Father's Day Activities

A big thanks to Mrs. John B. Dodd, of Washington, for the idea of Father's Day first introduced it in 1909. Through the years it became more and more popular until finally in 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3^rd Sunday of June as Father's Day.
Each of us have our ideas of how Father's Day should be celebrated and in our society the cards and gifts will continue to help build those memories. But Dad deserves more than just one more striped tie-he needs the gift of time and/or something homemade. Let's appreciate all the things he brings to our lives by sharing these experiences and bonding with Dad on his special day.

SWEET CHILD OF MINE: (Baby and Toddler)
Early in a child's life, it's important that fathers get involved with daily care activities-feeding, dressing and changing diapers. Bonding is an important lifetime experience between a father and child.

Play this game anytime you dress your little one. Massage, kiss, cuddle and blow air on the child's body. Tell your youngster you love him/her. Daddy can recite the following poem as he dresses his bundle of joy on Father's Day.

DADDY LOVES YOU SO, SWEET CHILD OF MINE.
YOU ARE SO SOFT AND WARM TO HOLD.
I'LL WIGGLE YOUR NOSE AND TICKLE YOUR TOES,
THEN GO ROUND AND ROUND ON YOUR NICE LITTLE TUMMY.
NOW FOR A KISS, SWEET CHILD OF MINE.
YOU ARE A JOY TO LOVE AND CUDDLE.

PUT YOUR HAND IN MINE: (Preschool)
As you child gets a little older, comparing handprints is a lifelong lesson. Have your child place his/her hand on a sheet of paper and trace around it. Place your hand over the tracing of your child's hand and help your child trace around it. Ask your youngster to compare the sizes of the two sets of hands. Tell your child a story about something you liked to do when your hands were small. Let your child tell you what he/she would like to do when his or her hands are the size of yours. As an extended activity, take a walk together holding hands.

THINGS DAD AND THE KIDS CAN DO TOGETHER: (School Age)
Go to the local nursery together to buy a few plants. At home, spend fun time in the yard planting your new foliage. Continue gardening together as much as possible.

Go for an afternoon drive. See how many muscle (sports) cars you can identify together.
Set up the sprinkler in the yard and have fun splish-splashing through the water. Brings back Dad's childhood.

Have a "mini family reunion." Invite relatives over for an afternoon of food and games. Help Dad with the all time favorite BBQ.

Snuggle away a few hours together on the couch talking about your child's dreams, hobbies, etc. Today, read a story to Dad.

Most of all, tell Dad you love him. That will really make him smile!!!

I hope all the dads and father figures enjoy their special day on June 16th.
Until next time,
Tania


Photos courtesy of Tania Cowling, all rights reserved

What is a Mother? Teach Your Children Through Books

There are so many types of women who love and nurture young children at home. They may be stay-at-home moms, single parents, working moms, foster mothers, grandmothers, stepmothers, big sisters… It is so important that children realize that all mothers do not look or act alike. I found the best way to get young children thinking about their moms is to read stories about mother/child relationships and use these stories to talk about their own families. Choose books to read that talk about people that reflect in different family situations. Help children explore the caring relationship of a mother figure in each story.

Suggested books to read:

My Mom Travels A Lot by Caroline Fellen Bauer (Puffin) What is it like to have a mother who travels?

Here I Am, an Only Child by Marlene Fanta Shyer (Aladdin) This story shows the advantages and disadvantages of being an only child - with the pluses winning out.

My Mommy's Special by Jennifer English (Children's Press) A little girl tells about her mom, who uses a wheelchair to get around.

Everett Anderson's 1,2,3 by Lucy Clifton (Owlet Paperbooks) Everett likes being alone with mommy. He's not sure he wants a new man in the family.

Mommy, Mama, and Me by Leslea Newman (Tricycle Press) A loving story of the nurturing relationship of a lesbian couple and their child.

I Love My Mommy and My Mommy Loves Me by Crystal William (Amazon Kindle Edition) A poem to read at bedtime that explains the love between a mother and child. This poem contains fun rhymes.

Stevie by John Steptoe (Harper & Row) Robert is an only child - until his mom starts foster care for another little boy.

A Chair for My Mother by Vera Williams (Greenwillow) After her family's house burned down, a little girl, her mother and grandmother rebuild their lives.

I Miss You! A Military Kid's Book About Deployment by Beth Andrews (Prometheus Books) A challenging situation for both child and parent is when a mother (or father) must be sent away from home for military duty. A necessary book for military families who serve our country.

My Grandmother's Cookie Jar by Montzalee Miller (Price/Stern/Sloane) Every time she offers a cookie, a child's grandmother has a story about their Native American heritage. When grandma dies, the child realizes that her cookie jar will always be filled with grandma's love and her Native American spirit.

The Not-So-Wicked Stepmother by Lizi Boyd (Puffin) Hessie is about to meet her new stepmother. Are the stories she's heard about stepmothers really true? Maybe not!

My Mommy's in Heaven and I'm Still Here by Sarah Julian (Tate Publishing) Lillie's mommy has just passed away. The fun things she does on a daily basis isn't as much fun without her mother. The story shows how Lillie copes without her mother and how God has a plan for everyone.

Grandmother by Jeannie Baker (Dutton) This story describes a child's day with her elderly grandmother in her very old house.

I hope you have selected and enjoyed several of these books with your child. Please feel free to list your own favorites about mothers in our comments section below.

Happy Mother’s Day to All~~

Tania

Source: personal experience in the classroom and at home

Photos courtesy of Pixabay.com 

S is for Spring Songs

“Music is a great way to engage young children because it is a natural and enjoyable part of their everyday lives. Children hear music or sing while watching television, riding in the car, at school, and as part of bedtime rituals. We often hear children creating their own songs and incorporating music in their play. Music is a socially engaging way to learn, and especially appropriate for the developmental levels of young children”.**

Here are several songs chosen to sing with your group during this spring season:

Signs of Spring Song (Tune: “The Twelve Days of Christmas”)

On the first day of springtime, my good friend gave to me, a bluebird in a big tree.

On the second day of springtime, my good friend gave to me, two green frogs and a bluebird in a big tree.

On the third day of springtime, my good friend gave to me, three yellow buds, two green frogs, and a bluebird in a big tree.

On the fourth day of springtime, my good friend gave to me, four raindrops, three yellow buds, two green frogs and a bluebird in a big tree.

Be creative and finish the songs with ideas from the children.

Baby Animal Lullaby (Tune: “Frere Jacques/ Are You Sleeping”)

Mother cat, mother cat,

Sings to her kitten, sings to her kitten,

Meow, meow, meow

Meow, meow, meow

Sleep baby kitten, sleep baby kitten.

Continue with other verses about animals and their babies.

The Sun Song (Tune: “I’m a Little Teapot”)

When the sun comes up, we start our day,

Dress and eat our breakfast, go outside and play,

When the day is over, the sun goes down,

Moon and stars light up the town

**Excerpted from "Music as a Teaching Tool: Creating Story Songs" by Shelly Ringgenberg - an article in the NAEYC journal, Young Children.

Authors to songs unknown

Sing a spring tune together and enjoy this season. 

Tania

Creative Crafts for Easter

Easter/Passover is on its way and the perfect time to craft with the kids. Do you need some ideas? I'm posting a culmination of some articles I wrote the past couple years. They are easy and mostly use materials found in the home. Enjoy your holiday and spring!

Happy Parenting,
Tania

Hatching Baby Chicks

Spring is the season for renewal of life and we often hear about baby chicks hatching from eggs. I would suggest getting a book from the library on hatching baby chicks so the children can understand the process.

You will need:

• Egg halves (washed and dried)
• 2 yellow pom-poms (one larger than the other)
• Googly eyes
• Orange construction paper
• Safety scissors
• Heavy-duty glue

Directions:

1. Give each child one eggshell and two yellow pom-poms. Have them carefully glue their pom-poms inside the eggshell, one on top of the other. Make sure to have extra eggshells available as these are fragile and could crumble.
2. Finish this craft by gluing on two eyes and an orange beak cut from construction paper.
3. You can display these baby chicks inside an egg carton or staple a circular ring from heavy-duty paper to make an egg stand.

• Crafting With Matzoh for Passover
  For Passover, let the children use broken pieces of matzoh and invite them to glue these pieces onto construction paper. Lots of very creative pictures emerge from this activity. Have them tell you about their design.
• 
  What’s more fun than painting matzoh? Eating it! Melt white chocolate chips in a bowl (a microwave can be used). Separate the melted chocolate into several bowls. Add drops of food coloring to make a variety of edible paints. Using a clean paintbrush or cotton swabs, invite your child to paint designs and pictures on a square of matzoh. Note: you may have to keep reheating the chocolate to keep it liquid for painting. Chocolate hardens very quickly. Another variation is to use pre-made frosting in tubes that can be purchased in grocery stores. When finished, share the artwork and then enjoy the snack.
  
  
  
  
• The Hunts of the Season
  Celebrate Passover with a treasure hunt for the “Afikomen." The matzoh is placed in a holder and here is a simple one to make:
  You will need:
• Two sheets royal blue felt (9" x 12")
• Silver glitter glue, decorating decors
• Tacky glue
•  
• Simply glue the two sheets of felt together around the edges, leaving one side open for a piece of matzoh. You could also sew them together if you wish. Draw six-sided stars with glitter glue. You can also add decors like lace, sequins, or faux jewels with the tacky glue. Let dry completely and you are ready to place this work of art on the Seder table.
  To hunt for the Afikomen, hide this piece of matzoh in the holder somewhere in the home. Present a few clues to lead the kids from the dining area to where the Afikomen is hidden. Whoever finds the matzoh wins a prize. 
  
  For Easter, create this cute bunny basket for your youngster to collect his “finds of the hunt." Take a half-gallon milk carton and remove one panel using safety scissors or a craft knife (adult use only). Save this panel to make a handle. Cover all sides of this carton with construction paper using glue or tape. Cut a strip from the saved panel and staple it on both sides to make a handle. Create a cute bunny face by gluing on googly eyes, stapling on bunny ears made from heavy paper, and lastly whiskers. If you punch a hole in the center of the top ridge; pipe cleaners can be inserted equal distance and bent slightly for bunny whiskers.
• 
  
• Making homemade Easter crafts and Passover crafts for kids are milestones and memories that you and your children will never forget. Enjoy this creative time together and the fun holiday festivities to follow!
  Note: Use parental supervision and age appropriate art materials when making crafts with kids.

• 
  Some crafts were part of articles first published on Bright Hub Education by Tania K Cowling
• Photos courtesy of Tania Cowling, all rights reserved
  
  

National Soup Month

“Soup’s on” in January as we celebrate National Soup Month.  Keep the “brrr” cold outside and warm the tummy with delicious hot soup.  This meal-in-a-bowl can combine a multitude of food groups, providing a potent serving of nutrients in each spoonful. Here are a few ideas to make “soup” a fun meal!

SOUP MAT:

It's nice to have a placemat under your bowl of hot soup. Why not create your own "soup mat" using real vegetables. Give each child a sheet of light colored construction paper.  Gather vegetables such as carrots, bell peppers, celery, potatoes, corn-on-the-cob, pea pods and more.

Prepare paint pads by placing a folded paper towel into shallow pans.  Pour the tempera (poster) paints on top.  The artist can dip the cut vegetable in the paint and then press down onto the placemat paper to make a print. Continue printing all types of vegetables using colors of orange, green, yellow, brown and white.

When the sheet is completely dry, cover the mat with a sheet of clear adhesive plastic.  The "soup mat" can be wiped clean and used over and over again.

NOTE:  Have each child personalize their mat with their name, and favorite soup names before laminating it.

TOP IT:

The fun of soup is what's floating on top.  Here are a few favorite garnishes:

*star shaped croutons (toasted bread)

*Goldfish crackers

*oyster crackers

*bacon bits          

*bagel chips

*crumbled tortilla chips

*dollops of yogurt or sour cream  (make a smile face)

*grated Parmesan or Cheddar cheese

*sesame seeds

*fresh snipped herbs (use a kitchen scissors)

“SOUP”ER TRIVIA:

*Americans consume more than 12 billion bowls or soup each year. January is the most popular month.

*Three most popular soups are Chicken Noodle, Cream of Mushroom and Tomato soup.

*In one year, Campbell's uses 1 million miles of noodles in its chicken noodle soup, enough to circle the equator approximately 40 times.

*Campbell uses more than 44 billion stars each year in its chicken & stars soup.  In three years, Campbell produces more stars than are in the Milky Way.

*In one year Campbell produces almost 11 billion letters for its alphabet soup.

TRIVIA COURTESY OF CAMPBELL'S SOUP COMPANY

Photo courtesy of Clarita

Previously posted on Caring For Kids

Best Ever Hanukkah Songs for Children

Hanukkah begins before Christmas on December 7th. Get in the holiday spirit as children and caregivers sing these simple Hanukkah songs. Let the children learn that holidays are a special time for singing together.

The Menorah and its Candles

Today Jewish families celebrate the miracle by lighting one candle for each of the eight days of Hanukkah. A special candlestick called the menorah is used.

Hanukkah Candles (Tune: "Six Little Ducks")

Nine little candles in my Hanukkah light,

Burning brightly throughout the night.

But one little candle is taller than the rest,

We call that candle the Shamash.

We light the candles one by one,

We play with dreidels and have some fun.

We dance the hora and tell the story,

Of Judah Maddabbee and his glory.

Potato Pancakes, known as Latkes

During the celebration of Hanukkah, a characteristic food called latkes, or potato pancakes is served. These pancakes are fried in oil, to represent the holy oil used in the Temple.

Little Latkes (Tune: "I'm a Little Teapot")

I'm a little latke, round and brown,

Here is my upside, here is my down.

When I am all ready, take a bite,

And eat me up on Hanukkah night.

The Dreidel

A nonreligious symbol of Hanukkah is the dreidel. Children find this toy top a fun game to play during this holiday.

Spin the Dreidel (Tune: "Row, Row, Row Your Boat")

Spin, spin, spin the dreidel,

Spin it round and round.

Wait to see what letter comes up,

And the prize which you have found.

Even children who are not Jewish can begin to appreciate other cultures and faiths, by sharing this Hanukkah story and singing these fun songs. Children learn at an early age that singing is another way to use their voice. These easy piggyback songs kids can sing enhances learning with verse that young children can understand.

NOTE: Authors Unknown for all songs.

Photo courtesy of Flickr

December Holiday Garland Craft

Children love the holidays and these crafts are adaptable to suit three different holidays. Surprise your group with a fun holiday craft this month. These crafts can be multicultural by just changing the colors. Be it red & green for Christmas, blue & white for Hanukkah, or red, green & black for Kwanzaa—adapt these crafts for your holiday!

Multicultural Children Garlands:

These garlands can be strung along a wall or across a doorway.  Use brown grocery bags that you have stored from shopping.  Dress the children cutouts in the colors of your holiday.

These are simple paper-doll instructions. Start by cutting a 5-by-4-inch strip from a grocery bag.  Next, fold the strip of paper, accordion-style, about four times.  On the top layer, draw a child shape. You can draw this freehand or trace around a child or gingerbread cookie cutter. The hands and feet you draw must extend out to the folded edges.  Cut through all layers of the paper, making sure not to cut where the arms touch the fold. Young children may need help with this task. The decorating is the fun.  Cut clothing from gift-wrap or construction paper.  Draw in shoes, hair, faces, and any extras with markers, puffy paints, or gel pens.  For texture you can glue on pom-poms, buttons, or pieces of fur.  Let your child’s imagination run wild.

Holiday Wreath:

Use your child's hands to make this holiday wreath. From a piece of cardboard, cut a 12-inch circle (a pizza box lid or carton works well).  Again cut another 3-inch circle in the center to complete the wreath. A craft knife is useful to make the cuts but only by an adult. Invite your child to paint the entire cardboard wreath with poster paint in the color of your holiday. After the paint dries, have the child make handprints on the wreath. Brush the child’s hand with a different color paint and press the hand down on the board. Continue to print handprints around the wreath in a circular fashion.

For another option, trace hands on complementary-colored stiff construction paper, cut out, decorate the hands if you wish, and glue them around the circle.

Make a bow from fabric, crepe paper, large ribbons or construction paper to decorate the bottom.  Make sure to write the date on the back of this memorable project.

Have fun with these two crafts.
Happy Parenting,
Tania  :)

Photo courtesy of Tania Cowling, all rights reserved

Note: if anyone wants to use any part of this post or any other one, please notify me for permission and make sure you provide a link back to this site.

Pumpkin Crafts for Kids: Harvest and Halloween Ideas

Pumpkins are fun! Their size, color, smell and taste make them perfect for children's observations and explorations. Pumpkins are a type of squash that symbolize both the bright orange color and lead us into the spirit of the fall season. This is the best time to experience the numerous possibilities of using pumpkins during your "together time" activities. Your kids may consider pumpkins only with Halloween and jack-o-lanterns; however, you can de-emphasize the holiday connection and use this variety of pumpkin-related activities for fall and harvest.

Pumpkin Sun Catcher-

Place a piece of adhesive paper down on the table sticky side up. You may need to tape this in place. Encourage your child to tear and place pieces of red tissue paper on one side and pieces of yellow tissue paper on the opposite side. When finished, fold the paper in half and see what happens when the red and yellow paper overlap. Cut a pumpkin shape from this now "orange" paper and hang in a sunny window. 

Popcorn Painting-

Here's a new experience in painting! Place a cup of unpopped popcorn into a nylon knee high stocking and tie the nylon stocking in a knot. Holding the top end of the stocking, dip the bottom (corn) into poster paint and then "bounce" it onto paper. This makes a neat design and so complimentary to the season. Cut the paper into a pumpkin shape and you now have a unique painting.

Pumpkin Mosaic - 

Give your child a paper plate and orange construction paper. Let him tear pieces of the orange paper (little ones really like to tear paper) and glue them onto the plate. Help him brush on the glue and after he is finished you make want to brush on a final layer to keep the pieces flat. Make a leaf shape from green or brown paper and glue this on top to complete the pumpkin.

Pumpkin Prints - 

Buy pumpkin cookie cutters and let your child dip these into tempera (poster paint) and then press them onto paper. This makes really cool prints and good for eye/hand coordination. As a variation, buy a small fresh pumpkin and cut this in half. Invite your youngster to dip the pumpkin half into orange paint and make a print.

So, whether you use pumpkin projects for harvest or Halloween -- just have fun and do these activities with your children. It's the bonding time that really counts!

Pumpkin photo property of Tania Cowling, all rights reserved

Halloween is Coming! Who Wants to Be Cinderella?

How many little girls dream of becoming a princess and little boys who want to be a prince? The story of Cinderella, a young girl who unexpectedly becomes a maid to her stepmother and stepsisters after her father dies, finds her way to the gallant ball with a little help from her fairy Godmother.  But, at the stroke of midnight she must leave the ball and her prince. This is a tale that many of us remember as children. Today, this story comes alive with new movies to entertain us. The question remains: will the prince find the lady who fits the glass slipper?

This isn't a costume, but I’m sure your little artists will enjoy making this craft. This simple project will bring the story of Cinderella into your home.

Materials:

• Card stock paper (pink or your child’s favorite color)
• Gray construction paper (or white)
• Safety scissors
• Heavy-duty glue or low-temperature glue gun
• Silver enhancements (sequins, glitter, faux gems, foil)

Directions:

Step 1 – This cut and paste craft is not the messiest we have done before, but covering your table with newspaper is wise to prevent glue from marring your tabletop.

Step 2 – Invite your child to choose their favorite color for the background paper. Using a heavier construction paper or card stock will give substantial weight to hold the materials that the children will eventually glue on this page.

Step 3 -- Parents can draw the shape of a lady’s high heel shoe on gray or white paper. Challenge your child to carefully cut on the lines to make this shape. Then, glue the shoe to the background paper.

Step 4 – Now the fun begins, as your child will turn this paper shoe into a glass slipper. Think about all the baubles that will give the illusion of shiny glass. I took a trip to a craft store and purchased some clear faux gems and silver sequins. At home, I had silver glitter and ran to the kitchen for some heavy-duty aluminum foil. The foil can be cut into shiny circles or any other shape your child desires.

Step 5 – Begin to glue the shiny enhancements randomly on the shoe shape. Use glitter in between for sparkle.

Hang the Cinderella slipper craft in your child’s room to remind your princess/prince of this famous tale. This may be a good time to bring out the classic book or video and review the story together.

Photo courtesy of Tania Cowling, all rights reserved

Popsicle Sticks as an Outlet for Kid Fun

Popsicle sticks (aka craft sticks) can be used for crafts and games. Here are a few ideas I would like to share.

Did you know?

Eating a frozen Popsicle is still part of growing up in America just as it was in the past.  Frank Epperson, from California, invented and patented the “Epsicle” which later became the “Popsicle.”  In 1905, when Epperson was just 11 years old, he mixed some soda water powder to drink.  He accidentally left it overnight on the back porch with the stirring stick inside.  That night the temperature dropped to a record low causing this mixture to freeze.  Voila! The first “Epsicle!”  Today, the Popsicle is manufactured by the Good Humor-Breyers Ice Cream Company.  Popsicles come in a variety of fun shapes and flavors, now even offering natural juices and no-sugar-added Pops.  Not only have Popsicles been treats for our children, the famous wooden sticks are great resources for arts, crafts, games, and learning.

CRAFT STICKS AND CRAYONS (crayons & Popsicle sticks)—

Place Popsicle sticks, crayons and white paper on the table.  Invite the children to make designs on the paper by tracing around the sticks with their colorful crayons.  Teach your kids the art of overlapping.

POPSICLE FRAMES (Popsicle Sticks)—

Glue Popsicle sticks into shapes, such as squares and triangles.  You can even create a star by laying one triangle on top of another.  Glue the sticks together.  Trim a photograph to fit the inside of your frame and glue this to the back of the frame.  As a variation, you could glue a plain piece of heavy paper in place to be colored, painted, or decorated inside the frame.  This is an easy project to hang; just attach a loop of yarn or ribbon to the top.

PICK-UP STICKS (Popsicle Sticks)—

Use Popsicle sticks to play a game of pick-up sticks.  This is played just like pick-up sticks except that when your turn is finished you have to add your sticks to that of the person before you.  Let’s say Mom was able to pick up five sticks before she moved any of the others.  Then Bobby picked up three without moving the rest of the sticks.  Bobby would note that since Mom picked up five and he picked up three, then there are eight sticks picked up so far.  Therefore, five plus three equals eight.  If he gets it right, he gets Mom’s sticks.  If he gets it wrong, Mom gets her sticks. This makes the game an incentive to learn math facts.

Kids love to eat Popsicles - so save all those sticks for further fun!

You can also purchase a bag of sticks on AMAZON.

There are pre-colored sticks too! HERE

Photo courtesy of Tania Cowling, all rights reserved