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Heather's Dish

Heather's Dish

STEAM Fun with Itty Bitty City Magnetic Blocks

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This post about Itty Bitty City’s new magnetic wooden blocks is sponsored, but all opinions are my own.

STEAM Fun with Itty Bitty City make learning fun while developing crucial STEAM skills with their new magnetic wooden blocks! #sponsored

STEAM Fun with Itty Bitty City make learning fun while developing crucial STEAM skills with their new magnetic wooden blocks! #sponsored

STEAM Fun with Itty Bitty City make learning fun while developing crucial STEAM skills with their new magnetic wooden blocks! #sponsored

STEAM Fun with Itty Bitty City make learning fun while developing crucial STEAM skills with their new magnetic wooden blocks! #sponsored

By now I think I’ve made it apparent that we are still trying to figure out the whole screen time ordeal. I know it’s not ideal for children to have a lot, but I also know that they’ve learned a lot from the time that we have given them. That being said, there really is no substitute for creative, hands-on play, and we have found something we really love!

 

My friend Fawn and her husband have a fantastic creative play center in Springfield, Missouri called Itty Bitty City. I know for us, having creative play centers to visit has been crucial to enjoying our own city, as well as others around the nation, and Itty Bitty City has brought together some of the most fun elements in one space – water exploration, big blue blocks, a theater, a village, an infant play area, and more!

 

In addition to their creative play business, Itty Bitty City has now launched an entire line of magnetic blocks that are PERFECT for bringing creative play into your home. They’re beautiful and fun, but they also are amazing at promoting the problem solving and critical thinking that form the components of STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathmatics. I know for us, STEAM learning and play has been something our boys have been naturally drawn to from young ages, and being able to provide them with fun toys that promote this (without screen time) is so important.

 

You guys know that I am passionate about environmental safety, especially inside our home, and these blocks also fit the bill for that. From their website: “These blocks have been tested by an independent third party (UL – Underwriters Laboratories) for safety.  The blocks have passed the mechanical hazard (ASTM F963) and choking hazard tests.  The paint used on the blocks has passed the test for lead, soluble migrated elements, and phthalates.  We understand children’s building blocks can sometimes end up in a child’s mouth so we wanted to confirm through independent testing that our blocks are completely safe.” It’s important to me that, even though my kids are a little bigger than the putting-things-in-their-mouth stage, they play with toys that are actually safe and aren’t adding the toxic load in our home.

 

So the big question…are the blocks actually fun? YES! You guys, they were practically foaming at the mouth to play with the blocks, they fought over the blocks, and we sit down for loooooooong periods of time playing with the blocks – Nate and myself included! Itty Bitty City provided photos and how-to videos to get you started on making fun creations, but we moved on to creating all kinds of fun things on our own very quickly. You could literally see the wheels turning in their heads, and if you’re a parent you know that there’s nothing more fun than learning how your child’s brain works. It is such a blessing to be able to learn more about them in that way, and it’s so cool how creative play helps with that very thing!

 

Guys, I could go on all day about how fun these blocks have been for us, how we’ve made a million things, and how we just keep them on our dining room table for easy play anytime. While I certainly wouldn’t hesitate to purchase them, they would make an absolutely perfect Christmas or birthday gift too! And when you’re ready to purchase, make sure you scroll down to the bottom of this page and sign up for a 20% off code!

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ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH SMOKED PAPRIKA AND ALMONDS
* 1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
* 2 Tbsp olive oil
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 tsp smoked paprika
* 1/2 tsp garlic powder
* 1/2 tsp pepper
* 1/3 cup slivered raw almonds
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Spread the cauliflower florets onto a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
3. Sprinkle evenly with salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder, then toss to evenly coat it all.
4. Roast at 375 for 25 minutes, tossing halfway through.
5. When there are 3 minutes left, open the oven and sprinkle the almonds on top.
6. Roast for another 3-4 minutes until the almonds are just lightly toasted, then remove and serve immediately.
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Recipe is for about 4-6 chicken breasts:
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