Feed

Click here to read Play Dough Monsters for Preschoolers to Roll, Count & Decorate on Hands On As We Grow® Let’s make play dough monsters (with a built-in counting game, too) and get to know our Activity Room Member of the Month, Cari! Texas mom, Cari was pregnant, expecting her daughter, and wanted a way to keep her active little boy engaged… without screens. “It started when I got pregnant with my daughter, I was trying to find ways to do things with my son that didn’t involve so much physical exertion,” Cari explains. “It started out on Pinterest with...

This shark sensory bottle is just perfect for your shark- and ocean-loving kids. You can make your own version a few different ways, and it would be a nice addition to a preschool ocean theme or summer camp. Related: Pirate Sensory Bottle I am a HUGE fan of sensory bottles. We’ve been making them at school or at home since before Fun-A-Day came into being. They’re a great way to engage the children, and there is a wonderfully soothing aspect to discovery bottles. Yes, even those with sharks inside. Side note . . . am I the only one who...

I. LOVE. This book. The Call of the Wild and Free is absolutely my new favorite homeschooling book. Maybe even my favorite parenting book. I am definitely a Wild and Free homeschooling mama, but until yesterday, I had no idea there was a group of people whose philosophy aligned so perfectly with mine. This book is all about filling your children’s lives with nature, great books, and time to play. It’s about giving your kids a beautiful childhood. From now on, if anyone wants to know the guiding principles of my homeschool, I can just hand them this book. The...

This week, to help a little with the #stayhome-induced craziness, I gave a talk to parents of preschoolers about ways to use dramatic play at home.  A hand was raised in a zoom window, and a concerned face came into focus: “All my girl wants to do is play school! She even imitates her classmates, she misses them so much. Should I encourage her to just be herself or is this ok?” I’m so glad this mama asked that question! Since her girl can’t be in school, of course she is getting such satisfaction out of playing school. What a smart and...

It’s no secret that parents are having a particularly difficult time during the Covid-19 pandemic. Social distancing means balancing remote work, household chores, child care, homeschooling and leisure activities to keep everyone happy and healthy. But while there are endless worksheets, scavenger hunts, videos and activities available for school-age kids in lockdown, parents of babies have fewer options. We scoured the internet and asked parents in several HuffPost Facebook communities for their advice for keeping babies entertained. “This has been so incredibly difficult ― nearly impossible,” HuffPost reader Carissa Meg wrote. “I have a 9 month old. Keep in mind,...