princess and the pea

kidskorner.

::KidsKorner::

 

::Photo Scavenger Hunt::

 

Over Spring Break we went on a couple of photo scavenger hunts.  The kids each took a turn choosing a color or word to look for throughout the day.  T chose red and J chose the word ‘the’.  As we found the selected color or word around our community the kids took turns taking pictures of the objects.  You could also “hunt” for shapes, letters, numbers or words.  The kids loved it. 

 

On the bookshelf:

 

Excerpt from The Big Tidy Up

JENNIFER KNEW, AS well as you
That everything has its place,
But she just didn’t care

a whit,

 a bit,
So her room was a real disgrace!

As a child I remember asking my Mom to read this book to me over and over.  On a visit home, several years ago,  I stumbled across the treasured book and happily read it to my children.  Imagine my surprise when I decided to buy it online one day and found it selling for anywhere from $300-800!  I told my Mom she should frame the thing! :) 

Overview

A story every Mom is bound to encounter at some point in their child’s life is turned into an amusing tale in The Big Tidy Up by Norah Smaridge (I love to say that last name, it just rolls around in my mouth).  One day Jennifer’s mother refuses to touch Jennifer’s messy room from now until Christmas Day and posts a “Keep Out” sign.  Jennifer has a lovely time for a couple of days but then finds even she can’t live in her own mess and embarks on the big tidy-up.  The book is very large and the illustrations were wonderful.  My favorite being the cherry pie under her pillow and Jennifer’s bristly, black hair that stands on end.  The book has a happy ending for everyone but the spider who scurries off to some other room in a cluttered state.

and I had my own happy ending.  The book was reprinted in 2008, and although I have yet to order my own copy I am now pleased to see that I can buy it for under $10.

 

Make Your Own Ukelele

 

 

My kids love performing and are always making up their own songs and then we have the "privilege" of watching their performances.  I stumbled on this fun ukulele kit.  I can only imagine the shows we would get after we put this kit together!

 

 

::KidsKorner::

 

 

School Memory Keepers

 

 

  

 

 

Does it seem like you are bombarded with paper once the school year starts?  It does for me.  It seems like every year the kids bring home tons (and I do mean tons) of ‘priceless’ memories.  I’m pretty sure we’ve cut down our own rainforest with the amount of papers we get each year. 

 

From artwork and school work; to special drawings and creations I find myself in a mound of paperwork.   I always feel guilty when I don’t keep every little of piece of school work that comes home (the guilt often comes from the author of the so-called work).  So I would usually keep it and put it in a box.  Then it would pile up next to other papers until there were MOUNTAINS of school memories.

 

Last year I decided I had better figure out a better system.  So now, at the beginning of each year, the kids each get a binder.  They each get to put 25 sheet protectors into their binder. 

 

They each fill out an All About Me page that goes in the first sheet protector.  This page is full of favorite facts that always seem to change from one year to the next.  These facts include:  age, weight, height, who their teacher and friends are, favorite foods, books, songs, color and most importantly what they want to be when they grow up.  Then they fill the margins with stickers and sign their name, so cute!

 

 

We make handprints and footprints.  I also take a picture of each of them or use a recent one.  This paper becomes the cover of the binder (I use the ones that have a clear cover so I can slip in a cover sheet).  So each year we get new handprints and footprints that have grown bigger since the last year.

 

 

Then, throughout the year the kids choose (and they learn pretty fast to be selective since they only have room for 50 pages) what to keep and what to throw away.  Once in a while I choose things to keep which I slip in there myself.  I try to make sure the papers have a name and date so I can see the growth throughout the year.  At the end of the year they get to put their final report card in the pocket at the front of the binder.

 

It’s fun to see how they change and I love to see the growth they make over the year.

 

 

 

On the bookshelf:

 

 

 

 

You’ve probably heard of The Kissing Hand, but with school starting, I thought it appropriate for T.  It’s a cute book for children who are apprehensive about leaving for school or some other event that takes them away from loved ones and home.

 

 

 

Out and About

 

I would most likely have just as much fun as my kids with this game…it look pretty addicting.

Cagola - A balancing game

 

 

[Rock Village]

This was such a fun activity, the kids loved creating their own tiny rock village!  We collected varying sizes of river rock, washed them and painted them with acrylic paint. 

 

Mimicking those cute miniature Christmas villages, we had our own little Christmas in July.  The kids came up with a city hall, barber shop, skyscraper, post office, candy shoppe, cars, school buses, cozy little homes surrounded by trees, a person and even a stoplight. 

 

 

I helped them draw the “structures” and they painted them (after the paint dried I went over them with a sharpie to define the buildings). 

 

 

The kids had a ball driving/wrecking their rock cars and stopping at the shops.  They even brought out their legos to build a road and add some more characters to work at the stores and bake the bread at home.

 

Oh the bookshelf:

Elmer the elephant is different from the other elephants in the jungle. While the others are ordinary grey he has patchwork colors, yellow, orange, red, pink, purple, blue, green, black, white – (this book is also a great way to reinforce color recognition in small children).  Elmer is the jungle jester, but soon decides he doesn't like to be different. He wants to be grey like the rest of the elephants. Elmer finds a way to paint himself black, but to his surprise nobody recognizes him .....he is just like everybody else. Elmer learns that is it an honor to be different, the importance of being yourself and not pretending to be someone else.

Crazy Forts

I love the concept of this toy.  Crazy Forts take only minutes to build and have several different designs (a castle, house, igloo and tunnel).  Simply connect the balls and sticks for a fun fort, and you can even throw a bed sheet on top for an little hideaway.  You can buy additional Crazy Forts to make a huge structure!  This is going on the Christmas list for our kids!

 

::KidsKorner::

 

 

 

 

 

 

We found a magic stone today!

 

 

It was enchanting.  Nestled among other ordinary rocks, within a deep thicket, it lay there sparkling.  In wonder, the kids carted it home and marveled as they watched it make… Stone Soup.

 

 

We had recently read this book…

 

 

 

And even more recently…….in fact, just last night…………this book…

 

 

 

Just like the book the kids found that adding several commonplace kitchen ingredients only enhanced the flavor of stone soup.  What an adventure. The stone now resides in awesome splender, in a cupboard all it’s own, for another time when we are in the mood for Stone Soup.

 

 

I thought I’d share the recipe.  You never know when you might stumble across your own magic stone (which by the way I boiled the heck out of before we used it J)!!

·        1 stone big enough that it won’t get lost in the soup (quartz is a good choice because it won’t break down in cooking

·        1 tbsp butter or vegetable oil

·        1 lb stew meat

·        1 med yellow onion, chopped

·        1 cup diced celery

·        1 cup coined carrots

·        3 med red potatoes

·        ½ sweet red pepper

·        1 large garlic clove, pressed

·        1 can stewed tomatoes

·        can of green bean

·        can of corn

·        6 cups beef broth (or a combination of broth and water)

·        Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

·        Grated Parmesan cheese

·        Croutons

The kids took turns scrubbing and washing the stone thoroughly (it might be magic but even magic needs a little washing once in a while). Then, for an extra cleaning, we dropped it in a pot of boiling water for about an hour

J.

In a large pot, melt the butter or heat the oil over medium heat. Place the stew meat in the skillet and cook until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the meat from the skillet and set the skillet aside to use later. Place the beef cubes in a large crock-pot turned to low. Then, in the same skillet, add a tbsp of oil and sauté the onion on medium-high for 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in the celery, carrot, potatoes and red pepper, sautéing for 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds, then add in the broth. Using a spoon, fish the stone out of the other pot, add it to the soup and bring to a boil. Add the stewed tomatoes, beans, corn.  Season to taste with the salt and pepper. Let simmer for 6-8 hours.  Before serving, sprinkle on the cheese and croutons, then ladle--minus the stone--into individual bowls. Serves 6 to 8.  Enjoy.

 

 

 

I love this Map Dinghy Drain Stopper, what a clever use of a ordinary item!

 

 

 

::KidsKorner::

 

 

 

 

Zoo Masks

 

 

 

I saw this online somewhere and thought it was such a cute idea, and I finally got around to helping the kids make some. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make zoo masks from Zoo Pals paper plates.

 

All you need are:

·         Zoo Pal paper plates

·         Popsicle stick

·         Tape (I used Duct Tape, ain’t that stuff grand??)

·         Scissors

 

First I cut out the eyes of the zoo plate animal (I didn’t dare let the kids cut them out, they happen to take after me when it comes to sharp objects:).  Attach a popsicle stick for a handle using super strong duct tape. The kids held the mask in front of them…..we had a regular zoo around here!  Not really that unusual!

Variation:  Staple elastic to the backs of the plate so that it fits over the child’s head. 

 

 

Oh the bookshelf:

 

 

 

The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood

 

My kids LOVED this book when they were babies and still choose it often when we have story time.  It allows them to participate in the story as they become one of the characters.   When a little mouse finds a yummy, red strawberry, he is not willing to part with it.  He tries all sorts of clever ways to hide and disguise the strawberry while you the reader try to get the mouse to hand over the strawberry.  True to the Woods’ style the illustrations and story are precious and priceless.  A must have for every family.

 

Mermaids and Pirates on the Beach oh my!

 

 

 

 

 

Aren’t these towels adorable?

 

 

 

::KidsKorner::

 

 

 

Crayon Cakes

 

 

 

 

 

Whenever we have lots of crayons stubs that are too small to use, we gather them up and make crayon cakes.  The kids love to do this. 

 

 

 

 

 

What you’ll need:

·        crayons (I use broken ones, but you could use new ones)

• glitter (optional)
• muffin tin (one that you don’t mind getting a little crayon on.  If you don't have a muffin tin to devote to crayon making, you can line your regular muffin tin with foil cups.)
• exacto knife

Peel off any paper from the crayons (I use an exacto knife) and break them into 1/2″ to 1″ pieces. This is a great sorting activity for children.  They can sort the crayons by color and size.  They can even mix the primary colors that will melt to make new colors.

Preheat your oven to 265 degrees F.  After allowing the kids to experiment with color and size, arrange two to three like colors in each slot.   If you want to add glitter, pour it over the top of each slot full of crayon.  Bake for 6-8 minutes (don’t over bake - you want them just melted so you can’t distinguish the crayon shape anymore). Let them cool completely and then they should pop right out

1^st Variation: use a shaped silicone muffin tin that’s been lined with tin foil.

2^nd Variation:  instead of using a muffin tin, use a small paper cups, and microwave them on high for  4 - 6 minutes.  Pour the melted wax into candy molds, and freezer for 30 minutes. Once the wax has hardened, your new crayons will pop out of the molds.

 

They also make great party favors, back to school gifts or gift toppers!

 

 

On the bookshelf:

 

 

 

 

The story of Katy No-Pocket is a family favorite!  After searching high and low the distressed Katy, a mama kangaroo with no pocket for her baby Freddy, asks other animals for advice.  She finally finds a solution that is pure brilliance.  Beyond this adored story by Emmy Payne, H.A. Rey's utterly charming illustrations make this into a treat that should NOT be missed. The details of the assorted animals are so cheery, the faces so animated, this book exudes happiness.

 

 

Scoops-on-a-Stick

 

Another great idea from Martha, just in time for summer parties!

::KidsKorner::

 

 

Kids love experimenting with sand. 

 

 

Because it is naturally tactile, sand is a perfect way for children explore colors and patterns, of course they don’t care about that, they just want to have fun! 

 

 

 

 Here is an easy art project the kids love…in the back yard (hint, hint).  To introduce the activity we watched this video, she is amazing!! 

 

 

Then I let the kids loose to scoop, pour, mix and create.  I have bags of colored sand I got from a craft store that we use in our crafts, but you can make your own with beach sand or salt.  Below is a simple way to make colored sand.

 

Colored Sand or Salt

Put 2-3 cups of salt or beach sand into a large zip lock baggie.  Add a couple of drops of food coloring (the more food coloring you add the darker and brighter the color gets).  Close the baggie and start mixing with your fingers. Shake the sand around until all the sand or salt is colored.

 

By the way, how do kids get so grimy at school?

 

On the bookshelf:

 

 

 

I love author Robert Mcloskey.  His books are warm and full of life.  One of my favorites of his is Blueberries for Sal. It is beautiful and tender, especially his illustrations.  On one side of Blueberry Hill little Sal (a sweet little girl with an obvious knack for getting into mischief) is out to pick blueberries with her mother that they will bottle for winter.  On the other side is another mother bear and her cub.  Both families are preparing for winter by storing berries in their own way. At one point each child starts following the wrong mother.  This mix-up causes some surprise and confusion (especially for the mothers), but by the end each child is ultimately reunited with its proper mother and they both leave the hill to finish preparing for the winter ahead.  Such a sweet book.

The Little Stamp Company

 

 

 

I love the concept of this stamp.   Similar to tracing paper, you or your child stamp on paper and help your little one learn to sign their name!! 

::KidsKorner::

When J started Kindergarten I found our time together sadly diminished.  Since I couldn’t increase the quantity of time we spent together, I decided to figure out a way to increase the quality of time we spend together.

 

Now we have a Craft Time Box.  The box has 5 drawers and each is labeled with a day of the week.  Each day while J is at school I put a craft in the coordinating drawer.  The minute the kids come in the door after school they race to the box to see what craft they get to do.  It is a great way to let the kids unwind from a very structured day and I get my time with my kids to boot.  I usually keep the crafts relatively simple, although I like to throw in an elaborate craft once in a while.  Here is a sample list of some easy crafts I find myself using frequently:

• Sidewalk chalk yourself (outline each person, Mom included and add clothes, accessories, etc. on the sidewalk or along block walls, just spray off when done)
• Make a kitchen craft (the kids love to follow a recipe to make their own snacks. I have the ingredients ready to go before hand, but I let them do the measuring, mixing and pouring)
• Noun jar:  put names of animals, places, any “thing” on a slip of paper in a jar and pick out a subject to learn about.  Use books and the computer to look up facts and stories about the topic.
• Make thank you cards and let the kids mail them.
• Make birthday cards to put in the card box to use throughout the year.
• With a piece of paper and crayon for each, take a walk outside and make rubbings of any letters you can find on the sidewalk, buildings, and signs.
• Get out paper, pictures, stickers and stamps and let the kids make their own scrapbook pages.
• Plant seeds or seedlings.
• Rope walking – place a rope on the ground at different angles and have the kids balance as they walk along the top.
• Make up a batch of play dough and play.
• Create an obstacle course.  These can be done indoors or outdoors.  If doing it indoors, have the children crawling, crab walking or turning in circles to keep it less wild.
• Relay Races
• Have a treasure hunt with clues guiding them through the house to find the “treasure”/snack.
• Make animal shadows in a dark room with your hands and fingers and a flashlight.
• Make mud pies.
• Start a rock collection.
• Make egg carton caterpillars.
• Make and hang a birdfeeder.
• Go for a walk and identify as many kinds of birds as you can.  We bring our bird book with us for a guide.
• Have everyone pick two favorite books and read them out loud and discuss them.
• Make a special treat to welcome Daddy or Mommy home from work.
• Make a batch of finger paints and play in the tub or if you’re real brave - at the kitchen table.
• Play Simon Says and/or Red light, Green light.
• Put together a puzzle.
• Sharpening Pencils – you’d be surprised at how much they enjoy this; it also helps them learn to take turns.
• Play a board game.
• Make musical instruments from things found in the kitchen and have a concert.
• Have a miniature scavenger hunt, the catch everything has to fit inside an Altoid tin.  Example:  find something red, find something that makes noise, find something that is smaller than your ear, ect.
• Build a town out of blocks and make a road for toy cars to drive around.
• Get out the ink pads and make thumbprint pictures.
• Make paper chains and count down to something.
• Make confetti with hole punches and construction paper.
• Make edible necklaces (I make these on days when we have to run some errands, it keeps little hands and mouths busy!)
• Have the kids cut out pictures from magazines and make collages.  Then tell each other about them.
• Make paperclip necklaces
• Do a lacing activity,  It’s as simple as cutting two stockings or other shapes out of constructions paper, hole punching some holes and giving the kids some yarn to lace together two pieces of paper.
• Origami
• Tan Grams
• Pour a pound of dry rice or dry pinto beans into a pan along with some tiny toys and let the kids search through the rice for the toys.
• Go outside and do some water painting.  Each child gets a cup of water and a paintbrush and let them go to town painting the house, fence and other outdoor objects.

 

On the bookshelf:

 

 

 

As a child I was enchanted by this book.  It is filled with lessons of love, kindness, perseverance and courage.  The story is both beautiful and timeless and the illustrations are stunning.  In fulfilling her dream, the mother in The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes is pure love poured out on each page.

 

 

World's Smallest Postal Service

 

 

 

 

 

This is such an charming idea.  World Smallest Postal Service will have the Easter Bunny send a letter you’ve written to someone you love this Easter.  You write the letter and then it magically turns into a 1 x 1.5 in. letter.  It then goes into a tiny envelope which gets addressed, stamped, and sealed with a miniscule wax seal with your initial on it.   Adorable!!

::KidsKorner::

 

 

On an especially trying night (and sometimes in the middle of the day…hello Spring Break!), when my kids have been very full of life and my patience is wearing thin, I make a batch of this and let the kids take a good long bath full of creativity!  Kids can have fun making a huge mess in the bathtub, and it will all go down the drain.  Your kids will enjoy creating painted flowers, monsters, printing their names, or anything they dream up.  I haven’t had any problems with this recipe staining my tub like I have with store bought finger paints, but I would test it in an inconspicuous area first!!  I’ve used several recipes but I like this non-toxic recipe that doesn’t call for dish soap (Rugrat # 2 broke out in a rash with that one).

 

FINGER PAINT

½ cup cornstarch

2 cups cold water

Food coloring

Mix cornstarch and water in a saucepan, stirring constantly to eliminate lumps. Bring to boil. Mixture will begin to thicken. Pour into several small containers.  In each container, add a different color. FYI, I usually double the recipe and I give each kid their own ice cube container or muffin tin of “paints”.  Allow to cool before using.

Oh the bookshelf:

 

 

 

Growing up we didn’t have a television, but I don’t remember even noticing.  My sweet mother had lots of fabulous books on hand and I have many marvelous memories of her reading to me and the rest of us crazy kids.  One of my absolute favorite books was Pickle Chiffon Pie by Jolly Roger Bradfield.  I was fascinated by the pictures of three-headed dragons toasting marshmallows, mice busily painting miniature museum knock-offs, and a 16-footed Gazoo.  Of course I desperately wanted a slice of pickle chiffon pie, but alas, my Mom didn’t have the recipeJ.  Pickle Chiffon Pie was one of the first books I got for my bookshelf and my kids love reading it right along with me.  I still want a slice of Pickle Chiffon Pie, and so I’m half tempted to make a lemon meringue pie and adding a little green food coloring just for the fun of it!!

 

Family Talk

 

A friend of mine has been using Family Talk at dinnertime and loves the conservations they’ve been having.  They find themselves talking at the table long after they’ve finished eating, sounds awesome!

 

 

::Leprechaun Doughnuts::

 

The kids wanted to say thank you to Patrick for all of his sneaky goodies so we decided to make Leprechaun Doughnuts. 

 

These miniature doughnuts take only three ingredients but they are sure to put a smile on your Leprechaun. 

 

Just grab some Cheerios (or any other ‘holey’ cereal), frosting and some bright green sprinkles.  Frost the Cheerios and add a dash of magic sprinkles and you’ve got yourself some honest to goodness Leprechaun Doughnuts:)

 

After the kids had sampled a few, we set out a plateful for Patrick.  Hope he comes!!