Preschool Activities: Water Color Body Art

By Deborah Pace Rowley

Summer is almost over. I have to admit that I am looking forward to the start of school. But that feeling is bitter sweet and I know I need to savor these last days of summer as much as possible. Today’s activity is perfect for a day at the beach or the lake or even the last day running through the sprinklers or jumping in the kiddie pool in the backyard.

All you need is a tray of water colors, a paint brush and a cup of water. The canvas for all this painting fun? Your preschooler’s arms, legs, hands, feet and face. Turn your miniature Picasso lose or decorate your favorite clown yourself as he or she tries not to laugh. The paint will quickly wash off as soon as your preschooler dunks in the water.  

I don’t think Tiff would want me to point out that she is the cute teenager in this photo! Sorry Sis!

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Toddler Activities: Build a Face

By Tiffany Rudd

Anniston is 18 months old now! This is one of my favorite ages because it seems like she learns 100 new things every day. It is so much fun to teach her new concepts and watch how quickly she picks up new skills.

One of Anniston's cutest new skills is naming and pointing out her body parts. She knows the basics like eyes, nose and ears. But the kids have also taught her to lift up her shirt for a tickle when asked where her tummy is and squish her cute chubby face when asked where her cheeks are.

This activity was one I designed for her to practice her new body part knowledge. All I did was print the girl face and features on cardstock, add a little color, and cut out each of the parts. I also put the complete face in a plastic page protector so it would be reusable.

Then we worked together to stick all of the features where they belong. Since Anniston is still a little young I just had her match the parts to the completed face, but for an older child you can use the blank face. She then had a blast pointing to each feature on her and on the face we created.

You can click on the pictures/descriptions below to print your own girl or boy face and features to use with your toddler. Credit for drawing these cute faces goes to Deborah. Thank goodness one of us has some artistic talent! :)

Complete Girl Face

Girl Head

Girl Features

Girl Hair

Complete Boy Face

Boy Head

Boy Features

 Anniston kissing her new friend! :)

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Meal-Time Activities: Family Love Fruit Salad

By Tiffany Rudd

I absolutely love summer produce. My fridge and counter are overflowing with tons of yummy fruits and veggies. I also love that having all this fruit around makes it easy to create a quick, fresh and healthy dessert.

A few days ago my kids were having an especially hard time getting along. By the end of the day there was definitely not a happy and loving feeling in our home. So, I had the idea to turn our dessert into a little object lesson.

I set out little bowls of fruit and each of us chose our favorite. Then, as each family member dumped their fruit into a bigger bowl we took turns naming one thing we love and appreciate about that person. The kids talked about how much they love that their dad takes time to wrestle with them, how they love  hugs and kisses from Anniston, and how much they love getting a turn to hold baby brother. My favorite was listening to Cameron and Brooklyn talk about how much they love playing and laughing together.

Then, when all the fruit was in the bowl, we mixed it together and added some homemade Whipped Coconut Cream. The resulting fruit salad, that we named "Family Love Fruit Salad" was delicious.

As we enjoyed our dessert we reminded the kids how lucky we are to be a family, and how even though we are all good alone, we are fantastic when we stick together. This Family Love Fruit Salad is definitely a dessert we'll be having again and again! :)

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Back-To-School GIVEAWAY!

*CLOSED*

It's time for another GIVEAWAY!

Your help spreading the word about our blog means the world to us. So once again, here's your chance to HELP us & WIN some FREE stuff! :) 

Anyone want to guess what we are giving away again? ;)

We LOVE Books!

HOW TO ENTER

Up to three chances to win!

1st Comment (required): Leave a comment telling us which book set you would like to win (boy or girl - see below) and something you would like to see us post about on Puddle Wonderful Learning. 

(Don't forget to leave your email address)

2nd Comment: Like us on facebook and share Puddle Wonderful Learning on your facebook wall. Leave a comment telling us you did. 

3rd Comment: Follow us on Pinterest and pin one of your favorite posts from the blog. Leave a comment telling us you did. 

THANK YOU so much for helping us & GOOD LUCK!

Winners will be announced on Saturday, August 25th

BOY BACK-TO-SCHOOL SET

 Fourth Grade Rats by Jerry Spinelli

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book

Magic Tree House #43 - Leprechaun in Late Winter

Wooden Teeth & Jelly Beans - The Tupperman Files

How Whales Walked Into the Sea 

Teeth (Awesome Non-Fiction)

2030 - A Day in the Life of Tomorrow's Kids

Total Value = $58.00

GIRL BACK-TO-SCHOOL SET

Krazy Kitty Journal

The Truth About My Name (Book & Jewelry Making Kit!)

Mythlopedia - A Girls Guide to Greek Mythology

Kittylicious (Comes with a charm bracelet)

Just Between Friends

Camp Rock - Rockstar Recipes

Total Value = $78

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Parenting Tips: Teaching Your Kids To Listen

By: Tiffany Rudd

A few weeks ago I was feeling extremely frustrated with Cameron and Brooklyn's reaction to my requests. It went something like this almost every time I asked them to do something...

Me: Cameron and Brooklyn, I just heard the timer beep so Wii time is over. Turn it off please.

. . .

Me: Cameron and Brooklyn, listen please, it's time to turn it off.

. . .

Me: Cameron and Brooklyn, turn the Wii off right now.

. . .

Me: Turn it off NOW!!!

Honestly, it reached a point where it seemed like they didn't even register the sound of my voice until I was practically yelling! Please tell me I'm not the only mother who has felt this way.

One particularly frustrating morning I had a seriously depressing though. As I raised my voice again to get them to listen I thought, "I've trained my kids to only listen when I'm loud. This is my fault." 

Maybe that was a little harsh, but in a way I think it is true. Our children live up to the expectations we have of them. I was repeating my requests 4 times, I was raising my voice, I was allowing their behavior. 

So, that afternoon on my grocery run I picked up a bag skittles and the next morning we started "Listening Training!" I told the kids that for a few days they were going to be rewarded for listening the first time. I know, bribery and sugar, maybe not the best parenting tools, but desperate times call for desperate measures. :) 

For the next 3 days I made sure to use a quiet and calm voice for all my requests. I put two plastic cups on the counter with their names written on the side and a jar full of skittles next to them.

If they listened and followed instructions the first time I asked, I put two skittles in their cup.

If they listened the second time, I put one skittle in. 

If they listened the third time, no skittles.

If I had to ask a fourth time, I got to take one skittle out of their cup and eat it. 

Not long into the first day they were listening better, our house was quieter and I was much happier. Each evening after dinner they ate the skittles out of their cups and we talked about the improvements in their listening skills.

We only used the skittles for our 3 day training, but so far the results seem to be lasting. Those 3 days helped mix things up and hopefully break a bad habit I had allowed them to form. They still don't always listen the first time, but things have gotten much better. Every once in a while some good sugar and bribery are mom's best friends. :)

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Elementary Activities: 3-D Art

By: Tiffany & Cameron Rudd

Yesterday I shared with you the story of the construction paper craft I had planned the other day. I gathered supplies, called my two oldest to the table, and then was pulled away by the baby...and my toddler...and the phone ringing...

Luckily, my fantastic kids are independent and creative and came up with their own projects while I was away! Brooklyn turned her paper into jewelry (no surprise from my girly-girl). Check out her finished project HERE.

Cameron turned his paper strips into a 3D drawing of our house and pond. Super cool.

Here are the instructions in his own words...

STEP ONE: Decide what picture you want to make.

STEP TWO: Rip, glue, tape and staple the paper where you want it.

STEP THREE: It is even cooler if you can make the paper stick out and feel bumpy or curly.

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Preschool Activities: Construction Paper Jewelry

By Tiffany & Brooklyn Rudd

In my opinion, there is just something magical about construction paper. Something about the bright colors and thicker texture always seems to bring out the creativity in my kids (and in me)!

Just the other day I had a craft idea I wanted to try with my kids. So I gathered a bunch of colors of construction paper and cut them into 1/2 inch strips. I grabbed glue sticks, tape, and a stapler and called my two oldest to the kitchen table.

Then my baby started to cry...

And my toddler needed a diaper change...

And my mom called with a quick question...

Finally, 10 or 15 minutes later, I was back to tell my kids how to do the craft project I had planned. The fun thing is, they had gone ahead without me! My plans went out the window as they involved me in the super creative ideas THEY had come up with on their own.

Today Brooklyn will be sharing her craft idea, Construction Paper Jewelry! Are you ready for her detailed instructions? Here they are in her exact words...

STEP 1: You cut it, fold it, glue it, and tape it to make pretty stuff you can wear. Mom does the staple thing. They can poke you.

STEP 2: You go show the cousins how cute you look.

These last two pictures were just too funny not to share! This girl seriously cracks me up! :)

So, get out your pack of construction paper and create your own custom line of jewelry today. Or, better yet, let your child direct craft time and watch the magic unfold! Tomorrow I'll let Cameron share his construction paper craft with you. In his own words, "It's pretty cool!"

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Toddler Activities: Painting with Pudding

By: Deborah Pace Rowley

Toddlers love to put everything in their mouths so painting with a substance you can really eat is perfect for them! And Mom doesn’t have to keep grabbing fingers and saying “Don’t” every few seconds which is another plus. All you need to do is mix up a batch of instant pudding in any flavor. Lay out some finger painting paper and play! (Regular printer paper will work just fine in a pinch. It just doesn’t allow the puddling to move as freely as the waxed kind.) Let your child explore eating the paint and decorating the page at the same time. Throw in some pieces of cereal for added texture and artistic expression. Hang up this “lickable” masterpiece at toddler level for future exploration. :) You never know, you just might be encouraging a budding Jackson Pollack or Paul Klee!

Note: The darling picture of Anniston at the top of this post is a sneak peek at a project I am working on with my sister-in-law. In the middle of June we spent several days involved in a photo shoot for a new book I am working on. The pictures turned out even better than imagined. Stay tuned for more details coming soon!

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Meal-Time Activities: Edible Play Dough

By: Deborah Pace Rowley

This fun peanut butter play dough is a recipe my daughter brought home from her high school child development class. It is perfect for keeping kids occupied while you are trying to prepare dinner. Let them make some play dough creations to decorate the table. Then they can gobble them up as soon as dinner is over. 

Combine together in a mixing bowl: 

 1/2 cup peanut butter

 1/2 cup powdered sugar

 1/4 cup light corn syrup

Mix together, adding more powdered sugar until you get the correct consistency for molding.

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Parenting Tips: The Wacky Family Olympics (Olympics Week)

By: Deborah Pace Rowley

For a super ending to your fun Olympic week, hold your own Wacky Family Olympics.

Here are some events to try or you can create some of your own: 

Events: 

Discus Throw: See who perfect the technique of spinning around and throwing a paper plate the farthest.  

Javelin Throw: Compete in the Javelin Throw by launching pool noodles across the yard. 

Air Swim: Have a backyard swimming event where family members race by moving their arms in the motions of swim strokes across the yard. Run forward doing the front crawl, then run backwards doing the backstroke. 

Torch Relay: Make a torch out of a cone of white paper filled with yellow, orange or red tissue paper. Family members can compete by holding the torch as they race around the yard then passing the torch on to another family member to finish the face. Add to the challenge by crawling for one leg of the race, or skipping, or jumping on one foot etc. 

High Jump: Have two members of the family hold a pole or broom stick across the trampoline while family members see if they can jump over it and land on their backs. Continue to raise the pole until it can’t be crossed. 

Long Jump: Pull out a tape measure to see who can make the biggest standing long jump. 

Obstacle Course: Create an obstacle course in the backyard and have family members race to complete it in the fastest time. 

Medals: 

Make your own medals by attaching the following pieces of candy to a round piece of card stock glued to a striped ribbon. 

Gold- Mini Reeses Peanut Butter Cups

Silver- Hersheys Kisses

Bronze- Individually Wrapped Rolos Candy

Biggest Cheerleader Award: 

Competitive kids have a hard time letting other children win. Before your wacky Olympics start, encourage your family to cheer for each other and celebrate each other’s success. Lay out the medals and then show a giant candy bar that is labeled: Biggest Cheerleader! Explain that the best award goes to the person who cheers the loudest for other family members. (NOTE: You may want to have several giant candy bars ready to award to all the kids who are great cheerleaders and good sports during the Olympic activity.) Explain that we double our joy in life when we celebrate our own successes AND celebrate the successes of others. As a wise religious leader recently taught: We don’t want to drink a big glass of pickle juice every time something good happens to someone else. 

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