March 19th, 2008 by admin

My oldest son is 4 now, just last week was his birthday. Anyhow today he says to me Knock, Knock, I said who’s there, and we went through the whole bit, except… he never finished the joke.

He just kept saying Banana and then would restart the joke. It was so great. I hear from other people that 4 is the age they start this. It is so amazing the things they pick up so easily once they turn 4. I assume he got it off of backyardigans today, yes my kids do watch tv, just a little bit.

Anyways, so I thought I would share the link we found on knock knock jokes to teach your preschoolers once they are interested. This and the printables from yesterday on drawing lines were our activities today. And of course Daddy read to him as well.

We especially liked the banana split so I screamed one since he was already saying banana.

http://www.indianchild.com/knock_knock_jokes1.htm

March 19th, 2008 by admin

For preschoolers to learn how to write their names and letters, and well… just about anything else they have to have some practice.

It can be hard though always finding a good place to get worksheets to do this. But don’t worry I have found all you need to get started with this great task. Check out the following site and you will have a printing preschooler in no time.

http://www.kidzone.ws/prek_wrksht/dynamic.htm

March 18th, 2008 by admin

There are a ton of things you can do playing with cars. We love them at our house. Here are just a couple of things we have done with them.

Taught our oldest colors. One day while playing cars with daddy, daddy decided that he wouldn’t give up a car unless he was told the color. At first he would say the color and make our oldest repeat it. They only did red and blue that day, but it started a life long lesson of choosing colors, just by playing with his then favorite toy.

Cars the Movie, this taught us so much, but of course we watched it hundreds of times. We got to teach more colors, counting and naming the cars, more for memory as well.

Last but not least we have used them for a craft. It was on about.com and what you do is take cars that have different wheels and then you grab some finger paints and let them dip the wheels in the paint and make tracks on the paper. Its pretty cool, because later they can use it as roads to play on.

Part of being so young is experimenting and learning, let them use all their options, this is the most important time of their lives.

March 17th, 2008 by admin

What do Benjamin Franklin and preschoolers have in common? This quote:

“Tell me and I forget.

Teach me and I remember.

Involve me and I learn.”

-Benjamin Franklin

This pinpoints what we have to do as parents to teach our children as they grow. Just a great quote I found online tonight, and I hope you all enjoy it.

March 17th, 2008 by admin

It took us quite awhile to get our now 4 year old started with potty training. He never seemed too interested in doing it, except the periodic occasion.

Well we did what we could with him and tried everything. We did the naked and $75 plan, which meant he would run around naked and get sick of messing himself and the $75 was to clean the carpet. Needless to say this didn’t work for us. The first time he went on the carpet we were done with that plan. It seemed too much like potty training a puppy.

Next we tried to train his favorite stuffed animal, the stuffed animal, named George did just fine, but our son, wanted nothing to do with the potty seat. Finally we gave up for awhile, we decided he would go when he was ready. After about another 4 months or so of no potty training it was summer time and my husband had to go. When my son noticed he did it standing up he was all excited. From then on, we have let him try peeing standing up. It has made a huge difference. To start with he did it mostly outside, this taught him how to do it with less mess.

Getting him to go number 2 on the potty was another story, but this definitely got us off to the right start. He just turned 4 last week, and other than sometimes wearing a diaper to bed, he is all trained.

March 16th, 2008 by admin

Picture books leave a lot to the imagination. That’s why they are so great for preschoolers and toddlers. Even better, almost all books to them are picture books.

This could be great for you. Why? Well, first thing off the top of my head, we don’t have to read the same story over and over again. How many times has your little one done this to you?

They love a book so much they just want you to read it again and again, and again. Well… no more. We get to change things around, and here’s how:

- let them tell you the story, this is from their memory, or they make it up as they go, this inspires their imagination, and the more the can imagine the better

- you can change the story, think of what else could be going on in the pictures that your child would like to hear about

- focus on other things in the book, what else is going on while the story is being read? discuss this with your preschooler

- (my favorite) take a book you haven’t read in awhile and completely ignore the words, even better use a book you have never read, say from the weekly library trip, and make up a story based on what is going on in the pictures, your child won’t know the difference, and tomorrow you will have a completely different story to tell them, thus again teaching them to stretch their imaginations.

March 15th, 2008 by admin

Jesus Ascending to Heaven Craft for Kids

Designed by Tracey Lentfer

What you will need: 16 oz. foam cup, blue paper, card stock (Heavy paper, cotton balls, string, tape, and colored pencils.

Get the rest of the instructions here!