From the category archives:

Read & Write

List Poems

I love to read and write poems with my girls and they love it, too!  We have been trying out all different kinds of poetry forms, and for the most part, I take dictation while they compose their poetic masterpieces.  There is just something satisfying about putting a few simple words together and creating an [...]

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Paint Bag Writing

Learning to write letters and numbers can be frustrating for little hands!  I like to offer lots of play activities that help build those fine motor skills in a relaxed, fun way.  Toddlers and up will enjoy making shapes, swirls, and even letters on a ziploc bag filled with paint!
To make your own paint bag [...]

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Exploring Apples

We have been celebrating the arrival of fall with some fun apple exploration – I love apple season!  We are planning a trip to the apple orchard soon.  In the meantime, here’s what we’ve been up to:

sink or float?

How many teddy bears does your apple weigh?

sketching the inside of an apple

apple printing
Yesterday, we brought home [...]

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Taking Dictation

There is really nothing like the imagination of a preschool-age child!  Long before they can write their own stories, children are ready and eager to tell their own stories.  It is wonderfully empowering for a child to see her words written down as a “real” story.  So, what are you waiting for?  Grab some paper [...]

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Time Capsule in a Tube

One of our first-week-of-school projects was making these simple time capsules using a cardboard tube.  Start by collecting, writing, or drawing some things to go inside.  My girls traced their hands, drew a self-portrait, filled in a list of favorites, and thought of three things they want to learn about.  We also cut a string [...]

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Hink Pink Riddles

My girls love a good riddle, especially when the answer rhymes – double giggles! A hink pink is simply that – a pair of single-syllable rhyming words that answers a riddle. Try these out on your kiddos:

What do you call a crying father?  sad dad
What do chickens write with? hen pen

What do you call a [...]

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Making Books with Kids

We love, love, love making our own books!  I keep a stash of various blank books with the girls’ art supplies.  They put stickers in them, write/draw stories, collect animal facts, copy words from favorite books, and on and on.  You’re never too young to be author!
If you need some inspiration, here are some links [...]

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Our Favorite Drawing Books

Natalie, my six-year-old, has always been somewhat of a perfectionist when it comes to art (and life in general!).  When she was a toddler, she wanted to watch people draw and color, but not do it herself.  When she was four, many of her drawings were crumpled and thrown away because they didn’t turn out [...]

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Summer Journals

Are your kiddos journaling this summer?  I am a huge proponent of writing – I think it is a crucial component of becoming a “good reader.”  My girls love to write in journals and notebooks.  It is so neat to watch them go from scribbles to more detailed pictures to scribble-writing to sentences!  My six-year-old [...]

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Summer Fun Bag #2: Letter Writing Kit

Here’s another one of our Summer Fun Bags – a letter and card-writing kit.

My girls love sending (and receiving!) mail, but we often forget about this activity. Hopefully this little kit will remind us! I simply gathered up odds and ends of cards, stickers, envelopes, etc. from around the house. I also [...]

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