March 2011

Checking in…

Thumbnail image for Checking in…

Hi, friends! Just wanted to stop by and tell you that things will be quiet here on the blog this week. My Dad is in the hospital dealing with some heart issues and a surgery in a few days. We are keeping his spirits up and thinking healing thoughts. Our dreary, rainy weather is also [...]

Continue reading →

Playful Picks (March 14, 2011)

Quote of the Week We have all a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be. {Jane Austen} Fun Activities & Projects Jack and the Beanstalk Math Ideas :: Fairy Dust Teaching St. Patty’s Day Treasure Hunt :: Momtastic Playing Library :: Childhood 101 Tissue Paper Butterflies [...]

Continue reading →

Happy is…

Thumbnail image for Happy is…

Happy is morning reading marathons with a warm drink. We said goodbye to cable/satellite TV and couldn’t be happier with our decision. Happy is watching Natalie make air-dry clay fossils and set-up a guessing game for Dad when he came home from work. Happy is late-winter snow play at Grammy & Grampy’s house. Happy is [...]

Continue reading →

Playful Picks (March 7, 2011)

Quote of the Week If at first, the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it. {Albert Einstein} Fun Activities & Projects St. Patrick’s Day Countdown :: Little Wonders’ Days Healthy St. Patrick’s Day Snacks for Kids :: My Delicious Ambiguity Weather Sensory Tub and St. Patrick’s Day Sensory Tub :: Counting [...]

Continue reading →

Read & Play: It Looked Like Spilt Milk

Thumbnail image for Read & Play: It Looked Like Spilt Milk

My girls get so excited when we have a “puffy-cloud” day, because those are the best days for finding cool shapes in the clouds. One of our favorite cloud stories is It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles G. Shaw. This book is simple, but engaging and was always a favorite in my classroom. When [...]

Continue reading →

4 Simple Skills to Practice During Read-Alouds

{Originally published March 2010} A bit of thinking-aloud, conversation, and encouragement are all you need to add a little extra learning to your snuggly read-aloud time! Boost your child’s reading comprehension skills by incorporating these simple activities into your existing read-aloud time: 1. Predict Look at the cover and read the title. Ask, “What do [...]

Continue reading →

Ways to Play in March

Thumbnail image for Ways to Play in March

Hello, March! We’ll be counting down the days till spring – how about you? We’re looking forward to more sunshine, working in the garden, walking to the park, and building leprechaun traps. What’s on your March want-to-do list? My idea sheet is ready to download! From pretend play to open-ended art to math you can [...]

Continue reading →