Fall Play!

Around my house, things have been a little different this fall.  My normally extremely active 4-year-old son has  been down for 6 weeks.  He broke his leg while we were vacationing in Williamsburg in September, wore a cast for a bit over 4 weeks, got it off last week, and (despite the fact that the doctor says the bone is healed perfectly), he is still refusing to walk. 

So, needless to say, play is lacking in our household – especially of the outdoor variety.  I’m none too thrilled about it either.  Wanna know why?  Because our little old town got new park equipment!  The equipment in our park previously was OLD – and I tried to avoid the park at all costs.  But this new stuff excites me – and I want to play!

As part of the blogger program at Growing Tree Toys (be sure to check them out for lots of learning toys!), I received a great package of goodies to review from Shout!  As the mom of a 4-year-old (and various and sundry messy eaters in my family, who shall remain nameless), the Shout product line has become very important to me. 

Shout has created the Go Play Initiative.  You can learn more about it by visiting their Facebook page.  If you’re having trouble finding things to do this fall, friends of Shout are sharing lots of great ideas on this page.  We did have opportunity to participate in a fall festival hosted by a family in our church.  The kids enjoyed a hayride, painting pumpkins, and various other fall-themed activities.  What are some fun things you’ve been doing with your kids this season?

Here’s what Shout has to say about play:

Shout knows play is so much more than fun and games. Studies show that unstructured play helps kids build fundamental skills like problem solving, coping, and conflict resolution. In other words: play is how kids become happy, healthy adults. Fall has arrived with crisp, cool air and new reasons to go out and play. So, let your kids take that rewarding jump into a pile of leaves. Take at trip to the park and watch their imaginations run free. The one thing you won’t do is worry about their clothes; play should get messy and Shout can help.

Because Shout wants kids to have lots of opportunities for educational play, they provided me with a 52 Nature Activities card set.  This product is available for purchase at Amazon for only $6.95 and is eligible for FREE shipping.  These cards provide a great way to jump-start your fall fun and are small enough to toss in a purse and take on the road!

And, after your kids have played to their hearts’ content (and you too), you know how to treat those nasty stains, right?

I’m a long-time Shout user and always have a bottle (or 2) handy in my house.  For those extra heavy-duty stains, you may want to try Shout Advanced.  It’s concentrated – and, I can say from personal experience – it works wonders on stains!    Currently, I’m using it to treat my overused Homeschooling with Heart totebag.

And something new that I’ve just been introduced to during this campaign is the Color Catcher sheets.  I’m just wondering where these things have been all my life!  No more red undies with these sheets!  Check out what the Shout website has to say about this new product:

Nobody wants dyes bleeding onto other items of clothing in the laundry. Shout® Color Catcher® sheets absorb and trap loose dyes in your wash water, safeguarding your clothes from color bleeds and helping to preserve original colors. Use Shout® Color Catcher® sheets in every load to keep clothes looking vibrant and bright!
Product Features:
• Sheets lock up loose dyes found in the wash water to prevent dyes from running or bleeding onto other clothes.
• The proof is on the sheet-each sheet changes color as it absorbs these loose dyes.
• Helps save you time by reducing the need for sorting.
• Helps save you money by reducing the need for half-size loads.

Now, I’m going to try to get my boy up and walking again.  I’ve got a trip to the park in mind – and I’d even welcome some stains!