Picture Book Month: Bing Make Music

Bing: Make Music

Written & Illustrated by Ted Dewan

Published by David Fickling books

I discovered the Bing books back when I was teaching a toddler art class. Myself, I was fond of the colors and illustrations of the single Bing book I had. Once I read it to my toddler group I recognized that Bing was a bunny totally worth reckoning with. I picked up all but one Bing title from new and used sellers on Amazon and haven't looked back. Kiddos LOVE Bing and I do as well. My favorite thing about Make Music is that Bing and Flop make music much like our kiddos do, using everyday objects such as keys and such. To accompany this book, why not have your tots make their very own rice shaker?

Materials

*uncooked lentils

*small beads and bobbs

*empty plastic water bottle

*glue or packing tape

This goes without saying that you know your kiddo better than anyone else. If your child is in danger of choking on any of the above materials, please take precautions and adapt as you will. We recently did this activity with our toddler class without a hitch. Instead of rice, we used popcorn kernels and pumpkin seeds. The beads added a pop of color. I have also done this with Plastic Easter eggs or sturdy paper plates.

Set out empty bottle, sans lid and have your kiddo fill (about one-quarter is good) with beads, buttons, bobbs, and rice.

Screw lid back on and affix with glue and/or tape. Once dry, hand over to kiddo and make some music! Don't have beads and bits? Hand your kiddo a wooden spoon and an empty box and enjoy!

Don't forget, November is Picture book Month. check out the blog here. 

Publishers Weekly: Top 11 Picture books of 2011

 Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans 

Written and Illustrated by Kadir Nelson 

Published by Harper Collins, 2011 

 Click here for the Publishers Weekly picture book list.

Picture Book Month: Guess Again

  Guess Again

Written by Mac Barnett

Illustrated by Adam Rex

Published by Simon & Schuster

Guess Again is a fantastic read aloud for school aged kids. Absolutely, rip-roaring fantastic! Full of humor and quirk, this may become your kiddos favorite. I would tell you more but this is a spoiler free post.

Don't forget, November is Picture book Month. check out the blog here.

Picture Book Month: The Lion and the Little Red Bird

The Lion and the Little Red Bird

Written and Illustrated by Elisa Kleven

Published by Puffin, 1996

Painting with homemade paints would be a fun project to go along with this book. Check out Elisa Kleven's website for project ideas and questions.

Don't forget, November is Picture book Month. Check out the blog here.

Picture Book Month: Bling Blang

Bling Blang

Written by Woody Guthrie

Illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky

Published by Candlewick, 2000

I love Woody Guthrie and I love Vladimnir Radunsky. The two paired together make a perfect cup of tea. If you can, make sure to have your kiddo give a listen to one of Woody's recordings of Bling Blang. It is folk music at its best. If you find you like this one, please check out Howdi Do as well!

Materials

*popsicle/craft sticks

*cardboard

*glue

*paint and/or markers

There are numerous ways for kiddos to create houses. If I had a group of kiddos with me after i read this book, I would let them choose their own materials. But, since I don't, here is my wee suggestion and project.

Set out cardboard and paint. Paper is fine if that is all you have. Ask your kiddos if their house is going to be in the city or the country or perhaps outer space? Once they decide, have them paint up their background and set aside to dry.

Once dry, bring out the craft sticks and have your kiddos "build" their house using the glue to stitck their sticks to their background.

They can use paint and or markers to color their house. Play Bling Blang while they work. once they have finished, ask them about their house and write down or record what they say, it will make a wonderful story!

Don't forget, November is Picture book Month. check out the blog here.

Picture Book Month: the art of shapes

The Art of Shapes

by Cindy Estes and Margaret Steele

Published by Fotofolio Inc, 1997

Not really a picture book in the classic sense but I do really like the art of shapes. The board book format makes for a unique display and kiddos of all ages will be intrigued by the colors discovered within. Adults will enjoy the array of artists and if they are anything like me, they will hit the net to research the artists they have never heard of. Other titles in this series include the art of the body and the art of colors.

Shape projects:

*take a walk and go on a shape hunt 

*draw shapes on sandpaper with crayon and have kiddos trace with their fingers

*roll a dice (die?) and ask your kiddo to draw a shape with corresponding sides

*make cookie shapes

*pick up a pack of foam shapes, toss in an empty tissue box and see how many tries is takes to draw a match

*have kiddos paint on paper cut into shapes

 

Picture Book Month: The Adventures of a Nose

 

The Adventures of a Nose

Written by Viviane Schwarz

Illustrated by Joel Stewart

Published by Candlewick Press

The Adventures of a Nose is a picture book about a Nose looking for a place to fit in. The illustrations are BRILLIANT! I adore this title.

To go along with the fun and quirkiness of The Adventures of a Nose, I have a fun collage project you and your kiddos might enjoy.

Materials

*Magazines

*Scissors

*Paper or posterboard

*Glue Stick

*Markers, Paint or Crayons

Have your kiddo go through some kid friendly magazines in search of their very own nose. They may cut out their nose with a pair of scissors.

Taking a cue from the book, have your kiddo collage, draw or paint a background for their nose. Keep in mind the goal is to create a face from an everyday scene. 

Once they have their background ready, paste the nose into place and add legs. Ta-da! Or, as an alternative, they can create a paper doll of their nose and take it on its very own adventure via a walk outside or through another magazine. If you do this, I would LOVE to see your Nose! Enjoy! 

I didn't have time to create my own collage for you but I do hope you'll keep reading, more fun to come! 

November is Picture Book Month, check out the blog!

Picture Book Month: 1000 Times No

1000 Times No

Written & Illustrated by Tom Warburton

Published by Harper Collins, 2009

When it comes to kiddos, NO is a universal language, is it not? 1000 Times No makes for a great read aloud. Mr. Warburton has delightfully illustrated a child in the throes of No!  From your average obstinate negative declaration to your fancy-pants multi-lingual Nu-uh, this book will be sure to delight.

Oooh and lookie, there is video on vimeo as well!

November is Picture Book Month, check out the blog!

Picture Book Month: Cloud Boy

 Cloud Boy 

Written and Illustrated by Rhode Montijo 

Published by Simon & Schuster, 2006 

I love Cloud Boy! The illustrations are quirky and more than adorable and the story is simple and sweet. The story begins with a sad and lonely cloud boy who soon creates all sorts of companions with the cloud fluffs around him. I do not believe it is in general print any longer but you can find it on Amazon used. Keep an eye out at your local library and or thrift shops. I think I picked up my copy from bookcloseouts.com. If you haven't checked out Book Closeouts, I highly recommend it though it can be dangerous.

I also whipped up a lickety split art project you can do with your kiddos. Please be advised that I whipped this up as an example. If I were doing this with kiddos, I would have them create their own versions of cloud boy and would expect something more magical than my sad interpretation of the boy in the book.

This project is more about technique and imagination than copying cloud boy himself.

Materials: 

*white paper 

*white crayon or oil pastel 

*watercolors in blue 

*paintbrush 

*water 

*scissors 

*pencil 

*glue stick 

*pens 

 Gather up your materials and have your kiddos draw a handful of clouds on their white paper with a white crayon or oil pastel. They can do bits of fluff or happy shapes, it is up to them.

 Use a wet paintbrush to wash the paper. Make sure to cover the entire surface with a thin coat of water.

 Dab brush in a small bit of watercolor and touch it to the damp paper. Have your kiddos watch the paint travel about and resist the areas with crayon. Add more than one shade if you wish or add one at a time, allowing for dry time before adding the next shade.

 While paint is drying, have kiddos cut out and create their own cloud person. Glue to paper with glue stick and enjoy!

November is Picture Book Month, check out the blog! 

November is Picture Book Month!

 And I just, just, JUST found this out! If nothing else this month, I promise to bring you a favorite picture book a day...stay tuned! And while you are at it, you can keep an eye on the picture book month blog. What's your favorite picture book?

thinking in pink

 Halloween may be over but that doesn't mean we still can't enjoy our pumpkins. Taking a cue from the lurve and adoration my preschool kiddos have for this book, I brought in a garden-grown pumpkin for them to paint.

I set out a trio of paint cups. Two with white paint and one with red. The kiddos were delighted to create their very own Pinkalicious pumpkin. Even better was the tub of soapy water for them to wash up with. For two days they painted and painted and painted some more. From two year olds to four year olds, that jumbo sized pumpkin was painted pinker than pink.

We're gonna paint it some more tomorrow with a different color duet. It will be easy peasy. The sponge I set out was also enjoyed as kiddo after kiddo happily scrubbed that pumpkin clean. Check out the book stats down below and happy November!

Pinkalicious and the Pink Pumpkin

Written and Illustrated by Victoria Kann

Published by Harper Festival, 2011

Sesame Street: Batty Bat

silly symphony - the skeleton dance 1929 disney short

my misadvantures in Halloween crafting

Hello lovely readers! I have had the most ridiculous sad luck for this year's Halloween projects. You know how you feel as if you have oodles of time so you put aside the not-so-important projects for "later" but then suddenly you have NO time and so you rush about glueing here and painting there and hope, hope, hoping for good light so you can take a picture? Yup, in a pumkinshell that is my recent experience this month. Not to mention the projects that DID get started early simply wouldn't behave. Ooof!

 

 It all started with the yarn wreath I really wanted to make and spookify. I couldn't get the yarn to toughen up. I used glue, I used mod-podge, I added more glue and more mod-podge but nothing. Next, came my two jobs and more hours, which is a GOOD thing but left barely a smidge of time for crafting. In between we had to wait for an oven and my allergies attacked and sucked up all my energy (cue violin music).

So, even though, I did manage to glue a little here and paint a little there, all I was able to post was a cookie recipe which is super tasty, I promise! So, here's to next year where you get to see the finished projects that involved pom-poms and cupcake liners. Until then, I put together a Pinterest board full of previous Halloween projects. Have fun and Happy Halloween!

halloween fun: chocolate covered candy corn cookies

 I adore candy corn. Seriously adore it. I adore it so much I made up my own cookie recipe that quite perfectly carries the buttery sweetness of this holiday treat. I'm sure many folk out there have baked up candy corn cookies. I'm not saying mine are better or anything, but I encourage you to try 'em. Your kiddos can join in the fun by helping you measure, mix the dough and shape the cookies themselves.

The first thing you will need to do is to grab some chocolate chips and melt them down either in the microwave or a double broiler. Once you have a gooey mness o' melted chocolate, toss in a cup of candy corn and stir to coat. Once coated, spread out in a single layer on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper and pop it into the freezer. While your chocolate covered candy corn chills, you can get your kiddos' hands washed and mix up the dough.

Ingredients 

*1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened to almost melted) 

*1 cup white sugar 

*1 5.1 or 5.2 oz box of vanilla pudding mix

*1 tsp vanilla 

*2 eggs

*1 tsp baking soda 

*2 T corn starch 

*2 cups of flour 

*pinch of salt 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Combine the pudding mix and sugar and add your super soft, almost melted butter and mix with an electric mixer until pale.

2. Add your eggs and vanilla and mix a bit more. Remove mixer and grab a wooden spoon.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, salt and baking soda. Slowly add to your sugar/egg mixture and mix with the wooden spoon until combine.

4. Safely away from the wee fingers of your kiddos, chop up the chocolate covered candy corn and mix in about 2/3 into the cookie dough.

5. Roll a blob of dough into a ball about the size of a large marble and pop a bit of candy corn magic on top, sprinkle with a wee bit of sugar and press down flat with the bottom of a dry measure cup or small drinking glass.

6. Place on cookie sheet about 1 1/2" apart and bake for 10-12 minutes. Cookies will puff up and then flatten out once cool.

 You can skip the coating in chocolate part but then your candy corn will melt and ooze out of the dough proper. The chocolate keeps it tucked inside and adds a bit of kick. when I first made these I had wanted to use brown sugar but was out of it so I made do and we all think this recipe turned out just dandy. Enjoy!

First Day of (Pre) School Blues

Howdy folks! It being September here in the states generally means "Back to School" time. For a good number of parents out there you may be experiencing your very first back-to-school moment as you send your tiniest of tots off to preschool. As your wee one toddles away and you feel the tears a-comin' you may wonder if you picked the right kind of school. I suppose there is good reason to worry what with all the Montessori, Reggio, Waldorf, Play Based and fancy-schmancy schools out there but I want to tell you a little secret...as long as your kiddo finds joy in their center, has caregivers and teachers that find joy in their students and there is communication between everyone involved, it's all good and it's all going to be ok.

Children are magnificent learners and brilliant to boot. All children are no matter their abilities. Finding a center that makes your heart sing and your kiddo smile is the most important tidbit you need to focus on. Once you have that figured out, you can carry on a search for what style of schooling you think you AND your child will benefit most from. I've known parents who were all about Waldorf but their kiddos were more Play Based. I've worked with children in Play-Based schools that found peace through the rhythms of Montessori, so it is very important to pay close attention to your child and how they processes information. Not every child (or person for that matter) acquires knowledge in the same way.

I've spent more than a decade studying and researching different approaches and theories to early childhood education and have developed a few of my own ideas and ideals as to what I believe in regarding how children learn. As I said, first and foremost, children are extremely CAPABLE and quite brilliant and given the right tools (for them) they can grow to be extremely capable and brilliant adults. I believe any type of education is a good thing but finding the right fit can make it even better. In the next few months, I hope to bring to you more of my ideas and share my favorite theories and projects. It's the organizing of all this information in my head that makes it most difficult for me but I think that if I can't get it out of the noggin soon, I just very well may burst! So here, in a nutshell is my number one piece of advice for you to share with your kiddos, no matter their age:

Love to learn.

No matter what the learning may be about, show a great love for the discovery of new things. Cook a new recipe, read a new book, plant a new plant, or learn a new word. Just go for it and try something or learn something new today that you didn't know yesterday. Make it a habit and make the reflection on your new-found knowledge a habit as well. This world is full of amazing and wonderful things and all of it is out there for you to grab it!

crafting for craft: bento style art box

Get the scoop at craftzine!

crafting for craft: noodle monsters!

Check out the tutorial here!

Build Your Own Adventure Bag

One of the neatest things you can equip your kiddos' with for when they are out in the "wild" is an adventure bag full of fun.

I whipped up these bags from scrap fabric pieces and burlap I had floating about but you can use any pre-made bag. Having a strap so that the bag hangs cross-wise over the body is probably best. That is how both ander and zaza wore theirs. One that is not-so-fancy and water proof-ish is a good idea as well.

Here's what we put inside the bags:

*pack of gum

*handmade book or notebook

*stickers

*small plastic baggies for collecting

*whistle

*magnifying glass

*paper clips

*pencil & sharpener

*sharpie

*index cars & tags

revisiting a classic: tin-can telephone

Did ya know that tin-can telephones work just as well with styrofoam cups? We had some cups from a recent eatery visit so we brought them home with us and used fishing line and they worked! Now they're even more customizable. Break out the markers and get to tinkering!