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…]
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…]
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…]
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…]
Potty training can be a dreadful time for toddlers and parents. I’ve heard horror stories from friends and family about the awful process. Some parents warned me it could take months or years to get my son out of pull-ups and into underwear full time.
So, before I started the potty training process with my son, I did a lot of research on what to expect and how to prepare myself (and him). After endless reading and stressing, I came to the conclusion that no matter how many blogs I read, my process and my experience would be different because no child or family situation is the same. I just had to dive in, expect the worst, and hope for the best. [Read more…]
I first learned about sensory development when my son turned about 14 months old. This was right around the time when he started walking and getting into everything he wasn’t supposed to. His curiosity to touch, feel, and taste everything in sight prompted me to do a little research on this particular stage of his development. This is when I noticed the phrase “sensory play” became a common idea among mom bloggers, educators, and psychology blogs. It’s a phrase I think I’ve always heard but never really bothered to understand.
My 2 and-a-half-year-old son is at a very inquisitive age and thinks just about anything and everything is “so cool!” The “what’s that” stage started around 18 months and hasn’t let up. He’s not only into anything with wheels but also wants to know how things work. It’s amazing to see at such a young age the true wonder in his eyes. Looking for something to do and capture his attention, I was inspired by his favorite YouTuber, Blippi, to do a very basic science experiment. [Read more…]
To me, the holidays are about slowing down and taking time to enjoy friends and family. They’re also about cooking big meals, baking cookies, shopping, throwing on a jacket to play outside with the kids, and snuggling up with a warm blanket and hot cocoa. More than all of that, to me, the holidays are about giving. And [Read more…]
It’s back to school for kids across the country. While this may be an exciting time for most, it’s also stressful for many kids. Why? Because there are countless families who can’t afford the basics when it comes to the dreaded back to school supplies list. Many children aren’t equipped with the basics: backpacks, pens, pencils, paper, and binders. According to Adopt a Classroom.org, K-12 teachers spend [Read more…]
