Wings w !

My son was on 4 flights in one week and each time we sat by the wings and each time had a discussion about flying, and all the different things that have wings and fly.  So today we decided to make a fast and easy letter of the week craft that built on his experience of talking about wings and all sorts of things that fly. If you don’t have feathers you could use aluminum foil and make metal airplane wings for your w.

1. Gather your materials. You will need 2 pieces of construction paper, some markers, scissors, glue and feathers.
2. Start by writing a lowercase w with some wings.
3. Have your child decorate the w – if we had made airplane wings you can draw a cockpit or decorate it with airplane stickers. My son is still into tracing the w but I don’t structure this step at all.
4. Add glue to the wings.
5. Add feathers.
6. Let dry.
7. Cut out and glue to the 2nd piece of construction paper.

Books With Wings!

Birds by Kevin Henkes , illustrated by Laura Dronzek is stunning. I love this author but this book is absolutely about the pictures. The cover is beautiful but there are pages that I just wanted to look at the way I look at paintings at a museum. The book is perfect for toddlers and young preschooler, it’s non fiction , simple and has a great flow. The colors are so vibrant I would bet that infants would dig it too! Awesome awesome awesome!

Monarch Butterfly by Gail Gibbons is a small book filled with facts about these beautiful and amazing insects. What makes this book a great non fiction pick for your preschooler is that the pictures are so descriptive that even young toddlers can sit ,look at the pictures and have you describe them without going into the text which is more appropriate for preschoolers. Preschoolers will love all the facts about these beautiful butterflies.

Angela’s Airplane by Robert Munsch captures children’s fantasies about flying planes and adds in a cautionary tale about what could happen if the fantasy became reality. Angela finds her way onto a plane and starts pushing buttons, before she knows it she is in the air alone. The plane crashes but she is ok, and promises to never fly another plane. Do you think she keeps that promise? My son adores this book and while you may think that the crash would be scary for kids it’s not , the ridiculousness of a 5 year old flying a plane makes the crash equally as fictional though effective in opening a dialogue about touching buttons you shouldn’t!

There was an article in the NY Times recently about mommy bloggers and while my rebuttal will never be as eloquent as this one by Mom 101 I will say that for me this is not an “expensive hobby” I write this blog with a clear purpose, to be a resource for parents. I make more than coffee money but definitely couldn’t keep a roof over my families head with my earnings, but I take is as seriously as if I could.

In that spirit today’s spotlight isn’t about books, or art or even education it’s about Post Partum Depression and one fantastic organization Jenny’s Light.  Jenny’s Light was founded by one mom’s family after she tragically killed her baby son and herself after suffering from PPD in silence.  You don’t have to be expecting or a new mom to be at risk for this devastating illness and it’s effects. Father’s can suffer as well and as friends, sisters and partners of new parents it’s our responsibility to offer help if we are able.  One of the most useful pieces of information on the site are these steps to getting help for yourself or someone you care about. I know I have passed a long this information to more than a few friends over the years and no one ever said anything but thanks!

Check it out!

When we were in Washington DC last week we went to the Smithsonian and saw real dinosaur bones! Despite being jet lagged and understandably ( but still a little frustratingly)  whiny it was still super exciting and the inspiration for this post!

Dinosaurs Roar, Butterflies Soar! by Bob Barner. They say don’t judge a book by it’s cover but this cover was so bright and inviting I popped the book in my bag without so much as reading the title. It turned out fine for me, this easy non fiction book is a wonderful way to explain to kids how the dinosaurs became extinct but that some even more outwardly fragile species like the butterfly survived. One thing I really appreciate about this book is that on each page there are two sections of text in different fonts. The larger font tells the main simpler explanation while the second paragraph in the smaller font goes into more scientific detail for older or more advanced kids. My son loved it and I would say judging it by it’s cover was pretty accurate.

Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs by Byron Barton has always been a favorite of mine for introducing dinosaurs to young kids. It’s very basic, very bright and has the fundamental facts about dinosaurs without loading toddlers down with too many facts to sort through. The illustrations are bright, fun and descriptive on their own and will keep even the most fidgety 3 year old entertained.

Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs! by Sandra Boynton is a cute little book about opposites with dinosaurs as it’s characters. This is a good book for little people who love dinosaurs but aren’t really ready to dive into facts about dinosaurs yet. The melodic rhyming text and adorable pictures appeals to younger toddlers, and on the page where the dinosaurs are called bad for painting on their friends made both me and my son laugh .

Tadpole Rex by Kurt Cyrus is one of those books that I wonder why I’ve never read before. It’s so good! It could be used in a dinosaur unit to talk about how large the dinosaurs was , it’s illustrations show the size difference between a frog and a dinosaur beautifully from the frogs perspective, it could be used to teach about the frog life cycle as well. What I loved though was the rhyme and rhythm the book had, it was almost musical and in a book about frogs and dinosaurs that is awesome!

Good Night, Dinosaurs by Judy Sierra is a tongue twister and I love it! I have a hard time pronouncing dinosaur names, but the cute little rhymes she writes to go with each really help. The book is simple, parent dinosaurs tucking in and getting their little dinosaurs ready to fall asleep. Your child will love the catchy “Good Night Dinosaurs, Sleep Tight Dinosaurs, Good Night Dinosaurs, Goodnight!” I know I did.

Dinosaur Roar! Board Book by Paul and  Henrietta Stickland and is a board book that I’ve read often enough , I don’t need to look at the book. The premise is simple, using 2 different dinosaurs every page illustrates a pair of opposites. Toddlers and young preschoolers adore this book and I can’t blame them, it’s adorable and a great tool for teaching !

How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon? by Jane Yolen is another favorite. I like the whole series and think this book is a great one to read before doctor appointments especially if you have a child like mine who is never happy to go! I like how the dinosaurs give examples of how not to behave before correcting themselves and I can pretty much guarantee your preschooler will have corrected them already.  I love the details in Mark Teague’s illustrations and never tire of reading this book, even when my son grabs it again and again.

Does your child have a favorite book about dinosaurs?

We normally focus on things kids can make but making something for your child to play with and use is something special to share. These are some of our favorite parent and tot projects we have made in the past 2 years.With the exception of the firetruck ( which was well loved and recycled) everything  is still used years later!

Diaper Box Fire Truck ( above)

Alphabet Fishing Game

Custom Roadway Mat

Bleach Dyed Tee-Shirts

DIY  Framed Chalkboard

Friendship is something that should be cherished and making something special for a friend is a great way to show friends how much they mean to you. Shrinky dinks can be found at any large craft store or here Shrinky Dinks Craft Kit. They are fast and fun to watch shrink , these can be made into zipper pulls, key chains or necklaces.

1. Gather your materials. You will need some shrinky dink paper, black and green colored pencils, a hole punch, a brown grocery bag ( or parchment paper), a cookie sheet , scissors and some ribbon or chain.
2. Start by drawing some shamrocks- I can’t hide the fact it took me a while to get it right .
3. Next color it green.
4. Cut out
5. Punch a hole in it.
6. Place it on the paper bag on the cookie sheet and place in the oven ( follow the instructions given for the temp).
7. Watch the WHOLE time. It only takes a minutes or two.
8. Let cool.
9. Thread the ribbon through and give someone you care about some luck of the Irish!