Hello everyone! Happy September! We just started fresh with new materials in our sensory table for the month. In August, my sensory bin filler was shredded paper--and I switched out the tools periodically to keep the kids interested. September's sensory table has a new filler: oats! We are starting out with an apple theme for the month of September, so I found some craft apples at Joann's. I also added pie tins, measuring cups, and measuring spoons to the oats for the children to pretend to make pies. Today was their first day playing with it, and EVERYBODY wanted to be at the sensory … [Read more...]
Grandparents’ Day Printables for Pre-K & Kindergarten
Grandparents' Day is Sunday, September 10. (2017, in case you're reading this in the future.) Maybe it's just me, but I feel like this holiday has completely snuck up on us! Probably because it's, well, one that I don't tend to "go all out" on. No offense, grandparents! I tend to honor grandmas and grandpas on Mother's Day/Father's Day, respectively. This year, I'm keeping it simple with some Grandparents' Day Printables--a questionnaire and a portrait. DOWNLOAD HERE The questionnaire includes statements like "my grandma likes to..." and "my grandpa always says..." I fully expect some … [Read more...]
That Time I Accidentally Joined a Real Sanctimommy Facebook Group
Last Saturday night, after coming to terms with my Facebook addiction, I promised to keep my phone use to a minimum so I could be fully present with my family for the rest of my weekend. And then on Sunday morning, I found myself in the middle of a sanctimommy vs. shit mom frenzy that consumed way too much of my time. (I am the "shit mom" in this scenario, by the way--an insult that was apparently coined by a group of very bored women I encountered.) Just before bed, a sanctimommy group had popped up in my suggestions on Facebook. Assuming its title was a form of satire, I requested to … [Read more...]
8 Tips for Reading Aloud to Young Children
This post contains affiliate links. "Reading aloud is the most important activity for building the knowledge and skills they will eventually require for learning to read," says Dr. Marilyn Jager Adams, a specialist in cognition and education. When we read out loud to our children, or the children we teach, we instill a love of reading. But how we read to them matters. Now, we can't all be as captivating as Ludacris when we read Llama Llama Red Pajama, but there are ways we can make it an exciting and interactive experience. Read on for 8 tips for reading aloud to children! 1. … [Read more...]