (2) and we are always inspired by the sweet DIY projects that they do together. Below we asked Savannah a few questions about her home after motherhood.
Mae Barber's (aka @maeberganbarber) home feels like a breath of fresh air. Mae is mom to Harrison (3) and Margot (8 months) and still manages to keep her white kitchen looking picture perfect. We asked her a few questions about how her home has changed after having children.
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We love Esther Lee's (aka @thiswildheart) calming and beautiful aesthetic and we live for her home DIYs. With two little ones at home, Miles and Nora, we asked Esther a few questions about how her home style has evolved since becoming a mom.
When children have a safe place to play, they are able to explore new ideas, practice problem solving without the fear of failing, and enjoy themselves and the world around them.
Parents play (see what we did there?) a vital role in this as well. Spending time in play together can help children learn new ideas and ways of doing things. High quality play is when the child is “actively engaged,” like when your child is figuring out how to stack blocks without making the tower fall over. In this one activity there are so many factors going into play that we may not think about: fine motor– their sweet, little fingers carefully placing the blocks, cognitive– understanding depth perception and balance, and communication– expressing to their playmate where they think the blocks could go.
In the words of Fred Rogers,
“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for our children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”
Oslo Tower play time ideas that help target learning development:
The benefit of using our Oslo Tower in play is that it creates equality between the adult and child. It levels the playing field in creating a cooperative play experience where the child feels safe to learn and problem solve.
Green Beans Train:
Materials
A large bowl, green beans
Set Up
Place green beans in a large bowl.
Play Time!
Allow your child to reach in and grab green beans. They can connect them from end to end to create a train or create a picture of their choice. They can also line them up from shortest to tallest. Older kids can practice cutting off the ends and place them back into a bowl for future cooking.
Learning
This activity allows children to explore and create by using their imagination in designing pictures with the beans. It also allows them to practice finger-pinching by grabbing the beans, a skill that helps with future handwriting. Kids are developing their self-help skills when they practice cutting the green beans. Practice asking open-ended questions to encourage the child to think deeply.
3 Little Pigs Safe House:
Materials
Scrap paper or cardboard from the recycle bin, child-safe scissors, tape, play people or animals or cars
Set Up
Cut up the scrap paper and cardboard into squares and put arrange them on the counter
Play Time!
Read together any version of the 3 Little Pigs story and then create their own version of a house they could stay safe in if the big bad wolf were to blow it down. Put their favorite play people or animals or cars inside the house and blow on the house to see if it stays up!
Learning
This activity targets fine motor and communication development. Using scissors (we recommend child-safe scissors with help) and tape, they are making their fingers work hard to create a house. Communicating back and forth with an adult can help encourage the child to think deeply about what might work and what might not work. Practice asking open-ended questions to encourage the child to think deeply.
]]>Snap a pic and tag us on Instagram @meetaudwell so we can see their masterpieces!
]]>xo Lauren + the audwell team
]]>Yes, the Oslo Tower is our first product and yes, we want you to love it. But we wanted to share a little more with you about why learning towers are so special.
Learning towers help children feel more empowered. By giving them the little boost they need, they can reach things without extra help, creating more autonomy. When your little one is next to you, whisking batter or even just watching you prep food, they feel more involved and active in the world around them.
The tower helps further develop children’s motor skills. Climbing up requires balance and coordination. Once they’re up, they use their hands to do things that being on the ground just doesn’t allow for, like a different angle for holding a paint brush and creating a masterpiece.
How many times have your children just wanted to join in and “help?” Think of how much your little ones love it when they can actively assist you with dinner prep. As you’re trying to move around the kitchen (usually the most stressful time of day), your children will be happy to play a part in the meal. Give them fruit to wash at the sink or ask them to fill up their water cup. They will feel like an invaluable sous-chef!
]]>