tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74727411690542164542012-01-25T01:00:13.063-07:00Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.comBlogger4921100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-55551435392175645712012-01-25T01:00:00.000-07:002012-01-25T01:00:13.084-07:00

Puffy Paint Snowflake Painting by Frugal Family Fun Blog Great For: Art Shredded Snowmanby BabycenterGreat For: Sensory, Art Borax Crystal Snowflakesby Delia CreatesGreat For: Science Build A Snowman Sensory Tubby Our Cup of TeaGreat For: Sensory, Fine Motor Number Snowmanby Kindergarten HoppeningsGreat For: Numbers You can see more learning activities I have found and pinned or repinned

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-45577566310126979532012-01-20T07:47:00.003-07:002012-01-20T08:00:47.186-07:00

I had extra egg cartons (cardboard) from the grocery store and I was convinced that something fun could be done with them. I had an idea, but when Val posted the Puffy Paint snowman ( http://learningdevelopmentactivities.blogspot.com/2012/01/puffy-paint-snowman.html ), I knew that my idea just got a new twist!Prep: Cut cardboard egg carton compartments out. They will stand up on their own, and

Raeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07028895351558409317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-31248838835899843982012-01-18T01:00:00.001-07:002012-01-18T01:00:09.195-07:00

My daughter made this in preschool and has been ever in love with it since. This is made from puffy paint, which is simply equal parts shaving cream and white glue. You mix the two together and then paint with it, or glob it to make a nice snowman.  She also used pieces of construction paper to create the eyes, noses, mouth, hat, and arms. Lay flat to dry. Once it is dry, you can touch it and

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-23448406912326858712012-01-16T01:00:00.000-07:002012-01-16T01:00:03.243-07:00

image source I think a huge secret to making it through the winter months and still being sane, happy, and even a bit improved is to get a change of scenery every so often. One way to do this is story time at your local library. How awesome is the local library? All that free stuff?  Every library does story time differently. For some, it is a "come one, come all" thing where you just show up

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-61383538478675806422012-01-11T01:00:00.000-07:002012-01-11T01:00:19.862-07:00

Part of combatting winter crazies is keeping the mind engaged. When you are stuck inside for longer hours than usual, reading extra books is a fun way to pass the time and engage the mind. Try adding an extra story session to your day at some point--maybe after breakfast or lunch or just before nap time. Chase the winter blues away with a pile of books.

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-48588453362596626212012-01-09T01:00:00.000-07:002012-01-09T01:00:14.473-07:00

My idea behind surviving through the winter months (with sanity, happiness, and fun) cooped up in the house is to find things that will keep my children so they don't feel the need to pull out every toy and game we own and to prevent bickering that can happen when people are bored. We have structured  days, but you need some free play.  Baking is something that all three of my children love to

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-18108210854766679872012-01-04T01:00:00.000-07:002012-01-04T01:00:13.184-07:00

Time for some great winter books! These really are all must-haves in our home. The Big Snow by Berta Hader and Elmer Hader Caldecott winner of 1949. This is my four year old's favorite winter book right now. She is my major animal lover and this book is right up her lane as a story about the animals preparing for winter. Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner and Mark Buehner This is a great

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-73905548864337687552012-01-02T13:57:00.000-07:002012-01-02T13:57:19.766-07:00

I have been getting a whole lot of interest in the  Feed The Penguin  activity. I was looking at what I had and the document had been really changed by various editors, so I re-uploaded the document. Here are the links: Fish Penguins I have updated links in the original post, also.

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-2785685985103767672012-01-02T01:00:00.000-07:002012-01-02T01:00:11.797-07:00

Winter  Winter Round-up 2011 Feed The Penguin I for Igloo Icy Winter Scenes Slippery Roads--A Science Lesson Winter Books Recommendations Winter Games SnowCotton Ball Snowman Defrosty The Snowman Marshmallow Snowman Nutter Butter Snowman Paper Plate Snowman Snowbox Snow Painting Snowball Fight Snowmen Rice Krispie Treats Surviving WinterHomemade Highways Surviving Winter: Bath Play Surviving

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-38930064590419955482011-12-21T22:38:00.001-07:002011-12-21T22:44:03.470-07:00

Meet the Dubiens is one of my favorite blogs.  I loved this post where she created fingerprint lights and decided it was just perfect for our Christmas cards.  J could be fully involved and love every minute of it (he did... of course I don't often bring out the finger paints so he was just thrilled). And the best yet is they were free!  Or at least we already had all the materials necessary:

Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15993473311992729999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-45651501161138503512011-12-21T01:00:00.001-07:002011-12-21T01:00:14.864-07:00

Now this is a hard task. There is no shortage of fun Christmas ideas out there. Here are my current five favorite for Christmas to give you some more ideas! Nativity Pre-K Pack from Over the Big Moon This is a free printable that has several activities to do with a Nativity theme. Love this! We have used several of these pages so far. Gingerbread Reindeer Cookies from CakeCentral This is

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-45809558526361788382011-12-19T01:00:00.001-07:002011-12-19T01:00:00.263-07:00

Kaitlyn brought this home from preschool last week and it was one of those things where I thought, "Why have I never thought of that?" Suppliesgreen foam red ribbon for bow string for hanging glue desired decorations scissors PrepGather supplies Cut out wreath (you can use straight scissors, but decorative scrapbooking scissors will add some character) ActivityHave your child decorate as desired

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-43776782858289783192011-12-14T01:00:00.003-07:002011-12-14T01:00:04.482-07:00

As I shared in my post on Monday, we just finished up a week on Gingerbread men. This was our number activity. I found this at this website also: http://www.pre-kpages.com/gingerbread/.  I made this page by googling "Gingerbread man coloring page" and chose this simple gingerbread man. I then opened it in Photoshop and put numbers in it. You could do it in Word or other programs, also. Here is

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-54044493753107445622011-12-12T01:00:00.001-07:002011-12-12T01:00:11.508-07:00

We just finished up a fun week of Gingerbread activities. This was our alphabet activity. I got this idea from here: http://www.pre-kpages.com/gingerbread/. She had a free download of the pages, but it only had letters A-F, so I quickly made some of my own. You can download them here. To prep this activity, I created the pages, printed them, then laminated pages and letters so they will hold up

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-79652545939831115242011-12-07T01:00:00.001-07:002011-12-07T01:00:01.666-07:00

Every year around Christmas, we get together with the cousins and act out the Nativity. The children dress up very simply. We use towels, adult dress shirts, robes, ties, and scarves. We also use props like angel wings, stars, and crowns.  The children each get a piece of a nativity set and dress up as that character. We then read the Christmas story from Luke. As the child's part is read, the

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-63004749990132707842011-12-05T01:00:00.000-07:002011-12-05T01:00:10.691-07:00

On one of my other blogs, I have been doing a series on how I do various things in my day. Here is my post on how I do learning time. I thought it was appropriate here :) Learning time at our house is something that has definitely grown over the years. I remember talking to one of my very best friends when Brayden was two. She was a school teacher before becoming a mom (a very good one), and we

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-24751217304205620612011-11-30T10:00:00.000-07:002011-11-30T10:00:02.633-07:00

That's Not My Reindeer by Fionna Watt We love these books of "That's not my..." They are really fun touch and feel books. This is a great Christmas book for the little ones. This one is currently unavailable on Amazon, so I can't link to it for you.  Hopefully you can find it at the library or at a different bookstore. Llama Llama Holiday Drama by Anna Dewdney This is another series

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-44773196458191091362011-11-28T01:00:00.000-07:002011-11-28T01:00:13.481-07:00

Are you ready for Christmas? I feel like I am still mentally preparing for Halloween! Where did time go?!!??? Christmas Books and RecommendationsGet our 2009 Christmas Book Recommendations Christmas Book List 2010 Our book recommendations for 2010! Triangle Star OrnamentThis activity creates a fun ornament for your tree while working on shapes, fine motor skills, and colors. 

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-6078277911737954902011-11-23T01:00:00.000-07:002011-11-23T01:00:12.149-07:00

Fall is almost over for me (okay, let's be real, it was over about three weeks ago, I mean, it is snowing while I write this). Anyway, the "calendar" says fall so I am doing a fabulous fall post.  One of our favorite traditions is to do a corn maze. I am sure not all of you will have access to a corn maze because corn doesn't grow everywhere. You might have a straw maze or something that you can

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-13289726211670004252011-11-21T01:00:00.000-07:002011-11-21T01:00:02.682-07:00

Though the Wampanoag Indians who were involved in the first Thanksgiving did not live in Teepees, Teepees are associate with Indians in general, and Thanksgiving is a time of year we talk about Native Americans, so I thought it was an appropriate time of year to share this activity idea. It is simple. You take a tortilla, roll it into a cone, then secure with a toothpick. You then let your child

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-67089667941990479602011-11-19T08:00:00.000-07:002011-11-19T08:04:44.114-07:00

This was a fun activity that incorporated a fun fall hunt, fine motor skills, letter review, sensory, gluing practice, and lots of teachable moments on the walk!Before the walk we talked about:*Color of changing leaves*Items that represent fall*What to collect, what to avoidThen off we went! We collected pine needles, pine cones, crunchy leaves, leaves that are just changing, acorns, dried

Raeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07028895351558409317noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-3181782204801809872011-11-17T03:05:00.005-07:002011-11-17T03:05:00.133-07:00

 I saw these pilgrim hat cookies and thought they were adorable and something even a toddler could accomplish. I did make a few quick changes from the original I saw here. Their cookies were more accurate and cuter, but a few changes meant J could be that much more involved (and truth be told, I don’t think I could’ve iced a buckle so small). We used yellow Reeces Pieces for the buckle instead

Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15993473311992729999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-19933559519355403152011-11-16T01:00:00.003-07:002011-11-16T14:08:31.565-07:00

November is definitely a time when our thoughts are centered around what we are thankful for. This activity provides that focus for children while building fine motor skills as well as pasting skills. Supplies Needed: Cornucopia printout: http://www.archjrc.com/childsplace/thanks.html magazines scissors glue construction paper ActivityHave your child color the cornucopia and glue it to the

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-29893543468847179502011-11-14T01:00:00.000-07:002011-11-14T01:00:13.361-07:00

This is a cute gift to give people at Thanksgiving time--I am thinking Grandparents or parents if you teach young children. You make a cut out of the child's hand. Then you have the child list things she is thankful for and write them on each finger/thumb. You then add a head, eyes, etc. The poem says: This isn't just a turkey,as you can plainly see.I made it with my hand,which is a part of

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-64470491026050554632011-11-10T03:59:00.003-07:002011-11-10T03:59:00.198-07:00

We used our turkey countdown for the first time last year.  It's held up to reuse again this year! I saw this cute Thanksgiving countdown and had to try it. I adapted it a little so that I could reuse it every year (or at least for a few years). I used foam and cardboard instead of construction paper and cardstock. I also made it magnetic and keep it on our fridge. Our turkey actually isn’t

Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15993473311992729999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-3414968087484601872011-11-09T10:00:00.001-07:002011-11-09T10:00:01.382-07:00

Here are my five favorite things I have on my Pinterest for Thanskgiving ideas! Treats from Ourbestbites.com http://www.ourbestbites.com/2010/11/oreo-turkeys-and-cookie-pilgrim-hats/ Lunch from Meet the Dubiens http://meetthedubiens.blogspot.com/2011/10/fun-food-friday-tommy-turkey.html Turkey Countdown from Make and Take http://www.makeandtakes.com/counting-down-to-turkey-time And see

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-27821988646616440332011-11-07T01:00:00.000-07:002011-11-07T01:00:02.848-07:00

Here are five new recommendations for you for Thanksgiving books this year! Fancy Nancy: Our Thanksgiving Banquet Love Fancy Nancy books! You can't go wrong with these. The Littlest Pilgrim This is about a little pilgrim, but the things she can do even though she is small. This made me think of my youngest because she is smaller than the rest of the family, but always finding her own

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-81571850594053109052011-11-02T01:00:00.001-06:002011-11-02T01:00:12.562-06:00

Here is the round-up for our previous Thanksgiving posts: Apple Turkey Cute, yummy, fruit, fine motor development, patterns...all good. Thankful Basket For teaching Gratitude. Paper Plate Turkey This is a super cute craft that teaches colors, counting, fine motor, and following instructions. Pumpkin Turkey This is another cute decoration for your Thanksgiving holiday!

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-6849184151018104172011-10-28T00:00:00.000-06:002011-10-28T18:35:19.141-06:00

My girls are freaked out by bats. I don't know how or why this happened (since neither parent has bat issues), but somewhere along the way they got the idea that bat=bad. So, added to our Halloween/pumpkin week was also a day of bat fun! We read Stellaluna first (I love that book! There's a special place in my heart for that sweet little critter!). We read the book slowly, taking time to talk

Raeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07028895351558409317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-4995386329537321082011-10-27T12:07:00.000-06:002011-10-27T12:07:52.493-06:00

You know how you start to look around the internet and find tons upon tons upon tons of great ideas out there for {insert item here}. Since this is a learning blog, I am thinking about learning activities available. I have fallen into love of Pinterest like many of you. A great thing for me and Pinterest is putting ideas I love for learning ideas all in one place. I don't want to keep these

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-13075768464465261482011-10-26T06:59:00.000-06:002011-10-26T07:06:08.636-06:00

Here is a fun and simple Halloween activity that is also benign (meaning, it is not scary in the least. Another bonus, for those of you who don't like Halloween, it is a seasonal activity that is about candy, not Halloween).  Kaitlyn did this in her preschool class this year. You can see it is rather simple-- white triangle and tissue paper squares. The tissue paper was not glued (hence the

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-12650542867688409072011-10-25T00:00:00.000-06:002011-10-25T00:00:02.919-06:00

(Image)DearlyDomestic.com has some great Halloween recipes posted, including this one for Candy Corn Pudding. Looks like I need to add Cool Whip to my shopping list for this weekend. This may be perfect for our Trick-or-Treat get together for all the kiddos to snack on!It also looks easy enough for the kids to help put together, too!Candy Corn Pudding*2 Large Boxes of Vanilla Instant Pudding*

Raeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07028895351558409317noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-12217552067096406822011-10-24T01:00:00.001-06:002011-10-24T01:00:02.973-06:00

Paper plates are amazing. I think you can turn a paper plate into just about anything.  Here we have a paper plate ghost.  Supplies:Paper plate White paper (if arms are desired) White crepe paper Black paper Scissors Glue or stapler Method:This is a simple paper plate activity because the end-product is white. If hands are desired, draw and cut out the arms/hands. Either you do this or have your

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-40589888082908124412011-10-20T05:55:00.005-06:002011-10-20T05:55:00.182-06:00

I thought this would be a good activity to work on sizes. I prepped the activity by precutting the pieces, creating small, medium and large pieces similar to candy corn. If you can tell in the picture, I also drew the outline of the candy corn on the black paper. This step probably wasn’t needed though. J glued the pieces in order (small, medium, large) to create the candy corn. I did have

Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15993473311992729999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-82932699407883113002011-10-19T01:00:00.001-06:002011-10-19T01:00:11.334-06:00

I remember one time as a child standing in line for over an hour to get my face painted. That is dedication! Children seem to love to get their faces painted. Now, I am no artist. You can, however, easily paint fun holiday themes if you break down the picture into simple shapes. Take the jack-o-lantern pictured above. A simple orange blob, some black eyes, nose, and mouth, and a green stem and

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-15661742689261680942011-10-17T01:00:00.000-06:002011-10-17T01:00:01.428-06:00

Little books are a great way to reinforce what a child has learned about a particular subject. Kaitlyn made this bat book at preschool.  They learned all about bats. At the end of the unit, they each choose four things they knew about bats and colored a picture of each item on a page for this book. So Kaitlyn had that they slept in the day, had wings, is not a bird, and likes to eat nectar. The

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-25905592489123138302011-10-13T06:47:00.007-06:002011-10-13T06:47:01.111-06:00

This is cooking project we did after apple picking last year. I found the recipe in the mail from my grocery store and knew it was something J could do with me. I had all the ingredients, so we could do it right away! Baked Apples with Cranberries 1. Preheat oven to 375*F. Core the apples, leaving the bottom closed (creating a small bowl in the apple). Peel the top half of the apple. 2. Fill

Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15993473311992729999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-36820759317995377032011-10-12T01:00:00.000-06:002011-10-12T01:00:00.892-06:00

If your children are like mine, you already know that leaves=fall fun. Did you ever think about the learning value to playing in leaves? We have little child-sized rakes for our children. They work on their gross motor skills as they rake leaves, jump in the piles, and toss the leaves in the air. They also get some great sensory input as they touch the leaves with their hands and feel them

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-789013890187543762011-10-10T01:00:00.000-06:002011-10-10T01:00:10.313-06:00

Here are 5 new recommendations for Halloween Books for you this year. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat! by Lucille Colandro My children enjoy these "old lady" books so much that we own almost all of them. This is the Halloween version. Goodnight Goon by Michael Rex This book is a parody on the classic book "Goodnight Moon." Fancy Nancy: Halloween...or Bust! by Jane O'Conner

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-39249086624484020392011-10-07T01:00:00.000-06:002011-10-07T01:00:10.967-06:00

Looking for some Halloween fun activities to do this year at home or in your child's classroom? Here is a fun list.Halloween Round-up 2010 Halloween Books 2009 Halloween Books 2010 Baby Ghosts Egg Carton Spiders Fall Scenery Family Outings Halloween Traditions Jack-O-Lantern Pancakes Mummy "M" Paper Cup Spider Peanut Butter Pumpkins Pumpkin Faces Sugar Cookies Sweet Treats Fall Yarn Spider

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-16912346861274171572011-10-06T06:26:00.000-06:002011-10-06T06:26:00.262-06:00

This is another activity we did last year, perfect for October. It accompanied one of his favorite books at the time, Eric Carle’s The Very Busy Spider.  CREATING THE WEB: I decided to do this last minute since I had all the materials on hand anyway (anyone notice a trend here...we do A LOT of last minute activities!). All you need is cooked spaghetti, glue, and wax paper. Dip the spaghetti

Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15993473311992729999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-65609247275447631002011-10-05T01:00:00.000-06:002011-10-05T01:00:05.534-06:00

Here are five more book recommendations for your reading this Fall! Colors of Fall by Laura Purdie Salas This is a new book that talks about the colors you can see in fall and uses photos. Autumn Is for Apples by Michelle Knudsen It can be hard to find apple books that hold the interest of younger readers. This one is simple and rhyming, which really holds the interest of the young.

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-77107632395958829172011-10-03T01:00:00.000-06:002011-10-03T01:00:06.996-06:00

Brayden made this fun project in first grade. Suppliesconstruction paper scissors glue ActivityHave your child draw and cut out a tree trunk if appropriate. If not, do that ahead of time. Then have your child cut out various shaped leaves from different colors and glue to the tree. Again, if your child is not ready for scissors, you cut out the shapes ahead of time. Talk about the different

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-91949657793925125542011-09-29T06:18:00.001-06:002011-09-29T06:18:00.414-06:00

Ok, so I would truly attempt to eat these acorns, but feel free to snack while crafting! This was one of our autumn activities from last year. It’s fun, cute and easy prep (using things I already had around the house). Before hand, I cut out a square with cardboard (the original activity said to use a paper bag, but I didn’t have any). I also drew the acorn onto the cardboard. I first had J

Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15993473311992729999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-64886560071117391672011-09-28T01:00:00.000-06:002011-09-28T01:00:05.102-06:00

So this is my other fun activity from Kaitlyn's preschool class I wanted to share. It is a paper plate apple with a fine motor activity. You could do one or the other or both together. The paper plate apple is a very simple craft. You paint the paper plate the color you want it. Then you cut out and glue a green leave to the top. You could also add a brown stem. Children LOVE to paint. You could

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-57435608344775299692011-09-26T01:00:00.000-06:002011-09-26T01:00:03.082-06:00

Kaitlyn (4) is now in preschool three days a week. Last week she learned about apples at preschool and came home with lots of fun ideas. I just love her teacher. This one is very simple. The children each got a little baggie of apples. These are die-cuts. You could do printouts or stickers as well. They then sorted them by color into the four different sections on the page.  For younger children

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-67513863082136097202011-09-19T01:00:00.000-06:002011-09-19T01:00:17.833-06:00

Kaitlyn (4) started preschool this year for the first time. For her first homework assignment, her teacher gave her this slice of "pizza" (the white triangle) and told her to decorate it like a pizza.  We talked about all of the things we could do to decorate it. Kaitlyn's favorite pizza is cheese pizza, so she wanted to make a cheese pizza. We decided shredded paper would be fun. I shredded up

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-51789190418880222762011-09-14T01:00:00.000-06:002011-09-14T01:00:10.330-06:00

Rubbings are a great activity that seem magical to children. Supplies Paper Leaves (not dry) Crayon with paper removed ActivityTake your paper and put it over the leaves. Turn the crayon on its side and rub it all over the paper to reveal the print of the leaves. Easy and awesome!

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-42431245249707542312011-09-12T00:00:00.000-06:002011-09-12T00:00:06.618-06:00

Counting Down November A fun counting game to get you through November!Fall Books 2009Great Fall booksFall Books 2010Even more great Fall booksFall Do-A-Dot No doubt one of my favorite activities ever shared by Raegan! Falling Leaves Picture A great activity for Toddlers especially. Fall: Nature Walk A fun way to collect Fall items on your walk. Fall Scenery

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-9850213729474932782011-09-09T13:12:00.002-06:002011-09-09T13:19:23.345-06:00

Ignore my shadow, please. :) An easy way to practice writing and drawing shapes, letters, lines, numbers, and more!!Working on addition? Give them a problem and let them draw the answer!Call out a word and have them write the beginning, ending, or entire word!Call out shape attributes and have them draw the answer (I'm thinking of a shape that has 3 sides and 3 angles).Supplies: pudding (I used

Raeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07028895351558409317noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-52171114890485811912011-09-08T00:00:00.000-06:002011-09-08T00:00:10.677-06:00

Today is our two year blogiversary! Happy Blogiversary ladies! We have made some big changes this last year. We added Becca to our mix, and I know you have all loved the addition of her. She has fabulous ideas. We also got our blog make-over from Design By Tracy with a fun new look, Facebook page, and Twitter account! Thanks to all of you readers for visiting our blog! Here is to another

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-39356317328378809712011-09-07T01:00:00.000-06:002011-09-07T01:00:05.438-06:00

Hiking in Zion National Park in Spring Isn't Fall fabulous? I love the season and all it brings with it. I wanted to do a little series on all of the fabulous things you can do in the Fall. My first highlight is hiking. Hiking is a tricky thing to talk about with a global audience. For some of you, Spring is the best time of year for hiking. For others, Summer is the time for such activities.

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-82953720423778940162011-09-06T19:08:00.003-06:002011-09-06T19:20:05.914-06:00

Summer is quickly coming to an end and fall is rapidly approaching. Hopefully you and your family were able to take advantage of fruit and veggie picking this summer at a local farm or even in your own garden. So what now? Don't forget about the next line of fruits that are starting to ripen! Here on the East Coast, the season for grapes kicked off this week. I had never been grape picking, so we

Raeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07028895351558409317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-47561576079477275282011-09-02T12:08:00.005-06:002011-11-07T13:17:32.599-07:00

We recently evacuated due to Hurricane Irene and took a road trip with our three kids, a 4 year old, 2.5 year old, and 7 month old. They'd ridden 3 hours before, but nothing like this trip. Twelve hours there, 9.5 on the way home. So you can imagine how many times my 4 year asked, "Are we there yet? Are we almost there?" Someone recommended I try this little trick for the way home...oh, I

Raeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07028895351558409317noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-253539427415292452011-08-31T01:00:00.000-06:002011-08-31T01:00:00.876-06:00

I find it ironic that one of my favorite themes to do is insects when I absolutely, positively, HATE insects. Maybe I like to make insect crafts because they aren't real? I don't know. This is a caterpillar with C words. Draw or print a series of circles on a page. Then give your child C words to color, cut out, and paste on the caterpillar's body. If you have a younger child (toddler or

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-84134859592179238872011-08-29T01:00:00.000-06:002011-08-29T01:00:11.027-06:00

Brayden made these in Kindergarten and I thought they were genius. Something they learned about in Kindergarten was what numbers could be combined to make a certain number. For example, take the number six. You can get six with 6+0, 5+1, 4+2, and 3+3. These number bracelets make it very easy for the children to see what numbers you need to make other numbers. Making one is simple. You take a

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-79391888068505708792011-08-24T01:00:00.000-06:002011-08-24T01:00:04.197-06:00

You can make learning time very simple by having a learning box set up. This makes gathering common supplies very easy and also creates a situation where you can teach your child some personal responsibility and help her learn about cleaning up after herself when a project is finished.  This is a great time of year to buy these supplies since stores have them on super sale. You simply buy a

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-18443717886803206252011-08-22T01:00:00.000-06:002011-08-22T01:00:01.186-06:00

If you are like most of the world, you have at least one family member who lives far away from you. Perhaps you are the family member who lives far away. It can be hard to have your children get to know and recognize family members who live far away. One idea to help the child be familiar is to make a slideshow with pictures of family members. Making a slideshow is much easier than you might

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-36936738982075304182011-08-17T01:00:00.000-06:002011-08-17T01:00:07.444-06:00

My son brought this activity home from preschool (above, age four) and Kindergarten (below, age five). I figured if it is good enough for both teachers, it is good enough to post here! Supplies Needed:paper red crepe paper green crepe paper black marker/paint OR actual watermelon seeds Activity:Draw a half circle for your child. If your child is able, have him cut it out. If not, you cut it

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-45961524011781425322011-08-15T01:00:00.000-06:002011-08-15T01:00:07.096-06:00

image source Each week during nice weather, we join several friends at the park for park day. It is a great learning ground for social skills like taking turns and getting along with others. It allows for lots of physical exercise. And best of all, it is lots of fun with lots of play. I am an advocate for allowing children to learn through play. Summer is great because so many of our

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-2045452236835204902011-08-10T01:00:00.000-06:002011-08-10T01:00:14.995-06:00

2 year old McKenna getting the most out of camping Camping has got to be one of the most enriching experiences you can give to your child. It is a time for fully getting in touch with nature. You can go for "hikes" and explore the scenery around you. You can hear the sounds of nature, see the sights, and smell the uniqueness of it all. It is a great sensory experience. Everyone lives in

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-73602677237849026642011-08-09T00:00:00.001-06:002011-08-09T00:00:08.710-06:00

Another simple activity to do with the magnetic letters, would be a seek 'n' sort. Give your child a cookie sheet and a small bowl of letters. Here's some tips by age/level:Just beginning to learn letters:*Fill the bowl about halfway. Too many letters can be overwhelming.*Don't put too many letters that look similar (in the eyes of a child); b, d, p, and q are too close in shape and size.*For

Raeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07028895351558409317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-21204399495958983562011-08-08T01:00:00.000-06:002011-08-08T01:00:16.020-06:00

Brayden and Kaitlyn up on the tractor Can I just say that I love the fair? I seriously love the fair. I loved it as a child, I loved it as a teenager, and I love it as a parent. I don't know what the fair is like where you live, but our fair is just jam-packed full of unique learning opportunities. You can see tons of tractors and ATVs. McKenna on the 4-wheeler Baby Kaitlyn checking out

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-18199973335641559832011-08-05T00:00:00.001-06:002011-08-05T00:00:06.640-06:00

So, your child knows all of his/her letters and the sounds they make. Now what? Now it's time to make some words! For some words, for example said, the, is and love, you might want to try learning those as "sight words." In other words, helping them learn the word just by looking at it, rather than using rules/clues/phonics to figure it out. Then there are those words that they can "sound out":

Raeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07028895351558409317noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-80090355278361894392011-08-03T01:00:00.000-06:002011-08-03T01:00:04.665-06:00

Brayden will be starting full-day school this year and is expressing some nervousness over it. He hasn't had an issue with starting preschool or Kindergarten. He says he doesn't want to leave me all day. All I can do is hug him because I feel the same way! I wanted to come up with an idea to make the first day seem a bit easier and to do something special to let him know I love him and am

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-72851651251057838992011-08-02T00:00:00.001-06:002011-08-02T00:00:02.738-06:00

I used to have the HARDEST time keeping up with all those miniature things you use to help teach the kiddos...you know, all the things you use to practice sorting, counting, moving, stacking, and patterning. Magnetic letters were especially painful because I could only seem to find the b when I needed a p. Or I was always one letter short of exactly what I needed.Thank you, super cheap plastic

Raeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07028895351558409317noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-57464272834445079042011-08-01T01:00:00.000-06:002011-08-01T01:00:00.278-06:00

Here are five book that are great for back to school (or first time at school). Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate There are several of these Miss Bindergarten books, from starting, 100th day celebration, to the last day. So check these out all year long. Mouse's First Day of School by Lauren Thompson This is from the author of the "If You Give A ____ a _____"

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-82904442214900337452011-07-29T00:00:00.000-06:002011-07-29T00:00:02.614-06:00

Another Ocean idea! A cute snack that's fun to make, and even more fun to eat!Jello Aquarium:*You'll need blue jello and gummy fish candy. *Make jello according to package. After 1-2 hours, as jello is just starting to solidify, add gummy fish/worms.*Allow to finish hardening in refrigerator.Yogurt Ocean:*Nilla wafers (or any sandy colored cookie), white yogurt (vanilla, plain, etc) or blue

Raeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07028895351558409317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-40592740260074760202011-07-28T05:59:00.000-06:002011-07-28T05:59:00.191-06:00

This is a great outdoor activity but a few simple adaptations can easily bring this activity inside during the winter months and actually works well with a winter theme. Ice is a great medium to practice color mixing.  J and I made yellow and blue ice cubes together. This is an activity all in itself, so be sure to include your little one in this step.  It's a great way to teach the process of

Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15993473311992729999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-39923438684250281162011-07-27T01:00:00.000-06:002011-07-27T01:00:03.512-06:00

A great way to enhance learning is to make a puppet to go along with what you are talking about. Children love crafts and they love puppets. Are you talking about the letter F? Why not make a Fox? Maybe you are learning about bears this week and want to make a bear puppet. And the great news for you is that the internet is full of instructions on how to make these. Enchanted Learning has some

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-66162284420087283942011-07-26T00:00:00.001-06:002011-07-26T12:12:51.109-06:00

This activity works for babies (touch and feel), all the way to elementary aged kids! You have lots of options...*Paint the ocean*Paper towel paint*color the ocean w/ markers*Use the side of a peeled crayon and make the waterOnce the water has been drawn/painted, start adding details...*We added shells collected from a previous vacation*spread glue on the bottom (we used fingers) and sprinkle w/

Raeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07028895351558409317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-51890830611807350382011-07-25T01:00:00.000-06:002011-07-25T01:00:03.959-06:00

I was talking with Raegan the other day about Brayden and I making freezer jam and how much value there is for children in making it. She was interested in the recipe, so I thought I should share it with all of you. If you have tons of fruit you don't know what to do with, freezer jam is a great way to go. It is so delicious! If you have never had it, you must try it. This is the best jam ever.

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-84819045162141381082011-07-21T05:12:00.000-06:002011-07-21T05:12:38.753-06:00

This was one of our science activities when J was almost 2 years old. I made several different colored ice cubes using food coloring.  I had J separate the different colors into sandwich bags and we taped them to the dishwasher so they would be at his eye level.  We described the ice together (cold, hard, slippery, heart-shaped in our case).  I opened the freezer door and had him feel inside. 

Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15993473311992729999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-56021452392680749392011-07-20T01:00:00.000-06:002011-07-20T01:00:11.559-06:00

This is another cute craft Kaitlyn did at playgroup this past year. It is a foam fish.  Age RangeI think you can make this work anywhere from 1 on up. MaterialsPiece of foam Scissors Marker/pen/pencil Stickers, jewels, etc. to decorate fish with  Glue ActivityYou first need a foam fish. Depending on the age and ability of the child, either you draw or have the child draw a fish on the foam. Also

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-72157759418830858002011-07-18T01:00:00.000-06:002011-07-18T01:00:05.715-06:00

The item that has occupied my children the most this summer cost me a total of $3.18. It is the squirt bottle. I bought three at the dollar store, and oh how much I have loved them. All three of my children (6, 4, 2) are enthralled by the squirt bottle. They love to squirt plants, cement, flowers, trees, rocks...they love to see what happens when they squirt and see the designs they can make.

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-35895711757175584742011-07-17T17:28:00.000-06:002011-07-17T17:28:06.460-06:00

Many thanks to Tracy who has given our blog a whole new face lift! So much fun! We also now have a Facebook page and a Twitter page...we don't have anything going on yet, but like us and follow our tweets to know when we do :). You can find those links on the right.  Thanks Tracy! Design by Tracy WEB - http://designbytracy.com FACEBOOK - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Design-by-Tracy/

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-32569094470435667232011-07-14T05:46:00.003-06:002011-07-14T05:46:00.518-06:00

When I was little my grandmother recorded stories on tape for us all the time.  We still have some of them!  She also sent some to my cousins who were overseas at the time.  I think this is an awesome gift for little ones that live far away.  They get to hear your voice on a consistent basis, acting out your love from thousands of miles away by reading stories to them!  A few years ago I took the

Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15993473311992729999noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-59623009631524841942011-07-13T07:00:00.003-06:002011-07-13T07:14:45.931-06:00

Here is our tutorial on how to do a face-out bookshelf. This is the way my husband designed so you couldn't see a back on the shelves--it looks like they are free-floating. Hopefully I can translate from Engineer-ese to English. Materials Needed:3/4"x1.5" pieces of wood cut to the length you want them on the wall. This is the actual size of the wood. They will be called 1"x2" in the store. You

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-44878914384232431732011-07-12T07:57:00.003-06:002011-07-12T08:33:29.527-06:00

So yesterday Valerie posted about her face-out bookshelves, inspired by Jim Trelease's The Read-Aloud Handbook. Having also read Jim Trelease's book after Valerie raved about it for so long, I was enamored of the face-out bookshelves too! After some quick googling for images similar to what was posted yesterday I was practically drooling :)This obviously called for a trip to Ikea. I found

Amandanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-58838334497317382011-07-11T12:15:00.000-06:002011-07-11T12:15:53.385-06:00

Oh how I love the concept of face-out bookshelves! The idea is simple. Think about a book store. How do they face the books they want to promote and sell? Are they spine in, or cover out? Cover out right? Seeing the cover of a book increases visibility, which increases how often it gets read (or purchased in a book store). Jim Trelease suggests you find a place to do face out bookshelves in your

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-82489526869784572172011-07-08T00:00:00.003-06:002011-07-28T11:45:13.686-06:00

Ever get really attached to a certain routine? I do. Namely the bedtime routine. I caught myself on this past vacation. It started with the sunset. I've seen it a million times...I've watched the sky turn that sherbet orange and fade to cotton candy pink and gradually turn shades of blue until the stars begin to show themselves. But you know who hasn't? My daughters. They are usually in bed,

Raeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07028895351558409317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-66178877758218923902011-07-02T06:00:00.000-06:002011-07-02T06:00:00.604-06:00

A few weeks ago we got the cutest book from the library, The Sheep Fairy. It's a bit silly, perhaps not quality literature, but cute nonetheless :)After reading it since we were also working on number sense and counting we decided to make some sheep to count.Materials:cotton ballsglueconstruction papercrayonInstructions:Draw small circles on the paper and have your child put a dot of glue in

Amandanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-8704858310410753662011-07-01T01:00:00.000-06:002011-07-01T01:00:09.237-06:00

What child does not love glitter? I think all children love glitter. And most moms fear glitter--oh the mess. But come on, the mess isn't that bad. Plus you can do things like put the glitter in a shaker to make it less messy. This is a simple and fun glitter activity. It makes a fun art project and works fine motor skills. You simply give your child a glue bottle and have him make firework

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-17167803136316632342011-06-30T04:00:00.000-06:002011-06-30T04:00:03.253-06:00

J loves rainbows.  So of course, I’m going to capitalize on this interest to teach all that I can.  Using rainbows to teach colors is of course great.  We have rainbows drawn outside on our driveway every week during the summer.  Today it finally clicked that I could use rainbows to teach size, similar to the colorful stacking rings J has had since infancy.  I cut each band of the rainbow out of

Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15993473311992729999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-55362110561317658932011-06-29T01:00:00.001-06:002011-06-29T01:00:10.161-06:00

A little over a year ago when I was reading The Read Aloud Handbook, Jim Trelease strongly recommended reading nursery rhymes to children, especially babies and toddlers. He listed a few nursery rhyme books he really liked at the moment, and Lucy Cousins' Book of Nursery Rhymes was one of them. I hopped on Amazon and ordered our copy. McKenna was around 18 months old when we got it. She is now

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-69791584919363976412011-06-27T01:00:00.002-06:002011-06-27T01:00:05.418-06:00

I first must praise my camera. That is an awesome picture. I love my camera. I am no photographer and look what my camera has produced. I also love sunny days that help my camera. Okay, so today we had our library craft day. This fun Hacky Sack ball was one of the crafts we made.  Age Range: This is great for children of all ages. As long as you trust your child with balloons and small seed-like

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-23808976559681775782011-06-23T04:33:00.002-06:002011-06-23T04:33:01.048-06:00

Started around 17 or 18 months, J and I read a Bible story and then pray together before starting our day.  A friend of mine had the best idea that I’ve adopted into our routine (thanks mamanickles!).  I made a prayer journal to help J through our prayers each day. It’s basically a notebook of pictures and names. It starts with the thankfulness page and then is divided into five categories (

Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15993473311992729999noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-3567609050558574452011-06-22T01:00:00.000-06:002011-06-22T01:00:01.300-06:00

This marks our second year as a blog during Independence Day, so we have only a few ideas from last year to share with you. American Flag Pattern Activity This activity works in colors, sensory, counting, patterns, shapes, and history all in one. Fourth of July Book, Craft, and Snack Books, craft, and a snack! Plenty to do! Star Sponge Painting Any time I get paint out, my children

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-8682128561753403672011-06-20T01:00:00.000-06:002011-06-20T01:00:05.794-06:00

Here are some great books for Independence Day! ABC of America by Kim BellefontaineFun for the younger readers who are just learning their ABCs. How to Bake An American Pie by Karma WilsonI love, love, love this one. I am someone who very much loves my country and very much loves the history of it. This book pays great tribute to the founders of this country as well as the immigrants

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-13642219439317099522011-06-17T01:00:00.000-06:002011-06-17T01:00:00.273-06:00

I often do book lists of fun books for holidays, but there are many, many books out there that are absolutely fabulous that have nothing to do with a holiday. So I thought I would share some every so often. Today's book is a very special find. My toddler and I were in the library together one May day and came across it accidentally. Each library trip, I go through every single book in a section

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-16548459505411001952011-06-16T04:22:00.002-06:002011-06-16T04:22:02.496-06:00

This is the perfect “painting” activity for little ones since it involves very little mess.  I drew some pictures on a paper towel with a washable marker (“A” and an apple, since we were working on the letter A). I gave J some paintbrushes and a cup with a TINY amount of water. As he paints the paper towel, he can watch the marker spread. J really liked this craft and it was simple to clean up!

Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15993473311992729999noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-13136006098581592822011-06-15T01:00:00.000-06:002011-06-15T01:00:00.236-06:00

I just got sucked into a time warp of the Internet looking at Father's Day ideas. I have a long, long list of ideas to do for our Father's learning week, but our Father's learning week is happening while you all want to be doing Father's Day things, too, so I thought I would bring you some great ideas from the Internet. Here are some of my favorites: Monogram Painted Hammer This is something I

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-61312979653143417152011-06-14T00:00:00.001-06:002011-06-14T00:00:04.694-06:00

It's as easy as it looks. Once you've reviewed/taught a letter sound, start with pictures and have them sort them into the two beginning sounds. Don't have picture cards? Use SenTeacher.That site is AMAZING. Type whatever word you want, and it'll let you choose a picture, then provide a print out in card form. No need to develop your own format. Love it!

Raeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07028895351558409317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-19895814473608647202011-06-13T01:00:00.000-06:002011-06-13T01:00:05.218-06:00

The other day I wanted to do a shape activity, but didn't want to take a lot of time to prep it. I came up with this. I simply took a piece of paper and drew several shapes on it. They aren't perfect (as you can see). Then I told my children to color the diamonds on the page. This picture is the one I did for my 6 year old. It was rather simple for him. I did fewer shapes on the page for my 4

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-38366424517649481312011-06-10T00:00:00.001-06:002011-06-10T00:00:06.013-06:00

Ever wonder what to do with all of those broken pieces of crayon that pile up? Make rainbow crayons! It's super easy, very quick, and fun to use to color. I let the girls choose their own combinations. We heated the oven to 300. They are done as soon as the wax melts (about 5 minutes). If you continue to let them "cook", they will blend into one color. So if you want to keep the rainbow effect,

Raeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07028895351558409317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-2474449766960891822011-06-09T05:18:00.002-06:002011-06-09T05:18:00.461-06:00

I made these texture cards to entertain J on plane trips starting around 10 months old.  I reserved them for those special trips so that they would keep their novelty.  J loved them.  The cards are made of cardstock.  They have survived fairly well, though there have been a few that have found their home in the trash. Still they have served their purpose well.  You could also use thick cardboard

Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15993473311992729999noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-75682750272853775102011-06-08T01:00:00.000-06:002011-06-08T01:00:01.505-06:00

Here are some fun books about Fathers! Day Out With Daddy by Stephen Cook This is a favorite of our children. This is all about a fun day out with Dad and the crazy things that can happen :) Daddies are for Catching Fireflies by Harriet Ziefert This book isn't just about dads, but moms and dads roles. The roles in this book are traditional, with mom home greeting children from school and

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-77390331704924705522011-06-06T01:00:00.000-06:002011-06-06T01:00:01.627-06:00

It is summer around here (or at least getting there). This is a fun activity for the sun that Brayden did in Kindergarten this year. It is a sun made from different cut pieces of paper. The pices are cut in various shapes: trapezoids, triangles, rectangles, diamonds, etc. That puts this activity covering fine motor skills, color skills, shapes, and gluing skills. SuppliesPaper to glue yellow

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-24990911651265607492011-06-02T05:03:00.003-06:002011-06-02T05:03:00.328-06:00

I made these board books for J when he was 12 or 13 months old. It was SO easy to accomplish and well worth it.  J has always loved them.  I think these would be great from infancy on.  Just keep your little one’s slobber away since the ink will bleed… or better yet, seal the pages beforehand. I bought a board book kit from Amazon; I’m pretty sure this is the link. The kit included the books,

Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15993473311992729999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7472741169054216454.post-9563999720142037792011-06-01T01:00:00.000-06:002011-06-01T01:00:02.261-06:00

photo taken by Serra I'll be honest. As summer approached and I was faced with my first child spending "the summer off" of school, I panicked a bit. As a child, I worried about losing my edge over the summer (and I was on year-round school, so I had 4 weeks off for summer), so you bet I worry as a mom. So I sat down at my computer armed with my research face, my books, and my notebook. As I

Plowmanatorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14171277174254238573noreply@blogger.com1