I love finding or creating items that can be used for lots of different educational activities. When I stumbled on this set of alphabet clothespins in the Target Dollar Spot, I was really excited about all of the possibilities. We had a lot of fun playing letter recognition games with these. In addition to letter recognition and fine motor skills, these easy to make manipulatives can help kids work on a variety of skills.
Category Archives: Family Fun
The Bedtime Reading Routine That Will Help Your Kids Sleep
Bedtime has always been a struggle in our house. My daughter has never been a great sleeper, so our bedtime routine is very important. As I have mentioned before, read aloud is a very important part of our nightly routine. When I noticed that some of her choices for bedtime books were winding her up more than calming her down, I decided to try something new for our bedtime reading routine. Luckily, we found a perfect book to help us too!
5 Reasons Why You Need to Read Brick Building 101!
Building with blocks is a time honored tradition for kids. There are so many wonderful lessons that can be taught from building with blocks. Today we are thrilled to share an incredible book that is full of fun STEAM projects using LEGO bricks!
Standard Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission from purchases you make through the links in this post. I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Back to School Games with the Kindergarrrten Bus!
It’s almost time to head back to school! The start of the school year can be a little overwhelming for little ones, and books are a great way to help them ease into the transition. Today’s book is a fun way to celebrate the start of kindergarten with a fun pirate twist, and our back to school games will kick the year off right!
Standard Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission from purchases you make through the links in this post. I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Brave Enough For Two
When it comes to first friends, how many of us can count a specific stuffed animal? There is something special about the relationship that kids develop with their toys. The idea has launched countless franchises (hello Winnie the Pooh!) because it is something that we are all familiar with. Today, we had the opportunity to check out a beautiful new children’s book about bravery, friendship, and teamwork that celebrates the relationship between child and toy, and shows how that friendship can lead to important lessons.
Learning about Animal Families
What do you call a group of owls? While this may seem like the start of a joke, it’s not! (The answer is a Parliament). I have always been interested in finding out what different animal families are called. So when we had the opportunity to check out today’s book, I was thrilled to learn a variety of animal group names that I had never heard before. This inspired me to create some fun animal family activities with my daughter as well.
Teaching Sign Language to Kids with Nita’s First Signs!
I love sign language. When I was in college, I was thrilled to be able to take a sign language course. I have always loved watching people sign, and wish that I could do the same. I knew that I wanted to teach my daughter sign language when she was a baby, and she quickly picked up a couple of words. Once she started talking, we didn’t stick to it as much. But I am always showing her the alphabet and hoping to continue our sign language journey together. So I was really excited when I had the opportunity to check out today’s book about sign language for kids from Familius!
Let’s Go Camping: Camping Indoors with Kids
The weather is getting warmer, the days are getting longer and summer is almost here! Time to break out the camping gear and have some fun. I loved camping as a kid, and I cannot wait to take my daughter someday. On days when the weather is against us, we will settle for having our own camping fun at home!
Standard Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission from purchases you make through the links in this post.
Learning to Eat Veggies with the Veggie Buds Club!
I will be the first to admit that I was a very picky eater as a kid. (Sorry Mom and Dad!). I have gotten a lot better about trying new foods, but I have a hard time making my daughter try new things when I am not the best at it. Lucky for me, she is a bit more open to trying new things. However, like most kids, she isn’t always happy about vegetables. So I was thrilled when we had the opportunity to work with the Veggie Buds Club and learn fun new ways to get excited about vegetables!
Why I Test My Toddler: Using Developmental Checklists To My Advantage
Kids develop at different speeds. This is the most important thing to remember when it comes to developmental checklists and milestone charts. However, no matter how many times we tell ourselves this, or say it to others, we can’t help but feel the need to check our children against them. There are thousands of charts, checklists and pamphlets out there that will tell you where your child should be. Even having a background in education, and KNOWING that kids develop differently, I still can’t help but worry about my daughter’s development and seek them out. However, I do believe that there is a benefit to these checklists and charts. So I do use them on occasion to guide my parenting decisions.
