Lil Rompers Play Place

04/23/2022

🥳🎉 Happy birthday, Mother Earth! This week, our lil explorers used mud and nature treasures to celebrate some of our friends' birthdays and Earth Day! 🌎

❓️Did you know that Messy Play, such as blending dirt and water to make mud, supports flexible thinking? It provides the ideal physical experience for training the brain to allow creative impulses and creative experiences to thrive! This was one of my favorite activities because it engages all of the senses which helps developing brains process new information. 🧠

03/30/2022

🌱Spring Tinkergarten kicks off next week — if you’re looking to make joyful outdoor learning a part of your spring plans, join us!

🌸This spring, our Creative Explorations season helps kids strengthen one of life’s most important skills: creativity. Explorers will activate their imaginations and practice the building blocks of creativity as we break, bend and blend objects found in the most creative studio of all: nature. I’d love to see you there!

👉For a limited time, families can take advantage of our last chance savings. Use code LASTCHANCE10 to save 10%. Hurry – expires today (3/30/22), so secure your spot today!
https://tinkergarten.com/leaders/michelle.cardwell

03/22/2022

👋Hi Firends!

🌸In case you missed it: Spring Tinkergarten is OPEN! Yay!!!

🌻What better way to soak up the magic of springtime than with outdoor learning and play? I can’t wait to kick off my next season of Tinkergarten classes at beautiful Heritage Park in Allentown, NJ this April! Devin is pretty psyched too!

🌱This season is designed to strengthen kids’ natural creativity, and I’m so excited to teach this curriculum.

🌷You can experience the magic of Tinkergarten for 10% off enrollment with the code LASTCHANCE10 (Expires 3/30).

👉Here is the link for more details: https://tinkergarten.com/leaders/michelle.cardwell

03/21/2022

This! This is why I'm 🤪
I made this to-do list this morning. There's longer term projects on the back of this page. Even when my body physically can't do another task, my mind doesn't stop! Lol. Other than the things I need to wait for normal business hours to complete, most of what I didn't finish requires me to clean up after other people. That stuff is ALWAYS waiting for me.🙄

🙉But here's the raw and real honest truth. I'm human. Some days I totally rock it, and other days I can barely wake up, much less achieve anything of great significance. I remember being postpartum and making post-it lists that literally said 1. Eat and 2. Take a shower. Believe me, there were days I didn't even make it in the shower. It. Was. ALL. I. Could. Do. But guess what??? Everyone was and is ok!

🫂💕Mama's, I know you feel me. I see you! Mom guilt. We all have it. There's a lot of pressure we put on ourselves. It comes from both internal and external sources. Starting now, I challenge you this: In place of that negative self talk, go hug your beautiful babies. Embrace and enjoy these fleeting moments with your littles.

👏👏👏In case no one has told you today, you are doing an amazing job! 💜💜💜

03/09/2022

Enter to win!

GIVEAWAY CLOSED! Winners will be notified via email – thank you for entering!
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🌸 We’re kicking off with the Mud Fun giveaway! Mud is one of our favorite tools for creating. Mud strengthens multiple senses by stimulating sight, sound and, of course, touch. The better kids are able to tune and integrate their senses, the more effectively they can learn!

You could win:
☀️The Cedar Single Sink Mud Kitchen by our friends at The Monarch Studio
☀️Assorted mud kitchen accessories, including pots and pans
☀️ A season of Tinkergarten!

🌸 Enter here: https://tkgtn.com/3HUvel1
You’ll also receive 16 sweet ways to spend your extra hour of daylight this weekend and tips for helping kids thrive through the time change!

About our partner:
Monarch Studio is a family business owned and operated by a mother with two young children. They create high quality Mud Kitchens and Sensory Play Furniture for children to bring more outdoor time and sensory experiences to their every day play. Learn more: The Monarch Studio

01/29/2022

This is a memory from 2 years ago today. Who would have known what was to come?! It's been a heck of a ride to say the least. I realize we do not currently have a physical location, but my reason for creating Lil Rompers Play Place remains. Devin continues to amaze me every day and I'll forever be grateful for the courage he taught me to find in myself.
That said, what we truly miss is the relationships we made with so many of you. I loved watching the kids join us for Open Play, classes, special events and celebrations. It was always my other mission to make connections with members of our beautiful community. While at times this has been tough, it is still what I strive to do today. Keep following us as we change course. Just a hint, I've been working on Playschool Classes and starting Mobile Event rentals for lil ones. More information to come in the upcoming weeks!
We sincerely appreciate all of you! ♥️

I want to take a moment to welcome all of our new friends & followers! Thank you! We are so happy to bring to our beautiful community ❤️ I am proud to have met almost every guest who I have been blessed to have had walk through our doors. I thought I should introduce myself & our story to our new friends whom I have not yet met.
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Just 1 year ago, I was the mom of a newborn who had flatlined 4 times, subsequently had a stroke as a side effect of the ECMO life support he was on (a risk we were willing to take given the alternative), was told there's a possibility he may never walk or talk, & that he was "failure to thrive," among other diagnoses. But Devin had other plans for his precious time here. In those moments, I made a promise that if he had the Will to survive, then I would do whatever it takes to give him every opportunity to do just that.
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Last January, this was merely a concept. I made the commitment to create a cozy & welcoming, play place where parents & caregivers could connect with other local families, & children of all developmental abilities could socialize & play.
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Fast forward to today. Devin had a NICU follow up at . It was one of many appointments he has had in the past 15 months. He wasn't a fan of wearing the protective mask (if he gets sick, given his prior medical history, he can't go to a local hospital & has to be admitted to CHOP). He definitely could do without the blood work! We received some not so great news & some AMAZING news. Despite having low muscle tone & weakness, he is adapting well! They were shocked at how advanced his communication skills are!
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I am so incredibly blessed to be able to be present for these precious moments for my children, as well as watch other kiddies from our surrounding communities learn, socialize & grow.
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Thank you again for liking & following us. A sincere debt of gratitude to the people who have liked, commented on & shared our page! There are many new & exciting things on the horizon!

01/16/2022

🐺🌕 Bundle up the lil ones, get outside and howl at tomorrow's Full Wolf Moon!

Let's celebrate January's full moon, also known as the Wolf Moon! 🐺✨

Catch the moon at its fullest on Monday, January 17th at 6:48pm EST. One of our favorite ways to connect to this particular moon is by howling like wolves! Grab your PJs or outdoor gear and head outside for joyful winter howling!

This moon appears full the night before and after, so today is a great day to practice before Monday's full moon rise! Record your howling and tag us or share in our Facebook group, !

Click here for more inspirational ways to connect to the moon: https://tkgtn.com/3jiAGVw

Join : https://www.facebook.com/groups/2255894638037575

12/23/2021

🎁Friends! Parents! Grandparents! Caregivers! If you are looking for a last minute gift for that lil love in your life, my amazing friend, mama of 3 and owner of House Of Playful Soul has created this awesome Playschool In a Box. Give the gift of play through meaningful learning!
EACH MONTH YOU GET:

* 2 PREPPED PROJECTS
* 2-3 LEARNING ACTIVITIES AT HOME WITH ACCOMPANYING PRINTABLES
* MOVEMENT GAME
* RECIPE
* 1-2 WORKSHEETS
* A PLAY TOOL TO ACCOMPANY THE LESSON

Learning At Home Made Easy can be hard. But learning with your little one shouldn’t be. Whether the busyness of life or COVID is keeping you from in-person classes, play based learning is now easy and accessible at home!  Every day is an opportunity to play and learn.  Playschool In a ...

12/18/2021

Tonight is December’s Full Moon, also known as the Cold Moon! ❄️🌕

The Cold Moon tradition comes from several Native American tribes and early Colonial Americans and celebrates the arrival of winter weather in the northern hemisphere. It will rise on Saturday, December 18th with peak illumination at 11:36 pm EST and you can still observe the moon the night after!

The moon is a wonderful moment for kids to connect to nature. Click here to read our favorite ways to celebrate the full moon with kids: https://tkgtn.com/3jiAGVw

12/14/2021

For our friends in Upper Freehold and Allentown, save the dates! 🎅🚒

It’s official!!! Santa Claus is comin’ to Allentown and Upper Freehold!!! Our officials just got off the phone with the planning group at the North Pole. He will be visiting the residents of Upper Freehold on Sunday, December 19th in the early evening hours.

Santa will also be visiting and delivering early gifts to the residents of Allentown Boro only on Christmas Eve night! Directions on dropping off gifts during the day on Christmas Eve will be put out in a separate post.

12/14/2021

For our friends in New Egypt, save the date! 🎅🚒

REMINDER! We will be escorting Santa Claus around Plumsted Township this Saturday, December 18th! Keep a look out and listen for the sirens!

12/14/2021

Mindful Mondays: The Star! ⭐️ We love this pose as it’s a marvelous way to amplify holiday joy! Repeat this pose anytime that kids (or you) want to lean into the light, power and happiness you feel inside.

This pose:
⭐️ Helps improve balance and posture.
⭐️ Stretches muscles as kids lengthen in all directions.
⭐️ Calms kids through balanced feedback in muscles and joints.

This activity (and more!) can be found on our free downloadable December activities calendar! Get yours: https://tkgtn.com/3I6IJPW