Looking for Fun things to do with the kids?
Printable Pumpkin Carving Templates
Full Color Printable Game and Activity
What mom doesn't have the theme song form Phineas and Ferb stuck in her head? I think it was my daughter's first words! One day, she was toddling across the floor and the next, she was shouting, "Mom, Phineas and Ferb are making a title sequence!" Do what now? Well ever since then, I hum about 104 days of summer vacation.
Did you hear the news? "Mom! Phineas and Ferb are going on a live tour!” Join the Danville Tri-State Area Gang for a high-energy ride through their wildest invention yet in Disney’s Phineas and Ferb: The Best LIVE Tour Ever! The beloved characters from Disney Channel's animated series embark on a bold escape from the television screen to a live action adventure – right in your hometown! This exciting live stage production performs at BANKERS LIFE FIELDHOUSE in INDIANAPOLIS, NOVEMBER 4, 2012.
Are you kidding me? I get to hear the song live? I'm on it!
Did you know Phineas and Ferb was created by Emmy Award-winning Dan Povenmire ("Family Guy") and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh ("The Simpsons" and "Rocko's Modern Life"), this stand-out comedy series follows Phineas Flynn and his stepbrother, Ferb Fletcher, as they set out to optimize every day of their 104-day summer vacation, dreaming the impossible dream -- and then doing it, including building a rollercoaster or a beach in their own backyard.
Unbeknownst to them, their pet platypus Perry has a double life as suave secret Agent P, deftly battling the evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz to save the world. Meanwhile, older sister Candace is aghast at her brothers' antics and makes it her life's work to tattle on them to Mom and Dad, though somehow she can never seem to catch them red-handed.
Agent P we love you! Perry the Platypus pajamas, t-shirts, toys and the like fill our house. Perry, you are a hero around here. So much so, we've researched putting a pet platypus in our pond. When our cat comes up missing, well the little one knows we don't need to worry- he's off on spy duty.
Guess what! I have the honor of giving you the secret spy code to discount tickets for the Indy show:
~Kid’s 2-12 years old only $10 with the CODE: CHILD for 4pm & 7pm performances. Not valid on previously purchased tickets. Hurry, the secret offer ends Nov 3, 2012.
Bankers Life Fieldhouse (125 South Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis, IN 46204)
To order tickets by phone: 317-917-2727
Online: www.ticketmaster.com
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Safety Tips for Children in Early Childhood Education from ChildCare Education Institute
According to the CDC, Unintentional injuries—such as those caused by burns, drowning, falls, poisoning and road traffic—are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children in the United States. Each year, among those 0 to 19 years of age, more than 12,000 people die from unintentional injuries and more than 9.2 million are treated in emergency departments for nonfatal injuries. Read the CDC report on Childhood Injuries.
Safety Prevention in the Classroom
ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI,) the industry leader for online professional development, offers over 55+ safety courses for ECE teachers. These high-quality and research-based courses provide early childhood educators with operating procedures and best practices for keeping children safe on and off school grounds. I highly recommend all ECE professionals explore CCEI’s vast online course catalog and enroll to take their safety courses today!
- CCEI112A: Child Abuse: Signs of Abuse and Reporting Requirements for Early Childhood Professionals identifies and defines the major categories of child abuse, explains the responsibilities of mandated reporters, lists methods of reporting, and emphasizes the importance of visual checks.
- HLTH110: Protecting Infants: Reducing the Risk of SIDS and Shaken Baby Syndrome introduces the risk reducing and preventative strategies designed to keep infants safe.
- CCEI110A: Indoor Safety in the Early Childhood Setting introduces early childhood professionals to indoor safety standards in an early childhood setting. Topics covered include toy safety, poison control, the development of appropriate play space, controlling high traffic areas in the center, and other safety standards.
- HLTH104: Basic Health and Hygiene Practices for the Early Childhood Setting provides basic information everyone should know about preventing the spread of infectious diseases in the child care setting.
- CCEI119: Food Allergies in the Early Care Setting provides an overview of food allergies and basic food allergy safety principles to employ in the early care setting.
ChildCare Education Institute offers professionals 150+ online child care training courses (in English and Spanish) to meet licensing, recognition program and Head Start requirements. It’s the perfect online training for busy early childhood teachers. Read our review on CCEI here: Continuing Online Study for Early Childhood Education. I highly recommend you try these safety courses today from CCEI, so you can create a safe environment for your students. The courses are easy to digest and easy to apply to your daily schedules.
- Cots/cribs are placed 3 ft apart or have barrier and assigned to a specific child or cleaned and sanitized after each use
- Furniture and equipment is in good repair (check for broken toys, accessories, wrinkled/disrepair rugs/carpet.)
- All chemicals are locked/out of reach of children.
- All entrances/exits are kept clear of clutter, snow, ice, etc.
- Tables and chairs are not stacked while children are present.
Looking for fun ideas and activities for preschoolers? Check out our Preschool Scavenger Hunt Group on Pinterest.
Essential Crafting Skills That Every Child Should Learn
Art and crafting activities have positive mental and physical benefits. Studies show that when children work together on craft projects, they build language skills as they create together, and more easily understand the perspective of others. Crafting also helps cultivate a child’s sense of achievement, building confidence and self-esteem through creation and experimentation.
In addition to learning important skills, supporting your child with creative outlets for free expression is good for their overall well being and health. Crafting is a wonderful way to relieve stress and offer space to learn to experiment and create. With a few simple supplies and an open mind, children will have a lot of fun while learning to enjoy crafting, all while developing a wide range of important skills. Here are some recommendations for teaching essential crafting skills to your children.
Junk Modeling
Open-ended art projects encourage the development of critical thinking skills. As a child makes a mental plan for what they want to make, they are building visual-spatial skills and exercising both right and left brain function. Designing models and sculpture helps children learn to evaluate shapes. An assortment of containers, wires, plastic, and random bits of household junk can be transformed into robots, toys, or mobiles. Provide glue and tape to help secure the pieces together, and paint and decorations for embellishing the model.
Help them turn a box into a pretend stove.
Sewing
Hand sewing tasks, like threading a needle or tying a knot, help improve hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. As noted by the Philly Art Center, the small muscles in a child’s fingers, wrists, and hands are strengthened through arts and crafts activities, which helps to make learning to write easier. Older children may enjoy designing costumes or simple bags. Providing a sewing machine for children is a creative and fulfilling way to encourage artistic expression. Math skills, including spatial reasoning, measurement taking, and shapes are skills that can be learned through pattern making and design. Offer to host a fashion show for children to share and reflect on their creations.
What are the Cognitive Benefits of Crafts?
Making A Collage
Teaching crafting skills like cutting with scissors and drawing encourages the development of fine motor muscles. Suggest a collage theme and set a table with an assortment of papers, magazines, fabrics, leftover crafting supplies, and glue. Children will also learn about dimension and composition, gaining concentration skills as they assemble materials to create their art. Encourage children as they create unstructured work, focusing on the process and exploring the creation of art rather than the end product.
String Art
Children who engage with creative activities exercise and develop a creative mindset, learning there can be many ways to complete a task. With yarn, flat top nails or pins, and a bit of scrap wood or cardboard, kids will build skills like measuring and the steps involved in creating geometric and linear art. Patience and imagination will be stretched as they figure out how to transfer their ideas to the surface. Older children can be challenged to make elaborate templates or intricate designs with parabolic curves and repeating patterns. Dr. Kerry Freeman (Head of Art & Design Education, Northern Illinois University) adds that when kids engage in crafting and art for expression and are given the ability to take risks, they are developing lifelong innovation skills that will contribute to their success academically and as adults.
Learning essential crafting skills has so many benefits for your child, contributing to both their physical and emotional development as they grow. Plan to engage your child with age-appropriate creative activities every week. Enjoy spending family time together to teach these essential crafting skills to your child, it’s a wonderful opportunity to bond and create memories.
Recommended:
Pick a Collage Project from this list
Benefits of Extra Curriculars for Kids with Disabilities ad Special Needs
PE Games for Elementary Homeschoolers
Fun PE Games for Kids: PE Activities Gym Exercise. |
Recycle Plastic Bottles for Lunch
Recycle Kid's Trash to Ease Mommy Woes. Hate Juice Packs? We're always looking for new ways to recycle plastic bottles. The juice pack mess really sparked this idea. How do you teach your kids to recycle? Enjoy!How do you teach your kids to recycle? |
Ways to Recycle Plastic Bottles
Here are 10 reasons to hate juice packs:1. Straw wrappers. Everywhere.
2. "Mommy, I can't get a straw in here!" (But they want to, try really hard, and squeeze juice everywhere.)
3. Little dots of juice turned dirt magnets on the carpet. Everywhere.
4. One box takes up a lot of fridge room and only lasts one day. Expensive, considering.
5. Pouches in landfills. Everywhere.
6. Half-full pouch tossed in trash because kids too lazy too squeeze out last drop.
7. "I don't like Kiwi Strawberry." "I don't like lemonade." "Wah!" (Complaints)
8. "Look, it's a volcano!" Everywhere.
9. Added sugar.
10. Instant Balloon toys, need I say more?
Solution:
Recycle mini-soda bottles, fill with healthy drinks of your choice or even Kool-aid. Saves money, the environment, and Mommy headaches.
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