Sustainable & Creative Living
If you’re like me and most of the women I know, you’ve got a lot going on all the time! With so much going on, it isn’t always easy to focus on the task at hand, even with the best of intentions. Because of this, I’m always looking for tips and tricks to help me be more focused and, in turn, more productive. These 5 ways to increase the power of focus are simple practices that have helped me sharpen this skill.
Learning to recognize sequences and patterns is an important part of beginning math skills. Even the simplest form of patterning can help a child learn and develop the skills they will need to master math concepts like times tables and addition. There are many ways to help your preschooler develop these skills without spending a lot of money. One of mine and my son’s favorite ways to practice learning sequences and patterns is with [Read more…]
A recent conversation with one of my closest girlfriends (my son’s Godmother) prompted me to finally write a review on a behavior and discipline book that I read almost 2 years ago. 1-2-3 Magic by Thomas W. Phelan, PhD is an easy to read book about effective discipline for children 2-12 years old. I tell every mom I know about how its healthy and effective methods of discipline have helped transform the way I deal with tantrums, bad habits, and defiance without all the [Read more…]
The Fizzing Rainbow Baking Soda Experiment is a fun and simple experiment for kids of all ages. It’s a great beginner science activity for preschool or Kindergarteners to learn about chemical reactions and colors.
What you will need for your Fizzing Rainbow Baking Soda Experiment is [Read more…]
My 3 and a half-year-old son LOVES cars! He loves all things that go including monster trucks, planes, buses, emergency vehicles and motorcycles. He likes to get his head down real close to the ground and watch the wheels move back and forth. He’s always asking what each feature in my car does. And he points out every car manufacturer while we’re driving. It’s amazing how much he knows about cars. So I decided to give him something fun to do while we’re in the car- this [Read more…]
Now that I’ve finished teaching my 3 year old son the alphabet (it took the whole latter part of last year), I’ve started the new year off with a lesson plan that covers a spectrum similar to a preschool classroom. Being that I still bring J to work with me everyday, I do my very best to stick to a lesson plan that I outline each Sunday night. It covers writing/spelling/reading, math, science, logic/thinking, and my two flex subjects- fine motor skills and [Read more…]
Sensory bins are a great way to help children explore, develop, and stimulate the 5 main senses. When a child plays with a sensory bin, they are able to touch, feel, and even talk about the different materials they are discovering. Sensory bins can help develop and improve focus and concentration skills in a way that is far superior to average plastic toy play. While playing with sensory bins your child can also learn to [Read more…]
Easy science experiments are a fun way to get your child interested in learning. They don’t have to be too detailed with a lot of steps, just a lot of fun. Actually, in my opinion, the fewer steps the better when trying to entertain a toddler. During letter O week of my alphabet lesson plan, we made Foaming Orange Volcanos with just an orange, some baking soda, and little bit of vinegar. [Read more…]
The past few months I’ve been teaching my 3-year-old the alphabet. During the letter N week, we worked on numbers, specifically on how to call 911 in case of an emergency.
If your child has a clear understanding of numbers and letters, they’re probably at the perfect age to start learning what to do in the event of an emergency. In conjunction with learning how to call 911—on my smartphone—I’m also teaching little J how to call Mommy or Daddy in case of an emergency. [Read more…]
If you’re looking for some fun-filled crafts and activities for teaching your toddler the letter B, check out some of my ideas below in this Letter B Lesson Plan for preschoolers. I use the letter of week strategy to help teach my son the alphabet. Each day I follow a letter specific lesson plan, which you can print for free, and incorporate sensory and fine motor play to engage his senses. So far, it has been going great and little by little he gets more excited to learn his letters.
Reading, crafts, sensory, and fine motor play are all great ways to engage a toddler or preschooler when teaching the alphabet. [Read more…]