Most Popular Articles Tagged: Activity

  • N/A


Youtube Read-aloud Books are a Free Alternative to eBooks for Kids

December 20, 2011 by Asta Svedkauskaite Comments1 Comment »

Watch Youtube Read-aloud Books for Kids and Save Money on iPad Apps, Nook and Kindle eBooks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka-tznfolzE

Llama Llam Mad at Mama read aloud by Anna Dewdney

Do you have an iPhone, iPad, Nook, or Kindle? Buying eBooks can get expensive. Next time your children want to read, try sampling free Youtube read-aloud books for kids instead.

We know that starting from a very early age, every parent should teach their children to treasure literacy. eBooks are not like cartoons, fast moving images and loud music telling a story with 2 dimensional characters. eBooks are slow paced; they let children think and imagine, fill in the blanks. Youtube read-aloud audio books are an especially convenient option for busy families that are constantly going places. Got a basketball game to be at and you have to bring your 5 year old, too? Try tuning into a video or audio read-aloud story when he starts to get restless. …continue reading »

The American Association for the Advancement of Science is holding a free Fair in Chicago

February 3, 2009 by Caryn Talty CommentsBe the first to comment on this article! »

aaas The AAAS,  the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal, Science, will be hosting their annual meeting in Chicago this year.

It is a great opportunity for area families to teach their kids about Earth sciences: past, present, and future. And most importantly, many of the sessions are free on Saturday the 14th and Sunday the 15th: plenary sessions, topical lectures,  Family Science Days, the Main Exhibit Hall, Wizardry With Light: Freeze, Teleport and Go! and Harnessing the Sun and Oceans to Meet the World’s Energy Demands. Participants should be aware that in order to attend the lectures listed on the website as free they will have to register as either a student or a teacher that day and pay a fee anywhere from $90-$200. Family activities on the specified family days are free to the public and do not require registration. …continue reading »

Make Nature Prints with Sculpey

May 13, 2008 by Elaine Luther CommentsBe the first to comment on this article! »

Write, Mama, Write

Write, Mama, Write has a great little post up about making nature prints with the kids and the pictures will make you want to try them. If you haven’t used polymer clay (such as Sculpey) and would prefer to work with something that you don’t have bake, an alternative material to try is Makins Clay. They have an air dry polymer clay, it’s easy to find at your local craft store. Look for the bright green wrapper. …continue reading »

Tidy Way to Keep Crayons in your Purse

April 29, 2008 by Elaine Luther CommentsBe the first to comment on this article! »

Crayons in Tin

Crayons aren’t so easy to carry around, right? They break easily, can spill out of a bag and mark up your things, and worst of all, they have a tendency to melt all over your purse if you leave them closed up in car during the hot summer months. A thin tin box with a handy snap tight closure is the perfect container for carrying crayons for those ‘whenever’ times in life.

This simple solution makes it easy to have some crayons in your diaper bag or purse, ready at a moment’s notice for use in waiting rooms, or wherever you find yourself stuck with a hard to entertain toddler, all while preventing breakage or ruining your purse. …continue reading »

Make a Kid-Friendly Salad Greens Recipe With Your Child

March 13, 2008 by Caryn Talty CommentsBe the first to comment on this article! »

Kids Won’t eat Your Salad Greens Recipe? Try a “Little Chef” one

Kid-Friendly Little Chef Salad

Our kid-friendly little chef salad

This kid-friendly salad greens recipe, aptly named by son #2 as “Little Chef Salad” is good enough for a toddler to eat. Inspired by Remy, our household is slowly changing our ways. I often joke that a year ago we could have been considered the “Mc Talty” family for all the times we would frequent McDonalds. My then two year old was so familiar with the place that he felt compelled to point it out whenever we passed one in our travels. We’ve made a complete turn around since then, thanks in large part to our oldest son’s diagnosis of a chronic tic disorder and allergies to gluten and corn. We since eliminated these three foods from our kitchen, and it has made all the difference for him in his recovery.

This salad greens recipe is unique. What makes it special? It is not so much about the ingredients as it is about the preparation. You see, this Little Chef salad greens recipe is literally a salad made by my little chef, age 3, a former chicken nugget man turned foodie, a fella not diagnosed, but gluten free through association, and loving it. …continue reading »

A Visit with Zoolidays Illustrator Rolandas Kiaulevicius

February 13, 2008 by Caryn Talty CommentsBe the first to comment on this article! »

Rolandas - Moose

Our boys received a wonderful gift this year for the holidays- a beautiful hardcover copy of Zoolidays, Written by Bruce Glassman and illustrated by up and coming artist Rolandas Kiaulevicius, and if that wasn’t enough they also got tickets to a wonderful show about that book and more called GIRO.

This book is a wonderful read, and the show is a fabulous must see for any emergent reader and budding artist. My boys absolutely loved the book from cover to cover, and the show really delighted their imaginations in a way that the book alone couldn’t do. …continue reading »

10 Bee Movie Crafts and Activities for Your Kids

November 4, 2007 by Caryn Talty CommentsBe the first to comment on this article! »

beemovie.png Jerry Seinfeld’s Bee Movie got a top rating in our house this weekend when it managed to keep my three-year old so enthralled that I could barely get him out of his seat for a potty break while my four-year old just plain wouldn’t go at all. The movie is fast-paced and although the logistics are sometimes sketchy for the fact savvy adult, the story line flows like honey for kids between 36 and 48 inches tall. Parents should be aware that there are some typical Seinfeld-style fast-paced adult innuendos throughout the movie and one violent stinging episode in the courtroom that may upset little people. …continue reading »

Ten Activities that will Make your Child an Early Reader

October 21, 2007 by Caryn Talty Comments2 Comments »

Early Reader

You don’t need to rely on a future preschool teacher or the television set to teach your child literacy. Proactive parents can do quite a bit for their children at a very young age to set the stage for early reading and lifelong success at school. A child who feels successful has confidence, and as we all know, one who struggles with failure will often times develop poor coping skills and very low self-esteem. Don’t wait until your child is formally enrolled to start thinking about literacy. Start now. There are 10 very simple things parents can do with their toddlers that will ensure future success at school. …continue reading »