DIY Birdseed Wreath

 This is one of my favorite memories of my Grandma Garvin.  Every fall we would make a wreath for the birds.  She would spread out newspaper on her kitchen table, and we would get to work.  We would hang this wreath in her front yard.  It was so fun to watch the birds visit the wreath to fill their tummies.

Here is what you need: 

-Straw wreath form

-Peanut butter (you can use coconut oil if you have allergies)

-Birdseed

-Spatula, spoons, or knives to spread the peanut butter

-Ribbon to hang the wreath

Here's a photo straight out of the 80's!  Can you pick out which one I am?

How to make the wreath: 

1. Choose your work area.  I'm not sure how my grandma got away with doing this activity inside, but I suggest doing this outdoors!

2. Spread peanut butter all over the front of the wreath form.

3.  Sprinkle birdseed onto the peanut butter.  Pat the seeds in to stick.

4.  Hang in a place where you can observe the birds!

This is a fun, messy project!  

I went to check on the wreath today.  It has been a week and the birdseed is completely gone!  Those were some hungry birds!  We are going to do this again!

Watch the video here.

Catching Mermaids Sensory Bin

 A sensory bin is the perfect place to corral loose parts.  I'm always on the lookout for inexpensive items that I can use as loose parts.  Felt die cut shapes can often be found in the craft department.  My children love these.  

I combined these mermaid felt shapes with some of the wood loose parts we had on hand.  I threw in some flat sea colored glass vase fillers.  The Dollar Tree net was the perfect addition to tape on the wall. 

The best thing about loose parts play is that there is not right way to play with the items.  

Put the items in the sensory table and watch what your children do with them!

My children did a lot of counting.  They compared who "caught" more mermaids.  

The sensory bin kept all the pieces off the floor!  This is great knowing that our little yorkie likes to chew everything!

Gifts for Babies: 6 months to 1 year old

Are you stuck trying to figure out what to give a baby? 

This post will highlight gifts that will grow WITH the baby.  These were all loved items in my house when my children were in this age range.  In all honesty, we still have many of these items and use them regularly!

I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post, at no additional cost to you.

Sassy Photo Book 

I just pulled this book off the shelf to write this post.  It was originally purchased for Brickston (who is now 6 years old).  All the children still love to look through this book.  

This book has plastic clear slots to slide photographs into.  We put pictures of the baby with each family member.  The pages are puffy, which make it easier for chubby baby fingers to turn.  This is a great gift to give if you live far away from the baby. 

Stacking Cups

By the age of six months, children are beginning to sit independently.  This is the perfect time to give their hands something to do.  Babies love dumping these cups out of a basket.  These can be stacked.  We continue to use these in the bathtub or sensory table.  This is an open-ended toy that you will continue to use as your child grows into a preschooler!

Baby Stella Doll

First of all, I think these Baby Stella dolls are just the cutest. This was the first baby doll that I purchased for Quinlan.  She loved to take off the pacifier and pop it back onto the doll's mouth.  (If you child is still putting items in his/her mouth, removed the magnetic pacifier for now).  This stuffed doll is the perfect size for babies and beginning walkers to tote around with them.  These dolls are also WASHABLE!  This is a must!

 Skidders

Okay, I get it.  We aren't winning any fashion awards with these Skidders sock shoes, but they are so practical.  Babies who are beginning to stand or walk do best barefoot.  But being barefoot isn't always possible in all settings. These rubber-bottom sock shoes worked so well for my kids.  Even just to use as slippers to prevent falling, these are a great gift idea!

Leap Frog 3-in-1 Walker

This is not the exact walk behind toy that we had, but I like THIS one better!  I like that you can use it for younger babies as a play gym.  Then it transitions to a walk-behind toy.  The base is much wider than the one I had with my children, which prevents the toys from falling backward.  Walk behind toys are better than baby walkers where babies are sitting in a seat and walking forward.  Those old-school walkers can be dangerous and do not promote proper gait.  The walk behind toys allow children to support their own weight on their legs and to receive appropriate sensory input.

Step 2 Sand and Water Table

You might be thinking your child is too young for a sensory table.  No way!  Most infant toddler centers have sensory tables available to babies.  We have had our table like this for 9 years!  Our umbrella was lost during a move.  We keep ours outside, but you could keep this inside.  It is the perfect height for beginning standing children as well as preschool children. 

Under the Bed Storage Tote

If you want to wait on the sand/water table, you can purchase an under the bed storage tote to use as a sensory table on the floor.  Fill with a little water and toss the stacking cups in for some sensory fun!  There are many other sensory bin ideas that are appropriate for babies and toddlers. 

Authentic Spelling Activity: Making a Gift Giving List

 

 

Christmas will be here before we know it!

I love Christmas time!  I especially love watching the joy of Christmas through my children's eyes.  In an effort to curb what can easily become "I want this..." and "Get me this..." time of year, I wanted to find a way for my older two kids to plan what they would make or buy for others.  In addition to fostering thoughtfulness, this activity will provide children with an opportunity to use writing in an authentic, purposeful way.  My second grade daughter and kindergarten son have spelling tests each week; however, this list gave them a chance to write for a purpose.

Print your own copy of the Christmas Gift List: 

I made two types of lists.  The first list I gave the kids had pictures of their three cousins in the boxes.  They were excited to get started. 

I didn't have to give them much direction before they dove into the task.  Kinsley wrote what she wants to get each cousin in the large boxes. 

 Zaven first drew pictures of the items he wants to give each of them.  I told Zaven that we should write the words beside the pictures.  He asked me to spell it for him, but I would not.  Instead, I had him use invented spelling.  This type of spelling is sometimes referred to by teachers as "kindergarten spelling." 

What is invented spelling?

Children experiment with words and letters by writing the sounds that they hear.  Invented spelling follows a developmental continuum. Eventually, the writer is able to spell conventionally. You can see the stages in this chart compiled by Community of Inclusion.

When children first begin to use invented spelling, they may be able to distinguish and write the first sound or consonant in a word. As they progress, children will typically be able to distinguish and record the final consonant sound. Medial sounds (the ones in the middle) will come next.

 

If you look at Zaven's list, he is mostly using first and final consonant sounds with some medial sounds. 

In case you need it deciphered:

Zaven's List

Justus: gun

Reese: Barbie

Elena: purse, shoes, balloon

Tarek: balloon

Kinsley is using mostly conventional spelling.

Kinsley's List:

Justus: writing notebook and pens

Reese: ninja turtle, coloring books

Elena: purse

Santa: a new Santa hat

How do you promote invented spelling?

Ask the child what word they want to write. Tell them to listen for sounds that they know.

Say the word.

Repeat the word, exaggerating the articulation.

Say the word again, normally.

Have the child write the sounds.

Some additional prompts I give when a child gets stuck:

What sound do you hear at the beginning? Right! What letter makes the /b/ sound?

Do you hear any other sounds in the word?

How do you provide feedback to the child?

This definitely should not be a discouraging process. You do NOT want to provide the correct spelling for each word that your child writes. In fact, you shouldn't be "fixing" any of the words. 

Praise your child for the sounds that were heard. Even if they did not write any of the correct letters that are in the word, praise the child for making a wonderful "k."

Choose one or two of the words that you can provide feedback.  Then you will only want to move the child to the next level of sophistication.  You may call attention to the final sound or the medial sound.  You might provide information about how to make a blended sound.  

Zaven drew a balloon and wrote B.  This was our conversation:
Me: Yes! I hear a /b/ sound at the beginning of balloon, too.  You are right, the B makes the /b/ sound.
Zaven: Yes, I knew that.
Me: Can I show you another trick about the word balloon?
Zaven: Sure.
Me: It has an ending sound.  Listen for it...balloon.
Zaven: It's an N!
Me: Yep.  Do you remember how to make an N?  It is in your name.

Kinsley wrote "writeing notebook." This was a good opportunity to talk about dropping the e to add an -ing ending.

Kinsley also used the form without pictures to finish her Christmas planning. <<Spoiler alert!>>

Let me know if you use the list!

Falling Sight Words

 

You may remember from the post Practicing Letter Naming with Rocks and Trucks, that we have been trying to find fun ways for Zaven to practice his letters and sight words.   Keeping sight word practice fun and motivating is essential for Zaven, because he becomes very discouraged and frustrated.   This leaf and rake activity has been a hit.  And it is so easy to make!

I bought two packages of faux leaves from the Dollar Tree.  There were 10 leaves in each so I wrote 20 sight words.

  You could write the words you are currently working on or reviewing.  You could also write the letters of the alphabet.  I may even buy more leaves to write my daughter’s second grade vocabulary words.

I spread out a few of the leaves on the ground and told Zaven which leaves to rake up.  “Rake up have. Rake up with.” 

I also set a timer for 20 seconds to see how many leaves he could rake into his pile.  At the end of the time, he had to read each word for it to count.  He kept trying to beat his record.

Baby Language Building with Pasta

 

Look at one-year-old Brickston! I wanted to share an activity that will help you build language skills with the baby or toddler in your life.

 

Often times, play activities are derived out of necessity in my house. I needed to occupy Brickston for just a bit as I finished grading a paper.  I opened my pantry and saw the box of pasta.  It has been mocking me for weeks now.  My husband and I are trying very hard to stick to the Whole 30 diet once again, which means pasta is out!  So instead of letting the tri-color noodles go to waste, I had an idea.

I grabbed a large plastic bowl and a few measuring cups.  I sat Brickston on the hard floor (easier to clean up) and opened the box.  I watched him carefully pull a noodle out of the box.  He turned it over in his hand and looked to me for permission.  I poured some of the pasta into the bowl.  He stirred it using the measuring cups. I grabbed a few stuffed animals and modeled how to "feed" them.  I then grabbed my camera and took the video that is posted at the end.

The pasta provided great sensory exploration.  He buried the cups in the bowl of pasta and dug them back out.  He practiced cause and effect as he tipped the box over and watched the pasta tumble out onto the ground.  But best of all, the pasta play gave us an opportunity to build communication skills.

No, Brickston isn't yet talking beyond the occasional "Mama" or "Dada," but he communicates.  He communicates by pointing, whimpering , and going "boneless" (in protest of something he doesn't want).  

He is also demonstrating the ability to maintain joint attention.  Joint attention typically begins to develop around 6-9 months of age. It is a very important communication skill.  Joint attention is when a child and an adult pay attention to the same thing.  They are sharing attention that is focused on the same activity or object.  The development of joint attention means that the individual understands that other people have intentions and ideas, too.  

 Joint attention is needed for later conversational skills.  During play, Brickston looks at me often.  He is checking to see if I am attending and if I have anything to add.  These opportune glances are prime opportunities to build language.  

 

Babies and toddler's brains are developing rapidly.  This is the prime time to build language and communication skills.  This may seem like a hefty task, but you are probably already doing these things everyday.  

I want this post to be a reminder that you are a powerful force in your child's development.  An easy way to build your child's language is to comment or narrate what they are doing.  You can label the objects your child is using.  Describe the object by talking about its size, color, and texture. You can also label your child's actions. 

  

 

Sometimes it is fun to have "messy" play that is easy to sweep up.  Definitely watch your child closely, because the pasta could pose a choking risk.  If your child tries to put it in his/her mouth, you could use cheerios instead.  After we played together, I sat on the floor with my laptop to finish grading the paper.  Brickston continued to play for 10 more minutes with the pasta!

 

 

 

How are you playing with language today?

 

Practicing Letter Naming with Rocks and Trucks

 

When Kinsley was in preschool and kindergarten, she just naturally picked up on labeling letters and their sounds.  While Zaven’s letter recognition is improving, he still needs some attention in this area. He is a busy boy, so I knew we had to find a fun solution for him.

We have a creek next to our house (my husband calls it a ditch).  I gave Zaven the task of finding rocks (he’s still on the mission to find more).  Once he found the perfect ones, we took them inside to rinse off. I used a permanent marker to write both the upper and lower case letters on the rocks.  We use these rocks when he plays with his construction vehicles.  

How you can do this today:

1.       Find smooth rocks and rinse them off.  Or you could buy rocks from the dollar store (the kind used for filling vases)

2.       Use a permanent marker to write the letters on the rocks.  You will want to decide if you want to first focus on the capital letters or the lower case letters as well.  I went ahead and made both, but we typically play with just the capital letters.

3.       Gather up all the trucks you can find.  Look under your couches and in the back of your van (this is where we found the majority of ours). 

4.       Give your child a chance to just explore filling up the trucks and dumping them back out.

5.       Ask the child to drive certain rocks from the “quarry” to the loading truck.

     “Can you transport the letter Z?”  (Start first with letters that are in your child’s name)

    “We have an order for the letter that makes the /b/ sound!” (Continue through some other letter sounds.)

   “See if you can find all the letters that have a curve shape.”

6.       I made a quick chart for Zaven to dump the capital letters on to their matching lower case letter.

 

You can also write sight words on the rocks!