$1 Tree

I'm still clinging to our final days of summer.  There are a lot of items left on our Summer List of activities, and I know I can't get the list completed.  But I can still do little things with the kids as we're preparing for school this week.

This was our cool thing for yesterday:

A couple weeks ago, Jared and I ran out to Dollar Tree to pick up last-minute items for vacation, including toys for the kids' carry-on bags.  We happened to notice this crystal tree kit and thought it would be a fun activity to do at home. 

It was a huge hit!  It was super easy to set up:  connect the two halves of the tree, secure the tree in the base, and pour the packet of liquid into the base.  Then we watched as the liquid climbed up the thin cardboard tree.  Soon crystals started forming on the lower branches.  Eventually, just a few hours later, crystals were covering all the branches.


That's about the most fun you can have for $1!

Once we got the tree set up (while we were still waiting for crystals), we pulled out our sensory bins.  I had new "hidden treasures" for them.  I had purchased plastic sea creatures of all sorts, and the kids loved seeing all the animals we had seen and talked about on vacation.  Then they made the biggest mess they've ever made with the beans and rice, and I threatened to never do sensory bins again if they didn't help me clean it up.  Vacation is over, kids.

And now I have to get back to panicking about starting a new school year.  And working off my vacation weight.

Jessica