Transitions

Here is a wonderful article from NAEYC with tips on making the transition from pre-school to Kindergarten. Learn how to remove stress and make it an exciting time.

Get Ready For Summer Fairs!

Even thought the weather here in the northeast US has been uncommonly chilly the last few days, I know that the warm summer will be here before you know it. Along with that comes a variety of county fairs and festivals and day trips to amusement parks. My husband and I always try to take the grand kids to some because we all enjoy them so much. The kids of course love looking at all the 4H animals sand exhibits but equally enjoy the rides. Although I personally do not like to go on rides, I do let the five year old go on a carefully selected few. Yesterday, in my local paper, there was an eye opening article about "kiddie rides." According to this Scripps Howard News Service article, more than 92,000 children under the age of 18 were treated in emergency rooms from 1990-2010 as reported in the Journal Clinical Pediatrics. On average, every three days during the months of May through September, the injuries sustained required hospitalization. So, here is a list of rules to consider when enjoying amusement park rides:                          

A. Follow all age, height, weight and health restrictions                                                                             

B. Avoid mall or arcade rides if they're on a hard surface or don't have safety requirements.                     

C. Make sure children use safety bars and seat belts and keep their hands and feet inside the ride.            

D. Be sure your child is mature enough to follow the rules on any ride. Otherwise, keep him or her off the equipment and do something else.                                                                                                                                                                                 

Don't spoil a family outing with an accidental injury. Have fun and enjoy every minute.

Mother's Day Project 2013

Here is the Mother's Day project I made with my grandkids to give to their mom.

I had purchased some flats of flowers for my garden and let the kids choose their favorites. There are these special makers I got at AC Moore's Craft store which are designed especially for drawing on terra cotta.

The kids really enjoyed using them and they weren't as messy as I thought they might be. The pots were dry in a few minutes and we headed outside to plant. We had so much fun, I decided to use the markers to decorate some of my own pots! To all the mother's and mother-like caretakers out there, have a wonderful holiday!

Planning a Trip With the Kids?

Check out this handy list of what to pack for your vacation here on the Melissa and Doug blog.

Special Toys for Special Needs

Follow this link to read and see the newest toys from Melissa and Doug for children with special needs. Let's get your thoughts about them. Comment below and let's see what our ideas are.

Let Dandelions "Bee"

I'm sure most of you have heard of "Colony Collapse Disorder" which has caused many bee colonies to die. This plague has had a terrible effect on food producers, since bees polinate the crops and without bees, food would be in very short supply. Entomologists have been trying to determine exactly what is causing this widespread problem and most agree that pesticides have a lot to do with it. So, with that in mind, my local honeybee authority has suggested that everyone leave their dandelions grow freely in their lawns and gardens. It turns out that they are very helpful since the protein-rich pollen from dandelions are among the bees favorite food! Who knew? Even if you leave a small patch to go "natural", you will be doing your local bees a big favor!

Local Library Resources

I am very lucky to have my local library very close to where I live. My children enjoyed story time and visiting weekly when they were young and now I take my grand daughter who is almost 5 there. She can't wait until she turns five and is allowed to get her own library card. Our library not only has a wealth of books, from classics to the newly published children's books, but has puzzles, DVD's, and usually a few computers available as well to help with research for the older kids. Each summer, they have themed reading programs and contests. Saturdays are often the times for author visits and guest speakers. If you have a special book your child wants to read, they can get it for you in no time. Of course, they still have story time each week for preschoolers. Take some time, to find our where your nearest library is located and give them a call. Your children can benefit from everything they have to offer and it's a great way to spend some quality time together.

Product Recalls March 2013

Here is the newest list of product recalls. Check it out here.

Easter Books and Crafts 2013

Here's my list of Easter favorites:

The Easter Bunny That Overslept by Pricilla Friedrich

Badger's Easter Surprise by Alan Parry

It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown by Charles M. Schulz

Here Comes Peter Cottontail by Steve Nelson

Easter Bunnies Everywhere by  William Boniface




Recycled crafts materials needed to make all three bunnies:
2 cardboard tubes
2 Styrofoam cups
scrap paper
pipe cleaners
ribbon
glitter
cotton balls /pompoms
scissors
glue
markers


The following pictures show three crafts made from household products you can recycle. By covering cardboard tubes with pretty patterned paper you can make cute bunnies. You can also decorate plain white paper with your choice of paint, stickers or colored markers. Add paper punches eyes (you can use wiggle eyes if you have them), and embellish as you wish (such as white paper teeth). You can add glitter to the ears. Pipe cleaners can be stapled on for whiskers. Pompoms make cute cheeks and noses.  In the last picture, the bunny is created by using glue to attach two cups together (rim edges touching). Each one can be different, so let the kids have fun using their individual ideas. They make wonderful centerpieces or place card holders. Happy Easter everyone!

St. Patrick's Day 2013

St. Patrick's Day Books and Craft
Here are some fun books to find:
1-The Night Before St. Patrick's Day by Natasha Wing
2. St. Patrick's Day by Gail Gibbons
3. Buster's St. Patrick's Day by Debbe Handymon May
4. St. Patrick's Day Alphabet by Beverly Vidrine
5.The Story of St. Patrick's Day by Patricia A. Pingry
6. A Leprechaun St. Patrick's Day by Sarah Blazek


Leprechaun's Gold
supplies needed:
washable tempera paint liquid dish soap (for easy clean up)
black construction paper
gold paper or foil (or a gold crayon)
hole punch
glue

Using washable tempera paint with a bit of liquid dish soap mixed in, paint your child's fingers in the colors of the rainbow. This is a good time to teach them about the unchanging sequence of rainbow colors. Press their fingers onto white paper and let them dry. Afterwards, cut a pot out of black construction paper and glue it over the end of the fingers. Using a whole punch, punch some "coins" out of gold paper or gold foil. You can also use gold crayons to color some white paper if you cannot find the gold paper. Display your leprechaun's pot of gold and rainbow to bring your family the luck o' the Irish. Happy St. Patrick's Day to all!

Change Your Clocks AND Your Batteries

Don't forget when you reset your clocks this weeknd to change the batteries in your smoke alarms. Here is a link to other fire safety resources. There are also many fact and tip sheets for adults and children.

Childhood ADHD May Lead to Problems Later On

I found this article very interesting. Read it here. As an educator, I have always advocated for parents to take children for professional evaulations immediately if they exhibit these behaviors, since the earlier it is treated, the better. Let me know what you think.