Thursday's Thing to Do: Going on a Trip & an FYI

I used to play this game as a kid and totally forgot about it. 

Thanks Melissa for the idea!!!

We go wood cutting every saturday for anywhere from 5-7 hours. Well, while my husband is cutting the wood we try to stay entertained away from the danger. So I have had to get creative. This last week we played "I'm going on a trip and I am taking..." You start with A and go all the way to Z. Each person adds one item to the list, and says all the ones that have gone before. We got pretty creative. It was the perfect boredom buster! And it is SOOO Good for your Memory!

The FYI:
For those of you who are following (and have emailed me to see if I'm okay) ....I haven't posted for a while because life has changed a bit.  I use to get several posts ready each morning before my son woke up.  However, I am now sleeping until he wakes up because I'm pregnant and exhausted.  Yes, pregnant....those of you who are jumping up and down out of shock and excitement and know what a miracle this is for us...thank you!  We're very excited!!!  I'm feeling wonderfully sick and everything seems to be going fabulously well.  Our little one is due May 22nd.  Our four year old is ecstatic to have a baby in the house and every night hugs my tummy and says "Goodnight Baby".  It's adorable.  So, with that in mind, I'll still post, but it won't be quite as regular for now.  Your suggestions, questions, and ideas are always welcome so keep them coming!!!  I love hearing from you!

Friday's Favorite: FREE- National Geographic Kids

My brother gave my son the coolest Christmas gift a few years ago (and keeps giving it each year)....National Geographic Kids Magazine.  He gets several issues a year full of amazing information about animals, kids in other parts of the world, and it always has an idea for a mini-experiment.  I'm glad my brother always gifts it to my son, because I'm a penny pincher and don't know if I'd buy it myself.  However, there is also a fabulous website full of all kinds of interesting things to learn, activities to do, and all kinds of wonderful things you're sure to love.  There's cool stuff on this site that will interest toddlers up to older kids (and even us kids in older bodies).  If you're not up for buying the subscription, or even if you are, the website is a great FREE way to learn more about the world around us. 

Hope you like it!
Here's the link:  National Geographic Kids

fyi: I've added the link to my sidebar under Fun and Helpful Places to Go

Thursday's Thing to Do: Paper Plate Tambourine

can you tell it's well loved?

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
- 2 paper plates for each tambourine
- Stapler and Staples
- Dry rice, beans, or macaroni, etc.
- Things to decorate (crayons, stickers, or any other fun crafty things you have around the house)

HOW TO MAKE IT:
1.  Lay one plate on the table, put in about 1/8 cup of dry rice, beans, or whatever else you think would sound awesome when shaking it.
2.  Lay other paper plate on top (so the middle area is hollow) and staple around the edges to hold it all together.
3.  Let kids decorate as they please. (if using glue, make sure it's dry before playing with it.)
4.  Play music, make up songs, turn on the radio and dance and play the tambourines...just have fun and be creative!!!

***Note: I use paper plates instead of plastic, because the plastic ones sometimes have sharp edges and could cut little hands.

Wednesday's Word:

"I suggest that you … humbly ask the Lord what he would have you do and why you are uniquely suited to serve. Ask yourself questions like these: ‘What can I contribute?’ ‘Why was I chosen to be the mother of these children?’ ‘What can I do to strengthen the sisters in my ward?’ and so forth. We each have purpose and reason for being. Every sister has a thread to weave in the tapestry of time. Discover your thread and begin to weave”

~Mary Ellen W. Smoot

Tuesday's Tidbit: Wooden Blocks

The BEST developmentally diverse toy for children is a classic:

WOODEN ALPHABET BLOCKS

Seriously!  They don't need batteries, or have plastic parts that break, and kids will be entertained for an eternity.  As you're getting ready for Christmas, I'd HIGHLY suggest putting this $15.99 (give or take a few dollars depending on the store) toy on your list.

You may think they're boring compared to a Leap Frog computer, or Buzz Lightyear talking action figure...but kids won't. 

So, what can you do with alphabet blocks?  Here area few ideas:

- Teach a child how to spell their name, recognize letters and numbers, do addition, or simple subtraction

- Identify the pictures of items on the blocks

- Build castles, homes, cars, anything and everything

- Learn colors

- An individual block can end up being Buzz Lightyear, Cinderella, the grandma next door, a dog, a flower, dinner food to use with the little kitchen they have...anything! 

What kinds of development are these good for?

- Pediatricians will ask you if your child can stack items, and how many high.  That's because it's a key milestone in fine motor skill development.  Wooden blocks are ideal for learning this skill.  At first stacking one on top of the other is good.  By the time your child is in pre-school...watch out for tall towers around your home!

- Imaginative play

- Spacial and Dimentional development...being able to recognize dimentions from different angles.  These are important skills for many jobs such as architecture, software design, and even in art classes.

-  The list is nearly countless as you play with your child in recognizing letters, numbers, etc.

As you're shopping for toys this Christmas pay attention to Classic Toys.  Not just the ones that are back for a 20 year anniversary edition, but the ones that never left.  They never left because they are the toys kids love, and the interest in them doesn't wear out after Christmas Day.  And interestingly, they are almost always great for development as well. 

Happy Shopping!

Monday's MOMents

* (They announced that our plane was being flown by Pilot "someone")
Camille: "Our plane is being flown by a pirate?" (with a look of utter shock and fear)

* Maddie: "No one knows everything except for me and Jesus."

~ Janelle, mother of three

(Thanks Janelle for so many funny and sweet sayings you're letting me use.  Reading your blog always brightens my day!!!)