What is a Squeeble?

I swap kiddos with a friend of mine so that we both can work and today was my day. All week I had been waking up to sunshine and I was excited to do some really fun, messy, outdoor activities when they came.

But of course, the best laid plans of Moms'...I woke up to rain. It wasn't the end of the world, we had been playing inside due to the cold until very recently so I was just a little bummed.

Then the pushing, complaining, and arguing started. Something about rainy days brings out the whiny and crazy in even the most wonderful children. My usual thought would have been to pull out paint or play dough or pop on a show but for some reason on this particular rainy day inspiration struck and the result was a morning full of active engaged kids.

It all started when Belle rooted through my school bag and pulled out some puffy, shaggy, silky pom-poms. All four kids were enamored by them. They were petting them and talking to them and showing them around the play room. Beanie asked in a voice of wonderment "Mom, what are these soft guys? They are so cute!" Instead of answering "pom-poms" I said "baby squeebles" and we were off. I explained that the squeebles were visiting for the day and that they needed us to show them how to play.
"But Mrs. Beanie's Mom, they don't have any eyes!"

Out came the puffy paint, now we had pom-poms with eyes.

The next question was "Can we use the blocks to make a house for them?" Of course! They even took the time to clean the play room because I told them they couldn't take the blocks out until they made space on the floor.
When it started to become apparent that they were getting tired of the blocks so we decided to play a game.

Get the Squeebles Home (a fine AND gross motor game)
supplies:
Pom-poms
ladles and/or chop sticks
construction paper

Object: Jump from construction paper square to square. Scoop up the pom-poms in the ladles or pinch them with the chop sticks and bring them back "home" without dropping them.

That lasted for awhile and then...
"They miss their Mommy's, what do squeeble Mommys' look like?"

I don't know what do you think? Lets go draw some!
They discussed and drew, apparently squeeble Mommys are round with beaks and feet and stripes.
The two little ones got involved as well scribbling on their own papers and squealing with laughter whenever their big brother's did.
The squeeble Mommys were cut out and introduced to their babies and low and behold, the next game took shape.

Help the Mommy Squeebles find the baby squeebles. 
They took turns hiding the squeebles and carrying the Mommy's around to find them.

Belle and her little friend helped search and were delighted when their big brothers let them be the ones to find a baby squeeble.

After we took a break for lunch the squeebles "wanted to have their own place to play." For this the kids each got a piece of construction paper and some construction paper shapes. They rearranged them on their big papers to make play houses, trampolines, and slides for the squeebles.

They were still doing it when my friend arrived to pick her kids up.

There have been so many days that I was in teacher mode, wracking my brain and searching Pintrest for something new, fun, creative, and exciting to do with the kids. I think sometimes I am working so hard to come up with engaging activities that I forget how creative the three year old mind really is. They are full of questions, ideas, and excitement and it was so rewarding to watch the way today unfolded.