Zucchini Cakes

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.