Preschool Activities: The Power of Pillowfights

By: Deborah Pace Rowley

In the past, Tiff and I have shared the insights we gained from reading the book Nurture Shock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman. Recently I picked up their new book which is entitled Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing. I have been fascinated by this great read and I wanted to share something I learned that relates to our kids.

Chapter Six of the book is called: "The Utter Importance of Pillow Fights." And they aren't kidding. Listen to this sentence: "University of Montreal professor Daniel Parquette recently made the case that parents wrestling, grappling, and play-fighting with their young children is a good thing, not a bad things, because it teaches kids competitive skills."

By rough and tumble play the experts include activities such as pretending to be a monster and playfully chasing kids around the couch, tickling back and forth, engaging kids in pillow fights and playing tug-of-war over cushions. Through cross-cultural studies, experts have shown that rough-housing and rough-and-tumble play are valuable because they help children to be successfully aggressive.

What does being successfully aggressive mean? I will let the experts explain: "Paquette explains that this kind of play, where the parent can escalate or reduce the aggressiveness, teaches children how to express their aggression but in a modulated and controlled way. Doing so within the context of an emotional bond keeps these displays of aggression safe, yet it also destabilizes children, pushing them and expanding their comfort zone."

Pillow fights and rough-and-tumble play help kids later in life to:
Be brave in unfamiliar situations
Stand up for themselves
And learn to take risks.
It gives them training time to get comfortable with the emotional intensity of competition.

There is just one rule: "The imperative thing in roughhousing is that the parent maintain control, animating children but de-escalating when kids are on the brink of anger or frustration."

The chapter emphasizes that there has been a recent trend toward bubble-wrapping our kids. But rough-and-tumble play with a parent is where the fine line between playing and fighting can be safely explored.

Sounds pretty good, doesn't it? There is just enough time to grab some pillows before bed.

*Quotes from Top Dog by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman pages 118-120.

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Toddler Activities: Honor My Mother

By  Deborah Pace Rowley

This activity is another short lesson from Family Nights for Little Tikes. It is a great activity to do as a family right after Mother's Day or sometime near Mom's birthday.

Honor My Mother

*Gather several different hats from around the house or make some simple ones of your own. Use the hats to show all the things that Mom does for the family. 

Here are some ideas: 

Chef’s Hat- Mom cooks for the family. (White tissue paper tucked into a band of white construction paper makes a great chef hat.) 

Baseball hat- Mom plays with her family and takes her kids to all their games and activities. 

Ski Hat- Mom builds snowmen with her family and bundles up her kids to play in the snow. 

Straw Hat- Mom takes her family to the beach and to the pool and plans for family vacations. She sees that everyone wears sun screen. 

Bandana- Mom cleans the house for her family and does the laundry and mops the floor. 

Dressy Hat- Mom goes to church with her family and prays for her family. 

Newspaper Hat- Mom reads to her family and takes them to the library and helps them with their schoolwork. (Make a triangular shaped hat out of newspaper.)

*Let your child try on all the hats and look in the mirror. 

*Talk about how grateful we are for Mom for all the things that she does in the family. 

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Elementary Activities: 5 Suggestions for Building Your Home Library

By Deborah Pace Rowley

We know that reading is important but how do we build a home library of books for our children? Here are a five simple suggestions. These are things that have worked for me.

1.  Buy used
Amazon has great prices on gently used books that are just as fun to read as pristine new ones. You can also look at thrift stores or yard sales or second-hand book stores. I love to read a book that I know someone else has read and loved. It connects me with a community of other readers. Kids can feel the same way too. (*See suggestion 5 below) Plus it decreases the pressure on reader and Mom. It is okay if a corner gets creased in a used book. It is okay if a little bit of chocolate accidentally dirties a page...Ehem.  Not that I have ever done that to any of my books.

2. Buy at a Discount
I just got back from our local Scholastic Warehouse Sale. This is an event that I look forward to every year. I stock up on popular titles at a huge discount. Most book are discounted 50% and some are as high at 80% off. Our sale has a build-a-box area where you can stuff a box with as many books as you can and the total cost of the box is $25.00 The picture below  is of all the items that I fit in my box this year. The total retail value of all these books would be closer to $300. Look here to see if you can find a Scholastic Warehouse in your area. Costco is another place to find discounted books.

3. Be part of a Book Club
All of my children's Dr. Seuss books came from a book club membership that I started when they were very small. Disney also offers a great book club with favorite children's titles based on popular Disney movies. Book clubs like this are a great way to build your library for a small monthly fee. They also give your child something fun to look forward to as a book arrives each month. Take a look at some popular book clubs here and here and here.

4. Give Books.
My children know that they will receive at least one book at major gift-giving celebrations. Birthdays, Christmas, and other holidays are perfect times to build a library and help instill in a child a love for reading. If you have a reluctant reader who will be disappointed rather than thrilled by a book, try giving a book basket with a theme. Slip a sports book in a basket with other sporting equipment, put a book about animals in a basket with some more Littlest Pet shop animals for her collection. You can build theme baskets around tractors, Barbies, Legos, or anything your child loves.

5. Have a Book Swap
Invite several other families with children in your neighborhood to a book swap. Your kids can trade books that they have read and loved with some of their friends favorite titles. This is a fun way for your kids to see what their friends are reading. Sometimes all a reluctant reader needs is to know that this book was his buddies favorite. It doesn't hurt that his friend is going to be asking him how he liked it when they get together next time to play!

I hope these suggestion will help you begin to build a wonderful library of your own.

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Preschool Activities: Letter of the Week {Rr}

By Tiffany Rudd

Snack Ideas:
      * Rainbow Jello! Mine never look as pretty as these over at Glorious Treats, but the kids always love them anyway! :)

Favorite Books:
      * Rotten Ralph by Jack Gantos

      * Rosie's Roses by Pamela Edwards

Crafts:
      * Race Car Rainbows: I posted about this fun and simple activity last week where you use toy cars to paint a race car rainbow! See the full post HERE. 

      * Toilet Paper Roll Rockets: I love this craft over at No Time For Flashcards.

      * Sun Catcher Rainbows: Find this cute craft at In Lieu of Preschool. 

Activities:

       * Rainbow Writing: This is a great way for preschoolers to practice writing their name. Find details in THIS post.

       * Rainbow Science: I just found these super cool rainbow science experiments at Growing a Jeweled Rose! She shows how to do Rainbow Rain, Magic Rainbow Milk, and Magic Appearing Rainbows! SO FUN!

      * Rainbow Activities from Confessions of a Homeschooler: As always, there are so many great free printables here. I love these rainbow puzzles that match capital and lowercase letters. (Don't worry, the typo is fixed in the download. :)

 Printables:

      * Click on the photos below to print out your Rr Flash Card and Writing Practice Worksheet.

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Toddler Activities: Daniel in the Lion's Den

By Deborah Pace Rowley

This is the second lesson in the Family Nights for Little Tikes series. See the first lesson entitled "I am a Star" here.
This second lesson is on the Bible story of Daniel in the Lion's Den. For Christians, this story is perfect for helping young children handle the things that they are afraid of. And lions are awesome, especially when your toddler can help tell the story by growling at appropriate times!

Daniel in the Lion’s Den

*Show a picture of Daniel in the Lion’s Den and explain that this story is found in the scriptures in the Old Testament. 

*Briefly tell the following story: 

Daniel was a faithful servant to King Darius. But King Darius listened to some wicked advisors who made him sign a law that no one in the kingdom could pray. Daniel loved Heavenly Father and continued praying to Him even though it was against the law. The wicked advisors spied on Daniel and caught him praying. They told the king and the King had to throw Daniel into the lion’s den. Daniel prayed and angels came and stopped the lion’s mouths so they didn’t hurt Daniel. The next morning King Darius came to see if Daniel was okay. When he found out that Daniel had been saved, he changed the law so that everyone in the kingdom could pray to Heavenly Father. 

*Act out this story. Your child could be Daniel while Dad is the Lion and Mom is King Darius. Have the lion growl in the beginning and then lie down to be petted after Daniel prays. 

*Draw a picture of a lion’s face on a piece of paper and then write on the lion all the thing that your child might be afraid of: dogs, the dark, going downstairs alone, going to nursery school, having a babysitter come. Tell your child that God will help him with these things that he is scared of. Let your child rip up this piece of paper into tiny pieces and throw it away. 

*Share your feelings that Heavenly Father does hear and answer our prayers. 

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Elementary Activities: The Power of a Patronus

By Deborah Pace Rowley

One of my students struggles with anxiety. Her anxiety makes it difficult for her to come to school. She huddled behind her mother one day as they entered the classroom together. I could hear her repeating over and over under her breath, "Expecto patronum! Expecto patronum! Expecto patronum!"

I thought this was an awesome incantation to banish fear. I asked this sweet student if I could share her strategy with other kids who struggle with anxiety. She readily agreed. Her mother had told her about J.K. Rowling's struggle with depression. The Harry Potter author created dementors to represent the depression, fear, and anxiety that can suck the soul out of people's lives. But the light of a patronus can banish these terrible demons the moment that they threaten us.

The Latin meaning of the spell is: To Summon or Wait for a Patron. A patron is a form of help, assistance, or support.

I think a parent is a powerful patronus. So is a teacher. We can empower our children to believe in themselves and their ability to do hard things. My student's mother has taught her that each day she comes to school is a victory. She owns that. Even if tomorrow she is unable to come to school, she made it today. No one can take that success away from her. 

I love that. So often we qualify our children's success or diminish their victories based on perceived future failures. But a patronus is powerful here and now. We can teach our children that there are things they can do to feel strong and confident. There are things they can say and words that they can repeat when they need extra help. We can teach our children that they can pray anytime and anywhere. And they can summon the inner courage they need when they hear our voices in their heads, "I believe in you. You've got this. Never forget I have your back." Isn't that what parents are for? 

                                 

P.S. I loved this poster that is available online here.

Speaking of Harry Potter, there are a few more spots in the Hogwarts Summer Fun Challenge. 

If you want to enroll in this completely free program, read the details here.

Then send an email with your children's names and ages to hogwartssummerfunchallenge@gmail.com.

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Preschool Activities: Race Car Rainbows

By Tiffany Rudd

I was just working on my Letter of the Week {Rr} post and decided this art project needed a post of it's own. It's such a simple and fun project, it's not too messy, and I bet you have all the supplies on hand!

Race Car Rainbows

Supplies:

Washable Paint {red,orange, yellow, green, blue, & purple}

6 Toy Cars {preferably all with different sized/textured tires}

6 Paper or Plastic Plates

White Paper {thicker and bigger is better}

How To:

I just used little, washable, plastic plates and put a small amount of paint and a car on each one. Have your child drive the car through the paint until the wheels are completely covered and then drive the car in the rainbow shape on the white paper. We started with red and then worked our way in. I helped each of my students with the first color, just so it would be as big as possible, but after that I let them do the painting on their own. Each car should be raced through the paint and then just inside the last color on the rainbow. The different wheels make fun variations in the pattern and the kids get excited to see what kind of painting each of the cars will do. We just used regular sized construction paper this time, but in the past I've used the larger size and it worked a little better. You can tell the kids had a hard time fitting in the last few colors, but they didn't mind. :)

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Toddler Activities: I am a Star

By Deborah Pace Rowley

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (or Mormon!) In our church we are encouraged to hold a weekly family night. On Monday nights we get together and play games, eat treats and have a short lesson. During lesson time we are trying to teach our kids the values that are important to us. These values can be as simple as: in our family we serve others and we respect those who are different.

It is easier to think of lesson topics when you are teaching teenagers and you can see the areas of focus that you need to work on staring you in the face!! Hard work. Respect for your elders. Prepare for college. Delay gratification etc. etc. etc.  It is sometimes harder to think about what to teach your sweet little ones who are almost perfect in every way. (At least we think Anniston is!) I have created a book of family night lesson ideas for toddlers. You don't need to be a member of our faith to use and enjoy these lessons. They can be used during a play group, a church nursery class, or just for a fun learning time with Mom.

The title of the book is Family Night for Little Tikes and I will be sharing lesson ideas from the book over the next several weeks. This first lesson is called "I am a Star." The goal of this lesson is to teach your child how special he or she is to you.

I am a Star  

*Start by announcing that you have a special person at family home evening. Give clues so that family members can guess. Examples: This person’s favorite color is red. This person is 3 years old. This person likes to wear a baseball shirt. 

*When you have guessed who it is, give that child a special hat to wear. You could make a paper crown or a paper band with a big star glued on the front. 

*Let your child know that this is a special night to honor him. 

*Take turns telling what you love about your child and all the things a that are special about him while the child stands in the center of the room or on a sturdy chair. 

*Let your child pick his favorite book to read, his favorite song to sing, and his favorite game to play. 

*Arrange beforehand to serve your child’s favorite treat for refreshments. 

*Tell your child how lucky you feel to have him in your life. 

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Elementary Activities: Have You Signed Up for the Hogwarts Summer Fun Challenge Yet?

By: Deborah Pace Rowley

Several people have emailed asking for more details about our summer fun challenge. So here it is!

Our Hogwarts Summer School has 13 different classes. Each week you will receive two different activity ideas for each class. Then you get to choose which classes and activities you want to do. Here is a list of the classes and the types of activities that you will receive for each class.

Potions- Activities baking in the kitchen

Charms- Casting a spell on others through random acts of kindness

Arithmancy- Practicing with math facts, numbers, counting etc. 

Astrology- Stargazing and nighttime activities

Divination- Setting goals for the future

Transfiguration- Crafts, recycled art projects etc. 

History of Magic- Reading picture books, chapter books etc. 

Care of Magical Creatures- Caring for pets or younger siblings

Muggle Studies- Chores around the house

Herbology- Nature activities and gardening

Ancient Runes- Writing Activities

Quidditch- Outdoor sports and games

Defense Against the Dark Arts- Activities in your faith/religious tradition

Students like Ron (We love you Ron!) will just manage to get a few activities done in a week. Those students who complete 5 activities a week (or 40 total over the 8 weeks) will receive a Hogwarts Summer School Completion Certificate.

Students like Harry (Go Harry!) will mange to get a few more activities done in a week. The students who complete 10 activities a week (or 80 total over the course of the summer) will receive a certificate and a box of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans!

Students like Hermione (She makes the rest of us look bad!) will complete every activity listed and probably a few more that aren't even on the list. (If he or she has a time turner!) The students with the highest point total in each house will receive a handmade wizard wand, Bertie Botts Beans and a certificate. All the prizes will be shipped totally free of charge.

As you can see, your level of participation is totally up to you. Our goal is to help our kids be busy, happy and productive all summer long while limiting their TV and video game time. If you feel like this program would work for your family, sign up today.

All you need to do to sign up is send the names and ages of the children who would like to participate to:
hogwartssummerfunchallenge@gmail.com 

That is Hogwarts Summer Fun Challenge @ gmail.com (all lower case with no spaces)

We have a few spaces left so sign up today! This is going to be so much fun! 

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Preschool Activities: Letter of the Week {Qq}

By Tiffany Rudd

Snack Ideas:
      * Quesadillas! You can do classic cheese or mix it up with PB&J or these yummy looking Peanut Butter, Strawberry & Banana Quesadillas.

Favorite Books:
      * The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco

      * I'm as Quick as a Cricket by Audrey Wood

Crafts:
      * Q-Tip Painting: My preschoolers always love painting, but there is something about using different objects as "paint brushes" that makes it even more fun. All you need are q-tips and paint for this fun activity.

      * Queen Puppets: I love the idea of using handprints to create these super cute queen puppets! I found these on Ceres Childcare.

      * Paper Quilts: I love this quilt idea over at Creative Preschool Resources. Perfect for reviewing squares too. 

      * Quarter Rubbing: This is such a great way to introduce the quarter coin! Sorry I don't have a source to credit. I found this cute activity on pinterest, but the link leads nowhere. 

Activities:

       * Play the Quick or Quiet Game: I don't have a picture to go along with this one, but my preschoolers loved playing this simple game. In our game, we tried to do different activities either quickly or quietly. One child was asked to pick an activity and another the adjective. Have you ever tried to clap quietly or tip-toe quickly? Super fun! :)

       * Qq is for Quilt Activities: Confessions of a Homeschooler has a cute quilt unit with lots of great printable activities. I love this letter hunt worksheet. 

 Printables:

      * Click on the photos below to print out your Qq Flash Card and Writing Practice Worksheet.

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