Winter Sensory Activities Snowy Sensory Bottle: take a clear bottle and fill it with cotton balls, blue glitter, white glitter, white sequins. Secure lid tightly and shake. Snowy Sensory Bin: this one is edible! Find a container appropriately sized for sensory play and fill it with potato flakes (typically found in the soup aisle of […]
Don’t let this almost yearlong (and counting) pandemic get you down this holiday season. Here is a fun, easy activity to do with children to fully embrace social distancing and to stay safe and healthy. Ugly (Christmas) masks – A spin-off of the holiday favorite, Ugly Christmas Sweaters. At this point I feel like […]
Within a few weeks we will be welcoming our baby girl into the world. Over the past 6 months we have been trying to prepare our son for becoming a big brother. I feel like my toddler has already had to deal with so much change due to me being sick earlier in the pregnancy, […]
Do you find your kids fight you when it’s time to put sunscreen on? I know my daughter hates it almost as much as I hate trying to rub into her skin. Here’s a fun activity you can do with your kids to teach them the importance of sun protection: All you need is sunscreen […]
Many parents are continuing to stay home with their children over the summer for a variety of reasons. A common request from parents and providers has been ideas for summer activities and schedules. Here are a few websites that have great activity ideas, free printable schedules, and screen time rules. https://blog.birdyboutique.com/ideas-activities-learn-and-teach-at-home/ https://www.printablesfairy.com/summer-schedule-for-kids/ https://seacoast.citymomsblog.com/summer-camps/social-distance-summer-weekly-theme-ideas-for-summer-at-home/ https://www.chasingfoxes.com/10-ways-keep-kids-busy-backyard-summer/ https://www.fantasticfunandlearning.com/summer-activities-kids
With the weather being hot, it’s always a good idea to have a few activities up your sleeve to keep your kids cool. Ice is a great tool for summer activities. Tie Dye: you’ll need tie dye, ice, a piece of clothing, and a container/bin for this activity. Place your piece of clothing in the […]
Co-sleeping can be a controversial topic for parents to discuss. If you’ve ever considered it, I’m here to share my brief experience with it. Hopefully, it gives some insight if you’re on the fence about what’s best for you and your family. I want to start by saying I absolutely LOVED co-sleeping with my baby. […]
Many parents and childcare providers have been voicing their concerns about how to teach their children social skills during a period of social distancing. For preschoolers that were already struggling with social and emotional development what can be done to help support them and prepare them for that transition to Kindergarten? I provided links below […]
Colorful Butterflies Use coffee filters, food coloring, and pipe cleaners to create colorful butterflies. Open the coffee filter, drop some food coloring on the coffee filters (optional: use a little bit of water if you want to spread the food coloring), pinch in the center, and use the pipe cleaners to wrap around the center […]
It is one of those weeks where I am feeling a little burned out with adulting in general. Momma needs a hiatus. It’s Friday, and I just wanted something to occupy my toddler for a while. I looked outside on our deck, and I saw an invasion of dinosaurs and sea creatures strewn about. Ha! […]
During early childhood, children begin to learn all about emotions and how to cope with those emotions. When I was teaching, the most common situation I encountered in my classroom was teaching children to cope with big emotions. Big emotions are feelings that swell up and burst in a nanosecond, like an old cartoon water […]
Children can help with chores around the house at nearly any age. Below is a list of chores broken down by age appropriateness. This list gives some good insight on how much responsibility you can bestow on your children as they get older. Can’t get your children to comply and do chores? Create a chore […]
As many will often here me say, Social/Emotional Development is the foundation for all learning. This is an area of development that we, as early childhood professionals and parents, should help children develop fully to support other areas of learning. Social/Emotional Development focuses on several key areas: · Self-Concept · Self-Control · Approaches to Learning […]
With the state beginning to open, we know children will be able to return to child care. Maybe you have some concerns about how your child will transition back to child care after being home for so long. How can we help them feel comfortable and be used to not being with us 24/7? Here […]
The first known Father’s Day service occurred in Fairmont, WV on July 5, 1908, thanks to Grace Golden Clayton. The service was to celebrate and honor all fathers, especially the hundreds of men, Grace’s father included, who were killed during a devastating mine explosion in Monongah, WV the previous year. However, the observance did not […]
Who couldn’t use a little calm in their life?! I have often provided the, Sea Life Sensory Solutions, resource to parents and childcare providers I work with. It can be used with kids ages 1 and up. This week I decided to introduce the Puffer Fish Puff, Clam Cuddle, Turtle Tongue, and Starfish Stretch to […]
Reading to your child develops language skills, social-emotional development, and is an excellent bonding opportunity for you and your child. You may feel like you’re stuck in a rut, reading your child the same type of book every night. A great organization for resources is We Need Diverse Books, where their vision is for all children […]
What can I do? In light of recent events, many parents find themselves wondering what they can do to have the conversation regarding race with their children. Some children might be too young to understand what is going on at this time, but some ARE old enough and are maybe asking some hard questions. So […]
Since the beginning of this unusual time in our world we have consistently heard the words “the new normal” and “social distancing”. They have become a regular part of our conversations and how we look at the world. While we all know there is change happening in our lives, we also know that things will […]
Like many parents and providers, I am concerned about children transitioning back to childcare after being at home for several months. We are aware that our children are entering a vastly different world than they are used to due to new recommendations and regulations for childcare. As a parent of a two-year-old and another due […]
By this time in quarantine, I bet a lot of you have seen enough of your family’s faces. I’m also sure you are feeling some guilt about having enough of being at home nonstop with your families. This. Is. Normal. Our society has us programmed to work 40+ hours a week where we only have […]
Social-emotional development is an important life skill we often learn while at school, interacting with our teachers and peers. We practice empathy, self-control, and decision-making. We can practice social-emotional development at home too! Here are some ways to promote social-emotional development at home: Think out loud/self-talk: Children are learning how to regulate their emotions. We […]
I have recognized during the time that I’ve been teleworking that my two-year-old goes through periods in which he turns into a wrecking ball. He will be playing appropriately, then the toys start crashing and flying as he is wrestling or bouncing off objects. I have had to step back to determine the need or […]
“Alright, we’re stuck at home, we’ve been potty training TOO LONG now. We’re buckling down and getting this done!” How many parents out there have said this to themselves during this quarantine? My daughter is 2 1/2 and we are currently trying to potty train. There is so much pressure to have your child potty […]
