Food and Learning?

by Kristin Miller on 04/18/16

Yes - we love learning with food.  I mean, come on, how many times growing up were you allowed to paint with your yogurt???  Super fun!

From painting with our applesauce and ketchup, to smearing our yogurt, coloring on tortillas, learning the colors with our fruit loops cereal, scooping up rice, and making letters with our cheese and crackers.  There are endless opportunities to learn using food.  It is so practical and easy; and the best thing, the kids LOVE it (because they get to eat their "homework" - literally!)

5 Foods to Easily Learn with at Any Home:

1. Tortilla or Bread - Have your child build their fine-motor skills to tear the pieces apart.  Then, color on them!

2.  Thick Liquids or Foods as Sauce (Ketchup, Yogurt, Applesauce, Mustard, Jelly, ect) - Just for some messy fun, let your child finger-paint (or use a paintbrush) to smear these fun sauces around on thick white paper!

3. Foods you can Cook (spaghetti noodles, rice, ect.) - After they have cooled off, throw some noodles in a bucket (or rice).  Give your child a cup, fork, and a spoon to stir.  Creative imagination and pretend play will be sure to keep your child busy as they make some spaghetti or rice for you!

4. Snack Time Foods - Like crackers and cubed cheese - Use these to teach tons of learning skills, like letters, numbers, counting, and making shapes.  Check out our other blog post specifically for ideas HERE.  

5. Breakfast Time Foods - Using a variety of cereals to teach learning concepts, such as colors, counting, making letters, and using to build fine-motor skills and literacy awareness!

- See more at: http://www.eteachingme.com/Mom-Blog.html?entry=food-and-learning#sthash.yvSzqBTg.dpuf

Elf on the Shelf - Fun ideas & Teaching Tools

In my family we love "Frank the Elf!"  He is always getting into something!  My kids love finding him every morning throughout December.  As I "try to keep up" and "be a good mom" preparing him for each morning - I have also have taken the time to think about what really matters?  During this time of year, we are busy.  We are awaiting the arrival of Jesus' birthday.  We are shopping for presents.  We are taking the kids to go see Santa.  And we are trying to Pinterest ways we can "set up" our Elf so it is fun for our kids.  

However, I am all about meaning, too.  As it just is important to make sure we continue this fun Elf tradition for/with our children - we must also stop and remind ourselves to take each moment, as a learning opportunity.  In our household, we must not forget what the true meaning of Christmas is really all about too!  Therefore, I created this Calendar!  It gives you daily ideas of how to "set up" your Elf on the Shelf, and then approach your kids finding Elf as a learning opportunity.  Every day gives you a "set up" and teaching tool.  Integrated within the monthly calendar, are Christian opportunities for you to also teach your child what the real meaning of Christmas is all about!

Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Elf on the Shelf Ideas and Teaching Tools

Do you do Elf on the Shelf??? Check out our calendar of ideas to hide Elf and use him to teach your children at the same time!  An original, creative, and one-of-a-kind calendar for anyone to use in December, for all ages!

Please GO HERE to view the calendar larger and print to use!  Enjoy!

Merry Christmas

TRACING? 10 Creative Ways to Teach...

Tracing is a beginning skill that kids need to and can learn around age 2 to help with early writing and fine-motor development.  Below are some helpful activity ideas to help you teach tracing skills to your toddler and preschooler.  The KEY when teaching tracing - to make it easy on their eyes and make it engaging so they WANT to do it!  All 10 of these activities below will help you do just that .... AND the best part, they are all AFFORDABLE and EASY to prepare!

1. USE A HIGHLIGHTER TO TEACH TRACING - Using a highlighter shows children "one continuous line" - therefore, makes it easier for them to follow along and less stimulating as those "dotted tracing letters workbooks".  When you ask them to "trace" - Say a simple phrase they would understand, such as, "can you follow along the yellow lines with your marker?"  Always show and model for them what it is you want them to do, before expecting a child to do it on their own (for the first time).

2. USE CLEAR TAPE TO TEACH TRACING - Have your child use their finger or a marker to follow along the clear tape on a colored sheet of paper (for easy viewing).

3. USE PLASTIC COOKIE CUTTERS TO TEACH TRACING - Have your child use their finger to follow the outline of the cookie cutter.  Then, have them put the cookie cutter down on white paper, and use a marker to trace its outline.

4. USE GLUE TO TEACH TRACING  - Help your child use liquid glue to trace the outlines of letters, lines, or shapes on a sheet of paper.

5. USE PAINT TO TEACH TRACING LINES - Have your child use a paint brush and paint to trace lines, or letters, you have drawn out on a sheet of white paper using a highlighter, as shown below.

6. USE PAPERCLIPS TO TEACH TRACING - Have your child use a pen and paperclips to trace their outlines.

7. USE YOUR CHILD'S HAND TO TEACH TRACING - Have your child trace the outline of their hands, feet, or your hands on a sheet of white paper or the sidewalk with chalk.

8. USE CHALK TO TEACH TRACING - Write your child's name with a piece of white sidewalk chalk outside, have them use colored chalk to trace over it!  You can also substitute by having them use a paintbrush with water to trace over the letters written in chalk, as a form of "erasing it!"  FUN!

9. USE HOMEMADE PATTERN SHEETS TO TEACH TRACING - Create some fun, different pattern sheets (have them laminated at the local Office Depot) and give your child a dry erase marker.  Have them "trace" or follow the patterns on the sheets, like shown in the picture below!

10. USE POPSICLE STICKS TO TRACE PLAY DOUGH LETTERS - Create letters in play dough, then have your child use Popsicle sticks to stick in the play dough following the letters outlines.  View in picture below!

Moms VS Dads

Alright people....here is the real TRUTH behind what goes into a Moms VS Dads daily routine.  To the MOMS out there, we are so awesome!  Dads, you are too, in your own unique kinda way.

 




Just for fun....and a reality laugh for my fellow mommies out there....lets take a look!  Keep in mind to our dear ol' husbands, WHY we are so tired at the end of the day....why we DON'T want to be romantic, intimate, or seem to find someway to b*tch about things....no clue what for??? But, we do love you....

BUT DON'T WORRY DADS, this daily schedule could also be vice versa for some families.....where good ol' DAD plays some, if not all, of the "MOM" roles too!

READ, LAUGH...........RELATE..........
_______________________________________________________________

Moms Daily Schedule (for the SUPER MOMMAS - that stay at home AND/OR work)

Wake up
Make your bed
Take a shower
Use the restroom
Do hair, make-up, brush teeth
Get dressed
Make coffee
Eat breakfast
Pick up some things around the house (blankets, toys, dishes in kitchen, clothes laying around, ect.)
Take pets out to potty (if you have them)
Kids wake up (sometimes crying)
Help kids make their beds
Have/help them go potty
Get them dressed
Brush their teeth
Brush their hair
Feed them breakfast
Feed the pets (if you have them)
** Stay-at-home moms - ALL DAY of PLAY, CLEANING, PARK, ERRANDS, GROCERY STORE, FEEDING KIDS, PLAY, DEALING WITH TANTRUMS, CHECK MAIL, GO TO APPOINTMENTS, AND CLEANING...AGAIN)
** Working moms
Get their back-packs ready
Get their lunches and/or snack bags ready
Walk kids to car
Get kids in car
Turn on car
Drive them to school (may be more than one location)
Drive to work
Work a full 8 hour day shift
** Stay-at-home and working moms continued schedule
Drive to pick up kids from school (may be more than one location)
Stop somewhere to get them a drink and snack (because they are STARVING when you pick them up from school it seems like every single day....)
Take the kids to their events:  Soccer, Karate, Dance, Cheerleading, Music class, Gym, Football, Ect.... (sadly, some days may be 1 or 2 different places and events depending on how many kids you have and the schedule of them)
Drive home
Check and get the mail
Get kids out of car
Put book bags, purse, work stuff, kids school work away
Have/help kids go potty
Do homework
Open the mail
Use the restroom
Prepare dinner
Make dinner
Answer the phone
Do some minor daily errands around house (dishes, sweep, pick up toys, laundry, dust/wipe down tables or counters, water plants, take out trash, go to the grocery store if needed)
Get table ready for dinner and serve it to each person in family
Sit down to eat dinner
Clean up kitchen/dishes from dinner
Have/help kids go potty
Have/help kids clean their bedrooms with toys all over the place
Get kids a bath
Brush their teeth
Comb their hair
Get PJS on kids
Have/help kids go potty
Read kids a story or sit down and play with them EACH for 10 minutes because they desperately want your attention and DESERVE it!
Continue with minor house errands (wipe down bathrooms, pick up toys, laundry)
Watch TV or have some "personal down time" to enjoy something you look forward to because YOU DESERVE it!
Have/help kids go potty
Put kids to bed - lights out!
Get belongings prepared for tomorrow's work day (if need be)
Get kids clothes for school tomorrow picked out and ready
Do personal duties - like pay bills, prepare mail to be sent out, make dr. appointments for week/next day, return phone calls, check emails/texts/Facebook, update the weekly family activity calendar of events...
Take a bath (optional at this point)

Get your PJs on and get comfortable

Brush your teeth

Use the restroom

Put yourself to bed
Sleep
Toss and turn thinking about everything you have to do tomorrow....
Sleep
.......
Do it all over again the next day!

_____________________________________________________________

Dads Daily Schedule (for the hard-working dads out there!)

Wake up
Take a shower
Do hair, shave, brush teeth
Get dressed
Make coffee
Eat breakfast
Walk to car
Turn on car
Drive to work
Work a full 8-10 hour day shift
Drive home
Put away work stuff
Help take out the trash
Help water the grass and plants (every other day, and only if, you dont have a sprinkler system)
Sit down to eat dinner
Read kids a story or sit down and play with them each for 10 minutes because they desperately want your attention and DESERVE it!
Watch TV or have some "personal down time" because dad just got done working a full day and he DESERVES it!  *wink to my fellow mommies out there*
Brush your teeth
Take a bath (if you feel like it)
Get your PJs on and get comfortable
Check your email/texts/Facebook, help with paying bills, checking mail, returning phone calls
Get belongings prepared for tomorrow's work day (if need be)
Put yourself to bed
Sleep
.......
Do it again tomorrow!

___________________________________________________________

Now THIS is REAL LIFE  with KIDS - tantrums, messes, and FUN as always...

  

Matching: 25 ways to tell, show, and do!

Learning how to match things together is a necessary skill that a child should be able to begin learning and doing as early on as 2 years old.  You can teach this concept in so many different and easy ways.  Matching is the capability for a child or person to put two, or more, of the same things together to represent alike.  The easiest way to explain matching to a young child is to make it "short and sweet."

Tell child:  "Matching means putting together things that look the same."

Show child: Put two of the same looking pictures, objects, or things together.

Learn with child:  Lay out objects on the floor that will help teach your child the concept of matching.  Encourage child to match and sort objects according to same attributes.

25 WAYS

Things you can use, or do, at home to easily teach matching skills with your child:

1. Using free paint sample cards from Lowes or Home Depot to teach matching colors, as shown in picture

2. Putting pairs of socks together

3. Putting pairs of shoes together

4. Putting together same shapes, as shown in picture

5. Putting together matching colored toys or blocks

6. Matching colors using Kool-Aid packages, as shown in picture

7. Putting same coins together; nickles, dimes, pennies, and quarters

8. Matching crayon colors

9. Play dough ball sizes OR cotton ball sizes (big and small), as shown in picture examples

 

10. Matching Goldfish colors

11. Matching Fruit Loops Cereal colors, as shown in picture

12. Matching colored M&M's, as shown in picture

13. Spoons and Forks together (for 3 years and up)

14. Alphabet letters (capitol and lowercase or same case-letters), as shown in pictures

 

15. Paper strips cut in different lengths to match sizes, as shown in picture

16. Matching numbers on tickets, as shown in picture

17. Matching letters in their name usign paper or tape, as shown in picture

 

18. Matching together movies or DVD's that are the same genre, for instance, all the Mickey Mouse movies together or all of the Blue's Clue's Movies together

19. Numbers and corresponding dots on spoons and plates, as shown in picture

20. Playing a game of copy-cat.  Copying actions of someone else to match what they are doing, as shown in picture

21. Matching one-to-one correspondence, as shown in picture

22. Matching colors together using an egg carton and tortillas that are colored, as shown in picture

23. Using snack items to teach matching concepts, such as tall and short or one-to-one correspondence, see picture examples

24. Using "Memory-like" board games to match same pictures on cards - or Use flash cards

25. Have your toddler or preschooler put together matching sight words with their beginning letter on a chart like shown in the picture below