I don’t know about anybody else, but we could be in an expansive field of green grass, but if there is one tiny section of mud, my kids will find it.  They will swarm to it like fruit flies to a ripe banana.  They seem to love the squishiness and messiness of  the mud, in fact, squishy and messy is a combination they love in just about anything.  That is perhaps why tactile play is such a good idea.  Tactile play is basically messy play.  It allows kids to touch and feel textures and shapes.  Now that it’s getting warmer, there should be many more opportunities for tactile play.  It’s understandable if you don’t want to put jell-o on you kitchen floor, but take it outside!  Put you kids in their grimiest play clothes and let them have at it.  I found this great site with loads of great ideas.  Your kids will think you’ve lost your mind, but they will love you for it!

I just wanted to wish everybody a HAPPY EASTER!! I hope that your weekend is filled with colorful eggs, loads of chocolate, and sunny weather.  Enjoy each other and soak in every moment.

and I could NOT be happier!  I love playing outside with my kids.  I love all of the discoveries they find in nature, and the joy they find in exploring. 

Dear Spring,

I LOVE you!  Welcome back, please stay as long as  you would like.

Love,

Me

Many of you know that school children everywhere celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday the first week in March.  While it is fantastic that they celebrate it at school, why not take the party home? 

The possibilities are endless.  Last night we ate the traditional Seussical meal, Green Eggs and Ham (however I realized to my dismay that I was out of green food coloring so we actually had blue eggs and ham).  Tonight we will snuggle up and read a few Seuss favorites.  There are numerous craft tutorials, and even party ideas that would make your average weekend fantastical!  So go as elaborate as a full fledged party, or as simple as reading your favorite Seuss book, but do. . . something.

In my family we have a sort of unique tradition.  On Friday nights, my two boys have a party.  The party comes in the form of a moderate amount of junk food, a good movie, and a late night sleeping on the couches.  They love the party aspect, but they simply tolerate the couches as they seem to come with the atmosphere.  We are nearing competion of our basement.  We are putting a play/game room in the basement which I think would be a lovely place for their Friday night parties.  I’ve been thinking a lot about how I could accomodate those parties, and after quite a bit of research, I have come to a conclusion I couldn’t see coming, a futon!

Many people think of the cheap black metal frames, when they hear the word “futon,” but there are many different styles of futons, and the frame, mattress, and cover all have tons of different options.

First there’s the frame. While many futons do have a metal frame, they’re also available in wood. I would almost certainly pick a wooden frame because I think it will look good in my play/game room.   Wooden frames use slats to support the mattress which results in a more even and therefore a more comfortable, surface to lie on.

The mattresses are no longer limited to cotton and polyfil. You can get them with an exterior made of several fabrics, including leather, and numerous fillings. Some have bed springs like traditional mattress, while others are made of space-age memory foam. They come in all levels of firmness from the most soft to the most firm, which means you can find one that suits you.

The last part of the futon is the futon cover. Most people either don’t know these exist, or forget about them, because most college students don’t have the budget for them. However they are an essential part, as they keep the futon safe and clean. They come in many different materials and designs.

There is a big landmark approaching for many children, they have almost hit their 100th day of school!  For many kids, especially the younger ones, this milestone is a big deal.  As my son’s kindergarten teacher recently expressed to me, “the kids love it, especially when they realize that they are 100 days smarter.  It’s a big deal to them.” 

Not only is it a big accomplishment, it also provides a wonderful teaching opportunity.  I happen to be the “Party Mom” for my son’s kindergarten class.  He attends a charter school, so we are asked to volunteer at least 40 hours of our time, as parents, to the school per year.  I figured this would be a great way for me to not only get my hours in, but also be involved in my son’s education.  Needless to say, I am overseeing the 100th day celebration in his class.  I have been looking for ideas to do with the class on the internet, and can I just tell you, there are scores of great suggestions!

I figured these activities would be great to do with your children whether you are involved with the entire class, or at home with your own kids.  I wanted to share some of the great things I found.  First off, I’ll share with you some of the activities I have planned for my son’s class. 

His teacher sent a note home asking the parents to help their children gather a collection of 100 things.  Once the kids get to school, we will allow them each a moment in the spotlight to show off their collection.  That will give them a better idea of what 100 items look like.

I am going to give them each a copy of a $100 dollar bill, and ask them to draw a picture of what they would do with that 100 dollars.  I am really excited to see what their perception of $100 is.  Again, the kids will have the chance to stand in front of the class and share their illustration and explination of what they would do with the money.

For my last activity, I am having a hard time deciding between 3 things.  My first option is to have the kids make 100 Valentine’s Day cards to be sent to the children’s hospital in our area.  My second option is to blow up 100 balloons and have the kids group them in as many different ways as they can think.  I would creat a graph to show their results.  My third option is to gather 100 books, and have the kids estimate how long the books would be when lined up end to end in the gym.  I would have them mark their estimations and then we would lay the books out to see who was the closest.

Truth-be-told, I may just plan for all three so I will be sure to have enough activities to fill the day.

I am so excited about today’s blog feature, Eco-Babyz. 

 I know that being more environmentally friendly has been at the forefront of discussion for quite a while now.  It seems like everybody is looking for ways they can go green. 

Well, I wanted to present to you a fabulous website that will help you be more eco-friendly, with all the things you use as a playful parent.  Anastasia, the editor of Eco-Babyz does a fabulous job of finding environmentally friendly products for kids.  She takes the time to review them so that we  know if they are worth pursuing or not.  Plus, there is an added bonus, she also hosts many give-aways so we can all have the chance to get in on the fabulous eco-friendly stuff she reviews. 

I want to encourage all of you to pay Anastasia a visit, it will be well worth your time!

I, like most of you, have been keeping up on the news and events from Haiti.  The other day while I was reading an article about the earthquake my six-year-old son walked into the room.  The article was filled with pictures of bodies piled up on the side of the road, crying mothers and injured children.  My first instinct was to quickly close my laptop in order to shelter him from the horrific scenes.

Shortly after, I questioned my judgement.  I want my children to be aware.  I want them to know that we are a privileged people.  I want them to know that there is suffering and poverty around us, and that we have a responsibility to help those in need.  So I wondered how I should deal with this situation.

I do want to make one point.  My 6-year-old seems to be quite emotionally mature.  He can understand far more than his younger 4-year-old brother.  So I absolutely consider each one of my children and their demeanor individually.

I decided that I would show him some pictures from the earthquake.  I was careful about the pictures that I shared, but I wanted him to see the physical, structural destruction left from the quake.  I used it to start a conversation about what we can do to help those people.

That was my decision with him.  Like I said, my course of action with his younger brother has been much different.  I let him know that in another part of the world, a lot of people got hurt and their homes were ruined, so we need to think of things we can do to help them.  I was very vague and I tried to focus more on our role than the tragedy.

Helping kids cope with these situations can be tricky.  I did find this article from Good  Morning America which outlines several good guidelines for kids of different age levels.  I found it to be quite helpful and I do encourage you to check it out.

I guess, above all, use your best judgement.  You know your kids better than anybody.

I just might be alone in my thinking, but I tend to consider January through March, “The Gray Months.”  I live in an area with a solid winter.  I enjoy the snow during Christmas, but I wouldn’t mind one bit if it all melted the next day.  The mountains seem to catch the smog making the sky look a dreary gray.  I’m kinda tired of it. 

My kids love to play outside during the other three seasons of the year, and their outdoor adventures seem to occupy them all day.  Winter is different.  I still let them play outside, but that requires 45 minutes of preparation for 30 minutes of play before they come in cold and wet. 

I always have a hard time figuring out what to do with my kids during this time of year.  Today we are crafting.  Coloring, cutting, and taping construction paper.  I am going to be blatantly honest, It is driving me crazy!  I love that my kids are occupied and having a good time, I really do, but the tiny scraps of paper are making me insane! 

I know this post goes against the feel that I am trying to create for this blog, but I want to be honest.  I want to let parents know that while we try to play with our kids and enrich their lives, sometimes it hard.  It isn’t always peaches and cream.  The house doesn’t always look good enough amidst the chaos to host a photo shoot in the living room.  There are times that the kids play and create in peace and harmony, and there are times, like today, when the kids scream and cry when their snowflake doesn’t turn out how they had hoped.  There are times when the things I plan are carried out wonderfully, and there are times when nothing seems to go the way I had pictured it.  I can post all of the easy and fulfilling tutorials and games that I can get  my little hands on, but the fact of the matter is, we all have days.

My only advice, not that I have much to offer, is to keep trying.  Battle through the hard days, then try again the next day.  Hopefully the outcome will be better:).

I hope that everybody had a wonderful Holiday Season! Ours was fantastic. This Christmas in particular, my kids got A LOT of board games. It seemed like a lot of the classics were on sale for great deals, sometimes 5 bucks or less, so Santa took advantage and stocked up. Our family loves to play games together. We try to do it at least once a week. Oftentimes, I even try to incorporate life lessons into the games we are playing. For instance, the classic preschool game “Chutes and Ladders” provides a great life lesson. When the little character makes a bad choice, he slips down the slide getting farther away from his ultimate goal (the finish square). On the other hand, when the character makes an exceptionally positive choice, he gets to climb a ladder and receives a boost to his goal. I love the real world application this game provides! As fun as these games are, especially for the kids, there are also many developmental benefits to playing board games.

Shari Nethersole, a physician at Children’s Hospital, Boston, and an instructor in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School said:

There are enormous benefits to these type of games, benefits that don’t necessarily occur so readily from computer and video games and from television. Probably the most important developmental benefit is that all of these games require that children interact and speak with each other. They have to negotiate rules, take turns, correct and challenge each other. Thus they are thinking and problem solving all the time. They can improve their listening and speaking skills. They also have to deal with the emotional consequences of these interactions: handling loss, helping a friend to handle a loss, being a gracious winner. Beyond the social and emotional benefits of these kind of games, most of the games that you mentioned also help work on motor coordination, both fine motor skills and gross motor skills. For kids in the 3 to 8 age group, these motor skills are very important for success and self esteem, both in and out of school. Improved fine motor coordination will help with writing and drawing. Hopscotch and Twister can help with balance, coordination and flexibility. The other benefit to keep in mind is that these games are relatively inexpensive ways to promote skills while encouraging kids to have fun. They are a lot cheaper than video games!

I have also noticed that in most of the board games we have, the kids learn colors, shapes, numbers, and how to count. To me, the benefits are fantastic, and Santa was very wise:).