Free Painting Ideas for Toddlers

ByKori
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Art can be messy but I think that’s part of the reason why it’s fun. Especially art experiences for toddlers and babies, who are more likely to put paint on any surface except the piece of paper or easel. As part of our informal Tot School, I try to offer art on a weekly basis but sometimes more if Squeaker is showing an interest. Sometimes we do themed projects like our handprint and pom pom apple tree or toilet paper tube apple stamping. Recently though, I wanted to offer her options and so we put on some music and tried these free painting ideas instead. Supplies needed: paint (We used fingerpaint and Tempera paint) clothespins cotton balls construction paper or art paper willing participant For…

Preparing for Tot School

ByKori
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Thank you to Barnes and Noble Mastercard, powered by Barclaycard for sponsoring this conversation and helping us as we continue preparing for tot school this year. Squeaker will be two in December and I’ve already started planning to start doing a more formal tot school/preschool at home with her. I understand, fully, that she’s a toddler and she may not always cooperate with my carefully laid plans. Which is why I’m not going to plan things out to the minute or even use lesson plans at this point. I think it would be futile and would only result in frustration for both of us. But, that still won’t stop me from preparing for tot school, as informal as it might be. We’ll read, do art…

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Mini Unit

ByKori
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Recently, as a part of the Storybook Summer blog hop, Squeaker and I explored The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. He’s one of my favorite children’s authors and I plan to do a lot with his books- through in tot school, home preschool, and homeschooling. For our exploration of this book, I’ve also created a mini pack that would be great for toddlers and preschoolers or children with special needs. Thank you for taking the time to take a look at our The Very Hungry Caterpillar mini unit! To start, we read the book. Squeaker has a board book copy as well, but we used our bigger copy for the beginning of our exploration. If you prefer, you can also listen to a reading…

Mommy Camp for Toddlers: Numbers

ByKori
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Welcome back to another week of Mommy Camp for Toddlers! This week, we’re going to focus on numbers. Learning about numbers, much like the alphabet, takes place in the every day situations. For example, something as simple as counting cheerios or just reciting numbers 1-10 or 1-20 or 1-5 … can have a lasting impact and form a solid foundation. But, the point with mommy camp is to keep it informal and let learning happen as it will. Don’t try to force any of this and when your toddler is showing signs of boredom, take a break or stop all together. Is there a right or wrong time to introduce numbers? I say no because it’s like any learning opportunity. It doesn’t have to happen…

Natural Fingerpainting with Blackberries

ByKori
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We have a wild blackberry bush in our backyard and every summer, I look forward to picking fresh blackberries. Usually they never make it into the house because I can’t wait to eat them. Today, Squeaker decided she was going to “help” me pick some of the berries. And aside from the occasional red berry, she did quite well with plucking them off the bush. Now, while I love blackberries, Squeaker isn’t a fan. So she tends to just smash them in her hands. Once I saw how vibrant the purple hue was on her fingers, I grabbed her and ran back into the house for some cardstock to do natural fingerpainting with blackberries on the deck. Squeaker, at times, has been a little squeamish…

World Culture for Kids: Learning About Poland and Polish Culture

ByKori
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Growing up, I was incredibly fortunate to have experienced a very diverse upbringing. Living in California was a cultural melting pot of Hispanic and Asian cultures while living in Washington D.C. was the mixing center for almost everything. Living in Albany, however, it’s a whole new ball game for me. Yes, we have diversity but not quite the same. There is a large Italian American presence, a growing Asian presence, and also a Polish presence. I appreciate the Polish aspect because that’s part of Squeaker’s heritage. So, as part of our informal summer Tot school, we took some time to learn about Poland. I can’t wait to repeat this unit with her when she’s older so we can explore more in depth. But, in the…