Amy's Picks Archives - Let's Explore

April 14, 2013 by: Amy

Spring Audio Books for Kids

{List updated April 2013}

We love listening to audio books, especially in the car. Luckily, our library has a pretty good selection of picture book/CD sets and audio chapter books. I also like purchasing audio stories and making themed audio story playlists for the girls. We can listen to them on our iPod or burn a CD for the car. The stories I choose to buy are usually favorites that we already own in book-form. That way, we can enjoy the pictures while listening if we choose.

Audible Kids has a bunch of children’s audio books that are only 99¢ each – I’m usually able to find lots of great choices under a dollar, which is awesome!

Here is our Spring Audio Book Playlist – each one is just 99¢!

Blueberries for Sal :: Robert McCloskey
Happy Birthday Moon :: Frank Asch
Make Way for Ducklings :: Robert McCloskey
Max’s Chocolate Chicken :: Rosemary Wells
Miss Rumphius :: Barbara Cooney
Mushroom in the Rain :: Mirra Ginsburg
Rechenka’s Eggs :: Patricia Polacco
The Caterpillar and the Polliwog :: Jack Kent
The Very Busy Spider :: Eric Carle
The Very Hungry Caterpillar :: Eric Carle

And, if you’re in the mood for a longer listen, here are a few chapter books that are perfect for spring. Chapter book prices are around $7-$15 – so, a bit pricier, but lots more to listen to!

Clementine and the Spring Trip :: Sara Pennypacker
Frog and Toad Collection :: Arnold Lobel
Sophie is Seven :: Dick King Smith
The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter
The Wind in the Willows :: Kenneth Grahame

{One note about the audio books from Audible — you can only burn one CD, but you can put the books on your iPods, listen on your computer, etc.}

Happy Listening!

P.S. Those Audible linkies are affiliate links – just FYI. :)

February 6, 2013 by: Amy

{Review} The Playful Family Ebook

As I’m sure you already know, I’m all about finding little ways to sneak play into our day to day life. From random celebrations to homemade toys to silly photo shoots – playful family life does not have to be complicated or expensive. That’s why I love Shawn’s (of Awesomely Awake) ebook, The Playful Family.

Here’s a quick blurb about the book:

The Playful Family Ebook, written by Shawn Ledington Fink of Awesomely Awake, encourages and challenges busy parents to slow down and spend quality time together with their children, regardless of their age.

With nearly 100 ways to connect, engage and play together, this easy-to-read e-book is a must-have resource for any parent interested in becoming more playful and happy while raising children. Each chapter includes dozens of ideas as well as a challenge to motivate families to put their own ideas to work in real life.

I love the ideas for writing a family manifesto, simple ways to make any day better, and fun ways to connect and just “be” with your kids. If your family’s playfulness needs some kickstarting, or you’re looking for encouragement and fresh ideas, I highly recommend spending a few evenings reading through The Playful Family.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to read The Playful Family yet, here’s your chance! Shawn is offering her ebook for FREE Thursday and Friday (2/7-2/8) only.

Shawn is also generously giving away a space in her ecourse, The Abundant Mama Project. For more information on The Playful Family ebook, and to enter the giveaway, head over to Awesomely Awake.

You can also head straight to Amazon and get your free copy of The Playful Family ebook.

Don’t miss your chance to grab this ebook for free and start playing!

March 22, 2012 by: Amy

Gadanke Journal Review

We have been playing with a really fun kid’s journal from the Gadanke handmade journal shop. I have always written in some sort of journal or notebook, not to mention all the notes I have jotted down about things the girls say or special memories.

My girls are also showing an interest in journaling and memory-keeping, which makes me so happy! There is nothing more precious than memories and thoughts, shared in their own writing and drawing.

Katie, founder/owner of Gadanke, is passionate about helping people write their stories. Her shop is filled with handcrafted journals, containing creative writing prompts and inspiration. They’re made with 100% recycled papers, too.

I love the Gadanke motto – Celebrate your story!

We had the pleasure of reviewing the Jump Up! Kid’s Journal:

“This book is a story; it’s the story of an awesome kid.

This über exciting journal is cleverly disguised as a time capsule just for kids. (Don’t tell!)”

As soon as I pulled it out of the package, my girls ran off with it to check it out. There are lots of silly writing prompts that had them giggling!

Things we love about the Gadanke Jump Up! Journal:

– It’s flexible – we can add photos and other memorabilia, move pages around, and even add more pages that we create.

– There is a varied combination of drawing prompts, lists, and reflections that definitely appeal to a child’s imagination.

– The journal comes with fun add-ons, like a name tag, tickets, graph paper page, and playing card. Natalie wants to write all her nicknames on the name tag – love it!

Photo from Gadanke

As my older daughter approaches 10 (yikes!), I find myself wanting to capture and record every detail about her before the preteen years take over. What better way than to have her document this moment in time herself, in her own words and drawings?

Here are a few finished pages from our journal:

These journals would be a fun gift to tuck in an Easter basket, bring on a road trip, or have on hand for hot summer afternoons.

Good news! Here’s a special offer for Let’s Explore Readers: 10% off your purchase with code EXPLORE10. Expires at midnight March 28, 2012.

Thank you, Katie, for sharing a journal with our family!

Visit the Gadanke website to read more about the Jump Up! Kid’s Journal, as well as food & recipe journals, prayer journals, doodle journals, and more! (I love the engraved pencils, too!)

Shop | Gadanke

10% Discount Code: EXPLORE10 (expires at midnight, 3/28/12)

Twitter | @makingthishome

Facebook | Gadanke (For fans, Katie offers Facebook-only specials once a month.)

Katie’s Blog | Making This Home

Do you keep a journal for yourself or your kids? Do your kids draw or write in a journal or diary?

I was provided with a journal to review from Gadanke. The opinions in this post are all ours!

January 12, 2012 by: Amy

Winter Audio Books for Kids

Despite our lack of wintery weather, we’re still enjoying our stack of snow-themed books and gearing up for cold days to come. Audio books, hot chocolate, and cold winter days are a perfect pair!

I have complied a Winter Audio Book Playlist, perfect for car rides, afternoon quiet time, or bad weather days when you’re stuck indoors. Each selection is available for purchase at Audible Kids, for $4.00 or less per book. Many of the kids’s audio books are only 99¢!

Amelia Bedelia’s First Valentine by Herman Parish

Frog and Toad All Year by Arnold Lobel

Nate the Great and the Mushy Valentine by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

Silly Tilly’s Valentine by Lillian Hoban

Snow Bear by Miriam Moss

Snow Dog Marley by John Grogan

The Gingerbread Man (Scholastic)

There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow by Lucille Colandro

The Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett

A few tips:

To view book prices, you have to create and log into your account. You can sign-up for a monthly membership, but you can also make “a la carte” purchases of the books you want.

With your audio book purchases from Audible, you can only burn one CD, but you can put the books on your iPods, listen on your computer, etc.

For more audio book ideas, check out these posts:

Fun & Silly Audio Books for Kids

Spring Audio Books for Kids

Fall Audio Books for Kids

Don’t forget to check your library for audio books, too. Ours has an excellent selection of kids’ chapter books on CD and picture book/audio packs.

Happy listening!

December 31, 2011 by: Amy

Hobby Starter Gift Ideas (Part 2)

I’m back with Part 2 of my hobby starter gift ideas. This time, I’ve gathered ideas for little gardeners, illustrators, and rock hounds. Enjoy!

Gardening

DIY Tutorials:

Chalkboard Plant Markers :: Home Stories A to Z

Flower Planting Kit :: Let’s Explore

Plant Care Apron :: Sew Liberated

Shredded Paper Seed Starters :: MADE

Books:

Good Growing: A Kid’s Guide to Gardening (Klutz Books)

Green Thumbs: A Kid’s Activity Guide to Indoor and Outdoor Gardening by Laurie Carlson

Grow It, Cook It (DK Publishing)

Roots, Shoots, Buckets, and Boots by Sharon Lovejoy

The Family Kitchen Garden by Karen Liebreich, Jutta Wagner, & Annette Wendland

Supplies & Kits:

Kid’s Big Tool Set (garden rake, spade, hoe, leaf rake) – Toysmith

Kid’s Mudd Gloves – Gardening With Kids

Kid’s Wheelbarrow – Radio Flyer

Rubber Boots

Seed Packets

Watering Can

Wrap it up in a colorful Tubtrug, plastic watering can, kid-size wheelbarrow, or plastic planting pot.

Drawing & Cartooning

DIY Tutorials:

Fabric Journals :: A Beautiful Mess

No-Sew Colored Pencil Roll :: small + friendly

Rustic Pencil Holder :: Strawberry Chic

Books:

Adventures in Cartooning by James Sturm, Andrew Arnold, & Alexis Frederick-Frost

Art for Kids: Cartooning by Art Roche

How to Draw a Happy Witch by Joy Sikorski

How to Draw Animals (Usborne)

How to Draw Fairies and Mermaids (Usborne)

Make a World by Ed Emberley

Supplies & Kits:

Blank Comic Books – Bare Books

eeBoo Sketchbooks

Faber-Castell GRIP Colored Eco-Pencils

Paper Mate Flair Colored Pens

Wrap it up with a big piece of easel paper, ready for doodling!

Rock Collecting

DIY Tutorials:

Easy Drawstring Bag :: The Purl Bee

Geology Learning Kit :: Live Your Art

Nature Explorer Bag :: Chez Beeper Bebe

Books:

Geology Rocks! 50 Hands-On Activities to Explore the Earth by Cindy Blobaum

If Rocks Could Sing: A Discovered Alphabet by Leslie McGuirk

If You Find a Rock by Peggy Christian

Rocks and Minerals by DK

Rocks and Minerals – Peterson Field Guide

Supplies & Kits

Break Open Real Geodes Kit

Carson 5″ BigEye Magnifier

Collection Display Box – Home Science Tools

Mini Me Geology – all kinds of kits, supplies, etc.

Rock and Crystal Excavation Kit – Geo Central

Rocks and Minerals :: imaginechildhood.com

Rock Tumbler

Load the supplies in a plastic tote, basket, or small backpack.

Phew! That’s a long list of ideas for creating a custom hobby starter kit for your favorite kiddos. Here’s a link to Part 1 (sewing, cooking, and photography), in case you missed it!

December 6, 2011 by: Amy

Hobby Starter Gift Ideas (Part 1)

Themed-gifts are my favorite, so I have been gathering ideas for creating hobby starter kits. I love joining in with my girls as they try new things and explore their interests. Who knows where a childhood hobby might lead them as adults?

Below you’ll find kid-friendly ideas for sewing, photography, and cooking. I’ve included links to DIY tutorials, complementary books, and supplies or pre-made kits. I’ve also suggested ways to package your hobby kit, just for fun. I hope this gives you some great gift ideas!

Sewing

DIY Tutorials:

Child’s Sewing Kit Tutorial :: Chez Beeper Bebe

Felt Needle Book :: Little Birdie Secrets

Felt Teddy Bear Craft Kit :: Chica and Jo

Sewing and Embroidery for Kids :: Filth Wizardry

Toddler Friendly Sewing Basket :: Childhood 101

Books:

My First Hand Sewing Book by Alison McNicol

Sewing School by Amie Plumley & Andria Lisle

See and Sew: A Sewing Book for Children by Tina Davis

Supplies and Kits:

Embroidery hoops & colorful embroidery floss

Fabric

My First Sewing Kit – Alex Toys

Stitch-It Birdie Kit – The Little Experience

Kids’ Beginner’s Sewing Kit – Land of Nod

Wrap it up in a sewing basket, a plain canvas tote for embellishing, or a fun piece of fabric.

Photography

DIY Tutorials

Camera Cozy Tutorial :: Sew, Mama, Sew!

Easy Camera Pouch :: a pretty cool life

Patchwork Camera Strap Cover :: Fabric Family and Fun

Photobooth Props DIY :: Oh Happy Day

Books

Click! A Book About Cameras and Taking Pictures by Gail Gibbons

Photojojo! Insanely Great Photo Projects and DIY Ideas by Amit Gupta and Kelly Jensen

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

The Kids’ Guide to Digital Photography by Jenni Bidner

Supplies

A camera! Natalie has her own camera, the Canon Powershot A495. It’s a great little camera – lightweight, large viewing screen, great pictures. (Read more about our experience with this particular camera here.)

Lowepro Ridge 10 Camera Case with Shoulder Strap

Pioneer Cloth Photo Albums

Umbra Snap Frames (they look like Polaroid photos!)

Gift card for photo printing (Winkflash, Snapfish, Shutterfly, etc.)

Wrap it up in a cardboard photo storage box or larger camera case.

Cooking

DIY Tutorials & Printables:

Child’s Apron Pattern :: Sew Liberated

Child’s Gathered Apron Tutorial :: Craftiness is not Optional

Printable Recipe Cards :: Wild Olive Etsy Shop

Books:

My A to Z Recipe Box by Hillary Karmilowicz

Kitchen for Kids: 100 Amazing Recipes Your Children Can Really Make by Jennifer Low

Pretend Soup and Other Real Recipes by Mollie Katzen

Chop Chop Magazine subscription

Supplies & Kits:

Children’s handmade aprons on Etsy – try Sweet Apronz N Cupcakes, Annie’s Attic, or Beanstalk by Izzy

Food Preparation Tools & Kits at Montessori Services

Kuhn Rikon Cookie & Cupcake Decorating Kit

Playful Chef Deluxe Cooking Kit

Sil-Pin Junior Rolling Pin

Wrap it up in a colorful mixing bowl or stacked on top of a cutting board.

I’m planning to include gardening, drawing/cartooning, and rock collecting in Part 2. Are there any other kid-friendly hobbies you would like to see ideas for? Let me know!

October 10, 2011 by: Amy

Fall Audio Books for Kids

I know I’ve said this before, but my girls are hooked on audio books! We’ve been known to pull into the garage and stay in the car just a few minutes more to finish listening to a story or the end of a chapter.

I have complied a Fall Audio Book Playlist, perfect for the ride to the pumpkin patch or rainy afternoons. Each selection is available for purchase at Audible Kids, for $3.00 or less per book. Many of the kids’ audio books are only 99¢!

Amelia Bedelia’s First Apple Pie by Herman Parish

Cam Jansen: The Mystery of the Babe Ruth Baseball by David A. Adler

Fancy Nancy: The Dazzling Book Report by Jane O’Connor

How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon by Jane Yolen

Little Bear’s Visit by Else Holmelund Minarik

Marley and the Runaway Pumpkin by John Grogan

Nate the Great and the Halloween Hunt by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

Scranimals by Jack Prelutsky

The Little Red Hen (Scholastic)

The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin by Beatrix Potter

{One note about the audio books from Audible — you can only burn one CD, but you can put the books on your iPods, listen on your computer, etc.}

For more audio book ideas, check out these posts:

Fun & Silly Audio Books for Kids

Spring Audio Books for Kids

Don’t forget to check your library for audio books, too. Ours has an excellent selection of kids’ chapter books on CD and picture book/audio packs.

Happy listening!

August 15, 2011 by: Amy

Playful Learning Blog Tour: Adventures in Longitude and Latitude (and a give away!)

I was thrilled to hear that Mariah Bruehl of Playful Learning was writing a book. I have read her blog regularly for quite some time. I admire her gentle, encouraging voice and the lovely assortment of playful, accessible learning experiences she shares on her blog.

I’m so happy to share this book with you as part of the Playful Learning blog tour! When my girls and I finally got our hands on Playful Learning: Develop Your Child’s Sense of Joy and Wonder, we were definitely not disappointed. From the back cover:

“Playful learning is the magic that takes place when we meld a child’s sense of joy and wonder with thoughtfully planned learning experiences.”

Our copy of Playful Learning is already marked with many projects for the to-do list. The book contains developmental information and engaging experiences in writing, reading, math, science, art, global awareness, and social-emotional skills, geared toward ages 4 to 8.

My favorite aspect of the book is the experience philosophy. Rather than just a collection of activities, the experiences in this book truly provide opportunities for conversation, connection, and discovery. It is a wonderful book to enjoy side-by-side with your kids, following their interests and having fun learning together.

We couldn’t wait to dive in and try something!

Who Lives Here? Adventures in Longitude and Latitude

My girls’ current love of maps, paired with a recent obsession with secret codes, made the Who Lives There? experience a perfect fit. One of the learning experiences in the Growing Globally chapter, this activity introduces longitude and latitude coordinates. After a quick vocabulary discussion (using Mariah’s age-appropriate definitions), the girls were ready to find some secret locations using coordinates.

Mariah recommends using Google Earth to get coordinates for the places where friends and family live. Since our friends and family all live pretty close, I picked 10 cities around the world that the girls are familiar with and filled in the activity sheet. I love that Mariah provides so many kid-friendly printables in the back of the book – such a time-saver!

The girls took turns reading the coordinates and working at the map. Every time they correctly identified a city, they were so excited! By the end of their list, they were reading degrees, using the word coordinates, and basically having a lot of fun finding the secret locations.

They have already asked to do it again, which we will soon. We are also planning to check our library for the titles from the Books to Inspire list. From prep hints that help you be a “one-step ahead” parent to ways to extend the learning, the experiences in Playful Learning are inspiring and do-able.

The girls are already planning which activity they will try next – wire leaves, Jackson Pollock painting, or flower dissection? Moon journals are a must!

For more Playful Learning fun, I hope you will check out the rest of the stops on the blog tour in the upcoming weeks:

8/16 Two Straight Lines
8/17 Sew Liberated
8/18 The Artful Parent
8/19 Ohdeedoh
8/22 Let the Children Play
8/23 Simple Kids
8/24 Spell Outloud
8/25 Not Just Cute
8/26 Make and Takes
8/29 ABC 123
8/30 Modern Parents Messy Kids
8/31 A Bit of This and a Bit of That
9/1 Adventures in Mommydom
9/2 Inspiration Surrounds, Creativity Abounds
9/5 Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
9/6 Tinker Lab
9/7 Helping Little Hands

Playful Learning Book Give Away!

Wouldn’t Playful Learning be a great addition to your home library? Mariah has generously offered a copy of her new book to one lucky reader – ~~leave a comment on this post to be entered in a random drawing for your very own copy of Playful Learning: Develop Your Child’s Sense of Joy and Wonder.~~ Please be sure to link or leave an e-mail so I can contact you! (One comment per person, please…)

~~Comments will close Wednesday, 8/17 at 9:00 pm PST.~~

Comments closed! Random Number Generator says the winner is….

Bianca – August 15, 2011 at 3:54 pm

this book looks wonderful!! would love to have it in my home.

Congrats!

July 27, 2011 by: Amy

Fun & Silly Audio Books for Kids

Audio books are a staple in our house (and car) and we were due for a fun new summer playlist.

I have complied a Fun and Silly Audio Book Playlist, perfect for summer road trips or afternoon quiet-time. Each selection is available for purchase at Audible Kids, for $3.00 or less per book. Many of the kids’ audio books are only 99¢!

Charlie the Ranch Dog by Ree Drummond

Skippyjon Jones in the Dog-House by Judy Schachner

Curious George Rides a Bike by H.A. Rey

Squids Will Be Squids by Jon Scieszka

A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon

When I Grow Up by Al Yankovic

How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? by Jane Yolen

The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash by Trina Hakes Noble

I’m Not Going to Get Up Today by Dr. Seuss

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

Olivia Forms a Band by Ian Falconer

It’s really fun to gather the pictures books from around your house or library and place together in a basket. My girls love to follow along as they listen!

Steph at Modern Parents Messy Kids posted about Quiet Time with Audio Books this week – a great idea for kiddos transitioning out of nap time!

{One note about the audio books from Audible — you can only burn one CD, but you can put the books on your iPods, listen on your computer, etc.}

Happy Listening!