Smart Pumpkin Patch

It's been soooooo long!

2011-01-12T21:22:00.000-08:00

I haven't realized that I haven't been posting for so long. It's been over a year!!!!
A lot has changed...
Pumpkin now is a very happy kindergartener wishing to go to school 7 days a week. She spent half a year in pre-K beforehand which made her transition smooth. She adores her young and talanted teacher and tries really hard always to do the right thing.

Me???
Recently I came across a great idea I want to share with you. Swag bucks! You heard me. ;) Basically, after connecting to this website you do your usual stuff on the computer only you search through their search engine. There is a whole system how you can earn swag bucks: by searching, taking polls, watching their swagTV.

You won't become rich but you can make a little something, and "a little something" helps.
Oh, and you can promote it on your blog (like I did :) ), through your social network profiles, and via email. It is like a pyramid effect: the more people you refer, the more money you'll make.

You are online anyway so might as well get the most out of it.
Please, if you are curious, click on the link and it'll open up a new opportunity for you. I hope I could help you and your family.

Connect through my link and become my new business partner. ;)

It is that easy!
Thank you and Good luck!

Thanksgiving Craft Ideas

2009-11-24T21:06:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving sneaked up on me this year. I admit it.

I had a whole lot of ideas for Thanksgiving but we are running a little late.

I used this book to see what is out there.

Some crafts in it are easy enough for 3 year olds. Some are more involved which is more interesting to 4-7 year olds.

I usually see something I like and make something my own inspired by what I've seen. Today Pumpkin and I made salt dough ornaments(not from the above listed book).

To make salt dough you will need:

1 cup salt

11/4 cup water

3 cups flour

Dissolve the salt in the water and add the flour. Ta-da! Done!

Use cookie cutters, rolling pins, play-dough tools to work with it. This is art so anything goes. After you are done decorating your ornaments, put them on the cookie sheet covered with parchment paper and bake at 300F till they are hard (about 40 minuts, maybe more). Paint the cooled off ornaments with acrylics or even tempera paint. If you want to add that extra shiny finish, coat them with Mod Podge.

These are our Thanksgiving Turkey and a Rose(there is always room for roses, no matter what occasion it is ;))

Melissa and Doug - Thumbs up!

2009-11-17T09:58:00.000-08:00

I like Melissa and Doug toys SO MUCH I can't even describe it to you. I want to become a child again to play with them. There is something in the simplicity of their toys. It feels good holding them in your hands. They are very well built wooden toys so if you buy one you can be sure that it's going to be in tip-top condition for the younger sibling as well.

I ran into this Melissa and Doug Lacing Bear set and thought it might be a good idea for Pumpkin to have something like that. We did try lacing activities that involve old postcards and a hole-puncher but honestly, she was more thrilled about making holes than lacing. This toy was a big hit right away. Pumpkin couldn't wait to get home to play with it. It is perfect for little girls because it has a number of girly (princess, ballerina, cheer leader) outfits and accessories along with a cowgirl and a soccer uniform which I like for breaking those gender stereotypes. There are 17 pieces all together and 2 extra-long shoe-laces for lacing. It is very affordable and durable. The only minus is the wooden box it comes in doesn't have a lid to keep the pieces in place. After we unwrapped it we ended up with a tray. For now it is just sitting on the table until I figure out the storage solution for it.

Christmas is around the corner. This set would make a great gift for girls from 3 to 7 years old (it says 3-12 on the package but I doubt that 12 year olds nowadays play with toys like this one). And for those who have little boys in the house Melissa and Doug has wonderful lacing sets as well(shapes, road signs, trucks...). Just hop on their web site!

My Comments Rock!

2009-11-14T19:24:00.000-08:00

I just love, love, LOVE awards! Who doesn't, right? I am a new blogger and I am still learning about blogging and the whole bloggosphere. I have a couple of awards and I value them a lot. They remind me that sometimes I get it right. LOL.
This award is very personal to me. And the way Blue Cotton Mom from Blue Cotton Candy put it "... making friends is hard work. It means risking rejection by extending friendliness. We do that with our comments. We can either give cruise-through comments or really sit down and have a dialogue". I do read a lot of posts and I do try to comment a lot as well. Reading other people's blogs is getting to know those people and their personalities. I've made "blogger" friends that I keep an eye on and check on once in a while( by following their blogs) to see what they are up to.
Good commenting is taking time and reading a post, getting into the topic of it and speaking up your mind. It is not just plain "great", "i like it", etc. Every time you see a good comment (you know the one I am talking about) you really, really appreciate it. And yes, you want to go back to that blogger and get to know him/her better.
Here are the people who take pride in their comments and they need to be rewarded:
Tammy @One Pink Fish
Linda @My Trendy Tykes
Nicole @Tired, Need Sleep
Georgine @Life on James Street
Christine @Propeller Head Mom - A Geeky Mommy Blogger
parentingBYdummies @parenting BY dummies
And if I could I would give this award back to the person who granted me with it. Silly... But Blue Cotton Mom practices what she preaches.
These are the rules of getting/giving the reward:
1) Put the logo on your blog/post.
2) Nominate bloggers who take pride in commenting.
3) Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4) Let them know that they have been nominated by commenting on their blog.
5) Remember to link to the person from whom you received your award.
Done.
Thank you all for the wonderful impact you leave in the blogosphere. Keep it up!

Reading Comprehension For Beginning Readers

2009-11-12T11:18:00.000-08:00

When it comes to beginning readers, the most important thing is to not discourage them. You want to raise a lifelong reader not somebody who is able to read if he/she has to. Children should fall in love with books from the early years when he/she is being read to.
What do little ones enjoy in early books? Plenty of colorful illustrations, a captivating but rather simple story line filled with situations they can easily relate to and kiddie humor. Children also like patterns and repetitions.

The requirements for early readers are almost the same: illustrations, a simple story line, repetitions and in addition, large font.

Children usually have their favorite book characters and it would be so great and helpful to have the same characters in the books they are about to read all by themselves to make the transition easier, wouldn't it? Guess what? Not only they make beginning readers with those beloved characters but also practice books and activity books.

Pumpkin and I have been using a wonderful reading workbook from SPECTRUM series Reading Grade1 where children can learn to comprehend very simple texts and do exercises with their favorite chracters created by Mercer Mayer.

Who doesn't like Little Critter? And speaking about illustrations, there is no shortage of them. They accompany the little passages of text to help your child understand the plot better.

The workbook is for 1st graders but it depends on the level of reading your child has reached. If he/she can read level 2 readers, knows the phonics - it is good to go. This is how it looks inside. The texts get more challenging as you go further which is exactly what you want.

I think, I got it at Barnes & Noble. It was a great purchase. The book saved me a lot of time looking for readers with exercises on the back.

You might want to give it a try. ;)

Pollock-Inspired Salad Spinner Art

2009-10-24T20:09:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago Pumpkin started taking seasonal arts and crafts classes. Now, she wants to do art all the time. We are running out of tempera paint!
I felt like doing something abstract with her and thought about Jackson Pollock. He was a "human spinner" holding buckets of paint in his hands and spinning around on the canvas creating his works of art that way(you can give it a shot on a summer day on your back yard). Yesterday we did some less messy Pollock-inspired art using a salad spinner. It's fast and a lot of fun.
All you need is:

a salad spinner
non-toxic, washable tempera paint
paper circles, cut to fit the bottom of your salad spinner( or paper plates if they fit)

What you do:
Open your spinner and put the paper on the bottom. Splatter/pour/drip any kinds of paint of any color in any pattern or non pattern at all(how cool is that!). Then, put the top back on and spin it! Open it up - ta-da! Your art is ready. All it needs now is some time to dry.
And do you know the best thing about it? It never gets old because it comes out in a different way every time!
Here are some things that came out of our salad spinner. We did a couple of them using "fall" colors.

Here are some Jackson Pollock links you might find interesting:

http://www.nga.gov/feature/pollock/pollockhome.shtm

http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/pollock_jackson.html
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/468051/Jackson-Pollock
http://www.manetas.com/pollock/ (Pollock interactive: create your own Pollock with a couple of mouse clicks)
http://www.jacksonpollock.com/email.shtml (very interesting about if there is a structure in his art)

I hope all of you will have a lot of fun with it. Unleash your inner Pollocks!

Testing

2009-10-23T12:14:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin has a thing for testing me lately. Yesterday she wrote down a number of math equations for me. It was my "homework". And I want to admit that she doubted my knowledge of basic math when the answer to her 2-20 was -18.
Today I had a different test...

She came up to me and gave me a paper explaining that I needed to choose the correct answer. Here is the paper(please, don't mind the poor quality, one of these days I'll invest in a good camera).

I had two choices: "I love you" and "I don't love you". LOL.

I chose the "I love you" one and looked at Pumpkin. She had that look that teachers have when their students do well on the test.

She also told me: "Mommy, I need to teach you". LOL. I guess, I'm past due for some "upgrading".

stART: Blueberries for Sal

2009-10-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

I came across stART a couple of weeks ago and liked the idea of reading and art combination right away. Our public library has a similar program every Saturday where children have a story hour first and then they do craft related to the story. My daughter enjoys it very much. This week I decided to participate in stART carnival created by A Mommy's Adventures. This week she has a fun craft, by the way.
Yesterday we read a classic children's book Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey.

The story has a great plot that children can relate themselves to. Two little ones - little girl Sal and Little Bear - get lost for a little while while picking blueberries which resulted in swapping moms and creating a comical situation enjoyable for young listeners.
We liked this story so much that we decided to make our own Blueberry Hill and the main characters so we could role play it. I made the characters by drawing them with colored pencils and glueing them to cardboard. Pumpkin and I made Blueberry Hill together. Cardboard, colored paper, hole puncher and glue is all you will need.

This is our Blueberry Hill with two moms and two little ones.

Destination: Modern Art

2009-09-28T21:26:00.000-07:00

I always admired Baby Einstein for introducing little ones to the world of classical music and works of art. I don't particularly agree with watching DVDs since "0" or 3 months like they advise, though. But I love the idea of incorporating those two things in every day lives of children. How cool is that when your toddler recognizes the paintings that most adults don't! And you do know that all kinds of studies proved that classical music is just plain GOOD for all of us, I am sure. It is relaxing and calming. Expecting women are recommended to listen to it because it benefits the healthy development of the fetus. Also it has been proven that students who were listening to Mozart during their test did better than the ones who didn't. It raises I.Q. You just cannot go wrong with it!

Art is wonderful in any form - bottom line!
So on that note...
The other day Pumpkin and I were exploring the interactive MoMA site for kids. We both loved it! An alien from a different planet lands in the heart of Manhattan and goes to the museum. By clicking on the photos of the actual exhibits you not only learn facts about them and their creators but also play games, do activities and print out pages you can use later on! After the tour around MoMA you go to P.S.1 art center which used to be a public school at one time and check out the art inside there. The interactive tour is not too long but there is enough stuff at each exhibit that will keep you busy. Enjoy!

Johnny Appleseed and Apples

2009-09-24T22:19:00.000-07:00

The end of September officially marks the fall's beginning and the celebration of harvest time. I mentioned in the previous post that last year we took part in Johnny Appleseed's birthday part at our public library. This year I decided to catch the opportunity by the tail and introduce my daughter to legendary Johnny Appleseed whose real name by the way is John Chapman and different types of apples. This topic is so versatile! There are so many links and resources that it'll be enough for years and years ahead without it getting boring.
What we did:
1. Read about Johnny Appleseed here and here(they have a vocabulary list at this one which saved my time).
2. Watched this wonderful story about Johnny.

3. Watched Disney version of it.

4.We did a browning apple experiment. For this we cut an apple in quarters. 1st quarter we put on a plate and left it on the table; 2nd quarter we put in the refrigerator; 3rd quarter we sprayed with lemon juice and left out on the table; 4th quarter we sprayed with lemon juice and put it in the refrigerator. Every minute or so we would check on all of them writing down our observations: which one got brown first/last, how long it took it. Then, we discussed oxidation and how lemon juice helped preserving the apple halves better.
5.We played an apple memory game here simultaneously learning about different types of apples.

6. We made a cool paper apple that my Pumpkin noticed could be a notebook as well.

For this project you will need:
red/orange/green/yellow construction paper
paper glue
scissors
hole puncher
pipe cleaner (to make an apple stem)
a drinking glass/soup can (to trace circles)
Take your colored construction paper and trace 16 circles. Cut them out and fold them in half. Squeeze some glue on that semi-circle, take another circle folded in half and put one half of a circle on top of the other. Now it should look like a full circle with a divider in the middle. This is the pattern you should follow till you use all of the folded circles. Then, take the first piece and the last and glue them together. Let your "apple" dry for a couple of hours. When it's dry take a hole puncher and make two holes in the first and the eights fold. Take your pipe cleaner and pull it through the holes pull the middle part and twist it making a loop that is going to be the future leaf. Twist the loose ends together as well - this is the stem. Cut out two identical leaf forms out of green construction paper. Glue them over the loop: one part on top, the other on the bottom.
Your apple is ready!
7. We did some word math problems that were apple related.
8. We snacked on apples and had apple cider for lunch. On September 26th we are planning on baking an apple pie for our Johnny Appleseed party.

There are other good resources that I would recommend to check out:
Teachers' Resources for K-Gr6(download files of activities, projects and coloring sheets)
Apple activities (book lists, songs, poems, games, worksheets)
Apple unit(lesson plan)

And some good apple recipes:
Betty Crocker
Easy Recipes for Kids
Healthy Apple Recipes
Everything from apples

Apples And Apple Related Activities

2009-09-23T17:49:00.000-07:00

Autumn is in the air. Mornings are cool and crisp and afternoons are sunny and filled up with the last warm breath of summer. Beautiful New England autumn...
The change of seasons, our Saturday farmers' markets and of course, reading blogs of my fellow-bloggers gave me an inspiration for this post.
September is an apple picking month and also, on September 26th we celebrate the birthday of Johnny Appleseed. Last year Pumpkin and I attended Johnny Appleseed's birthday party at our local public library. We listened to the story about him read by the librarians, tasted apple treats washing them down with apple cider and did apple related crafts. It was a great time and this year I decided to do something similar to that.
First, we read the book How Do Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro that tells the story of an apple from a tiny bud to the final result - fruit.

.

I especially like the simplicity of the illustrations that deliver the concept of flower fertilization to even the youngest of botanists. Look at that!

Maybe it was not that easy for my 5 year old to grasp the idea of how apples grow from the first time but I am pretty sure that after a couple more times of reading it she'll be correcting me sequence of events.
To explore the apple core with its seeds we cut a couple of apples across to observe the star-shaped compartments. We took the seeds out, counted them and compared to the flower seeds we planted outside earlier this month. Then, we did the classic apple printing giving it our own abstract twist. You can see the star-shaped compartments of the apple core her and there.

Check out what you can do with apple printing and apples at The Wonder Years as well.

After that we could not skip the classic "apple" book Ten Apples Up On Top! by Theo LeSieg.
It is a good book for reading beginners and also it is a good one for those who are learning to count up to 10.
I had a Flipbook: Matching and sequencing by Learning Playground. It is suitable for kids from around 2,5-3 and up.

It was a bit easy for my Pumpkin(she didn't show any enthusiasm at all) but we did a sequence with apples anyway. Here it is.

We did a whole lot more ...and still doing it. Stay tuned. ;)

I Am Special: All About Me.

2009-09-16T15:47:00.000-07:00

Another year of homeschooling is ahead of us. Even though Pumpkin has just turned 5 and was eligible to go to kindergarten, I decided to leave her at home for one more year. I don't think she is socially ready for it.
So...
I want to go through the most topics that are discussed in kindergarten with her. The first one is All About Me or like we stated it I Am Special: All About Me. I wanted to make an emphasis on how people are different and how they are special in their own way.

This is a sketch of our lesson plan. (The reason I am not saying "plan" because we didn't follow it step by step and went with the flow adding some extras too.)

1. Getting to know you.

learned how to introduce herself

recited her address

spelt her full name

2. My body and personal hygiene.

bath time hygiene (I took the activities from here)

video about brushing teeth

watched video about hand washing

learned some fascinating facts about bodies

read the poem Somersaults by Jack Prelutsky

read the story Big Feet Are Neat, Sometimes by Laura Hitchcock(all from Little People Big Book. All about Ourselves. (published by Time Life For Children))

3. Everyone is unique and special.

read the poem Me I Am by Jack Prelutsky

completed the funny questioner All About Me

read the story The Bear Who Wanted to Be a Bird by Adele and Chateau De Leeuw

played a silly game How Would It Feel to Be an Animal? (all from Little People Big Book. All About Ourselves.)

In addition, we found a number of books that we thought are suitable for this theme.

1. The Legend of Spookly the Square Pumpkin by Joe Troiano.

2. Something Special by David McPhail.

3. Leonore's Big Break by Susan Pearson.

4. Impatient Pamela Asks: Why Are My Feet So Huge? by Mary Koski.

5. I'm Gonna Like Me by Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell.

6. It's Hard to Be Five by Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell.

Pumpkin could really relate to this one since she turned 5 a couple of weeks ago. After reading it she completed a project which was called 5 Reasons I Like to Be 5. We went a little crazy with number 5. She traced her hands 6 times(5 for the pages + 1 for the cover) and cut them out to make a little booklet. On every page she gave a reason why she liked to be 5(opposed to 4 that made it less abstract which is still a pretty hard concept to grasp). Then, we punched a hole and tied the "hands" with a ribbon.

We discussed how the characters were different/special/unique. We made sure to mention that everybody is special just the way they are and it is important to accept them and yourself that way.

Also, Pumpkin is still working on another project: All About Me Book. I hate writing in books even if that's what they are for. I am talking here about My Book About Me by Me, Myself by Dr. Seuss and Roy Me Kie. We made something resembling it by stapling filler paper together and making a cover from recycled cardboard out of Cheerios box some colored construction paper and a ribbon. Pumpkin decorated it.

Finally, I want to let you know that of course it was not a 40 minute class. We've been working on this topic for about a week and are not finished yet. :)

Paper Rug

2009-09-13T18:29:00.000-07:00

This is a good way to introduce your children to weaving. It is easy, fun and functional! We are using our paper rug as a coaster on top of which Pumpkin puts her desk lamp. You can make one to use as a place mat.

For this project we used:

1 sheet of colored construction paper 5''x10''
assorted colored construction paper cut in 1''x 10''(for weaving)
glue

What we did:

We folded 5''x10'' piece of construction paper in half to make cutting easier. Like that.

Then make a number of cuts like this( up to u how wide or narrow you want to make them, ours were about 1'' each).

Next step. We unfolded the paper and started weaving in the strips of the colored construction paper creating a symmetrical design

When we finished weaving we glued two parallel strips on one side of the rug to hold the strips in place. Ready! Turn it to the other side and you can put your new rug to good use. This is the finished product.

You can change the sizes of both the base and the strips accordingly to come out with different rugs for different purposes.

Color Matching Games For Toddlers

2009-09-12T15:25:00.000-07:00

The other day I happened to be at a hardware store looking for some garden supplies. When I was passing paint swatches I thought of this activity I used to do with Pumpkin when she was a bit younger.
You need a number of paint swatches of different colors(totally up to you) in doubles. I couldn't resist Disney Color by BEHR at Home Depot. They are a real attention getter and very kiddie friendly.
This is what you do after you scoop them up from your store(they are absolutely free!).

Activity #1: Color Matching

1. Sort out the swatches dividing them in two piles so that each pile had 1 of each color.
2. Mix them all up not to make it easy for your child.
3.Take one set of colors and line them up in front of you little one. The older the child is the more colors he/she can handle at once.
4. Give the other set to your kiddo and ask to match the colors naming each one.

Activity #2: Shades of green, shades of blue

1. You will need several paint swatches of different shades of the same color. Just one set.

2. Mix them all up and ask your child to line them up a) from the darkest to the lightest or b)from the lightest to the darkest.

Activity #3: Memory Game

1. Pick out 6 pairs( or more if your child is a little older).

2. Mix them all up and put them face down 3x4.

3.Take turns drawing cards and trying to find a match like in any other memory game.

Have fun!

Birthday-Themed Books for 3-6 Year Old

2009-09-05T18:03:00.000-07:00

We were getting ready for Pumpkin's birthday in all kinds of different ways. Reading birthday-themed books was on top of the list. Before every holiday or event I am trying to read books to her about it.
Call me paranoid but with whole swine flu thing I am trying to keep her away from public places as much as I can. We didn't get a chance to visit our public library for a more extensive list but we had some good ones at home already.

Here are the books I'd like to recommend to you.

1. A Birthday for Frances by Russell Hoban

Great old classic! Sounds like a conversation from your living-room making children comfortable with the characters that come alive from the pages of the book and sound just like your kids' peers.
2. Make a Wish, Honey Bear! by Marcus Pfister

This one is for younger preschoolers but older ones enjoy it equally. I am speaking from the experience. Pumpkin loved it! Sweet and kind. Full of bright cute illustrations. Lovely !!
3. Alice and the Birthday Giant by John F. Green

Preschool fantasy. The Giant is not stereotypical at all. He is kind and friendly. Captivating plot, whimsical illustrations. This book would be more appropriate for older preschoolers.
4. Lyle and the Birthday Party by Bernard Waber

Love , love, love books by Waber. We read I think all the books about Lyle and most of the rest. I like the vocabulary in his books. In this particular book Lyle gets a little jealous. The feeling of jealousy bothers the crocodile and towards the end of the book he learns how to cope with it. Good lesson!

5. This Is Actually My Party by Lauren Child

We've been fascinated with Charlie and Lola series since Pumpkin was about 2. They were not as popular back then as they are now. We started off with the book-based cartoon series about brother and sister who live in the UK and their everyday discoveries and adventures. Very polite and logical, well behaved and well read they'll win your child's heart in no time. In this particular book 4-year -old Lola is trying to take over her older brother's birthday party. Read it and see how it turns out . ;)
6. Birthday Presents by Cynthia Rylant.

This is another wonderful book that is well worth having in your home library. This is a journey of one little girl from birth to 7 told her by her parents. This book gives you a feeling of looking through the pages of somebody else's album. Both younger and older preschoolers will enjoy it.
I hope you will enjoy reading books from my list.

Pumpkin's 5th Birthday!

2009-09-03T20:49:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe how fast time flies...

It seems like I was pregnant not too long ago.

It seems like just yesterday I was in the hospital with the new crying baby and changing a diaper for the first time trying desperately to figure out where the front was. I was that clueless!

It seems like we were celebrating the first steps and the first birthday with a lonely candle sticking out in the middle of a chocolate cake.

It seems like Pumpkin started saying her first words and then, first coherent sentences. She was "talking" way before that! She was talking Pumpkin(the Pumpkin language as we called it).

It all seems like it happened in one day...

Now I look at this little girl and ask myself:"Where is my baby?".

After last year's craziness with her little friends we decided to have a quiet celebration and also I wanted to make a surprise party for her. Little did I know! As soon as she opened the door to the room where we sent up a table, put up the decorations and saw a chocolate cake she asked for she freaked out completely. It would not be a big deal if we didn't record the "surprise!" entrance... Every single shot and angle indicated how miserable she was. But the balloons and bright colorful wrappings of the gifts did the job they were supposed to do. Of course. In no time she was playing with new toys and tossing the balloons. After that we took her to a secret destination which was a new Children's Museum she's never been before. She had a blast there!

5 years old...

But I still refer to her as "my baby". In conversations with other moms I slip sometimes:" You know, my baby had an upset stomach the other day." And they usually reply the usual mommy stuff:"How old is your baby?" Hmm...5. New moms give me that look usually but women with older kids sigh understandingly.

5 years old...

Even though she wriggles and squeals I still cuddle and squeeze my Pumpkin to death and catch those fast "baby" feet to kiss them. And sometimes I even try to carry her putting her on my hip. This trick doesn't work any more - her legs get tangled in mine. Well, maybe I won't carry her any longer but she'll always be my baby!

Happy 5th, Pumpkin!

Germination of Beans

2009-08-31T20:53:00.000-07:00

The experiment with germination of seeds works great every time. Everybody does it and everybody loves it, adults and children alike. Even if you have done it before it is still worth doing it with your little ones. There is something magical about seeing the beginning of life.
There is tons of material about it. But I was using Handbook of Nature Study as an inspiration. There is a number of links there that you will find useful for this project. It is a wonderful blog for people who want to bring their little ones(and themselves as well) closer to nature. Take a look at it!
I also saw this experiment at The Wonder Years. I liked the idea of planting the seeds right next to the wall inside a clear glass jar so children could observe the development of the root system. Excellent!
Thank you both for sharing!
This is what Pumpkin and I have done with this experiment during the past week.
First of all, we found a glass container from our favorite strawberry jam and filled it up with organic soil that we had left from planting our herb garden. Then, we dropped 3 beans next to the wall so we could see how they germinate later on and poured a little of water. In the beginning we closed the jar with a lid to keep it moist all the time(we tend to forget to water our plants) and after the beans germinated and the sprouts started shooting up we left the jar open.
This is how it looked.

I also decided that it would be good experience for Pumpkin to start writing a journal. Yes, the very first journal! The advantages of it are numerous but my main reason was to let her practice writing. If your child is too small to write just let him/her draw pictures to document the experiment.
Pumpkin's journal was made out of red construction paper and simple filler paper. We made it by stapling it. I wrote the title of our experiment on the cover.

The very first page was our vocabulary, a list of words that we were using for our science experiment.

After that Pumpkin was writing down her observations day by day accompanied by a picture.

It was such a wonderful experience for both of us! And our beans are still growing tall and strong. I am thinking about transporting them outside.

Have fun germinating! ;)

Air Painting

2009-08-25T10:26:00.000-07:00

Today I decided to incorporate science with art which was a lot of fun for my Pumpkin.

The topic was air. We talked about why we need air and what element of it we need for breathing. I asked if we can touch air, if we can see it and later on explained that it's not a solid object.

We mentioned that air can move which creates wind. I asked my daughter to put her hand in front of her mouth and blow on it to feel the air. Then, I encouraged Pumpkin to take a piece of paper, blow on it and make a prediction of what is about to happen. Paper moves because air make it move.

As part of the discussion we made an experiment.

To make it you'll need:

a piece of construction paper

tempera paint

a drinking straw

What to do:

take a piece of paper and put some paint on it( I used primary colors to show how they mix and make new ones)

give your child a straw and ask to blow on the paint through it

The air flow will move the paints around , mixing them and creating interesting shapes.

That's how it came out.

I did not add water to the paint. If you add some it will be more runny and splatter easier.

Give it a try. I assure your kids will love it!

10 Things I Absolutly Need Before I Go To Bed

2009-08-20T22:57:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since we had Mommy's Corner. We need to keep our sanity, right? And this is the place to go.

The time when kids are tucked into beds and fast asleep sometimes is the only time we parents have to ourselves. We do have kids but we shouldn't forget that we have our own interests, hobbies, personalities. Having children does not mean that we have to give up on all that. Yes, I agree that we change because now we have different priorities and responsibilities as parents. But don't you think that having some time to ourselves when we can actually do things we enjoy as individuals not as moms and dads is a part of being better parents? Don't you think that by being better educated, more sociable and more knowledgeable about things around us we can be more interesting to our children and we can share more experiences with them? By exposing ourselves to a lot of different things we can do our job of raising kids better. As simple as that!

The time when I actually can get in touch with the rest of me is usually when my Pumpkin goes to sleep. I value every second of it. It is not spent in the same manner every day but on most occasions this is how it looks. I made a list of my favorite things.

Green tea. Summer or winter, hot or cold I just have to have it. It relaxes me, makes me to unwind after the tiring day in the Kiddieland.

Chocolate!!! Oh, yeah! I know it is bad in the amounts I consume it. And yes, I do know it is nighttime. I'll work it out the next morning. ;)

Computer. Do I need to comment on this one?

MSN home page. Gotta stay well-informed about what's going on in the world. A lot of catching up to do! I do get sucked into reading celebrity gossips on Wonderwall. I ask myself "why?" every time as well. don't have an answer for this one yet.

Blogger. This is the time I get to make new posts and give out some blogger love. I do enjoy reading a looooooooooong list of blogs. I do apologize that I read a lot more posts than I can comment on.

Social networking sites. Just for fun.

The Daily Show with John Stewart and The Colbert Report on hulu.com. I get most of the news from those two. They are more informative than some of the news channels plus the humour and attitude.

Shower. When you are a mom, sometimes showers feel like luxury. The crazy thing about it is that sometimes I am not sure if it's a late night shower or a very early morning one. It's like a mini spa getaway at the end of the day.

Skin care routine. Mommy needs to stay O.K.-looking.

This one really had to be #1. I don't go to bed without a hug and a kiss and "Mommy, I love you so much" from my little Pumpkin! No matter how challenging it might get being a good parent from time to time but at the end of every day I know that this is a very special gift to be one.

What things do you indulge in after you put your little ones into bed?

Science Experiment for Little Ones: Fruit Floats, Fruit Sinks

2009-08-16T19:54:00.000-07:00

It is truly amazing what a difference a visual material or experiment can do! It is true what an old saying says:"A picture is worth a thousand words". You can explain to your little one one concept over and over again and he/she will not get it. Demonstrate it to them once - BINGO!

Today Pumpkin and I were making an experiment with fruit floats.

This is an easy one which is great. We don't want to scare our kids off with complicated things in the beginning of their scientific journey. Every child knows what fruits are or at least saw most of them for sure. We made some observations and wrote them down afterwards.

For this experiment we will need:

a number of different fruits(anything you have on hand; we had a banana, a plum, a grapefruit, a mandarin, an apple, a pear, a grape)
1 big container with water(for dunking the fruits)
1 sheet of paper/notebook to write down your observations
a pen/pencil
colored pencils/crayons

What to do:

Get your chart ready. It should consist of two columns:" floats" and "sinks".

Get your water container ready.

Put the fruits in front of your child and let him/her pick one at a time. Ask him/her what he/she thinks will happen to the fruit: will it sink or float? Then, ask the child to put the fruit in the container with water.

Wait a second and ask again what he/she sees now. Make a note of your observation in the chart by drawing a picture of a sinking/floating fruit to the corresponding column. You might get surprised yourself which fruits float and which fruits sink.

My Pumpkin had so much fun! She asked me after we finished if I could give her some more fruits because she wanted to do some more experiments. Way to go!

Smart Pumpkin Patch's Guide to a Decent Playdate

2009-08-12T19:48:00.000-07:00

Playdates are fun.

Playdates are laughter.

Playdates are excitement.

Playdates are tears, broken toys, spilled milk, worst tantrums ever and parents with attitude...

This is my short guide(short, because you can really write a novel about all kinds of playdates, fun, drama and how to avoid the latter and maximize the former) to having decent(smile here) playdates.

If You Are a Parent Hosting the Playdate

Let your child pick playmates...sort of. Limit the choice to the kids you approve. You need to know the parents, their phone numbers, address maybe some medical insurance information just in case. You never know when you are dealing with children, especially if they are young. What if a child gets sick or hurt and needs medical attention? Also, you need to know what kind of family the child is from to avoid negative influences. I know it doesn't sound right but we need to look out for our own kids first. You know how fast they pick up all bad habits. I'd rather spend time on learning something new than correcting mistakes of others. It is almost impossible to avoid them completely but I try to avoid most of them. If my daughter hasn't known about spitting I don't want her to start doing it now.
When inviting playmates take into consideration the size of your play area. I would not recommend to invite more than 1 when they are toddlers because they need a lot of attention, and more than 2 (of any age) if you have a small place. In my opinion, one friend is all your child needs. You invite 2 - one child might get left out in the gaming process; invite more than that - make sure that you are not the only one supervising the play. It might get out of control faster than you know it.
Contact the parents of the invited child/children and get the information about allergies(important!), favorite snacks, toys and things to do. Save yourself some trouble. No need to fight finicky eaters and deal with "but-i-do-not-like-this-one" stuff.
Make sure your play area is safe for the age of the kids you are inviting. No sharp corners, open electric outlets, small items that might cause choking.
Think about the kind of activity you are going to provide for the children in advance. Get all the supplies ready for that. It might be a themed playdate or just a number of random games you know the children enjoy playing. Have a rainy day back-up plan and some extra activities the kids could do if they would get bored or done with the things you planned faster than expected.
Let the parents know about your plans. Tell them if they need to bring some things with them: bathing suit, change of clothes, the clothes that the kids can get dirty in without any regrets(yep, no party dresses for a painting playdate).
Find out about the disciplinary methods the parents of the invited kids use. Is it a time-out, no TV for 3 days, no desert? It would help tremendously if the parents of the invited children and you were on the same page about it.
Have a talk with your child about being a good host, keeping your guests happy and entertained and SHARING.
Be precise about drop-off and pick-up time.

If You Are a Parent of a Child Who Got Invited to a Playdate

Make sure you know the family that invited your child well. Get their contact information written down. Leave the number they can reach you at any time.
Ask if they need help. If yes, be helpful by cleaning some things up after the kids to keep the play area hazard-free. I mean it. If not - be very punctual about drop-off and pick-up time. People have things to do besides baby-sitting your child while you are enjoying your kid-free time so much that you forgot that you are 30 minutes late already. Either way the hosting parents will be glad that you are concerned.
Bring some necessities from home. For little kids - diapers, baby wipes, favorite toy to cuddle in case of a tantrum, a snack. For older children - a snack will do. It is usually not specified but the hosting family will appreciate that.
Do not bring a lot of toys! The child will forget about them and you'll be stuck with a tired and whiny kid afterwards. If it's absolutely unavoidable, let him/her choose one toy they'll be willing to share.
Refresh your child's memory about behaving and manners, explain that different households have different rules which he/she needs to follow over at that house.
Dress your child in comfortable clothes. Have a spare set just in case( for little kids).
Do not forget to thank the hosting family for having your child over when picking him/her up ON TIME.

If You Are a Child Who Got a Playdate Invitation

Say "hi" to the friend who invited you and his/her parents.
Do not get upset when your Mom/Dad leaves. There is no reason for that. You are going to have a lot of fun and they'll be back to pick you up sooner than you know it.
Every house has a different set of rules. Obey to the rules of the house you are playing at.
No hitting. No spitting. No name-calling. No food throwing. And absolutely no tantrums! You came to have fun with your friend not to spend all your playdate in time-out.
If there is anything or anybody bothering you, let the hosting parent know. Do not be afraid to admit if you are feeling sick.
If you need help using the bathroom, let the hosting parent know.
When you are ready to leave be polite and thank the host for the wonderful time that you had even if it was just O.K.
If you really, REALLY enjoyed it, there is no reason to get all bent out of shape because parent came to pick you up. Just think about how much your Mommy missed you. And you'll probably be back unless you did all of the #4 .
Say "goodbye" to the people who showed you such a good time.

Butterfly Blogger Award

2009-08-08T19:13:00.000-07:00

I am super excited! Sometimes things are working out for you. This is definitely my week. I got One Lovely Blog Award a couple of days back and now I got this wonderful spirit-lifting-stylish-looking-wanna-go-out-there-and-blog-even-better Butterfly Blogger Award. And I got it(what makes it even more special) from Tammy at One Pink Fish, a certified teacher(yay! I got a recognition by a professional), excellent mother of two boys and lovely wife to her beloved husband. I discovered her blog recently and read it constantly ever since. And by the way, did I tell you that she has her classroom blog? Buggie Bungalow is a great place to get answers for your questions from somebody who is a pro, somebody we can trust. As a mom of a future kindergartner I found a lot of reassurance and guidance there. Both of the blogs are filled with Tammy's everlasting bubbly personality. It is informative, fun, and pink,of course. I recommend it to everybody!
No is the time to pass it on. Awwww... I enjoyed the my short-lived moment of fame enough. The drum beat, please... And the Butterfly Blogger Award goes to...Amy at The Wonder Years. She is a Montessori educator and a mom to a preschooler and a toddler. Her blog is amazing! It is full of great scientific experiences, crafts, and other interesting things based on Montessori approach to education. She has numerous links that are like a treasure chest for any Montessori educator. It's worth checking out! I stopped by once and became an instant follower. Thanks Amy for a wonderful blog. And enjoy your award. Here!

Almost forgot! I am sure you know already the rules of receiving and passing on the awards. but I just remind you anyway.

Post an award on your blog wall linking it to the person who awarded you with it.
Pass it on to the blogs you enjoy reading.
Don't forget to contact the recipient(s) about it.

Introduction of 3-D Shapes to Young Children

2009-08-06T20:04:00.000-07:00

Three-dimensional shapes are everywhere. Our world is three-dimensional and young children realize it and start seeing the difference. I think your child might be ready to learn about 3-D shapes between 3,5 and 5 years of age.

Three-dimensional( or 3-D) is a solid or hollow shape. A flat surface of a 3-D shape is called a face.

There are tons of 3-D shapes but we are talking about the most basic ones: cube, sphere, cone, cylinder and prism.

Children do their best learning from experience. So let's provide them with opportunities to explore 3-D shapes in everyday life and through play.

The first and easiest would be playing with blocks - the chunky wooden ones. When building together point out different 3-D shapes, name them. Later on ask your child to pass you a cube, a cone, a cylinder, etc. Even though they do not know how and why to classify them according their characteristics yet, they recognize how they look already. That's a step up.

When walking/ driving/ playing point out the objects that have a shape that your child is familiar with already. For example, construction cone, soda cans, soccer ball.

Show a difference between 2-D and 3-D. Cut out a coupon for a cereal box - that's 2-D, it's flat. then, show the same box of cereal from your pantry - that's 3-D. Examples are endless.

Now your child is ready for theory. Find a colorful children's book and read it together putting emphasis on the illustrations and characteristics of 3-D shapes. How many faces does this shape have? What shape are they? Are there faces of a different shape? Is there a point?

To re enforce the theory try building your own 3-D shapes. You'll need toothpicks and modeling clay/play dough. First, make balls out of your clay. They will be connectors for the corners of your 3-D shapes. It should look like. Make a cube, a pyramid, a house(cube+pyramid), prisms.

Instead of clay you can use marshmallows, and instead of toothpicks kabob bamboo sticks.

Next you can talk about nets. A net is a shape that a 3-D shape would make if it were flat. This is a website that lets you print out nets for free: http://www.senteacher.org/Worksheet/12/Nets.xhtml.

Try making 3-D shapes out of them first; then, ask your child to guess what shape a net would make if he/she folded it together.

Try it and you'll be surprised how fast your little one learned his/her 3-D shapes.

Introduction of Shapes to Young Children

2009-08-04T18:29:00.000-07:00

Early years are fundamental in children's lives and our role as parents is to awaken and feed young brains that are like sponges ready to absorb everything we put in front of them. This is when they grasp the very basic concepts that will be become the very first building blocks of their future knowledge. These are the concepts that will allow children to digest and categorize the information about the world around them in the coming years.

Today I would like to talk about introducing shapes.

As early as infant years babies start to notice the difference between the objects. The see it but they do not have the skills to describe it yet. And this is where we parents come to the rescue.

I think it is important to provide our kids with new material, to challenge them as much as we can. You'd be surprised how much they understand and learn! Most of us underestimate the abilities of our children. By 15 months my daughter new all the basic shapes and colors. And I the reason I mentioned underestimating because I kept thinking that she was a baby and didn't introduce her to the concept of shapes earlier. She got it right away! Maybe after a couple of "talks".

Don't be afraid of over educating your kiddo! It's not educating for them really. Everything is like a game to them and you parents, make sure about that!

In the beginning (and by that I mean 6+ months) casually use the names of the shapes in your conversation. No pressure, we are just getting familiar here. Around 1 year you can expect from your child to point the shapes out. There are a lot of books out there. These are just a few I like. Feel free to expand the list.

1.Shapes by Justine Smith (board book)

2.Round Is a Mooncake: A Book Of Shapes by Roseanne Thong and Grace Lin

3.Shapes, Shapes, Shapes by Tana Hoban (she has a number of good ones on shapes)

4.Color Zoo by Lois Ehlert (comes in board book too)

5.Color Farm by Lois Ehlert

As we all know, children in the yearly years get most of their knowledge from play and everyday experiences. Provide them with wooden blocks of various shapes and colors ( to kill two birds!). I recently got for my daughter a board game that she really enjoys. It is called Shape Shuffle by The Learning Journey. It teaches kids shapes, colors, sizes and fractions. It does cover a lot! There are cards with the shapes and their names, then there are cards that show how to make new shapes out of existing ones. There are simple cards for beginners that want them to match a shape to a picture and more advanced ones that want kids to determine what shape to use to complete the design. It says on the box 3+, but I think if your child knows the basics before that you can give it a try.

For older children (I'll say 4 to adults) try the ancient Chinese puzzle Tangram. It consists of 7 shapes and your objective is to recreate the design on a card. I saw it at Barns and Noble not too long ago. It is a fun way to spend a family night together.

And one more thing! If you want your children to learn their shapes in no time talk about them constantly. Whatever you do, wherever you are talk shapes. You may be annoyed but very proud at the same time that your toddler is ahead of his/her crew and all of it is thanks to you!

My Very First Blog Award!

2009-07-30T10:13:00.000-07:00

I woke up pretty tired today. Lately I've been going to bed late - so much to read, so little time. Morning shot of caffeine - check. Latest news on MSN - check.
"At least the sun is shining", I thought.
I typed in Smart Pumpkin Patch just to check if it's still there. LOL. "A couple of new followers! Cool!" I scrolled down to see if I had any new comments... "It seems like people can relate to my wedding disaster with the baby-sitter..."
I read a little further...
"...Oh! I gave you a One Lovely Blog Award. Stop by and claim it!!" Blog award? My very-very first blog award?! Yay!! I did something right!
Who gave it to me? Samantha Gianulis from Samanthics. Samantha is a mom blogger who loves to cook. She is a domestic diva. Check out her blog for amazingly easy and delicious recipes. I confess, I am stalking her blog. LOL. I can't get enough of it.

Thank you, Samantha! You made my day!

There are some rules that come with receiving One Lovely Blog Award.

Claim your award.

Post it on your blog along with the name of the person who gave it to you linking it to the person's blog.

Pass on the award to 15 newly discovered blogs that you find...well...lovely. :)

Don't forget to contact the recipients.

Okay, people. It wasn't easy. I read so many blogs. These are the freshest ones. Drums, please...The One Lovely Blog Award goes to....
Halushki

Hip Mama

The Daily Drama

I Like It Frantic

Little Ladybugs Boutique

John Deer Mom

Mamahood, Among Other Things

Raising Itty-bitty Bookworms

Well Read

Mommy's Bootcamp: How to Deal with Cellulite

2009-07-22T21:21:00.000-07:00

I don't know how about you but one of my worst fears is cellulite. It just happens to be in my genes. My mom has it, my grandma has it, my great- and great-great grandmas had it too, I am sure. Not fair! Maybe that is why I especially enjoy those pictures of hottest celebrities in their bikinis with cottage cheese thighs in People magazine. I know, I know... It is wrong, but it does make me feel better knowing that those rich and famous with personal trainers and chefs have what I have - cellulite that is(minus the trainers and chefs, of course)!

I tried creams and gels... I don't care what they promise but none of them gets rid of cellulite. Yes, they do smell nice and yes, they do make your skin soft but that is as far as they go.

O.K. Here is the moment of truth. There is NOTHING that will get rid of cellulite! BUT, the good news is, there are some things that will help you to camouflage it.

Drink a lot of water. That's an old one. At least 8 glasses (8ounces each). Water helps hydrating the cells so they look nice and plump and less orange-peely. I am bad at this.

Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Avoid junk food. Heard it thousands of times but still not doing it.

Massage the areas for about 5 minutes every day. This one is not proven but can't hurt. And i do believe that by massaging we help our body to get rid of the bad stuff and break down the fat cells. Also we stimulate the blood flow to the skin which feeds it with nutrients and flushes away the wastes. It makes our skin more elastic which doesn't show the fat cells(cellulite) through as much.

Brush your skin with the areas of cellulite with a course brush in the direction toward your heart before you take a shower. It is for exfoliation to keep your skin younger looking because cellulite worsens as our skin ages. It is also to provide better blood circulation for the same reasons as in the # above.

And the last one - exercise! The lower is your body fat content, the less chance you give to your cellulite to poke through.

I tried a bunch of different lower body work outs myself(that's where we are facing the problem zone). If you do them enough, they all work. Last week I came across this video. I tried it once. I did not do anything extra, just what was told there. for the next three days I could barely walk. Seriously. I usually experience some "good" pain 24 hours later. but this was THE BURN. In a very satisfying way. Even though the video is for mean and lean legs, I felt some muscles in my BUTT and that I didn't know I had. Some in my inner thighs. Maybe my legs were already mean. LOL.

You have to do high repetitions which also works as your cardio( I was sweating, huffing and puffing) which means you will burn a lot of calories. Don't make take long breaks in between the sets and keep your water bottle handy. I promise, it works!

http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-us&playlist=videoByUuids:uuids:b6cbe29a-8046-466b-b3c5-16f212bfca34&showPlaylist=true&from=cp_en-us_lifestyle_CustomPlayerExpanded&fg=MSNlifestyles_HF_Hub_CustomPlayer_Expanded

It is summer and I was thinking that maybe we should share some wisdom a little. I can't wait to hear some of your tips!

6 Reasons Why You Should Not Bring Your Child to a Wedding

2009-07-16T18:33:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday we were honored to witness my cousin's exchanging of the marriage vows. It was an outdoor wedding with a Cinderella ball kind of reception. The weather was perfect, the scenery was gorgeous, the newlyweds were happy and nervous at the same time which is understood. Everything was like a fairy tale. Everything except for one thing: our baby-sitter bailed on us 4 days before the big day!
***************************************************************************************************************
Never, oh never bring kids to a formal evening event! There are good reasons for that.
I had no other choice...

Since it was an evening affair it meant that outfits had to be evening (fanciest, the most glamorous) too. Children included. So, here we are, parents. Pony up big bucks for an outfit that your Junior will wear once in his/her lifetime. Children have a tendency to grow, you know.

Maybe it is just me, but I don't think it is right for kids to sit at the same table where adults are drinking liquor. We all know that it is normal and unavoidable. Just not for children.

At the wedding we went to a live band was playing. The music was unbelievably loud even for my beat up concert going ears. Pumpkin was holding hands over her ears first 15-20 minutes. Didn't look good. And I was also concerned about her ear drums.

No matter how much fun it is for you to attend such a special event, children get bored and tired(embrace yourself for a possible tantrum). The latter is closely followed by #5.

Even a child with exceptional table manners is accident-prone which might result in the end of your red carpet style gown.

Be ready to call it a night early. In my case, when all the guests started dancing Pumpkin decided that it was time to go to sing a lullaby. And that was just what we did.

Don't make me start on picky eaters, introverts, and potty trainees!

Leave your dearest little ones at home and enjoy some life a little, moms and dads. If you are dying to show of your kids to the crowd of your relatives and friends, trust me, it is not the time. You might end up embarrassing yourself and traumatizing your kiddos. There will be plenty of opportunities for them to attend an adult event later on in life when they are ready.

Math Made Easy!

2009-07-07T19:32:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time I was web surfing and came across an interesting method of teaching mathematics to young children. I thought it was interesting. My report is right here, true and honest. :)
This method makes children think of numbers in terms of five. Confusing? Stay with me.

What you will need

1) 2 Tables like this:

Take construction paper or even better cardboard. Draw 2 table with 2 columns and 5 rows. Then cut them out. If you are computer savvy use a program to design them and print afterwards. Cut them out.

2) 20 (plus more extra ones in case you loose some) pawns. You can use them from an old board game but they should be all identical. I cut out squares out of colored construction paper.

That is all you need! How easy is that!

What to do

First, put 1 table in front of your child and let him/her count the rectangles/squares(depends what you have there) in each column. Now the child knows that each one has 5. Show him/her the pawns and ask to show you how number 5 will look on this table by covering each rectangle with a pawn(if your child is a very early beginner start with 1, then 2 and so on). There is one rule though: cover the spaces starting with the left column from the bottom up. Makes sense, right? This should look like this.

Next, ask your child to cover all the rest of the table, starting again from the bottom up. This is how it is going to look.

Count together all the covered spaces. 10! Now he/she sees( and you make sure about that!) that 5 and 5 make 10. This is the easy step. Children usually know about it already from counting fingers: 2 hands=10 fingers.

After your child understood the concept ask him/her to show you how number 6 would look. And again: start from the bottom up. that is the main rule. That is how it should look.

Then - number 8.

Point out to your child that 8 is 5 and 3 and 6 is 5 and 1.
You have 8 covered spaces on your table. Ask how many pawns are need to be removed to get 5 again. The answer you hear is 3. Instruct to remove 3 pawns.
You can practice simple addition and subtraction on 1 table till the child is confident. Then, move on to a second table. Cover 11, 12, etc spaces with the pawns till you reach 15. Draw your child's attention to the fact that 5+5+5=15. Last, do 16...and up to 20. You got the idea.

I tried this method with Pumpkin and we both loved it. She really did have fun. It is almost like playing a board game! And it worked too. It is visual which is important in math concepts and logical as well.
Give it a shot and let me know how it worked out for you.

Bloghopping!

2009-07-03T16:25:00.000-07:00

Hey, everybody! I am extremely excited that you decided to stop by and check out my blog! This is my first blog hop and I love it. I absolutely enjoy reading other blogs and learning new things.

I am a SAHM to a wonderful 4 year old girl who is my inspiration to starting this blog and a lot more in life. I share my ideas on insertion of developmental and educational methods into everyday lives of average families just like mine. I think that the foundational values and skills start from the family that is why I pay so much attention to that.

I also think that very often women after they become mothers forget about themselves and in my blog, I hope, I am helping them to stay fit, healthy, look and feel great by discussing fitness, beauty and healthy eating issues.

Thank you for "meeting" my blog. Feel free to follow me. :)

Patriotic Awareness

2009-07-03T10:35:00.000-07:00

Men love their country, not because it is great, but because it is their own. ~Seneca

If you are ashamed to stand by your colors, you had better seek another flag. ~Author Unknown

A man's feet must be planted in his country, but his eyes should survey the world.
George Santayan

The Independence Day is already here. The cities are getting ready for annual parades, and families are gathering for the biggest cookouts of the year. National colors - red, blue and white - can be seen everywhere: from the shopping windows of big department stores to little decorations on babies' onesies.

What is the 4th of July for us? What is it for our children?

The Independence Day is one of the most patriotic holidays in the United States of America. We adults do know that from many years of life experience. Do we feel patriotic? Do we pass our patriotism on to the next generation?
Patriotism is a love for and devotion to one's country. Being a patriot is being loyal, supportive and proud of your country and where you came from. That's exactly how I feel when I watch the Olympic Games on TV. I feel patriotic!
To avoid our kids' association of 4th of July with hot dogs and summer store wide sales we need to go back to the source - history. Tell your children how it all started and when the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress( on July 4th, 1776). Younger children will enjoy celebrating the Birthday of our country. Explain that that is why we have parades and fireworks, cookouts and concerts on-the-green to celebrate it. And just like birthdays we celebrate it once a year.

This is a good time to check out the original Declaration of Independence which you can see on line now: http://www.ushistory.org/Declaration/ ; http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration.html ; http://really-fine.com/history.html.

Even if your children will not remember all of the details they will still get that sense of importance that radiates from seeing the historic document with their own eyes. There is a large number of books dedicated to this holiday. Go to your local library and pick a couple ones out to reinforce the concept of the Independence Day through reading some picture books about the holiday itself and the country's history, traditions and customs.

Here are some you might like.

You can also have a talk about the symbolism of the American flag. Afterwards make an ice cream cake decorated like the flag with whipped cream, blueberries and strawberries. Your young patriots will work it down with delight.
Decorate your house with little flags, bake star-shaped cookies, glaze them and add some red and blue sprinkles. Make your own parade-on-the block attended by your neighbors' children. Do some coloring pages, announce a competition for the best sidewalk chalk art. The possibilities are endless.
I think patriotism is like charity -- it begins at home.
Henry Jamesa I cannot agree more with it. It is up to us, parents to raise proud citizens of our country. Enjoy your cheeseburgers and hot dogs but don't forget who we are!

Happy 4th of July!

The Books We Read This Week

2009-06-28T02:29:00.000-07:00

Summer is not the easiest time to make children stay home and do math or read books. There is always so much to do outside which is good too, of course. They need to stay active(and more important, tire themselves up so their mommies could get on the computer when they are knocked out after running in the wild all day). It is proven that people who are fit and healthy have "fit" brains. It makes perfect sense to me: when you exercise your body gets rid of toxins and fills the blood with oxygen which stimulates the development and well-being of all the cells, brain cells including. So if you want to improve your children's grades just give them a bike and let them loose. Just kidding. About the "loose" part.

Physical activity is awesome, but we don't want our children to forget all they learned in school during the long summer vacation. What do we do? Read! It's the answer to most of our troubles. This is the perfect time for children who haven't become avid readers to become ones. There is no homework, deadlines and reading lists. Sounds good so far, right? They pick and read books they are interested in. Does your child like knights and dragons or adventures and explorers? Is he/she captivated by princesses and fairies or gnomes and goblins? Crazy about nature or music? They got it all! How cool is that? Make a big hoopla out of going to a book store and treat your child to a book he/she chooses. If your budget is tight, go to a thrift/used book store. They might have a good selection of classics. You can also visit your local library and ask around about the topic you selected. After reading the chosen book you can create a scrapbook highlighting your child's favorite character together, draw pictures to recapture the outline of the story. Together you can create a homemade puppet theater and make a play based on the story you read. Possibilities are unlimited. Use your imagination and try to make a connection to our everyday life.

You got the idea.

Pumpkin and I are trying to combine outdoor activities with the indoor ones. It is not as easy as it seems. Sometimes we get carried away having a good time in the park and after that we are too tired to lift a limb. Other times we stay home and do a lot of "homework". I call it "homework" because it sounds important to Pumpkin, something she is in charge of even though she doesn't go to preschool or kindergarten.

These are the books we read this week. Some of them I read to Pumpkin, some of them she read to me, and some of them we read together taking turns.

1. Lyle Finds His Mother by Bernard Waber.

I was reading this book to Pumpkin. I would say this book is for older preschoolers. Here I have a couple of pictures from the book. Pumpkin likes the books about Lyle. He is so kind and gentle, considerate and warm-hearted. He is a friend to everybody he meets. Lyle is a crocodile who acts more human than most of the humans. He becomes your child's best friend from the very first pages.

I like the rich vocabulary the author of this book is using. We read numerous books by him. I am a total fan. The illustrations are also made by Bernard Waber. They remind me of children's pictures - simple and slightly imperfect in a cute way which is very appealing to kids.I highly recommend it.

2. We Belong Together. A Book About Adoption and Families by Todd Parr. This book is appropriate for toddlers. I let Pumpkin read this one to me. Todd Parr has a talent of describing complicated things in a very simple almost primitive way which is perfect for little tots. I wouldn't describe what adoption is any better to my daughter. Each sentence starts with a catchy "We belong together because..." which follows by a sweet explanation on the next page. We both enjoyed the bright whimsical illustrations.

3.How to Hide an Octopus and Other Sea Creatures by Ruth Heller.

I read this book to Pumpkin but it is easy enough for beginning readers. I liked this book for several reasons:

1) rhymes promote phonic awareness;

2)we covered some science aspects learning about camouflage and what it serves for in nature from the examples of sea creatures;

3)this book is like a mini game, it's engaging.

You read a passage about a sea creature then you turn a page and...

try to find the same creature only camouflaged against it's environment. Artwork is great!

4. Curious George by H.A.Ray.

We've read this one before but this time we took turns reading it: one page per turn. This one is full of kiddie humor. The mischievous monkey Curious George reminds us of any curious child who is just exploring the world around. I think kids see themselves in him which cheers them up a lot since they are not the only ones who get in trouble out of curiosity.

5.Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst.

This book is about how little kids happen to have bad days just like adults and how they deal with it. But not everything is so gloom. Quite the opposite, the author explains children that days like this sometimes happen and it's all right because tomorrow will be a new day and everything will be back to normal. Even though this book describes a day from a life of a school-boy it will be suitable for preschoolers.

6.Frog and Toad All Year by Arnold Lobel. This one is a reader level 2 so Pumpkin was on her own. This book is from series of stories about Frog and Toad. My daughter absolutely loves them. The book includes a number of short stories about adventures of the two friends. The language is precise, the plot is funny. Illustrations on every page and large font make it easy for young readers to overcome the fear of endless pages.

2009-06-26T12:29:00.000-07:00

It is almost impossible not to mention the death of Michael Jackson, the King of Pop. Every news station is blasting the same awfully shocking headline.

I am not going to repeat that has been said millions times today. Yes, he was a legend. Yes, he was an international mega-star. Yes, he had his share of troubles. And yes, he was a parent! That is what concerns me.

I don't know if he is a biological father to his children, what the deal is with the artificial insemination and the surrogate mom from Europe. The bottom line is he is the only parent those children had. He was their EVERYTHING.

Different articles I read today say that he was a good parent and had a great relationship with his children he hadn't had with his father. I see that. Books, museums, travelling around the world... It is all wonderful. But I don't really agree that the children are "normal" children. How can you be normal if you don't go to school, don't have your childhood friends, do not socialize with your peers at all and walk around in public all masked up? I am not saying it is right or wrong. Who am I to judge? I am not a super-star dealing with paparazzi and media 24/7. I honestly do not know if that was or wasn't the best for Michael Jackson's children.

What bothers me now is that the man who meant the world for those kids is gone. I am sure we will be witnessing custody battles and court hearings very soon. Whoever gets the custody will have to try to create a new family environment or replace Michael. The latter is impossible, so can you imagine what the children are going to face and go through? Already going through! Devastating! I wouldn't wish anybody to trade their places with those poor children.

I do wish them the best. Children should never be affected by mistakes and misfortunes caused by adults but they are always the first ones who get stuck right in the circumstances. I do wish them to become well-adjusted members of our society even though I know it will take a while. I do wish them to get what they were missing on because their father's fame. And I do wish them to remember their father, Michael Jackson, the way they knew him not the way the media is portraying him.

We are all human. I think there is more to the story of Michael Jackson than we hear about. Let's remember people for their achievements and accomplishment not for their shortcomings and mistakes.

Smart Pumpkin's Lab 2

2009-06-24T20:58:00.000-07:00

Last time we did some exercises together to develop logic in young children. Hopefully you all found them useful.

In the beginning it might be a little difficult for your child since it is something new and he/she might be a little cautious about this new "game" you are playing together. Do not get discouraged! Give a hint or two, ask questions that will lead to answers, make it look as if the child figured it out on his/her own. This way he/she will not be resistant next time when you do it again. Who wants to do something he/she is not good at(unless they have to)? Make it exciting, cheer for every little accomplishment and in a blink of an eye your little one will get a hang of it.

Today I have some more exercises that you can do with your child.

1. Draw a line from each picture with farm animals on the left with the appropriate picture on the right. Talk to your child about farm animals in our life and what purpose they serve.

2. Look at the picture. Choose the right insert for each shape. After your child finished the task, talk about different shapes and colors.

Good luck raising a future MENSA member! ;)

Smart Pumpkin's Lab

2009-06-23T14:51:00.000-07:00

Developing children's brains early is crucial for future success in life. And I do mean life because just being good at academics does not necessarily mean that he/she will be a quick thinker and an outstanding problem-solver. Evaluate information, make logical assumptions and right decisions fast based on the provided information - that is what it takes to make it through the cut-throat competition which our world is.

I like to take an overview of what we are dealing with here. We are preparing our children for being not only good students but also well-rounded individuals.

There are numerous areas of special importance when it comes to developing a child. Wiring their brains early makes a huge difference!

Today I would like to touch logic. You already know the advantages of being able to reason and disadvantages of not being able to. So I'll go straight to the point.

I've been trying to do logic exercises with my daughter at least once a week. Here I am sharing with you some we did today.Try doing them with your children and if you want you can send the solutions to the problems back to me. Check it out!

Make this shape out of toothpicks. You will need 10 toothpicks. By moving 2 toothpicks try to create 4 triangles. We found two solutions.

Find an odd one out.

Father's Day Craft

2009-06-19T17:53:00.000-07:00

Father's Day is this coming Sunday. So Pumpkin and I decided to make a surprise for Daddy. the concept of a surprise was hard for Pumpkin to get. She understood the part about doing/giving something nice to somebody but she couldn't grasp that you do not tell about it in advance. So the first part of our surprise went like a lead balloon. She ran home and told her dad that "she went with Mommy to a store to buy a card for Daddy because Father's Day will be here soon...". Yep, just like that, without taking a breath.

That's all right, Pumpkin. Buying a card from a store is not a biggie. He guessed about it anyway.

I wanted to make with her something... Crafts for kids are so adorable, you want to keep them all for sentimental reasons. But it's so hard to keep them safe! All those bits and pieces usually fall out here and there, they are bulky and take a lot of our precious space. What do we do? Then flying paper planes around the house with my daughter(it just stopped raining today on the East Coast) gave me an excellent idea. Why don't we do ORIGAMI?

Origami is a Japanese art of folding paper into objects. Paper airplanes are origami.

I looked up a website that describes step by step how to do those objects. I love origami! They build children's imagination and develop spatial skills. Also, they teach them how to follow instructions which is a good skill to have under your belt. Grade school students will probably be able to complete the tasks on their own. Preschoolers will need moms' help.

Here is the link to that website:

http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/origami_for_kids.htm

There is an extensive list of things kids can do. We chose the ones that are stored flat for the reasons I mentioned. I hope you enjoy it. All you need is paper, scissors and maybe ruler. No mess at all(that is my favorite part)!

Here are the things Pumpkin made for her Daddy. Luckily, Daddy doesn't read this blog. ;)

We( I should say that) made this business card holder that can accommodate credit cards as well. If you use a good quality paper it is actually pretty cool.

Then we made a picture frame. You can also experiment with all kinds of paper and stickers and glitter... You got the idea.

This is how the frame looks like with Pumpkin's portrait of her Daddy and the things he likes.

And last but not least, this envelope that we decided to use as a package for the gifts. Like I already said, try different textures of paper, stickers, ribbons, etc.

Let me know how it went!

SuperMom Attempt

2009-06-18T13:00:00.000-07:00

Like all supermom-wanna-bes, I try to remind myself that after I had a child my life didn't stop. My daughter is, of course, #1 on my "To Do" list. But I am still a young woman who wants to enjoy life at its fullest. I still want to look good and do the things other childless people do. I am not an idiot! I know that with the miracle of childbirth my life got 500 times more complicated. I can't just take off - I need to arrange a baby-sitter. I can't just sit around and watch thrillers in the middle of the day - it's inappropriate for my child. I can't sleep on weekends as long as I feel like - I need to get up and make a breakfast for my child. And those are just a few lame examples of life at Mommyhood land. That is why I thought it would be nice to have a "Mommy 's corner" where we talk about moms as women not nose-wipers and diaper-changers.

Here I want to address fitness and healthy diet, beauty tips and style trends.

We are as good mothers to our children as good we feel about ourselves.

I've got a topic for you today!

Jiggle-Busting Move of the Day: Push-Up

Old and tried out push-ups... They do work! One of my faves shortcuts to upper-body work-out. They work your shoulders, biceps, triceps, chest, and abs. All in one move. Try avoiding those girly ones when you stand on your knees. You'll achieve your dream body look faster.

Standard Push-Up

Get in a push-up position by putting your hands on the floor right under your shoulders. Move your left hand 3-4 inches to the left from your left shoulder and your right hand 3-4 inches to the right from the right shoulder, about 45 degree angle to your body. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.
Modified #1: While you are pressing down lift your right leg, do the same with the left leg.
Modified #2:When you are pressing down, stop half way to the floor for 2 counts. Push back up.
Modified # 3:Do Modified #2 push-up only when pushing back up stop half way for 2 counts as well.

Triceps Push-Up

Get in the standard push-up position and move your hands as close as you can parallel to your body. Do 3 sets of 6-8 reps.

When Is It Too Early To Introduce Your Child To Math Concepts?

2009-06-17T20:14:00.000-07:00

NEVER!

As soon as you start talking to your child, which is newborn, start using the basic math terminology.
I am a front believer that you need to treat your baby like an adult. Remember that they are tabula rasa at this gentle time and absorb everything like sponges, literally. So all those "goo-goos" and "moo-moos" will not enrich your baby's vocabulary or assist in adjustment to the new and unfamiliar environment. Use the real words. Don't introduce your baby to a useless baby-talk. I know it's kind of cute but here we are not trying to be. When it comes to parenting we are all business. Or almost always...;)
So, Moms and Dads, why don't we use simple numerals along with simple names?
When you play with your baby(special note for new moms: I mean, after you got over the shock of having a baby and figured out how to take care of the basic baby's needs ) instead of saying "This is a bunny. This is a teddy-bear" say that and add to it "This is one bunny. And this is one teddy-bear". A little later you can add to all of the above "They are friends. There are two of them". And that was the first math concept introduction: "one/two(more than one)". You got the idea.
After you child grasped this math concept you can introduce other more complicated ones.

I watched this video on YouTube today. It is very basic but that's what you need for babies and toddlers: simple, clear and preferably in the form of a game not to bore them too much.

I like the early concepts of sorting and matching by color. Those are the groundwork for the following success in mathematics. Children love bright colors! Use it to your advantage( and their too, they just don't know it yet). Stock up on multiple toys in different colors and go through the sorting and matching games with your little one. Any kinds of blocks are great. There is not enough good things I can tell you about blocks. Ultimate math-skill builders!
In the video DVDs are introduced as well. I didn't let my child watch them till she turned 2 just like pediatricians recommend and after that they had no educational value to her. By the time she turned two she already knew her ABC's, 123s, shapes and colors.They are well-made though and my daughter did get a kick out of crawling around babies. She also enjoyed the parts with puppets. So it's completely your call to use DVDs or not.

Make your children love math early! They will thank you later.

Mommy's "Spa"

2009-06-16T22:14:00.000-07:00

It's 1:14 a.m. and guess what? I am wide awake!

I'll be honest with you. I am new to blogging so it takes a while to learn the lingo. But I do enjoy reading what other people think and blog about. Maybe I did go a little crazy with the pumpkins on the background...Anyway, we are here not blend in but to stand out! LOL

My Pumpkin today was beading. I got those multicolored plastic ones about 1/4 of an inch in diameter for her. She just loves them! Now every Barbie and Teddy is accessorized. It is also a good activity to develop fine -motor skills.

Today, while I was busy reading your blogs, my daughter ran up to me,

"Mommy, Mommy"she yelled. "I made a necklace for you!"

When I pulled myself out of the screen I saw that little happy face. She was so proud! She was bursting from pride.

Sometimes there are very little things and moments that matter, that are important to us, that later on in life we cherish and say that they have sentimental value. Don't miss them. Slow down, pause for a moment and take it all in.

This was one of those moments for me.

"Thank you, Pumpkin,I like it so much! I am going to wear it right now."

Pumpkin put on the pumpkin -made necklace over my head, checked me out and said:"Mommy, for my birthday you can give me a jewelry box just like yours(hint-hint), so I can put there all the things I like." Fair trade. And before she left she made a statement:"Mom, those beads don't match your red jacket"

Fashion police. Do I need a stylist? Seriously!

When I shovel everybody in beds it is MY time. Like tonight. I brewed my green tea, made one of my concussion face masks, took a nice long shower...till I turned into a prune, and did the laundry. I know, I know. That wasn't part of my "spa" plan but I am trying to be a responsible citizen. As much as I can I do my laundry in off-peak ours. It's better for the planet and your wallet. If you happen to be awake at night do the laundry, save the world!

I am particularly possessive of my face mask concussions. It is not easy... Here! Be beautiful.

Banana Face Mask

You will need:

1/2 ripe banana, mashed

1 tablespoonful of orange juice

1 tablespoonful of honey

Mix all the ingredients together. Apply to your face and neck. Keep for 15 minutes, rinse with lukewarm water.

You can substitute all the ingredients for organic equivalents. This way you'll get Organic Banana Face Mask. It is great for your skin. Banana and honey are calming and moisturizing, orange juice acids are exfoliating. It's easy and cheap. Enjoy!

Mommy needs as much glow as she can squeeze out.

Rainy Day Activities

2009-06-15T14:39:00.000-07:00

It has been raining... I don't particularly enjoy rain. I get all doom and gloom and everybody is hiding from me.
"Rain, rain go away..."
It's not that I am extremely outdoorsy, it's just that i like having that option. After being cooped up inside 4 walls for a while I am ready to climb them. I NEED TO GET OUT!
My way of dealing with rain is to go to bed and sleep through most of it. My daughter's way is the opposite. All of a sudden she comes out with all sorts of noisy, active games. We are experiencing monster attacks and hundreds of marching bands just to name a few. Also she always wants to go outside and jump in the puddles which sends a message to my rainy-drainy brain that I'll have to do laundry tonight as well.
If I had as much energy as she does I would conquer the world by now.
So while I was reading the news I heard an optimistic voice"Mommy, let's dance!". "Dance? That's the last thing I want to do now", I thought. But I gave it a try.
I pulled our educational preschool songs, put the CD inside the system and unwillingly turned around to meet lightened up face of my pumpkin.
We were dancing it away till the CD stopped then I played it again twice after that. We had so much fun! It felt like we snicked out for our girls' night out! It was our little secret party. We had our bonding time!
Not only it was simply a good time spent together, my daughter refreshed some basic concepts that were long put away on the back shelf of her brain. And as far as me...I got my cardio out of the way! LOL
It was pretty silly but what don't we, moms, do for our kids and their well-being! And by the time we finished fooling around, the rain has stopped. Freedom!

Gender Stereotyping in Our Lives

2009-06-13T12:11:00.000-07:00

Have you ever asked a toddler girl what her favorite color is?
Have you ever tried putting a pink polo shirt on a little boy(check out fashion section of any men's magazine!!)?
It's not that I am trying to say that there is something wrong with girls liking pink or boys wearing dark colors. What I am trying to ask you is if they have a choice.
It seems as if everything is already pre-programed for them to like.
Go to any toy store and you'll see what I am talking about. There are aisles of pink where the flock of girls is heading, and there are aisles of blue, green and in between where little boys pull their parents to. And if you noticed, they never choose a "wrong" aisle. Or is it wrong? Maybe our kids are missing on some invaluable experience?
The other day I was looking for Lego's for my daughter (don't even make me start on the topic of pink!). She outgrew those chunky ones so I wanted to get something kind of abstract not to forget that we still have some imagination left. I couldn't find anything for 5 year -olds that doesn't involve superheroes and battleships! And again! Even if you choose to make it specifically for boys and girls, what about the latter? Can you make something attractive to girls? I am not talking about everybody, but some of them are not that much into Star Wars! Do you, manufacturers, think that girls do not become engineers and architects? You decide that they shouldn't be interested in anything except for Disney Princesses? What is wrong with girls playing with a construction set and boys changing diapers on a baby doll?
I am trying as much as I can to avoid this gender stereotyping. My daughter has a tool set and is enjoying it very much "fixing" the stuff around the house. She asked for a construction set because her friend had one and i thought it was a great idea. Don't get me wrong! She absolutely loves Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty just like most of her peers. She does all the stereotypical girly stuff as well. But my point is that she is not limited in choices! She can play with what she wants, just like later on in life she can BE what she wants.
There are some slight changes we can do in every day life to avoid gender stereotyping and help our children to be better adjusted individuals. Here are some simple steps.

Watch what your child plays with. Children do gravitate to gender stereotypical toys and activities. Your goal as a parent is to expose them to different types of play. Try offering opposite gender toys(the earlier the better!). Give a boy a baby doll - one day he'll become a father and nowadays a lot of fathers are staying at home and watching kids while mothers are working. Give your little girl a tool set like I did. She'll never develop a feeling that a woman always need a man to survive! She'll just go out there and fix it herself. If this is too dramatic for your household, you can try nonsexist toys such as blocks, art materials, board and card games.

Don't zero in on girls' appearance! I get aggravated all the time when people say things like "she is so cute" or "I like your sunglasses". It sends the wrong message that women are expected to look good and nothing else. Praise your daughters for their actions, good behavior, helping a friend, cleaning up, etc.

Watch what you are saying to your child. I catch myself all the time! Do not say things like"boys don't cry" or "it's not ladylike to ... It might send a wrong message to your child who he/she is and what he/she can do.

Be open-minded, never assume what your child enjoys doing. Knit with your son and change car oil with your daughter! You might be up for a surprise".

Pay attention to stereotypes in books you are reading , TV shows you are watching, etc. Make sure your children are familiar with sensitive males and pro-active females.

Talk about feelings with boys and about actions with girls. Boys are usually trained to be "tough", and girls are over-sensitive and passive.

Those are just the beginning steps for you to start. I think it is especially important nowadays to prepare our children to be aware of their opportunities. When you start paying attention to gender stereotyping you'll see a lot more nuances for yourself. You'll see what I mean.

What Are You Saying, Dear?

2009-06-11T10:33:00.000-07:00

Have you been in a situation when your friends ask you to interpret what your child is saying? I have. My daughter speaks and reads in two languages now. But in the beginning it was pretty tough for us. She started speaking early but sometimes she would mix and match two languages together and in addition to that she would add some "baby talk" when she did not know how to say something in either of the languages. It did sound strange.
What do you do? You stick to your plan and be patient! Your child will not speak the way you expect him/her to over night. It takes months, years to see results, especially if your child is bilingual.
Here is the plan. If you are speaking more than one language, you should practice it in every language you use.

Read to your child at least 15 minutes every day. Ideally, as much as you can. Reading develops children's vocabulary immensely. Make it fun by choosing colorfully illustrated books, the characters your child likes, catchy rhymes, etc. You will be pleasantly surprised when one day you will see your little one cuddled up with a book all by him/herself.

Discuss with your child the books you read, ask a lot of "wh"-questions to make your child say more than just a "yes" or "no". Ask him/her to retell you what was read to him/her.

It might seem like a no-brainer but you should converse with your child more. We are all busy and tired and talking about dollies and toy trucks seem like a waste of our precious downtime. But it has a good pay of, trust me on that one. It gives your child a chance to ask questions and find out the answers he/she was hoping to get, learn new words, and also learn a thing or two about conversation ethics. The list of benefits is long and honestly, depends on you very much. So try to use new words daily, ask questions, speak in complete sentences with correct grammar, use a lot of descriptive attributes.

Playing with puppets is a good example of learning through play. Invest in some or you can make homemade ones too.

Singing songs and reciting nursery rhymes and poems help your child to get familiar with the sound system of the language. That is a good introduction to phonics. So sing and clap!

Pretend-and-play toys(toy telephone, doll house, dress-up clothes, etc.) let you child practice his/her language skills when you are not around.

I found that educational DVDs work great for my child. When I can not give her that one-on-one time, I pop one of those into a DVD-player and everybody is happy: she gets to see her favorite characters and I know that she spends quality time. After that we discuss what she has seen. Just be careful what you let him/her watch.

If you stick to that plan, you will see some results in near future. Be selective in what you expose your child to. Spend some quality time with him/her. Be a good role model. It worked for me, it is going to work for you.

Is Your Child Ready For Kindergarten?

2009-06-09T21:13:00.000-07:00

Summer is a very stressful time for the parents of kindergartners-to-be. No wonder! You have to make a good judgement call that is going to affect the success in academics and future life and then career of your little one. It is a big decision and there is no room for mistakes. Many of you are wondering if your child is ready for this big step.
Here are some guidelines that I hope you'll find helpful in determining that.

Language

Your child should:

use and understand many words
listen to a story
speak in complete sentences
ask questions
make up or retell stories
use adjectives to describe an object/event of the day
recite nursery rhymes/simple poems
converse with adults and peers
recognize some letters
recognize and print his/her name
use pencils/markers/crayons to draw and write

Mathematics

Your child should:

describe different colors/shapes/sizes/patterns
match colors/shapes/sizes/patterns
recognize some numbers (1-10)
count and match the number to an object
understand simple concepts like "heavier/lighter", "bigger/smaller", "longer/shorter", etc.
understand the concept "more/less/same"
understand the concept of sequence "first/next/last"
use words like "near", "far", "under", etc.

Science

Your child should:

show curiosity, ask questions "where", "why", "what", and "how" about everyday things
be familiar with 5 senses and use them to describe, observe and predict the environment
show interest in simple and safe experiments

Social experience

Your child should:

work and play with other children
follow routines and directions
work out problems with others
understand people's feelings

Your child's teacher will also appreciate if he/she can dress him/herself independently and does not disrupt the classroom environment. Good manners go a long way too.
Most of the children who go to kindergarten are academically ready for the new challenges ahead of them. And even if they do not know as many letters or numbers as their peer friends, it is not a big deal. They will learn all that in kindergarten. Your main objective as a parent is to prepare your child mentally and emotionally for that. Creating just the right environment for learning is like preparing soil for the future seed planting.
And one more thing: nobody knows your child better than you do! Check with the list above and follow your gut feeling. Good luck!