When we were younger, one of the books that my sister insisted our parents read over and over again was The Big Honey Hunt by Stan and Jan Berenstain. It was her favorite book, and to this day my parents can still recite some of it from memory. When I found the book at my parents house, I couldn’t wait to share it with my daughter. With summer fast approaching, it was the perfect opportunity to have some fun with bee activities!
5 Things Experts Don’t Tell You About Reading to Kids
We live in a world of Instagram and Pinterest, where “perfect” families make “perfect” crafts and have “perfect” lives. Let’s be serious. We post the good pictures on social media, but how many outtakes did it take to get that perfect shot? Reading to kids falls under this umbrella too. I have posted photos on my Instagram of my daughter and I curled up and reading together. And that totally happens! But I will not lie to you. There are definitely days where that perfect picture is NOT what happened!
Put Down the Phone! Raising Kids in a Digital Age
Raising kids in a digital age comes with a whole new set of difficulties. From managing screen time to monitoring what kids have access to, parenting with screens can be a difficult balance. While screens may be part of our everyday lives, and access to them is more prevalent than ever before, it is important that we remember to put down the electronics and enjoy the hear and now. We all fall into the trap of viewing important events through our screens, since we want to capture every adorable second. Corine Dehghanpisheh’s book #BabyLove: My Toddler Life, reminds us to put down the phones and enjoy the moment!
Learning to Be Brave with the Free Rain Chickens
Sometimes as adults, we see our kids being fearless and we forget that the world can be a big scary place for them. My daughter almost never shows fear, so when she gets scared and hides behind my knee, it sometimes takes me by surprise. It is our job as parents to help them develop the courage to take chances and try new things, while still allowing them to be afraid sometimes. (I will totally admit to still being afraid of spiders… and bats…). The book Free Rain is a great jumping off point to teach them about bravery and trying new things!
Discovering New Books with Little Fun Club
No matter how old we get, it is still exciting to receive something fun in the mail. My daughter loves going to the post office, and she is over the moon when she gets a piece of mail or a new book. I love exploring new books while reading with my daughter, and when they show up in the mail, it is even better! So when Little Fun Club offered the chance to review their book box as part of their blog tour, I was very excited for us to have some new books to share.
Funny Books About Moms: Celebrating All That Moms Do
Mother’s Day is just around the corner, so it is the perfect time to recognize how wonderful mothers are! From taking care of kids, to caring for the house, while balancing life with a smile, moms do it all. There are lots of amazing books that depict the love between a mother and child, many of which I previously shared on my list of books about love. To add to those books, I decided to gather up some funny read alouds for Mother’s Day that celebrate moms and all that they do!
Saving the Day with Nani the Brave Little Turtle
Being brave is something that we all struggle with from time to time. We tell kids to be brave whenever they encounter something new. It can be a hard thing for them to understand, but there are some great books to help them. The Brave Little Turtle by Gill McBarnet not only shows kids how to be brave, but brings an environmental issue to light which can inspire kids to take action! There are lots of ocean activities you can do to reinforce these messages with your kids.
Get Kids Excited About Reading : Personalize the Experience
Have you ever read a book and thought, “That character reminds me of myself!”? Did you connect with that character and feel his or her triumphs and tragedies right along with them? Seeing yourself in the characters of the books you are reading can make you more invested in the story. This is true of kids as well! Whether that character is a person, a frog or a talking toy, recognizing themselves in the book they are reading is sure to peak their interest.
Learning with the Very Hungry Caterpillar
My daughter has a fascination with caterpillars lately, so we have been reading Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar a lot. I was very excited when the Monthly Crafting Book Club chose this book as the theme for the month! We had a lot of fun doing projects based around this classic story! There are so many fun caterpillar activities that you can use to bring the book to life while teaching important skills.
Tips to Rock Your Read Aloud!
This post was originally shared on SIC Mama. Check her page out for some great parenting articles!
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Reading aloud to kids is one of the best ways to encourage them to become lifelong readers. From the very beginning of life, providing kids with books and the opportunity to share them together can create a love of reading. I started reading to my daughter on her very first night home from the hospital (a tradition started by my parents). I read her a one minute fairy tale from the same book my parents read to me on my first night. She was sleeping and will have no memory of it, but it was the start of our nightly read aloud time; a tradition that she now loves at the age of 21 months.