Busy Lil' Hands

I have MOVED

2012-03-11T00:02:00.001-05:00

Busy Lil Hands has actually rejoined Huppie Mama at a new site -- now that I bought my domain!

Please visit me at http://huppiemama.com

Thanks!! :-)

Best Friends Forever

2012-02-24T23:38:00.000-05:00

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.
Build-A-Bear Workshop will celebrate two major milestones this year. First, it is their 15th birthday ~ the first store opened in St. Louis on October 27, 1997. Second, they will be celebrating the sale of their 100 millionth furry friend. Congrats to Build-A-Bear!

Build-A-Bear is all about building friendships. Can't you tell? Lydia loves her Bears!

When Lydia was about a year old, I started thinking a lot about making her a best friend...because my parents made my best friend, my younger sister Jamie. We've gone through so much together, but regardless of what has happened or will happen, we know we always have each other. We come from a very small family - our parents are both only children, so we didn't have cousins to play with or big holiday celebrations. We went through so many friends over the years, relationships that didn't work out, conflicts with each other, our parents, and everything else best friends and sisters can get into. We know how to make each other laugh, cry together, and smile again. We try to always be there to enjoy the good times and support each other through the tough times.

I guess the best way to show our bond is through pictures...and reminding her daily....
Jamie, I love you. Thank you for being my best friend forever.

*By publishing this post, I was entered to win a gift card as part of a promotional offer from MomSelect and Build-A-Bear Workshop. All opinions expressed are my own.

Make-it-Yourself Felt Board

2012-02-21T10:37:00.003-05:00

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.
Have you ever looked at your craft supplies and gone...Duh! Why didn't I ever think to make that before? Yeah, that was me this morning. I have this cool die cut maker, I have a ton of felt, I have lots of cardboard, and I have a daughter who loves to mix and match different hair colors and outfits with the paper people I made using my die cut maker...um, why haven't I made her a felt board??

Make-It-Yourself Felt Board

Materials:

Piece of cardboard

Hot glue gun or craft glue

People die cuts (you could hand cut this, but that may be a bit challenging with felt)

Creativity

Scissors

Directions:

1. Cut the cardboard to the desired shape/size. Mine is about a 12" square.

2. Glue the background color(s) to the cardboard by gluing along the seam and wrapping it around the back. Glue along the edges to secure.

3. Cut various people, clothing, and scenery pieces out of felt. You can switch out pieces for each theme. I was thinking it would be really cool to make an alien scene by cutting people out of green and blue felt. A Halloween scene with different costumes and pumpkins would be so much fun, too!

4. Endless play!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Busy Hands on My Couch

2012-02-15T12:10:00.000-05:00

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.
This is my couch :-(

Valentine Play Date

2012-02-11T15:43:00.001-05:00

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.
Inspired by Pinterest, Lydia had an awesome Valentine's Day play date with her friend Brandon.

Here's our party agenda!

I prepared a heart-shaped fruit salad.

First Lydia & Brandon made chocolate marshmallow pops.

Then they made heart-shaped pizzas.

Next they made valentine cookies.

They each decorated one card for each other and one card for their daddies.

They ended the play date with a gift exchange and hug.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Messy Beer Bread Baking!

2012-02-08T10:46:00.002-05:00

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.

Counting Board

2012-02-07T07:02:00.001-05:00

by Carrie Wells
"Happy children learn best" - Dr. James Partington.

Discovering what motivates a child and really tapping into that is a great way to get children interested in learning! I wanted to find some way to combine Lydia's interest in cats with Lydia's interest in numbers, so I designed this counting activity:

I used the little envelopes that library cards go into, and I glued them to a large piece of posterboard. I printed large numbers and placed them on the front of each. Then I found all different cats, I printed the designated number of cats, and attached them to equal-sized pieces of black paper. Lydia can count the number of cats on each paper and place into the corresponding envelope. This activity targets rote counting, random counting, number recognition, colors, and following directions. If she cannot match the number of cats to the correct number, I will tell her "That goes in the orange envelope in the top row." Once you have the board itself made, you can switch out the cards based on theme.

Eye-2-Eye

2012-02-06T12:55:00.001-05:00

by Carrie Wells
I decided Lydia & I would make Valentine's Day robots today. I had in mind what I wanted Lydia's robot to look like, but I also wanted to give Lydia the freedom to design her own robot. So I cut out a whole bunch of pieces to build "my" robot, gave them to her with a blank sheet of paper, and allowed her to glue them together as she wished. Here's Lydia's Valentine's Day robot:

Wow, that was not at all what I had in mind! Lydia used the pink piece like a hat and the rectangle as a face. She turned the smile upside-down and made the arms, legs, hands, and feet look all crazy. Here's what I had in mind when I cut the pieces out:

So, the simple lesson learned is that it's great to let your children be creative. We shouldn't set boundaries regarding art and creativity ~ Let them use their imaginations!

But then I thought some more and realized that there is a much greater lesson here. I told Lydia we were making robots. In Lydia's mind, what she created was a robot. I was inclined to tell her where to place each piece to make a "real robot" (according to my definition), but I stopped myself. I was reminded that everything in life is about perspective. From Lydia's perspective, she made a robot. From my perspective, I made a robot. Our robots look very different, but we are calling these works of art the same thing: robots.

I'm sure as she grows and matures, we'll encounter this same situation many times - where my idea of a clean bedroom is different from her idea. My idea of a good birthday gift is different from her idea. My idea of staying out late is different from her idea. My idea of a good college major is different from her idea. But she's her own person with her own ideas...and even when I disagree, I hope I can remember our robots and smile...and find some way to place our ideas alongside one another.

February Specials at Gallery Direct

2012-02-03T13:09:00.001-05:00

As a Gallery Direct Ambassador, I have some great specials to share with my readers!

Gallery Direct is offering 50% off photo uploads on gallery wrap canvas the month of February. These make great Valentine's Day gifts for the loved ones in your lives. Here are a few ideas of photos that I thought would look beautiful on canvas as Valentine's Day gifts:

Also, here's a promotional code to use for 50% off the entire site until Valentine's Day (2/14): Love50

Lydia's New Pen Pal

2012-02-03T07:36:00.002-05:00

As a young child, I was fortunate to live in a neighborhood with lots of children around my age. We used to have so much fun playing outside, going over each others' homes, going swimming together...lots and lots of imaginative play. We were a creative bunch, so we'd play house, do crafts, play school, and find ways to transform anything into a fun game. Slowly, over the years, my friends moved away. Several of us stayed in touch, but one family in particular moved away when I was in 7th grade. They had two children, a son my age (Jonathan) and a daughter my sister's age (Jennifer). My sister kept in touch better than I did, and even met up with Jennifer once years later. Through the magic of Facebook, we were able to re-connect a few years ago. What's awesome is that our old friend Jennifer has a son the same age as Lydia! Jennifer is a SAHM, and she is into cooking, crafting, cloth diapering, breastfeeding...all the things I am into. She also just gave birth to a baby girl who is close in age to Bryce.

So one day I was thinking about both the benefits and downfalls to all of this technology that allows us to stay in touch with old friends...and one thing we miss out on is having real pen pals. So I though...why not start a pen pal relationship with Lydia and Jennifer's son Jack? I explained the idea to Lydia and showed her pictures of Jack. She was excited to have a pen pal (to the best of her understanding). I presented the idea to Jennifer, and she loved it, too. So exciting!

Lydia is making a book about herself for Jack

Lydia proudly displays her book

Lydia walking to the mailbox

We placed our letter in the mailbox.

And Lydia got a cool dinosaur card from Jack!

Jennifer told me that Jack loved his book from Lydia, and Lydia loved her card with extra stickers from Jack! I'm super-excited to exchange valentines. Lydia has been working on a few things to send in the mail soon. Can't wait to get our next letter.

Creative Freedom

2012-02-02T06:47:00.004-05:00

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.
I thought I would kick off February with a simple but fun painting project with Lydia. I gave her a piece of pink construction paper, I took plates and filled them with pink and red paint, and I grabbed a bunch of different kitchen tools (including a potato masher, meat mallet, flower cookie cutter, heart cookie cutter, and whisk). It began innocently.

I quickly realized this was going to get messy, so I removed Lydia's dress.

This is her using the cookie cutters in the red and pink paint.

Painting with the potato masher. Still not too messy.

How the heck did that happen all of a sudden??

It gets worse...

Well, here's the final product. It's definitely unique and not at all what I was expecting.

Um, yeah...this looks like something out of a horror movie...only she's still sitting upright.

I never wanted to be one of those parents who limited their children's creativity because I didn't want to clean up a mess. I guess this really proved that. That's what I call creative freedom, toddler-style!

Guidecraft Educator Review #7 ~ Flower Match Garden Patch & Animal Train Sort and Match

2012-02-01T21:42:00.000-05:00

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.
This month, the Guidecraft Educators are reviewing some great manipulatives for preschool-age children: Flower Match Garden Patch and Animal Train Sort and Match.

To use these sets, you place a magnetic board vertically in a slot in the wooden box. Then, you choose a card to copy by placing small plastic pieces on the board. The great thing about these sets (as with many of the Guidecraft toys) is that you can follow the directions OR be creative. Lydia is now 2 1/2 years old. I tried to demonstrate how to follow the picture card to make identical flowers, but this was pretty challenging for her to complete independently. Instead, I allowed her to play freely and make her own rules. Lydia loved combining different pieces to make all different types of flowers.

Lydia creating her own flowers.

Here are some other ways these sets can be used:

~Sort the different pieces by color in color-coded bowls.

~Sort the pieces by shape.

~Use the pieces as stencils to trace your own flowers or animals.

~Lay the pieces directly on top of the cards on a flat surface (instead of creating them vertically on the peg board).

~Place the pieces under paper and do crayon rubbings.

Both of these sets would be great for children with fine motor delays or for occupational therapists to work with their clients on visual performance and object manipulation. They would also be great in a manipulative center in a preschool or kindergarten classroom.

BUY IT! You can purchase the Flower Match Garden Patch (RV $40) & Animal Train Sort and Match (RV $45).

WIN IT! What's great about this Guidecraft Educator group is that each month, one of us will be hosting a giveaway of the product that we have all reviewed. Visit Mommy Moment for a chance to win a Flower Match Garden Patch & Animal Train Sort and Match for a special child in your life. This contest is open to the US and Canada.

* I received the aforementioned product for free to review. The opinions expressed are honest and provided without monetary compensation.

Whole Wheat Play Dough Valentine Cookies

2012-02-01T07:45:00.001-05:00

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.

Whole Wheat Play Dough

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 T oil

1/2 cup salt

1 c water

gel food coloring (in your favorite colors)

I did not set out to make a "healthier" play dough. I just happened to be running low on regular flour, so I decided to try using whole wheat flour. We began by measuring and pouring all the ingredients in a pot on the stove set to a low temperature.

I let Lydia sit on the counter to help mix the play dough. If the mixture seems a bit sticky after combining everything well, just add a bit more flour until you get the right consistency.

Allow the play dough to cool to room temperature. I let Lydia choose the colors, and we made four different shades of play dough. I learned afterwards that it may have been easier to combine the food coloring with the water and then mixed it all together, but when you add the food coloring later on, you can work on hand-strengthening activities.

When we use play dough from a can, I do not allow Lydia to mix all the colors together. The great thing about homemade play dough is that kids can combine all the different colors, and then you can just dispose of it after. To celebrate Valentine's Day, Lydia used different heart-shaped cookie cutters to make Valentine's Day "cookies."

Wordless Wednesday ~ Shaving Cream Bath Paint

2012-01-25T09:45:00.000-05:00

Recycled Swirl Crayons

2012-01-24T09:17:00.000-05:00

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.

Gather together all your broken old crayons to make this awesome project!

Materials:

Old broken crayons
Silicone muffin or candy pan
Cookie sheet

Sift through all your crayons to find the broken ones.

Peel the paper off the crayons.

Break the crayons into small pieces.

The peeling of the paper and braking of the crayons are both great fine motor exercises.

You may need to cut the crayons to get really small pieces.

We sorted our crayon pieces to make a Valentine's Day crayon and a St. Patrick's Day crayon. We filled each muffin cup about half way.

Place the silicon muffin pan on a cookie sheet. Bake at 230 degrees for about 15 - 20 minutes, or until the crayons are completely melted. Here's what they looked like when we took them out of the oven.

We let the crayons cool for about an hour and removed them from the tray. Here are our awesome recycled swirl crayons, perfect for the upcoming holidays!

Gallery Direct Review #2 & Special Offer for You!

2012-01-06T16:06:00.001-05:00

The wonderful team at Gallery Direct invited me to be a part of their ambassador program ~ I was very flattered and definitely interested! They are currently offering a great special ~ get 75% off beautiful wrap-around canvas prints through 2/1/2012 with coupon code: photo75. I submitted this photo of me and Bryce. I think the contrast between the white and the bold colors will look beautiful printed on canvas.

Monday, January 9th at 10 PM est, @GalleryDirect is hosting a twitter party, using hashtag #GalleryDirect. Six lucky winners will win a free photo canvas print valued up to $200. For more information, visit Thrifty & Chic Mom.

To learn more about Gallery Direct, you can visit their website, "like" them on Facebook, or follow on twitter.

Follow-up: Here is my beautiful canvas print, which now hangs above our sofa in the family room. I absolutely love it! The colors are so bold, yet the print itself has a nice softness to it. I received the "medium" print, which is a great size for a featured piece of artwork. This really makes a beautiful gift -- and with such wonderful customer service and speedy delivery, you can submit a picture and receive your print in the mail within 10 days.

* I received the aforementioned product for free to review. The opinions expressed are honest and provided without monetary compensation.

Guidecraft Educator Review #6 ~ Multi Match Sensory Discs & Balance Base

2011-12-29T19:45:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year! What a great way to start the year - with a review of some awesome Guidecraft products. This month's products are Multi Match Sensory Discs & Balance Base.

I gave Lydia (age 2) the box of Multi Match Sensory Discs so we could play with them together This set of discs comes with an activity guide with great ideas, but we decided instead to make up our own games.

First, we counted the shapes on the large discs and lined them all up in order.

Next, we worked on one-to-one correspondence. This is a really great skill to target when working with 2 to 3-year old children. We placed one object on each shape on each disc. The objects were small animal and people toys.

We then cleaned up the small objects and worked on number identification. We placed the correct number of discs on each disc. For example, we placed three small number 3 discs on the big disc with three triangles. The only problem with this activity was that there are only four small discs of each number/color, so we had to leave one empty spot when we got to number five.

Then, we talked about the colors, shapes, and sizes. Lydia enjoyed telling me which discs were big and which were small. We matched the small discs to the large discs according to shape.

We played lots of other games with the discs, too! Lydia and I built a tower, and of course she knocked it down.

She counted each disc as she walked across them.

And we even worked on patterns.

I gave the Balance Base to my nephews (ages 5 and 7), and they came up with some great active play ideas, too! They experimented with standing on both sides of the base. They played with it barefoot, with shoes, in the house on tile, on a rug, and in the garage. They tried kicking a ball while standing on it, playing catch with one ball, and playing catch with two balls. They actually carried it around the house all night New Year's Eve. Clearly, this was a hit! They both play on youth soccer teams - this Balance Base seems like a good way to work on some of the skills necessary to play soccer well.

Both the Multi Match Sensory Discs and Balance Base would be great for pre-k and elementary school physical education programs, for children who are typically-developing and children with special needs.

BUY IT! You can purchase the Multi Match Sensory Discs (RV $70) and Balance Base (RV $60)

WIN IT! What's great about this Guidecraft Educator group is that each month, one of us will be hosting a giveaway of the product that we have all reviewed. Visit Mamanista! for a chance to win a set of Multi Match Sensory Discs & Balance Base for a special child in your life. This contest is open to the US and Canada.

* I received the aforementioned product for free to review. The opinions expressed are honest and provided without monetary compensation.

Holiday Cookie Party!

2011-12-28T16:48:00.001-05:00

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.

This holiday was a very special one. My husband is one of 6 children - he's the baby. He grew up with his half-brother Scott (who is 8 years older), but he also has 4 other siblings: Bryan, John, Paul, & Tena. Due to circumstances that don't make a whole lot of sense to me, Richard never saw much of his other siblings. We met up with some of them a few times over the years, but nothing ever came of these meet-ups...until recently. Richard's dad, who lives in the Bahamas, came to visit. He asked us to hang out with some of the siblings, and we did. We learned that Lydia and Bryce have four awesome cousins, Aryssa, Luke, Kyle, & Alana - who is two just like Lydia! They welcomed us into their homes for Christmas last weekend and New Years this weekend. I decided to begin a new tradition - I invited them over for a holiday cookie party!

We made Chocolate-Gingerbread cookies and Sugar cookies. We decorated them with sprinkles, M & M's, homemade buttercream frosting and colored icing, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and small candy stars.

Lydia and her Aunt Tena making a chocolate gingerbread Mickey Mouse.

Aunt Tena making a swirled Mickey Mouse.

Luke decorating a gingerbread house.

Aryssa decorating a gingerbread man.

This was quickly eaten!

Tena, Alana, and Adam decorating cookies together.

Cousins Luke & Kyle decorating a Jewish star.

Aryssa made this HUGE cookie! It was two layers of cookie and at least 6 inches long!

I decorated two cookies, too. Yum!

Bryce's Holiday List

2011-12-13T14:50:00.002-05:00

I am very fortunate to have learned about all of the giveaways and opportunities available through twitter, blogging, and Facebook, as they have funded a majority of my children's holiday gifts. Here are Bryce's holiday gifts (a few are on wish lists for family members, so we are hoping to get them!):

Each child gets one big gift.

This is Bryce's big gift: KidKraft ~ Push Along Play Cart

K's Kids ~ Pull Back Autos

Alex ~ Rub-a-Dub Dirty Dogs

Green Toys ~ Dump Truck

Fisher Price ~ Laugh & Learn Dance & Play Puppy

Leap Frog ~ My Pal Scout

Tiny Love ~ Follow Me Domino

Yookidoo ~Pirate and Pal Play Set

Little Tikes ~ 2-in-1 Snug n' Secure Swing

And some stocking stuffers:

Kids Preferred ~ Flat Blanky, Pat the Bunny

Skip Hop ~ Squeak and Rattle Funny Face Mirror

Munchkin ~ Disco Tub Lights

ImagiPLAY ~ Hedgehog Rattle

I think that's everything! I truly hope he loves all of his holiday gifts. I will probably hide a couple and open them over time when he seems developmentally ready for them. These are all first year gifts, but many of them require him to be 6+ months (some 9 - 12 months).

Lydia's Holiday List

2011-12-13T13:56:00.000-05:00

I am very fortunate to have learned about all of the giveaways and opportunities available through twitter, blogging, and Facebook, as they have funded a majority of my children's holiday gifts. Here are Lydia's holiday gifts (a few are on wish lists for family members, so we are hoping to get them!):

Each child gets one big gift.

Lydia's big gift: Disney ~ Sing and Storytelling Belle

Alex ~ My Giant Busy Box

Alex ~ Balancing Baker

Fisher-Price ~ Disney's Jet Pack Mickey

Best Pals ~ Isabelle 16" Ragdoll

Fisher-Price ~ Kid Tough Digital Camera

Munchkin ~ Dora the Explorer Bath Squirters

Crayola ~ Pipsqueaks Washable Glitter Glue

Mattel ~ Monster High Frankie Stein & Whatzit Plush

Lydia got a lot of great toys from Melissa & Doug.

Deluxe Wooden Lacing Beads

Make-a-Face Sticker Pad

Dry-Erase Markers

Handle Stampers - Favorite Pets

Deluxe Wooden Town Blocks Set

Snowman Stacker

I feel very lucky to have so many amazing gifts to give to my children. I hope Lydia loves them all. We'll have to go through some of our older toys and donate them to children in need. Gotta pay it forward!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Lydia's Owl Ornament

2011-12-07T17:08:00.001-05:00

My 1st Mommy Party ~ Winnie the Pooh & Oral-B Stages

2011-11-28T22:21:00.001-05:00

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.
I was so excited to host the Oral-B Stages MommyParties event at my house! We scheduled it for Monday, November 28th from 6 - 8 pm. It was a pajama party, so the children came dressed in their PJs with their blankets. I got all of the bags organized the day before. Each bag contained an Oral-B toothbrush (either Stage I or Stage II depending upon the child's age), a tube of Oral-B toothpaste featuring Disney characters, Disney baby wash, coupons, a fact sheet, and a balloon!

We had a total of 8 children attend. The party began with introductions, as not everyone knew each other. We sat around in a circle with the kids and talked about the flash cards we were given. Most of the children were able to identify toothbrush, toothpaste, and apple, but none of the children knew "dentist" so we talked about the role of a dentist. The mommies all discussed how they get their children to brush their teeth. Some children love to brush their teeth while others require some sort of incentive.

After our discussion, each child was given a container of popcorn and they sat on the couch to watch the Winnie the Pooh movie together.

When the Winnie the Pooh movie ended, we passed out the goodie bags. The children really enjoyed receiving "presents."

The children ended the party by hugging one another and saying "Goodnight!" Everyone had a blast! This was a great way to get the children to socialize with one another while the mommies watched them and chatted. The night ended with everyone ready to brush their teeth and go to bed!

If you would like to learn more about MommyParties, please visit their Facebook page.

You can learn more about Oral-B on Facebook and twitter.

*I was chosen by MomSelect and Oral-B to host this party. I received free products to keep and to distribute to my guests. All opinions expressed are honest and provided without monetary compensation.

As the carols began playing at the mall...

2011-11-28T09:05:00.001-05:00

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.
We decided it was holiday time in our home! One of the first things I do at the start of each month is switch out the books in our bookcase so that they match the new theme.

Then I placed new holiday items in our Discovery Bin. Lydia really loved the small cat dressed as a reindeer that plays music.

Then we made a handprint Christmas tree. This project really got Lydia using a lot of language. She described each pom pom we placed on the tree by telling me the color and size (little/big).

We were supposed to get a tree this weekend, but we got caught up doing other things, so we'll definitely have to get it one day this week. I'm excited to put up all of the decorations...and make some new ones!

Melissa & Doug Cyber Monday Giveaways!

2011-11-27T20:40:00.001-05:00

Cyber Monday is Giveaway Monday on Melissa & Doug's Facebook Fan Page!

“LIKE” us on Facebook to be eligible to win! Answer the active giveaway’s question, to enter that giveaway. At least one random entrant will be chosen to win each giveaway.

JOIN US BEGINNING at 8am EST for the FIRST GIVEAWAY…OUR TRAIN TABLE!

We’ll be giving away terrific educational toys from 8am EST, right up until midnight!

Check out Melissa & Doug's Terrific Twenty Holiday Toys to see some of the great prizes we’ll be giving away!

Giveaway event ends midnight EST 11/28/11.

Guidecraft Educator GIVEAWAY ~ Three Sets of Blocks

2011-11-25T13:32:00.001-05:00

I am so excited to be hosting this awesome giveaway just in time for Christmas! This giveaway is for three different sets of beautifully-colored wooden blocks:

Sand Blocks (RV $32) Rainbow Blocks (RV $25) Crystal Bead Blocks (RV $32)

The blocks come in a variety of shapes and colors. They can be used together as they are all about the same size. We often divide toys into "girl toys" and "boy toys," but classic building blocks are perfect for boys and girls! Blocks are great for preschool classroom use and home use. Playing with these Guidecraft blocks allows your children to explore their creativity while working on critical fine motor skills. Children can create different patterns. They could collaborate to build a structure together or play independently. Block play also allows children to incorporate lots of other toys. Blocks can be a farm for small animal figures, a castle for princess dolls, or a fort for soldiers. Young children begin to understand cause and effect relationships as they build different structures and knock them down. All three sets of blocks are durable and can easily be stored in a large lidded container for easy clean up.

Lydia loves to build structures and knock them down!

Lydia built a house.

She added different people & animals.

She loved knocking that one down...

...and starting all over!

But Lydia's favorite thing to do is use the rainbow blocks
as colored glasses!

BUY IT! You can purchase your own set of Guidecraft Blocks for your home or classroom. Guidecraft also sells mirrored blocks and shimmering water blocks.

WIN IT! What's great about this Guidecraft Educator group is that each month, one of us will be hosting the giveaway of a product that we have all reviewed. I am hosting the giveaway this month. Just look at how you can quickly enter below! (This contest is open to the US and Canada.)

* I received the aforementioned product for free to review. The opinions expressed are honest and provided without monetary compensation.

Wordless Wednesday - Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T11:05:00.001-05:00

Hartstrings 20% off Black Friday Sale

2011-11-17T15:10:00.001-05:00

Harstrings is having a great Black Friday sale ~ 20% off everything on the website (even sale items!) Harstrings makes beautiful boys' and girls' clothing in infant, toddler, and children sizes.

Here are some of my favorite items:

To learn more about the Black Friday sale and to view all of their amazing clothes, CLICK HERE!

Gallery Direct Review

2011-11-17T09:17:00.000-05:00

I joined a recent twitter party, and the topic of conversation was Extreme Makeover - Home Edition. The episode was about a family who had children with autism. The makeover team did a great job creating a sensory room, bedrooms, and outdoor play area to accommodate the children's needs. During the party, Gallery Direct gave out several $100 prizes, and I was fortunate enough to be a recipient. The $100 prize was a credit to their website to purchase anything I wanted...but what did I want?

I decided to go with wall art for Bryce's room since he had one completely blank wall. There were lots of works of art to choose from - classic to modern, pop art to impressionism. Something for everyone! I wanted to stick with the outer space theme, so I chose Van Gogh's Starry Night. The bold colors are perfect for a child's room. They have several options to choose from in terms of materials to print on - canvas, wood, paper, mirror, acrylic, and aluminum. For something different and to capture a cool space look, I decided to get an image printed on aluminum. The great thing about this website is that although they may seem a bit high-end at first, they have so many great sales. I just happened to purchase my print on a day that they had 33% off and free shipping. Great deal! Our artwork was quickly printed and shipped within just days.

We hung it on the wall yesterday, and it looks beautiful against the bright blue wall color. What a great addition to Bryce's outer space room!

To learn more about Gallery Direct, you can visit their website or follow on twitter.

Imagine Toys Review #2 ~ a to z Magnatab

2011-11-16T19:44:00.004-05:00

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.
I'm so excited to be doing another review for Imagine Toys, an awesome website that features amazing pretend play, arts & crafts, and educational toys for children of all ages. This time, I was sent the a to z Magnatab.

This learning toy comes in uppercase and lowercase letters. We were sent the lowercase letter Magnatab. This is a very unique toy. It comes with a stylus that has a magnetic tip and a board that is about the size of a sheet of paper. As you can see, the board contains all the letters of the alphabet written in light blue with arrows along the letters to show children how the letters should be formed. Each letter has small holes with magnetic balls inside. When you use the stylus to trace the letters, the small balls pop into each hole with a light clicking movement/sound.

The best feature of this product is that it provides a great tactile cue to your child, indicating that he/she is forming the letter correctly. If you go outside the "magnetic zone" and mis-form the letters, you do not hear or feel that click of the magnet going into the small hole.

This product is recommended for children age 3+. Whether the Magnatab is used at home or at school, children ages 2 to 5 should be able to use it correctly with adult modeling and guidance. When I initially gave it to my daughter without any instructions, she just wanted to "scribble" with the stylus to hear the clicking sound and to feel the small magnets moving around.

Once I showed her what to do, she tried to hold the stylus correctly and guide it over the letters. She is very interested in letters and numbers recently, so this is a fun way to motivate her to learn more. This shows us writing together hand-over-hand.

BUY IT! Interested in purchasing an a to z Magnatab for your child? It's just $24.99 at Imagine Toys! Imagine Toys offers many other awesome learning toys, like the Super Sorting Pie for $27.95 and Telly the Teaching Time Clock for $25.95.

You can also 'like' Imagine Toys on Facebook and 'follow' Imagine Toys on Twitter, where they host fun Twitter parties with great giveaways.

* I received the aforementioned product for free to review. The opinions expressed are honest and provided without monetary compensation.

Moderating my first Twitter Party hosted by Ruckus Media Group 11/17

2011-11-15T10:04:00.001-05:00

I am so excited to be moderating my first twitter party hosted by Ruckus Media Group this Thursday 11/17 at 9 pm EST. The topic for discussion is Screen Time and Our Kids. In order to participate in this party:

- Be sure to use hashtag #RuckusAppDivide

- Please follow the panel of moderators:

@huppiemama @momtdanielle @thechattymomma @davidbfox

- You might want to read this article before the party Screen Time Higher Than Ever for Children Study Finds”

- We will be having a giveaway every 10 minutes. We have great My Little Pony prizes all generously donated by our friends at Hasbro. The prizes are:

Pony Pals Playland – valued at $24 each (TWO)

Canterlot Castles – valued at $24.99 each

Friendship is Magic Gift Set – valued at $22 (TWO)

Pinkie Pie – Learns to Walk – valued at $26.99

For more information, click HERE.

In order to be in the running for these awesome My Little Pony prizes, RSVP HERE.

Hope to "see" you all there!

Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon When You Take the North "Poll"

2011-11-10T20:47:00.001-05:00

Melissa & Doug want you to tell them which of their educational toys you think is the best! Just click on the image below to place your vote in the North "Poll!" You'll get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon** to use at MelissaAndDoug.com just for voting!

Imitation - A True Building Block to Learning

2011-11-10T14:29:00.000-05:00

At Abi's Place, the nonprofit I co-direct, we work a lot on teaching the teachers and parents of our children the importance of imitation. Behaviorists believe learning is built upon imitation (although I'm sure people who subscribe to other theories may disagree). If children are able to imitate simple motor movements like clapping hands, raising arms, or stomping feet, they can learn more complex play activities, like Simon Says and Hopscotch. Eventually children are able to use their imaginations to create novel scenarios and activities.

Toddlers love being little mommies and daddies. They love watching what their parents do and imitating it. I often catch Lydia cooking in her kitchen like I do in the real kitchen or pretending to go grocery shopping. Since Bryce was born, she's really become a little mommy. She places her baby dolls in strollers and the baby swing. She wraps them in blankets and carries them around the house. Well, today she was playing independently in her room. I walked in there, and I found her on the floor, breastfeeding her baby doll. She looked surprised but happy to see me. I immediately grabbed my camera to film her. It was a beautiful bonding moment for us - It showed me that she watches what I do, tries to understand it, and is able to imitate it. It was very sweet!

Does this belong on the farm?

2011-11-08T09:31:00.002-05:00

I decided to get out a train set, play farm, and bin filled with all different animals and people this morning. Lydia and I sat down together, set up the train around the farm, and played "Which do not belong?" using the people and animals. I would show her an object and ask "Does this belong on the farm?" If it did belong on the farm, we placed it around the farm.

If it did not go on the farm, we placed it in the yellow bin.

She really seemed to enjoy this activity and was able to get a lot of them correct.

However, she was uncertain of a few.

But it was fun to help her figure them out! Others, like Dora and Strawberry Shortcake, I allowed her to choose where to place them.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Creative Lil' Hands

2011-11-02T08:36:00.001-04:00

Not sure what she was thinking, but this is what Lydia did with her puzzle yesterday. I thought it was pretty interesting how she took the pieces out, paired like colors, and placed the person/animals on the board with the feet all facing inward and their heads toward the pointed areas.

Tissue Paper Sensory Fun!

2011-11-01T13:50:00.001-04:00

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.
I tend to be a hoarder when it comes to gift bags and tissue paper. Each gift bag costs $2 or $3 and a pack of tissue paper is $2 or $3, so you can literally spend $5 just wrapping a gift (not to mention the cost of a store-bought greeting card - another $3+ each). This weekend, I could no longer deal with the mess in my garage, so I started by organizing all of my 'recycled' gift wrap. I found some bags that really weren't usable, and I sorted my tissue paper by useable and garbage.

So what do you repurpose tissue paper before throwing it out? Play with it, of course! We threw it all over the floor and let Lydia dive in.

She loved all of the different colors.

She liked crinkling it all up.

And then she balled up a blue and a green and put them in her stroller. She walked her "baby" around the house.

She's so imaginative!

Guidecraft Educator Review #4 ~ Little Lectern

2011-11-01T11:10:00.001-04:00

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.
This month, the Guidecraft Educators are reviewing the Little Lectern. Made of walnut-stained birch plywood, the lectern stands 40" tall, has a shelf inside to hold presentation items, and comes with a carpet-covered riser that can be stored inside the lectern. It is for ages 3+. With each review, I like to provide practical suggestions for home and school, and this product really asked me to 'think outside the box' because it is unlike any other product I have reviewed before!

When I was in elementary school, I participated in a public speaking program called Toastmasters. We had to learn to respond to different topics, to engage in debates and rebuttals, to summarize the information provided by both sides...but most of all, we had to learn to get in front of our peers and talk about something that may not be so familiar to us. This was not easy for me, especially since I was one of the smallest kids in my class and had some self-esteem issues. I remember we had to stand in front of the class at the end of a table. Everyone could see if my hands were shaking or my legs were 'antsy.' If I had this Little Lectern to stand behind, no one could tell that I was so nervous, which may have given me the confidence to be a better speaker!

So first and foremost, the best use of this product is for teaching children to be more confident public speakers. This would be really important to practice at home with children who have speech-language disorders since they often feel self-conscious of their performance in front of peers.

Beyond the most obvious use, I thought of a few others:

Schoolwide competitions ~ This would be a great way to practice school competitions, such as spelling bees, math competitions, science fair presentations, or any other academic events, either at home or at school.
Extracurricular activities ~ This little lectern would be great for activities outside of school, such as Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts. Children can stand at the lectern to present minutes from the previous meetings and important announcements.
Pretend play ~ Have the children dress up and pretend to be different types of professions that may speak at a lectern - the president of the United States, teacher, lawyer, college professor, etc. Be creative!
Be really creative ~ Decorate the lectern to be a lemonade stand, host a magic show at the lectern, or do a pretend cooking demonstration. The ideas are endless!

BUY IT! You can purchase your own Guidecraft Little Lectern for your home or classroom for just $200.

WIN IT! What's great about this Guidecraft Educator group is that each month, one of us will be hosting the giveaway of a product that we have all reviewed. Visit Simply Stacie to enter and win. This contest is open to the US and Canada.

*I received the aforementioned product for free to review. The opinions expressed are honest and provided without monetary compensation.

Fall Craft #4: Does Your MUMMY Know It's Halloween??

2011-10-31T07:47:00.001-04:00

Bottle Mummy

Materials:

Dish soap bottle
Toilet paper
Glue
2 wiggly eyes (we chose two different ones)
Paint brush

Directions:

Mix glue with a bit of water to thin it out. "Paint" the glue all over the bottle.

Wrap the toilet paper around the bottle. This will require adult assistance.

Glue two eyes on to the mummy. We did one big orange eye and one smaller purple eye to make it fun.

And here's our completed mummy!

Here's a picture of a mummy in one of our Halloween books, to use as inspiration. My daughter didn't understand at first that we were making a "mummy" and not a "mommy."

From The Night Before Halloween by Natasha Wing

Our Learning Environment

2011-10-27T11:28:00.011-04:00

Before Lydia was born, we created a pretty typical baby nursery ~ crib, glider w/ottoman, toy box, mobile, rug, etc. Well, I just scrolled through the 9000+ photos on my computer, and I cannot find one of her nursery. That should tell you how infrequently we used it. Lydia never slept in her crib, and it was recalled about a year ago. So, when we started to plan for Bryce's bedroom, we decided to make a toddler room. Right now, it basically serves as a classroom and playroom for the two of them. We wanted to go with bold, primary colors (see the colors used in this blog??) and we chose a space theme.

We have a toddler-sized table and chair set with a cool outer space rug below. The 4 bins on the side store different puzzles.

We have a library with books to fit each month's holidays or a particular theme.

We have lots of storage for all of our learning toys, building blocks, and pretend play toys. I'm always looking for new ways to organize the room and new toys to add to our collection. I generally choose toys that combine imagination and learning. Lydia seems to love those, too!

So, that's our learning environment! Feel free to share ideas for creating a learning environment, for age-appropriate toddler toys, etc. I am always ready to learn more!

REMINDER: There are no rules to toddler play

2011-10-26T19:43:00.012-04:00

I had to remind myself of something today. There are no rules to toddler play. Now, obviously, I don't want my daughter playing with a real stove or running around the house with a pair of scissors. She shouldn't throw her toys or hit people with them. But when it comes to imagination - there should be no limitations.

Let me preface the following by saying I tend to be kinda anal retentive. (My friends are probably thinking "Kinda?!")

So what made me think of this? Well, Lydia was playing with her Duplo blocks today. She had a set with different zoo animals. When she played independently, all she did was stack them all vertically. I sat down to play with her, and we made a zoo together. I got out the flat green base to build on, I placed the entrance to the zoo on one side of the green base, and I began to make different areas for each animal. The elephant had grass, the giraffe had trees, the lion had a tall wall so it couldn't escape, and the polar bear was surrounded by white and blue blocks to look like ice...er...until Lydia put an off-white block, a tan block, an orange block, an eye block, etc. WHAT?! Tan and orange are not ice-looking colors. Polar bears are not found in areas with those colors. What is she doing??

Oh, right, she's 2 years old. She's doing what 2 year-olds are supposed to do - Being creative! She's using her imagination, without limitations. While age may teach us to be more artistic as we learn to draw, paint, sculpt, etc. better, age also limits our imaginative creativity. Lydia doesn't know that polar bears live in the snow and snow is generally white, so the polar bear area in our fictitious plastic zoo should be white. She doesn't have those boundaries. Her play goes beyond what we know to be true. Why should my knowledge of "facts" and "rules" limit her endless imagination? It shouldn't.

So when Lydia laid the cookies on the pan out of "order" (you know, from left to right in rows), I had to stop myself again. Her cookies can go in any order. She doesn't have to worry about them touching one another while cooking or not being able to fit the entire batch on a sheet pan. She's pretending to make cookies. This doesn't even require a pan or objects that even resemble cookies.

For us parents who often limit our thoughts to those that are more concrete...

REMINDER: There are no rules to toddler play!

My 1st Post ~ A Dedication

2011-10-25T10:01:00.002-04:00

I want to dedicate this blog to a very special little girl. Her name is Melissa, and I hope that her mom doesn't mind me writing about her. Melissa is a student at the school where I work as co-director, Abi's Place. The school opened its doors in August 2008, and Melissa was one of the first students there. Melissa is a child with special needs. I remember when she started at Abi's Place, her mom wanted one thing - handprint artwork! Melissa used to cross her arms and tuck her hands in all the time. She would get nervous, and as a result, she didn't want to open her hands up. We made it our mission that year to get some beautiful handprint artwork for her mom Dina to display. I believe it was probably around Christmas time that we were finally able to get her to trust us, open her hands to put paint all over them, and create some awesome handprint art for her mother!

So, Melissa & Dina, I dedicate "Busy Lil' Hands" to you two!

Melissa's hands exploring a pumpkin.

Fall Craft #3: Our Upcycled Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-20T10:49:00.002-04:00

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.

Inspired by a contest hosted by Green Toys, Lydia and I created an Upcycled Pumpkin Patch!

Because Green Toys are made of recycled milk jugs, they are hosting a contest where participants must convert milk jugs into pumpkins. We began by pouring orange craft paint into a 1/2 gallon milk jug. Lydia had to shake, shake, shake to distribute it all.

The next day, we looked around the house for more orange items to turn into pumpkins. We found a small lotion container, a tray from sausages, a basketball, and a food basket. I cut out all different shapes to glue to our "pumpkins." Lydia did the gluing.

With such beautiful fall weather this morning, we gathered all the "pumpkins" (and one real pumpkin) and brought them into the backyard. I happen to have a cantaloupe vine growing that looks like a pumpkin vine...although any big leafy plant would do. We placed all of our pumpkins near the vine so that it looks like a pumpkin patch!

And that's our upcycled pumpkin patch!

I even got inspired to make one more silly "pumpkin" with a slice of pretend cheese... So much fun!

After, I thought it was only appropriate to watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T09:33:00.001-04:00

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.

Guidecraft Educator Review #3 ~ Universal Book Display & Storage

2011-10-01T08:13:00.000-04:00

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.

This month, the Guidecraft Educators are reviewing the Universal Book Display & Storage. This two-sided bookcase has storage space for standard-sized board books, paperback books, and hardcover books on one side and storage space for big books on he other side. What I love most about this book storage is that it is not just a traditional bookcase where you just see the binding of the books. This book storage allows you to display the entire cover of the book, which is a great way to entice early learners! They love to look at the colorful illustrations on the front of each book.

The Universal Book Display & Storage is constructed of sturdy birch ply wood and weighs 40 pounds. It took approximately a half-hour to assemble. This book storage goes very nicely with the Guidecraft Nordic Rocker I reviewed in August. Here are some pictures of our library.

I like to change the books in my children's library each month based on the season/holiday or a given theme. This month's theme is Fall/Halloween. I was able to display 22 books. Next to the book storage, I placed two bins of themed items to explore before, during and after reading. One bin has synthetic fall leaves and wiggly creatures (plastic bugs and spiders). The other bin has some Halloween plush characters, like a wizard, witch, and frog. Because of the neutral design and color, I am able to 'dress up' the book display & storage to go with the theme as well. We are going to add some spider webs later.

BUY IT! You can purchase this well-designed, two-sided Guidecraft Universal Book Display & Storage for your home or classroom library for just $200.

WIN IT! What's great about this Guidecraft Educator group is that each month, one of us will be hosting a giveaway of the product that we have all reviewed. Visit Mommy PR for a chance to win a Universal Book Display & Storage for your child. This contest is open to the US and Canada.

* I received the aforementioned product for free to review. The opinions expressed are honest and provided without monetary compensation.

Fall Craft #2 ~ Arm Tree w/Fingerprint Leaves

2011-09-30T10:14:00.000-04:00

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.

Our Fall bulletin board is growing!

Materials:

brown paint
orange paint
yellow paint
red paint
small bowl
paintbrush
piece of construction paper, color of your choice

To make the tree trunk and branches: First, paint your child's forearm and hand with brown paint. Then place on paper.

To make the leaves: Swirl together orange, yellow, and red paint in a small bowl. Encourage your child to dip his/her fingers in the paint and use fingerprints to make leaves on the fall tree.

Kinda messy but lots of fun!

Apples Everywhere! Apple Crafts and Apple Cake

2011-09-25T21:58:00.000-04:00

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.

Today we went to the Apple Harvest Festival at Flamingo Road Nursery. We got to try some delicious food, like cider, different types of apples, focaccia, cake, smoothies, and dips.

We bought a bag of assorted apples to make our own apple crafts and apple dessert!

Apple Seed Art - Colors & Counting

Apple Stamping

The Beginning of Our Fall Bulletin Board

Then I decided to combine two different recipes and add my own touches to make a cake with apples.

Apple Spice Crumb Cake

For the cake:
1/2 stick plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup raisins, soaked in rum
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup peeled, cored and chopped apples

Crumb topping:
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8” x 8” baking dish with 1 teaspoon of the butter.
In a large bowl, cream together the remaining ½ stick of butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients, alternating with the sour cream and vanilla.

Fold in the apples, pecans, and raisins.

Pour into the prepared baking dish, spreading out to the edges.

To make the topping, in a bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter, and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the cake and bake until golden brown and set, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool at least 10 minutes. Makes about 9 servings

Fall Craft #1 ~ Handprint Bat with Bouncy Ball Web

2011-09-24T09:15:00.000-04:00

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.

Handprint Bat with Bouncy Ball Web

Materials:

Lid from a large container (or a box)
Black craft paint
White craft paint
2 bouncy balls (or large marbles)
Black construction paper
White construction paper
2 small wiggly eyes
Paint brush
Scissors

To make the web: Begin by cutting a web shape out of black paper. Place in box lid. Put white paint on bouncy balls and place on paper. Encourage your child to roll the balls around to make the spider web.

To make the spider: Paint your child's fingers and part of her palm black. Make a handprint on white paper, flip the paper, and make a second overlapping handprint. When it dries, glue wiggly eyes.

To assemble: Cut out the spider and paste on the web.

My Loves

2011-09-22T08:08:00.000-04:00

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.

Bryce Cody Wells born 9/17/2011 @1:24 pm. He weighed 8 lbs 15 oz, 21.5 inches long.

Lydia loves her new baby brother

Guidecraft Review ~ Moon & Stars See, Store, & Take-Along

2011-09-03T19:37:00.000-04:00

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.

As you may have seen in previous posts, instead of creating a baby nursery for our new one on the way, I decided to make it more like a toddler classroom. We never used a crib with Lydia, so why get one for baby #2? I like bold, primary colors, so we decided to go with an outer space themed room. We painted the room a beautiful bright blue and looked for coordinating pieces that captured the space theme. Fortunately, Guidecraft makes some beautiful bold-colored, outer space themed furniture.

Guidecraft sent me the Moon & Stars See, Store, & Take-Along to review for free!

We purchased the Moon & Stars Stack Shelves on Amazon for just $72 + Free Shipping.

This is how the room looks with the two shelving units and other themed items.

The Moon & Stars See, Store, and Take-Along is very simple to assemble. It took less than 30 minutes. It is on wheels, so it can easily be moved to different locations throughout the house. It comes with 6 large, lidded bins that are clear so you can see the contents easily, but are highlighted by the three bold, primary colors to coordinate with the shelves. Each bin can hold toys containing multiple pieces, like a set of blocks, a tea set, small vehicles, etc. The bins have handles so they can be moved to different areas of the house or taken on road trips. The top shelf does not contain bins, so you can stack larger items. I placed our puzzle rack on that shelf along with a large drum filled with instruments and two other toys.

In order to organize our toys even further, I photographed the contents of each bin, cropped the photos, named each photo, and printed a label to place on the front of each bin. The bottom row of bins contains our Mega Bloks, Guidecraft Sand Blocks, Crystal Bead Blocks, & Rainbow Blocks (all three fit in one bin), and a Birthday Cake Play Set.

BUY IT! Along with the Moon & Stars See, Store, & Take-Along, Guidecraft makes several other colorful, coordinating Moon & Star items, such as a Table & Chair Set, Toybox, and Media Carousel. Each piece is well-crafted and great for a child's bedroom, playroom, or classroom.

* I received the aforementioned product for free to review. The opinions expressed are honest and provided without monetary compensation.

Guidecraft Educator Review #2 ~ Eco-friendly Manipulatives

2011-09-02T06:28:00.000-04:00

Imagine my surprise and amazement when all of these beautiful eco-friendly Guidecraft manipulatives arrived at my front door! These toys represent all that my blog is about - "green" products for young children. Some of the most notable features are: minimal packaging used to contain the toys, they are made from eco-friendly rubberwood, colored with low VOC aniline dyes, and contain distinct shapes and colors. Each toy comes with an activity guide with multiple activities. At just $25 - $30 each, these toys are a great investment for parents who want their children to learn through fun, colorful, and engaging activities. All seven toys state Ages 2+ because the pieces are large (not choking hazards), but the skill sets required to appropriately manipulate the toys and understand the cognitive concepts vary greatly. This also makes them great "green" toys - they can be used for years, not just one particular stage of development.

Lydia is just 2, so I decided to open up the 3 toys that I thought would be most appropriate for her developmentally: Gradient Sorter, One to Four Sorter, and Shape and Color Sorter. She was so excited to see each toy, she completed each one multiple times, asking for "more" each time we finished.

Here's Lydia completing the One to Four Sorter independently:

Here's Lydia completing the Gradient Sorter independently:

These toys are appropriate for older children as well. Here's my 10-year old niece Kayla using the Fraction Cups to solve math problems that require her to add fractions:

Here are a few suggestions I have for teaching children to use these toys:

~Place all of the manipulatives in a small basket or surface to the left of the board/base. Because we read from left-to-right, this is a good way to prepare children to work in that direction.

~Refer to the activity guide for suggestions beyond just completing each activity independently.

~Feel free to modify activities based on your child's interests and developmental abilities.

~Toys such as these are great for incorporating language. Instead of having your child complete each activity, have your child take each activity apart. Here are some examples. For younger children, you may ask "Can you take out the green triangle and put it in the basket?" or "Can you hand me the red heart?" For older children, you may ask "Can I have a shape that has 4 sides, but is not a diamond?"

~Frustration often leads to learning. We frequently intervene as soon as our children look frustrated with a situation, but then they may not learn to manipulate each piece properly. Allow your child to explore 'wrong' answers to figure out where each piece really goes independently.
~To make things more challenging, place multiple puzzles in one bin together. Your child will have to sort the pieces and then complete each individual puzzle.

BUY IT! You can purchase any of the Eco-Friendly Guidecraft Manipulatives for just $25 - 30 each.

WIN IT! What's great about this Guidecraft Educator group is that each month, one of us will be hosting a giveaway of the product that we have all reviewed. Visit Teach Preschool for a chance to win a set of Eco-Friendly Guidecraft Manipulatives for a special child in your life! This contest is open to the US and Canada.

* I received the aforementioned product for free to review. The opinions expressed are honest and provided without monetary compensation.

The ABCs of Teaching Preschoolers ~ L is for Library

2011-09-01T08:36:00.000-04:00

by Carrie Wells, Ed.D.

Introduction by Deborah Stewart, M.Ed. of Teach Preschool:
This post is to celebrate the 20,000 members who have joined Teach Preschool on Facebook and the wonderful bloggers who share their amazing ideas and insights each day. As a special thank you to each of you who care for and educate our youngest learners, the bloggers and I have put together "The ABC's of Teaching Preschoolers". Be sure to visit my fellow bloggers and check out the fun and insightful tips they have prepared especially for you.

The letter I chose is 'L' for 'Library'. A library, whether in your home or classroom, is so much more than just a collection of random books thrown on a shelf. An early learning library should inspire children to want to explore stories, ask questions, manipulate items, and use their imaginations.

Here are some suggested supplies/materials to start your classroom or home library for your young learners:

A variety of books: Books can be organized by theme, a child's interests, or a certain sound you are focusing on teaching. I suggest including pop-up books, books with sounds, paperback, board books, hardcover books, books with stickers, books on tape/CD, big books, etc. I am expecting baby #2 in just 3 weeks, so all of the books in my daughter's library are about babies and big sisters.

Themed objects: If you choose books with a particular theme, put together a basket of items that go with that theme. This allows the child(ren) to explore the same topic in a variety of ways! I put a basket full of baby dolls next to the library for Lydia to play with while looking at books.

Manipulative toys: Included within a library can be felt storyboards, alphabet puzzles, magnetic letters, letter/word games, puppets, dress-up clothes, and other literacy-related items. These objects allow young children to practice early literacy skills beyond just looking at books.

Photo albums: This is a great way to personalize a library. Include pictures of your child(ren), family members, favorite toys, animals, transportation, etc. Anything that can stimulate interest and conversation. The children can also use personal photos to make their own books that can be placed in the library.

Seating options: Children should be able to sit comfortably while engaging in literacy activities. Your library may include area rugs, table/chairs, bean bags, rockers, pillows, blankets, and any other comfy seating options for little ones.

Organization: It's important to keep items within the library well-organized and easily-accessible. You want children to be able to reach everything to explore objects and books independently. It helps to label containers with pictures or words and to have a variety of colorful bins/baskets for easy clean-up.

Writing area: After reading books and looking at pictures, children may want to draw pictures and write their own stories. Place paper and age-appropriate writing utensils in an area that is accessible to the child(ren). I like the Crayola Pip-Squeaks for ages 2 to 4.

Whether you are building a library for your preschool-age child at home or your students at school, remember to personalize the books, activities, toys, and decor. Young children love seeing their favorite books in the library, their artwork posted, and their favorite toys within reach!

Wordless Wednesday: Turning 2

2011-08-31T06:57:00.001-04:00

Imagine Toys Review ~ Pretend & Play Birthday Set

2011-08-17T20:50:00.000-04:00

I just learned of a great website, Imagine Toys. They carry toys for children birth through 11+ years. Toys are organized into categories, age groups, price range, and brand so parents can really explore all of the different types of toys they carry.

I was so excited to receive the Pretend & Play Birthday Set in the mail to review, just in time for Lydia's birthday! Birthdays only come once a year, but with this pretend play set, your child can pretend it's his birthday every day of the year. The set comes with everything pictured below:

48 Pieces include:

A birthday crown
5 numbered candles
3 nesting presents
5 slices of cake
5 plates
Pretend camera
Wipe off crayons and more!

I think people often disregard the value of imaginative play in learning early, fundamental skills that are building blocks to learning more advanced skills. This pretend play set targets so many of those skills! Here are just a few of the variety of skills children can learn while playing with this great set from Learning Resources:

~Social skills - With 5 slices of cake, 5 plates, and just one birthday crown, children are required to take turns to play with this set imaginatively. One child can be the 'birthday kid' while the others are guests at the party. Children can also play different roles, like the invitation maker, cake baker, cake slicer, and gift giver. Role playing is such an important part of a child's development.

~Early math skills - Some of the early math skills targeted in this set include number identification, counting, and one-to-one correspondence (understanding that each guest receives one slice of cake, one plate, and one invitation). The nesting gifts also work on teaching size concepts.

~Fine Motor development - Fine motor skills are those that require use of your hands. Children can work on placing the candles in the cakes, similar to placing pegs in a peg board. They can work on placing each lid on the corresponding gift before arranging by size. Adjusting the crown to the proper size and taking pictures with the camera also require the child to use both hands together.

~Language skills - Most importantly, pretend play allows children to practice their language skills. Parents can provide their children with directions to play with each piece in new ways. Here are some examples:

"Put the candle in the cake and put the cake on the plate."
"Take a picture of daddy wearing the birthday crown."
"Show me what you do with the birthday candles."

Children can also work on their own spontaneous language as they explore each piece in this set and use it to make up pretend games with parents and friends. Here's a video clip of Lydia (age 2) and Daddy playing together. The recommended age for this toy is 3+, but with supervision, I think this set is appropriate for children who are 2 years of age. As you can see in this clip, children naturally work on imaginative and imitative play, expressive/receptive language skills, motor skills, and social skills when playing with the Pretend & Play Birthday Set.

Even though this toy has a lot of pieces, they all fit together into a small container for easy clean up!

BUY IT! Interested in owning a Pretend & Play Birthday Set for your child? It's on sale now at Imagine Toys for just $19.99.

Imagine Toys offers many other wonderful pretend play sets, like a Standing Puppet Theater by Alex, Lil' Shopper Play Set by Earlyears, and the Ice Cream Social play set, which is on sale now for just $9.97.

You can also 'like' Imagine Toys on Facebook and 'follow' Imagine Toys on Twitter, where they host fun Twitter parties with great giveaways.

* I received the aforementioned product for free to review. The opinions expressed are honest and provided without monetary compensation.

Creativity and Child Development

2011-08-02T13:52:00.001-04:00

Since Lydia was about a year old, she's been really into Arts & Crafts. I started to think about how her artwork as evolved over the past year, how she has explored different media and materials, how her grasp has improved, etc. I thought I'd arrange some of her creations in chronological order to compare them.

Lydia's first marker drawing at 14 months

Lydia's first painting at 17 months

Lydia's first 'food' collage at 18 months

At 21 months, Lydia painted a picture for daddy for Father's Day - First time painting on a canvas surface.

Lydia's 1st set of finger paints at 22 months. She was hesitant at first, but then dove right in!

At 22 months, this is the first drawing Lydia identified as being something. She said this was Daisy (our dog). You can see where she has drawn the head, body, and legs.

Lydia made these at 22 months. I applied the glue to each piece, but Lydia placed the pieces where they went. She had a model to refer to for the owl, but we talked about where different parts of the face go as she pointed to them on herself and on me.

I think it's pretty fascinating to look back on how her pencil/paint strokes have changed, her interest in creating a variety of projects has expanded, and her desire to work with different textures has increased. I hope she always enjoys being creative and expressing herself through artwork!

Guidecraft Educator Review #1 ~ Nordic Rocker

2011-08-01T21:22:00.000-04:00

This is my 100th post - A time for celebration by doing something extra special ~ Introducing my readers to an amazing group of bloggers I am so excited to be a part of, the Guidecraft Educators, each of whom I know will bring a different perspective to reviews of products we have been generously given. As co-director of a nonprofit organization for children with disabilities and mother of a toddler, my reviews will focus on how each product can be used with children with special needs and/or toddler and preschool-age children.

The first product we are reviewing is the Guidecraft Nordic Rocker.

This is a wonderful seating option for children with special needs. Some children have difficulty with sensory integration. Simply put, they are unable to organize all of the information their bodies are receiving. The interesting thing about our sensory system is that we actually have seven components, even though we only really learn about five senses.

Five commonly-taught senses:
1. Tactile (touch)
2. Sight
3. Sound
4. Taste
5. Olfactory (smell)

Our two other senses:
6. Proprioceptive (being aware of where our bodies are spatially)
7. Vestibular (movement)

There are a number of sensory-related activities you can try with a child - some may be calming, some may be alerting. Some may help a child to concentrate better, while some may be distracting. The great thing about the Guidecraft Nordic Rocker is that it allows children who crave vestibular input (movement) to move while still being seated safely. However, unlike most rockers, the Nordic rockers have flat bases (not curved bases). This allows for some rocking movement, but stops the child from tipping the chair over or rocking excessively.

Fabian (left) and Ryan (right) are enjoying circle time at school. They are able to move to the music while safely seated in their Guidecraft Nordic Rockers.

These are great for large group activities when some children are sitting on the floor or small group activities when children are sitting at a table. The birch ply wood construction can accommodate children of different heights and weights, as well as different physical abilities and limitations.

In addition to being used as a seating option for children with special needs, these are great in a reading area at home or in the classroom setting. The chairs are comfortable, colorful, and great for relaxing with a good book. Overall, this is a wonderful product for special education classrooms, general education classrooms, and children's bedrooms or play rooms.

BUY IT! You can purchase a Guidecraft Nordic Rocker for just $70.

WIN IT! What's great about this Guidecraft Educator group is that each month, one of us will be hosting a giveaway of the product that we have all reviewed. Visit Katie's {Little Ones} Learning Lounge for a chance to win a Guidecraft Nordic Rocker for a special child in your life! This contest is open to the US and Canada.

* I received the aforementioned product for free to review. The opinions expressed are honest and provided without monetary compensation.

Backyard finds

2011-07-24T09:53:00.000-04:00

I would like to share some photos I took yesterday of new things in my backyard! Watermelon growing, Lydia creeping through the garden, and cool green caterpillars eating my tomato plants.

Is this a doggy playhouse or a kiddie playhouse?? Maybe both :-)

Backyard Makeover - Almost Complete! (Part 2)

2011-06-16T15:41:00.000-04:00

More progress has been made on the backyard. We're definitely almost finished. Just need to fill in patches of grass, and I want to get Lydia a nice playhouse for outside. Here are some more photos of our progress:

Playground is complete. It was actually more of a challenge to build than I initially anticipated. We surrounded the play area with rubber recycled tire mulch, which is supposed to last 10+ years.

Veggies and herbs are continuing to grow nicely.

This is our "tropical" garden area.

This is our "Asian-inspired" garden area. I think both these areas will look much better when everything starts to grow in nicely.

Lydia really loves her new playground, especially the swing. The funny thing is, that was actually a swing we got when she was about 5 months old and hung from a tree, but it was not nearly as fun then as it is now, hanging from her playground area. I'm so happy she's happy! If this isn't pure toddler bliss, then I don't know what is.

Backyard Makeover - Almost complete!

2011-06-04T20:50:00.000-04:00

Normally our backyard is pretty much a huge litter pan for our 4 dogs with a small veggie/herb garden. With baby #2 on the way and my desire to be a work-at-home mom for the next year, we decided it was time to do a complete backyard makeover! We started by cutting down two large trees that took up a lot of space:

Then we paved a larger portion of the yard:

We added a canopy and a chair/table set for 6 people, great for barbecues and other outdoor meals as a family:

We fixed up our veggie and herb garden:

We began planting some tropical plants/flowers (we need to add a few more, but this was a good start). I guess Lydia got kinda pooped out...

Then we assembled a nice playground area for Lydia. She already loves it, and we haven't even completed the swing portion:

Today Richard rented a stump grinder and removed the two large stumps. Tomorrow we will finish leveling the ground, plant more flowers/plants, and use mulch to cover the area under the playground. I would also like to buy Lydia a playhouse for outdoors and a kiddy pool. This should be such a great area for her this summer (and next school year)...and hopefully one day her little brother will play with her, too!

More pictures to come as we complete this project!

Fun at the Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-17T19:48:00.000-04:00

Last October, Lydia was just a month old. I was so excited to take her to different Halloween events, but but obviously it was a lot more for me than for her. This year, however, she loved visiting the pumpkin patch at Bedner's Farm Fresh Market. Check out two of our cutest pictures. Did I mention that I recently purchased Photoshop?? :-)

Next weekend, we are going to a fall festival and maybe the Flamingo Road Nursery. Lots of fun fall/Halloween activities to come!

Review of the Big Toy Book

2010-06-24T23:05:00.000-04:00

I contacted the generous people at The Big Toy Book to see if they could donate a toy to Abi's Place (the nonprofit where I work) that I could review for my blog. They responded by sending me the Baby Genius All in One Musical Band, which contains two shakers, a flute, 2 drum sticks, and a tambourine - all within a drum!

This super-cute instrument set is great for all young children, but is especially effective with children who have disabilities. When teaching our children, all of whom have moderate to severe developmental delays, it's often difficult to find toys that are motivating and interesting to them. Most of the toys that do interest them stimulate or calm specific sensory needs. That's what is so great about instruments - most of our children love music, and instruments allow them to make their own music. How does that help the teachers and children? Well, we can teach so many great skills using instruments as the teaching tools. Here are a few:
1. Following one-step directions: bang the drum, blow the flute, shake the tambourine
2. Imitation: the teacher taps the drumstick on the drum and the child imitates that action
3. Communication: for our children, communication usually begins when children are motivated to use their words to ask for things that they want - so they can learn to request music through words, sign language, or pictures

These instruments are so cute, with a child-friendly animal theme. Here's Ryan playing with one of the instruments during our interactive circle time:

Thanks to The Big Toy Book for allowing us to review one of your awesome products! The kids love their new instruments. The Big Toy Book also carries many other toys for children of all ages, including eco-friendly toys, bath toys, board games, baby dolls, action figures, and more! They also have a great blog with guest bloggers addressing a variety of topics. Additionally, they host regularly-scheduled Twitter parties with really awesome giveaways. This week's Twitter party features Toy Story 3!

Guidecraft Tactile Bars Giveaway - Ends 5/7

2010-04-21T22:52:00.000-04:00

This is a very special review and giveaway, one that is close to my heart :-) This giveaway allows me to share an important part of my life with my readers.

I work for a non-profit organization for children with moderate to severe disabilities - Abi's Place. We provide intense, one-to-one educational and therapeutic services to our children. As a grass-roots non-profit, we host several local fundraising events each year and we submit several grants each month. Every so often, someone does something really amazing for the children at Abi's Place. Guidecraft Toys donated brand-new furniture and toys to our children. They also gave me the opportunity to post a review/giveaway for one of the toys we were given.

We got to review the Guidecraft Tactile Bars. Although these are not specifically designed for children with disabilities, we found them to be very appropriate for our student population. Many children with disabilities (such as autism, cognitive impairments, and physical impairments) have sensory integration difficulties. One common issue we encounter is tactile defensiveness. This is when children are unable to tolerate different textures. They may get upset and/or avoid touching certain things. These children need to be given opportunities to explore different textures in a comfortable, trusting, non-threatening environment. By making it a fun part of play without setting any rules or having specific expectations, children will begin to feel more comfortable engaging in sensory activities. We use the same techniques when encouraging children to engage in other sensory experiences, such as eating a variety of textures, brushing their teeth, and washing their hands.

We wanted to try this item with a child who we felt would benefit from tactile exploration. Caitlyn began at Abi's Place last school year and rarely used her hands to explore items. This school year, she has made amazing progress. She enjoyed the experience of touching each of the textures, soft and rough.

Do you have a child who would benefit from a set of tactile bars (RV $90)? The set comes with two tactile bars, each with 9 textures. It also comes with an activity guide with suggested activities to engage children in sensory exploration. Each texture block can be removed from the bar to be used on its own so that you can introduce one at a time. Textures include a soft cotton, fine sandpaper, cold metal, and bristle brush.

BUY IT! You can find some amazing children's furniture and toys at Guidecraft. They use sturdy wood to construct many of their pieces. Assembly is simple with easy-to-follow directions.

WIN IT! One lucky reader will win a set of two Tactile Bars for a special child!

Mandatory Entry: Why would you want to win the tactile bars?

For additional entries, you can do any of the following (one entry each):
1. Become a follower of my blog through Google Friend Connect.
2. Become a fan of Guidecraft on Facebook.
3. Follow Guidecraft on Twitter.
4. Follow me on Twitter.
5. Become a fan of Abi's Place (the non-profit organization where I work) on Facebook.
6. Grab my beautiful new button, and tell me where I can find it!

Be sure to include your email address with each entry so that I know how to find you. This giveaway will end on 5/7 at 11:59 pm EST. If you are the winner, you will have 48 hours to respond before I choose another winner. Good luck!

**Congratulations to Dina! Thank you to all who participated.

Guest Blogger on The Big Toy Book

2010-04-19T10:28:00.000-04:00

I contacted The Big Toy Book to review a toy, not for my daughter, but actually for the non-profit organization where I work. You'll probably see several posts about Abi's Place. I work there not just because I need money (the obvious reason), but most importantly because we really do good work. We accept students who would not have the opportunity to reach their potential any other way. We provide them with high-quality educational and therapeutic services. Each child is assigned to teach teachers, who we train, and the child works with one teacher for a portion of the day and the other teacher for the other portion of the day. Everyone there has the cause in their hearts, and it shows - the child have made amazing gains!

So, I asked the nice people over at The Big Toy Book if I could review a toy for Abi's Place, and they are sending us a great set of instruments (I'll post the review as soon as the items arrive and I get to take some great photos of the kids using them!) They also asked me to be a guest blogger, and they posted my article today. Check it out:

Building Language Skills in Children with Disabilities Through Play by Dr. Carrie Wells