Building A Bookworm

As I venture down the parenting path through life over the years I am sure there will be 415,689,372 and more things that I will feel guilty about with my boys and want to redo over and over again, but since I am only 17 months and 2 days into this humbling journey, there is one that haunts me regularly- reading to my son daily and nightly!  I don’t know, maybe it’s the teacher in me (and the fact that my master’s degree is in early literacy), but if my husband and I haven’t read a stack of books to him throughout the day the panic sets in- will his vocabulary suffer, will he learn his letters and sounds on time, will he continue to develop a love for learning and reading, and…the…list…goes…on…  Now don’t get me wrong, he isn’t quite a year and a half yet, so I am not expecting him to pick up a book and recite it to us nor am I expecting him to sit for 10 minutes at a time to listen to a variety of texts; the anxiety takes a toll when I think we played too much throughout the day rather than taking 2 minutes here and there to read a story.  Yes, trust me, after teaching preschool and attending hundreds of hours of professional development on the concept of play and a child’s development, I understand and value the critical need for play in a child’s daily routine, but how do you balance time between play and books with your children? 

I recently read an article from The Children’s Reading Foundation that talks about reading to children starting at birth thru school-age and my mind and heart are at ease now.  Reading 20 minutes a day to your child proves to have a significant impact on their language and cognitive development.  I think it is important to remember that the 20 minutes a day doesn’t have to be a consecutive chunk of time; building it into your daily routine is up to you and how it will best fit.  Another point to consider is that while introducing and modeling good reading practices and strategies with children is an essential skill, you can build literacy into your schedule through conversations, songs, and fingerplays too.

Here are some ingenious ways to develop these literacy moments with your littles:

• Sing songs during bath time, washing your hands, getting dressed, cleaning up, etc.
• Read books during breakfast and lunch
• Visit the local library for story time
• Obtain a library card
• Listen to stories on CD in the car
• Felt Board Story sets
• Letter magnets on the fridge, talk about them while you’re cooking
• Label items around the house; point them out during the day
• During TV commercials, mute the TV and read a story
• Have books available during playtime for your child to handle

Rainy Day + Gutter = Instant Adventure!

Rain, rain, go away
Come again another day
Little sailor wants to play!

Rainy days are sure to dampen anyone’s day especially during the summertime, but with a bucket of trains, trucks and cars and a $5 plastic rain gutter from Home Depot (cut into smaller pieces) we didn’t let weather stop us from having a morning of adventure in our living room!

*We also had a bucket of balls nearby along with a second rain gutter cut the same size.  (The store associate cut the 10 foot rain gutter into two 4-foot pieces and one 2-foot piece.)  We raced the balls down each gutter!

DIY Water Wall of Wonder

Little man is finally on the upswing from his daunting adenoid surgery, stomach virus and post-op infection (yep all together!), therefore we are back outside from sun up until sundown.  HOORAY!!!  We have the typical outdoor water table with recycled plastic bottles, cups, measuring bowls, etc, but it was time to take the outdoor water play to another level; I’ll admit it, I was bored with the water table.  Since our little sailor can’t keep his fingers and toes out of anything that has even a few drops of water, I knew we needed something durable yet easily accessible for his small exploratory hands and feet.  I have seen so many of the shared Facebook posts from numerous teaching pages, mommy bloggers, etc. promoting outdoor water play pop up in my newsfeed lately, so I set off to Home Depot yesterday afternoon with no plan in place other than to purchase anything we could zip-tie to our fence that would hopefully provide endless hours of water play, investigation, and imagination!  I am not sure if I should be proud of this or not, but there is an associate at our local store who will literally walk me through EVERY step of my DIY kiddo projects offering her suggestions, improvements, etc. until I leave with a bigger and better idea; unfortunately, she was on vacation yesterday, but with no plan in place, I don’t think my project turned out too shabby.  For under $30 (don’t forget the military discount they offer!) and within 30 minutes during his naptime, I was able to construct the next best thing to golden Oreos in my son’s eyes I do believe!  (Even my husband left the remote and couch behind yesterday to get wet with us!) 

*Since we live in military housing, I couldn’t screw the water wall pieces to the fence, so I purchased extra long zip ties to secure everything in place.  Don’t have a fence to utilize?  Don’t fret; you can use a recycled wooden skid, peg board, plywood, etc.    

 

Possible items to use:  funnels, tubing, PVC pipe pieces (I spray painted mine to break up the boring white), kitchen colanders, recycled plastic containers (ketchup/mustard bottles, milk jogs, cottage cheese/yogurt containers, drinking cups, measuring cups/bowls, watering cans, etc.  Get the little ones involved- look around the house for anything that could be turned into another part of your water wall!            

If you like what you read, share it.  And, please do not forget to follow me & subscribe to my blog.  Happy reading!

Mother's Day Frame

Who doesn't love a homemade gift from a child?!  My little sailor and I made these for my mom, mother-in-law, and our grandmothers on both sides of the family.  Grab some popsicle sticks, a glue gun, some puzzle pieces, a Sharpie marker, and a picture!  (We bought our popsicle sticks at a craft store, but I found the same pack at the Dollar Tree; much cheaper too!)  You can easily make it a magnet by adding a sticky magnet to the back or maybe you would rather hang it, so add a piece of string to it!  Either way, it is easy and fun to make and will be cherished for a lifetime! 

 

If you like what you read, share it.  And, please do not forget to follow me & subscribe to my blog.  Happy reading!

   

DIY Self-Feeding Bird Feeder (Perfect for little hands!)

We had a ton of water bottles that were headed for the recycling bin this week and I pulled a few out for an unspecified art project with our little guy.  I had no idea what I was going to do with them until we were at our local NEX Home Gallery and I saw a simple bird feeder.  It was easy to recreate with the water bottles and 2 plastic spoons/sporks I had in the kitchen.  The best part about the bird feeder is that when the birds land on the spoon/spork it releases food from the bottle making it a self-feeder!  How awesome is that?!

Living in the Midwest and near the lakefront, weather is always a surprise.  Unfortunately, the day we decided to make these the temperatures were only in the mid-40's.  No worries though; I placed a table cloth on the kitchen floor and we had a no-mess craft space!

(*This project requires some adult-preparation before turning it over to small hands to finish.) 

Materials:

• empty water bottles
• birdseed
• plastic spoons (or sporks)
• funnel
• bowl/cup (to pour birdseed)
• string
• scissors
• box cutter/sharp knife

Directions:

1. Slice 2 sets of holes (4 holes in total) with the box cutter/knife to put the 2 spoons/sporks through
2. Put the spoons/sporks in place
3. Pour birdseed into bowl/measuring cup
4. Using funnel, pour birdseed into bottle
5. Tie string around the neck of the bottle and hang in tree
6. Enjoy watching the birds visit! 

 

If you like what you read, share it.  And, please do not forget to follow me & subscribe to my blog.  Happy reading!

Snack-In-A-Box

We all know little ones are like squirrels when they eat; they gather their snacks and nibble here and there throughout the day.  We are lucky to have a little guy with a big appetite in the morning, but as the day progresses, his desire for food is much like a hunt-and-peck game.  (Fortunately, he is gaining weight perfectly and is a healthy boy!)  During one of my Pinterest journeys I came across the ice cube tray idea to store food in for little ones who like to eat frequently throughout the day.  I tried it and it didn't work for us.  When the tray was unattended, it always mysteriously ended up on the floor, spilled on the table, or our furry friend was sneaking treats.  While I was shopping at our local NEX I came across a "utility box" better known as a mini fishing tackle box to me.  (Only $2!)  I picked up 2 of them- one for the diaper bag and one for at home and so far, we have a tidy "snack-in-a-box" keeper for our little sailor.  I fill it with his favorite treats and let him visit it as needed throughout the day after breakfast.  No more mess for us and when he isn't eating a snack, he simply closes the lid keeping our 4-legged friend away from it. 

If you like what you read, share it.  And, please do not forget to follow me & subscribe to my blog.  Happy reading!

Breaking the Traditional Easter Basket-Look

After scrolling through countless number of traditional Easter baskets in my newsfeed on social media over the past week, I knew I didn't want to become that parent who filled a brightly-colored basket with everything our little guy didn't need or already had in the snack closet.  I am not saying I am 100% against the traditional Easter basket, but I remember growing up and each year my brothers and I would get these humungous Easter baskets filled with all our favorite sweet treats and stuff we never touched until it was time to toss it in the trash.  Thinking back and talking to my mom about this she admitted she fell into the trap of giving us large baskets filled with anything she could throw in the cart that was bunny and spring-time related. 

As I looked at the 2 bags of play sand my husband picked up from Home Depot I knew I could easily turn this into our son's Easter basket- it was both practical and made a perfect toddler gift.  It wasn't something I would toss in the trash in a few weeks nor was it something he would never touch, well unless he hated sand, but luckily that wasn't the case here.  I even tied in the basket-look to complete it. 

My goal is to continue to provide non-traditional, yet practical Easter baskets to our little sailor and his soon-to-be little brother.  I don't want them to look back on their childhood and think about all the candy that was left uneaten for the trashbags to consume because mom and dad felt they had to stuff their baskets full. 

Hope your Easter was filled with happiness and love!

If you like what you read, share it.  And, please do not forget to follow me & subscribe to my blog.  Happy reading!

EGG-celent Idea: 5 Learning Games to Make with Upcycled Egg Cartons!

Easter is only a few days away and if your house is like ours, you have empty egg cartons you are probably going to either recycle or toss in the trash.  STOP!  Upcycle them into learning games! 

Kids love simple, DIY projects with objects lying around the house and this is an easy way to build learning in at home over the holiday and spend quality family-time together!

 

Below are 5 educational ideas you can make with your egg cartons.    

1.  ADDITION, SUBTRACTION, & MULTIPLICATION:  This has multiple variations depending on the level of your child.  First, number each space (1, 2, 3…) with a marker.  Next you will need 2 buttons, coins, bottle caps, or anything else to use as a marker.  Place the 2 objects anywhere in the egg carton, close, and shake a few times.  Open the egg carton.  Now, have your child add, subtract, or multiply the numbers depending on their skill level.  Variation:  Number the spaces with 2 or 3-digit numbers.  Have your child add, subtract, or multiply these larger numbers together.  Another way to play the game could be to round the 2 and 3-digit numbers to the nearest tens or hundreds place.

2.  COLOR SORTING:  You will need an empty egg carton, 6 different colored plastic eggs, and a variety of small objects of different colors (pompoms, beads, buttons, etc.)  Open the egg carton and place one egg in each space in the back row.  Now, have your little learner sort the small objects by color and place in front of the plastic egg.  Variation:  Use tweezers or tongs to build fine motor skills!    

3.  SHAPE SORTING:  Provide your child with a variety of edible objects of different shapes.  (Think about cereal, crackers, candy pieces, pretzels, etc.)  Have your child sort them by similar shape.  Check for accuracy and enjoy a quick snack together!  Variation:  Use tweezers or tongs to build fine motor skills!    

4.  FINE MOTOR SKILLS: Cut off the lid of the egg carton.  Poke holes throughout the bottom tray of the carton.  Give your child pipe cleaners (cut them in half first).  Have your child make designs and patterns reinforcing those fine motor skills by pushing/pulling pipe cleaners through the holes. 

5.  MINI GARDEN:  Cut off the lid of the egg carton.  Fill the bottom with potting soil.  Plant your favorite flowers, fruits, or veggies.  Plan ahead:  when cooking, save the seeds of fruits and veggies and use those to plant in your carton!    

If you like what you read, share it.  And, please do not forget to follow me & subscribe to my blog.  Happy reading!

Rainy Day Water Fun!

Last week we had a day of Spring-time rain; so much better than another snowstorm!  It was too cold to play in the rain, but we still managed to get wet in our sailboat water table.  When I purchased the water table from an online yardsale group, my husband thought it would go outside this summer; little did he know, it would become a central part of our playroom.  My mom completed it with one of her surprise packages for our little guy when she sent him a waterproof smock!  (Available at http://stores.ebay.com/quickdrawsupplies/; Awesome smock, awesome price and it arrived quickly!  We will be ordering more sizes for him!)

I had an empty gallon milk jug that I cut the top off.  I filled the bottom halfway with water, added some vanilla extract and plastic shapes, and froze it during his naptime for sensory discovery when he woke up.  Seeing his love for bath time and his need to fish out ice cubes in my ice water, I hoped he would enjoy the ice block in his water table as much. 

The pictures speak for themselves.  My husband had a conference call for work that afternoon/evening, so I joined our little sailor in the playroom for the water extravaganza.  He became obsessed with trying to break apart the ice block with his water tools to get the plastic shapes out.  The added vanilla was a treat for him; it was adorable watching him smell and taste the water! 

 

Suggestion:  If you have an indoor water table, I highly suggest purchasing a washer/dryer tray from a home improvement store like Lowes or Home Depot to place it in.  Saves a lot of clean-up time and extra messes! 

 

If you like what you read, share it.  And, please do not forget to follow me & subscribe to my blog.  Happy reading!

Spring-time Family Bucket List

Spring is finally in the air (I think and hope)!  There is so much to do around the house to make it look alive and fresh again, but most importantly, it is time to get outdoors with my family!  I love this time of the year; everything is green, blooming, and children are outside playing!  As much as I enjoy wintertime and snowy days, I was secretly wishing Spring would arrive early so our little guy could get outdoors and explore!  One thing I love about our area is how family-friendly it is and the accessibility to a variety of outdoor venues like playgrounds, zoos, nature trails, Lake Michigan, forest preserves, botanical gardens, petting zoos; I could go on!  We take full advantage of weekends and evenings for family time, so to maximize that time together this Spring, I put together a "Spring-time Bucket List" to do with our little sailor outdoors so he can soak in everything Spring has to offer through his senses!   

 

*If you would like a copy emailed to you, please "follow me" and leave a comment on the post. 

 

If you like what you read, share it.  And, please do not forget to follow me & subscribe to my blog.  Happy reading!

 

 

Throw the Paint Brush Away and Get Creative!

When I had my own classroom expressing ourselves through art was a daily component of our learning process.  My son is 14 months and I have been trying to introduce art to him in various modes like footprint painting, edible paints on a canvas, bathtub crayons, etc.  I recently found an art studio nearby that offers art classes for children starting at the age of one.  Now that the subzero temperatures are hopefully out of sight until next winter, I plan on getting him in there a few times a month.

There are numerous benefits of incorporating art into the lives of young children such as:

• Math awareness- colors, shapes, forms and lines.
• Development of fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
• Individual expression.
• Social skills; talking about their own artwork as well as their peers. 
• Decision making and problem solving skills.
• Science Awareness- mixing/changing colors, textures, bubbles, solids/liquids, etc.
•  Pre-writing opportunities.

We have started an art box with washable paint, paper, canvases, chalk, etc.  Painting doesn't always have to be with a paintbrush in hand.  There are many everyday household items lying around that can turn into a new method of painting. 

 

 

If you like what you read, share it.  And, please do not forget to follow me & subscribe to my blog.  Happy reading!

Get your first month free with new ABCmouse subscription

*This post may contain an affiliate link.

ABCmouse.com makes learning child's play. It offers a full online curriculum in reading, math, beginning science, social studies, art, and music. Simply click your mouse and little learners will have access to over 3,000 individual learning activities-from online books and games to original songs, puzzles, art activities, and printables. Additionally, ABCmouse.com offers mobile apps that include interactive books, educational games, and more.

• Help your child learn reading, phonics, and math in a fully interactive environment.
• Help your child develop a love of learning at an early age.
• Help your child gain essential learning skills that will last a lifetime.
• Build your child's educational foundation before entering school.
• Prepare your child with these essential reading and math skills to succeed in school.
• Give your child an educational head start before entering school.
• Allow your child to learn at his or her own pace.

Click here to Get your first month free with new ABCmouse subscription

Infantino Teether Product Review

Disclosure:  I was not compensated for this review.  I have received the Squeeze & Teethe product line from Infantino to facilitate my review.

Relief, adorable, and overall excellent product!  We could not have received this teether on a more appropriate morning; our 14 month old started cutting a new set of teeth the night before the box came.  When our little sailor woke up that Friday morning, he was suffering from his first teething fever and wanted to chew on anything within his reach.  We had tried a multitude of teething products with the past 8 teeth; natural necklaces, frozen teething packs, wash cloths, etc. and nothing seemed to tickle his fancy.  I couldn't tear in to the box fast enough when I saw the Infantino label on the outside of the box.  I won't lie; I was a little skeptical though if he would take to this toy or if he would reject it like others.  Ellie, as we have named it, accompanies us during playtime, while reading books, running errands, and even hangs out during bath time!  She is definitely getting some use while we are in this developmental stage.  Well done, Infantino!      

If you like what you read, share it.  And, please do not forget to follow me & subscribe to my blog.  Happy reading!

DIY Sensory Table

We bought our little learner a water table that he is absolutely in love with, but I wanted a sensory table for his learning area to include sand, colored pasta, oatmeal, etc. without spending an arm and a leg!  During one of my favorite Google searches I came across an easy DIY double sensory table thanks to http://blog.jaxinthebox.com/2013/05/01/diy-sand-water-table-60-minutes-50-done/. 
 
I had to alter the measurements in order to fit the bins I purchased at Home Depot.  (Thanks to the awesome store associate, she measured and cut everything for me!)  I also had extra PVC pipe leftover, so I asked the Home Depot employee to cut me 2 additional sets of legs so the table can grow with our little guy.  As an added bonus, Home Depot had many of their plastic storage items on clearance; so watch those sales tags!
 

 

 

 

Supply List: 

2- 28 quart bins (grab the lids too!)

10- 1.25 inch tees

8- 1.25 inch ninety degree elbows

4- 1.25 inch PVC pipe (10 feet each)

2 cans of spray paint

 

PVC pipe cut into the following:

5- 20 inch

2- 23 inch

4- 10 inch

My 3 sets of 4 legs are 16 inches, 20 inches & 24 inches  

 

*There will be some leftover PVC pipe.  I used it to make rain sticks.  (If you do this, purchase the caps for the ends.)

 

Ideas for your sensory table bins: 

sand, rice, colored pasta, cotton balls, oatmeal, flour, water, beans, corn meal, bubbles, shredded paper, popcorn, sponges, straw, ice cubes/blocks, tissue paper, felt pieces, a variety of material scraps, newspaper, bottle caps, pipe cleaners, shaving cream, soil, mud, fingerpaint, bird seed, the ideas are endless! 

 

*Always supervise children at the sensory table. 

 

If you like what you read, share it.  And, please do not forget to follow me & subscribe to my blog.  Happy reading!

Simple Colored Pasta

I wanted to add colored pasta to our sensory table for our little guy to investigate color and texture.  Rubbing alcohol will allow your pasta to hold the color better and longer, but I warn you: keep all windows/doors open in the kitchen when you are drying it.  Or you could lay the pasta on trays covered in paper towels and place outside on a sunny day.  (I put our trays in the garage with the door cracked open for ventilation.)  Any way you choose dry it, make sure there is plenty of fresh air to eliminate the strong alcohol smell. 

 

 

Shopping List:

3 boxes of your choice pasta

1 box of food coloring

1 bottle of rubbing alcohol

Large Freezer bags

Paper towels

Trays/cookie sheets

 

Directions:

1.  Decide how many colors you will make and designate one bag per color.

2.  Divide the pasta among the number of bags/colors desired. 

3.  Mix 10 drops of food coloring (or more if you want a darker color) and 1/4 cup of rubbing alcohol together and pour into freezer bags.  Secure and shake until all of the pasta has been covered.  Lay the bag flat.  Repeat for each color.

4.  Let the bags sit for 45-60 minutes. 

5.  Cover trays/cookie sheets with paper towels.  (Bounty paper towels absorb the best.) 

6.  Dump pasta evenly on top of the paper towels and allow to dry.  The alcohol scent will go away the longer you let the pasta dry in open air.  (I made mine in the early evening and set out to dry overnight.) 

7.  Store in an air-tight container when not in use.

If you like what you read, share it.  And, please do not forget to follow me & subscribe to my blog.  Happy reading!

 

First Flight Jitters

I am going to be honest with our experience (really my own personal anxiety) with our little sailor's first plane ride when he was 4 months old.  My husband's oldest niece was graduating from high school and we decided to make the trip from IL to GA for the momentous occasion.  I did probably what most new moms do- read a ton of articles to prepare for upcoming flight and trip.  Lesson learned- take each moment, first-time experience, etc as it comes.  I never admitted this to my husband before, but he was right. 

When we were expecting baby D I signed us up for EVERY birth prep, nursing, you name it class that was offered in our area.  The first and last class we attended was an informational session about SIDS.  Ok, yes, I know SIDS is real and very serious, but my anxiety was through the roof and I think that was the last night I ever slept a full night's sleep.  (You can read more about SIDS here:  http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/sleep/sids.html)  From that night on, my husband suggested "we wing it" and by that he meant take every moment of labor, delivery, and first-time parenting moments by the seat of our parents.  I figured, what the heck; it was time for me to break away from my need to plan everything out in advance. 

With the exception of an emergency C-section, we were 2 extremely lucky first-time parents.  Everything seemed to go seamless and chaos-free.  So I am not sure why I decided to try and plan the perfect first flight for D.  This little guy is just like daddy; a go-with-the-flow kinda boy!

I planned everything from when to nurse him before leaving the house to how many pumped bottles we would need to extra clothes to where to eat at the airport to how to respond to gawkers on-board if I needed to nurse the little sailor; if it could be planned, it was planned.  The one aspect of flying that made me most anxious was ear pain D could experience, so it prompted me to plan a little more so we wouldn't disturb any other travelers. 

The moment we boarded and found our seats, I nervously asked the flight attendants to pass out pre-packaged baggies I made the night before to everyone in-flight.  She agreeably took the bag and started handing out disposable earplugs and a poem to accompany them as my husband fed our pleasant first-time flyer.  Before the plane backed out, baby D was snoring on my shoulder, but most importantly, each passenger was prepared for any ear-piecing screams, but I was still anticipating the screaming baby with us. 

Dressed for his first flight and representing daddy, he slept peacefully 2+ hours until we landed in Georgia.  As we exited the plane, several travelers thanked my husband for his service and expressed their appreciation of the on-board (but unnecessary) goody bag.  My over-planning fell by the wayside, thankfully, but I forgot to enjoy our first flight!  My husband's "wing-it" attitude won again!   

Picture on bottom right by:  Erin Hodge Photography. 

Splish Splash!

I didn't know it was possible to collect just as many toys in our bathtub as we do in the living room, playroom, and our 10 month old son's bedroom.  Ok, well not really, but pretty close to it!  My husband goes bananas when bathwater is dripped on the bathroom floor and his socks get wet, so I knew I needed to find an easier way to drain the water out of the bath toys each night without splashing water everywhere and keep everything organized, too.  I came across a picture one day on Facebook of a DIY bath toy organizer and altered the design to fit our family's style. 

We used it tonight for the first time, and it was perfect!  I was able to slide the toy baskets to the back of the tub to allow plenty of play room for our lil sailor.  When bath time was over, we threw the toys in the baskets and watched the water drip into the tub, not on the floor.  Genius! 

 

DIY for under $13!

Shower Curtain Rod:  Home Depot, under $10

Baskets:  Dollar Tree, $1 each

Who doesn't have extra rings laying around with lil ones in the house?

 

 

If you like what you read, share it.  And, please do not forget to follow me & subscribe to my blog.  Happy reading!