Whenever we’re stuck inside for an extended period of time, we end up pulling out the Play Doh. It’s quick, it’s easy, it requires minimal supervision (so I can run around cleaning up the last mess that was created while they make a brand new one), and it’s not too terrible to clean up (once it dries a little the vacuum does the trick).

The problem? The stuff dries out. Which means sometimes, when momma’s in a pinch, it just won’t do. So we decided to make homemade play dough.

Samantha is one of those kids who is constantly wanting you to stop what you’re doing so that you can check out her sweet dance moves. Some of her “moves” were picked up from a Zumba class she took after school, but most of them are self taught (although she did take ballet for two years and we should probably get her back in there).

The ballet/Zumba combo means that much of her dancing is done with dramatic faces and sweeping arm movements with a little bit of hip swiveling thrown in for good measure.

Needless to say, when Ubisoft offered to send over a copy of Just Dance Kids 2014 for us to review, I was all over it. 

It’s been a while since my last Just Ask Sam post—and not because she doesn’t have anything to say. Because, trust me, the girl has got a lot to say. I just couldn’t get any answers out of her that weren’t carefully worded as though she was already considering a presidential run in 2030.

A slight tweak in my interviewing tactics brought dramatically better results. Instead of asking her what she knows I asked her what she thinks might be true. This made all of the difference in the world to my serious little rule follower.

Here are her thoughts on the origins of Halloween and some of its traditions…

I don’t know about you, but my kids get bored all year round. Like, whining, fighting, make-me-want-to-pull-my-freakin-hair-out bored. Yet, for some reason, the only times of the year that people talk about keeping them occupied are during the summer and the winter.

What the cuss?! (Sorry, we just watched The Fantastic Mr. Fox this weekend and I just can’t stop). I mean, I guess it makes sense since summer and winter breaks are when they’re in our hair and non-stop bored the most. But right now I could really use some fall boredom busters. Like, stat.

I wrote a post last week for NY Metro Parents about a doing an easy DIY fall scavenger hunt with the kids. Aside from being adaptable to pretty much any situation, scavenger hunts are quick and simple ways to get the kids outside and distract them from anything they may be considering throwing a tantrum about.

Even better? You can bring the treasures they find inside (as long as they’re not wet and gross, of course) and let them go craft crazy.

Check out what we did…

Toddlers are amazing little boogers. From how quickly they learn new skills like language to how closely they watch and learn from the adults in their lives, these bite-sized, temperamental humans are absolute sponges.

The other day we watched Ellie pick up my brother’s girlfriend’s phone, click on the camera app and start swiping through her pictures. The girl is two and a half. I know plenty of adults who can’t figure it out that quickly (I will spare them the public humiliation of being named, but you know who you are).

She seems to be more interested in phones because she’s not allowed to touch them very often—which is why toddler apps are pretty much the best distraction ever when you’re praying to the gods that your little angels will behave themselves for fifteen freakin minutes.

I’m not going to lie. I’ve totally turned to iPhone apps as a babysitter and/or bribe. Don’t judge. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do—especially if you’re trying to have a phone conversation with a client and are hoping to be able to pay attention without screaming in the background and/or silence that’s indicative of some sort of major catastrophe.

So yeah. Color me guilty. And if you’re sitting there wanting to be guilty with me, you’re in luck. I put together a list of five of the best toddler apps for the iPhone. We got most of these for free either because they’re always free or because we (and by we I mean my husband) watched the App of the Week list and picked them up that way—because momma ain’t shelling out a lot of money on apps for a fickle little toddler. I’m way too cheap for that business.