Letter Hunt

Here is another great alphabet game called Letter Hunt. Use your Abc's in a Bag bag for this game or make one. Have the child(ren) pick out one letter tell each child to find something in the house that starts with that letter. You can have the child tell you what the found, draw it, and/or bring it to.

Our Own Alphabet Notebook Part One

Today I need to find something for Five to do to keep her out of   sitting in front of the TV. So we went to Walmart  to get stuff to make our own Alphabet notebooks. I got enough stuff for both Five and Girlygirl to make one. Here is a list of what we got. 

• 2 binders
• a lot of alphabet sticker
• 2 packs of sheet protectors 60 in each
• glue
• and some stuff for the letters. I will blog about them as we do each letter

When we got home I printed of letters I only got to "S" before we ran out of paper. Five sat down and colors them to add to her notebook well Girlygirl took her nap.  Both girls add stickers to the front of their binders and I but their names on the side.

Reading

I was trying to clean up before my mom/boss (the mom of the girl I take care of) got home. Girlygirl was having a hard time and  I need to be help. I asked Big Sis to read to her. Girlygirl stay there for the whole book. What did this teach me. Just ask for help. When asking kids to help don't just say help me but tell them how they can help you. Big Sis loved it because she was watching Girlygirl. Remember this next time you need help.

preschool notebook

I found this great way to do a notebook for preschoolers. I have seen may different things about notebooking and this is a great way to bring it to the preschoolers. 

Great Blog

I found a blog today with great idea on it. I really like how Shelly show us what she does so we can copy it. I love the chart she use each week. I can't wait to copy the ideas at Our Preschool Homeschool Blog. Enjoy!

ABC Games

The other day I was baby sitting for a friend and they had some good game to help their 3 year old learn her abc's. Here is their games and other ways to help them too.

Abc's in a Bag

what you need: a brown lunch bag, index card, maker. To Make: They let the girl color the bag while mom put one letter on each index card. How to play: have you child dump all the cards on the ground. Then they need to look for the letters the know and came tell you. If they are right the card goes in to the bag if not you tell them the name and put it in the pill to find again. (side note for their older daughter they but words on the card for her to find)

Alphabet I Spy

nothing is needed for this game but the world around you. How to play: look around and find something ie: a fan then say I spy something that starts with "f ". If the child does not say fan first but four say "good that starts with f but I found something esle that also starts with f". Don't say wrong if it the letter is right. I spy can be played with colors and letter sounds too.

Letter of the Day

What you need: pen and paper. How to play: pick a letter then whenever someone see something that starts with the choicen letter you write the letter on the paper. (ie: if the letter is f when someone see the fan you write one f on the paper.) At the end of the day/game see how many words you found that start with that letter. If you play everyday you can keep track of how many of each letter you find. Then see what was the most and the least making it also a math leason.

ABC Memory

What you need: Metal juice can lids, alphabet stickers (can be upper and/or lower case.) Before you play: put sticker on lids make sure there is two of each letter. How to play: mix the lids up. Then lay then face down having the kids find the matching letters. You can do this with other stickers too.

Now for a list of toys I think that may be wroth buying with the alphabet to help the learning: magnets, puzzels, coloring books, books and movies.

Great place to find games and more is at this web site:

http://www.dltk-teach.com/alphabuddies/index.html

Finding Friends

In my last post I talked about doing the Fire Station with the play group. I knew Girlygirl and Five need to get out and play with other kids so I went looking for a playgroup. I found my on meet up http://www.meetup.com. I have really gotten to know the other moms and mad great friends. Each group on there is different but I found lost close to me and maybe you can too. I like being to have the girls get out and do fun stuff with other kids. After join the group we started going out 2 to 3 times a week and both girls are so much happier. Now that it is winter we do lots of inside stuff but they get to run and play. Even when they don't get to run and play just getting out of the house is wroth it. They both love the days we go out and the days we stay home now.

Day Tirp with the Kido

The other day I was reading a book and it list all kind of things to do with the kids when they are at home with you. I am going to copy the list so you and I have it when we are looking for things to do.

• Fire Station-we just did this with our play group although girlygirl is too young. Five (one girl I baby sit). Had tons of fun so did the other preschooler.
• Artist Studio
• big building down town
• auto body shop
• bridal shop
• dairy
• farm
• hospital-see the babies
• Library-I let each kid pick out two books and I get one to read Five when are waiting to pick Big Sis (other girl I baby sit) from school. Would be great to do before bed with older preschoolers. Five loves it.
• movies-find the cheep ones near you
• museum-find the children one. we have one not too far from here and all three girls love it.
• newspaper
• nursing home- bring gifts, go more than once get to know the people
• park- have a picnic, go weekly or daily
• pet store-one with pets are fun ask if you can pet the dog or cat
• plays-I see many for young ones but haven't tried it yet
• police station
• restaurant-try to set up seeing the back in a less busy time
• work-visit daddy's or a friend's
• zoo

links and what I think

www.dltk-kids.comThis link has little of everything. It has great letter, number, shapes and writing acttivities. As well as Bible, Charactors and much more. For me this looks like an everything site for preschool at home. One of my favorite things about it is that it looks easy to do with just one kid although it could be done with more. It starts with stuff for kids as young as two to do. I like that lots. I know that lots of sites I have found are good for older ones. great site take a look. www.makinglearningfun.com This site has some great themes to use. From looking at the site I would say it is not the best but again most the stuff can be done with just one child. They have great printables too. It would be helpfull but not the only site you could use. I love the idea of getting girlygirl to do thing with her favorit book or other thing at the time to bring learning alive.

more for me

I think I don't really know what to write about that people want to read. Plus I am not a writer and become over whelmed with the thought of writing for others. So for now I will just write the things I am learning about. I know to some it may seem odd but I love to look around for great new things to learn. I was never good at school and I still don't like school much but now that I am big (25). I like to find new things to learn and spend lots of time on that one thing. Right now that I home schooling. Because girllygirl is so young right now I spend lots of time trying to figure what to do in her preschool years. So to keep track of all my thoughts I will be putting them here. If  you found me this may help you too. If not thanks for looking and I am sure there will be lots of other stuff. But again this is going to be kind of like my file place at least for now.

Happy Tots

What are the best ways to have a happy toddler?

1. They must nap every day
2. Have rules and help them learning them
3. play with them
4. Include them
5. Remember their age

Now for my thoughts on the list. Yes I did put them in the that order for a reason. I think that tots and even most preschoolers need a nap everyday at least a quit time on the beds. We live in a world that thinks it is good to get as much as you can done on as little as sleep as possible. I will not get into that but don't do it to you kids. Some kids are more willing than others to sleep but I do think it is the parents job to make sure they get what they need. If you kid is unhappy a lot of the time for no reason my guess is he needs more sleep.

That brings me to point number two having rules. I don't think you should have a house run like the army rules for everything. You need to think about what is most important to you and make rules about it. For me a big one with grilygirl is listening when she is called. So if her dad or I call her name she must stop what she is doing and come. If she doesn't I go to her and get so I am looking in her eyes and say "Mommy called you must come" in a firm but none yelling voice. I think hold her hand and we walk to where I was when I called her. I then go on with what I wanted her to come in the first place. You don't have to be mean or punish you kids to teach them. Just do the same thing each time they will learn.

Again you are not the army so you can have fun. I think young children learn so much by playing with others. I also think it brings them great joy when that other is mom or dad. Getting down on the flour and building with the blocks they never touch will not only be fun for your child but you can each them. Just by talking about what you are doing it helps them learn new words. When you are play try to talk as much as possible give your child a turn to talk too. Even if he doesn't have words yet. Another way to play with your child is to read and we have all heard how important that is. When playing with your kids you show them you are willing to do what they like to do.

Yeah but with all we have to do the time we have to play is not very much so don't leave them out when you are with them. Make you time count. That means let them "help". I know it may take longer to let a toddler help you but before long he will be a kid then a teen if helping is what they have always done they will just keep helping. Plus tots love to "help". There are times they can't help. That is fine let them know that. Girlygirl is only 16 months I need her out of my way when I am cooking. I will often first try to get her to play something before I start. By getting out some books or a toy she loves. She will then play for some of the time I am cooking. When she comes to see what I am doing I tell her "Mommy is cooking right now" I pick her up and show her the food talk about it a little. I then tell her "I need to finish now. You can sit her and watch or go play more if you want." I then put her down and let her choice what she wants do to. But she has to pick one of the things I said. She can't hang on my leg. If she does I put her in her the spot I told her to sit. Yes sometimes she will cry. I tell her why I did that and she can go play if she wants. Then I go back to cooking even if she is crying. Crying because she is mad will not hurt her or I.

All that being said remember your tot is not a baby nor a kid. Some where stuck in the middle so know your tot and do what is best for him. Each toddler and family is different so nothing is a one size fits all or even most.

Good luck and remember to enjoy the time you have with you toddler soon he will be a kid.