Sustainable & Creative Living
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…]
It’s a new year and that means it’s also back to the grindstone, as mom always says. With Christmas and New Years, it feels like months since I’ve been on a normal schedule with J. The past 6 months I’ve been consumed with letter of the week crafts and activities, finishing letter z the week before Christmas. We took the next 2 weeks off but we’re back at it and coming in strong this new year with phone number practice. This is what you need to know about [Read more…]
If you’ve read some of my recent posts, you know I’ve been kind of obsessed with sensory bins and fine motor development games. Both are great ways to help children explore and stimulate the 5 main senses. At the same time, they can help develop the skills needed to learn how to use [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…]
It’s almost that dreaded time of year for parents….Daylight Savings! You know spring is officially here when moods are crazy, schedules are off, and kids are not going to bed or waking up on time! Ahh, the sweet taste of daylight savings. [Read more…]
My son just turned 3 recently and I’m really starting to see this amazing personality shine through his tiny little body. He’s so lovable and outgoing—he’s the kid in Target that says hi to every single stranger that passes by. And he won’t stop saying hi until you respond! He’s also inquisitive—asking about a million questions a day about everything he sees, hears, or touches. Right now, he’s really into bugs! Most of the time, when he comes across a new insect that he’s never seen, his first reaction is, “Mommy look, it’s so cute.” Followed by “What is it?” “Can I hold it”? “Is it slimy”? And “I love it!” [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…]
About 2 months ago I started teaching my 2 (almost 3) year old son the alphabet. At first, I thought singing the alphabet song over and over would get him interested but that was a big fail. Every time I’d start to sing he would say, “stop mommy, stop singing!” Ultimately, I decided on a different approach— the letter of week strategy.
Starting with the letters in his name, each week I concentrate on [Read more…]
Right now I’m teaching my almost 3-year-old the alphabet. Each week we concentrate on a new letter while introducing letter specific flashcards, crafts, worksheets, books, sensory, and fine motor play. I made this easy DIY Felt Magnetic Fishing Game the week my son was learning the letter F. It’s a simple game for kids that help encourage the development of fine motor skills. This catch and release game can be played with again and again while helping your preschooler develop hand-eye coordination. [Read more…]
For the past 15 years, our little family, along with my husband’s large side of the family, has been gathering on the white sandy beaches of Captiva Island for our summer ritual of fun and relaxation. One week spent in the same time share, for over thirty years, first began with my husband, his brother and sister, and his parents. A once small, but traditional family vacation, has now turned into a great gathering of friends and family where we share food, wine, laughs, game nights, ice cream, burgers, and more wine. [Read more…]
When I first started thinking about teaching my 2 and-half-year-old son the alphabet, I thought the easiest approach would be to just sing the ABC song over and over and he’d eventually catch on. Wrong. He couldn’t even stand to hear me sing the ABC song let alone sing it over and over again. I’d get about 5 letters in and I’d hear my sweet boy say, “Mommy stop, stop singing!” Ugh! After being thoroughly offended for about 2 minutes, I had to think of a different approach. I decided to try using the Letter of the Week strategy and after about 4 weeks he was hooked on letters and singing his ABC’s anywhere and everywhere! My favorite is when he sings at the top of his lungs while we’re in the stall of a public restroom…it makes my heart smile every time! [Read more…]
