March 2011

Pinwheel Pasta Art

by Michaela

It’s amazing what my 7 year old Christopher can come up with if I give him a few pasta pinwheels, paper, marker, and some glue… What do you think?

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Favorite Non-Holiday Family Traditions

by Michaela

Good family traditions can increase a child’s sense of security and emotional well-being. Here are a few ideas: Read stories or books aloud together. Film family celebrations or take pictures that help children recall pleasant memories. Place photos in frames or in albums to view together. Tell family stories. Watch movies or television shows together [...]

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Make a Big Dry Ice Bubble

by Michaela

Have fun making a dry ice bubble that will grow and grow as it fills with fog. This experiment is a great one for adults to do with kids. Add water to the dry ice, cover it with a layer of soapy water and watch your bubble grow, how big will it get before it [...]

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Make An Egg Float

by Michaela

An egg sinks to the bottom if you drop it into a glass of ordinary drinking water but what happens if you add salt? The results are very interesting and can teach you some fun facts about density. What you’ll need: One egg Water Salt A tall drinking glass Instructions: Pour water into the glass [...]

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Gardening With the Kiddos

by Michaela

One of the most fulfilling activities I have done with my children is to plant a garden with them. What a great lesson on reaping what you sow! Planting and raising a garden can teach your brood planning skills, responsibility, along with a good dose of patience. Plan upfront to involve your kids in all [...]

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Sand Spelling

by Michaela

How do you hold the attention of a child when it come to learning their spelling words? Have them write their spelling words in sand! This can take the boredom of just writing them down on paper.

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Color In a Bag

by Michaela

My 3 year old just flips over this project! “For the youngest kids, art is really about the tactility of the materials, what they feel like,” says Abbey Hendrickson, a former educator at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Massachusetts. We can’t think of a more tactile experience than squeezing and [...]

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Your Child’s First Monoprints

by Michaela

In printing, mono means “one of a kind,” which is a perfect description of this easy introduction to color mixing, texture, and spontaneity. The only rule here is to have plenty of paper on hand — because printmaking can be habit-forming. Materials: Washable, nontoxic tempera paint Cookie sheet 2 large pieces of paper Cotton swabs, [...]

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Birdseed Biscuit

by Michaela

My kids love making this cute bird feeder. We have a tree right outside my toddler’s window where we can sit and watch a variety of birds come to feed! You will need: 3/4 cup of birdseed 1 tablespoon flour Water Cookie cutter Oil Foil Cookie sheet Straw Ribbon Easy instructions: Our recipe makes two [...]

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A Frog in the Bog to “Bugs On a Log”

by Michaela

Today’s recipe inspiration comes from one of my children’s favorite books: A Frog in the Bog. Written by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Joan Rankin. Here is an Amazon review: You may already know an old lady who swallowed a fly, but you’re about to meet her chief competition: “a frog on the log in the [...]

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