Beginning to Read-Aloud--Gift Ideas!

It's never too early to read to your children…I mean, even as an infant you can read to them.  But it's really exciting when they actually begin to show interest in the books, pay attention (even for only a couple of minutes) and begin to develop favorite books.
For that reason, great board-books* are my favorite gifts to give for small children and even new babies. 
With the Christmas season upon us, this is a great resource list to choose gifts from!

 

Favorite Books for Beginning to Read-Aloud:

"Toes, Ears, & Nose!" Marion Dane Bauer
"The Going to Bed Book" Sandra Boynton
"Goodnight Moon" Margaret Wise Brown
"The Very Hungry Caterpillar" Eric Carle
"Freight Train" Donald Crews
"Touch and Feel Farm" DK (also any other books in this series)
"The Everything Book" Denise Fleming
"Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes" Mem Fox
"Where is Baby's Belly Button?" Karen Katz
"Where is  Baby's Mommy?" Karen Katz
"Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" Bill Martin Jr.
"Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?" Bill Martin Jr.
"B is for Bear" Roger Priddy
"First 100 Words" Roger Priddy (Bright Baby...also any other books in this series)
"Gallop" Rufus Butler Seder
"Swing" Rufus Butler Seder
"The Itsy Bitsy Spider" Iza Trapani

*We have most of these in board-book form simply because it makes them nearly (or at least kind of) indestructible, so the children can learn how to correctly handle books. I also like the portability of a board-book…they're perfect for taking along to church, restaurants, Dr. offices and even just in the car.

Christmas Book List

It's here!  My favorite time of year!  I think that there is something so magical and wonderful about the whole Christmas season, and I am so excited to be sharing that sense of wonder with my children.  I do like to browse through the Christmas books at the library or book store for new books that we have not read, but I have a real place in my heart for quality content and great illustrations (so they also make wonderful gifts for other families with children!).  That being said,  here's a list of some of our favorite Christmas books:

 

"The Christmas Sweater" Glenn Beck
"The Donkey's Dream" Barbara Helen Berger
"On Christmas Eve" Margaret Wise Brown
"The Little Fir Tree" Margaret Wise Brown
"Bright Christmas: An Angel Remembers" Andrew Clements
"Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer" Barbara Shook Hazen  (a Little Golden Book)
"The Tale of Three Trees: a Traditional Folk Tale" Angela Elwell Hunt
"Silent Night" Susan Jeffers
"The Nutcracker" Susan Jeffers
"The Little Drummer Boy" Ezra Jack Keats
"One Small Lost Sheep" Claudia Mills
"The Night Before Christmas" Clement C. Moore (look for great illustrations…right now we are just using a Little Golden Book version, but I do like the classic illustration style)
"A Special Place for Santa" Jeanne Pieper
"How the Grinch Stole Christmas" Dr. Seuss
"The Donkey's Christmas Song" Nancy Tafuri
"The Polar Express" Chris Van Allsburg
"The Christmas Story" Jane Werner (a Little Golden Book)
"B is for Bethlehem: A Christmas Alphabet" Isabel Wilner

Airplane Activities

Outing:
-Try to plan this topic around a time when you are going to be traveling on a plane.  It prepares your child for the experience as well as brings the books to life for them once they get to take the trip.  When you board, politely ask if your child can take a peek into the cockpit…we've been allowed to do this several times and it was a huge hit with my son!
-You may have to wait until summer for this one, but search for an air show nearby.  It doesn't have to be big…even if they only see a few planes it is a great experience.  As I mentioned before, we've done this airplane topic several times already….before we fly and before we went to a local air show last summer. 

 

Activity/Project:
-Make paper airplanes!  Yes this is soooo simple, but as a girly-girl, I had no idea how to do it!  I really like this website:  http://www.10paperairplanes.com/  because it has animated graphics that show the folds.  Definitely what I need!  My little guys "helped" me fold and crease the airplanes, and then I let the kids decorate them.  We flew them inside and outside until they were pretty much beyond recognition!  Here are a few of our creations...pre-destruction!

All About Airplanes! Book List

Airplanes can be both fascinating and frightening for kids (ok, and adults, too!).  One of the best ways to calm any nervousness or fears is to prepare for a flight in advance by arming your child with knowledge and a sense of excitement.   Not to mention, learning about airplanes is pretty fun!

We have done a version of this 2 times before; once before a flight to visit family and once before an air show this past summer.  Each time, the whole airplane theme has been a huge hit.  We are taking another flight to visit family this holiday season, as many of you likely are, as well.  I don't think this gets old for the kids to explore airplanes before each flight that they take.  They can learn something new each time!  So join us as we explore airplanes, or save this list of books & activities to do before your next trip.

Happy holidays and safe travels!

 

Book List:
"Airplanes" Byron Barton
"Airport" Byron Barton
"Flying" Donald Crews
"Jets" Matt Doeden
"Modern Military Aircraft" Daniel Gilpin
"The UglyTruckling" David Gordon
"A Day at an Airport" Sarah Harrison
"Airplanes:Soaring! Diving! Turning!" Patricia Hubbell
"My First Airplane Ride" Patricia Hubbell
"Come Fly with Me" Satomi Ichikawa
"A Plane goes Ka-Zoom!" Jonathan London
"Pilot Pups" Michelle  Meadows
"Amazing Airplanes" Tony Mitton
"Miss Mouse Takes Off" Jan Ormerod
"I Love Planes" Philemon Sturges
"Air Show!" Treat Williams  (This one is by far our favorite, as it has a fun story line, fun "pilot lingo" and a fold out page that depicts and names a huge variety of aircraft.)

Thanksgiving

I don't have a full layout for Thanksgiving because, frankly, I dropped the ball on the book list and nearly all of the Thanksgiving books were checked out of the library by the time I went! So I'll just share a few of the projects we've been working on.
My main focus for Thanksgiving has been talking as often as I can with the kids about what we are thankful for.

 

Activity/Project:

-We made a turkey out of hand and foot tracings, decorated it, and then hung a piece of paper beneath it where we are trying to write things down every day that the kids are thankful for. You get some of the cutest answers from them when you ask!
Here's how to make this simple project:
Trace their foot on brown or white construction paper and trace their hands 6 times; 2 each of yellow, orange and red.  Cut these out (if your child is old enough to cut, this is a great cutting exercise).  Let them decorate the foot as the body of the turkey and the hands as the feathers.  Either draw on or cut and glue on eyes, a beak and feet.  Then, glue the feathers (handprints) to the back of the body (footprint) in a fanned-out pattern. 

 

-We also made pinecone turkeys, which are very cute, but definitely require a lot of mom-help!
We began by gathering a variety of pinecones on a nature walk (I gathered quite a few to save and use in future projects).  I cut out feathers from yellow, orange and red construction paper and glued 6 together in a fanned-out pattern for each turkey.  Next, I cut out eyes from white construction paper and a beak from orange construction paper.  Then I took an orange pipe cleaner and cut it into 4 pieces.  I twisted two together per foot.  Now for assembly!  I asked my son what things he was thankful for and wrote them on the feathers (again, cute answers!).  Then I let him decorate the feathers, eyes and beak as he wished.  We glued them all in place together, and voila! An adorable turkey decoration for the table!

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Fire Safety Activities

Outing:
-Go to your local fire department!  I called ahead (NOT 9-1-1, but the station itself)  and our department told me we could stop by any time.  Your kids will likely visit at some point while in school, too, but as several family members and friends who are firemen have told us, they can't get familiar enough with firemen.  The earlier and the more times they see firemen, the equipment,  and gear, the less afraid they will be if there is a real emergency.  The last thing you would want is for a child to hide from a first responder because they are scared of the way they look or unsure of what is going on. 

 

Activity/Project:

-We picked up a fireman hat from the dollar store and made our own gear at home.  *Warning* these are very basic projects.  As I mentioned, I am completely NON-artistic.  As long as my kids can participate in creating a project and make it their own, and at least partially recognize what it is, I'm happy.  We used an empty pop bottle to make our own fire extinguisher.  My son painted it red himself, then I wrapped a piece of brown packing paper in duck tape and taped it to the mouth of the bottle.  It looks goofy, I know, but he thinks it's great!  I used a long piece of brown packing paper and twisted it up as tight as I could and he used it as a fire hose.  Again, not a pretty toy, but they are having a blast with it!  I love that it helps them use their imaginations.  Lastly, we made an axe by having my son color an empty paper towel tube and then I stapled on two pieces of black construction paper cut to look like the blade of an axe. 

-Get a large box and let your kids paint it red (if you're brave) or color it red to be a fire truck.  Paint cardboard circles or paper plates black and glue them on for wheels.  Create some type of fun lights to glue to the top.  Cut out windows and a door and you have a great fire truck to go with their fire gear.  In my experience, people aren't kidding when they say you can give a child a box and they'll be happy.  Box creations are some of our favorite projects and they get used more than almost any toy we have ever purchased!

-This part needs to be tailored to your child and their age:

Discuss what types of emergencies firemen and paramedics help with.  Discuss gently what your child could expect if there were an emergency (the goal is not to scare them, but to prepare them).  Talk about what to do in an emergency, whether it is a fire, injury, accident or anything else.  Depending on their age, talk about how to get out of the house in an emergency and where to meet as a family.  Talk about 9-1-1.  If your child is ready to learn to use the phone, teach them how to do this.  Use your judgment on how far to go with this.  If you know they'll call it just to see what happens, you may want to wait!  Again, the goal with all of this is to ensure that your child is aware of what they will experience if there is an emergency.

Fire Safety Book List

Firemen, fire trucks, safety....all tons of fun for kids, but also so important for them to learn about.  One of the biggest reasons that kids need to learn about fire safety is that in the event that there is an emergency, they need to have some basic understanding of what is happening around them. I'm not suggesting that you scare young kids with way more information than they can handle, but simply age-appropriate exposure to such an important aspect of life.  For example, if they know what a fireman and paramedic are, what their vehicles look like, how they help and what they look like in their gear, they will be LESS frightened in an emergency.  The last thing you would want would be for a small child to hide from a first responder.  Knowing what they will look like and how they will help you can make all the difference in the child's safety.  I know that kids will learn these things in school and likely even take field trips to the fire station at some point, but earlier exposure will only help to prepare them.
So, here's a list of books to gather for this subject.  Next week we'll dive in and have some great ideas for activities and a fun visit to the fire station!

"FirefighterTed" Andrea Beaty
"Fire Engines" E.S. Budd
"Firefighters Ato Z" Chris L. Demarest
"Out and About at the Fire Station" Muriel Dubois
"Dumpy and the Firefighters" Julie Andrews Edwards
"The Fire Station" Stuart Kallen
"Flashing Fire Engines" Tony Mitton
"Curious Georgeand the Firefighters" Margaret & H.A.Rey
"Fire Engines" Anne Rockwell
"Firehouse" Mark Teague
"Ambulances on the Move" Laura Hamilton Waxman

Fall Activities

Here are some ideas for activities to do with your child that relate to Fall:
-”Leaf Man” lends itself to an amazing variety of projects! We went on several nature walks and collected leaves, sticks, acorns, pine cones, maple tree seeds, etc. and created several of our own leaf-men and animals. This was such a fun project, mainly because it was so fun to watch my son’s creativity!

-Do leaf rubbings–put several different types of leaves (not yet crunchy) under a piece of paper and use an unwrapped crayon, held on its side, to rub color over the patterns of the leaves.

-The book “It’s Fall!” has some great activity ideas in the back.

Here are some fun outings you can take with your child:
-Nature walk! Take several nature walks anywhere from your backyard to a nature trail. Make the focus of the walk looking at the small details around you…what types of leaves can you find? What signs of fall do you see? Take a bag with you and collect leaves and other interesting things you find.

-Visit a pumpkin farm near you. Many times you can pick a pumpkin, pick apples, and some even have areas to pet animals.

Most importantly, talk with your child! Any time you are out and about point out the signs of Fall around you….the color of the leaves, bare trees, the weather, animal activity, decorations, etc. It’s fun for them to point out and observe changes along the regular routes you take while out and about.

Fall Book List

And we begin! Our first theme is going to be “Fall”. This is absolutely the perfect time to engage your child in learning about and exploring Fall. It is much easier for them to understand what a season is when you are in it and can observe the physical changes taking place in the world around them.
To start out, here’s a book list: (you can buy these books through Amazon.com, or you can check them out at your library)

• “Every Autumn Comes the Bear” Jim Arnosky
• “Leaf Man” Lois Ehlert
• “It’s Fall!” Linda Glaser
• “The Apple Pie Tree” Zoe Hall
• “Pumpkin Harvest” Calvin Harris
• “Fall“ Ron Hirschi
• “When Autumn Falls” Kelli Nidey
• “This Way Home” Lisa Westberg Peters
• “Who Loves the Fall?” Bob Raczka
• “Animals in Fall” Martha E.H. Rustad
• “Leaves in Fall” Martha E. H. Rustad
• “In November” Cynthia Rylant
• “Mouse’s First Fall” Lauren Thompson
• “Squirrels“ Brian Wildsmith

Play Dough Recipe

I love this recipe for Play Dough. It came from a friend, who got it from a friend, so I’m not sure where it originated, but it’s great!

• 2 1/2 Cups Flour
• 1/2 Cup Salt
• 2 pkgs Unsweetened Kool-Aid
• 2 Tbsp Cooking Oil
• 2 Cups Boiling water*
• 1 Tbsp Cream of Tartar

Mix dry ingredients. Add oil and water, stirring quickly. Knead when cool enough to handle and store in an air tight container.

*I made this with my child, but just did not let him handle the water. Then, I did not let him knead it until it was very cool. Use your own good judgement on whether this is something to make with your kids or not.

**My first batch turned out a little sticky, so be sure not to overdo it on the liquid.

Basic Supplies

I like to keep my activities and projects as simple as I can…I am totally not artistic!
Here’s a list of basic supplies to think about having on hand:

• glue stick
• school glue
• safety scissors
• construction paper
• crayons
• ruler
• watercolor paints
• tempera paints
• paintbrushes & sponges
• pipecleaners
• rubber bands
• blocks or legos
• clothespins
• cardboard boxes ( a packing box and a few empty cereal boxes…I like to use them to cut out solid pieces for various projects)
• colored tissue paper (save from gifts)
• plastic or glass jars (clean out a few spaghetti sauce or apple sauce jars. These are great for storing stuff, like paintbrushes, or for some projects)
• shoebox
• empty egg carton
• empty toilet paper & paper towel tubes
• empty kleenex box
• Play dough (see recipe here)

Don’t worry about going out and buying all of these things. I like to just collect supplies as we go, and you can always improvise!
One other thing that I like to do is to keep a notebook in which I note our topic, the books we read, which ones we liked the most and why, what activities we did, etc. I just think it’s neat to be able to look back at the fun we’ve had!