At the CAR WASH!!!

 

So, Santa brought the boys their own power washer for Christmas and it’s been sitting in its box in my basement ever since.  It can be attached to a garden hose and really works.  The boys love to play “landscapers” and help Daddy in the yard so they will definitely love using it.  However, with the mood Mother Nature has been in, it doesn’t seem like spring is just around the corner so no power washing just yet.  Anthony came across it today and since we’re all a little stir crazy and need something new to do, we decided to open it and just pretend with it.  The boys took out their big Bruder trucks and we set up a truck wash.  They had fun with it and went to play with it again after naps.  I’ve said before that from the time the boys wake up from their naps (around 4PM) till the Hubby gets home from work (around 6:30PM) is a tough time for me.  I’m tired and trying to get dinner done and the boys just never seem at their best.  Today, a war broke out over who was going to use the power washer.  I tried telling them they had to take turns, I tried setting the timer for Anthony’s turn and then for Michael’s turn but it seemed that they always went back to fighting over the power washer.  We needed an activity to save us and fast!  I’ve seen car wash activities to do outside and I thought why not adapt it into an inside activity.  And did it ever work!  This was one of those activities that you can start with the kids, get some great language out of, have a wonderful shared experience and then they’ll still be having so much fun that you can make an exit and cook dinner (or whatever you haven’t gotten to on your to-do list). 

Here’s what you need:

Towels (to put under your car wash play space – easy clean-up for later!)

Larger tubs or containers (I used my Tupperware marinader)

Favorite bubble bath

Sponges

Measuring spoons (we used them to scoop up the water)

Spray bottles

Bubbles

Cars, trucks or anything that needs washing

 

 

We set up our car wash at the kiddie table so that both boys could have access to everything.  First, I put a towel down on the table and one on the floor as well.  While the boys gathered up some cars, I filled one container with water and the other with bubbly water.  I placed a kitchen towel at the end as a drying space for the vehicles.  I armed the boys with spray bottles, sponges, and the measuring spoons to use to get those cars and trucks clean.  The boys like to wear hats so I threw on two of Hubby’s baseball hats backwards and told them they were officially employed at the car wash! 

 

I like to sing and make up songs to encourage the boys (and formerly my students) to use new or uncommon words or just to go along with actions that we’re doing.  Singing is a great way to bring a group together and stimulate the right side of your brain.  According to some studies singing can improve your memory and even your health!  So we sang to the tune of “Row, Row Your Boat.”

WASH, WASH, WASH the car

WASH it every day

WASH, WASH, WASH the car,

WASH it every way

Then with SCRUB, SOAK, and DRY.  Great for building up that vocabulary and increasing language production!

 

 

The boys and I took turns blowing bubbles to give our car wash the full effect.  We COUNTED the bubbles as they flew by.  Michael is up to counting to 3!  Yay!

Now remember I said I would revisit OPPOSITES again.  Well, I can’t think of a better OPPOSITE PAIR than CLEAN and DIRTY.  I wanted to think of something to use to really make the cars and trucks dirty to enhance our experience so I searched the cabinets.  I could have just gone outside to scoop up some dirt, but unfortunately there’s nothing but snow out there.  I found some chocolate pudding mix and put it in a bowl with about half the milk it calls for – stirred it up and we had our dirt!  (It was also nice that it was edible so I didn’t have to worry about Michael eating the dirt.)  The boys totally loved the dirty, muddy cars and trucks!!!  I got really brave and let them dirty them up too.  We talked about how DIRTY the cars and trucks were and how it happened…. This guy was driving around in a swamp looking for crocodiles… Another car drove through a thunderstorm in the country.  Love to get those little imaginations going.  Then we got to work on making them CLEAN.  I showed Michael some CLEAN and DIRTY cars and had him identify which was which, and by then end he was pointing them out himself using his words. 

 

 

 

This activity may have earned our vote as favorite so far!  Hope it’s a hit at your house too!  I was super excited to share this one!

Here are some great books to go along with your car wash!

 

 

Love & Language,

Marisa