A Few of My Favorite Things: Craft Supplies

So art and craft supplies for children are a bit of an obsession of mine.  Before I go any further, let me show you a pic of my favorite school supply magazine....they have great quality products that are affordable.  Oh and they have a website as well...maybe you have heard of them?

Discount School Supply.  Last time I checked, you do not need to be a school to order from them...also visit their website at  http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/ 

Here are a few of my favorite products from them:

1.  Do you have a hard time getting your kids to put the caps on markers after the use them.  Do you eventually lose the caps and the markers dry out?  Check out this creative way to get the most use out of you markers without them drying out

2.  These are fabulous little stampers that make colorful pictures (they are basically a glorified bingo marker for children).

They also provide activity books.  I personally like to use them with coffee filters, tissue paper or plain white paper.  Let the child create their own artistic expression.

3. For your older 3's and up...I think beading is so much fun.  But this skill can still be very challenging for little one's.  I like to use pony beads and pipe cleaners (for stringing).





4. Stamp pads are great to have handy.

5.  Eye droppers



My Favorite Things: Preschool Lunch Ideas

Preschool lunches can be a source of frustration...parents are at a loss sometimes for what to send to school for their child.  Some schools follow strict N.A.E.Y.C. nutrition standards and some have a no peanut policy.  Then to add another layer on to that...preschoolers can be picky eaters! Well, I am here to tell you that there are many great ways to pack a lunch that will be stress-free for you and satisfy your picky eater.  Here are some of my most favorite lunch ideas:

First, I am a BIG fan of these little thermos':

I think that this is tried and true-it has evolved in it's look, but I had one as a child as well.  You can put anything in this and send to school.  Some suggestions are:



1. Leftovers from the night before.
2. Chicken Nuggets
3.Soup
4.Quesadilla
5. Sliced turkey dogs
6. Grilled Cheese
7. Mac n Cheese
8. Butter Noodles
9. Yogurt with fresh fruit
10.  Fill half-way with milk and in a separate container or bag send some cereal to add to the milk.

Other fun ideas that preschoolers love....

*They love to DIP...almost anything.  Send veggie sticks and some ranch dip or hummus and veggies or pita.  Our preschoolers LOVE hummus!

*Make your own lunchable.  Let me tell you..remember this...preschoolers do not eat lunchables.  Marketing on TV makes them ask you to buy them...darn marketing! They may take a bite and then realize they don't like them.  I am ok with that!  But they will eat one that you make for them.  Get some healthy deli meat (I love Boars Head) and some of your child's favorite cheese.  Use a biscuit cutter (for a nice round lunchable-esq shape) or your favorite cookie cutter and cut away.  Get some ritz crackers and whoala...LUNCHABLE-healthier style :0)

*Many schools are a peanut-free zone.  There are some yummy alternatives.  I personally love sunflower butter and cashew butter is a close second.  There is also almond butter. 

Here are some pictures to give you an idea of the size/amount that you should pack for your child...

Here are a few of my favorite brands/products for kids (and me, too..shhh!)

I may update this later....what products do you love?





Estaablishing Bedtime Routines

Establishing Bedtime Routines

Bedtime routines can be a struggle for many families…With so much going on in our preschoolers little worlds from play-dates, dance class, karate, swimming lessons…. it is no wonder going to bed is sometimes the last thing they want to do. Sleep is a crucial element in a child’s development, just as much as healthy eating habits are. And as children this age establish their autonomy and independence and become aware of things they can control, it is not unlike them to negotiate with you at bedtime. I am sure you all have heard, “Just one more story,” or kiss or hug or sip of water. The list can go on and on. It is so important to establish a bedtime routine that works for your family. As a routine is established, your child will learn to embrace and expect it each night. Here are some tips to help:

1. Bedtime should start the same time every night…one hour before you want your preschoolers head on the pillow. Be firm…A typical bedtime for preschoolers is between 7:00 and 7:30p.m.
2. Have a wind down time. Make sure their activities are calm prior to getting ready for bed. And make sure to give a 10 minute warning before you are going to “get ready” for bed.
3. Watch what they consume prior to bed. A small snack is fine, but limit the sugar intake.
4. Keep it calm. Television may seem like a relaxant, but it actually acts as a stimulant. Even though your child “looks” calm, watching TV…. their brain is actually being over stimulated and once turned off your child will have more of a difficult time calming their body. Turn it off and take it out of your child’s bedroom.
5. Make sure the routine is the same. Make a to-do list….bath, pajamas, brush teeth, comb hair and 1-2 short stories…visuals are very helpful for some children.
6. Read, read, read….What can be more exciting than a bedtime story or two (no more than two)?? Let your child pick out the stories.
7. Let them fall asleep naturally on their own. As tempting as it may be want to lay with your child until he drops off into slumber, don’t. Don’t let your child become dependent on you to fall asleep. Preschoolers should be able to fall asleep on their own. Make sure the room is a cool and dark place. A night-light is fine and/or soft music. A kiss and hug goodnight. Remind your preschooler that you will be back to check to see if they are asleep in a few minutes. Make sure you do. Always, always follow through. Keep your promise.

On average Preschoolers need 11-13 hours of sleep each night. A Bedtime routine should be a calm transition to sleep. Everything from your voice to your body language should be calm. As you move from the front of the house back to the bedrooms or from downstairs to upstairs….dim or turn off lights, turn off TV’s, cell phones and computers. If your child is frequently waking up in the middle of the night, put them to bed half an hour earlier. Engage with your children and enjoy this quality time. Allow a week or two for routine to be firmly established (although it should only take a couple of days for your child to begin to expect the routine). Be firm and consistent…don’t deviate and negotiate. They are learning to be life long learners…together we can help them to be successful!

A Few of My Favorite Things: For Preschoolers Lunches

Meal time is an oh so frustrating time for many parents.  There tends to be high expectations(from parents as far as the amount of food they think their child should be consuming) and a low performance (from the child who has a stomach is the size of a hard boiled egg).  What I am saying is... parents tend to give their children too much food at meal times.  This can be very overwhelming for a child.  Children of all ages want to feel a sense of accomplishment with everything they do..including eating their meals.  It is best to give them less and allow them the opportunity to finish and feel proud of eating their meal and say, "Look! I finished all my dinner!".  They can always ask for more.  If they chose not to eat still then oh well.  They will not starve and you will let them know when the next meal time or snack time is (sometimes it is not til breakfast), then carry on with your day.  Do not get sucked into being a short order cook.  If a child knows that you will eventually make them what they want to eat in that moment, they will never try new or different things.  Remember, children continue to do things as long as they are working for them.  When "whatever it is" stops working for them, the child will eventually give up! They are smart little people! Just remember when feeding them, the rule of thumb is a tablespoon of each type of food for every year of age (ages 2-6). 

My biggest frustration as a preschool teacher is over packed lunches that children barely eat.  Then to add another layer to that, a frustrated and concerned parent that comes to me asking me why their child is not eating at lunchtime.  I fully understand and validate the concern.  However, we need to have our expectations in line with reality.  Know your child.  A whole sandwhich, a bag of pirates booty, an unpeeled orange, an 8oz waterbottle and a ziploc bag full of goldfish is barely going to get eaten by your typical preschooler.  I have compiled some pictures of my favorite lunchtime items and ideas for you to look at.  With the busy lives we lead it is incredibly easy to get sucked up in prepackaged and convienent items to pack your child's lunch with.  I am not necessarily agains pre-pacakaged items...just know your consumer ;0) My next post will be on yummie lunch ideas for school and home.

Thermos' are great for sending leftovers to school the next day.  I love cookie cutters for cutting out sandwiches in different fun shapes.  I think that container lunches are great because they make it easy for you to portion your child's lunch. I think the reusable lunch sacks are great and very green :0) You can find them all over etsy.com.  Giving your children reusable bottles allows for you to decide what type of beverage to give them for lunch and how much.  I think the colorful ones are great for your older children...they are collapsible :0)

Fun Family Activities

Here are some great ideas for fun crafts and learning experiences to do with your children (credit given to pinterest.com).  Thought I would share....enjoy!

Picture number 1: Homemade Crayons- made from old, broken and unused crayons in your house or classroom.  Simply chop up into small pieces, put in molds and bake.

Picture number 2: Zig Zag Car Races-great for hand-eye coordination and fine-motor development.  All you need is a long piece of butcher paper, some zig-zag lines and cars and you are good to go!!!

Picture number 3: Sensory Bags:  Simply add hair gel (from the dollar store), glitter (optional) and mix.  Remember to seal the top with some packing tape so it will not leak.  You can add fun confetti or small foam shapes for an I SPY type of bag.

Who knew...

Who knew in the fall of 1996, when I took a random Monday night Early Childhood Education class (only took it so I would have 12 units so that I could stay on my folks medical insurance) that the course of my future would change.  I figured I liked working with kids and I could get something out of taking the class.  I have always loved working with children.  I babysat from age 11 on and loved it!  I mean making extra cash was a total bonus but I just loved being with little people.  I was originally going to school to become a pediatric neonatal ICU nurse. But sitting in that night class (it was Art & Music for Early Childhood)I became intrigued and curious about becoming an early educator. And that was it! Who knew?  I love my career.  Their innocence and complete honesty and total sense of wonder for the world around them is what makes me passionate about working with the little people.  I know without a doubt I am doing what I was put on this Earth to do.  People are always telling me I should write a book or create a site where I could share all of my experiences, ideas and knowledge with the world,  So here you go...this blog is dedicated to that!.