Cookbooks in Early Childhood

Sharing a post on the Stephanie's Stuff blog about a cooking experience. But I also want to give a little frugal thought to buying educational material for early childhood ideas in your kitchen.

This was $1 at a local antique store. It's copyright is 1932. The pictures are very clear on measurements giving children a good idea at what 1 cup looks like for instance. Those little hole-in-the-wall places have such cool things just waiting for reuse.

Check out your little stores and support small business. 

Why Save Paper Towel Tubes? And Toilet?

We like Dramatic Play in my childcare environment. And when you need something to fill the time, you make something the children can take home. But first, we do a 'Test Run'. After all, it's more fun to play with friends! Right?!

So showing you how we turned a simple color page into a way to extend our theme of Fire Safety into the Dramatic Play Center. This color page is from about 16 years back so sorry no link for making a copy.

But maybe you could find a back issue on Amazon??

 Notice the $5.50 price? Unheard of today.

 

Here is a view of supplies needed including a color page. We printed ours on cardstock for more longevity.

1. The color and cut stage
   
   
   
   2.Connect the long tubes on each end ONLY.
   
   
   
   
   

   

Masking tape works best.

 

For the "People", firefighters in our instance, use tape loops and attach to the smaller tubes.

 

 Finally, slide the fire truck in-between the longer tubes. It should be a snug fit. Trim the ends if it's a little long. And there you have it! Individual play sets for your theme to enhance Dramatic Play.

 

Skills Learned from Dramatic Play:

 

• Learning to cooperate, to control impulses (like tearing it up by 'crashing', leads to less aggressive tendencies.
• Eye/hand coordination, fine and gross motor skills
• Developing literacy skills with use of new language, role-playing and problem solving
• Learning to ask and answer questions. This introduces a larger view of the world they are living in. Some of them will relate the events of the evening news they see at home to their play. Great opportunity to 'be there' to discuss our times.

 

Talk with your caregiver about the importance of Dramatic Play.

 

 

Rolling The Dice

School is about to recommence for 4 of our children here in Missouri, as it is nationwide. So instead of shedding tears, we have parties. So a Back to School Party headed off with this project of Rolling the Dice. We used an old square box and covered it with wallpaper samples, wrote some question on white labels, and ended up with This.

Each roll of the dice enticed some cute, funny, and smart answers from ages 3 to 6 and I had it all recorded on my phone. Only problem is, the transfer from phone to blog has not worked due to differences in formats. I'm very bummed about this let me tell ya. But I decided to transcribe the majority of the questions and answers even though some of the drama of a room with babies crying, children getting upset over who had a turn first or sudden, joyful laughter won't be heard by you.
But I hope you'll enjoy.

Q: Who is your hero?
Ty: I don't remember. (really just didn't understand the question at first)
Ben: I don't have a hero (another non understander)
Ty: I have one! My hero is the Minions! (He is Very serious)
Lou: My Dad! (Finally, the quiet one awakens :)
Weston: Superman!
Macoy: Spiderman!
Ben: I have Spiderman! Is Batman your hero? (to me)<3

Q: Who is your best friend?
Lou: Points to me :)

Q: What is the most important rule?
Ty: Don't pinch no one's fingers. (after baby Emmi just shut her finger in a toy) Don't be mean to someone.
Lou: Don't teach little kids to do something very, very, very bad.
Weston: Don't tease people.
Macoy: Don't push people (Mom, he Is listening to you, see???)

Q: What is the best thing about being a kid?
Ben: I like counting.
Lou: I like being in fashion and having a smile on my face. (partly my fault as I'm letting her model some of my Etsy items.)
Weston: I have fun going to the Fair. (Have I mentioned our Missouri State Fair is a couple blocks away from my home? Very big deal to these children)
Ty: That's what I was going to say!!!

Q: Were there dinosaurs on Noah's Ark?
IN Unison.: NO!!!
Me: Why do you think they asked that question?
Lou: To like see if you were smart enough, Like if you really listened to the book (we read the story beforehand)

Q: What makes a good friend?
Macoy points to me :) love his face!!
Weston: I say Hudson!! (awe!)
(I reword the question)
Q: What can you do to make a good friend?
Ty: Smile at people
Weston: Play with them
Lou: Give a Valentine (she'll be the one to always remember your birthday.)

Q: What are you good at?
Lou: Standing on my head
Ty: I'm good at listening to my mom and dad and Hunter(baby brother)
Weston: Skipping fast!
Ben: I'm good at stomping fast!!
Macoy: I'm good at baseball (and he is)

Q: What is the greatest thing ever invented:
Me: Make up!!
Lou: Shelter (yep, I looked bad after that brilliant answer)
Weston: Bathrooms! (time to ask another question)

Q: Why do people get old?
Lou: Cuz they turn different ages and they grow and they have growing pains
Weston: Because they turn 40 or 21. (In my head I'm saying 50 lol)
Ty: Because you are almost the biggest one here

I hope you enjoyed our table discussion. Hoping to do this again soon!

 

Just Going To The Dentist

Our Theme this week was "Healthy Teeth" for the week preceding Valentine's Day. For fun I did a little Conversation Starter with the boys and I got some interesting answers.
We had a "before" and "after" session to see what we learned. Here's how it went

"Before the theme" Conversation Starter: To make sure our teeth are healthy, we visit a dentist. What happens during a check up? Do you like going to the dentist? Why?  (note: none of the children have went to the dentist before so keep this in perspective)

Macoy (age 3) I get something - Yes - Get medicine there

Ben (age 2) Night - yes - Night * I think he had a short nights' sleep before daycare that day in his defense*

Hadley (age 3) We go to the doctor - Yes - Because we have to go to the doctor *he will be a very disciplined adult I believe :)

Weston: (age 4) You can get a toy - Yes - Because you can get new teeth * so there is some hope

"AFter the theme" same Conversation Starter:

Ben: (age 2)  Sad dentist - yes - Doctor get a sucker * in the story we read on Wednesday little Ben has retained that Little Critter was a bit sad and in the end he got a sucker. After all, candy is a big deal at age 2!!

Hadley: (age 3) We be happy?  -No- Because  * It seems my 'disciplined theory' is challenged

Macoy: (age 3) Get a toy at the dentist - Yes - Get a dot on your finger * Still remembering his painful doctor's visit poor guy

Weston: (age 4) You close your eyes tight because you don't want to see a needle - Yes - You can get bubble gum * again a story memory of that darned needle. Ug! of all the story parts to remember.

In conclusion......alas, my work here is not done.

Upcycling wallpaper

You know those wallpaper sample books you can get for free at your local paint store? That is if your town/city still has one with all the large chain stores. (cough Lowe's, Home Depot, Menards, etc)

WE still have a couple here. My dad being a painter by trade during his life, this was a popular spot for us to shop. So... throw in a few decades later and you have me, painter's daughter doing childcare. And this is one of those ideas I use those sample books for.

Here's one example.

So we tear them out for this activity and use 'masking tape' (another painter's utensil) to attach them together. Thus, saving me $$$ from buying butcher block paper and also keeping my costs for families from skyrocketing due to needing more supplies. That( could be a whole other blog post)

 

 

 Now for the writing we picked out all the basic colors to keep track of them in case our little friend Hudson decided to run off with one to practice chewing :) And also, notice the print on the back is not a deterrent to the drawing going on.

 

In fact I used it to my advantage and created a writing prompt for Ben, age 2. Here's his little story.

Hope you enjoy our tutorial and story.

 

 

 

Door Prize

Ron and I traveled 2 hours November 1st for a training in Springfield, Missouri. So it was one of those Saturdays I just kept my normal schedule....up at 5:30 a.m. Ug. But trainings are a requirement for my license. And honesty, sometimes they really are interesting. 

The best part of this training came with the ticket at the door....

 

Ron's ticket that is.

 

He won the seasonal turkey basket. Not a real turkey unfortunately, but this pack of turkeys in the basket.

 Here's the actual basket.

The goodies

 

More foamies

And Chenille stems/pipe cleaners (depending on where you're from) for stringing, sorting, and multiple other crafts.

(they are also used in my home to clean the pressure cooker valve hole.)

 

My door prize.

Paper.

A small but useful item.

Thanks to the Council of Churches of the Ozarks Child Care Food Program!

Awesome training :)

And the grand result is our passel of turkey ornaments.  

The kind of turkeys that won't crowd your freezer space. :)

 

 

Reading Aloud

Reading to Children has always been a highlight of our day. No matter what the schedule holds, we always have time for a story. It's just the way it is.

 

Lately, those children who don't fall asleep as soon as their heads hit the sack have been very receptive to my chapter book reading.

 

We started with some short stories from fairy tale collection books. These are Huge, Thick books that have some stories that are appropriate and some that are just way beyond their years. So I select the ones they'll hopefully love and leave the rest for another age group (summertime and school agers)

 

But it's been fun grabbing their attention right before they doze off to sleep.

 

This one was copyrighted 1991. We have diligently read each of the stories for the last few weeks.

Of course Princess stories are favorites.

 

 

This book was one of my favorites from childhood. My 3rd grade teacher ironically was named Edith White and I thought for the longest time she wrote it.

 Imagine my horror that she did not. :(

We have read the first 4 chapters so far and I have once again captured their eagerness to see what happens next.

 I Love My Job!!!

 

 

Does Reading Aloud Really matter?

                                                                   Click and see for yourself.

 



Sharing a Link

I want to share this link to a Moving Smart article.
It talks much the "Academic Creep". Parents want their children ready for Kindergarten and that is understandable.
 But I will warn against the movement towards learning Only letters and numbers.
Education is so-o-o-o-o much more.
And I quote:

Early childhood learning is a personal, follow-your-nose journey of play and exploration with no other agenda than what's fun and fascinating right now. That's nature's educational plan. In fact, a three year old's brain is far more receptive to learning from mudpies and monkeybars than ABCs and 123s right now.

Of course, gently introducing them to new things they haven't found on their own is a great way to expand their learning horizons. But expecting them to engage or "perform" academically or in any other arena, is another matter entirely. They'll do their best to oblige us, of course, but if they can't, all we're doing is setting the table for unnecessary stress and frustration.

 

So before you try to "keep up with the Joneses", Ask yourself, is it good for the children?

The pic here shows a 2 year old and 4 year old using multiple tools.

With interlocking cubes, they:

1.  measured lengths of table and objects
2.  filled spaces (dinosaur footprint)
3.   used cognitive skills (sorted colors)
4.  used large muscles (hammered the blocks)

Not to mention they colored around the cubes and the dinosaur you see here.

All these skills prepare their fingers for using that almighty writing tool,

The Pencil.

 

ATTENTION:

This is what Play looks like!

 

 

 

A Letter to The President

Monday is Presidents Day, the day we celebrate our country's founding fathers.

So we decided to get a jump start this morning on a bit of talking about what we would do if we were president.

This led to a brainstorm of what we think we would want to say to the current president in a letter from the children in our home daycare......

It's said that a letter will get us stickers & such.

What a great motivater!!!

Here is our version.

I hope you'll enjoy their thoughts

We adults have much to talk to our children about.

So....

Talk With Your Children.....A Lot