Get Ready to Ring in the New Year With EarthCam

I was sent media information about this webcam that will allow your children to view ringing in the New Year 2017 at Times Square, New York on any media device. I thought I would pass this information along to you. What a neat teachable moment!

Older children can experience the stroke of midnight and ringing in the New Year as they say "Happy New Year" via the Internet with EarthCam (a live 4K webcast). You can use this streaming on your computer or other devices. Here is what kids had to say about this product.

“A lot of us like to see the ball drop at 12:00 a.m. on the New Year’s Eve holiday but say you can’t go?  Even if you are just plain lazy you can sit at home and watch the ball drop – using EarthCam!” – Sasha, age 10

“People should watch EarthCam on New Year’s because, one it is awesome.  Two, because you can watch a lot of live places.” – Kendra, 7

“People should watch EarthCam because it is fun to watch and you can watch it on something different than regular TV.  You can watch it in different places.  I think it might be nice because you can watch it on your phone if you don’t have a TV.  This is why you should watch the ball drop on EarthCam.” – Dylan, 7

And it's not just for New Year's Eve! Think about geography lessons visiting other cities and countries via a live web camera.

ABOUT EARTHCAM
EarthCam is the global leader in delivering webcam content, technology and services. Founded in 1996, EarthCam provides live streaming video and time-lapse construction cameras for corporate, tourism and government clients in major cities around the world. EarthCam's revolutionary gigapixel camera systems deliver superior billion pixel clarity for monitoring and archiving the world's most important projects and events. EarthCam's all-weather webcams, innovative software and mobile applications enable users to showcase unique views, increase exposure and generate positive public relations.

The Webby and Telly Award winning company hosts many highly trafficked tourism cams, with views of popular locations and landmarks such as Times Square, World Trade Center, Las Vegas Strip, Bourbon Street, Eiffel Tower, Andy Warhol’s gravesite, Hollywood Boulevard, Miami Beach, Atlantis the Palm Dubai, Petra in Jordan and Abbey Road Crossing in London.

So, check out this link and enjoy the festivities.

This media is “Courtesy of EarthCam”  along with their photo.

Check Out These Sneakers With Pizazz

What do you buy a kid or parent who has everything? Why not some sneakers that can get a party started with colorful bright lights? Yes, that's right! These plain black sneakers have LED lights in the midsole that can be the hit of a party or any outing.

Yvolution has just presented their NEON KYX sneakers just in time for holiday buying!

These shoes are available in kid sizes 10 - 6, men's sizes 5 -12, and women's sizes 4 -12. Inside the tongue of the shoe is a cable switch where you can choose between 7 different colors and 4 cool settings (pulse, flicker, strobe, and gradual morphing). Can you believe that your sneakers can be set to match your mood or outfit?

These sneakers (in black, white, or red) are perfect for fun at home or out on-the-town depending on the age of the person wearing them. Set them in Christmas colors or your school's colors. They are so cool --- even this grandmother is wearing these "hot" looking shoes to make a serious fashion statement. I can't wait to wear them to my Christmas Eve Party.

The shoes include a USB charging cable so the lights never go out!

They can be found nationwide at Toys "R" Us. Retail price is between $69.99 ad $74.99.

I'll leave you while I'm dancing in my shoes. Until next time.
Happy Parenting,

Tania :)

Note: The manufacture company provided me a sample pair of these shoes.  I was not paid for this review and statements are my own opinion.

Photos by Tania Cowling, all rights reserved

Canvas Print Offer

Hey everybody!

I hope you are doing fine.   I'm very happy to present you this awesome deal! I just got a free 12x8" canvas print and I am allowed to share this with you!

FREE 12x8 Canvas Print! - All you need to do is to click the website link  http://www.canvasonsale.com/congrats/, upload your favorite picture, choose 12x8" canvas and enter the voucher code from the website in the basket Keep it  for yourself or present it to your loved ones.

Once you have ordered your free canvas you can share this with your friends anywhere in the web, so they also get a free canvas print. FREE 12x8 Canvas Print! The AMAZING FREE CANVAS FOR AMERICA CAMPAIGN.  All you need to do is to click the website link  http://www.canvasonsale.com/congrats/

Hot Toys for Kids for the 2016 Holiday Season

Are you looking for some entertaining toys for your child? Here are a few from VTech to check out for the 2016 holiday season.

For toys to be awesome hits for kids and parents alike, they must be fun to play with right out of the box, but also having staying power to last as well. It's also important for toys to educate, entertain, and hold a child's attention for a good length of time. Most of this year's toys will also appeal to adults, so join in on the fun and enrich your child's playtime. Here are a few to consider.

Go! Go! Smart Wheels Blast–Off Space Station – Little astronauts will love helping the rocket lift off from the launch pad for an outer space adventure. They can maneuver down the space ramp, spin the galaxy or even pretend to tumble through a black hole. Zooming past five SmartPoint locations will enable the kids to hear fun phrases, music, and more, including learning about the letter “R” and hearing sing-a-long songs. This playset helps to strengthen a child’s motor skills and teach cause-and-effect. This toy is geared for ages 1-5 and sells at retail for $34.99.

Bizzy the Mix & Move Bot – Children can get creative as they build their own robot with this toy. It has 10 different accessories that enable the kiddos to make and role-play with a different robot every time they play. Along with the various robot experiences Bizzy has 10 melodies and sound effects to share. This toy is age-appropriate for kids from 2-5 and retails for $24.99.

Care for Me Learning Carrier – This interactive pet carrier lets young children take their plush pet anywhere. As you put the furry puppy inside the carrier, the child will hear playful phrases when opening and closing the door. Then, press the light-up buttons to learn about colors, shapes, pet care, and more. This set also includes four pet care accessories so toddlers can groom, feed, and play with the cuddly puppy. This toy is perfect for children ages 9-36 months and retails for $24.99.

Go! Go! Smart Friends Secret Blossom Cottage – Who’s ready for a tea party inside this cute cottage? As your child explores the cottage, Sunny the Garden Fairy reveals her personality with motion and lights. The cottage also features a twirling fountain, spinning gears, and has a carrying handle for fun on the go. For ages 1-5 retailing at $24.99.

Remember all the Go! Go! sets have extra characters that you can interchange with all the other playsets by VTech. You can purchase these characters separately too.

You can find a large variety of VTech toys online here.

Purchase toys on Amazon or at your local toy stores.

What a fun year for the toy industry and for the entertainment of your children. Take time to enjoy your children's company and play with them. You'll be directing their development and absorb the thrill and amusement in their playtime activities.

Happy Parenting and Enjoy Your Holidays,

Tania  :)

Note: These toys were provided by the manufacturer for review, however I was not paid for this blog post. These are my own opinions.

Photos by Tania Cowling, all rights reserved 

Skating and Exercising: What Fun!

You see them everywhere - parents and kids playing ball in a park, mothers with infants in jogging strollers loping through neighborhoods and kiddos on bikes or "blades" heading down the sidewalks. Getting fit doesn't have to mean time away from your child. In fact, being active with your kids teaches them to make exercise a lifelong habit.

Here are some fun ideas to share with your children:

Moving to the music can be a fun indoor/outdoor sport. Put on some lively music and create ideas for activities such as "pretend to be a bird hopping around and building a nest", "blowing like the wind as if you were a kite (carry a scarf and let it billow) or "pretend you are a professional dancer and put on a show." Anything is fun to do with music playing in the background.

Skating is an all-time favorite for kids and adults alike. Bring out the shoe skates or even better yet, these new fit on the shoe NEON Street Rollers from Yvolution. New to the market are adjustable heel skates that easily fit you’re your child’s shoes and feature innovative wheel technology with bright light-up LEDs in pink, blue or green, which glow with each turn of the wheel, no batteries needed. Kids are able to control how fast they ride and simply put their foot down to stop, very easy to master this technique. NEON Street Rollers are recommended for ages six and up, with a maximum weight of 132 pounds. Buy these skates online or your local retailer. Think about skates as a holiday gift. Your kids will love them. 

Let the ball call the shots. Blow up a small plastic beach ball and write movement ideas (with stick figures) on the sections with a black permanent marker. Throw the ball to each other. Have the kids read the action by looking under their right hand when catching the ball and doing the motion marked. Agree upon the number of times to do each action.

Make exercising an incentive by changing the "challenges" daily. Children will be eager to see what's posted on the family bulletin board (say in the kitchen) and to be more interested in exercising. You may wish to let the kids make fitness necklaces or bracelets to be punched with a hole punch when a certain activity is completed. Use this idea to accumulate points for a special prize or treat.

NEON Street Rollers – information and sample from the manufacturer. I was not compensated for this review.

Until my next post.

Happy Parenting,

Tania :) 

Gift Guide: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Are Still a Hit With the Kids

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) are still a hit this season thanks to Nickelodeon’s TV show and the comeback of these characters in their recent movie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.  Why not invite your children to engage in pretend play with these toys offered by Playmates Toys?

Action Figures and Vehicles

The collection of action figures (see picture) inspired by the film includes Basic Action Figures, 6-inch Battle Sounds Figures and 11-inch Action Figures. In addition to being highly detailed, fully poseable and uniquely sculpted to capture the personalities and distinctive appearance of the Turtles, allies and villains in the movie, each figure comes equipped with its own unique accessories.

The 5-inch Basic Action Figures include the four Ninja Turtles--Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo--as well as Stealth Leonardo, Pirate Michelangelo, Wingsuit Raphael, April O’Neil, Bebop, Rocksteady, Casey Jones, Foot Soldier, Kraang, Splinter and Shredder. Other action figure assortments include the 11-inch Action Figures and the 6-inch Battle Sounds Figures, which feature a button on the figure’s backpack that triggers up to ten sounds and phrases from the movie. Both assortments include the four Ninja Turtles, as well as Bebop and Rocksteady.

As seen in the movie, the “Turtle Tactical Truck” is full of awesome foot fighting gear including giant nunchucks that can be deployed as the vehicle rolls, a capture net and ninja stars that can be launched to give the Turtles an edge during battle. The truck also features a working forklift and is designed to hold all four Ninja Turtles.

Playsets

New this season is the Half-Shell Headquarters Playset. It’s specifically designed for preschoolers with four levels of Ninja Turtle fun.

The transforming playset unfolds to reveal new play areas, including street level trap doors that lead to different areas of the Ninja Turtles' lair, a slide in each hand including one that's a manhole-popping secret entrance, and the playset's foot turns into a jail cell!

With this many transformations, twists and turns, kids can either guide the Turtles to safety or send Shredder and his gang right to jail! This set includes Raphael and Bebop 2.5" action figures (compatible with most Half Shell Heroes action figures). This toy is recommended for ages 3 and up. 

Standing over 40-inches tall, the “City Sewer Lair Playset” is packed with Turtle action, including an oven-styled pizza disc launcher, water slide entrance that is seen in the movie and more.  With over 15 features and multi-levels to play, kids can recreate the entire Turtles’ best battles from the movie in play areas including Splinter’s mediation area and Raphael’s gym.

Another New Toy

Another new toy for the younger set is Talk-to-Me Mikey. The children can have hours of fun conversing, singing and playing games with Michelangelo, the most fun-loving and energetic of all the Turtles.  As one of the most intelligent Turtle toys ever, Talk-to-Me Mikey recognizes when a child asks any of a list of 10 questions and responds in over 100 unique ways. The highly interactive Turtle features movement and position sensors to react hilariously based on how a child moves Mikey (shake or spin him!).

These are just a few of the variety of TMNT items that Playmates Toys has to offer for your child’s entertainment this season. Search your local toy stores for these toys or online at:

Check out their website  

Amazon

Until my next post,

Happy Parenting,

Tania  :)

Note: – Information and samples are from the manufacturer. I was not compensated for this review.

Holiday Gift Guide 2016: Crafting With Kids and More

Indoor craft projects are never more welcome than during the winter – those times when it gets too dark for outdoor play, or too cold to even be outdoors. Making crafts together is a wonderful bonding experience and today there are craft kits that make creative time fun and easy. Everything you need is inside a packaged kit.

For the holidays, I suggest getting your children art and craft sets to foster their inner creative abilities. Here are a few ideas from Alex Brands. This company makes really exciting and engaging kits for kids of all ages. And, I love that most of their products are under $25 – so helpful for parents during the holidays.

Who remembers Shrinky Dinks? You know how you colored plastic pieces and then baked them in the oven to shrink and get hard. Well, Alex Brands has brought this concept back in an array of art kits.

Shrinky Dinks 3D Flower Jewelry – Color and shrink your flowers to make bracelets, necklaces, and earrings. This kit includes 38 precut and preprinted Shrinky Dinks, the chains, seed beads, elastic thread, beading needles, earring studs, colored pencils, and easy instructions.  This kit is recommended for kids ages 8 and up. Retails at $22.50.

Shrinky Dinks 3D Butterfly Lights – Here you color and bake the Shrinky Dinks and then thread them onto a battery-operated strand of lights. This kit contains 12 precut and printed Skrinky Dinks, a 10 LED light string, 8 colored pencils, and instructions. Also recommended for kids ages 8 and up. Retails for $24.00.

Shrinky Dinks Statement Jewelry – Here you color, bake and shrink plastic jewels to create your own unique jewelry. Make a necklace and matching earrings along with a ring. This kit includes 12 preprinted and cut Shrinky Dinks, 6 colored pencils, earring hooks, jump rings, chain bracelets and lots of gems. Instructions are included for this kit costing $10.50. Age appropriate for 6 and up.

Along with the Shrinky Dink kits, the children can engage in beauty with colorful fingernail kits.

The Alex Toys Fab Foil Nail Roller allows the girls to put sparkly color on their nails without a brush. Roll on the color; add pretty stickers and then brush on a clear topcoat. For $20.00 you will receive 30 foil strips, two sheets of stickers and a bottle of clear nail polish. This beauty kit is recommended for ages 8 and up.

Alex Toys Color Shift Ombre Nails allows your nail polish to change color as your body temperature changes. How cool is that? This kit includes four bottles of nail polish, 50 mini stickers and easy instructions for an awesome manicure. Also, for kids ages 8 and up and retails for $10.00 a kit.

Other than glamour, Alex Brands has other craft kits. Why not color and create your own umbrella? How about making small toys come to life wearing 3D glasses? Kids will also love to play with Air Warriors darts and blasters. Some that even launch and can be seen in the dark.

And, let’s not forget about the Original Slinky – a toy made in America 70 years ago.  I remember playing with a Slinky, letting it slither down my house steps. What fun for $5.50. Any child aged 5 and up will love to play with this classic toy.  

So check out toys from Alex Brands next time you visit your local toy store or shop online:

Alex Brands

Amazon

Until my next review.
Happy Parenting,
Tania :)

Note: – Information and samples are from the manufacturer. I was not compensated for this review.

5 Halloween YouTube Songs to Sing

Happy Halloween! It's time to sing some festive songs together. Below are some YouTube songs that you can share with the children.

Five Little Pumpkins Sitting on the Gate

10 Little Monsters

The Halloween Song

Witches' Brew

Shake Dem Halloween Bones


Hope you enjoy these video/songs.

Have a fun and safe Halloween. See you next week.

Tania

Olivia's Garden -- New Book Release for Children

Beautifully written by Diane Seufert Tait, Olivia’s Garden fuses factual information about plants and the natural world with a lovable cast comprising humans, plants, insects, and a faerie. Harking back to that magical bygone era of true children’s storybooks, Tait’s creation will stir the boundless imaginations of young readers while inspiring them to get out and embrace the natural world around them. Okay…over to Grandmother Sage and her wisdom!

Synopsis:

In Olivia's Garden, an intuitive gardener meets a bold little faerie during an emergency in the magical garden they both tend. Written in three chapters with an easy-to-read font. Sounds wonderful read aloud by an adult and will be a fun read for an older child.

Characters are human, plant, animal, and faerie. Although all the details about the garden and the animals and plants in it are factual and true to life, the use of plants as actual characters, such as Grandmother Sage and Cally Calendula; Mira the cat; and Olivia, the ever-present faerie, make this a delightful book both fanciful and accurate. It gently teaches children about a garden, herbs, and all the inhabitants of such a place, while engaging their imaginations in the possible interactions of the characters.

There is an exciting crisis near the end with a surprising result that should please every reader. Grandmother Sage has the last word and deftly leaves the door open to the possibility of a sequel.

“The whole goal of the book is to make children sit up and realize that the natural world contains limitless opportunities for exploration, empowerment, and discovery,” explains the author, a self-confessed passionate gardener keen on helping today’s young generation find their own green fingers. “To that end, the story and stunning illustrations are complemented by an expansive glossary that reprints and names the individual herbs throughout the book, with child-friendly information and the page number where they can find it within the story.”

Continuing, “I hope the book makes its way into homes and schools across the country, so children will be encouraged to get their fingers dirty and explore everything from their own backyards to city parks and beyond.”

But of course, to grab the often short attention of young readers, Tait knew her characters had to be more than unconventional.

“I decided to do something extremely rare; to have the story play out through the lives of plant characters so children can learn how they interact with each other and the natural world around them. I also hope I can prove to children, once and for all, that faeries do exist…at least in our imaginations, anyway!”

About the Author:

Diane Seufert Tait enjoyed a 40-year career as a classical violinist, most recently as assistant concertmaster of the Canadian Opera Company orchestra. Diane became a Registered Herbalist with the Ontario Herbalists Association in 1997. In 2012 she published her first book, Letters from Italy,still available as an ebook at Amazon, or in paperback from the author at dianeseuf@rogers.com or www.greenwoodpress.ca.

This book is available in soft cover and a Kindle edition you can purchase here.

Note: This review is via a press release and book was provided gratis.

Coming Soon: Holidays and Celebrations in September

If you're always looking for new ways to liven up the day or week, think about unofficial holidays and celebrations along with the major ones. Here you can engage your children in fun projects and creative learning activities, helping them learn about special days that tie ideas and concepts together. Who knew that almost every day of the year has some significant fact to it? Other than going back to school, September is not one of the most exciting months of the year, but I bet I can come up with some fun days for the kids to celebrate. Here are a few of my favorite days and activities to enhance them.

Labor Day falls on the first Monday in September. It originally was a time to honor those who work and to give them a day of rest. Yes, it still is, but also the last holiday of summer and many families plan picnics or other outdoor outings. This is also a great time to teach your children about the community helpers in your neighborhood that are important in many ways. At home, make a Labor Day collage together. Set out a variety of magazines. Let the children look through them and tear or cut pictures of people at work. Think about truck drivers, people who wash dishes, a singer on stage along with the occupations we normally think of such as doctors, police officers and school teachers. At the top of the paper, write "People Who Work" and let the kids glue on the pictures. Take time to discuss working and occupations during this official holiday.

National Grandparent's Day is celebrated on the first Sunday following Labor Day. This is a special day to express love and appreciation for grandparents by giving cards and presents (especially homemade ones) and holding family gatherings. Talk about the roles that grandparents play in your child's life and the special times they have spent together. Making decorated bookmarks is always a nice craft and gift the kids can make for this occasion. Bring out the art materials and invite the children to create one for each grandparent. Make sure to have them dip their thumbs into paint and print thumbprints on the front or back of the bookmark. Have the kids write "To Thumb-body Special" on this project.

Remember September 11, 2001, when the fatal terrorist attacks of the Twin Towers in New York City happened. Take time to reflect what happened and how this has made our nation stronger as we fight the war on terrorism. Do something patriotic on this day, like making American flags together. Younger children can make "stars and stripes" collages by cutting strips of red, white and blue construction paper and gluing them randomly onto a base paper. Provide sticker stars to adhere anywhere on the page. Hang these on the walls as decorations of our patriotic spirit as Americans.

How about a pickle celebration? Snack-a pickle time is the last ten days in September. So choose a day to pay tribute to the almighty pickle - the world's most humorous vegetable. This is a good time to recite the "Peter Piper" tongue twister rhyme and have fun seeing if your kids can repeat it after you. Younger kids may enjoy making green pickle puppets from construction paper glued onto craft sticks. Add whimsical facial features and name the puppets such as Polly Pickle, Pickle Man and so on. You can even make up stories about the adventures of the pickle people.

Let the last full week of September go to the dogs as you and the kids celebrate Dog Week. If you have a pet dog, pamper it! Let the kids make some homemade toys for your dog. Kids can even make paper dog tags for themselves. Let them choose a dog name and decorate a bone-shape tag from poster board. Punch holes and attach a yarn necklace for the kids to wear. Read dog books, sing some dog songs like "BINGO" and "How much is that doggie in the window?"

There are so many other fun and wacky days to celebrate this month, such as Teddy Bear Day, Chocolate Milk Shake Day, National Play Doh Day and many more. Find more fun celebrations here. 

Until we meet again -- Happy Parenting!
Tania :)

Photos courtesy of Bing Images and Wikimedia Commons

The Color Yellow

Am I too late? Well, we still have those last few days of summer. There's time to enjoy some of the symbols of summer with these "yellow" activities.

Enjoy and Happy Parenting,
Tania :)

Yellow is a color synonymous of summer. It reminds many of the big, bright sun shining above, giving warmth and sending children outside to play. Yellow is the color of sunflowers so vivid and lemonade so yummy. Explore the color yellow as your children participate in these (late) summer activities.

Mr. Sun

Cut sun shapes from yellow construction paper and hide them around a room or outdoors in the yard. Have the children go on a "sun search" to find as many sun shapes as they can. Continue to search until all the suns have been found.

After the search, set up a table with crayons, markers, sequins, faux jewels or anything that shines and dazzles. The children can decorate; gluing these materials to the sun shapes they found.

Loads of Lemons

Printing-

Cut lemons in half. Place a few folded paper towels in a shallow pan to make a pad. Pour yellow tempera paint on top. Add a few drops of lemon extract (found in the spice section of your local grocery store). Have the children dip the lemon into the paint and press down onto a sheet of paper to make prints. A dark sheet of construction paper would be a great contrast to the bright yellow prints. Smell the lemon scent!!

Make Lemonade-

Exercise the hands as you and your children squeeze lemons together. The reward is a thirst quenching drink that's sure to please any child on a hot summer day!

You'll need:

1 part fresh lemon juice

1 part sugar

5 parts water

Serving pitcher

Ice

What to do:

Show children how to squeeze lemons. Encourage them to try on their own.

Take a taste of this juice; is it sweet or sour?

Invite children to mix all the ingredients in a pitcher and stir well.

Pour the drink into cups of ice.

Questions to ask about this experience: "What color is lemonade? What fruit gives us the juice? How does lemonade taste? Sweet? Sour? Are there other fruits we could squeeze to get their juice?"

Make Sunflowers

Have each child paint a small paper plate yellow (mix a small amount of white school glue in the paint). Lay pieces of yellow tissue paper in the wet paint (to give it a petal appearance). When this process is dried, give the children sunflower seeds to glue in the center of the plate. Staple two giant green construction paper leaves at the bottom. These flowers make great summer decorations!

Teaching colors does not have to be about worksheets and printed pages. Since play is a child's learning tool, use fun activities and projects to embed these skills into a child's mind for life.

Photo courtesy of morgue file 

Colors All Around Us

Dear Friends,

As we prepare our preschoolers for "Back to School" let's review colors this week. There are colors all around us and using these activities will teach our children to recognize and appreciate the beautiful hues we have close by. Check out these projects and if you enjoy them, please share this page with a friend.

Until next week,

Happy Parenting :)

Colors make our world beautiful in many ways, through nature, food, clothing, crayons—the list is endless. It’s important to emphasize colors in our daily lives as they stimulate a child’s imagination and delight their sense of sight.

There are plenty of activities designed to help children become aware of the many colors that surround them. Here are a few ways to teach colors to children:

• Use the seasons to help teach your child about colors—green in spring, white in winter, orange in fall, blue in summer and so on. Make drawings emphasizing the colors of each season.

• The use of toy blocks, cards, paints, and crayons can help your child develop color skills and learn to name them.

• Talk a walk outdoors (or even in the house) and look for a particular color. Say blue for example, and then ask if a toy is blue, or is the car parked out front blue?

• Choose a day of the week and make it “color day”. Make projects, wear clothing, cook foods and read books about that color.

• Hot glue crayons to a strip of tag board. Then provide a second set of crayons and invite the children to match the colors.  

                                                             

• Read a good book involving colors. Some favorites are:

          The Mixed-up Chameleon by Eric Carle

          Colors (Slide ‘n Seek) by Chuck Murphy

          Colors (Children’s Collection Board Books) by Anne Geddes

Color Match—

Pick up free paint chip cards from your local paint store. Choose cards in shades of red, yellow and blue. At home, cut each rectangular chip apart. Spread these across the table and have the children match each hue.

Paint and Sniff—

When painting a picture with poster paints, add a few drops of baking extracts to give these paints a flavor (scent). Painting with scents is a fun and sensory experience for children!

Strawberry Extract = Red

Lemon Extract = Yellow

Peppermint Extract = Green

Orange Extract = Orange

Chocolate Extract = Brown

Anise (Licorice) Extract = Black

Color Wands—

Dance to the beat of music waving colorful streamers in the air. Use toilet or paper towel tubes for the wands. The children can paint the cardboard tubes and then enhance them with crayons, markers or stickers. Next, attach crepe paper streamers to the wand with a stapler. For a variation, add ribbons and/or colorful strips of cloth.

Color Hokey-Pokey—

Have colored circle stickers in four colors. These are easily found in office or craft stores. Every child gets a sticker on each hand and each foot (having one of each color on each body part). Play Color Hokey-Pokey by singing, “Put your blue dot in, put your blue dot out, put your blue dot in and shake it all about. You do the Color Pokey and you turn yourself around. That’s what it’s all about. BLUE!” Continue playing with the other colors.

NOTE: This article has been published in several regional parenting magazines across the country, including Parent Guide News and Metro Parent (SE Michigan).

Photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons   
Crayon photo by Tania Cowling, all rights reserved

Plan a Trip to the Zoo: Little Trips Educate

Nice weather, family outings and the zoo go hand-in-hand for a day of fun. Millions of people visit zoos annually, making it one of the most popular attractions to view and usually more economical than theme parks these days. What better way to spend a special time together than at the zoo? Here are a few ideas to get the kids pumped up with enhancement activities before, during and after the trip. You will be teaching the kids many valuable concepts that will enrich their visit.

Before the zoo, choose a date but don't tell the kids until a week before the outing. Young children have a hard time anticipating an excursion for a long time. Put a picture of a zoo animal on your calendar and let the children mark off the days as they pass. Or, make a loop chain from construction paper and allow the kids to remove one link each day until the chain is gone; this is your special event day!

During this waiting time, take your children to the library and look up zoo animal books to check out and read. As you look through these books, learn the names of the animals and brainstorm to raise questions about them to discuss and answer on the trip. Write down a list of these questions, so the kids won't forget them on the big day. If you have some old magazines, let young children cut out pictures of zoo animals and glue these onto index cards. Take these homemade flashcards along with you and try to find the real animals.

On the way to the zoo, try changing the words and make sounds to this traditional song. As you sing, "Old McDonald Had a Zoo", this will get the children ready for the menagerie of animals they will see. As you stroll around the premises, talk about the names of the animals, how they live, the sounds they make, how they smell, what they eat and what they look like (sizes, colors, fur and faces). Take out your list of questions from home and see if together you can answer them. Let your children ask the zookeepers any questions you can't answer. And of course, take loads of pictures of your children's favorite animals and of your excursion together.

At the zoo, make sure to visit the zoo's petting area and let the kids pet and feed the animals. By afternoon, animals pretty much have a full belly and shouldn't be too aggressive. However, it's best to check with the zoo staff before allowing your children to enter this area.

If your zoo has a train, monorail or bus, take a ride around the premises to relax before you drive home. This experience is fun and the kids can rediscover the experiences of the day.

After the zoo, use some fun zoo play extenders at home to remind the little ones of their recent visit. Bring out the stuffed animals and boxes and invite the kids to play zookeeper. Pretend to feed, clean and care for the animals in your play zoo. Put the animals into groups of various sizes; this teaches pre-math concepts. Let the children rename their animals using alphabet letters that go with the animal's type. For example, you may have Ellie Elephant or Kristin Kangaroo at your home.

When your photos have been downloaded, make copies for the children to create zoo booklets. They can glue pictures on sheets of construction paper and dictate or write a little story about each animal.