Little Fun; Little Learning

Wordless Wednesday: Our Classroom Butterflies

2011-04-27T12:39:00.004-05:00

My computer is being repaired so these pictures are from my phone. I hope to post more pictures soon.

Simple Spring Flowers

2011-04-18T19:20:00.003-05:00

I was looking for something easy and springy to put on our classroom bulletin board. These flowers were easy and each one is unique.

To make the flowers I had each child paint a piece of white construction paper. They were able to choose which color they wanted. After the paint was dry I took a light colored marker and drew a flower design on the back of the paper to use as my template and then I cut out the flower. We put glue in the center of the flowers and the children were able to choose what they wanted for the inside. You can see the choices which included various colors of glitter, colored sand, sequins, and pom poms.

Cute, simple, and easy. Enjoy!

Organizing Manipulative Bins

2011-03-20T15:39:00.003-05:00

Every now and then there are projects that you want to get done in your classroom but you know how time consuming they will be. What a great feeling it is do get those projects off your list and see some of your work being used.

Last week I decided to conquer another project - labeling all of our manipulative bins. It wasn't too difficult and I'm pleased with the results.

Each day as I would pick up bits and pieces of toys I would get irritated searching for the correct bin. If this irritated me, I can only imagine how the kids felt.

For this organization project I simply took each bin one at a time and took a picture of the content inside the bin. For most of them I was able to put a few pieces on the table and take a picture. For smaller items (such as the bears) I left them inside the container when taking the picture. I printed the pictures on the color printer at work, cut them out, laminated them, and taped the pictures onto the bins. Like I said, it wasn't anything difficult, it was just time consuming.

I'm sooooo glad it's done. :D

What kind of classroom organization projects have you conquered?

Lion Paper Craft

2011-03-20T15:12:00.005-05:00

My son brought home this lion from school and so I thought I'd share it with you. Everything is made from paper. The mane of the lion is made from paper chains.

You might also like this Lion and Lamb Handprint Craft.

Tissue Paper Shamrocks

2011-03-16T15:00:00.008-05:00

Since I teach special needs preschool I am always on the look out for easy craft ideas that all of the children can do and that will help them improve their motor skills. Since St. Patrick's Day is this week we made these tissue paper shamrocks. They were so simple to do and the kids seemed to enjoy it. These shamrocks were still a little wet when I took the picture, but you can imagine how the finished product looks.

To make the shamrocks: I did a google search for a shamrock template and used it to cut out shamrocks from green paper. Then I let the kids paint the glue onto the paper. Painting the glue works much better than squeezing it on. It allows for better control and avoids a big glob on the paper. Then the children put little green squares of tissue paper onto the paper.

Simple and easy. :)

Tie Dye Butterflies

2011-03-15T20:42:00.012-05:00

I was wanting some spring decorations that we could make for our classroom. I don't remember where I saw this idea (it must have been 10 years ago) but these are really cute and simple to make.

For our tie dye butterflies we used bingo daubers, markers, coffee filters, and pipe cleaners (chenille stems).

Before you begin, be sure to write the child's name on the coffee filter. I chose to write their name in very small print on the outer edge of the butterfly.

To make the butterflies you don't have to use bingo daubers but our kids really like them so we put the daubers to use. We used the markers and daubers to color the coffee filters. Next, we just sprayed about 3 squirts of water onto the coffee filter and moved the filter around a little so that the water would make the colors run. If a child didn't color their filter very much then I scrunched it up to help the color spread.

We laid the coffee filters out to dry. We used recycled copy paper and newspaper on the tables during the coloring and drying process and it was very helpful.

Next, I used a pipe cleaner to make a body for the butterfly. I gathered up the coffee filter and wrapped the pipe cleaner around the middle a few times and then twisted it to make a body and antennae. It took a little practice to figure out how I wanted to wrap it, but I think it turned out well.

These butterflies are a colorful addition to our classroom. :)

How to Dye Pasta for Crafts

2011-02-18T23:30:00.008-05:00

It is super double coupon week at Harris Teeter and I managed to snag some pasta for only 30 cents a box! Since we don't eat much pasta in our home I decided to purchase some for the classroom.

Dying pasta is super easy, economical, and has many uses in arts and crafts projects. In our classroom we plan to make necklaces, bracelets, and collages. Stringing the pasta will provide an opportunity to improve fine motor skills. In addition to these ideas we can also use it for counting and making patterns.

As you can see, the pasta turned out bright and colorful. The colors remind me of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Ingredients:

pasta
large ziploc bag (I used gallon size)
food coloring
vinegar or alcohol
wax paper

Instructions:

Add a few cups of pasta to your ziploc bag.
Next, add about 10-12 drops of food coloring and about 1 tbsp of vinegar. (You can use alcohol but I prefer to use vinegar so that it's safe for the preschoolers that decide to put it in their mouth.)
Close the ziploc and stir up the pasta to mix around the food coloring. You can let the noodles sit in the food coloring for a little while if you'd like a deeper color. (I didn't let mine sit and I am pleased with the color.)
Dump out your noodles onto wax paper and allow to dry. You can let it dry on newspaper but I used wax paper so that I don't have to worry about the wet noodles drying to the paper.
Let the noodles dry overnight. I made our pasta on Friday so that it would have plenty of time to dry over the weekend.

Money saving idea: To cut down on the number of baggies I used, I planned an order for dying my pasta so that I could reuse the bags. For example, I dyed yellow pasta and then used the bag to dye orange pasta. I knew that the orange would involve using the yellow and another color.

Construction Theme: The Three Little Pigs

2011-02-13T22:37:00.001-05:00

One of our recent themes was construction. We used The Three Little Pigs as our main book for the week. Here are a few activities to go with the theme.

There are so many different versions of this story that I actually had a difficult time finding the original story. You could share the different versions with your class. Depending on their age and abilities, you could compare the differences.

We also read Our Tree House. This book talks about building a tree house and it shows the people working and building so we were able to point out the different tools and the purpose of the tools.

For our craft we made pigs. We used three circles for the body, head, and snout.

We have a blocks center in our classroom. We recently added some of the sturdy cardboard brick blocks to our collection.

My son had some toy tools at home so I borrowed them to take to school. They were a hit and they preschoolers have really enjoyed playing with the tools.

We are fortunate to have a nice manipulative center in our classroom which has many wooden puzzles.

I added some of these pig coloring pages in our art center that week as an optional activity. The kids could color and trace the word "pig". Other sources for printables: First School, Coloring.ws, Coloring Pages for Kids.

Other things we did during the week:
Read Humpty Dumpty
Sang the Humpty Dumpty song
Watched The Three Little Pigs from the Discovery Education website
We made The Three Little Pigs stick puppets. We used our puppets to retell the story.

Other activities to try:
Blow paint with a straw.
Pig craft (from paper towel roll)

Snowman Photo Keepsake

2011-02-11T19:39:00.003-05:00

This snowman doesn't need much explanation. It is simply a snowman that kids can help cut and assemble. Then the teacher can add a photo of the child for the snowman's face.

Be sure to check out the other snowman ideas.

Heart People Craft

2011-02-08T22:10:00.002-05:00

This week we're making heart people for our Valentine craft. We're also decorating our bulletin board with these cuties. The idea is very simple and I have seen it around for a while now so I am not sure where it originated.

As you can see, the body of the person is a large heart and the feet and hands are smaller hearts. We use strips of paper for the legs and arms. We folded them to give a crinkled effect. You could wiggle eyes or buttons for the eyes or you could hand draw them. We let the kids draw the mouth.

This is definitely an cute, easy, and inexpensive idea.

Snowman Arts & Crafts Ideas

2011-01-30T22:42:00.009-05:00

January is almost over but it's not too late to make a snowman. These are just a few ideas I rounded up for you all. Enjoy! :)

Snowman Globe - This was made by a another pre-k class at the school where I work. As you can see, the globe is a blue painted paper plate and the globe stand is half of a brown painted plate.

Blistery Snowman Picture - We made these in our classroom. We invited the students to use their fingers or paint brushes to make snow. After the snow was dry we added circles for the snowman body, dry black beans for the buttons, and some twigs for the arms.

Snowman Window Scene - This was made by my son who is in kindergarten. They used crayons on black construction paper to draw a scene and then they added some brown strips on top of the picture to look like the scene was being viewed through a window.

Winter Wonderland Snowmen - These were made by providing students with sequins, feathers, buttons, and other various craft supplies.

Other snowman ideas:

Snowman Fingerprint Votive Craft from the archives

Marshmallow Snowmen

Paper Plate Snowmen Globes from Teach Preschool

Rice Krispy Treat Snowman from Edible Crafts

Build Your Snowman from No time for Flashcards

Create-A-Snowman Craft from Crafts-N-Things for Children

Line Up By Colors with Floor Crayons

2011-01-25T21:46:00.007-05:00

One of the things were we struggling with in our classroom was lining up and staying in our own personal space. We haven't exactly mastered the concept yet, but these crayons sure are helping. ;)

I admit I can't take credit for this idea. I saw these recently at a school where I was observing and really liked the idea.

Our crayons are made from bulletin board paper. First, my assistant used a die cut machine to cut out all of the letters. This was her guide for how long the crayons needed to be. Then she hand drew a pattern which she used for all of the crayons. She glued on the letters and added a black stripe to make them look like crayons. We taped the crayons to the floor with masking tape and then added large pieces of clear contact paper over the top of them for durability. This also enables the floor to be swept and mopped.

The floor crayons have many purposes:

As already mentioned, the crayons help to provide some structure. It gives a defining place and tells the student that this is where we should be.
Use the crayons as an every day way to teach the children their colors when lining up (Sarah, line up on red. Ben, line up on orange.)
Use the crayons to provide spatial boundaries/personal space when lining up. (Stay on your color.)
You could also use the crayons for a game. Our children enjoy jumping from color to color. You could use bean bags and play a toss game.

What ideas do you have for the floor crayons?

Song: Look Who Came to School Today

2011-01-13T23:29:00.004-05:00

Here's a song we sing at school. I wrote it on sentence strips. Each child gets a turn. They come up and find their name and put it in the line. Then we sing the song to them. They can dance, jump, etc while we sing their name.

This is a great song for name recognition. I chose pigs for the names because we are learning about The Three Little Pigs. It isn't necessary to choose a new die cut for each week; this is just something I did for now. You could change this according to season or you could use the same one for the entire year.

Look Who Came to School Today
tune of Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush

Look who came to school today
School today, school today
Look who came to school today
___________ did!

source unknown

Snowman Votive Craft

2010-12-15T18:04:00.005-05:00

Parents and grandparents always enjoy cute handmade gifts from children, especially when they're made from handprints or fingerprints.

This snowman is simply made from a child's finger. Paint white paint on their finger and press lightly onto the votive holder. After the paint dries you can add the arms, buttons, etc with a fine tip brush or permanent marker. You might even want to paint the child's name and date on the side or bottom.

Teacher tip: When making handprint gifts, be sure to have the child look away as you press their hand. When the child is looking, they tend to press their hands themselves or jerk away from you which leaves a blurry mess.

This idea is very similar to the snowman ornament that I shared with you a few years ago.

Do you have any kid-friendly handmade gift ideas to share?

Easy Gingerbread Man Ornament

2010-12-14T19:43:00.003-05:00

Kids really enjoy making ornaments at Christmas time. Here's another easy ornament to try. These gingerbread men cut outs are made from craft foam. They were purchased very inexpensively at the Dollar Tree. Of course, you could use a gingerbread pattern to cut these out yourself.

Be sure to provide your little one with glue, glitter, buttons, sequins, etc to decorate their gingerbread person. Be sure to check out these other Christmas and ornament ideas.

Have fun!

Coming Soon: A New Name!

2010-12-12T17:22:00.002-05:00

Little Fun; Little Learning has been around for a few years. While it has been helpful in providing resources for parents and teachers, Revka and I feel that this site could be better with a more user-friendly set-up. LFLL was set up during our early blogging years and it is time for a makeover! I have purchased the new domain for the site. Hopefully after the first of the year, Revka and I can brainstorm on a new design to unveil a more resourceful website. Stay tuned!

Wordless Wednesday: Learning to Read

2010-11-30T23:32:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving People Craft

2010-11-23T16:57:00.008-05:00

While walking down the halls at school I spotted these Thanksgiving people that the kindergarten children had made. Aren't they cute?

The body of the people is a Zoopal plate. They painted the plates with skin and hair and attached an acorn for the nose. Next came the smiles, hats or head dressing, fingers, and wiggle eyes.

Other ideas you might like:
Thanksgiving place mat
Thanksgiving turkey craft
Thankful tree

Do you have any cute Thanksgiving crafts to share?

Studying Word Families

2010-11-12T14:02:00.020-05:00

Learning word families is a great way for kids to learn how to read. Each week at school, we study a new word family. Here are some of the activities we use to help learn the words.

1. Magnet Board - Each week we practice making words using the magnet board. First we put our current family ending at the top and then we put different consonants and consonant blends in front of the word family. Sometimes we make nonsense words too. As you can see, this week our word family is -it.

2. Printable Booklets - Hubbards Cupboard has free printable booklets that you can print out to read with each word family. This week we are reading Fishing because it focuses on the -it word family.

3. Online Activities-

Word Family Games allows you to click and drag the words to the correct word family. This activity is a bit more difficult than the other activities because the student is sorting word families into different categories. This game would work well for small group or whole class lessons. Small groups could sit around the computer and work together while taking turns. For large groups, you could post this on the Active Board.

Starfall has making word activities. For example: The student is given a picture, such as a can, and he has to click and drag the beginning consonant "c" to the word family -an. After entering the Starfall website, click on Learn to Read. Starfall also has lots of other reading activities.

4. Word Wheels - Scholastic has a book of printable word wheels. I copy and color them and then laminate them for durability. (Upon searching tonight, I found a free printable for a word wheel, but it appears that it is just a sample.)

Free printable word wheels: Wordway also has many word wheels/strips but these do not have pictures with the words. There are over 100 pages so you will need to scroll through and print out only the ones you need. Other sources include Super Teacher Worksheets and Enchanted Learning.

5. Other books - The top two books shown in the picture are part of a literacy kit that we have at the school, but there are other places to find books. The pink books shown in the picture came from a yard sale. I got a small stack of them for 25 cents. Check your local library or do some web surfing for books. You can also work with your child to make your own books. Start with a list of words from your word family to help you brainstorm.

6. Worksheets - Inbetween all of the other activities we reinforce the skills with these worksheets from Wordway. We do not do all of the worksheets on the website. I pick 4-5 of them for each week. Some of these include putting the correct word into the sentence, choosing the correct word for the picture, etc.

(I have found Wordway difficult to navigate so here is how I find the sheets: Go to the Wordway website, scroll past the other website links and offer to purchase, click on the letter for the word family you're looking for. For the word family -it, you would click on "I". Then scroll through the list of word families and click on the one you like.)

7. Spelling words - Each week we have a list of spelling words to go along with our word family and there is homework to reinforce these words. Since our word family this week is -it some of our words are bit, fit, sit, mit, hit, kit, etc. In our spelling list, I also include two sight words that we are studying.

8. File folder games - Recently I was excited to find the website File Folder Fun. On the website, there phonics word family games called Shamrock Phonics and Space Rhymes. You can print the games in color or black and white. If you need different word families than the ones shown, you can simply white out the words and make your own.

I know this is only a few of the ways to teach word families. What are some effective ways that you have found?

Other sources:
Scholastic rhyming words worksheet 1
Rhyming words sheet 2
Rhyming words sheet 3

Apple Activities

2010-10-23T08:33:00.010-05:00

I was doing some cleaning today and found these cute apple activities from kindergarten class. Enjoy!

Apple basket - This is a cute introduction to number sentences and color words.

Apple people - This is simply an apple with black crinkled arms and legs.

Apple trees - Every kid loves to paint. :)

Torn Paper Apples - Tearing paper is good exercise for little fingers. Have students cover an apple you've drawn or copied. Encourage them to make a layered look.

What kinds of fall activities have you enjoyed?

Baby Moses Color by Number

2010-07-24T09:51:00.003-05:00

Printables for Kids has a new printable available. It is a color by number picture of Moses floating down the river. This would be great to use for Sunday School, VBS, or a filler item for when you have nursery and church lets out a bit later than normal (it happens!).

Enjoy!

10 Commandments Activities

2010-07-09T20:18:00.008-05:00

My friend was needing some craft ideas to use when teaching The 10 Commandments. Since I am doing an online search, I thought I'd share my findings with you.

Parchment Commandments Craft

Moses and the 10 Commandments Paper Craft - template provided

Printable Packet from Calvary's Chapel - This packet has a coloring page, crossword, word find, lesson, and other activities.

Fill-in-the-blank worksheet

Commandments Are A Loving Gift Song

10 Commandments Song

Memory Pegs - Print a color or black and white picture for each commandment.

Bible Story

Verse/Copy Work - I think this was meant to be used for a handwriting homeschooling lesson, but I think you could print out these pages, reduce them on the copier, and make miniature books for a children's Sunday School class or Christian school.

Help Moses Maze

Printable Coloring Page

10 Commandments Games

Crossword Puzzle

Word Search

Word Scramble

Rhyme

Calendar

Do you have any 10 Commandments activities to add to this list?

Patriotic Crafts from FamilyFun

2010-06-21T10:03:00.003-05:00

If there's one thing that parents really enjoy, it is handprint crafts from kids. I know many of you will enjoy this eagle handprint design. FamilyFun has it the design on a t-shirt but I'm sure you could use this idea in many ways.

More patriotic ideas from FamilyFun:

Confetti Launcher: Fireworks happen only after dark, but this craft creates a pop of color any time of day. Kids pull back on the string to release a shower of tissue paper confetti, then gather it up and refill the launcher again.and again.and again.

Wig and Tutu in One: Powdered wigs are so 1776. Celebrate the Fourth in 2010 sporting a crazy red, white, and blue pompadour. Or, if you prefer, wear the tulle creation as a tutu. *You can have this craft done in 30 minutes or less.*

Spirited Bike Spinner: Old Glory won't be the only thing blowing in the breeze this Fourth. Made from a strategically snipped and bent plastic bottle wrapped in tape, this colorful bike accessory twirls in the air as your kids pedal.

A Patri-botic Centerpiece: Do U need a GR8 helper 4 yours picnic on the 4th? Well, this is one can-do robot. His recycled-can head holds a hair-raising array of utensils, and a clear container belly keeps cookies safe from eager little hands until it's time for dessert.

A Star-spangled Welcome: This bunting-inspired paper wreath will look as snappy as a salute on your front door.

Do you have any favorite patriotic crafts?

image: Disney FamilyFun

Crazy Cucumber Snake Recipe

2010-06-17T10:21:00.004-05:00

Today is National Eat Your Vegetables Day!

I know that I have been trying to incorporate more fresh fruits and vegetables into our meals. One way that I have done this is by having fresh cut up fruits and veggies on hand. I keep them stored in the refrigerator inside storage containers. When it is meal or snack time, I just pull out the sliced cucumbers, oranges, carrots, etc and the kids munch on them. This method has been very effective.

Disney FamilyFun Magazine has a cute idea to help your kids get excited about eating their vegetables. Check out their Crazy Cucumber Snake.

How do you promote healthy eating in your home?

Parenting Dilemma: What Would You Do If Your Child's Grade Were Slipping?

2010-04-26T10:09:00.007-05:00

From time to time, I receive questions from others about parenting dilemmas. Most of the time I answer these in an email, but then it dawned on me today that I should be sharing these with you. You might also be going through the same problem and may need some guidance. Or you may have already gone through this and can offer some parenting wisdom.

Today is report card day and my son (5th grade) will have 3 C's. I was thinking
of limiting his tv time to 30 mins per day during the week from now till I see
online his grades have come up. He likes to play games on the computer which is
in the kitchen. How should I do that? Should it be 30 mins. tv/ computer
together pretty much either or? I want him to know I mean business but not over
do it too. He already has soccer now two days a week for 1 1/2 hrs. He doesn't
get much homework at all from school. Let me know what you would do if you were
in my shoes.

First of all, I'd like to say that parenting is not a cookie cutter format. Whatever works for your child, may not work for others. Here are some things to consider:

Talk to your spouse before dishing out consequences. You both need to agree on how to handle the situation. Do not respond in anger. Long lectures don't seem to work either.

Find out the problem. Does your child need additional help, is the content difficult, or are they just being lazy? You may want to talk with the teacher. Many times teachers observe things in the classroom that you don't see at home. They may help to identify problems, the need for help, and they can probably make suggestions.

Consider having a study time in your schedule each day. Designate a time that works well for your family. At our house, my children know that when they come home from school they wash their hands, have a snack, work on homework, and then they have playtime. At first, your child may be resistant to a schedule, but keep at it.

Set logical consequences. Grounding a child until the end of the year is not a logical consequence. I would suggest cutting back on tv and computer time, time with friends, and if the situation gets very serious, then I would cut out sports completely.

Based upon this particular situation given above, I would recommend to limit the child's tv and computer time. Possibly cut it back to 30 minutes each day on soccer days and 45 minutes on other days. Continue you monitor your child's progress with online grades or through email correspondence with the teacher.

Offer an incentive. Tell him/her that you'll reevaluate the situation at midterm reports. Offer an incentive if grades are acceptable at that time. Perhaps the child can earn back some of the privileges that were taken.

Teach the value of doing your best in all things. Some scriptures that might help:

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might. Ecclesiastes 9:10

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. Colossians 3:23

Offer logical reasons for getting good grades. Sometimes children have a hard time seeing the need for doing their best for getting good grades. Ask your child about some positive experiences others in their school have had from their grades (school incentives, rewards, extra field trips, etc). Give a real life example that your child will understand.

Example: If you don't do your best when playing soccer then your coach may not take you seriously. If he doesn't take you seriously, you may have to sit on the bench a bit longer while the others are playing. It's important to always do your best. Does that make sense?

Encourage your child. Notice their attempts to do better, their commitment to studying, and improvement with grades. There is no need to over endulge them. It only takes simple words such as, "I have noticed how hard you're trying this week." or "You're doing a great job. I'm glad you're working so hard." Children respond well to a little positive reinforcement. Also, you might like these 50 encouraging things to say to your kids.

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Colossians 3:20

Do you have a parenting dilemma? Email it to knowhimwell@hotmail.com.

image sxc.hu

Captivating Caterpillar Cupcakes

2010-03-31T23:16:00.005-05:00

Today we have another cute spring baking activity, courtesy of Duncan Hines. For more recipe ideas, visit the Duncan Hines website.

For some togetherness, get the kids to help create the candy creatures that sit atop these yummy Captivating Caterpillar Cupcakes, made with Duncan Hines Classic White Cake Mix.

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg Duncan Hines® Moist Deluxe® Classic White Cake Mix
• 3 large egg whites
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup star decors
• 1 tub Duncan Hines® Creamy Home-Style Classic Vanilla Frosting
• green food coloring
• 10 to 12 chocolate wafer cookies, crushed
• 1/2 cup candy-coated chocolate pieces
• 1/3 cup assorted jelly beans
• assorted nonpareil decors

Baking Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 ºF. Grease muffin pans or line with paper baking cups.

2. Combine cake mix, egg whites, water and oil in large bowl. Beat at low speed with electric mixer until moistened. Beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Fold in 1/3 cup star decors. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full.

3. Bake at 350 ºF. 18 to 23 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Remove to cooling racks. Cool completely.

4. Tint vanilla frosting with green food coloring. Frost one cupcake. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon chocolate cookie crumbs on frosting. Arrange 4 candy-coated chocolate pieces to form caterpillar body. Place jelly bean at one end to form head. Attach remaining star and nonpareil decors with dots of frosting to form eyes. Repeat with remaining cupcakes.

Hello Cupcake! Easter Egg Cupcakes

2010-03-30T23:23:00.006-05:00

Duncan Hines® helps you create delicious family moments with decadent recipes even the tiniest pair of hands in your family can help make. Baking at home with family creates unforgettable moments and fills the holidays with that priceless feeling of togetherness.

Created by the authors of the popular cupcake decorating book Hello Cupcake!™. This is a fun Easter project to make with the kids or with your baking friends. All it takes are easy-to-find ingredients, fun food dye colors and delicious frosting. Easter Egg Cupcakes aren't hard to make -- but they’re sure to impress as gifts, or to decorate your holiday table.

Ingredients:

• 12 unfrosted Moist Deluxe Devil’s Food Cake Mix cupcakes baked in white paper liners
• 12 honey graham crackers
• 2 cans (16 ounces) Creamy Homestyle Classic Vanilla Frosting
• Green, yellow, orange, blue, purple, and pink food coloring
• 2 tablespoons each mini and regular white, pink, green, and blue decorations

Baking Instructions:

1. Tint 2 cups of the frosting light green. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the light green frosting into a zippered plastic bag. Tint 1/2 cup each of vanilla frosting pink, light blue, light purple, orange, and yellow. Spoon 2 tablespoons each into zippered plastic bags. Press out the excess air in each of the bags, seal, and set aside.

2. Using a serrated knife, trim the graham crackers into an egg shape 3 1/2 inches long and 2 1/2 inches wide. Snip a small corner (1/4 inch) from the bag with the 1 1/2 cups of green frosting and pipe a small dollop on top of each cupcake and place a graham cracker on top, pressing down to secure. The cracker will hang over the edge of the cupcake. Freeze the cupcakes for 10 to 15 minutes to set.

3. Place the remaining 1/2 cup of each tinted frosting into a separate microwavable bowl. Working with one color at a time, microwave the frosting, stirring frequently, until it is the texture of lightly whipped cream, 20 to 30 seconds. Holding a chilled cupcake by the paper liner dip the graham cracker into the melted frosting to coat, turn right side up and let stand. Continue with all of the cupcakes and graham crackers making two eggs of each color.

4. Snip very small corners (1/8 inch) from the bags with the 2 tablespoons of frosting. Pipe decorative dots, lines, and dashes on top of the frosting-coated crackers. Using the bag with the 1 1/2 cups of light green frosting, pipe dots of frosting around base of each egg always pulling the peak away from the egg (be sure to cover any exposed cupcake).

5. While the frosting is still wet add candy decors to create decorative patterns.

For more recipes, visit Duncan Hines.

image and recipe courtesy of Duncan Hines

Here Comes Peter Cottontail Review and Giveaway

2010-03-22T12:04:00.013-05:00

Here Comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the bunny trail. Hippity, hoppity, Easter's on its way . . .

Remember that song?

Now you can own the original tv classic Here Comes Peter Cottontail on dvd.

Peter Cottontail wants to be the #1 Chief Easter Bunny and everyone in April
Valley agrees . . . except for his archrival, evil Irontail. Hop along with
Peter and his friends as they race through time celebrating all of your favorite
holidays to deliver the most eggs . . . and save Easter for children everywhere!

It's exciting to see these old classic movies on dvd so that our children can enjoy them like we did as children. Since this movie came in the mail last week, my kids have been asking repeatedly to watch it.

The suggested retail price of this dvd is $9.93 and it can also be purchased on iTunes for $7.99.

I have some super cute coloring pages that you can print out. Just click on the image to enlarge it for printing.

And now for the giveaway . . .

I have TWO copies of Here Comes Peter Cottontail for two of our readers.

To enter, you can leave a comment. You can also earn additional entries by tweeting this giveaway, following me on twitter, blogging about this contest, etc. You can use this shortened url when tweeting the article, http://tinyurl.com/yzk39ea. Just please leave a comment for each additional thing that you do. It just makes it easier to count entries.

This contest will end on Monday, March 29, 2010. The winners will be chosen using the random number generator and will be contacted by email. Winners will have 72 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

Good luck!

image: Classic Media
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this dvd for review purposes.

VeggieTales CDs Included in Chick-Fil-A Kids Meals

2010-03-18T13:29:00.004-05:00

Chick-Fil-A is partnering with VeggieTales for it's upcoming Kids Meal. From March 13 to April 17, Chick-Fil-A Kids Meals will feature a VeggieTales CD.

VeggieTales CDs focus on a different aspect of building healthy self-confidence. CD topics include:

"You are a Friend!"
"You are Special!"
"You are Unique!"
"You are Important!"
"You are Loved!"

In addition, each CD includes:

Music that can be played in the car or on a home computer
Fun activities and print-outs
Videos with lessons from VeggieTales characters
Information for parents
Special promotions

A new CD will be available each week. Children who receive the same CD twice can exchange the duplicate for another CD during the five-week promotion. After the promotion, parents can order CDs online as long as supplies last.

Enjoy!

St. Patrick's Day Ideas from FamilyFun Magazine

2010-03-12T21:50:00.006-05:00

St. Patrick's Day isn't far away and as always, Disney's FamilyFun Magazine has loads of cute ideas to make your holiday a success.

Crafts and Games

Wee Leprechaun: Make-your-own leprechaun!
Make a Festive Bowl-er: Create leprechaun hats by painting and embellishing paper bowls. (p. 34)
St. Patrick’s Day Scavenger Hunt: Follow fun all the way to a faux pot of gold.
To Catch A Leprechaun: Three clever traps for taking a stand against St. Patrick's Day mischief: Leprechaun Hat Pit Trap, Rainbow Cage Drop, Tricky Trapdoor
Green Stamp: Spread the luck o' the Irish this St. Patrick's Day with a homemade shamrock stamp. Use it to decorate paper place mats, coasters, tablecloths, or anything else your little leprechauns wish to dress in green.

Recipes

St. Patty’s Day Platter: Use a colorful variety of fruits for a rainbow platter. Marshmallows can act as the cloud at the end of the rainbow, and bananas for the pot of gold! (p. 29)
Clover Cookies: For St. Patrick's Day (March 17), or any day you feel like you need a little extra luck, bake up a batch of these cheerful green shamrock cookies. Give some to your friends and classmates, so they will be lucky, too.
Taste a Rainbow Cupcakes: Here's what little leprechauns look forward to on St. Patrick's Day: a magical snack that can add color to the grayest March afternoon. Pot of gold not included.
Luck of the Irish Cupcakes: It's not far to the gold at the end of this rainbow-topped Emerald Isle cupcake, just the thing for your lads and lasses on St. Patrick's Day.

Shamrock Cupcakes: It doesn't take the luck of the Irish to make these St. Patty's Day treats look so sweet -- just a clever baking technique.

St. Patrick’s Pot of Gold: Surprise your favorite little people on March 17th with these wee emerald pots filled with sweet, edible gold.

Enjoy the ideas!

Slime Recipe

2010-03-11T08:20:00.002-05:00

My friend is a teacher. She made this slime with her kids and it was a hit so she passed the recipe along to me. I hope you enjoy it!

1 cup glue
1 cup water
16 drops of green food coloring

Stir these three ingredients together. Set aside.

Mix 1 heaping teaspoon of borax into 1/2 cup of water. Stir and mix well.

Combine glue mixture with borax mixture until lumps stop forming.

Remove slime from liquid. Lift out. Knead to dry and mix.

Solids break. Liquids pour. It does both.

VeggieTales Pistachio: The Little Boy That Woodn't

2010-03-09T23:26:00.009-05:00

VeggieTales have been a positive influence in our home for years. So I jumped at the chance to review the new VeggieTales Pistachio: The Little Boy That Woodn't. This movie promptly arrived on Friday and we used it for our family night. As expected, I was not disappointed.

With this title, Big Idea Entertainment continues to follow its unique tradition
of retelling timeless adventures. Pistachio is a creative parody of the beloved
story of Pinocchio, and teaches a timely lesson on listening to parents and the
importance of family. Pistachio stars Larry the Cucumber as a toymaker named
Gelato, the assistant Cricket, Junior Asparagus as Pistachio and many other
Veggie favorites. The video is filled with fun music, including a new silly song
called “Where Have All The Staplers Gone?” Pistachio is available in early
March, just in time for the spring season and Easter.

For years, I've had some of the VeggieTales silly songs running through my mind and sometimes you'll hear me singing them out loud. Some of my favorites are the hairbrush, bellybutton, and boogie man songs. "Where Have All the Staplers Gone?" is now one that you can hear around my house. I guess I need to learn the words though so I don't sing the same few lines over and over again. ;)

My kids seem to have some issues lately with listening and following instructions, so I know I'll encourage them to watch this VeggieTales video. This would also make a nice Easter gift for your child.

Big Idea is offering a special on a combo pack that includes the Pistachio video. For only $25 you get Pistachio: The Little Boy That Woodn't DVD, Silly Thing Called Love DVD, God Made You Special CD, and Christian Hit Music CD which includes free shipping. This is a savings of over 50%. For more information, visit the Big Idea website.

Big Ideas has online games, activities, downloads, ecards, and more. I will need lots of activities to keep my three kids busy this summer so I will bookmark this site for unexpected crazy days.

Have you watched the new VeggieTales Pistachio movie?

Disclaimer: I did receive a copy of this dvd to review, but did not receive any monetary compensation. I strive to provide honest reviews on products we use.

2nd Grade Word List, O-Z

2010-02-26T09:19:00.002-05:00

This is part 2 of the 2nd grade word list. You can find part 1 here.

off
only
own
please
people
pick
play
present
pretty
pull
ran
right
run
saw
say
school
seem
seven
shall
should
show
sing
sit
six
small
soon
stand
start
such
sure
tell
ten
than
these
thing
those
today
together
too
tree
try
under
until
upon
use
want
warm
wash
way
where
while
why
write
year

2nd Grade Word List, A-N

2010-02-26T09:08:00.004-05:00

A few months ago, I gave you all a list of 1st grade high frequency words. I have managed to acquire a list of 2nd grade words as well, so I'm passing the list on to you. These lists are long, so I will divide this up into two separate posts.

also
always
am
another
around
away
back
ball
because
best
better
big
book
both
box
bring
call
came
carry
clean
color
could
cut
dear
does
done
draw
drink
each
eat
eight
end
fall
far
find
four
friend
fill
gave
girl
goes
got
grow
hand
high
hold
home
hot
house
hurt
into
its
keep
kind
last
leave
left
light
look
men
more
morning
most
mother
must
myself
name
near
never
next
night

Stay tuned for Part 2.

More Than Colors

2009-12-17T12:02:00.007-05:00

My son brought home a bag of goodies from preschool this week. Inside were things he had made and gifts from his teacher. One of the gifts was a baggie of M&Ms with a poem inside, "More Than Colors".

More Than Colors

These special little candies,

Come in colors bright and fun.

There's more than color to be found;

A Story of God's Son.

The M's turn into W's,

If you turn them upside down.

A few more turns and E and 3's

Are waiting to be found.

M is for the manger,

Where Mary laid her precious boy.

Little did the world know,

This boy would bring great joy.

The W is for the Wise men,

Who followed a bright star.

The star revealed a king was born,

They came but, oh, so far.

In Bethlehem they found Him,
Just as they had been told.

3 is for the gifts they brought;

Frankincense, myrrh, and gold.

W is also for their worship.

As they bowed before their King,

Salvation is the promise given,

There's nothing we can bring.

Faith along is how we come

He died to set us free

E is for eternity

God's gift to you and me.

~Barbara Hooks

You could print this on some nice stationery or print it on colored paper and cut around it with scalloped scissors. This would be a nice addition to a simple gift.

Be sure to check other Christmas ideas from the archives.

image sxc

110 High-Frequency First Grade Words, R-Z

2009-11-09T22:37:00.006-05:00

This is the final post for the list of 110 1st grade frequency words. Don't forget to check out the a-g words and h-q words.

rain

ride

said

saw

school

see

she

sister

some

talk

teacher

tell

that

the

them

there

they

thing

this

very

want

was

went

what

when

where

who

why

will

with

won't

you

your

zoo

image sxc.hu

110 High-Frequency First Grade Words, H-Q

2009-11-09T05:39:00.001-05:00

This is part two of the high-frequency words for first grade. Also, check out the A-G words.

had
has
have
he
her
here
him
his
house
how
I
in
is
it
jump
kick
like
little
look
made
make
me
my
new
nice
night
no
not
of
off
old
on
out
over
people
play
pretty
quit

image sxc.hu

110 High-Frequency First Grade Words, A-G

2009-11-08T20:27:00.006-05:00

Here is the list of 110 high-frequency words for first grade. I can't figure out how to put this into columns, so in order to avoid a super long list, I'll break this up into three posts.

after
all
am
and
animal
are
at
be
because
best
big
boy
brother
but
can
can't
car
children
come
day
did
do
down
eat
favorite
for
friend
from
fun
get
girl
give
go
good

image sxc.hu

Review and Giveaway: Tiny Baby Jesus

2009-11-07T14:40:00.008-05:00

Tiny feet of Jesus,
kicking up a storm.
Angels circling round his bed
keep him safe and warm.
Now those feet are bigger,
walking on the sea,
leaving us his footsteps, saying,
"Come and follow me!"

When we celebrate Christmas at our house, we don't simply celebrate the birth of Jesus. There is more to the story and to the eternal hope that we have through the death and resurrection of our Lord. For this reason, I was pleased to review Tiny Baby Jesus.

While reading Tiny Baby Jesus together this Christmas season, children and families can celebrate the gift of Jesus from head to tiny toes. As they turn the pages, they will discover the wonder of hands that develop into those of a carpenter and swaddled shoulders that grow to carry the weight of all mankind. Readers can share in the humble birth of tiny baby Jesus while remembering the life and teachings of the grown savior.

Tiny Baby Jesus is written by award-winning author Dandi Daley Mackall and illustrated by Julia Noonan. “I don’t think we can talk about Baby Jesus enough—to our children, to our neighbors, or to ourselves,” says Dandi Daley Mackall.”

Dandi Daley Mackall is the author of more than 400 books, including several titles for Zonderkidz such as The Legend of St. Nicholas, The Gift of the Christmas Cookie, the Ali Cat I CAN READ™ series, and the That’s Nat! early reader series. Dandi is the recipient of the 2009 Helen Keating Ott Award for Outstanding Contribution to Children's Literature from the Church and Synagogue Library Association (CSLA). Dandi and her husband, Joe, both write from rural Ohio, where they’re blessed with three children and a variety of horses, dogs, and cats. Visit http://www.dandibooks.com/ for more information.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am pleased to offer this beautifully illustrated book as a giveaway. We have FIVE copies to give to five winners. Be sure to leave a comment and contact information for each option you choose.

1) Leave a comment telling why you would like to win this book.

2) Tell about this giveaway through social networking such as Twitter or Facebook. Give it a thumbs up on Stumble Upon. You can leave a comment for each one you do. Be sure to leave a link or some way for me to track your entry.

3) Follow @thriftymommy on twitter.

Tiny Baby Jesus is a hardcover book and retails for $16.99. This contest ends Sunday, November 15, 2009 and is available to those with a U.S. shipping address. The winners will be contacted via email and will have 72 hours to respond.

Good luck everyone!

First Grade Shapes List

2009-11-05T14:01:00.005-05:00

Here is the list of shapes for first graders. Notice that a parallelogram is no longer called a diamond. Oops. That might be something we want to tweak with teaching preschool and kindergarten. Maybe we could mention that it's also called a parallelogram. That might help with learning them later.

circle

oval

heart

rectangle

star

parallelogram

hexagon

square

trapezoid

triangle

image from anissat sxc.hu

A Pumpkin Parable

2009-10-31T10:21:00.006-05:00

My kids brought treat bags home from church Wednesday. Inside was a die cut paper pumpkin with a pumpkin parable on it. I know it's last minute, but I thought some of you might want to make these for tonight's trick-or-treaters.

A Pumpkin Parable

Sometimes I feel like I'm a pumpkin. Please don't think it's odd.
I'm growing in a pumpkin patch that's planted there by God.

God picks me from the pumpkin patch and washes off the dirt;
Scoops out the seeds of sin and hate and anger, greed and hurt.

And then, to show how much I'm loved, God marks me with a sign
And opens up my eyes and mouth: all part of God's design.

Then filled with love God sets me out for everyone to see,
So all the pumpkins in the patch can see God's light through me.

You are the light of the world.
Matthew 5:14

image sxc.hu

Christian Pumpkin Carvings

2009-10-28T13:36:00.004-05:00

Cuddlebug brought this home from preschool today so I thought I'd share this for Halloween.

You'll need:
orange pumpkin with poem on 11x14 paper
two yellow stars for eyes
yellow cross for nose
yellow fish for mouth
glue

Here's the poem:

Christian Pumpkin Carvings

I am a Jack O Lantern
My light will shine so bright
For I am a Christian pumpkin
My symbols tell what's right

My nose is like the cross
On which the Savior died,
To set us free from sin
We need no longer hide.

My mouth is like a fish
The whole wide world to show,
That Christians live in this house
And love their Savior so!

The story starts at Christmas
My eyes are like the star,
That shone on Baby Jesus
And wise men saw from afar.

My color is orange
Just like the bright sun,
That rose on Easter Day
Along with God's own Son.

And so on Halloween
Let's set our pumpkins out,
And tell the trick or treaters
What God's love is all about!

~Author unknown

Free Song Download: Rockstar

2009-10-16T10:40:00.006-05:00

Charity has a new children's song to download. This month, it's Rockstar.

This month's song, Rockstar, is a rallying cry to dance your dance, sing your song, shine your light, stay grounded and keep loving all along the way. Grab your kids, pick up a hairbrush or your air guitar, and call upon the music within you. You Know What To Do: SING, DANCE, LOVE, ROCK, SHINE.

Cuddlebug's favorite Charity & the JAMband song is still Peanut Butter and Jam. You can listen on the main page of Charity's website.

Click here to download the song and lyrics for free. Charity also has nine other songs you can get for free! Enjoy! :)

Avery School & Office Supply Giveaway

2009-10-04T13:53:00.008-05:00

We're celebrating Back to School with a fun giveaway from Avery. This giveaway includes great stuff like Hi-Liters, labels, GlueStics, binders, dividers, sheet protectors, Marks-a-Lot permanent markers, and t-shirt transfers. The gift basket has a retail value of over $50!

Avery recently partnered with Box Tops for Education. Now, when you purchase Avery school supplies for the new academic year you also receive Box Tops coupons to clip and return to your child’s school to be redeemed for cash. Each school then uses the cash at their discretion to purchase new supplies, fund programs, or buy much-needed equipment, computers, etc.

I know you’d like to win this great prize package from Avery. As usual, I have several ways for you to earn entries. Of course, the more times you enter, the higher your odds of winning. You are not required to do any or all of these, but you can earn an entry for each one completed. Here are your options:

1) Leave a comment with something other than “enter me”. Tell me about the school supplies you like or give a tip about saving money or having fun with kids.

2) Tweet about this giveaway on twitter. If possible, include @thriftymommy in your tweet. Be sure to leave your twitter name or status url in the comment box. You can earn 3 tweet entries per day.

3) Follow @thriftymommy on twitter.

4) Blog about this giveaway or mention it on some sort of forum. Leave a direct url so that I can easily find the info for your entry.

5) Give this post a thumbs up on Stumble Upon, Digg It, add a link on Facebook, or some other way of promoting the giveaway.

6) Add Little Fun; Little Learning to your blogroll.

You can earn entries for each of these things that you do. Please leave a separate comment for each one. It just makes it easier for tallying entries and choosing a winner. Please leave an email address on your Blogger profile or in the comments so that I can contact the winner.

This contest ends Sunday, October 11, 2009 and is open to those with a US mailing address. Winners will be contacted via email and will have 72 hours to respond.

Good luck everyone!

Sorry for the weird colored image. I tried to upload it several times. Not sure what happened.

Tips for Coping with Separation

2009-10-03T15:25:00.006-05:00

When I was teaching preschool, I soon learned that some children have a hard time with the separation from their parents. Some kids act like they could care less. They wave and are ready to be on their own. For other children, it may take a few weeks for them to feel secure in their new environment. Here are some tips to help out with the transition.

Let your child help with the morning routine. Dressing, packing lunch, or choosing something special to bring to school might help your child feel more in control of the process of leaving the house and saying goodbye.

Plan your goodbye routines together. Decide how you will say goodbye at school and what you will do when you get home.

Remain calm and confident. Your child will quickly notice if you feel uneasy.

Think of ways to reinforce the link between home and school. Encourage your child to make things at home to contribute to the classroom. This could be art work for teachers or friends, special foods for snacks, props you find or make at home, or books to share.

Decide on a special toy or object that your child can bring to school. This can be a family photograph, a favorite stuffed animal, a toy, or something that belongs to you, such as a scarf of handkerchief.

Connect and communicate with your child's teacher when you say goodbye. This will help your child to feel secure and know that you will be back.

Make goodbyes short and sweet. The longer you linger, the worse it becomes. Walk your child to class (or drop off), give a quick kiss and hug, say "Have a great day. I'll be back at XX time to get you." Then leave. Try to keep this routine the same at least for the first few weeks until the child is settled.

Don't allow yourself to be manipulated. Some may be surprised or even offended at this tip, but I have witnessed a lot of parents being manipulated over the years. Some children think that if they scream long enough and loud enough then you will come to pick them up. If you give in to their screams, they'll only continue to do this. Eventually, you have to let them go, have confidence in their teachers, and give your children the independence that they need.

Focus on the positive. Be excited when you pick up your child. Ask them what cool and exciting things happened that day. When I was teaching, I sang a few songs with my students that helped to focus on the positives of school. You might try, We Had a Happy Day and I Like to Go to School.

You might also like some of the tips shared at Boston Mamas.

Do you have any tips to add to this list?

image sxc.hu

Free Family Event at Michaels

2009-08-13T23:36:00.002-05:00

This Saturday Michaels is having a free family Knack event. Use stickers and paints to decorate a metal tin to store pencils and pens.

Ages 5-12 are welcome to the event which will take place from 10 am to 1 pm. While supplies last.

The Importance of Sesame Street

2009-07-20T10:10:00.001-05:00

While Sesame Street may seem to be a relic of the past and a show that most adults watched as children, most parents do not realize the positive effect which the show may have on their children. Sesame Street is full of a slew of early educational lessons, from counting to recognizing the shapes of letters. The show is still on air today and it has also become easy to purchase the original episodes from decades ago which serve the same purpose as episodes now do. The ability of the show to keep going after 40 years in existence as well as countless Emmy awards is a testament to the change it has made onto many young children over the years.

Television has been revolutionized since the early days of Sesame Street and there are now countless children’s shows available daily on many different stations. However, there has been a noticeable downturn in the amount of educational children’s shows as most appear to exist merely to entertain the child when parents are busy around the house. Sesame Street has still risen to the challenge and presents itself as the saving grace of the TV world by retaining its slot every day and still teaching many lessons to its viewers. There are not many shows that have been able to teach children how to count or read in ways that can even begin to rival the methods that Sesame Street uses. There are additionally many timeless episodes which never grow old and can continue to be used on today’s children much as they were intended for kids of the 1970s. It seems that Sesame Street will never truly grow old.

Eight million viewers still tune into Sesame Street every week, and many studies have indicated that the children who watch the show regularly have increased signs of literacy and numerical skills than those kids who do not watch it. While the show has been updated to include lessons that are more applicable in modern society, such as focusing on music, health, bilingual learning, and healthy eating, the same original lessons are still taught in every episode. There are still many preschool shows that aim to teach children the importance of learning and reading, but none are as solidified in American culture as Sesame Street is.

This post was contributed by Sarah Russel, who writes about the best online college degree. She welcomes your feedback at SarahRussel1234 at gmail.com

Instilling Honor and Respect in Our Children

2009-07-17T08:57:00.007-05:00

What is up with all of the sassy kids these days? I have encountered numerous kids lately, even little ones as young as four and five years old, that are rolling their eyes at their parents, smarting off, and using disrespectful tones. What's worse is that the parents aren't addressing the issue.

I know that all kids have issues, but it is our job to train them and to mold them. We are the ones that are to teach them right from wrong. There will many influences in their lives. How will they be able to discern which ones to follow if we don't guide them and teach them?

I believe it was Dr. Phil who so wisely said that we are raising adults. We are not raising children. What kind of adults are we raising?

There are times when planned ignoring is an acceptable form of behavior management but this is to be used when a child is trying to get on your nerves and to push your buttons. It is ok then to act like the behavior is not bothering you. This is not what I'm seeing from parents. I'm not seeing intentional ignoring from parents, I'm seeing people that don't want to address the issues and this is a concern for me.

Honor and respect are still admirable virtues. They are character traits that should be taught now, even while your child is very young. Unfortunately, some people have not consistently taught these things to their children while they were little ones and now they are really having issues from their preteens. I know that preteen and teen years are difficult, but some of what I'm hearing about is just going way too far. The parents have no control and seem to have no clue how to deal with it. I believe that if they would have handled these issues sooner in life, they would not have magnified so greatly now.

It is my belief that we should begin teaching our children to love, honor, and respect others around them, especially adults. This should begin in the early stages of life. Disrespectul words and gestures should be addressed immediately.

What are your feelings on this matter?

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

image sxc.hu

Be Fire Smart

2009-07-08T15:49:00.003-05:00

Be Fire Smart is a great site for teachers, educators, and children. On the site you will find information on planning fire escape routes, preventing fires, and home safety.

There are also fun things for the kids.

Kids can dress Firefighter Frank to fight fires. While they are playing dress the firefighter, Frank tells them what each item is for and reminds them not to be afraid of firefighters.
Download and print out the Be Fire Smart coloring book.
Play Junior burning questions quiz.

If you're a teacher, be sure to bookmark this site for you upcoming fall lessons on fire prevention.

Free Children's Music Download

2009-07-07T07:39:00.002-05:00

Charity & the JAMband is giving away a free download of an entire album, Rock Your Socks Off. Hurry! This offer ends at 10 am PST. For more details, visit my post at Thrifty Mommy.

Even if you miss this limited offer, you can still get some free downloads. The post also tells about other free songs that you can get.

Gotta go. I'm taking the kids to a free movie! More on that later. Have a great day!

10 Outdoor Summer Crafts for Summer

2009-07-01T19:33:00.005-05:00

Better Homes & Gardens has some cute summer craft ideas.

Kids' Summer Sunglasses

Make and Decorate a Colorful Kite

Cute Bug Catcher

Neighborhood Kids' Paint Party

Kids' Garden Plant Markers

Handprint Garden Plaque

Kids' Garden Banner

Fun to Paint Garden Rocks

Kids' Creative Stepping-Stone

Puppets from the Garden

Which ideas do you think you'll try?

Wordless Wednesday: Slip 'N Slide

2009-07-01T14:56:00.006-05:00

As I mentioned last week, the Slip 'N Slide is super fun in the summer!

Summertime Fun: Slip 'N Slide

2009-06-28T21:46:00.003-05:00

As promised, I'll be telling you about some ideas to keep your kids busy and entertained this summer.

One my kid's favorite summer activities is playing in the water. Unfortunately, we do not have a pool so we improvise by using a Slip 'N Slide. You can purchase a Slip 'N Slide for as low as $8 up to $35-$40. If you have a tarp, a waterhose, and a sprinkler at home you can make your own. Just be sure that you don't use bricks on the corners to hold the tarp down on the ground. This is what we used when we were kids. (Ouch!)

Tips: You must keep the water slide wet at all times. If you find you're not sliding quickly enough, try using a little soap/dishwashing liquid.

Have fun and be careful!

image from Target

Summertime Fun Ideas are Coming!

2009-06-23T23:14:00.004-05:00

Hey folks. Sorry I haven't been around much. I have two other blogs that I primarily write for, I also have three children, and then we've had a series of events these past few months. I've been quite busy.

Summer is here and the kids are home from school and I'm trying really hard to balance my time better. The kids are very needy and my time is limited, but I think we can help one another out.

I'd like to start a series of summer ideas for kids. I've got a few ideas of things to keep the kids busy and entertained this summer. I'm sure many of you will be searching for tips and tricks.

Be looking for upcoming posts with great ideas and if you have any ideas that you'd like to share, please leave a comment or email me at knowhimwell at hotmail dot com.

Have a great summer everyone!

Free Hermie Games and Coloring Pages

2009-05-16T08:40:00.003-05:00

Some of you may be fans of the children's dvd series Hermie & Friends by Max Lucado. My kids have a few of the dvds. I like the videos because they're clean, entertaining, and provide a positive message for children. I confess that I usually purchase our dvds when they are $5 at Lifeway and Family Christian.

This year, Lifeway is celebrating Hermie with "The Year of the Worm". Each month, they're featuring a Hermie & Friends dvd at 50% off the regular price. This month, it’s Stanley the Stinkbug Goes to Camp, a fun and hilarious tale on friendship God’s way. Right now, the dvd is on sale for $7.49.

A lesson in personal hygiene? No way! This is the animated story of Hermie and his friends at Camp Bug-A-Boo. All is well until Stanley the Stinkbug arrives and, boy does he stink! Follow along in this lesson about friendship to help your kids understand that God makes each of us unique and for a purpose.

Lifeway also has free Hermie games and coloring pages on their site. Be sure to bookmark the site. I know you'll need lots of things to keep your children busy this summer. These would also be great for children's church, VBS, or a birthday party.

Enjoy!

image from lifeway

Free Song Download - I'm a Little Bunny

2009-05-07T11:04:00.005-05:00

Here's another great free song download from Charity & the JAMband. "I'm a Little Bunny" is a perfect song to sing and dance to this spring. Play this song and your kids will soon be hopping around, laughing, and pretending they have ears. I downloaded this song a few minutes ago and my 3-year-old wanted me to play it over and over again.

Visit this Charity & the JAMband link to download this song for free. Charity provides a free song download each month. I have a folder created on my computer for each song that she releases. You can also go to the JAMband site to listen live and take a look at their cds. My favorite song is still "Peanut Butter and Jam". Go have a listen and let me know what you think.

image from Charity & the JAMband

Paper Plate Easter Basket

2009-04-10T19:45:00.004-05:00

I've seen this paper plate Easter basket several times, but now I finally have a picture to show you. You simply take a large paper plate and cut out a small half circle, leaving the rim intact. Then you paint or color the backside the plate. You decorate paper eggs to glue on the other side. DLTK has some printable eggs that you can use, if you don't want to decorate your own.

Materials needed:

paper plate

paint

paint brush

construction paper

markers or crayons

glue

Have fun!

Printable Bunny Activities

2009-03-25T11:21:00.003-05:00

Skip to My Lou has the cutest craft ideas and some of them are for kids. Cindy has just posted a bunny treat bag topper. Some other cute ideas include a bunny egg holder and a bunny napkin ring. Simple and easy!

Enjoy!

Kindergarten Sight Words

2009-03-13T23:07:00.004-05:00

Here's the updated list of kindergarten site words.

was, said, what, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, one, two, three, four, five, from, here, go, are, that, do yellow, green, blue, you, of they, see, with, look, me, can, he, she, for, my like, we, I, am, the, to, a, at, an, little, is, have

Felt Brown Bag Lunch

2009-03-11T11:19:00.003-05:00

If you like handmade toys or if you like to sew, then you should check out this Felt Brown Bag Lunch tutorial over at Skip to My Lou. You can buy the templates for $1.75 or install the Skip to My Lou button in your sidebar and Cindy will email them to you for free. Cindy is also giving away the felt to make these lunch kits, so drop on by and leave a comment.

Activity Village

2009-02-26T11:59:00.003-05:00

Just found another great site, Activity Village. Activity Village has coloring pages, home school resources, educational resources, kids crafts, puzzles, printables, Sudoku for kids, recipes, and so much more. There are over 3000 pages of activities to help you keep your kids busy.

One of the things I found at Activity Village is their printable handwriting and story paper. I have to tell you, story paper isn't easy to find. You'll probably have to go to a teacher store to get it and then do you really want to pay their prices? It's probably easier and cheaper to just print out the few pages you'll need.

Hope you enjoy this site!

Little Amadeus for Kids

2009-02-24T17:20:00.009-05:00

Little Amadeus by Wunderkind is an animated series that entertains, educates, inspires children, and encourages them to make their own music. The series is geared toward children ages 4 to 8.

Just looking at the Little Amadeus website was a wow moment for me. It's proof that there really are some great resources on the internet.

The creators of Little Amadeus have obviously done their research and come up with ideas to teach classical music to children. Right now, my kids are watching the episode, "Solo for Amadeus". If I click on the parent and teacher section of the Little Amadeus website, I'll find lesson plans for the episode. This lesson plan includes objectives, information on the episode, a list of needed materials, background activities, various activities to try, extension activities, and more! If you're musically inclined, you can download the sheet music of your favorite compositions.

My children really enjoy playing games on the computer. The Little Amadeus website has a large selection of games and activites to play based upon the tv series. And just when I thought I was done . . . I just found another great section. If you'll look at their resources, it teaches about different musical instruments, how to compose music, and also has printable coloring pages.

Little Amadeus products can be found at Target stores and online. Check the Little Amadeus website for tv times in your area.

Make Your Own Crayons

2009-02-20T20:04:00.002-05:00

It doesn't take long to collect a bunch of old, broken crayons. Instead of tossing them, consider saving them to make new crayons. If you put them into molds, you can make neat little gifts for your kids friends. Such a cute idea for Valentine's Day, Christmas, or party favors.

How-to recycle those crayon stubs into a swell homemade gift - More DIY How To Projects

Free Song of the Month from Charity & the JAMband

2009-02-20T10:33:00.005-05:00

The Charity & the JAMband song of the month is available for free on their website. This month's free song download is "The Song in Your Heart".

While at the Charity & the JAMband website, take a few minutes to listen to their music or watch some videos. It's fun music!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar 40th Anniversary Pop-Up Book

2009-02-18T17:09:00.005-05:00

Amanda from Oh Amanda shows us the new The Very Hungry Caterpillar pop-up book. Looks like fun. Don't forget, I have fun activities to go along with this book. Also, Mrs. Jones has a cute song. These ideas are perfect for spring, which is just around the corner. Have fun! :)

FamilyFun Digital for Free

2009-02-13T17:24:00.004-05:00

Get FamilyFun Digital for free! Read, print, and search the newest issue of FamilyFun. You can also view archives of past issues and clip and share your favorite pages for later. Each issue is filled with crafts, recipes, and loads of fun activities. Hooray!

Happy Birthday, President Lincoln!

2009-02-12T16:42:00.003-05:00

Today is Lincoln's birthday. Here is an idea to help celebrate.

Thanks to my friend Karen for the picture.

Clifford Valentine's Special

2009-02-12T16:03:00.002-05:00

Valentine's Day is Clifford's favorite holiday and he is celebrating with a one hour special. "Love at First Bark" airs February 13 on PBS Kids. Check your local listings.

Find Kid Sites with KidRex

2009-02-08T20:46:00.004-05:00

Don't waste hours looking through websites trying to find the ones that are kid-friendly. Today I came across a search engine just for kids called KidRex. While no filter is 100% accurate, this is a great place to start.

I typed in "alligators" and up came several sites to help kids learn about alligators. There were pictures, facts, videos, information, lessons, and so much more.

Of course, this site is great for teachers and homeschoolers. If you're looking for a site on a particular topic, just type it in, and you won't have to surf through all the other junk.

Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Thoughtful Thursday

2009-02-05T16:04:00.001-05:00

“Children are the living message we send to a time we will not see.”
unknown

Pasta Crafts from Parents TV

2009-02-04T09:55:00.003-05:00

If you're going crazy from all of these cold days inside, try keeping your kids busy with these pasta crafts. They're so creative and cute!

Next time I go to the store I'll have to pick up some varieties of pasta.

Hot Chocolate Mug Cakes

2009-02-03T08:46:00.004-05:00

I got my new Family Fun magazine in the mail yesterday and thought these Hot Chocolate Mug Cakes would make a sweet treat. Just bake your favorite chocolate cake batter in individual mugs for a warming winter dessert. They're easy to make too.

image from Family Fun

Newsletter Issues for Subscribers

2009-01-31T17:39:00.002-05:00

It seems that the company I'm using for newsletters is no longer available. I will be hunting around for a different source. Stay tuned for an update. And if you all have any suggestions, please let me know. Thanks!

Teaching Symmetry

2009-01-27T14:49:00.005-05:00

PetiteMommy was asking today for thoughts on teaching symmetry to her first grader. I tried to think back to my days of teaching first grade. Whew, that was . . . seven years ago?!?! Oh my! Anyway, after some remembering and googling, I found these ideas:

1) Look at pictures of lady bugs and butterflies. Discuss how the different sides look the same.

2) Make symmetric figures using pattern blocks or tangrams.

3) Fold paper in half and begin cutting. Unfold paper to see a symmetric shape.

4) Put a mirror beside pictures to where you can see the exact same picture in the mirror.

5) Check out this video from TeacherTube.

7) Links Learning has a good symmetry video/lesson too, but it is probably best suited for first and second grade.

8) Homeschool math also has a line symmetry lesson.

9) Make a snowflake.

10) Examine the letters of the alphabet. Find some letters that are symmetrical. If possible, have letter cut outs and try to fold them to find symmetry.

Do you have any suggestions for teaching symmetry?

Win a Children's CD Bundle from Charity & the JAMband

2009-01-27T12:09:00.008-05:00

Last week I posted about a free monthly song download from Charity & the JAMband. Now, Charity has graciously donated a cd bundle which includes four of her cds!!!! This cd bundle is valued at $52!

How to enter this giveaway:

1) Leave a comment telling why you would like to win these cds or which of Charity and the JAMband's songs you like.

2) Give this post a thumbs up on Stumble Upon and leave me your stumble name.

3) Tweet this giveaway on Twitter and leave me your Twitter name or url from your tweet.

4) Mention this giveaway on any forums or message boards and leave me a url.

5) Add Little Fun; Little Learning to your blogroll.

6) Sign up for our newsletter. You can sign up in the right sidebar.

Please leave a comment for each option you choose. This will make it easier to give you an entry to each item completed. Thanks!

Other info:

This contest ends February 1st and is available to U.S. residents only. The winner will be contacted by email and will have 72 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. You will not be put on a mailing list, but I must have your email address to contact you in case you win. Please make sure your email address is listed on your blogger profile or in the comments. **If you do not have a blogger profile, you can still enter the contest. Simply click "Anonymous" and leave your comment in the comment box, along with your name and email address.

Please check out all of the giveaways at the Bloggy Giveaways Carnival.

Good luck everyone and don't forget to download Charity & the JAMband's free download for January.

Maya & Miguel "Cupid" Episode

2009-01-22T11:56:00.005-05:00

A new Maya & Miguel airs February 13.

Maya & Miguel - "Cupid"

Miguel hates Valentine's Day and considers it a greeting card holiday. Maya loves Valentine's Day and considers it an opportunity to tell your loved ones how much you care about them. As Maya prepares herself for the best Valentine's Day ever, Miguel is horrified to learn that he has been chosen as the official Cupid of the school this year, and must deliver valentines throughout the school, attired in cupid wings. He begs and pleads with anyone and everyone to take over his job, to no avail. He straps on the wings and begins halfheartedly delivering the valentines to thrilled students throughout the school. At the end of the day, he tosses the whole getup in the trash, eager to be done with this accursed holiday. Maya, meanwhile, thinks Miguel is lucky to be able to deliver so much happiness and joy, and gets the idea to start a free valentine’s delivery service for the rest of the neighborhood. Unfortunately, her helper Paco manages to stuff the wrong valentines into the wrong envelopes, and all the valentines are delivered to the wrong people, with insulting results. Soon a mob confronts Maya. Miguel, seeing the mob, digs his cupid wings out of the trash and hops into action to save his sister. In the end, the once angry neighbors are thrilled with the job Miguel does of spreading Valentine's Day cheer... and Miguel's heart grows a few sizes towards the holiday he once hated.

Check out the fun Maya & Miguel activities at PBS.

Free Song of the Month

2009-01-21T15:40:00.004-05:00

Charity and the JAMband have won awards and acclaim for their cds. Now you can get a free song download each month.

This month's free song is The Bird. You can download the song and also print the song sheet.

This month's song is a dreamy reflection on the cyclical nature of day and night, dark and light, sunrise and sunset -- and a reminder that there's a little dawn bird singing in each of our hearts, showing us the way to the morning. It's called The Bird. We hope it sings to you!

While you're at Charity and the JAMband's site, be sure to listen to other songs and watch some of their videos. Your little ones will be dancing and singing in no time.

I'm hoping that next month's free download is Peanut Butter and Jam. Which song would you like to download?

Fun with Noggin and Nick Jr.

2009-01-18T16:11:00.007-05:00

These past few days, it has been so cold that we haven't been able to play outside. This leaves my little one a bit more energetic and me trying to find things to keep him occupied. Thank goodness for Nick Jr and Noggin.

I've told you before all about Nick Jr. and Noggin, but let me remind you that you can find puzzles and games, videos, printables, crafts ideas, seasonal activities, and so much more! I mean, really, Nick Jr has 176 Dora printables! And you can't help but to sing along with Laurie Berkner's song, "Boots". "In my boots, in my boots, I dance around in my boots. B-o-o-t-s. Boots!" Have fun with great characters such as Toot & Puddle, The Backyardigans, Little Bill, Diego, Pinky Dinky Doo, and more.

These sites are so great for little ones.

image from Noggin

Learn to Read at Starfall

2009-01-12T11:16:00.004-05:00

I wanted to take the opportunity to introduce you to my newest favorite website, Starfall! I'm so excited about this website. It is one of the best I have found for helping students to read.

Here a just a few categories on Starfall and a review of them. This will give you an idea of what the website has to offer.

ABCs - Click on a letter and the upper and lowercase letter come out with music. It tells you the names of the letters and then you click on the letters and you can hear the sound the letter makes. Next click on the arrow and/or blue letters and you'll hear and see words that start with the letter and the sound is reinforced. And if that wasn't enough, after the words, there is a game with the letters. The ABC section also shows you how to make the letters in sign language. Click on the vowels and you go to a classroom setting with a teacher who teaches a song with the vowel sound. "Listen to the short a sound. The a in cat the a in rat makes a short a sound." There are also ABC printouts which are great for teachers, homeschoolers, or moms.

Learn to Read - Play a game with words families, sight words, vowels sounds, watch a movie about the order of the alphabet, read an interactive book, and then print out the books to keep! (My daughter's kindergarten teacher prints these out and sends them home for evening reading.)

I trust that you will enjoy this website as much as I have.

Kindergarten Site Words

2009-01-12T10:15:00.004-05:00

Here is a list of site words for kindergarten up through this point. I will inform you as the list grows.

I
am
the
to
a
at
an
little
is
have
like
we
for
my
she
he
can
me
look
with
see
they

new words: you, and, of

Helpful Parenting Articles

2009-01-04T15:47:00.002-05:00

Toddlerhood

It's All Fun and Games

Potty Training

Getting Toddlers to Sleep

Toddler Misbehavior

Toddlers and Sexual Discovery

Next Steps/Related Information

Christmas Collage

2008-12-20T09:46:00.003-05:00

For Christmas, consider making a Christmas collage/poster such as the one shown here. This is my friend's little girl. Their class assignment was to tell if they decorate and how, the foods they eat, activities they do, and people they spend their Christmas with. There is also writing under the pictures and along the bottom to explain. Cute idea!

Thanks to my friend Karen for sharing.

Printable Snowman Activity

2008-12-16T15:18:00.005-05:00

Printables 4 Kids has a snowman that you can color, cut, and build. Enjoy!

Christmas Links from Little Fun

2008-12-11T13:55:00.003-05:00

I'm sorry I haven't been around much. My family has been through a lot of changes this year. Even though I haven't been around much, there is still a lot of great stuff in the archives here at Little Fun; Little Learning. Here are a few of my favorites.

Santa Claus Handprint Craft

Christmas Ornament Ideas

Easy Ornament Idea

Reindeer Handprint Craft

Snowman Ornament

Christmas Tree Craft

Enjoy!

Sorry for My Absence

2008-11-29T13:50:00.001-05:00

My life is changing once again. As you can imagine, working 16 hours a day in a group home was exhausting! My hubby was contacted about another job and he's accepted. We're moving next week. Sorry I haven't been around. Hopefully, life will settle down soon and I can get back to sharing great ideas with you.

Free Bible Resources

2008-11-02T21:38:00.004-05:00

I came across a site today and wanted to share it with you. Check out EBibleTeacher. Here's some of the great things I found:

backgrounds and PowerPoint templates

photos of Bible places and things

children's Sunday School lessons

flip chart images and PowerPoint

PowerPoint sermons

PowerPoint Bible Atlas maps

Enjoy!

Free Rocks and Minerals Curriculum

2008-11-01T22:03:00.005-05:00

Get a free curriculum ebook on rocks and minerals from CurrClick. Enjoy!

Bloggy Giveaway Prize #3 - d-CON Bait Paste Pouches

2008-10-29T15:34:00.002-05:00

d-CON brand, the trusted authority in rodent control products, recently launched Bait Paste Pouches. They are the first bait that can be placed safely out of the reach of children and pets. The moldable bait is sealed in a plastic pouch, making it safe to touch. It also can fit into small spaces, including crevices and cracks, where mice can get to it but children and pets cannot. It comes in a resealable container to add another level of safety and is small enough to be stored out of reach. And at a retail price of only $5.99, it’s a small investment towards preventing what could turn into a much more expensive problem if not handled immediately. With weather conditions primed for rodent season, which peaks on November 15th, it’s a good product for people to have on hand!

Why are d-CON® Bait Paste Pouches™ a good solution for your household?
Their flexible material lets you put them out of reach of children and pets
in the smallest crevices and cracks.
Mice take the bait and then leave.
d-CON® Bait Paste Pouches™ are palatable to mice.
They are moisture-resistant, so they’re perfect for use in damp
environments and humid climates.

The winner will receive 3 d-CON Bait Paste Pouches which has a value of $17.97. To win this giveaway, simply leave a comment below. You can tell me where you’d use these in your home, what you like about the product, if you have an issue with rodents, or if you’d give these to a needy friend.

This giveaway is for those with a U.S. address only. To see the complete list of giveaways, visit the bloggy giveaways site.

Good luck everyone!

Bloggy Giveaways Prize #2 - Baskin Robbins Gift Certificates

2008-10-29T11:00:00.003-05:00

We have another giveaway to offer you all. The winner of this giveaway will get gift certificates from Baskin Robbins. Yummy!!!! These gift certificates would be great for a nice treat for yourself and your family, to use as a Christmas gift for someone, or for those quick trips at the drive-thru while Christmas shopping.

You can also purchase Baskin-Robbins gift certificates at their site. Don’t forget, Baskin-Robbins is having a fall ice cream sale. You can save money and make your gift certificates go even further.

To win this giveaway, simply leave a comment below telling what you would use the gift certificates for or which menu item you’re wanting to taste. I don’t know about you, but that cappuccino blast is calling my name. ;)

This giveaway is for those with a U.S. address only. To see the complete list of giveaways, visit the bloggy giveaways site.

Good luck everyone!

Homework Every Night?

2008-10-27T21:39:00.002-05:00

My daughter is in kindergarten. I'm pleased with the progress that she has made, but I have one issue that is really bothering me. She has homework EVERY night!!!! The teacher sends it home on Monday and it must be returned to school on Friday.

When I was a teacher, I made a point of not assigning homework just to be assigning it. I tried not to give any on Wednesday nights because I know that many churches have services on Wednesdays.

What do you think? Do you think homework every night is too much or just right? I'd love to know your opinion.

Bloggy Giveaways Prize - Basket of Indulgence

2008-10-27T17:21:00.004-05:00

Up for grabs is a Chex Mix Bars Basket of Indulgence which comes with a box of tasty Turtle Chex Mix Bars, chocolate candles, caramel lotion, and spa essentials like a loofah, hand massager, nail brush, and spa towel.

New Chex Mix Bars combine crunchy Chex pieces, pretzels and peanuts with chewy and indulgent ingredients like caramel and chocolate. And if that’s not enough, they have less than 150 calories per bar and provide at least 8 grams of whole grain per serving (48 grams recommended daily)!

If you’d like to win, just leave a comment below telling us what you would do with this wonderful basket of indulgence. Would you keep it for yourself or choose the thrifty route of saving it for a Christmas gift?

Due to shipping costs, this giveaway is limited to U.S. addresses.

To see the complete list of giveaways, visit the bloggy giveaways site.

Good luck everyone!

Match it! Rhyming Game

2008-09-30T13:47:00.001-05:00

My daughter is in kindergarten and although she is very intelligent, she seems to struggle with rhyming words. While I at Marshall's this weekend, I found a matching game for rhyming words by The Learning Journey. At Marshall's the game was a great price at just $4.99! I got it for her and tonight we played the game together. Hopefully this will help her with the concept of rhyming words.

This game can also be purchased at The Learning Journey website. Unfortunately though, you'll pay a lot more for it at $10.99. Still, it's a great game.

image from The Learning Journey website

Letter A Activities

2008-09-29T13:31:00.006-05:00

First School - color posters, coloring pages, activity worksheets, handwriting practice tracers in D'Nealian modern manuscript and standard block manuscript, lesson plans, and much, much, more!

DLTK - apple paper craft, coloring pages, mini book, songs, rhymes, games, puzzles, tracer sheets, templates

Enchanted Learning - alphabet theme pages, printable worksheets, activities

Primary Games - Look at the book A to Z by Susan Beasley.

Preschool by Stormie - recipes, activities, themes

Letter of the Week

clipart source

Do you have any "A" activities to share?

$60 Giveaway for RS Designs

2008-09-21T15:42:00.003-05:00

Thrifty Mommy is giving away a $60 credit for RS Designs. Here are some fo the things RS Designs offers:

mommy cards
custom business and blog cards
premade headers and templates
custom made headers, signature, divider, banner
3 custom blog design packages
2 discounted work at home packages, including etsy button and banner package
discounted add-ons with the purchase of any premade blog designs
set up and design of wordpress powered boutique (ex: Sparkle and Charm and SweetCheeks Scrapbooks)
standard html website (ex: Danajill Designs)

To win, stop by Thrifty Mommy and leave a comment telling which item you’d like from RS Designs and/or blog about the giveaway. Good luck!

Physical Boundaries with Toddlers

2008-09-13T21:58:00.002-05:00

Toddlers and Sexual Discovery - Here are some tips on how parents can encourage appropriate physical boundaries.

Where Have I Been?

2008-08-15T18:45:00.002-05:00

In case you're a regular reader at this site, you may be wondering where I've been. Things have been crazy for me lately. In the past two months, my family's lives have drastically changed.

We are moving to another part of North Carolina, about 4 hours from where we're currently living. We have made several trips to our new destination and have begun some job training. On top of all that, we are doing some serious downsizing. We have already sold some vehicles and about half of our possessions. We had too much anyway. ;)

Life is not the same and my time has been very limited. I hope that I can get back to regular posting soon. It make take a few weeks though. At least you'll know what I'm up to.

How are things your way?

Teddy Ruxpin DVD Winner

2008-08-15T18:42:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to Erin of Mommy Octopus. She is the winner of the Teddy Ruxpin DVD giveaway.

Helen Keller Video

2008-07-31T23:33:00.002-05:00

Nest Learning puts short video clips on YouTube that you can view for free. Here's their latest video on Helen Keller. They also have 30 other videos on YouTube. Click here to view their collection.

Teddy Ruxpin DVD Giveaway

2008-07-30T14:46:00.004-05:00

Woohoo! It's time for the Bloggy Giveaways. This giveaway is for 2 Teddy Ruxpin dvds. These are volumes 1 and 2, which include episodes 1-10. The value of this giveaway is approximately $24.

To enter this giveaway, all you have to do is leave a comment below. If you’d like two entries for this prize, you can write an article about this giveaway and/or Little Fun; Little Learning on your blog. If you decide to use this route, please leave a separate comment below with the link to your article.

Unfortunately, blogger does not provide me with email addresses of commenters. Please leave a way for me to get in touch with you or check back next week when I will announce the winner.

Please check out my other giveaway at Thrifty Mommy. You can click here to see a complete list of Bloggy Giveaway participants and prizes. There are already hundreds to choose from.

A Homeschool Family

2008-07-25T00:28:00.003-05:00

We've seen comedian Tim Hawkins in concert a few times. Tonight I searched for him on YouTube because I wanted a laugh. I found this video and thought it was appropriate for you all. Enjoy! :)

Click here if you'd like to see the better quality video from his site.