It’s that time of year again! As you check things off the school supply list and start to prepare for buses, homework and field trips, check out some of these fun read-alouds to prepare kids for the adventures ahead. Whether your kids are excited or anxious for the first day, there is something for every on this list!
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Imagination is such an important part of childhood. Do you remember the games you used to play when you were younger? We hear a lot of parents lamenting about how they didn’t have electronics and devices to entertain them when they were younger, and they had to create their own fun. The scary truth behind that is that imaginative play is sometimes taking a backseat in today’s world. Why would kids need to imagine they are in another world when they can enter one in a video game? I am not one to ban all electronics and devices. I think there is definitely an advantage to kids learning some technology. However, I do think it is even more important for parents to encourage kids to use their imaginations whenever possible. Today’s book is a great jumping off point for imaginative play!
Kids are sponges. We hear it all the time.
“They will repeat everything you say!”
“They learn even when they don’t seem like they are listening.”
As a teacher, I had lots of plans for teaching my daughter when she was born. I had dreams of us reading together, doing crafts and science experiments, and learning new things. I read to her while I was pregnant and built up her library. On the night she came home from the hospital, I read to her out of the same book that my parents read to me on my first night. After that, I realized I didn’t have many plans for teaching her until she was older!
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I think it is fairly safe to say that cheese is one of my daughter’s favorite foods. From mac and cheese to grilled cheese, she loves it in all forms. I can’t really blame her, since I do too! So when I was offered the opportunity to work with Heluva Good!®, I was thrilled to have some cheesy fun with my daughter! We decided to try some new things together with a cheese tasting for kids!
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Playing in the sand is one of the summer traditions that you can enjoy anywhere! Whether you are at the beach, or playing in your own yard, there are so many fun ways that you can turn playing in the sand into a learning experience. My daughter loves playing in the sand, and she has been having fun creating new games to play in her sand table. Some of her favorite activities in the sand box are to build volcanoes using a funnel (she is currently obsessed with volcanoes), and finding her Little People dolls and animals in the sand. She likes when I bury them while she looks away so she can use her tools to dig them up.
Summertime is here! We have been enjoying the warmer weather around here, playing outside as often as possible and planning fun summer activities. As you are making your way through your summer reading list with older kids, don’t forget the littlest ones in your family as well. There are lots of fun summer board books out there to teach babies and toddlers about the joys of summer. I gathered this list of adorable board books to help you introduce them to the hottest season!
Books are such an important part of my life, and now in the life of my daughter. We read every day, both together and separately. I won’t lie, our book collection may be a little out of control! However, I love introducing her to new books and there are lots of ways that the people in our lives have made books a fun tradition. Whether you are just starting a library or already have years of reading together, there are several ways you can make books exciting for kids. These are some of our favorite book traditions. Some have already been started for my daughter and some I hope to start in the future!
I come from a very tall family. I am 5’10” and I am considered kind of short (at least according to my 6’3″ sister!). My sister and I have grown to be proud of our height, thanks to our parents. While we definitely face a few struggles (just try finding pants long enough), there are definite advantages to being tall.
My daughter is already taller than both my sister and I were at her age, so she is on track to continue the family tradition of being taller than most of her friends. While I will do my best to teach her to be proud of her height, I am definitely on the look out for great books that will help her to be confident about it. When I heard that Gill McBarnet had a story titled The Whale Who Wanted to Be Small, I knew I wanted to check it out!
Summer is here, which means the bugs are out! In my family, we are pretty prone to bug bites, so mosquitoes are a big part of our summer festivities. I decided to take some of the sting out of mosquito season by sharing a fun new read aloud. It’s a colorful new book about mosquitoes and ninjas which just may get kids moving! Try the fun activities together to get your mind off the pesky bugs outside.
Is your child enamored by planes, trains and other things that go? My daughter loves to point out all of the cars, trucks and planes that she sees. If she hears one while we are inside, she runs to the windows to figure out what it is. The loud noises, the bright colors and the shiny metal all combine to make machines very interesting for small children. There are so many great transportation books out there to complement this love of vehicles and machines. In addition, if you are preparing to travel with your family, reading a book about your mode of transportation can also be very helpful! Check out this list of transportation books to get you started.