Because Toddler's Can't Tell Jokes

A fun way to donate books

2010-03-12T12:28:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the extended blog vacation. We've been busy. I found this site a few days ago and it's pretty cool. If you have a book that you love but no longer need, you can release it out into the world (totally random donation). The site states BookCrossing is earth-friendly, and gives you a way to share your books, clear your shelves, and conserve precious resources at the same time. You can leave your book, kid-book or not on a park bench, doctor's office, anywhere. Only exceptions should be federal buildings and airports/planes. You can register your book and track its travels. Exciting. Bookcrossing.com

Mini Tree Skirt (kind of)

2009-12-11T06:39:00.000-08:00

It snowed this week (rare in our part of the planet) so Little Dude and I made a snowflake place mat/ tree skirt, drank warm chocolate, and ate gingerbread to commemorate our special day. I just found one of many "how to cut a snowflake" sites, and started cutting. When you fold the paper, it's really hard for your toddler to cut, so this is the parent part. Then your tot can glue the snowflake to a paper backing.

We added glitter glue because it makes everything better. We also added contact paper on top and below for extra durability. I wrote a nice little message about our snow day on the back. It's one of those things that will bring me to tears when I take it out of our Christmas decorations each year.

Sight Word Ornament

2009-12-10T06:03:00.000-08:00

I wish I would have taken better photos of this one. This is one of Little Dude's favorites. He plays with it every day. I would use words that you see often in your tot's books. Later, you can find the same words in the books with your tot. It's the craft that keeps on giving.

Materials:

construction paper, paper plate, brad, glitter glue, single hole punch, glue stick, scissors, and sticky note (tot uses it as a tab to turn the wheel)

Poofy snowman

2009-12-09T11:44:00.000-08:00

We made this one with some constuction paper, glue, hole punch, and cotton. It was cool to see Little Dude using glue like a pro.

Favorite Christmas Book

2009-12-06T11:52:00.000-08:00

This is Little Dude's favorite Christmas book. In the book, Christmas Magic (Michael Garland) a little girl watches in amazement as a snow woman and snow man come to life. She even gets to dance with them on a snowy moonlit night. The snowflakes seem to glow and float on the pages. Magic!

Old magnets - New

2009-12-06T11:46:00.000-08:00

Something to do with old magnets. Have your tot glue wrapping paper on the top and decorate with pom poms, glitter glue, stickers, etc. Glue stick works better than real glue for this one. Cut out a hole for tot's photo. Good, messy fun.

Kids Music for Grown-ups too

2009-12-01T13:15:00.000-08:00

I heard this on Kids Stuff today. Cool concept and the music is actually really good. I hope the Little Dude likes it as much as me. Check out Gustafer Yellowgold

Art on the Window

2009-11-30T17:38:00.000-08:00

Little Dude had a ball with this rip-off of No Time for Flashcards post on free art. I thought our window was a better spot on such a gloomy day. It was perfect. He loved experimenting with stickers, markers, crayons. He asked if we could leave it there tomorrow too. No problem.

N is for night

2009-11-19T12:01:00.000-08:00

Our little letter project was Nn today. We made a list of things of that start with Nn with drawings, but then decided to go with a "night catcher" instead. It catches the "night sky." Of course it confused little dude because I made a moon on with a paper plate to hang it. So, then it became a "night time necklace." That made more of a connection with him. Yay!

When you were in my tummy book

2009-11-07T05:38:00.000-08:00

Here's a cool "when you were in my tummy" book. Tell Me My Story, Mama by Deb Lund. I'm not expecting another bambino, but if I were this would be a great book to read to my little dude. I've read it to him several times and we always get into this great conversation about the stuff he used to do when he was a baby. Memories . . . . . . .

Another word wall game

2009-11-06T16:00:00.000-08:00

Little dude and I add a word wall word every week. Usually the words come from his suggestions (Mom, Dad, silly, work). He's really getting into making sentences now. Here's a game we play with word wall words.

Make a Smilebox collage

A CD with Rhymes and Songs

2009-11-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite random library find ever. I just grabbed it at the library a couple of weeks ago and I don't want to return it. This little dude is loving the short rhymes and songs. Just awesome. Check out for yourself. It's called Frog in the Meadow, Music, Now I'm Two! by John M. Feierabend and Luann Saunders. I'll have to buy this one.

Word Wall Fun

2009-11-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

Actually, it's more like Refrigerator Wall but you get the idea. Stevie's Memaw got him started on "g-o, go" and we've just been building from there. We started with the names of family members and then short sight words to help make sentences. We briefly do a word wall activity each day and when I'm on the phone, Stevie will usually try to out-talk me with word wall sentences. Smart little guy. Love him.

Math Monday

2009-11-02T11:47:00.000-08:00

Here's a little thingy that little dude and I started recently. It's a number matching game with jacks(large) and number cards. Using the numbers 1-5, Mom lays out the number of jacks and asks tot to make the match with the numbers. If they are struggling, give them a choice . .. "Is it the matching number 2 or 5?" Pretty simple. I use sentence strips to make number cards. A good game for waiting rooms, if you have a stroller with a tray.

Initial sound pages

2009-11-01T05:58:00.000-08:00

Stevie and I have just started playing "school." Here's some good initial sound worksheets to work on together. If your tot is familiar with all the alphabet letters/ sounds, then this is fun. If not, and your tot likes a little "tv time," check out Super Why. My kid loves it and it makes learning fun.
http://www.kidzone.ws/kindergarten/learning-letters/index.htm

Letter R Fun

2009-10-30T19:30:00.000-07:00

This is our little project on the letter Rr. Stevie colored the R's with markers and I cut them out. We then played an "initial sound" game after I cut out some pictures from magazines. I usually cut out some pictures that start with /r/ and some that don't. Stevie has to decide which one belong on the Rr and he glues them. It's a quick activity, but obviously takes some prep time.

Dirt is good

2009-10-30T19:14:00.000-07:00

My son was digging in the dirt a couple of days ago and it made me think of a great book I read. It's called Why Dirt is Good, by Mary Ruebush. It's actually kind of reassuring to know that my kid's love of mud is actually helping strengthen his immune system. In the book, Ruebush covers our immune system, superbugs, antibiotics, vaccines, and lots germ talk. It sounds like it would be scary subject matter for a parent, but it actually is empowering.

Texture T

2009-10-29T05:32:00.000-07:00

This one used to be a hit in my kinder classes. Basically, just cut little pieces of different types of textures and paste them on a "t" that your child colored with marker. Talk about the different the way each one feels.

Bat

2009-10-28T05:25:00.000-07:00

Here's a "handy" project from notimeforflashcards.com.

Michael Jackson

2009-10-27T04:18:00.000-07:00

Yeah. This one was inspired by the following question to my kid:

"Who's your favorite singer?"

Kid: "Michael Jackson"

I was fully expecting Laurie Berkner, Wiggles, or Mommy.

Stevie did some of the handy marker work, but I drew and cut out the pieces. Glitter glue on glove. Stevie told me where to glue all the pieces. Nice.

Squash Rocket!

2009-10-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

We went to the pumpkin patch last week and found the perfect squash. Stevie picked it up and said "this one looks like a rocket." So I asked him if he wanted to take it home and paint it like a rocket. A project was born. Here's the result.

Changes in the blog

2009-10-26T12:05:00.000-07:00

After realizing how difficult it was to take photos of our (my son and myself) projects, I decided that I would only take pictures every now and then. Also, we don't do a "project" every day, so a daily entry in this blog is not really necessary. From this point on, I'll focus on the big picture. My blog will contain more personal entries, more links to good mommy sites, early learning sites, etc. I'll still post pics of our project, but not all the step by step stuff. Usually, the picture speaks for itself (if it's a craft). If you ever have questions about a craft, please post it in the comments and I'll answer. Thanks for checking out my blog.

Fall Dotted Tree

2009-10-26T05:29:00.000-07:00

Leaves are confetti. Just get your hole punch out and start punching. The tot drops the dots on paper (that's been covered in glue stick). Easy and pretty. Sound out the word "F-all" in chunks. Your tot will love that they can help you spell words.

Taking a Break

2009-10-10T14:17:00.000-07:00

It's a lot more difficult than I thought it would be to update this blog. I think I'll take a break for a while. In the meantime, check out notimeforflashcards.com. It's updated regularly and I snag a lot of ideas from it. Have fun learning and playing with your kids.

Little ABC Underwear Bag

2009-09-24T05:46:00.000-07:00

Stevie is now wearing only 2 diapers a day. One at rest time, and one at night. Today we decided to make a home for a pair of underwear by using a paper bag. That way, he always has a pair of underwear ready after his nap. Strange craft, but kid-inspired for sure. That's really the whole idea.

Materials:

Letter marker stamps

Paper bag

scissors

stickers

undies

Calendar and Separation Anxiety

2009-09-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

While my husband and I were away on a "no kid" vacation, we left Stevie with his own calendar. This trip was our longest time away from the boy, so we were quite concerned about how he would react. We talked about the calendar before we left and told our son to "x" out the days until we come back. Because his 2 year old mind doesn't comprehend "4 days," we told him "4 moons" and he actually got it. My mom (Memaw) told me he was excited about marking the "x's" each day and that he seemed to get it. After returning, our son told us not to go away for "4 moons" anymore without him. I don't think I could handle anything more than 3 moons for a while. Mommy and Daddy time is great, but family vacations are super too.

Gift bag and horn

2009-09-22T12:01:00.000-07:00

Today Stevie and I made this little gift bag and a magic horn. I didn't take pictures of each step, but I think its pretty easy to make just by looking at the photo of the finished product.

Materials:

-Scissors

-Colored paper

-markers

-paper towel roll or tp roll
-tape

-stickers or other decorations

-paper bag

-alphabet letters

-glue

This is a good kid group project too. Good rhyme for this one is Little Boy Blue.

Enjoy.

Good Night Book

2009-09-21T12:32:00.000-07:00

I'm back from vacation with a new camera and a whole list a books that I've found. Here's a good night book that is super charming. It's one of those peaceful lullaby types of books. Soft illustrations, moons, stars, and teddy's. It's called I'll See You in the Morning, by Mike Jolley and Mique Moriuchi. My favorite page:

Don't be afraid of darkness.
Don't be afraid, my sweet.
The night is just a blanket
that helps the earth to sleep.

Brilliant!!!

Caterpillar Magnet

2009-09-13T12:34:00.000-07:00

I don't have photo's of the step-by-step process, but here's the result. Stevie and I made a caterpillar after reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. I've seen this done with tissue on the leaf and it's cute too. We used a butterfly stamp for the leaf and glued the pom poms with hot glue (mommy only please) after regular glue didn't work. I also have magnetic tape for the backing of the clothes pin. Great fun

Toddler Cookbook

2009-09-09T11:59:00.001-07:00

Until I can save up for a new camera, my post will be a little flare-free. Here's a cool book I checked out from the library yesterday. It's called The Toddler Cookbook, by Annabel Karmel. It has great recipes with lots of photos, demos, etc. You can read it with your tot before you make a recipe. I really like the corn quesadillas and tropical pops.

Book about the Farm

2009-09-05T12:13:00.000-07:00

My camera broke a few days ago, so I've been holding back on postings. Stevie and I spent two wonderful days at my mom and dad's farm. He loved feeding the chickens and cows. Our farm adventure reminded me of a great farm book. It's Farmer Will, by Jane Cowen-Fletcher. Farmer Will is a toddler who takes his toy farm animals outside and pretends to play all kinds of games with them. It's one of those really well written "use your imagination" kids books. It's not too long and it's got beautiful illustrations.

Peas on P's Project

2009-09-02T06:31:00.000-07:00

After reading Eat Your Peas, Ida Louis, I thought it would be fun to do a craft with split peas. Here's what we came up with. All you need is some split peas, a gluestick, paper, scissors, and markers. Stevie like sorting the peas more than the actual project. Good fun.

Make a Scarecrow

2009-09-01T06:19:00.000-07:00

My son loves to collect leaves, acorns, pineneedles, and other outdoor items. Our bucket-o-outdoor stuff was full so we decided to make a scarecrow with it. Stevie and I were inspired by the scarecrow in the book, Up, Down and Around (Katherine Ayres). This one requires real glue, no gluestick, because of the pine needles.

Muffin Tin Monday - Circus

2009-08-31T12:02:00.000-07:00

The theme for Muffin Tin Monday (thanks to Her Cup Overfloweth) was Circus, so I tried to be creative. Stevie isn't really familiar with "circus" stuff, so I related the theme to a book. In the book, Eat Your Peas Ida Louise (Leo Landry), the Tiny Tender Peas do circus acts on the main character's lunch tray. So Stevie had peas with his lunch, and they performed on his muffin tin. I was hoping that this renew his love of peas. No such luck. He still won't put them in his mouth. I'll try again some other day.

Toddler Book Lists

2009-08-30T13:23:00.000-07:00

Found this today. I'm always looking for brief book reviews and recommendations. Here's a list of tot books by topic from the San Francisco Library.

Mommy is passionate about what?

2009-08-29T12:44:00.000-07:00

I think one of the most important things we can do with our kids is share our passion with them. It's good for them to know that mommy and daddy have things that they like to do too. Whether it's fishing, cooking, reading, acting, bowling, singing, it's good to share these hobbies with the kids. If you're passionate about your "death metal," you may want to wait to share that one until your tot is a little older. I'm passionate about all things outdoors. More specifically, gardening and butterflies. Stevie and I regularly pick/plant seeds, play with bugs, and hunt for caterpillars. Lucky for me, he's picked up on my interests and made them his own. There is something special about a 2 year old smiling with sheer delight when a Monarch flies above his head. Just beautiful. Here's a picture of our latest caterpillar friend, a Queen butterfly (caterpillar).

Making mini whole wheat pizza

2009-08-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

If you and your tot are in a lunchtime rut, try mini pizzas. My son loves making pizzas and he'll usually eat the whole thing. A good way to sneak in the veggies (unless you're one of those lucky souls who's kids love veggies) try using veggie lovers spaghetti sause. They'll never know they're eating healthy. I usually use whole wheat tortillas because they don't get as soggy in the oven. Just have the tots put the sauce on the tortillas, cheese, then other toppings and bake on a cookie sheet for 5-8 minutes at 350 degrees. For a cripy crust, let the pizzas cool on a baking rack. I usually only use about a tablespoon of sauce per pizza and freeze the rest for another day.

Here's a good pizza book, Pete's a Pizza by William Steig

Rock Sorting

2009-08-27T13:56:00.000-07:00

I found this little tray in my old "teacher" boxes. We've been using a muffin tin to sort, but this little tray is cute too. Stevie and I sort the dark and light colored rocks most of the time. We also do "big" and "little" sorting. The boy also likes to pretend he's baking rock cupcakes. Warning to parents: Rock cupcake "pretend" baking requires much supervision. A kid could lose a tooth, or worse.

Toddler Writing

2009-08-25T18:35:00.000-07:00

Stevie is in a "everything in marker" phase right now. Crayons, chalk, paint just don't cut it right now. So today, he asked me to draw the circle for faces and he did the rest (except for the labeling). The conversation went like this:

Mom: What do you want to write?
Stevie: Faces
Mom: I'll draw the circle for the face.
Stevie: Ok. Look, it's Daddy.
Mom: What does Daddy need to see?
Stevie: Eyes (draws the eyes)
Mom: What is he going to use to wave hello?
Stevie: Arms (draws arms and hands)

You get the idea. Anyway, it was the first time I had seen him draw with such detail. When looking for info on early kid writing, I found this website. It has all kinds of good information on early learning.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Chicka Chicka Activity

2009-08-24T12:34:00.000-07:00

My son really likes Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, by Bill Martin Jr. It's one of those library books that I should have bought already. Christmas. There are so many things you can do with this book. Here's just one. Get some magnetic letters (lower case are best) and make a coconut tree with construction paper. Once your tot gets familiar with the book, they'll be recreating the book on your refrigerator. It comes in handy when you're trying to make dinner.

A Good Rhyming Book About Cars

2009-08-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

Red Light, Green Light, by Anastasia Suen. This is the kind of book that can kick start your kid's imagination. In the story, a little boy uses his toys to create a busy rush hour scene filled with cars, trucks, buses, trolleys, fire engines, and pedestrians. Stevie and I usually make our own highways and parking lots with his cars. We play a game where he puts all the like-colored vehicles in parking lots (on a piece of construction paper). You can also use painter's tape to mark the roads on the floor/carpet. Your toddler will love making "road construction zones" with tape too.

Another good activity following this book is playing "Red light, Green light."

Goodbye Diapers?

2009-08-19T06:05:00.000-07:00

Stevie and I have been hard at work in the last week getting used to the idea of life without diapers. My husband and I introduced the potty when Stevie was just over a year old. I guess we were hoping that Stevie would just magically fall in love with the potty chair if he hung out with it long enough. In the last year, he would occasionally be fascinated with it, and the reaction he got after using the potty, but it would never last. Then last week, it happened. I told Stevie that the diaper factory was closing soon, and that we need to try underwear. I pointed out how fast he could run in underwear, how good being dry felt, etc. Stevie also saw his older cousin using the big potty and really thought it was cool. He's been wearing underwear for the last several days, telling me "he's got that feeling," when he's got to go. We're not out of the woods yet. This week we'll be taking our first outings without diapers. I'm concerned, but optimistic. We'll learn how to do this together. Public restrooms. Whoa.

Here are some books that we've read on the subject in the last 6 months or so.

Potty Time by Guido van Genechten (Stevie's favorite)
Caillou Potty Time- Great because it talks about how kids have accidents and that's ok. Also, talks about stopping play time to use the potty. This is a big hang up for my son.
No More Diapers for Ducky- pretty cute characters. Simple storyline

Intro to kid gardening

2009-08-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'm currently devising a plan for starting a garden with the boy. I found a great, great, great, book to introduce gardening. The book is Up, Down, and Around, by Katherine Ayers. It's the total package. It's got rhyme, short descriptive sentences, and the illustrations are exciting (without being overwhelming). Perfection. The details in the illustrations are awesome too. This is the kind of book that allows the young reader to make new discoveries about gardening each time they read the book. The author does an excellent job of explaining how some veggies grow underground, some climb, some twine around. Stevie is now getting more excited about our Fall garden.

Sidewalk Paint

2009-08-16T18:36:00.000-07:00

I found another gem of a website with all kinds of crafty/fun/creative ideas for tots. Yay! On the site, I saw a recipe for sidewalk paint. Stevie and I made the cornstarch sidewalk paint(with the help of Pink and Green Mama)and we had a blast. Check out Pink and Green Mama's post on sidewalk paint.

My Kid is a Robot Birdman

2009-08-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

After breakfast, I tried to think of something we could do to mix things up a little. Here's what I came up with. We made a costume called Robot/Birdman. Half robot, half bird. Stevie loves both of those things and also loves glitter glue. If you have foil, a cereal box, tissue paper, a magazine, and glitter glue, your kid can become a robot-superhero too. Make sure you get the washable glitter glue and supervise the activity. Great fun.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Books in Rhyme

2009-08-14T12:07:00.000-07:00

If you can't tell already, I'm a big fan of predictable text and rhyme. So, here's one for the rhyme fans out there. It's Mrs.McNosh and the Great Big Squash, by Sara Weeks. It's an exciting story about a woman, Mrs. Nelly McNosh who plants and grows an enormous squash. The illustrator, Nadine Bernard Westcott, does a good job of creating the silly scenes without making the pages look to busy and cluttered. This would be a good book to read with the kiddos before starting a Fall garden. Maybe I'll post something about gardening with kids. I'm hoping I can talk my husband into building me a raised bed for fruits and veggies.

Sugar Cookies with the Kid

2009-08-13T05:38:00.000-07:00

Stevie and I made sugar cookies this week. He loves to sprinkle the cookies with sugar and eat the remaining sugar. I didn't write down the recipe for this one. Let's face it, any old sugar cookie recipe will do. Toddlers won't complain about the results as long as the main ingredient is sugar.

Glue gun texture rubs

2009-08-11T12:53:00.000-07:00

Here's a great color/texture activity. I found it on a site called This Little Project . I've made texture rubs for a group of friends that are coming to play tomorrow. The texture plates are actually the fruits and veggies from the book, Lunch, by Denise Flemming. Our kiddos will use crayon melts to rub the fruits/veggies on a sheet of paper. The end result should look like the mashed up food mess left by the main character of the book. I had fun making mine, so hopefully our precious little tots will have fun too. That's the whole idea.

Update: Our theme day was great. Stevie and his friends seemed to enjoy using the crayon melts and glue gun rubbings. Yay!

Letter collage

2009-08-11T05:07:00.000-07:00

This was Stevie's first time using a glue stick. He was intrigued by the texture and loved it. First, I cut out pictures from a magazine, we glued them, then labeled them with letters. I think next time we'll just cut out and glue, then later on label them with their initial letter. Stevie was proud of his art work. Take out the letters that your toddler will need to ensure success with this one.
The conversation went like this:

Mom: What's that picture?
Stevie: A fish
Mom: What letter makes the /f/ in fish?
Stevie: F
Mom: Yes, F says /f/. Let's find the F and glue it on the fish.

We put Stevie's art on the refrigerator and he's been commenting on it all day. We'll do this one again soon.

Stevie's first Muffin Tin Monday

2009-08-10T15:41:00.000-07:00

I was hoping to celebrate Stevie's first Muffin Tin Monday with an assortment of healthy foods. It just wasn't in the cards. Stevie's cousin, Joshua, came over and we all had chicken nuggets and waffle fries from Chick-fil-a. Tasty.

Muffin Tin Mondays

2009-08-08T06:03:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon this one today. If you're in search of a way to make lunch or dinner more interesting, add this one to your arsenal. Muffin Tin Monday is pretty cool.
Check it out http://michellesjournalcorner.blogspot.com/2009/06/muffin-tin-monday-faq.html

Bedtime Book about the Moon

2009-08-07T12:26:00.000-07:00

We had a full moon a couple of night ago, and it reminded me of this great book that Stevie and his dad read at bedtime. It's all in rhyme and it's awesome. The book is called Look at the Moon, by May Garelick. The first page says it all:

Moon light, moon bright,Shining on this lovely night.

Does everyone see the moon I see,

The very same moon that shines on me?

It describes the moon being all different night time settings quite beautifully. One drawback,it's a bit long for my 2 year old. My husband usually skips a couple of pages, depending on the mood of the kiddo. The book allows your child to focus on the big picture. The world, outside of their world. Pretty cool.

Two Good Toddler Games/Activity Books

2009-08-06T11:59:00.000-07:00

New find from the library. . . Brilliant Brain Games for Kids to Enjoy by Hamlyn. It's one of those great books that describes the game, gives photos, and suggests appropriate ages for games. Numbers, sorting, rhyming, music, etc. Really nice book. Go check it out.

Also, The Complete Resource Book for Toddlers and Twos by Pam Schiller. This one is set up like lesson plans. It's nice because it lists activities by "concept." Example, High and Low, Round, Short, Rainy. The book also has a really cool section in the back with puppet templates, flannel board cut-outs, etc. Now I just have to make a flannel board.

Both are excellent books. Reserve them at your local library if you can.

Noodle art

2009-08-04T12:53:00.000-07:00

Stevie made noodle art today with some pasta I had in the pantry. He seemed to enjoy the dumping of the noodles more than the actual painting.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Crayon Melts from Cool Website

2009-08-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

I found this cool activity today. It's a perfect way to put those crayon pieces to good use. Yay for 100 degree weather! During your kid's naptime (God help you if there is no naptime), take some time to browse through this site. It is awesome.

Go to the site No Time for Flash Cards

Zucchini Cakes

2009-07-31T11:49:00.000-07:00

Stevie and I made Zucchini Cakes (really, my aunt Karen's zucchini bread) and had a blast. I do recommend that you do all the prep work ahead of time, so that you and your toddler can enjoy mixing all the ingredients. I decided to do this recipe and was not prepared for how long it takes to grate the zucchini. My toddler had no patience for that business. All in all, great fun.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Jackpot! Early learning activities galore!

2009-07-30T13:30:00.000-07:00

Just found this today. It's nice to have all of this info in one place. It comes from the Center for Early Literacy Learning and it's great. This site gives examples of activities for parents of infants and toddlers. Yay!

Color sorting

2009-07-28T11:26:00.000-07:00

While we were playing today, I asked Stevie to go and get something that could fit in his plastic egg and I would guess what it was. Well, he wasn't interested in that, but instead he did something we had done several different times (but . . . together). He found the red apple pillow and decided he would collect other toys that were also red. It was cute. We usually do stuff like that together. It's nice to see him have fun with that all on his own.

Sweetest mommy and kid book

2009-07-27T12:08:00.000-07:00

I've been reading this book with Stevie and it is so cute. He asks me to read it every day (too bad it's a library book). It's one of those cute mommy and child books that reminds you and your child how special the mommy/kid bond really is. The book is called Your Kind of Mommy, by Marjorie Blain Parker. The illustrations are soft and dreamy. The characters are mommy and daughter. Just beautiful and full of rhyme.

Letter Matching Game

2009-07-26T12:43:00.000-07:00

This game happened kind of accidentally today. Stevie and I were reading in his "book nook" and his lowercase letters were all over the floor. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom was right there and Stevie noticed that the letters looked the same. I asked him if he could find any matches. He started matching letters and we played that game for a good 5 minutes (forever in toddler time).

The Power of Play

2009-07-25T13:26:00.000-07:00

I'm reading a book about the role of play in a child's development. The book is called The Power of Play, by David Elkind, Ph.D. In it, Elkind describes the different types of play and the value of unstructured play as a means of learning. The author writes about young children not needing "formal instruction," because that is not what motivates them to learn. They need play and love (love of the thing that gets their attention) in order to learn. Not work or formal instruction. The play and love has to be their first, or learning will be a chore. Elkind writes, "parents and teachers are most effective if they build on children's love of stories, contrasts, rhythm and rhyme, unexpected facts, and humor." I found a blogger who has listed a series of quotes from the book. If you are interested in reading more about play . . . click here

Book reviews and lists

2009-07-24T13:33:00.000-07:00

I had a couple of hours to blow the other day (this is rare) and I decided I would check out some library books that were not for my 2 year old. I found a bunch of books on books. Specifically, book lists of must have kids books, grown-up books, etc. I found a 3 ring binder that read, The Early Bird Project Handbook. The handbook is part of the materials for this project that sounds really cool, but I'm not sure if the project still exists. Printed in 2002, it contains information on how to read to preschoolers, babies, and toddlers. What I found most useful was the lists, by category or theme, of books and a brief description of each one. Perfecto. Exactly what I need, and I assume what other moms of tots would like to see. The link to the website no longer exists, but the name of the author is Carolyn (Tunie) Munson-Benson. I plan on writing more about this author when I find out more. In the meantime, here are some early learning books with some book lists, reviews, etc.

*Choosing books for children : a commonsense guide / Betsy Hearne ; with Deborah Stevenson

*They're Never Too Young for Books: A Guide to Children's Books for Ages 1 to 8 / McGovern, Edyth M., and Helen D. Muller

Cooking with Kids

2009-07-21T12:51:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad Stevie is old enough to help out in the kitchen. Granted, it takes a little prep-time in order for us to cook together, but it's totally worth it. He loves mixing "ingwedients" and licking the spoon. He's not quite got the concept of waiting for things in the oven. A little distraction helps there. Here's stevie making chicken salad, which by the way, he still won't eat. Oh well, we'll keep trying. For some easy mom and kid cooking activities, click the link below.

Kids
Cooking Activities

Summer Suncatcher

2009-07-18T14:01:00.000-07:00

I made this sun catcher thingy in preparation for a theme activity day I'm hosting next week. I found a cute egg suncatcher here, but I'll stick to the paper plate variety. I like this craft because tots of all ages can tear up tissue and place it on some sticky contact paper. Yes, there's some prep work, but look how cute! Even after the sun catcher is made, your kid can continue the tearing tissue party. I guess I need to think of something to do with the left over tissue. I'll post after I do this activity with Stevie. It should be interesting to see his interpretation of the suncatcher.

Materials:
2 paper plates
2 circles contact paper
2 pieces gift wrap tape
1 long piece of yarn
scissors
tissue paper

Good Rhyming Books

2009-07-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

I found some good books at library yesterday with lots of rhyming words. I remember how a kiddo's ability to rhyme in Kindergarten was a good predictor of his/her confidence in reading. If a child is aware of the predictable patterns in writing (rhythm and rhyme), then it just makes reading text that much easier. If text is only 50% phonics (letters and letter sounds. . . . sounding words out), then the other 50% comes from "reading tricks" like using rhyme to predict text. Also, rhyming books are fun! My kindergarten classes always loved them and Stevie loves them too. The predictable text helps develop confidence in a reader. That's important. Here are some goodies:

Low Song by Eve Merriam (My new favorite. This one is so mellow. Good for a pre-naptime read. Illustrations are dreamy).

Look at the Moon by May Garelick (Long book. But if you just read chunks of it, skipping some pages . . . . . it is awesome. It has this cool theme. . . we're all united under the same moon. Different creatures, different people, settings, all under the same moon. Beauty.)

Time for Bed by Mem Fox (Perfect rhyming book before bed. Uses lots of repetition. Your toddler will be "reading" this one with you by the 2nd night.

Interesting Stories

2009-07-16T12:39:00.000-07:00

I was talking with some mom friends today about the books our kids like. I find it fascinating how the little ones go from little picture books to more plot driven books. It's not enough to just name the things in a book anymore. The book has to have a beginning, middle, and end. Most of Stevie's friends are around 2 years old and its so amazing to see them develop this way. They have an opinion about the book they are reading and they know what they like. It still freaks me out when stevie picks up a book when he's playing by himself. I hope this fascination with books, plot, and story line continues forever.

Good plot books: Pete's a Pizza by W. Stieg, The Tale of Peter Rabbit by B.Potter, Baby Bat's Lullaby by J. Mitchard.

Letter Detective

2009-07-14T12:28:00.000-07:00

Stevie and I went on a search for the letter Tt on a Triscuit box today. I gave him a washable marker and asked him to circle the letter Tt's. I had to hold part of the marker for this one. His 2 year old hands aren't ready for drawing small circles yet. He liked it, but wanted to write the letters on his legs too. Artists!

Picnic in the livingroom

2009-07-13T19:17:00.000-07:00

Tired of the same old pb& j at 12pm at the kitchen table. Try a picnic blanket, juice boxes, food, etc in another room. Two year olds are easily amused. Great fun. We do it often.

On Colors

2009-07-12T11:39:00.000-07:00

Good book for color awareness. . . . Lunch, by Denise Fleming. I'll figure out how to make a list of these someday. You can use pom poms that match the colors in the story and make a mouse. Kiddo can put the pom poms on the mouse, just like the mouse in the book. I'll try this and take a picture. I welcome any other ideas for colors. I'm hoping that this site will be an exchange of ideas, not just me giving info and sharing. I have a lot to learn.

Pom Poms

2009-07-09T13:11:00.000-07:00

If you are a mom of a 2-5 year old, you may have already have discovered the wonders of pom poms. Those little fuzzy balls that come in all colors and sizes (choking hazard for little ones). If you don't have some in a project box, go and get them. They're cheap ($1.00 at Target) and you and the kiddos can sort them, count them, make pictures with them, etc. Hours of fun.

Theme Day : Soft

2009-07-08T12:18:00.000-07:00

Today I hosted a theme day at my house. The theme was "soft." Soft food, soft music, story about a soft bunny, and soft art work. We read the story Fluffy Bunny, hopped like bunnies, and painted bunnies using cotton balls (soft, get it). I think the kids liked it. I did. Stevie enjoyed taking his bunny apart after it was all over. Good times.

Mem Fox Phase

2009-07-06T13:14:00.000-07:00

I've been really getting into all the Mem Fox children's books after reading her book on literacy, Reading Magic. In her book, Fox writes about the importance of reading each day with you child. Mem Fox is big on predictable text and rhyming. Me too! Reading books that are predictable, exciting, and have rhythm and rhyme helps little kids learn to read. It also helps them love reading and develops their confidence. One of my favorite recent mommy moments was watching my little dude take a book from his bookbox and start "reading" it. It was a book of nursery rhymes and he was having a ball with Hickory Dickory Dock. I'm keeping his bookbox in the playroom for that reason. I want the message to be loud and clear . . . . READING IS FUN. That's why his books are with the other fun stuff.

Letter Hunt

2009-07-06T12:58:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, Stevie and I played a game called "letter hunt" in the playroom. His job was to find objects in the room that start with the /b/ sound. I picked the letter b because it's a letter with only one sound. I forgot how many kids confuse the /b/ with /p/ because they sound so similar. Oh well, it was still a blast and Stevie seemed to really enjoy it. I had to pick out some objects (too many toys in the room to choose from), say the name of it, and Stevie would tell me if we could put in on the /b/ blanket. Here's a pick. He was quite proud of himself when it was over. I think I got the idea for this game from the book, 365 Games Smart Toddlers Play (S. Ellison). Either that book, or a mommy blog. The 365 book is awesome. Especially if your idea well is a little dry like mine. It really helps to see what other parents do with their kids. The book also groups activities by age . . . a plus in my book.

3 a Day

2009-06-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

I'm reading a book about literacy by Mem Fox. According to this book, literacy research shows that a child needs to have been read aloud over 1,000 books before they can actually read. She recommends doing this by reading 3 books a day. Her suggestion is reading one favorite, one familiar, and one new book. If Stevie and I do this, we'll have read over 1,000 books in a year. Wowzers.

What's this blog thing anyway?

2009-06-30T12:19:00.000-07:00

I'm starting this whole blog thingy for several reasons. One, I'm not into Facebook. Two, the grandparents seem to like pictures of the kid. Three, I keep reading all these mommy blogs chronicling fun toddler games and activities and I want to share. That's really my main reason. I'll be posting a lot of theme activity ideas, story time ideas, and photos. One of my goals as a mom and an educator has always been to make learning fun. By the time he sets his little foot into his first classroom, reading and writing will be already be a big part of his life. Reading will be a comforting piece of his home life, stuck in the middle of his new life at school. He's only 2 now, so I have some time before Kindergarten to create "love to learn" opportunities. I'll be documenting some of them and some random stuff too. Enjoy.