Creative and Curious Kids!

Valentine's Day Plans

2012-01-28T22:23:00.001-05:00

I've been sick the last couple of days-found out today that I have strep throat, so I've had plenty of time to Pin. Do you use Pinterest? One of my boards that is getting quite full is my Valentine's Day section. There are so many adorable ideas out there! I can't seem to stop pinning them, so I thought that I'd come up with a plan- a Valentine's Day bucket list of things that I must do.... things that I think will bring happiness to myself and to others!

#1 I MUST make a cute wreath for my front door!

Not sure what I'm going to do yet, but here are a couple of possibilities....

www.nikkiinstitches.com

She's (kinda) Crafty

#2 Dessert on Valentine's Day, we will be having!

from Ramblings of a Crazy Woman

I bought heart gummies that I'm going to attach with tooth pics for the antennae and I already purchased the cupcakes. My kids are going to LOVE this- can't wait!

#3 I fell in love with this the two garland crafts (below) a couple of weeks ago-

I hope that I'll follow through on making one of them.

I guess it depends how hard it's going to be to make the wreath!

But I love, love, love these.......

Make and Takes

brown paper packages

Well, that's all I'm going to share for now. I have a few more things up my sleeve for the kiddos and hubby.

If you want to see more of the goodies that I've pinned, be sure to follow me over at Pinterest and check out my Valentine's Day board!

Happy Pinning and Crafting!

Jen

Dinosaur Spinner Game

2012-01-26T13:19:00.000-05:00

After reading a post from Activity Mom on number spinners, I got the inspiration to play a spinner game with little man. I found a clear spinner in my teacher materials and added different color dino stickers to match colored dinos from his toy bin. We took turns spinning the spinner and collected dinos to match the color on the spinner. When we were finished, we counted each color of dinos that we collected. For example, little man had 3 orange dinos when we were finished, so we counted them together.

Skills
fine-motor- spinning the spinner
color recognition
counting
language skills
social- taking turns

Enjoy playing and learning with your little ones today!
Jen

40 Yikes!

2012-01-25T11:11:00.000-05:00

Today I've lived 40 years- ugg! It's hard to believe; I'm such a big kid at heart so it feels a bit weird. Please don't let this offend anyone 40 and up, it's just how I feel about being me.

Last night I got my hair done- my present to myself. Hope this helps me feel better about being 40 today.

This morning- cream cheese crackers and toast for breakfast, compliments of Sunshine.

A beautiful poem from Peanut....

Magnificent
Outstanding
My Beautiful Mom
My Awesome Mom
You are 40, even though you look 30

Enjoy your day,
Jen

Boys' potty time

2012-01-20T20:14:00.000-05:00

Little man has been enjoying his new potty book!

The front opens up like a toilet seat cover-super cute.

There are real-life pictures of big boys going potty. It takes your little boy through the steps with lots of encouragement. Reward stickers are also included.

Little man looks so cute tonight in his big boy undies holding his new book! He is a little young, but has shown so much interest in the potty, so I'm going with it!

What potty books have been successful for you?

Jen

Disclaimer: I didn't receive any compensation for this review. The opinions are my own and may differ from others.

Ii is for ice cream and ice cubes....

2012-01-20T10:59:00.023-05:00

Oh, I've been finding so many AWESOME ideas on your blogs and on Pinterest! Thank you, thank you, thank you.... I love this community. Today I am excited to work on letter Ii today, because you have inspired me to do so!!

Here is where I found my ideas for today's letter fun with little man.....

Ii for icecream from Preschool Playbook...

Ii is for ice cubes from H is for Homeschool....

Our snack today is going to be....

ICE CREAM- Yeah!! with sprinkles on top, of course. I'll see if little man can scoop it out and then I'll let him put on his colored sprinkles.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for Ice cream!!

Other ideas...

*ice cream playdo cones

review colors and poem

Ice Cream Colors

We have ice cream, the best in town,
Let us begin with chocolate brown.

Now, let us scoop us some bubble-gum pink,
It is sweet and yummy, the best, some think.

Here is ice cream minty and green,
It is the creamiest I have ever seen.

Yellow ice cream is lemony and tart,
We like its taste from the very start.

Scoops of blueberry would make my day,
Look at all this ice cream, hip, hip hurray!

Red ice cream is a strawberry delight,
All these scoops are a heavenly sight.

Vanilla white is a popular flavor,
It tastes very good to an ice-cream craver.

Purple ice cream really gives me a kick,
Good and yummy till the very last lick.

Ice cream, ice cream, what a cool sensation,
We love ice cream in any combination!

(This could also be made into a flannel board story.)
~Submitted by Cheryl's Sweethearts ChildCare

Enjoy your day! What are your letter Ii ideas?

Jen

Wordful Wednesday: Alpaca Experience

2012-01-18T17:32:00.001-05:00

We took a field trip to an alpaca farm today and boy, were we in for an awesome surprise.....

baby girl alpaca-born 1-18-2012

We were able to experience the birth of a baby girl alpaca!

Welcome to the world, cutie. My kids are just so excited to be able to have had this learning opportunity today. You can't get that from a text book.

Fun facts about alpacas
Enchanted learning: alpaca activity

Enjoy your day and Happy Wordless Wednesday!

For more WW- be sure to visit 5 Minutes for Mom.

Jen

Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.

2012-01-16T08:57:00.001-05:00

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

Martin's Big Words- book review and Video

Blessings for a great day,
Jen

Wordless Wednesday: Dinosaur Fun!

2012-01-11T18:20:00.003-05:00

and to read ....

Happy, Happy Wordless Wednesday!
Be sure to visit 5 Minutes for Mom, too.

Jen

Snowman Glyphs

2012-01-10T12:59:00.001-05:00

Do you need a fun way to teach your child how to follow directions? Well, glyphs are a perfect way to teach this important skill. A glyph is a pictoral way to show data. The snowman glyph below is a fun activity to do as a family. Collect data, create your snowman, and then compare!

Snowman Glyph

Here is another glyph activity from my daughter's 2nd grade cyber-teacher...
Snowman Pattern

Using the Snowman printout above-Follow these directions to make your snowman.

•If you were born in the months January, February, March or April you will color the scarf pointed to the left.
•If you were born in the months, May, June, July or August, you will color the scarf pointing straight down.
•If you were born in the months September, October, November or December you will color the scarf pointed to the right.

•If you are a boy, color the snowman's scarf red.
•If you are a girl, color the snowman's scarf blue.

•If your last name begins with the letters A, B, C, D, E, F, G or H you will color the Top Hat.
•If your last name begins with the letters I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P or Q you will color the Knitted Hat.
•If your last name begins with the letters R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y or Z you will color the Stocking Cap.

•If you are are girl, color your hat Red with Blue Stripes.
•If you are a boy, color your hat Yellow with Black Stripes.

•If you like to build snowmen, color the nose Orange.
•If you do not like to build snowmen, color the nose Purple.

•If you like Hot Cocoa, draw arms on your snowman.
•If you don't like Hot Cocoa, draw a flower on your snowman.

Peanut's snowman....

This activity can be adapted for younger children with simple directions and less detail.

Hope you enjoy your day!
Jen

Ff is for fish, fingers, and feet!

2012-01-05T12:42:00.000-05:00

Squishy paint between your toes! Sound like fun? Maybe not to you, but to my little one- he just loved it! We have been focusing on the letter Ff this week. Yesterday, we made a fish and did a letter Ff activity.

Today we painted with our feet and fingers! Little man decided to get his face involved as well. It does start with the letter Ff, so how could I say No!

and of course after painting with your feet, you just have to read....

Enjoy your day,

Jen

Wordless Wednesday: Homemade Party Hats!

2012-01-04T08:41:00.001-05:00

Happy Wordless Wednesday!

For more W.W, be sure to visit 5 Minutes for Mom and Dagmar's Momsense!

Jen

Cookie Monster Birthday Party!

2012-01-03T09:44:00.000-05:00

Little man turned 2 or as he would say.. "twooooooo" last week! We threw him a Cookie Monster/Sesame Street themed birthday party. All of the toddlers/preschoolers seemed to have a great time! I kept it small, because I wanted them to enjoy each other and not be so overwhelmed. Also, I knew we would be having a lot of family over the next evening as well.

Here are a couple of pictures and ideas if you are interested in throwing your own Cookie Monster party....

I baked the cupcakes and printed out clip art that I pasted to card stock. Then I attached them to toothpicks to put in the cupcakes. For favors, I used cookie crisp cereal that I wrapped in small bags. (see the Sesame Street cups) Also, I wrapped little Sesame Street books for each child that I found at the dollar tree.

Love this Cookie Monster balloon that I found at the local party store!

For Games and Activities...

We played feed Cookie monster a cookie. (our version of pin the tail of the donkey) I made the Cookie Monster above with poster board and construction paper. The cookies I already had from a great Sesame Street Learning Kit that I had purchased on Time for Tots. (kit shown below)

We also sang C is for Cookie and danced to Sesame Street music. Lots of Sesame Street toddler toys for play and coloring pages, too!

Yeah, my little man turned 2! Hi five for Mommy!

Happy 2nd Birthday to my little man! Boy have these two years flown by! He brings so much joy to our household.

Enjoy your day!

Jen

Creative Ideas to Ring in the New Year....

2011-12-31T08:23:00.000-05:00

Just a few ideas that I thought were awesome on Pinterest!

First Night Hats
Family Fun

Kid's New Year Party Craft
Paper and Cake

Countdown Goodie Bags
Hoosier Homemade

Unfortunately, I work this evening, so won't be able to do too much with the kiddos. Party hats may happen before I go to work- we'll see how the day goes! I'd love to hear about any fun you may be having with your little ones today.

Enjoy your New Year's Eve and many blessings into the New Year. I'm hoping to make it home in time for my midnight kiss!

Jen

Christmas Memories...

2011-12-30T09:03:00.001-05:00

Hello. I'm back! I took a little break from blogging to enjoy the Christmas season and to plan for festivities, such as little man's birthday party. He turned 2 this week! I thought I'd post a few of our Christmas pics and then later this week, I'll share little man's cookie monster party!

Cookie baking.....

Aunt Patty's- Christmas Eve

Twas the night before Christmas.......

Girls enjoying MP3 players from Santa!

"Wow, Buzz!"

You know that you've been married a long time
when you buy each other Sesame pajamas for Christmas!

Happy New Year and many blessings,

Jen

December Happenings....

2011-12-12T12:00:00.008-05:00

A Lyrical Christmas Carol

Sunshine danced and sang her heart out!

Little man

He's been busy taking ornaments off of the tree,

knocking over our tree, and getting his
finger stuck in an ornament. Yikes!
Luckily, no one is injured.

Peanut building at a Lowe's trip
Tour and workshop

Christmas Tree pics!

Lots and lots to do..Doing my best to enjoy this lovely month,
to focus on the true meaning, and enjoy family!

Merry Christmas!

Jen

Wordless Wednesday: Christmas Charades

2011-12-07T07:15:00.001-05:00

Just a quick round of Christmas Charades! Take a guess...... (answers at bottom of post).

Okay, Let's see how you did!

Photo #1-a Christmas tree with and angel on top

Photo #2-Rudolph (only in my house. lol)

Photo #3- another reindeer (in camo)

Just a peek into my silly and creative household! For more ideas for Christmas Charades, be sure to check out this post.

Happy Wordless Wednesday!

For more W.W., be sure to visit...

5 Minutes for Mom

Merry Christmas,

Jen

The 12 Days of Fitness....

2011-12-05T08:37:00.001-05:00

The kids and I had a blast doing these exercises to the tune of The Twelve Days of Christmas. I found it on a nutrition site. Be sure to check it out below.

It's fun and it gets your heart rate going for sure!

The Twelve Days of Fitness

....5 Hula Hoops!!!!

Enjoy your day!
Jen

The Nightengale by Amy Short

2011-12-02T22:06:00.001-05:00

Isn't this illustration just beautiful? It was created by a friend of mine who also is a talented artist. I just love it! Although it could be for any time of year, it reminded me of Christmas, so I wanted to share. To find our more information about Amy's work or to make a purchase, be sure to stop by her site.

http://www.amyshortart.com/

Christmas Blessings,
Jen

Christmas Exploration Box

2011-11-29T10:58:00.000-05:00

I couldn't wait to put this together for my little man! It was so simple, too. I used items around the house and some thrifty dollar store finds. Gotta love the Dollar Tree!

Contents: pom poms, snow flakes, bows, jingle bells, mini garland(cut),
wrapped toilet paper roll, mini stocking, Christmas gift box

Embrace this beautiful season,

Jen

Curious about Turkeys?

2011-11-23T12:49:00.001-05:00

Shared these fun turkey vocabulary words with my kiddos! Even quizzed the turkey hunter in the family and he didn't know all of them.

Caruncle - brightly colored growths on the throat region. Turns bright red when the turkey is upset or during courtship.

Gizzard - a part of a bird's stomach that contains tiny stones. It helps them grind up food for digestion.

Hen - a female turkey.

Poult - a baby turkey. A chick.

Snood - the flap of skin that hangs over the turkey's beak. Turns bright red when the turkey is upset or during courtship.

Tom - a male turkey. Also known as a gobbler.

Wattle - the flap of skin under the turkey's chin. Turns bright red when the turkey is upset or during courtship.

Scientific genus and species: Meleagris gallopavo

Info. Source: http://www.kidzone.ws/animals/turkey.htm

Photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_turkey

Pretty cool, huh?

More fun resources:

Enchanted learning
turkey printout

National Geographic
Hear a wild turkey here!
Gobble, gobble.........

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Jen

Write a Turkey Tale!

2011-11-21T17:34:00.000-05:00

image- source

As you stuff the turkey and prepare the Thanksgiving goodies, why not give your kids a fun activity to keep them entertained? Here are 10 creative story starters for your kiddos or they can create their own ideas!

1. The turkeys were restless the week before Thanksgiving

2. Once upon a time, there was a turkey who never...

3. On Thanksgiving, my family...

4. There were turkeys feathers everywhere, but no turkey in the barn...

5. My favorite Thanksgiving memory is..

6. On the first Thanksgiving, the children were playing in the woods when..

7. My grandmother was cooking the turkey when all of a sudden..

8. The turkey dressed as a pilgrim and cleverly fooled the people.

9. Thanksgiving morning, I looked out the window and saw...

10. The Thanksgiving parade was so much fun, we saw....

Enjoy your Thanksgiving with your families!
Many blessings,
Jen

Ee is for elephant....

2011-11-18T09:42:00.000-05:00

Little man had a little bit too much fun creating this elephant puppet! How much fun? Well, enough that he decided to paint himself as well. This is the danger of leaving the room for a couple of minutes to check on the older kids' school work. Also, he dumped the water on his lap- yeesh.

So after his painting - you know where little man went...

straight to the bath tub!!

Literature:

The Saggy Baggy Elephant
by K. Jackson & B. Jackson

Music/Pretend Play

Can you stomp around the room like an elephant?? The things we do to make our kids happy!

Jen

Wordless Wednesday: Predator and Prey?

2011-11-16T07:49:00.001-05:00

The spider and the fly... Sunshine girl must be the spider and Peanut her prey. Eeeek!

We had a really good time recently at our local zoo. It was such a beautiful day- this is the play area that they have for the kids.

I can't help but share a cute pic of little man, too! So here goes.........

Awe- look at him on the mushroom!- my little guy.

Happy Wordless Wednesday!

For more W.W., be sure to visit..

5 Minutes for Mom

Pinke Post

Jen

Turkey Fun Past and Present...

2011-11-15T12:42:00.001-05:00

Annual Turkey Fashion Show

Gratitude Turkey

Pink and Green Mama: Turkey with Marker and Crayon Resist

We made these yesterday- the one pictured is from Pink and Green Mama- so pretty!

Gobble, Gobble..

Jen

Little Angels- Giveaway!

2011-11-14T11:16:00.000-05:00

It's not too late to enter! There are many chances to win. I actually have extra copies, so I now have 6 videos to give away. 3 on this site and 3 on my other blog. Be sure to enter at both blogs for more chances to win.

Enter here and here.

I am going to give this giveaway one more week- deadline- November 21st.

Good Luck!!

Jen

Goodnight Gorilla

2011-11-10T10:21:00.002-05:00

I've heard of this book before, but have never read it. This morning little man and I came across it on youtube- adorable!

I recommend this story for little ones. I love the humor in the story and it was perfect timing for this video, because we just visited the zoo a couple of days ago and little man just adored the gorillas. Yesterday, he had fun making a gorilla stick puppet. He can even say "gorilla"- well sort of- he says - "orilla, orilla" He made me play the video over and over. "more, more!"

More fun...

Goodnight Gorilla printables

Enjoy your day!

Jen

The Letter Oo

2011-11-07T10:06:00.000-05:00

Little man loves the letter Oo. I decided to skip to Oo and do some fun activities with him, being he likes this letter for some reason. I love the way he says it- Ooooooooo. Here are a few ideas for the letter Oo..

Bingo Dabber Oo

Oo is for ORANGE

Oo is for Octopus: Color Match

At first Little man put the blue on the pink octopus, but he found it on his second guess!

These adorable octopi can be found at ....www.spelloutloud.com

Octopus coloring sheet- fun with markers!

You can find this coloring page here!

More Oo ideas..

-Cheerio fun- scoop, count, eat

-Oo with movement- make big shape with arms above head and sing O, oh, O, oh, O

-Put paint or pudding on wax paper and fingerpaint Oo

Jen :)

November Sensory Bin and Leaf Play!

2011-11-04T12:52:00.001-04:00

I just love the dollar store. I found these silk leaves there, as well as the fake gourds/pumpkins. It was very easy to change over my Spooky bin from October to our November fall bin. Little man loves the silk leaves and really has been enjoying the sensory bins that I've been making for him. Often, I catch the older girls playing in the bins as well- which is pretty cool.

Here are a few or more ideas for silk leaves....

*Toss them around the room for indoor fall play.

*Counting

*Sorting- green and orange.

*Create math problems. (Sally picked up 5 leaves, but 2 blew away in the wind. How many does she have now?) Use the leaves as manipulatives to solve the math problem.

*Beginning multiplication. 3 groups of 4 leaves= 4x3=12 Use the leaves as manipulatives to count groups.

*I think I've seen letters written on the leaves with permanent marker. This would be fun during the fall months for ABC practice or spelling practice. (if you have extra leaves for more letters)

*Create a thankful tree. After sharing what you are thankful for, add a leaf to the tree each day.

Okay, your turn! What are your ideas for these wonderful $ tree leaves??

And for more sensory play ideas, be sure to visit...

Take Care,
Jen

Little Angels Review and Giveaway!

2011-11-02T17:45:00.010-04:00

I am very pleased to have the privilege of introducing the new animated video series- Little Angels. Little Angels comes to you from executive producer- Roma Downing(Touched by and Angel) and writer Phil Lollar (Adventures in Odyssey). Created for preschoolers to teach not only ABC and 123's, but also moral lessons and biblical principals. Little man (22 months) enjoys the music and colorful characters. Some children older than preschoolers may enjoy the videos as well. My 7 year old is attracted to the angel characters and pointed out to me her favorites.

Little Alex and Zoe are blessed to have their very own angels looking over them. The angels come to their aid when they need them the most. Imagine how comforting this would be for a preschooler to know that God sends helpers to watch over them.

Would you like to meet some of the Little Angels? Here are just a few.....

Uriel

The Angel of Creativity- He carries a palette and a painter.

Charmeine
A female cherubim. Angel of Harmony. She carries a harp and sings, teaching everyone to harmonize - and to get along together.

Gabriel

An archangel, second in command to Michael, blond hair, blue eyes. Gabriel is the Messenger Angel - whenever the little angels wish to announce something very important, they give the job to Gabriel.

Haley
Do you love animals? If you do, Hayley will be one of your favorite Little Angels! She knows them all.

Share the Little Angel's with your little ones!
To purchase-Christianbook.com or

To WIN.....
Luckily, I have 2 DVDs to give away on this website and 2 more to give away on my other blog- God's Shining Stars.

Enter on this site by leaving a comment below with the name of your favorite angel!
If entering on God's Shining Stars- click the above link, follow and leave a comment.

Extra entries:
(2) Blog about the Little Angel's giveaway and link back to this post.
(1) Tweet about this giveaway and link back to this post.
(1) Follow Little Angel's on Facebook.
(1) Follow Creative and Curious Kids via google connect.
(1) Follow Creative and Curious Kids on Facebook. (Like above)

For extra entries- be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry.

Good Luck!
Jen

Discloser- I wasn't given monetary compensation for the above review. I was given one DVD for my own personal use and four DVD's to give away to my readers. The opinion above is my own and others may disagree with my review.

Little Angels!

2011-11-01T22:14:00.000-04:00

On Sale Today!

Stay tuned for my review and giveaway!

Jen

Creative Fun with Candy

2011-10-31T20:11:00.000-04:00

Oh, I could just cringe looking at the amount of candy that has entered our home this week. I know- I was a kid once who loved Halloween, but it is so hard for me not to think about the amount of sugar going in their little bodies and also their poor, poor teeth.

Anyways, I was thinking about all of this candy and how I could turn it into learning. As a kid, I loved sorting out my candy. For little ones this is a great activity for categorizing and counting. Also, they can count their Hershey bars by twos, their tootsie pops by fives, and so on. How about patterns- tootsie, lolly pop, tootsie, lolly pop. For older kids, I thought it would be fun to make a candy graph. They can make a bar graph, tally chart, and/or pictograph and compare their data.

How about creative sundaes? Crumble and freeze extra chocolate/candy and use later to make your own sundaes. Have the kids set up their own ice cream shop and serve. What a great way to tie in learning about money with something yummy!

What ideas do you have for all of that candy that will be arriving any minute now??? Please share and Happy Halloween! Time and go and light my lanterns!

Jen

Monsters Galore!

2011-10-27T11:05:00.011-04:00

Clip art- Source

I must admit, I have a bit of affection for monsters. Not scary, spooky monsters, but furry and cute monsters like Elmo and Cookie. Therefore, I just had to make a MoNsTeR learning center for my little guy. I found the most wonderful free resources online....

1+1+1=1 has a Happy Monsters Tot Pack. My favorite activity has little monster cards that are different colors with different amounts of eyes. I'm going to use it for counting with googly eyes and for color recognition. So cute!

Source: 1+1+1=1

2 Teaching Mommies also has an adorable Monster Unit.

I love the alphabet Monster Mash Game.

Source: 2 Teaching Mommies

I'm still in the process of putting the center together. I'd like to get some of the games laminated. I didn't use everything from each unit- just the activities that I thought would be appropriate for little man at this stage. (22 months)

I decided to make a mini-book to put inside. I illustrated the following poem.

Five Little Monsters
This little monster has a big red nose

This little monster has purple toes.
This little monster plays all night.
This little monster is such a fright.
And this little monster goes:
"Tee-hee-hee"
"I'm not scary, I'm just silly me."
Source: http://www.preschooleducation.com/smonster.shtml

I'll post little man and his new center once I get it all together! Thank you to these wonderful teachers/mommies who provide these resources. What a blessing!

Happy Monster Fun,
Jen

Wordless Wednesday: Cocoa, Anyone?

2011-10-26T09:55:00.000-04:00

happy wordless wednesday....
Jen

For more W.W., be sure to stop by 5 Minutes for Mom and Pinke Post!

Spoooky Sensory Bin! (on a budget)

2011-10-21T09:20:00.000-04:00

I was so excited to find this Halloween pack at the $ tree! For one dollar, beans and mixed rice at home, I was able to put together this economical and fun Spoooky bin! All of my kiddos love it- as you can see.

And where do I get my inspiration...(my 7 year old typed in 'my kids' when I wasn't looking- too cute) what I was going to type before I got distracted was....

Pink and Green Mama
She has an awesome post titled Sensory Boxes 101: Tips and Inspiration.

Enjoy your Friday!
Jen

Spooooky Story Starters!

2011-10-20T00:08:00.004-04:00

Spend some time with the family being creative by sharing in the fun of writing. Here are just a few fun story starters that we used this evening during a group writing activity....

I couldn't believe my eyes....

It was a spooky night...

Oh no, my new neighbor is a .....

I wrote down the starters on paper and folded them.
Next, we each picked one. (Participants- Sunshine(9), Peanut(7), and Mom)

This was the story that we would start.

-Write for 5 minutes and then pass the page to the person on your right.
-Read what the person wrote, then write for 3 minutes.
-Continue passing and writing until the paper gets back to the original writer. They will finish the story.
-Lastly, read each story out loud to see how the stories turned out!

Even my daughter who complains about writing, loved this activity! And my little writer was in her glory.

More scary starters from Scholastic

Have a spooktacular evening....
Jen

Wordless Wednesday: Eeeek! A Spider!

2011-10-19T09:31:00.000-04:00

Happy Wordless Wednesday!

Jen

For more W.W., be sure to visit 5 Minutes for Mom and Pinke Post!

Cookie Monster Count and Crunch Giveaway

2011-10-18T01:30:00.000-04:00

Who doesn't love Cookie Monster? Well, I'm throwing little man a cookie monster/sesame party this December, so I'm hoping to win this toy over at Our Ordinary Life. If you have a little one at home that loves Cookie Monster, be sure to stop on over and enter to win Sesame Street Playskool Count ‘N Crunch Cookie Monster !

Good luck,

Jen

Beware of the Little Monster!

2011-10-17T21:42:00.001-04:00

A sneak peak of little man's costume!

He was such a good model for me today! What a cute little monster.

Are you making a fun costume for your little one? If so, what creative ideas do you have up your sleeve?

Jen

Press Here

2011-10-14T09:19:00.000-04:00

Our awesome library find this week! So clever and so much fun.

PRESS HERE

By Hervé Tullet

"Press here. That's right. Just press the yellow dot, and turn the page. The single touch of a finger sparks a whimsical dance of color and motion in this joyful celebration of the power of imagination."

I'm not going to give away anymore so that you can be surprised.

For activities, Press here!

What gem did you find at the library this week?
Jen

Disclosure: I wasn't compensated for reviewing the above book. It was a library find that we loved, which is our opinion. Others may disagree.

More Sensory Play....

2011-10-13T10:28:00.012-04:00

Just the other day, I blogged about what we call scoop, scoop! Well, I found this box lid and threw his beans in there. Eventually, I added rice,too. It causes a great mess, but easily vacuumed. He must of played for hours yesterday!

There are so many things that you can do with a sensory box. There are a lot of wonderful learning and themed sensory boxes that you can find online. Here are just a few....

Pink and Green Mama- apple sensory bin

Play Create Explore - Ocean Sensory Bin

Time For Tots- sells wonderful sensory activities!

I'd like to make some of these next. I just threw this together with what I had around the house.

If you leave an almost two year old for just a couple of seconds, you may find them in the sensory box when you get back! Silly goose! What was I thinking? I'm lucky there weren't beans strewn all over the floor- a supervised activity for sure!

Do you have a great idea for a sensory bin or activity? Please comment and share!

Enjoy your Thursday,

Jen

Scoop, Scoop!

2011-10-10T21:50:00.001-04:00

Little Man had so much fun today playing his new game- Scoop, scoop! Actually, it more of a sensory activity than a game. What do you need to play scoop, scoop?

Dry beans(love the colorful one's pictured; we only had one color)
Little scoops, spoon, small medicine cup
A small cake pan to hold the beans
Another small container for transferring beans back and forth
Little toys or cars

Wallah- kept him occupied for the longest time and great for fine motor skills and sensory development!

Take Care,
Jen

(note- this is a supervised activity. Some children may try to put the dry beans in their mouths depending on the age of the child.)

Dear America...

2011-10-07T09:21:00.000-04:00

image source

Reading has been at an all time high lately, which makes Mom really smile! Sunshine girl has been obsessed with the Dear America series and can't seem to put them down. She even begs me for extra reading time in the evening.

Recently,she started reading the Royal Diaries which she enjoys as well, but said were a little violent. For example, she read Cleopatra and told me how the father wanted to kill his other daughter and have her head put on a plate. Yeesh. I felt bad letting my 9 year old read such, not knowing that this would be present in the book. She seemed to handle it well and it opened up discussion about brutality in history and barbaric times.

The Dear America books do have tough topics in them as well. There is a lot of death due to disease, etc. but we discuss the time period and how times have changed medically due to vaccinations etc. Sunshine said that it doesn't bother her as much due to the fact that it is natural, although sad.

I wanted to share these books with my readers if you have older kids, because I think it is a fun way to learn about history. But just be aware that there are topics that may not be appropriate for younger children and should be based on the maturity of the child.

Enjoy your day!
Jen

Cc is for Cookie!

2011-10-04T12:11:00.001-04:00

For our Cc week, little man and I enjoyed a Cookie Monster Day! He calls him "Cook Cook". Funny thing is, I've exposed him to A, B, and C so far, but the letter that he recognizes is Oo. It is so cute- he keeps pointing out the Os that he sees in books and tries to draw one with his little scribbles. I've always let the kids guide me when they were little with their learning based on their interests- I'll need to remember this with little man, too.

Here are a few of the activities that we enjoyed together........

Cookie Monster Bingo Marker Page
from Making Learning Fun

Cookie Monster Toilet Roll Craft from DKLT

Thank you, lil Mop Top for the awesome cookie monster game!
Cookie Monster Game

And you can't have Cookie Monster Day without hearing Cookie Monster sing....

Enjoy your day... Cooookies!!! Yum, yum, yum!!!!!
Jen

The Runaway Pumpkin

2011-10-03T10:49:00.001-04:00

Watch out for a runaway pumpkin! I've never seen a pumpkin quite this big, but I have been surprised by a few that I've seen in the media. This fun story by Kevin Lewis is about a very huge pumpkin that is on the loose.

And just for fun, I searched on line for record breaking pumpkins. Something fun to share with the kids as well after reading the story. Below are a couple of my finds.....

Okay, maybe the story is realistic fiction. That is one big pumpkin!

Oh my- yummy!

More pumpkin book fun...

The Magic Pumpkin

or maybe just some Halloween fun...

Creative Halloween Crafts

Enjoy this wonderful Autumn day!

Jen

Peppa Pig

2011-09-29T16:17:00.013-04:00

Today Little Man and I discovered Peppa. So adorable! I've always had a liking for pigs- don't ask me why? Anyways, he seemed to really like this ABC video, so I'll have to be sure to share the other Peppa videos with him. Have you met Peppa?

Enjoy your day,

Jen

Vocabulary Dictionary

2011-09-27T13:16:00.000-04:00

Hello! Just wanted to share a great resource that my 7 year old is using for school. I thought that this would be great for homeschoolers or for kids who need enrichment in vocabulary development.

Vocabulary Dictionary

Things have been crazy lately, so pardon my lack of posts! Lots of learning and fun, but not much time for blogging these days.

Jen

Wordless Wednesday: My Favorite Boys!

2011-09-21T09:20:00.000-04:00

Pillow Fight!

2011-09-20T11:26:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, we had a guest for a slumber party to kick-off the end of summer and to greet the start of the school year. We had a fire, smores, watched a movie, and while I was trying to get the baby to bed the kids decided to have a loud pillow fight. How silly did I feel for disciplining them about having a pillow fight at a slumber party! - but things change when there is a baby in the house.

The next morning after fruit and cinnamon buns, I decided that it would be fun to bring on the pillow fight! After a couple of swats in the face, I changed the rules. You got a point every time you swatted someone in the buns- and not our cinnamon buns. So our battle began- and so was created bum pillow fighting! No one got hurt and we had a good laugh at our new game!

And for our next slumber party adventure, I might just have to check out this book. It looks adorable!

Enjoy your day,

Jen

Guest Post: Choosing a Child Care Center

2011-09-18T10:28:00.000-04:00

Today, I am happy to welcome Emily Patterson who is offering great advice for parents who are looking for quality preschools or childcare centers for their children. I've been so fortunate to find a wonderful, nurturing school at my childrens' church, but maybe you are in the process of researching schools for your children. If so, this article is for you!

Choosing a Child Care Center

For parents who are unable to provide full time child care for their children because of career commitments or other factors, finding a substitute to provide parental love and nurturing can be a truly daunting task. While no person can totally replace a parent’s significant role in helping their children develop in a positive and nurturing fashion, parents should actively seek the best possible alternatives for their young preschool children under the age of five.

The options in most cases do not include leaving the children with family and friends. Economics may force that issue, but for the best overall results, a staff of professionals at an accredited school or children’s care center may be the better option.

Before any decision is made, a thorough investigation of possibilities should be undertaken. Recommendations from family and friends should be investigated, but parents should seek out exactly what they feel is best for their children. Much background on schools can be garnered on the web. The list should be concentrated only on those facilities with which parents feel most comfortable.

The next step is to make appointments at all qualifying schools and begin the interview process. Parents have an uncanny ability to instinctively know which of the potential schools will work best. These instincts and first reactions are often the best factors for finding the right placement. Parents know that children have instincts too; if something doesn’t seem right to the child, go on to the next school on your list.

Before your child is enrolled, your responsibilities are beginning. It is particularly essential that you familiarize yourself with the school’s staff. That means administrators and teachers, as well. Get to know school policies and the strengths and perceived weaknesses of the staff. They are you partners in your child’s future. It is important that open communication be established and maintained with all your partners at the school.

Before the final decision is made, consider the five areas of concern listed in the statements and questions below to help you with your final decision.

1. Do your goals and educational philosophies match those of the school? Is the school’s curriculum up to date and in keeping with advances in education? Do you think that the school offers your child the best advancement opportunities to the next level of his schooling? Finally, does your child seem to be a good fit for the school and fellow students?

2. Is the school accredited by a reputable accrediting agency? What are their standards? Is there a list of these available, and does the school set their agenda to make certain that their standards are adhered to?

3. Teachers should have high standards, as well. What are their credentials? Do they strive to keep abreast of new methods? Are the teachers versed in first-aid techniques and CPR in case of an emergency? Do you feel confident in their abilities to guide your children and protect them? Would you want them as grandparents for your kids?

4. How does the school seem to you? Is it inviting? Do classrooms look like a great environment for learning? Is there interaction between teachers and students, and are there enough programs to keep your child engaged and interested? How about field trips and outside exposure? These are all vital considerations.

5. School Policies should not be overlooked: Do teachers communicate with parents? What is the school safety record? What are the costs and payment options? How does the school handle emergencies?

Your child is your life. It is important that you get him or her on the right track early on during his developmental years. Whatever choice of schools you make, do your best to ensure that you have picked the right one. The rewards will be many.

Submitted on behalf of Primrose Schools: innovative, high-quality early education and day care services by Emily Patterson (epatt1062)

Thank you, Emily!
Jen

Cave Paintings

2011-09-15T08:45:00.002-04:00

For a recent art lesson, Sunshine learned about primitive art. I don't think she realized that art started so long ago! One of the caves that she toured online was the Lascaux from France. The above photo is from this cave. If you are interested in learning more, tour the cave below!

Tour a cave in France!

Next, Sunshine collected items in nature to create her own art. Using flowers, dirt, leaves, and rocks, she experimented with these earthly items to make art. The dandelions and the dirt worked the best out of all of the items she collected. She mixed the dirt with water to make paint.

I think a variety of berries would have worked out well for prettier colors- blues and pinks. This concept can also be combined with using natural elements to die eggs. We did this at Easter one year, but I think for an experiment, it could be done anytime of year!

Enjoy,

Jen

Wordless Wednesday: Playdoh Rocks!

2011-09-14T08:41:00.001-04:00

Enjoy your Wednesday!

Jen

For more W.W., be sure to visit 5 Minutes for Mom.

Heelys- Not Just for Kids!

2011-09-12T20:37:00.002-04:00

Momma got a new pair of shoes!

"So what?" you may be thinking. Well, these aren't just any shoes. These shoes just might put me in the "cool" Mom category. These shoes are on wheels!

Yes, Momma got a new pair of Heelys! I was excited to be chosen for this promotion and decided that the purple and black model was right up my alley. My kids have had Heelys, but I never imagined that I'd get back on shoes with wheels in a million years. (had an 80's version of wheeled shoes during my youth)

But being from a curious household, I was just that- curious. Could I- at the (very young) age of almost 40, actually skate around in these hip shoes?

When the package came in the mail, the girls were a wee bit envious of my new wheels!

I didn't put them on right away, because I needed to learn about my new Heelys. On their website, there is an informative How To video for newbies like myself. And now for my own home movie.... (embrace yourself for laughter and try not to make too much fun of me!)

Review:
I thought the shoes were quite stylish with a sporty and durable design. You can't go wrong with black and purple. The wheels popped into the shoe easily. I have the option of wearing them with wheels or as stand alone tennis shoes. This style is the Wave.

The wheels are fun, but I'm honestly not sure how often I would use them or be allowed to use them without safety gear. You can't see my husband's face as he was filming, but what he was thinking was....."oh no, a trip to the emergency room!"

My shoe size is an 8 1/2 , but I only had an option of a size 8 or 9. I chose 8, which are a bit snug. If I choose to purchase Heelys in the future, I would select a larger size.

Are you a Momma ready for a pair of wheels? If so, be sure to check out all of the cool styles at http://www.heelys.com/. Possibly a new way for us to get in a little workout and pretend that we are kids again!

I hope you enjoyed the review,

Jen

Disclosure: I was not compensated monetarily, but was given a pair of Heelys to test for the above review. The opinions are my own and may differ from opinion of others. I was chosen for this review from Business2Blogger.

Remembering and Praying

2011-09-11T10:31:00.001-04:00

Thinking about 10 years ago, about our many heroes, and praying for those who lost loved ones today.

Nature Around the Neighborhood

2011-09-10T08:38:00.000-04:00

For Peanut's Science assignment yesterday, she had to take a nature hike around the neighborhood. With bag in hand and her siblings, she trekked around looking for rocks, bark, grass, leaves, flowers, nuts, etc.

Oh no, little brother found a stick!

Here are some suggestion for taking your own Science Hike....
-encourage your child to talk about what they see and hear in their surroundings
-give time for observations and questions
-set everything on a table and discuss discoveries
-set out art tools and let your child make a collage or add drawings to a nature journal

Enjoy your weekend!

Jen

Wordless Wednesday: First Day of School

2011-09-07T12:29:00.000-04:00

The first day of Cyberschool went very well! We celebrated with a banana cake baked by Mom and Dad!

Hope your kids' first day went well- whether it be at home or at school!

Happy WW! For more WW, be sure to visit 5 Minutes for Mom and Pinke Post!
Jen

Little Red School Chairs

2011-09-05T17:12:00.021-04:00

Oh, I'm so excited! I love how these red chairs turned out. A few people questioned as to whether I really wanted to paint the chairs red when I shared my idea. I'm so glad that I did. I think they are perfect for our little school room. The girls helped momma out a bit, too.

BEFORE

Isn't it amazing what a little love can do to a crappy old chair?

Let me know what you think!

Jen

Wordless Wednesday: Glimpses of Summer

2011-08-31T06:49:00.000-04:00

So hard to say goodbye to Summer days!

Jen

Happy Wordless Wednesday!

For More W.W, be sure to visit...

5 Minutes for Mom

Pinke Post

Learning Room Organization

2011-08-29T13:01:00.000-04:00

.....on a budget!!

This is what I've been busy working on this past week! So glad to have our school supplies organized- Woo Hoo! Still have other side of room to clean-yeash. Wish me luck!

Cyberschool starts Sept. 6th for us.

Happy Back to School!!

Jen

You Can Name 100 Trucks!

2011-08-25T08:52:00.001-04:00

Little Man's new love..... You Can Name 100 Trucks!

Recently, we checked this out of our local library. Little man hasn't been able to put it down. It has pages of different trucks on it- 100 to be exact. They are pictured in different scenes and labeled. He'll sit by himself on the coach and look at it. He calls them car-cars, even though they are trucks. At one time he did call them trucks, but now everything with wheels is a car-car now. He'll flip through the book and chatter- "big car-car...... red car-car..." Then he'll hand me the book, so that I can tell him the actual names of the trucks as he points at them.

I thought I'd share this book, being it has been such a hit with him. Maybe you have a truck lover at home, too. While I was searching for a pic of this book, I noticed that there were more books in this series.

We'll have to check out these two book next trip to the library!

I hope you enjoy your day,

Jen

Wordless Wednesday: Curious Baby

2011-08-24T09:01:00.000-04:00

Happy WW!

Be sure to visit 5 Minutes for Mom and Pinke Post for more WW.

Jen

Zoo, Zoo, Zoo!

2011-08-22T15:38:00.000-04:00

How about you, you, you???

I spy a giraffe! Can you find it?

We've been working on our summer bucket list before our summer sadly comes to a close. One of the items on our list this year was the ZOO. We love, love, love going to the zoo! Fun and learning for all ages.

I could watch the seals all day! Pictured is a mom trying to get
her baby in the water, but the baby is disobeying.

"I'm just a little bit bigger than a newborn."

"Look how tall I am, Mom."

Little man enjoying the aquarium

Water fun before we leave- look at the rainbow- isn't it awesome?

More Zoo fun..................

Great for toddlers and babies!
Beginning counting and word recognition: animals.
Little man loves the choo choo at the bottom of each page.

Recently, I purchased a subsciption of National Geographic Kids for the girls. Fun and informative, the kids read it often and share tid bits with Mom and Dad.

Sunshine, age 9, just finished reading Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater for a summer reading project. She said that her favorite part was when Mr. Popper brought home the first penguin and the mother didn't even react.

"Mom, there is no way you would let a penguin in our house and act like it was nothing."

Fun Zoo song- music, dance, and pretend play!

Zoo crafts and activities
*Free zoo crafts/printable from Kids Soup
*Safari crafts and more from Busy Bee Kids for both big and little kids

More zoo activities for big kids
*Research favorite zoo animal and create a documentary- dress up and film show
*Create clay animals with model magic
*Create animal puppets and write a short play, act out for others, include animal facts
*Take photos at zoo and create a scrapbook or Power Point presentation
*Create a cartoon- feature zoo animals

I'd love to have you on Facebook with me. Stop on by and comment, share your ideas, activities, and links relating to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo! If your not a fan of facebook, be sure to comment below. Looking forward to hearing your ideas.

Jen

Disclosure: The above books, etc. weren't given to me, nor was I compensated for posting them. Just my opinion which may differ from others. I am an Amazon Affiliate.

The Compass Inn Museum: Our History Adventure

2011-08-18T07:56:00.000-04:00

One last mini-vacation for the family! This past week the family traveled for a few days for some summer fun. Our first stop- The Compass Inn Museum.

We went back in time to the 1800's by touring the restored Inn that was furnished with artifacts from that time period. The common room, serving kitchen, ladies parlor, and bedrooms were toured. We learned a lot about how people lived in the past and how different it was to travel and stay at a hotel in the 1820 compared to today!

Besides touring the original Inn, we also had the opportunity to tour three reconstructed outbuildings: a cookhouse, blacksmith shop, and a barn.

Conestoga Wagon

Old sleds and Artifacts

Our tour guide... sharing information about the stagecoach with us.

Hmmm.... I wonder what is in here??

Bunny ears... really? And Peanut- where's your smile?

All this walking and learning- I'm pooped Mom and Dad!

A really neat place....so glad that we went! Even teacher Mom learned a lot. Sunshine (age 9) seemed to be really interested and asked a lot of questions. She has been "into" history lately. Peanut (age 7) really enjoyed the Museum, but commented about 1/2 way through that "my brain is full." All in all- a beautiful day for learning and spending time together. (scolded a bit for sneaking in learning during our vacation. he, he)

Take Care,
Jen

Star Fish Art

2011-08-11T11:41:00.009-04:00

Last week, I posted about a book that we enjoyed titled Star of the Sea. I didn't get a chance to post photos of the art project that was integrated with the literature, so I thought I'd share our finished creations today.

The book....

The art process....

The final product....

Artist: Sunshine- age 9

Artist: Peanut-age 7

A little messy, but so much fun!

Jen

For those who missed my last post, here is the links for instructions....

Our thanks goes out to Superheroes and Princesses, who shared the idea of marbled painting with shaving cream. Her children made a reading mural after painting fish. We painted starfish for our activity. I cut them out after drawing them on old Manila folders. The kids made backgrounds on poster board for their sea stars, too. So much fun!

Be sure to visit Superheroes and Princesses for more detailed instructions. She has a link to another blog that featured fall leaves with this same method of painting- very cool!

Wordless Wednesday: Road Work Ahead

2011-08-10T09:53:00.001-04:00

Happy Wednesday!
For more W.W., be sure to visit 5 Minutes for Mom!

Jen

The Toddler Times: Ladybug, Ladybug

2011-08-09T11:03:00.000-04:00

Welcome back to The Toddler Times! Just having a little fun with ladybugs today! Little man has a little applause finger puppet that he was using to act out the songs-so cute.

I'm not sure if they still sell this little puppet, but you can make your own ladybug finger puppet for your little one with simple craft supplies. And look how adorable these crocheted bugs are...

We had fun watching, dancing, and singing along with the videos below.

The last video is from.....

Five Little Ladybugs (God Made Me to Jump & Hop)
by Karyn Henley

Enjoy your Tuesday!

Jen

Fun IKEA finds!

2011-08-08T23:10:00.032-04:00

Oh, today was such a busy day! The kids were up bright and early riding their bikes, playing in puddles, observing construction, and painting rocks! Little man even managed to fit in some water play time as well. Later in the day, Sunshine decided to go hiking with her father in the woods. They were setting up a ground blind to spy on wildlife. Peanut asked if I'd take her to Ikea, even though I was tired, I let her twist my arm! So it was me, Peanut, and Little Man for a night out at Ikea. First we ate in the cafe- free for the kids- (bonus!) and then Sunshine played while Little Man and I shopped. I was happy to find a couple of neat items for the kiddos!

For little man! Only 5.99!

And for the big girls.....

Pyslla Beads

Shapes for the beads!

After the girls create, next we put wax paper over the beads and iron. The beads stick together and then come off of the shape. Now they can keep their creation- very cool!

And by the way, the rug at the top of the post- will be going in our learning room- woo hoo! Once I go back to Ikea and buy it, that is. (very affordable in my opinion- did my research) I also wanted to show Sunshine first and she loves it, too. The mouse and bear remind me of story book characters.

Find any neat and enriching toys for your kids lately? Be sure to share your fun finds.

Jen

Star of the Sea and Activity

2011-08-05T09:02:00.002-04:00

Star of the Sea- my fabulous find from yesterday at our local library!

Filled with a lot of cool facts about sea stars, kids can learn as they follow the day in the life of a starfish. Peanut and I enjoyed reading this book together. She loves non-fiction and had fun sharing even more facts that she already knew about starfish and other sea creatures. After reading, Star of the Sea by Janet Halfmann, we decided to do a fun craft.

Our thanks goes out to Superheroes and Princesses, who shared the idea of marbled painting with shaving cream. Her children made a reading mural after painting fish. We painted starfish for our activity. I cut them out after drawing them on old Manila folders. The kids made backgrounds on poster board for their sea stars, too. So much fun!

Be sure to visit Superheroes and Princesses for more detailed instructions. She has a link to another blog that featured fall leaves with this same method of painting- very cool!

Visit this meme for more literature based ideas!

What literature activities are you doing this week? Be sure to link your post in the comments section and I'll stop by to check them out.

Take Care,

Jen

Construction Vehicles AND Bees?

2011-08-04T09:15:00.000-04:00

Little man has been way into construction vehicles lately, reading books over and over again. He calls them car-cars. Anyways, this morning I heard construction vehicles in my alley and knew he would be sooo excited to get a front seat view of the action. When he woke up, we put on his hard hat and ventured outside. I was right- he was really excited to see his favorite trucks outside. The workers even beeped at him and waved. We were outside not 5 minutes when I got stung by a bee. It seemed like he came out of nowhere. You'll never guess where it stung me! The little part of skin right between my nostrils. Oh my goodness, the pain! So as I type, my nose and top of my lip is swollen. Don't worry, it is okay to laugh. Even though it hurt like a ...... you fill in the blanks (this is a family friendly blog), it is pretty funny!!!

Don't let them fool you! There not as cute as they look!

I hope you have a pain-free day and that my day gets better!

Jen

Wordless Wednesday: How Does Your Garden Grow?

2011-08-03T09:44:00.001-04:00

BROCCOLI-FIRST BUD A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO

CHERRY TOMATOES- DOING GREAT! AND YUMMY, TOO!

STRAWBERRIES- NOT SO GOOD. LOCAL BUNNIES EATING

LOTS OF BIG, GREEN TOMATOES

OUR ROSE BUSH

NEW LITTLE TREE WE PLANTED

A ROSE FROM MY FAVORITE ROSE BUSH

PRETTY PURPLE FLOWERS-ANNUALS

LITTLE MAN WATERING MY HANGING PLANT

GOOD JOB, LITTLE MAN!

What's growing at your house? I didn't do very well with my basil, parsley, and chives. :(

Important tip- plants need water if put out in the hot 90 degree sun!!

Here's a cute post of my girls gardening when they were smaller. Can't believe how much they've grown up since I started blogging.
http://raisingcreativeandcuriouskids.blogspot.com/2008/09/in-our-garden.html

Happy WW!

For more Wordless Wednesday, be sure to visit 5 Minutes for Mom and Pinke Post!

Jen

The Toddler Times: Fingers, Elbows, Hips, and Ankles.....

2011-08-02T10:46:00.000-04:00

I had no idea that there were more verses to Head,Shoulders, Knees, and Toes! Take a look.....

Head Shoulders Knees and Toes...

from Starfall

Enjoy your Tuesday with you little one(s)!

Jen

Bb is for....

2011-08-01T22:45:00.001-04:00

Day 1

*Starfall : letter B

*Review B on ABC poster. Sing ABCs. (daily)

*Bb discover bag.
*Color the letter B template- decorate. Hang on wall.
*Bb segment on video: Animal Alphabet: Learning Your ABCs with Animals
*snack: blueberries

Literature

Day 2:
*Bear: Go on a bear hunt! Hide Teddy bears and find them.
*Color Bear page or glue yarn pieces. (color Brown)
*Act out the 3 bears- stick puppets. (with sisters)
*snack- teddy grahams
*song- The Bear Went Over the Mountain...

Literature

Brown Bear, Brown Bear Clip Art

Day 3:
*Bubbles and Bath
*blow bubbles outside- try different ways to make bubbles
*bubble play in bath with toys or play with bubbles on tray
*glue pictures that start with the letter Bb on a bathtub cutout

Day 4:
*Bugs-sensory bin: hide plastic bugs in colored rice or noodles- put in bug catcher
*Bumble bee- act like a bee-bzzz,bzzz
*Finger play- Here is the Beehive
*Sing "I''m bringing home my baby bumble bee...." with motions

Literature
Buggy for books!!!!

Day 5

*Bird: Talk about pictures of different birds, backyard bird watch

*Bonnie Bluebird poem- color birds

*Play with bird and nest puppet

*Play with feathers, make a birdhead craft with the feathers

*snack- banana

Literature

Other Bb activities....
Bead Sticks from Preschool Alphabet

B is for....

Bye, Bye!!

Jen

New Facebook Page!

2011-07-29T12:11:00.000-04:00

Yes, I'm behind on the times! I just started a facebook page for Creative and Curious Kids! If you'd like to join in on the fun, please join me to the top right on my blog. Also, being I'm new at this and don't have a lot of followers, I decided to join a facebook hop. You can link your facebook page over at Shining2Save!

Hope to see you on my new F.B. page!

Enjoy your Friday,
Jen

Meet Fashion Kitty!

2011-07-28T10:25:00.000-04:00

With a title like Fashion Kitty, I knew right away that Peanut would be drawn to this fun chapter book. Written in a comic book form, it combines fictitious animal characters with humor.
I haven't read the books yet, but can tell you that my daughter really likes them. She's read both Fashion Kitty and Fashion Kitty and the Unlikey Hero. She even started creating her own comic adventures featuring the main character.

The Fashion Kitty series is written by Charise Mericle Harper. I found a great review of her books at Secrets&Sharing Soda. Stop by to find out more about the books and Fashion Kitty's powers!

More Literature and Writing fun..............

Fashion Kitty's website

Make Your Own Comic!
Comic Strip Printables
Comic Book Maker
Professor Garfield's Comic Lab

What fun books are on your bookshelf this week?
Jen

Wordless Wednesday: Green Haired Baby

2011-07-27T07:53:00.002-04:00

Happy Wordless Wednesday!

Jen

For more W.W., be sure to visit 5 Minutes for Mom, and Pinke Post.

The Toddler Times: Chores for Little Ones

2011-07-26T22:16:00.000-04:00

Isn't it great to see how proud a little one is when they accomplish something? You can see the joy in their smile and the little sparkle in their eye- as if they are saying- "Yeah, I did it." Well, little man gets this very cute look when he accomplishes tasks whether it be to finally get that train track attached or the ability to feed the frogs by himself. This is his chore. He gets to feed his little buddies their food pellets each day and he loves it! The other day, I let him help me with the laundry. I propped him up on the side of the washer and held him in place with one hand. As he watched the water flow into the washer tub, I had him pour the cup of laundry soap in. Next, I handed him clothing to throw into the tub. He got the hang of it real quick. I gave him a sticker for being such a great helper. Another great chore for little ones is to let them help you wash their toys. I give little man a baby wipe and he washes away!

Other age appropriate chores for toddlers-
-help put away toys(make into a game, sing a clean up song)
-wash off coffee table with wipe or high chair tray
-clean own face and hands
-pass you books to put away in book case or basket

Remember this isn't about perfection, but about teaching and learning. Most chore charts or articles focus on 2 years old and up. I think it just depends on the child. Little man is only 19 months, but enjoys helping in little ways!

Around the web- resources:
Age appropriate Chore Charts- About.com
Say Yes to Chores- Parents.com
My first chore chart (I like the ideas of pictures- can make own based on needs of child.)

Any other ideas? Be sure to comment and let us know what you do to make chores fun in your house.

Take Care,
Jen

Color It By Numbers Review and Giveaway

2011-07-25T22:18:00.000-04:00

It's always fun to try out new kid friendly products, so I was happy to share Color It By Numbers with the girls. Color It by Numbers has a series of online color books: Princesses, Vehicles, and Animals. Each color book has three variations that can be chosen to color- simple, make it visible, or choose your favorite colors(no numbers).

Peanut chose the Princess color book. She enjoyed both the color by number feature and the more creative- choose your favorite color feature. After discovering a little rainbow crayon, she found that she could switch the colors in her artist's palette, also.

The Animal Color book was Sunshine's choice. She selected the make it visible option because it was more challenging compared to the simple variation. The toucan and the octopus were her favorite pictures to color. She said that she had fun working on her creations. One feature that she mentioned that she liked was the ability to move back and forth among pictures without her current picture being erased.

The girls seemed to have a lot of fun with the online color books, but it hasn't been something that they've asked me to play on repeatedly. I think that when it comes to painting- they prefer the real thing- to get messy!

I think the simple color by number would be fun for preschoolers to practice number recognition and colors. A good way to integrate beginning technology for little ones!

To learn more, take a short video tour!

Giveaway......Now for the good part- I get to give away one virtual color book to one of my readers. (valued at $9.99) Here's how to enter- visit the Color It By Numbers site and take a peek at each of the virtual products. Next come back to Creative and Curious Kids! and comment about which color book you think your child would enjoy.

For extra entries:
1-follow Creative and Curious Kids!
1-subscribe
1-like Creative and Curious Kids! on Facebook
1-like Color It By Numbers on Facebook
1-tweet post
1-follow me on twitter
2-blog about this giveaway

Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry!
Also, please be sure to include contact info. - email or blog address, etc.

(Giveaways ends on August 5th at 12:00am EST.)

Good Luck,
Jen

Disclosure: I was given 3 different versions of Color It by Numbers virtual color books to download for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated in any other way. The opinions above are mine and my differ from others.