Best Preschool Egg Hunt

I’ve tried all types of egg hunts, but this has been my favorite for four years straight. The children are excited, happy, and content! What more can you ask for?

To view the rest of the article and photos, please head over to my newest blog, which I started to store and share my favorite early childhood activities:

My Preschool File Cabinet - Best Preschool Egg Hunt

Easy Bead/Pasta Stringing with Toddlers

Bead stringing is a classic activity for young children that helps strengthen their fine motor skills and allows them to perfect their hand-eye coordination.  Three year olds are just about the right age for bead stringing and card lacing activities without frustration.

For beginners and younger children (two and up), bead stringing can be introduced by using large, wooden beads and pipe cleaners.  The firm but flexible pipe cleaners allow small hands to point the tip accurately through the bead's opening.  Once the pipe cleaner is through the bead, help young children learn how to grasp the top of the pipe cleaner to slide the bead down.

Caution:  This is a good time to introduce words like sharp or "pokey" as M and I call the cut ends of the pipe cleaner. Also, just bend the bottom of pipe cleaner to make a little loop so the beads don't slide off the end.

Bead Stringing with Pipe Cleaners

Where to Find Beads?

I was very excited to find these large wooden beads at the Dollar Tree. Although painted, they meet safety standards and do not contain lead paint.  Usually these types of beads can be found at a much higher price in school supply catalogs or online educational sites. Another frugal option is the large plain wooden beads or blocks found at craft stores.

Substitute: Dried pasta shapes like rigatoni for beginners and penne for more of a challenge.

I bought two sets (6 beads each).  For $2, I can get a lot of play mileage out of these toys:

More Bead Activities:

These chunky beads are a good stand-in for a first set of blocks for little hands.  M likes to stack them up to make towers (to knock down again and again).

M also likes to fill and dump objects with these beads (ie. containers with twist tops, empty wipe containers, his dump trucks, etc.)

Sorting and Classifying:  Beads can be grouped by color and shape.  This is a beginning math skill. 

Patterning:  Whether stringing them or stacking them, you can introduce beginning patterns by alternating colors and pointing out the pattern to your child, "look, this one has red, yellow, red, yellow, red.  Let's make another one that matches."  This is another important math skill.


Math Vocabulary to Introduce:  different, same, matches, pattern, more, less

Mid-Week Mom Tip - Sun-upcycled Crayons

I love crafts with children and love them even more if they are easy and frugal.  This post by MaryAnne at Mama Smiles fits every requirement:

Sun-upcycled Crayons

Fun with Magnets

I felt honored to be asked to contribute a guest post to Melitsa's blog, Play Activities.

This terrific site has tons of learning activities and ideas for children -- check it out:     Fun with Magnets at Play Activities

Mid-Week DAD Tip - Walnut Boats

Creative Dad Blog Alert!  I'll never lose my affection for frugal kid crafts and love finding new sources of inspiration -- hopefully you do too!   Made by Joel approaches arts and crafts from a Dad's (and artist's) perspective. 

Walnut boats is only one of the fun projects found at Made by Joel.  Although there are many more, another post that quickly caught my eye was Cereal Box Marble Run. 

Thanks again to Money Saving Mom who posted a link to download Joel's Free Paper City -- another great activity that led me straight to Joel's blog.  Check it out -- hope you like it as much as I do!

Curious Toddlers - Homemade Activities

From the time they open their eyes in the morning until that last yawn of the day, toddlers are on a mission to explore. This leads to their reputation for “getting into things”.


Four ideas to keep them busy:



1. Twist On, Twist Off

Build a collection of different types of containers with screw-on tops like the ones below:




















Not pictured, but perfect for little hands are empty plastic spice containers.

With lids secured loosely, let your child explore it a bit and then show her how to use her hand to twist it off. Start with two different types and gradually add more over time. Then add toys or balls to the closed containers to add interest (ping pong balls pictured work well in spice jars, but are still considered a choking hazard for young children. Please do not leave child unattended or only use balls at least 2” in diameter).

Keep your bottle collection in a small zippered duffle-type bag or men’s toiletry bag, and you’ve given your child another fine motor task to master.





2. Hinged Containers

Toddlers love to open and close hinged containers and fill and dump with small toys.

Check Grandma’s house for older tin versions of Bandaid containers (last year Walmart had special anniversary versions for sale,) or maybe you have some novelty types like those below. Bandaid brand also has a new plastic tough-type container.

















Baby wipe containers that open and shut in a hinged fashion are also fun. For fine motor finger skills, try adding wash cloths for your child to pull out and stuff back in.


































Note: Look for signs that your child is ready for these types of activities. If he is engaged and excited, it's the right level. If he finds any of it frustrating or loses interest, try again in another week. As you know, week to week children grow and develop by leaps and bounds.



3. Indoor “Sand” Box


You’ll Need:


-Plastic Measuring Cups and Spoons

-Plastic Funnel (optional)

-Large plastic storage container (at least 18”L x 12”W x 5”H)

-Your choice of filler (this will depend on your child’s age and whether he/she still puts things in his mouth):

---Dried Rice

(safe if ingested but do not use outdoors as rice is not safe when eaten by birds)

---Dried Beans

(best for older toddlers/preschoolers as creative little ones might try to stuff one where it doesn’t belong – nose or ears)

---Dried Pasta (small shapes)

---Bird Seed

(this is a terrific green option as once it has outlived it’s play life, it can be used to feed the birds. If used outside, bird seed will not harm any wildlife if it falls to the ground – just remember that you might get a few plant sprouts wherever it drops on the soil).




4. Traditional Toys


If you haven’t introduced these yet, it’s a perfect time for:

-Wooden Puzzles with Pegged Handles

-Simple Shape Sorters (start with only circles and squares to lessen frustration)

-Stacking Cups

-Blocks of Any Type

(create your own stackables using empty cereal/formula canisters or boxes)



Easy Homemade Blocks


















Photo Credit: Adrian Lee, Canada

Which Toys are Best? 9 - 11 Months

Part III



















On the Move!


Many gross motor milestones are reached during this stage. For many, crawling is the first step, and crawling comes in all types of varieties: dragging himself across the floor with his forearms, just learning how to pivot around in circles, rocking back and forth on hands and knees, and the always entertaining half sit, half crawl. Don't worry too much if your baby comes up with his own style, but as always discuss any concerns with your pediatrician.



Motivators: Things that Roll

Usually it takes having a desirable object or toy just out of reach to give baby the motivation to get moving. Small vehicles and balls work well, because as he approaches it and hits it with his hand, it rolls even further out of reach. Try to resist the urge to give your child the toy at the first sign of frustration. If he is persistent, he will keep trying to get the ball and sooner or later may have dragged himself across the room without even realizing it.



Homemade Rolling Toy

You’ll need:

-Empty old-fashioned oatmeal containers/round salt containers(cardboard type) or formula/cereal canisters

-Small block or toy to add to the container for noise (or dry rice grains for the salt container)

-Optional: stickers, magazine cut-outs of interesting baby faces or animals to decorate the container; clear contact paper to cover

Playtime: Roll the container to your baby to catch his attention. After awhile, put it slightly out of reach so he’ll be tempted to try to get it.

Babies still love cause and effect at this stage, so having the toys or rice inside will add the dimension of sound effects.





I can stand! Now what do I do?


Learning to stand can occur before, during, after, or instead of crawling. Some babies skip crawling all together once they’ve learned the excitement of standing up and seeing things at a different level.

This can be a scary time for baby as well. Getting up was easy, but once they are up, how do they get down? Sometimes they find out the hard way that they hit the floor with their bottoms pretty quickly. This usually startles them, but once you let them know that it’s okay to fall and teach them to get right back up again, they’ll get over their fear of falling.



Bending Practice:


One way to help babies learn to bend their knees and ease them down from a standing positon: put a favorite small toy on the floor by their side, so they will be encouraged to figure out how to reach the toy.

Unless they get severely frustrated, let them try to figure it out and make a few unsuccessful attempts. You can also put a pillow down with the toy on top to make the first few tries more successful.




Fill and Dump:


Babies love to drop small identical items (such as blocks) into containers one by one and dump them out again.



Homemade Fill and Dump Toy

You’ll Need:

-Metal ends from frozen juice concentrates – cleaned – there are usually no sharp edges on these

-Empty Formula can, stainless steel bowl, plastic container, empty wipe container, or small shoebox

Playtime: Fill, dump, repeat!



Homemade Fill and Dump: Challenger Version*

For older babies, cut a suitably wide slot in the top of a formula container or shoebox lid. You can also use the available slot on some types of wipe containers.

Playtime: Show baby how to drop the metal lids into the slot.

Make sure the slot is in a horizontal position while the can is upright in front of baby. This will match the motions he will most likely use to put the item into the slot. He will not yet have the dexterity to twist his hand in awkward positions.

Once he has mastered this position over a length of days or weeks, change the position of the slot to vertical and allow him to problem-solve this new puzzle.

*If this level of play seems to frustrate your child or he lacks interest, it may be too soon. Try again in a few weeks, as 12 - 14 months is usually about right for beginning this game.

Challenger Version Example:
















Other Fill and Dump Activities:


Kitchen Cabinets

This age group loves nothing more than opening and closing a low-level cabinet and exploring its contents. They will pull everything out, examine it, attempt to put it back and then repeat.

Things to Put in Baby’s Cabinet:

-small pots with covers, plastic storage containers with or without covers

-small light boxes of food such as pudding, jello, and instant rice
(things that make noises when shaken are a bonus)

-small cans like tuna and tomato paste to stack and roll



Laundry Basket

let them pull out all the clothes and help them put them back in



Low Bureau Drawer

let them pull out each nicely folded item and attempt to stuff them back in again
(a close second to kitchen cabinet fun)




Other Popular Activities:


-Flap books

-Animal Sounds

-Peekaboo and Patty Cake

-Finger Plays*

*For video clip demonstrations of popular finger play songs, check out the Reading is Fundamental (RIF) website's infant/toddler page here:

Fingerplays

Bonus: Listen and learn about nursery rhymes, lullabies, and age-appropriate stories. There’s also a preschool section for older siblings.




Nanny's Book Note: Always check your local library first for a test drive. It's a great way to find out which books are truly worth adding to your child's cherished collection.



Next Week: One Year

Photo Credit: Sam Pullara

Which Toys are Best? 5 - 8 Months

Part II




Look what I can do!

By 5 months, she’s discovered her hands and is amazed at what they can do. She is still working on efficiently using hands and eyes together in a coordinated way by setting her sights on an object and attempting to bring it to her mouth. Rattles, teethers, plastic keys, and small hand-held toys will continue to have appeal. Crinkly sounds and textured items will also add interest.

Forget about toys with push buttons and electronic sound effects. Commercials keep telling us that these toys will keep children fascinated for hours, but it’s not the case. Babies explore with all their senses – sight, sound, touch, and taste. They pick up items, view them from every angle, shake them around and gnaw on them. Heavy electronic toys don’t fit the criteria.



Homemade Activity: Bowl of Balls

You'll Need:

-Stainless steel kitchen bowl

-a set of these can be found at Walmart for about $7 and can be used for other activities in the coming months – then they can be used permanently in your kitchen.

-Plastic or wooden balls about 2” in diameter or larger

-these types of balls often come with other toys you might have received as a gift or from an older sibling. Large wooden lacing beads work well too.

Playtime: The bowl fits snugly between your child’s legs while they are in a supported sitting position. The metal bowl provides two types of stimuli: visual interest as all the colors of the balls are reflected in bowl and a satisfying clattering sound as they are dropped into the bowl or swirled around.

This activity gives baby great practice reaching her hands in and grasping at the balls and eventually bringing one to her mouth.

Homemade Activity: Sensory Blocks

You’ll need:

-Empty Gerber baby food containers from fruits/veggies (the rectangular plastic type)

-Objects that are safe in materials and size* (colorful spools of thread, small wooden disc from a stacking toy, a figurine from Fisher Price or Playskool playsets).

Playtime: You've created a handheld toy with visual interest to grasp, shake, and make sounds.

Homemade Sensory Block Example:

















Cause and Effect

By about 7 months, baby is an old pro at grasping items and moving them from hand to hand and hand to mouth. She’s ready to make some music.

Playtime: Using the same metal bowl, offer your baby a stainless steel measuring spoon (or lightweight teaspoon, but watch the long handle as it will probably end up in her mouth). A quick demonstration by mom or dad on how to bang, bang, bang on the rim of the bowl should get your little musician banging away. For a different tone, you can turn the bowl over and tap on the bottom.

If you don't have a metal bowl, you can substitute an empty formula canister or Gerber cereal canister. Turn it upside down and bang away on the metal bottom. For the smaller size canisters, you can add a small block (or the plastic scoop it comes with)to the inside and cover it up for a noisy shake toy that baby can grab with both hands.



Object Permanence - Things Still Exist Even Though I Can’t See Them

Sometime around the 8-month period, stranger anxiety and separation anxiety can begin as baby notices when you are gone from the room. This is an important developmental milestone as your baby discovers that you and she are not one person; you are individuals and exist separately from each other.


Homemade Activity: Now You See It, Now You Don’t!

You'll Need:

-Two plastic food storage containers or small bowls (one clear, one opaque)

-Baby’s favorite rattle or toy

Playtime: Cover the toy with the clear container so it is visible. Tap the container to draw baby’s attention to the toy. See if she will try to lift the container to get the toy. (As with all activities, if your child does not seem interested, it may be too early – try again next week or the week after that).

After a few successful attempts at retrieving the toy, let her watch as you hide the toy under the opaque container. Does she try to uncover it or does she look away and become involved in something else?

If she tries to get the toy it means she has an understanding that things still exist even when you can’t see them. She has officially entered the object permanence stage and knows that when mommy or daddy aren’t in the room, they still exist.



Pincer Grasp Activities

Picking up items with thumb and forefinger is another important developmental milestone. Towards the end of this month period you can begin to offer a Cheerio or two on the highchair tray to encourage the pincer grasp. Babies usually start out with a raking motion using all fingers and it can be a hit or miss proposition.

Playtime: Once your baby shows an interest in picking up small items with her fingers, you can challenge her further by using an egg carton with one or two cheerios or puffs in each segment. This increases the likelihood that she will try to use her fingers rather than her whole hand. (As with all activities, the goal is to challenge but not frustrate. Your child will let you know if she is ready for this game. If not, try again next week)



Exersaucers/Stationary Activity Centers

These short-term toys are useful for approximately ages 4 to 7 months depending on your baby’s size. They can be expensive for the amount of time used, so check with friends or the consignment shop first. While not necessary for baby's development, many parents enjoy having this option to add variety to the activities of the day.

Stationary activity centers allow your baby to sit in a somewhat supported position before they can fully do it on their own. After awhile they learn to pivot around to check out the different attached toys and activities. At the younger end of the range when back muscles are still developing, a few times a day for short periods of 15 minutes or less is sufficient.


Flat Feet or Tippy Toes?

There’s much debate about flat footed versus tippy toes when sitting in a saucer. Early childhood educators were once taught that flat footed was best as it allowed baby to stand up and strengthen legs. Having only toes touch was thought to put unnatural weight on the toes and encouraged improper toe walking.

Manufacturers now recommend that baby only have toes touching the base because some children continue to use saucers beyond the appropriate age and being flatfooted allows them to physically tip the saucer over or climb out.

When a child's legs and bodies are really starting to move, it’s time to put the saucer away and allow floor play to encourage crawling. It’s always helpful to ask your pediatrician for his view.



Walkers

For over 15 years the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recommended that walkers not be used. The AAP campaigned to have the manufacture and sale of these items banned. Unfortunately, they are still in use today.

While it may seem that they help children learn to walk, this isn’t true. When using a walker, babies use their tummies to push forward and if their feet are not flat on the ground, they learn to toe walk. These muscle groups are not used when learning to walk naturally.

Safety is a major concern because babies can move quickly and end up in dangerous locations that they otherwise wouldn't have access to. You can read more at:

American Academy of Pediatrics





Nanny's Book Note: Always check your local library first for a test drive. It's a great way to find out which books are truly worth adding to your child's cherished collection.

Next Week: 9 - 11 Months


*All small toys should pass the safe materials and size test. Use a paper towel tube to check the toys'size safety. If it passes through the tube, it is small enough to be a choking hazard and should not be used for children under three years of age.

Photo Credit: todobebe