Archive for December 2010
This craft wasn’t planned at all, it was one of those ” Oh oh I have an idea!” moments, in the shower of course! I was thinking about Christmas dinner then 5 minutes later I was grabbing sequins with dripping wet hair. You could make so many variations of this craft with felt cloaks, pipe cleaner arms holding gifts… but we kept it simple today. As I write this they are sparkling on my mantle , shampoo bottles never looked so good!
- Gather your materials. You will need 3 empty clean travel size shampoo bottles, specifically Dove . Sequins, glue, sparkly sticky back foam, scissors and a paper towel.
- Start by peeling the labels off. Ours came off without leaving yuck behind.
- Add glue, spread it with your fingers.
- Add the sequins. I use a paper towel to keep the sequins on to keep them from sliding and frustrating my son. This is great fine motor practice.
- This is not – but it works too.
- While they do that cut crowns out of the foam.
- Pop them on the caps.
- Let the glue dry and screw the caps on.
- All done!
Books
by Janina Domanska is one of a kind. The books follows the pilgrimage to the manger to see the infant Jesus . It starts with a single duck playing bagpipes, but it builds on it self until they spot the manger and the infant Jesus wakes. The story is simple because there is no need for lots of text , the illustrations are amazing. Every page looks like a cross between a stained glass window and a ornate mosaic in a Orthodox church somewhere in Eastern Europe. My son exclaimed “WOW” many times as we turned the pages of this book, and I know I let out a gasp or two as well, simply beautiful! * When I did a search for a photo I could not find this book in print , so you may not be able to find it in store, try your library though!
by Margery Facklam is a calm beautiful book about the first Christmas. A little girl asks her dad about the decorations on that very first Christmas day and readers are reminded that the true origin of the holiday. The illustrations by Nancy Carpenter are stunning, they vary in perspective and unlike so many manger scenes, this one looks like a mom and a baby. They gave me chills coupled with the simple but profound text. A great holiday read .
Cock-A-Doodle Christmas
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I made this sensory activity for my daughter about a week ago and it’s been used daily since. She loves it , the colors, the sounds the blocks make in the dish and the different shapes and textures too. When you are thinking of activities for infants you must consider safety first and remember things that older children may be bored to tears with will probably be perfectly stimulating for an infant or young toddler. As always remember you must supervise your kids carefully, especially infants.
- Gather your materials. You will need a dish shallow enough for little hands to reach in,baby blocks of different size and/or shape and color. Most of our blocks are hard with a few squeaky blocks mixed in. Make sure you are comfortable with your baby mouthing the contents as that is the main way infants explore and they are big enough not to pose a choking risk.
- Have a helper pop them in the dish for you.
- Play.
- She loves it.
It’s loud especially if you have them in a high chair and a wood floor. Label the blocks for them as they hold them, but let them explore without narration too.
This is why you need to be ok with them mouthing the contents, it’s developmentally appropriate and feels especially good on teething gums. If they are not interested or turn their heads avoiding looking at the tub , remove it. An overstimulated infant is no fun for them or you and if it’s too much that’s ok. Snuggle, sing, read or go for a quiet walk.
Last week we shared old favorites but this week I want to see what you’ve been up to this week. So link up whatever you think was your very best post! Have a wonderful week .
If you aren’t moved by seeing kids giving back to their community I am not sure what would move you. I adore seeing kids getting into the spirit of the season and helping . Here are some pictures from this week.
Sarah sent in this picture of her daughter ” She danced at a local long term care facility in our hometown. It was a joy to see the smiles on the faces of the residents–some of whom even opted to sing along with the music.” I am sure the residents loved it.
Kathryn sent in these pictures of her daughter who used her own money to buy food for the food bank and also played elf by choosing tags off a giving tree and picking out toys for the children. “ She was very excited to play elf and do things that will help make people happy!”
Gayla sent this picture of her son caroling at a local hospital and delivering home made cards and blankets to the patients.” We hand made cards and fleece blankets that my little man delivered to each patients room as we walked through the halls singing.”
Maya and her daughters dropped off pet food for hungry pets , we can’t forget about them!
Kara sent me a link to her blog post all about how her daughter learned why giving was so special when she gave these simple candy canes to people who help her everyday.
Sara was busy with her kids and did a lot of good ! They made cookies for a neighbor , donated food at school and Awanas as well as going to a special event ( The Big Guy was there) where you have to donate food to get in. Wow!
Want to be featured in our next month of giving showcase? Go do something for someone else with your little ones , click a picture and send it to me at
Read to your kids. I have talked about my commitment to reading to kids over and over. I write my book reviews so my readers can walk into a library with some idea of where to start. I am giddy to work with Target to share their commitment to reading with you today along with a chance to win an iPad and a selection of books to make it easier for one of you to read books online and off.
Target has launched a program called Target Read With Me to help promote reading , specifically reading proficiency in children by 3rd grade. What’s so special about 3rd grade ? Research * shows that 3rd grade is the turning point when children begin learning by reading not simply learning to read. The same study has shown that close to 3 out of 4 children with below grade level reading abilities in 4th grade never catch up.
Never catch up. We can’t let that happen. 
That is why Target along with many partners have made a commitment to reading and education. By the end of 2015, Target plans to donate more than $500 million to support education, doubling its support to date, for a total of more than $1 billion. They also have collected wonderful easy to navigate resources on their Target Read With Me site to make reading with your kids easier. My favorite is this Build A Home Library from American Library Association. It doesn’t just list books, there are short synopsis as well. I stayed up way too late last night reading it, as giddy as a kid in a candy shop.
I am also giddy that they are offering one lucky No Time For Flash Cards reader a prize package to make reading to your kids online and off a cinch:
Target Read With Me Prize Package consisting of a 16 GB iPad with Wi-Fi for reading books online, along with a selection of age-appropriate books for your children.
All you have to do is leave a comment telling me :
What’s your favorite time and place to read with your children ?
Fine print from Target:
This sweepstakes is only open to U.S. residents 18 years or older. A winning commenter will be drawn at random, using Random.org, after the sweepstakes closes on Thursday, Jan. 20 at 12:00am EST. The winner will receive a 16GB Wi-Fi enabled iPad and a selection of children’s books, a prize package valued up to $599. After the winner is notified, he or she has 48 hours to respond with their mailing address, phone number and ages of their children, so that Target can ship the prize and select books appropriate for their children. If the winner does not reply in that time frame, he or she forfeits the prize and another winner will be drawn at random. Please note that we cannot ship product to a P.O. Box. Disclosure I am working with Target, receiving compensation from Target for running this sweepstakes and Target is providing a prize consisting of 16 GB iPad with Wi-Fi and a selection of books for one reader.*EARLY WARNING! WHY READING BY THE END OF THE THIRD GRADE MATTERS Voices for Virginia’s Children and the Annie E. Casey Foundation
