Bring the Outdoors In: Beautiful Things - Collecting and Sorting
Posted Monday, June 11, 2012
By Christine of Belly Bear Baby Gear
Items found in nature contain such beauty, and children seem to be particularly attuned to this beauty. With only a few simple items, you can encourage your children to participate in this fun and educational nature based activity.
All you will need is a paper bag (or other collecting vessel), an empty egg carton and the great outdoors!
Begin by giving your child a paper bag and bringing them outside. A walk in the woods would provide for some great diverse items for collection, but as you will see, your own back yard will do just fine.
If you are working with young children, you may need to show them what to do by placing a few items in their bag for them. Encourage them to collect as many small three dimensional items as they'd like.
Sean was particularly drawn to this patch of grass and rocks in our yard. He discovered big and little rocks as well as a few left over acorn caps. As your child collects more items, this is an opportunity for you to build their nature vocabulary by naming and labeling what they are collecting.
Once your bags are nice and full bring them inside and pour the contents into the top portion of your egg carton.
Young toddlers will simply enjoy exploring the items and filling the cups in the egg carton at random. You can begin encouraging them to notice the similarities and differences by explaining "Let's put all the rocks together" or "Look at all the pink petals".
When working with older children you can encourage more advanced sorting skills. Allow them to study what they have collected and decide how they will sort the beautiful things they have found. They may decide to sort by color placing all the brown things and pink things together, or they may decide sorting by type of object makes the most sense for them.
This activity will encourage your child to begin developing their mathematical thinking skills such as sorting objects varying by one or two attributes all the while enjoying the natural objects they collected. Take a moment to enjoy the beauty found outside with your children and help foster the next generation of nature lovers.
Christine can be found online on her blog Belly Bear Baby Gear, facebook, and her etsy shop:
Science Experiment: Dyed Flowers
Posted Saturday, June 09, 2012
From Michelle of himamma.
Science … we love it. Many times when we have gone past the flower area at the grocery store we smell the sweet scent of fresh roses and dainty daisies ... the girls have been fascinated with the flowers that are in an array of colors that are dyed but yet they know that they are not naturally that color … and have wondered “how do they do that?”
Well, we made it our science experiment last week! So now they have a much better understanding and can visualize how the flower petals changed colors.
Steve Spangler Science shares a great tutorial on dying flowers, in addition to other experiments he has done…but most importantly the details and why they work make sense on his website that kids understand.
Our science experiment was over a course of several days. We started out using some older daisies that we had purchased later the week before. We recut the bottom of the flower stems and placed them in the colored water glasses. The older flowers did not dye as well as we had hoped, but we knew that might be the case going into the experiment. A few days later we purchased new flowers and this time they did much better and the color was obvious.
One question the girls had asked was how soon do you think we will see the color in the petals? Within two hours, it was amazing to see the colors showing in the white petals. By dinner time, the flowers were fully dyed and in a brilliant shades of yellow, blue, red and green.
We even wondered if certain colors would dye the petals quicker than others. It seemed to us that the blue and the green food coloring dyed the white petals the quickest. I know in the printing world, that when you print with blue ink, it takes longer to dry than any other color just due to the pigment. I know it doesn't relate to the experiment but it is an interesting fact that makes you wonder about inks in general.
Do you have a favorite science experiment book/curriculum that you use? Please feel free to comment below or send us an email. We are always enjoying and reading science books and would like to share with other families in the journey of learning.
In addition to the Steve's website we also enjoy the following:
- The Magic School Bus series. We will reserve DVDs and library books from our library and/or watch the various topics that we are studying via YouTube. Last year, I purchased The Magic School Bus Science Experiment books that take each of the episodes and relate it to an experiment/participate in an observation. On the MSB website they also have a Parent/Teacher section that is very helpful. Ms Frizzle and the gang are always a hit with the girls. I must admit...I love the series too.
- I recently have exchanged emails with a mom I met through a workboxes group. Via our email workboxes group, Colleen shared that she has written several books, with one particularly focused towards science. Colleen has a blog called Raising Lifelong Learners as well as her writing website called Colleen Kessler. I strongly suggest you visit her blogs to learn more.
Introducing Pholkart Blessings
Posted Thursday, June 07, 2012
I started my shop back when my sons were still in their teens and I knew they’d soon be moving on toward college and the work world. I realized at that point that I wanted to begin transitioning myself toward “something art related” that would give me a sense of satisfaction and joy. I had filled up many sketchbooks over the years with cute, kid-friendly illustrations, and, when I learned about Etsy, I thought it would be so much fun to share my artwork there!
Q: What is the story behind your shop name?
I fell in love with children’s illustration when my sons were little! And as a result, I spent hours and hours teaching myself to draw. I thought the name “Pholkart” was appropriate for me since, like a folk artist, I’m entirely self-taught. The “Blessings” part of my shop name simply grew from my desire to share art that focused on the good things, the simple blessings of life. Thus, PholkartBlessings was born.
Q: Do you have a favorite Etsy Shop (non-child related)?
Gosh!... There are so many! I tend to love whimsical, colorful, humorous artwork. DudaDaze, Whimsy Studios, and ButtUglee are shops I enjoy visiting over and over again!
Q: What surprised you most about having your own craft / online shop?
I would have to say the ongoing learning curve that having a successful shop requires. Not only do I need to create quality artwork I’m happy to place in my shop… I also need to learn to present my work to the world in an appealing and continuing way. I am still learning a lot about promoting my artwork through my blog and by networking through social media sites.
Q: W hat do you find most challenging about being an Etsy seller?
A couple of things really stand out. While I LOVE working from home, there are times (like when my husband travels) when I can feel isolated. My lab, Winnie, is a pretty good studio buddy… but once in a while I’d love to have another Etsy artist in town to grab coffee with and compare shop notes.
The second thing that is hard for me is dealing with discouragement. There can be times when not many customers visit my shop or purchase my artwork. During those times, I have found there is a lot of value in reminding myself that my job is just to show up in the studio each day, no matter how I’m feeling, and keep making art!
Q: What's your personal philosophy behind your shop / products?
I love that I can be an artist who creates my own original designs and then offer them directly to buyers who enjoy them! I get to set a warm, friendly, positive tone in my shop. I’m the one-and-only person creating the artwork and helping the customer, and I find that very satisfying!
Q: How would someone (other then you) describe you?
Quiet, friendly, creative, and resourceful. I enjoy living a very simple life and I love being with my family.
Q: What music do you have on while you are creating?
This may be surprising, but I don’t listen to music while I’m creating. My husband and I both work from home, and we find we both concentrate best in a quiet environment. The “music” I most often hear while creating is the swish-swish of the washer and the hum of the dryer! ;)
Q: What do you do when you aren't working?
I’ve always loved to draw, so I doodle in my sketchbook anytime just for fun! I have decorated our old bungalow in “Design on a Dime” style and find that to be very creative and satisfying! I’m learning to knit & crochet (nothing very fancy yet!). My husband and I love to hang out together with our lovable lab and watch movies in the evening. And, as often as we are able to, we spend time enjoying our two grown sons and their families.
Q: Anything else you'd like to tell us or share?
I feel very blessed to be able to stay at home and do what I love to do every day! I have “met” so many talented people online through the Etsy community who have generously shared their knowledge and experience with me. And I hope I can continue to pass along the support and help and encouragement that I have been given.
Father’s Day Tie Bookmarks
Posted Tuesday, June 05, 2012
By Cori of Peace, Baby! Batiks
Got an hour between now and Father’s Day (June 17)? Then you have time for the kids to make fun bookmarks for the dads and father figures in their lives. My husband, father, father-in-law, and grandfather all love to read, so this idea was a no-brainer for us!
To start, I drew simple tie shapes on cardstock. I drew a triangle with rounded edges for the knot, and a long rectangle with a point at the end for the tie. I drew two per page, but I probably could have squeezed three or four on there. (I'll be the first to admit that my tie shapes are not perfect, but I think that only adds to their charm!)
Then, I set my son to decorating with crayons and markers. The first couple were simple, but he had a great time with patterns and shapes on the last two.
Once they were decorated, he stamped “Happy Father’s Day” onto the back of each and signed it. I dated them so the dads would remember. Then, I laminated them in clear contact paper. Add a loop or ribbon, and you’ve got a gift Dad will love!
We’re also going to fill out one of these fun questionnaires for my husband for Father’s Day. My son is four, and I can’t wait to see what answers he comes up with. I imagine it’s going to be hysterical. I think we’ll do it every year.
Got an hour between now and Father’s Day (June 17)? Then you have time for the kids to make fun bookmarks for the dads and father figures in their lives. My husband, father, father-in-law, and grandfather all love to read, so this idea was a no-brainer for us!
To start, I drew simple tie shapes on cardstock. I drew a triangle with rounded edges for the knot, and a long rectangle with a point at the end for the tie. I drew two per page, but I probably could have squeezed three or four on there. (I'll be the first to admit that my tie shapes are not perfect, but I think that only adds to their charm!)
Then, I set my son to decorating with crayons and markers. The first couple were simple, but he had a great time with patterns and shapes on the last two.
Once they were decorated, he stamped “Happy Father’s Day” onto the back of each and signed it. I dated them so the dads would remember. Then, I laminated them in clear contact paper. Add a loop or ribbon, and you’ve got a gift Dad will love!
We’re also going to fill out one of these fun questionnaires for my husband for Father’s Day. My son is four, and I can’t wait to see what answers he comes up with. I imagine it’s going to be hysterical. I think we’ll do it every year.
Book Nook:: Summer Reading Programs
Posted Monday, June 04, 2012
As a little kid my mother took us to the library every week. It was a staple in her daily routine (one of her many techniques for maintaining sanity) and was a place we loved to go!
Last week was our first week of summer, and the kids and I made the first of our weekly trips to the the public library. We came home with a stack of books for each member of the family:
The 6th grader is loving the series, The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, by Michael Scott, the 5th grader is blazing through all the Harry Potter books, the 3rd grader is captivated by Percy Jackson and just started Rick Riordan's 2nd series, Hero's of Olympus, the Kindergartner picked up a stack of Star Wars graphic novels and beginning readers, and the preschooler and I had great fun picking out great story and picture books.
We also got everyone in the family (even mom an dad) signed up for the public library's summer reading program.
Summer reading programs are all around ... each with their own set of rules and incentives for finishing the program. In most cases you read a certain number of books or minutes within a time frame set up by the sponsoring organization and when you turn in your log they will give you incentives/prizes/discounts for turning in your completed reading log.
Summer reading programs help encourage children to continue reading throughout the summer to help prevent regression in the progress they've made in the classroom. They also provide added benefits for those kids who love to read, and needed incentives to those whose first instinct isn't to pick up a book.
Here are just a few of the summer reading programs you might consider taking advantage of in addition to doing your local public library's summer reading program.
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| My siblings and I outside the public library, circa 1983. |
Last week was our first week of summer, and the kids and I made the first of our weekly trips to the the public library. We came home with a stack of books for each member of the family:
The 6th grader is loving the series, The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, by Michael Scott, the 5th grader is blazing through all the Harry Potter books, the 3rd grader is captivated by Percy Jackson and just started Rick Riordan's 2nd series, Hero's of Olympus, the Kindergartner picked up a stack of Star Wars graphic novels and beginning readers, and the preschooler and I had great fun picking out great story and picture books.
We also got everyone in the family (even mom an dad) signed up for the public library's summer reading program.
Summer reading programs are all around ... each with their own set of rules and incentives for finishing the program. In most cases you read a certain number of books or minutes within a time frame set up by the sponsoring organization and when you turn in your log they will give you incentives/prizes/discounts for turning in your completed reading log.
Summer reading programs help encourage children to continue reading throughout the summer to help prevent regression in the progress they've made in the classroom. They also provide added benefits for those kids who love to read, and needed incentives to those whose first instinct isn't to pick up a book.
Here are just a few of the summer reading programs you might consider taking advantage of in addition to doing your local public library's summer reading program.
- Half Price Books, Feed Your Brain.
- Barnes & Noble, Imagination Destination.
- Scholastic Summer Challenge.
- Pottery Barn Kids Summer Reading Challenge.
- Chuck E. Cheese, Reading Log.
- PBS Kids and iVillage team up for Summer Reading Sweepstakes.
We want to know what books your children are reading, and let us know of other great national summer reading programs we should .
How to Travel with Kids ... and avoid yelling
Posted Saturday, June 02, 2012
From Emily of BusyChickadee.
My family lives a little over 4 hours away and I like to go visit about every other month. I recently decided to go and visit for almost a week. My husband couldn't take that much time off … so we left him at home.
That meant I needed to plan well to avoid…yelling! Grouchy mommies don’t make the best drivers, right? If I have happy kids I have a happy mommy.
Here are 8 tips and tricks I used to have a happy family drive:
1. PACK a LUNCH
2. HAVE a CONTAINER FULL of TOYS and BOOKS
4. GO RUN!!
5. PACK SNACKS
6. MUSIC
7. DVD PLAYER
My family lives a little over 4 hours away and I like to go visit about every other month. I recently decided to go and visit for almost a week. My husband couldn't take that much time off … so we left him at home.
That meant I needed to plan well to avoid…yelling! Grouchy mommies don’t make the best drivers, right? If I have happy kids I have a happy mommy.
Here are 8 tips and tricks I used to have a happy family drive:
1. PACK a LUNCH
I decided to pack a lunch to avoid having to get fast food, and to avoid having to PAY for fast food! That adds up quickly. I packed peanut butter sandwiches (no cooler needed), apples, and water bottles. Packed in individual lunch sacks, means everyone has their own trash sack and trash stays where it should and not strewn across the floor of my car.
2. HAVE a CONTAINER FULL of TOYS and BOOKS
I always pack a crate of some kind with small toys and lots of books. Yes, they will end up all over your vehicle because they will drop them after they grow tired of them! I figure this is a mess well worth keeping them occupied. Also, I make sure the container is close to the older ones so they can hand them out to the younger ones. When I was the only older one, I kept it close to me so that I could keep handing them back.
3. The POTTY - NEVER LEAVE HOME without IT!
3. The POTTY - NEVER LEAVE HOME without IT!
When my kids are potty training, I never travel without it. It makes it much easier to attend to “MOMMY, I have to go…NOW!” It is also easier when your kids don’t like public bathrooms. I stop the van and put the potty chair in the middle of the van. I let the child go and then I dump it outside when it is just pee. (Animals do it, right??) I bring along grocery sacks and dump it in there if it is…more substantial! (heehee) Then I throw it in the nearest trash. I wipe it out with wipes when they are done.
Kids are kind of like puppies…they like to run! When we do stop to go to the bathroom and there is open space, I yell, “Go RUN!!” I like to let them get out some of that energy. Sometimes I even chase them around or walk the stairs in the area around them to get out energy of my own. This helps us get back into the van with less tears.
I make sure to fill up a bag with snacks. You never know what is going to be that one thing that keeps everyone together. I like to pack things that can’t get too squashed into the carpet. I bring things like: pretzels, popcorn, Goldfish, dry cereal and maybe fruit snacks. I bring bowls or cups to put the snacks in to make it easier to hand them back. A friend of mine packs them in little baggies and I think that is a great idea too.
Bring along the children’s music. This can sometimes bring someone back from the brink of a meltdown. If you don’t have some, just start singing together. Songs like “Wheels on the Bus” and “5 Little Monkeys” are great ways to pass the time.
We finally broke down and bought the DVD player for the van. I was one of those people who said, “But I didn’t have one when I was little.” That lady left one day when I realized it would just make long trips easier. If you haven't broken down and done it yet because you don't travel as much as we do, see if you can borrow one from a friend if you have a long ride coming up this summer. They really do make it easier.
8. GAMES
8. GAMES
As I was driving today and thinking about what I would write for this post, I thought about some things I would have done differently. I think next time I will make sure to pack some travel games like tic, tac, toe and car bingo. The board game isle has travel games you can purchase and small electronic handheld games like battleship, 20Q or yahtzee that are inexpensive and great fun. You can also look around pinterest and blogs for games you can make or print yourself.
Find Emily online at Facebook and Twitter, by visiting her blog - Raising Busy Chickadees and her Etsy Shop - Busy Chickadees:
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