My sister has a great Money Saving blog where she hosts reviews and giveaway for many great products. I saw these My Hikes one her 3 year old boy at his big brother's birthday party and Just thought they were they greatest idea! A cute way to adjust the cuffs of your kiddos pants without have to hem them so they can look good for as long as possible. The most impressive thing about the My Hikes from my point of view is that they actually held the cuffed pant legs in place the entire day! Check out her blog and giveaway try try to win your own set of My Hikes!
Luv Saving Money: Adjust your kiddos pants in a cute new way with My...: I have 3 boys who grow like weeds (as it seems most kids do.). It's more economical for me to buy clothes just a little bigger to ensure ...
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Firework Safety: A few tips to follow
The 4th of July is in just a few days. Many Americans will be buying fireworks to set off in their backyards and may even attend professional fireworks displays all over the country. Not a year goes buy that you do not read about accidents involving injury to a person or damage to property and in some cases both. So, I thought I'd take a break from making the Red, White, and Blue (and Christmas in July) Cupcakes with my daughter to jot down a few firework safety tips for you and you're little ones, before I get started on the Chocolate Covered Strawberries for the picnic tomorrow!
1) Children, of any age, should never be permitted to use or set off fireworks of any kind without adult supervision.
*remember children are naturally curious. Even the most responsible child or teenager may get carried away by the excitement and curiosity and experiment with fireworks in ways that may injure themselves, others, or cause damage to property.
2) Always go over "rules" about how to safely and properly set off any firework from Snappers to Grand Pianos before setting off each firework. This includes your house rules for firework safety and READING THE DIRECTIONS. This is your child's safety at hand, so make sure they are well aware of the rules. You may even want them to repeat back to you what the rules are before setting off each firework.
3) Remember early learners do not have the defined gross or fine motor skills that adults and older children do, nor do they have the reaction time so it is not a good idea to let little ones light or hold any type of firework.
4) Choose a Safe Place to set off your fireworks. Make sure you are far enough away from houses, cars, and each other when setting off fireworks so that if one would take off in an unexpected direction in would not hit your friends, family, or any property. This should be the designated place for everyone to set off their fireworks ONE AT A TIME!
5) Have a Designated Safety Area. There should be a place for those who are waiting their turn or just watching the fireworks to be where they know they are safe.
6) Always keep a few large buckets of water on hand. For two reasons: 1) Have one bucket to place the hot end of sparklers to cut down on the risk of anyone getting burned and 2) just in case a firework is faulty or ends up somewhere it shouldn't and catches fire.
7) Keep a fire extinguisher handy. Just in case.
8) Be aware of your child's comfort around fireworks. If a child is not comfortable being around fireworks do not force them. If they do not enjoy the loud sounds you may want to give them ear plugs or earmuffs. Never ridicule or tease a child who feels uneasy around fireworks. Always try to ease their concerns and/or provide another activity for them.
9) Remember fireworks, even the most mild firework is an explosive. So it is okay to be concerned about being around them. It is better to be too safe, rather than not respect the seriousness of a firework and end up getting injured.
For even more Firwork Safety Tips check out this article by Kids Health:
http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/outdoor/fireworks.html
1) Children, of any age, should never be permitted to use or set off fireworks of any kind without adult supervision.
*remember children are naturally curious. Even the most responsible child or teenager may get carried away by the excitement and curiosity and experiment with fireworks in ways that may injure themselves, others, or cause damage to property.
2) Always go over "rules" about how to safely and properly set off any firework from Snappers to Grand Pianos before setting off each firework. This includes your house rules for firework safety and READING THE DIRECTIONS. This is your child's safety at hand, so make sure they are well aware of the rules. You may even want them to repeat back to you what the rules are before setting off each firework.
3) Remember early learners do not have the defined gross or fine motor skills that adults and older children do, nor do they have the reaction time so it is not a good idea to let little ones light or hold any type of firework.
4) Choose a Safe Place to set off your fireworks. Make sure you are far enough away from houses, cars, and each other when setting off fireworks so that if one would take off in an unexpected direction in would not hit your friends, family, or any property. This should be the designated place for everyone to set off their fireworks ONE AT A TIME!
5) Have a Designated Safety Area. There should be a place for those who are waiting their turn or just watching the fireworks to be where they know they are safe.
6) Always keep a few large buckets of water on hand. For two reasons: 1) Have one bucket to place the hot end of sparklers to cut down on the risk of anyone getting burned and 2) just in case a firework is faulty or ends up somewhere it shouldn't and catches fire.
7) Keep a fire extinguisher handy. Just in case.
8) Be aware of your child's comfort around fireworks. If a child is not comfortable being around fireworks do not force them. If they do not enjoy the loud sounds you may want to give them ear plugs or earmuffs. Never ridicule or tease a child who feels uneasy around fireworks. Always try to ease their concerns and/or provide another activity for them.
9) Remember fireworks, even the most mild firework is an explosive. So it is okay to be concerned about being around them. It is better to be too safe, rather than not respect the seriousness of a firework and end up getting injured.
10) Never assume a firework is simply a dud if it did not go off after being lit. Always exercise extreme caution with a firework that did not go off being sure to cover it with plenty of water before disposing of it.
For even more Firwork Safety Tips check out this article by Kids Health:
http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/outdoor/fireworks.html
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Summer Treat inspired by Sprout's Noodle & Doodle
If your children are anything like mine they want anything they see on TV, at least until the next thing comes on then they want that instead! LOL Everyone once in a while though my daughter wants something that I can actually give her without having to leave the house or spend money. She gets inspired by a lot of her favorite television shows.
Anyone who knows me knows that when my daughter is awake and we're actually in the house the TV is usually tuned to the Sprout network or some other educational kids channel. I prefer Sprout to most other kids programming because it presents educational concepts in every aspect of its programming, but this is not a blog post about the best TV channel for your children to watch. This is about a fun and yummy AND mostly healthy summer treat I threw together based on one of the programs. This morning on the Noodle & Doodle show Shawn and Noodle made blueberry smoothies using milk, apple juice, and blueberries in a blender. What excited my daughter about these smoothies were the sprinkle rim glasses they made for the smoothies. Upon seeing this tasty twist to a rather ordinary treat my daughter very excitedly asked if we could make glasses with sprinkles on them.
This is one of the few recipes I've seen on this show that I could actually make almost immediately without even having to log on to www.SproutOnline.com to look up the recipe. I as a health conscious mom sprang into action, because if your kids are anything like mine, they usually request all the fun looking junk food they see advertised on TV so I definitely wanted to make these for her.
I didn't have blue berries so I couldn't make the blueberry smoothie as scene on the show, but since my daughter's interest was in the sprinkle rimmed glasses I didn't really think that matter. So I used what I had on hand, bananas and strawberries. This is the recipe I threw together off the top of my head:
2 large Bananas (peeled)
5 large Strawberries (tops cut off)
2 cups Milk - I used 2% organic, to cut back on calories you can use Fat Free
1 cup Apple Juice
Honey
Sprinkles of your (or your child's) choosing
1) Blend bananas, strawberries, milk, and apple juice together in blender until smooth.
2) Coat the rim of the glass of your choosing with honey either by drizzling it on or painting it on with a pastry brush
3) pour enough sprinkles in to a small bowl so that there is enough to cover the bottom.
4) Turn the glass with honey coated rim over and place honey coated rim in the sprinkles. It helps to wiggle the glass back and forth a little bit to make sure you get sprinkles all over the rim.
5)Pour blended smoothie mixture into sprinkled rimmed glass and enjoy!
Makes 5 eight once servings
For a cooler thicker smoothie you can add ice cubes before blending.
Anyone who knows me knows that when my daughter is awake and we're actually in the house the TV is usually tuned to the Sprout network or some other educational kids channel. I prefer Sprout to most other kids programming because it presents educational concepts in every aspect of its programming, but this is not a blog post about the best TV channel for your children to watch. This is about a fun and yummy AND mostly healthy summer treat I threw together based on one of the programs. This morning on the Noodle & Doodle show Shawn and Noodle made blueberry smoothies using milk, apple juice, and blueberries in a blender. What excited my daughter about these smoothies were the sprinkle rim glasses they made for the smoothies. Upon seeing this tasty twist to a rather ordinary treat my daughter very excitedly asked if we could make glasses with sprinkles on them.
This is one of the few recipes I've seen on this show that I could actually make almost immediately without even having to log on to www.SproutOnline.com to look up the recipe. I as a health conscious mom sprang into action, because if your kids are anything like mine, they usually request all the fun looking junk food they see advertised on TV so I definitely wanted to make these for her.
I didn't have blue berries so I couldn't make the blueberry smoothie as scene on the show, but since my daughter's interest was in the sprinkle rimmed glasses I didn't really think that matter. So I used what I had on hand, bananas and strawberries. This is the recipe I threw together off the top of my head:
2 large Bananas (peeled)
5 large Strawberries (tops cut off)
2 cups Milk - I used 2% organic, to cut back on calories you can use Fat Free
1 cup Apple Juice
Honey
Sprinkles of your (or your child's) choosing
1) Blend bananas, strawberries, milk, and apple juice together in blender until smooth.
2) Coat the rim of the glass of your choosing with honey either by drizzling it on or painting it on with a pastry brush
3) pour enough sprinkles in to a small bowl so that there is enough to cover the bottom.
4) Turn the glass with honey coated rim over and place honey coated rim in the sprinkles. It helps to wiggle the glass back and forth a little bit to make sure you get sprinkles all over the rim.
5)Pour blended smoothie mixture into sprinkled rimmed glass and enjoy!
Makes 5 eight once servings
For a cooler thicker smoothie you can add ice cubes before blending.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Nap Time!
Did you know naps and a consistent sleep wake schedule are just as important to the health & wellness of a young child as proper nutrition. Does your toddler or Pre-K child seem to get noticeably more cranky or even throw temper tantrums late in the day? Did you know many tantrums take place because the child is simply too tired to do whatever is being asked of then, even if it is something that they typically would enjoy?
Children, especially young children are still learning about their bodies, and because they are also still learning the words they need to describe how they feel and other abstract concepts, they often aren't capable expressing the way they feel accurately. This leads to even more frustration combine this sort of frustration with an already tired child and the result can be anything from simple disobedience (because they are just too tired to think about what you are asking them to do) to a full blown tantrum!
Think about how you feel right around 2:00 pm after working all day. Now imagine feeling that way without having the coping skills of an adult NOR the ability to express to anyone how you feel. Wouldn't you react the same way?
I have had numerous parents and relatives tell me that they "try" to put their child down for a nap but all they want to do is play or that their child just doesn't seem tired. I completely understand that. Most children when asked if they want to take a nap, especially if they haven't had a regular nap time will tell you they aren't tired, but this is where you as a parent or caregiver have to play the card that days, "Well I'm you're Mommy/Daddy/ Grandma/Grandpa/Stepmom/Babysitter and I know what's actually best for you." Because when it comes to nap time, you do! (especially after reading this article)
I have carried my very insistent toddler up stairs kicking and screaming that she didn't want to take a nap only to lay her down and have her fall asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. Other times, when we've had a less active day or when we slept in an extra half hour it may take 5-10 minutes to get her to settle down and nap at her regularly scheduled nap time, but she always naps for about 2 hours. I know its hard to do and for parents in shared custody situations its even harder because the tendency is to want to spend as much quality time and have as much fun with your child as possible, but think of it this way, how good is that "quality" time if she's too exhausted to enjoy it or to even to remember it?
When you plan your day and schedule your events to include that much needed nap for you little one he or she will actually enjoy all the time spend with you. There will be less tantrums and frustration and more smiles and giggles. In general, during the early childhood years children need 10 hours of sleep at night and a nap during the day. The length of the nap varies per child. I'm a big proponent of allowing the child to nap or sleep as long as she needs to. Other just as qualified parents will wake their children up from a nap after a certain period of time. This is a decision you need to make based on your life and your child, as long as your are consistent about it you will have a much more pleasant child.
And just think, while your child is napping you can get in an at home workout, do some a laundry, wash some dishes, take a bath or even just enjoy some quiet time watching your favorite television program. This will refresh you as well!
Children, especially young children are still learning about their bodies, and because they are also still learning the words they need to describe how they feel and other abstract concepts, they often aren't capable expressing the way they feel accurately. This leads to even more frustration combine this sort of frustration with an already tired child and the result can be anything from simple disobedience (because they are just too tired to think about what you are asking them to do) to a full blown tantrum!
Think about how you feel right around 2:00 pm after working all day. Now imagine feeling that way without having the coping skills of an adult NOR the ability to express to anyone how you feel. Wouldn't you react the same way?
I have had numerous parents and relatives tell me that they "try" to put their child down for a nap but all they want to do is play or that their child just doesn't seem tired. I completely understand that. Most children when asked if they want to take a nap, especially if they haven't had a regular nap time will tell you they aren't tired, but this is where you as a parent or caregiver have to play the card that days, "Well I'm you're Mommy/Daddy/ Grandma/Grandpa/Stepmom/Babysitter and I know what's actually best for you." Because when it comes to nap time, you do! (especially after reading this article)
I have carried my very insistent toddler up stairs kicking and screaming that she didn't want to take a nap only to lay her down and have her fall asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. Other times, when we've had a less active day or when we slept in an extra half hour it may take 5-10 minutes to get her to settle down and nap at her regularly scheduled nap time, but she always naps for about 2 hours. I know its hard to do and for parents in shared custody situations its even harder because the tendency is to want to spend as much quality time and have as much fun with your child as possible, but think of it this way, how good is that "quality" time if she's too exhausted to enjoy it or to even to remember it?
When you plan your day and schedule your events to include that much needed nap for you little one he or she will actually enjoy all the time spend with you. There will be less tantrums and frustration and more smiles and giggles. In general, during the early childhood years children need 10 hours of sleep at night and a nap during the day. The length of the nap varies per child. I'm a big proponent of allowing the child to nap or sleep as long as she needs to. Other just as qualified parents will wake their children up from a nap after a certain period of time. This is a decision you need to make based on your life and your child, as long as your are consistent about it you will have a much more pleasant child.
And just think, while your child is napping you can get in an at home workout, do some a laundry, wash some dishes, take a bath or even just enjoy some quiet time watching your favorite television program. This will refresh you as well!
The Importance of Imaginitive Play
Lately I've been noticing more and more bloggers and concern parents discussing certain topics. Most conversations lately seem to center around the idea of stereotyping their child's gender and trying to promote the idea of gender equality through gender neutral choices for their children. From the more feminist side of the tracks there seems to be war on all things "girly" and their arch nemesis are the Disney Princesses, Barbie, and of course the color pink. Having been a tomboy my whole life. One would be inclined to think that I would jump right on this bandwagon, but I don't. As a matter of fact I make sure I clear a path and stay out of its way. However, the writers and thinkers of these blogs make some very good points and are actually founded in best practices of child development, so before you try to figure out which points are valid and which ones are just over the top ramblings of an extreme point of view let me clear away some of the rubble.
Limiting any child's view of themselves in dangerous, boy or girl. Limiting any child's imagination is crippling to their development, boy or girl. When you try to pigeon whole any individual into a certain role or set of expectations it becomes a point of frustration. The best thing you can do for your child, boy or girl, is expose them to a variety of experiences, toys, and dramatic play scenarios without ridicule or making them feel shame for their choices.
Many parents, cringe at the idea of seeing their sons dressing up in heels, carrying a purse, and feeding a bottle to a baby doll. Just as others struggle with the idea that their daughter would rather play with monster trucks than comb a Bardie's hair. These are good healthy things for your children to explore. For example, during the first week of school last year a three year old boy would dress up in a pink dresw with a purse and would carry around a baby doll while feeding her a bottle. He was calling the baby by his younger sister's name and saying he was Mommy. What this child was doing was dealing with separation anxiety. He was concerned about mommy being at home taking care of the baby all by herself so he was acting out her role. Children develop a better understanding of family roles and roles in society when they experiment with pretending to be different characters regardless of gender.
So, why is there such an uproar about girls and Disney Princesses lately? The main concern is that pretending to be a specific princess limits a girl's view of herself and her imagination. In an article shared on the 7Wonderlicious Facebook page I found probably the best explanations of it's dangers in the article titled Are Princesses Really So Bad?! However, the concept can be applied to characters boys typically idolize as well. When children take on the role of an already well known character they limit themselves to acting a certain way. The events their character encounters tend to be the same events that happened in the movie or book that they were read. Rarely do they go off script and explore their own solutions to problems or even pause to consider whether the actions of their character were the best idea. In my experience, this is the biggest danger of Princesses and Super Heroes, especially when you consider most solutions for from the Super Hero point of view involves violence, and most solutions from the Princess Point of view involves believing a girls only saving grace is her beauty and only chance at happily ever after is to marry. Below is a picture one of my friend's shared on Facebook that perfectly defines the fears some people have of their daughters only seeing themselves as princesses.
However, children do not read this deeply into their characters. A young child pretending to be a certain princess does so because she sees herself as beautiful and kind. Which is something every girl should be encouraged to see herself as. We can help our children develop the kind of princess or super hero they become by talking to them about their choices and actions as their character. The next time your daughter pretends to be Ariel ask her how she would try to communicate with the prince if she had no voice. Could she write a note? Play a music? Draw a picture for him? The next time your little Batman has an enemy in his grasp ask him what else he could do to save the day. Would you call the police? Talk to the bad guy about making a better choice? They might be reluctant to go off script at first, but once they get the idea that they can use their imagination while they are pretending to be someone else's imaginary character they'll enjoy it, especially if you encourage better choices.
So, no, I'm not one of those mothers that tries to gender neutralize my daughter out of existence. I like I having a daughter. I like that she gets as much joy out of wearing frilly dresses as she does out of wearing her light up navy blue Cars sneakers while she catches bugs. I like that one moment she can be pouring me a cup of tea at a tea party and the next playing football with her Pappap in the backyard.
I think it is significantly misguided to teach our children to completely reject their identity as a boy or girl. While I do not want my daughter to think the only thing of value she has to offer is her beauty, I also don't want her to reject the idea that she could be feminine. I feel there is a power that ever girl has in understanding that she is beautiful and how to enhance that beauty for their own enjoyment. I used to be the kind of tomboy that would never wear pink because it was too girly. My every day attire was wind pants and a baggy t-shirt so I was ready to play sports at any moment. I erred too far the other way. I saw myself only as an athlete. Which is just as limiting as only seeing yourself as any one thing. It seems to be human error on every aspect of life that we think that to be one thing means we must exclude being the other. This is not true.
So, encourage your children to be themselves. Build on their interests and promote a positive self image, whatever that may be.
Limiting any child's view of themselves in dangerous, boy or girl. Limiting any child's imagination is crippling to their development, boy or girl. When you try to pigeon whole any individual into a certain role or set of expectations it becomes a point of frustration. The best thing you can do for your child, boy or girl, is expose them to a variety of experiences, toys, and dramatic play scenarios without ridicule or making them feel shame for their choices.
Many parents, cringe at the idea of seeing their sons dressing up in heels, carrying a purse, and feeding a bottle to a baby doll. Just as others struggle with the idea that their daughter would rather play with monster trucks than comb a Bardie's hair. These are good healthy things for your children to explore. For example, during the first week of school last year a three year old boy would dress up in a pink dresw with a purse and would carry around a baby doll while feeding her a bottle. He was calling the baby by his younger sister's name and saying he was Mommy. What this child was doing was dealing with separation anxiety. He was concerned about mommy being at home taking care of the baby all by herself so he was acting out her role. Children develop a better understanding of family roles and roles in society when they experiment with pretending to be different characters regardless of gender.
So, why is there such an uproar about girls and Disney Princesses lately? The main concern is that pretending to be a specific princess limits a girl's view of herself and her imagination. In an article shared on the 7Wonderlicious Facebook page I found probably the best explanations of it's dangers in the article titled Are Princesses Really So Bad?! However, the concept can be applied to characters boys typically idolize as well. When children take on the role of an already well known character they limit themselves to acting a certain way. The events their character encounters tend to be the same events that happened in the movie or book that they were read. Rarely do they go off script and explore their own solutions to problems or even pause to consider whether the actions of their character were the best idea. In my experience, this is the biggest danger of Princesses and Super Heroes, especially when you consider most solutions for from the Super Hero point of view involves violence, and most solutions from the Princess Point of view involves believing a girls only saving grace is her beauty and only chance at happily ever after is to marry. Below is a picture one of my friend's shared on Facebook that perfectly defines the fears some people have of their daughters only seeing themselves as princesses.
So, no, I'm not one of those mothers that tries to gender neutralize my daughter out of existence. I like I having a daughter. I like that she gets as much joy out of wearing frilly dresses as she does out of wearing her light up navy blue Cars sneakers while she catches bugs. I like that one moment she can be pouring me a cup of tea at a tea party and the next playing football with her Pappap in the backyard.
I think it is significantly misguided to teach our children to completely reject their identity as a boy or girl. While I do not want my daughter to think the only thing of value she has to offer is her beauty, I also don't want her to reject the idea that she could be feminine. I feel there is a power that ever girl has in understanding that she is beautiful and how to enhance that beauty for their own enjoyment. I used to be the kind of tomboy that would never wear pink because it was too girly. My every day attire was wind pants and a baggy t-shirt so I was ready to play sports at any moment. I erred too far the other way. I saw myself only as an athlete. Which is just as limiting as only seeing yourself as any one thing. It seems to be human error on every aspect of life that we think that to be one thing means we must exclude being the other. This is not true.
So, encourage your children to be themselves. Build on their interests and promote a positive self image, whatever that may be.
We're Bored! - 4 Fun and Educational Activities to beat the Summer Blahs
So, the kids have been home from school for a little over two weeks now and they spend the first week running themselves ragged trying to do everything all at once. Now, all you hear from them is "We're bored!" or like one of the mother's of one of my Pre-K children told me, "I want to go back to school!" This is perfect time to start adding some educational activities to their summer fun!
1) Sidewalk Chalk - Quality Time, Fun, Creativity, and Learning
Sometimes to break the monotany all you need is to spice it up a little bit. One of my favorite summer staples is sidewalk chalk. Side walk chalk give you a reason to get your kids outside (and away from the T.V or Video Game) and have some creative fun. It become even more beneficial if you can take the time to go out with them. Enjoy drawing creative pictures with the chalk. Encourage them to use as many colors as they can. Always respond to their drawing with enthusiasm. If you can't tell what it is they drew ask them to tell you about their drawing. This will give them practice using their verbal skills which will prepare them for the upcoming school year.
I like to use Side Walk Chalk for a game called "Copy Cat." My daughter an I take turns drawing something, it could be a shape, a numeral, a letter of the alphabet, writing her name, or drawing something specific like a flower. First she'll draw something, "Mommy draw a pink oval like this!" then I have to draw a pink oval too. Then I'll challenge her,"Ok, peanut, can you draw a blue 'L' like this?" I draw an L then she draws it. We go back and forth like this until she gets bored. You can even use this game to draw undefined shapes. Having you child copy your drawing or even trace it helps develop their fine motor skills, and if you are having them copy letters, numbers, or their name you are also helping them with letter identification which is a stepping stone to reading.
2) The Library - An adventure with Books!
Many children love having books read to them. They might even have a favorite book that they love to hear you read over and over and over and over and over again, but you might be getting sick of reading the same books. No problem. Head to the closest public library. It doesn't cost anything to read the books at the library (except the gas money to get there if it's not reasonably close enough to walk). Most libraries have a children's section complete with seats or cushions to sit on and read to your child. Your little one will think you're going on an adventure and he or she will be able to find several new books to have read to them! You can decide if you want to leave the books there or get a library card to check them out - just make sure to return them by the due date so your free trip to the library doesn't cost you $1.50 or more in late charges!
3) Bubble Paintings - Colorful fun you can make at home
I've picked up several different versions of bubbles this summer - I even found some that glow in the dark. You can add your own spin on this long time favorite by simply adding some food coloring to the bubble solution. Don't have any bubbles on hand? Make your own with things you already have around the house!
1/2 Cup Dish Liquid
2 Cups Water
2 teaspoons Sugar
food coloring
Mix the ingredients together. Make sure you make separate solutions for each color you want to make. Then use a straw to dip in the bubble solution to use as the bubble blower. You can blow the colorful bubbles on white paper then hang the paper to dry. The result is a colorful abstract painting!
You can find more recipes for homemade bubble soutions at: http://bubbleblowers.com/homemade.html
4) Be an Entomologist - a Bug Scientist
Take your little one on a bug hunt in the back yard, playground, or open field (make sure you have persmission to explore there) Take an empty clear jar with you and make sure you poke wholes in the lid or make your own lid with a piece of paper and a rubber band so it's easier to make the wholes in it. Look for all kinds of creepy crawlies. You might be able to fund butterflies, catepillars, grasshoppers, praying mantisis, spiders, peel bugs, lady bugs, beetles, centepedes, millipedes, and other interesting creatures. Be careful when picking up bugs. I suggest having a pair of gloves on too and never pick up a bug you don't recognize. Remember even some bugs bite or sting so you want to be very careful about this, I know from personal experience a praying mantis's bit hurst A LOT and I wouldn't want my little one to experience that pain, it would take all the fun out of bug hunt. So stick to the friendly critters. If you encounter an interesting bug and want to identify it by taking it home and using a search engine to look it up trap it using the jar and lid. Make sure the lid is secured tightly before heading home with it. Once you've identified the critter make sure you take it back to where you found it and release it. Bug Hunting should always be catch and release.
Many other educational activities can spon from this adventure. You can encourage your child to draw a picture of their favorite bug of the day or make up a story about the bugs you've encountered.
1) Sidewalk Chalk - Quality Time, Fun, Creativity, and Learning
Sometimes to break the monotany all you need is to spice it up a little bit. One of my favorite summer staples is sidewalk chalk. Side walk chalk give you a reason to get your kids outside (and away from the T.V or Video Game) and have some creative fun. It become even more beneficial if you can take the time to go out with them. Enjoy drawing creative pictures with the chalk. Encourage them to use as many colors as they can. Always respond to their drawing with enthusiasm. If you can't tell what it is they drew ask them to tell you about their drawing. This will give them practice using their verbal skills which will prepare them for the upcoming school year.
I like to use Side Walk Chalk for a game called "Copy Cat." My daughter an I take turns drawing something, it could be a shape, a numeral, a letter of the alphabet, writing her name, or drawing something specific like a flower. First she'll draw something, "Mommy draw a pink oval like this!" then I have to draw a pink oval too. Then I'll challenge her,"Ok, peanut, can you draw a blue 'L' like this?" I draw an L then she draws it. We go back and forth like this until she gets bored. You can even use this game to draw undefined shapes. Having you child copy your drawing or even trace it helps develop their fine motor skills, and if you are having them copy letters, numbers, or their name you are also helping them with letter identification which is a stepping stone to reading.
2) The Library - An adventure with Books!
Many children love having books read to them. They might even have a favorite book that they love to hear you read over and over and over and over and over again, but you might be getting sick of reading the same books. No problem. Head to the closest public library. It doesn't cost anything to read the books at the library (except the gas money to get there if it's not reasonably close enough to walk). Most libraries have a children's section complete with seats or cushions to sit on and read to your child. Your little one will think you're going on an adventure and he or she will be able to find several new books to have read to them! You can decide if you want to leave the books there or get a library card to check them out - just make sure to return them by the due date so your free trip to the library doesn't cost you $1.50 or more in late charges!
3) Bubble Paintings - Colorful fun you can make at home
I've picked up several different versions of bubbles this summer - I even found some that glow in the dark. You can add your own spin on this long time favorite by simply adding some food coloring to the bubble solution. Don't have any bubbles on hand? Make your own with things you already have around the house!
1/2 Cup Dish Liquid
2 Cups Water
2 teaspoons Sugar
food coloring
Mix the ingredients together. Make sure you make separate solutions for each color you want to make. Then use a straw to dip in the bubble solution to use as the bubble blower. You can blow the colorful bubbles on white paper then hang the paper to dry. The result is a colorful abstract painting!
You can find more recipes for homemade bubble soutions at: http://bubbleblowers.com/homemade.html
4) Be an Entomologist - a Bug Scientist
Take your little one on a bug hunt in the back yard, playground, or open field (make sure you have persmission to explore there) Take an empty clear jar with you and make sure you poke wholes in the lid or make your own lid with a piece of paper and a rubber band so it's easier to make the wholes in it. Look for all kinds of creepy crawlies. You might be able to fund butterflies, catepillars, grasshoppers, praying mantisis, spiders, peel bugs, lady bugs, beetles, centepedes, millipedes, and other interesting creatures. Be careful when picking up bugs. I suggest having a pair of gloves on too and never pick up a bug you don't recognize. Remember even some bugs bite or sting so you want to be very careful about this, I know from personal experience a praying mantis's bit hurst A LOT and I wouldn't want my little one to experience that pain, it would take all the fun out of bug hunt. So stick to the friendly critters. If you encounter an interesting bug and want to identify it by taking it home and using a search engine to look it up trap it using the jar and lid. Make sure the lid is secured tightly before heading home with it. Once you've identified the critter make sure you take it back to where you found it and release it. Bug Hunting should always be catch and release.
Many other educational activities can spon from this adventure. You can encourage your child to draw a picture of their favorite bug of the day or make up a story about the bugs you've encountered.
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