Parents = Toy Experts. Meet Nicole from Activity Mom

Tell us who is Nicole online and offline.

Online, I'm The Activity Mom. I enjoy sharing activities with other moms that I've tried with my children. I also love to be a part of discussions with other moms in our community, Mom Loop , and on We Teach.

Offline, I'm a former teacher, now stay at home mom of 2 little ones. Although it might seem like I'm always doing activities, I also enjoy other things like shopping, diy home improvement projects, and watching movies.

Where do you find inspiration for activities you create? (Like your plastic caps games)

I find inspiration for my activities everywhere. If I want to work on a certain concept with my son, I'll think of different inexpensive, simple ways I can do it. Occasionally, I'll look at some random thing around the house that I have a lot of (the bottle tops) and try to think of things I can do with them. I also find it on other blogs. There are so many neat ideas out there to try!

As a mom of toddler boy and baby girl, how you keep your toddler from feeling negolected?

Balancing two children is difficult and I still don't have it totally figured out! I try to spend one on one time with my son while my daughter naps and I've come to the realization that for us it isn't the quantity of time spent, but quality of that time.

Which games can you share with both of your kids?

With a 3 year old and 6 month old it is hard to find things to all do together. We do a lot of singing which they both enjoy and if we are playing store or working on an activity I try to make sure she is near us with something new to explore.

If you're to choose one toy for toddler to recommend to every parent, which toy that would be?

The aquadoodle wall mat is awesome. It sticks to the wall with putty and you can use aquadoodle pens or water and a paintbrush to create. Being upright on the wall, helps develop the correct wrist position for writing. It has held up for years and provided endless hours of fun!

Thank you Nicole for this fun interview! And, to all of you passing by, make sure to stop by Nicole's blog: