Senses: Touch
This is the second part of our senses series, touch. If you missed Sound, you can go here! Below are activities, printables, and book suggestions all about the sense of touch. Activities involving touch Take different types of fruit/vegetables, close your eyes. Feel them with your fingers. Do they feel soft or hard? What shape are they? Is the surface smooth or bumpy? Is it large … Continue reading Senses: Touch
Postpartum Depression
I briefly discussed dealing with postpartum depression (PPD)before, but little did I know then that I would have it ten times worse with the birth of my second child. I knew something wasn’t right when I was pregnant, when I was getting agitated over the stupidest things. It only took one dinner, where I threw a 4-year-old tantrum because my husband cooked the potatoes with garlic and onions, to … Continue reading Postpartum Depression
Parenting Resolutions
With the new year started, I always like to think that it is a clean slate a chance to change anything I like. Empowering Parents has a great blog post on steps to be a more calm and positive parent. After reading it, I felt like it was a great how to post about setting resolutions or goals for ourselves. Please take a minute in … Continue reading Parenting Resolutions
Toddler Activities and Crafts
Mirror Image Activity Have your child stand facing another person, as if they were looking in the mirror. Choose which person will be the leader and which one will be the follower. As the leader moves the follower imitates the movement. Make sure to switch roles, so that both children can be the leader and the follower. Crown thee King or Queen: Cut construction paper to … Continue reading Toddler Activities and Crafts
Senses: Sound
There is so much that you can do with the 5 senses and teaching them. This week we are going to start with Sound. Below are activities, printables, and book suggestions all about sound. Activities involving Sound: Go on a sound walk: Listen for all the different sounds. Can you pick out any one in particular? Guess what it is: Play different sounds and have … Continue reading Senses: Sound
Simplified Life in 2013
Towards the end of the year I was feeling a great pull to live a simpler life. I realized that the happiest times that year were with my husband and children. None of those times included the toys or games or gadgets, the times were having bedroom picnics, reading books, or just enjoying each others company doing whatever. Realizing this help me understand that the … Continue reading Simplified Life in 2013
Positive Parenting
Positive Parenting is not something that you can fake, it is something that parents have to believe in. You discipline in a gentle and respectful way as opposed to disciplining out of fear. You encourage your children. Parents believe in every opportunity to teach their children instead of punishing them. By teaching them you are helping them develop responsibility, honesty, respect, and confidence. You are able to … Continue reading Positive Parenting
This Generation and Technology
They call my generation the technology generation, but I am learning that my children will really be the first generation. When I was growing up, the internet was still something few families had. I didn’t have cable for most of my childhood, video games were not as mainstream and you could still find a pay phone. In today’s world, kids are brought up with technology; they … Continue reading This Generation and Technology
Gross Motor Activities
Crayon Rubbings: Explore with different textures by placing a piece of paper over it and rubbing the crayon on the paper. Sand Painting: Spread glue on a piece of paper. Drop the sand onto the glue, shake off extra sand. Large Block building: See how tall your child can get the blocks to go before they tip over. Bean bag toss: Throw the bean bags … Continue reading Gross Motor Activities
Clothespins and the Basket
This is a great activity for a toddler who loves to sort and pick things up and put them in a container. It will help your child with gross motor skills, following directions, fine motor skills and the concept of “in” and “out”. You can color the clothespins with markers, or paint. Then use different color buckets for your child to match the colors. Don’t … Continue reading Clothespins and the Basket
ART with Angela DiCicco, The Italian Grandmama's Guide 