Upper/ lower case letters card game

Lately, M and I have been working on matching lower and upper case letters. To help her practice, I've made a set of cards that have upper case on one side and lower on the other. This is how our little game goes:

I spread four or five lower case letters in front of her.

Me: Can you find the baby (B)?
M: (points)
Me: Let's see if you're right
M: (turns over the card)
Me: Is that a (B)?

If she is right then we leave it upturned. Once all of the baby letters are capitals M gets the fun of smearing them all around while we say, "Yay! You did it!" (seems to work as a motivator :-)

Baby's First Laugh Party

I read recently that the Navajo traditionally throw a party to celebrate a baby's first laugh. Doesn't that sound like a fun idea?

Homemade Granola Bars

Are you like me in thinking that most store bought granola bars are much sweeter than they need to be? I found a recipe for homemade granola bars that came out tasting terrific when I made it the other day. I only added 2/3 of the amount of sugar that it called for, and I think next time I'm going to reduce the amount even more.

This is the recipe as I made it:

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 teasp ground cinnamon
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup craisins
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 teasp salt
1/2 cup honey
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teasp vanilla extract.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a 9X13 pan.

2. In a large bowl, pour in the ingredients and mix well using your hands. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.

3. Bake for 17-18 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while they are still warm.

M and I packaged them up into ziploc bags afterward for easy grabbing when we are on our way out the door for a morning full of errands.

Chocolate Pudding Finger Painting

We had an especially fun snack the other morning- we finger- painted with chocolate pudding!
M enjoyed shaking the instant pudding in a tupperware container.She kept repeating (in amazement) "I'm brown, Mama! I'm brown!"And of course, the best part...

Ways a Two Year Old Can Help around the House

M is always eager to help me in my chores and so proud when she is able to do something. Occasionally, she is able to do things that genuinely save me time and effort, but mostly, I'm happy to let her help because I figure it is an investment in the future. She is learning skills, and she is learning to have a helpful spirit.

And of course, she has a lot of fun feeling involved!

Here is a list of things I have been able to find for her to do so far:

1. Fetching things: diapers, my cell phone when it is ringing, shoes, etc.

2. Throwing things in the trash can: little pieces of paper on the ground, diapers, scraps of paper from my cutting out coupons, etc.

3. Transferring laundry from the washer to the dryer: I put the wet clothes on the door of the dryer and she pushes them in.
4. Vacuuming: We have a little cordless sweeper that is light enough for her to push.

5. Dusting: I give her a baby wipe and set her loose in the living room with it.

6. Putting away her toys and books.

7. Snapping asparagus ends.

8. Baby spit-up catching: M watches our 6 week old baby like a hawk. If G has any little spit up or drool, or something in her nose, M is ready with a spit up cloth in an instant to clean it up.

9. Stirring food that is being prepared: I remember being fascinated with the whole cooking process when I was little- so many colors, sounds, textures, and smells. M seems to feel the same way, and likes standing on a chair to watch even when she can't help out.

10. Setting the table: I give her spoons, napkins, salt and pepper, etc to set on the table for me to arrange later. If we happen to be using paper plates, she is especially tickled to be able to place the plates at each person's chair.

11. Shucking corn: especially taking off the silkies.

I know that there must be lots of other ideas out there for ways that a 2 year old can help around the house. I'd love to learn about them!

Stripping Wallpaper

Do you have any old wallpaper to strip off of your walls? I promise that your toddler would have a ball helping you!

Draw a Line to Match Activity

When my mom was here recently she did this activity with M, and we have been doing it since then a bit too. On one side of a paper I draw three or four items, and the same items on the other side (in a different order). M's job is to draw a line to connect the items that match.

Today we did it with shapes, pictures, and letters.

Then, as an added twist, we did the activity with upper and lower case letters (match the capital to its corresponding lower case)

I like how this activity is flexible enough to be changed according to whatever M happens to be learning at the time.

In, On, Under

I'm always on the look-out for concepts that are just at/ just beyond M's comprehension level. When I find them, I try to make a game out of them.

Lately, I'd noticed that she tends to mix up the meanings of the prepositions "in" and "on," and I've never heard her say that something is "under" something else. So... I took a medium sized wooden box and we had fun practicing.

First, I gave her a small book and asked her to put it "in" the box. No problem... I asked her to put it on the box. After a little thought, she turned the box and set the book on it. When I asked her to put the book "under" the box, at first she just turned the box a couple more times and put it on the box. I told her "No, you put the book on the box again. Can you put it under the box?" and this time she did!
Once she had the concept, further practice was no pressure- just fun. We tried it with different objects (stuffed animals, etc). Then we changed the box to baby G's bathtub which made it possible to use bigger stuffed animals....AND... M herself. That was the most fun of all! She really got a kick out of getting "under" the tub!

Homemade Book: What Was Life Like When Mommy was Pregnant with Me?

One thing I really enjoyed about the time I've been pregnant with this little one is all of the walks M and I have been able to take around the ranch. Many times I took my camera and photographed all of the spring flowers that popped up around here.

Once we returned home I researched the wildflowers on the internet to find out their names. I decided that it might be fun for little G to have a book about "her flowers"- the ones I saw while she was "blossoming" inside of me.

Along with a picture of each kind of flower I have written the name and also sketched a little picture that might help her remember it. (for example, for Queen Anne's Lace I have sketched a simple picture of a queen)

It occurs to me that there could be lots of other possible themes for making keepsake books for children about what life was like when their mommy was pregnant with them. Any fun ideas?

Easychair Ride

We've found that the leg rest on our rocking chair makes a great horsey ride for M. What else allows you to read a book and entertain a 23 month old at the same time?

Easy and Cheap Suncatcher Craft

Here's a great craft for toddlers from my aunt and cousin. It requires a lid from a margarine container (or I imagine that a yogurt lid would work too), a large amount of Elmer's glue, a piece of string or ribbon, and items to decorate the suncatcher.

First fill the container with Elmer's glue and decorate with shells, etc.

Let the glue dry completely. The glue dries clear and can be popped out of the lid.

With a sharp point make a hole in the suncatcher and put a string through it.

Hang it in front of a window and admire!

Last Day of School Tradition

A lot of families have fun first-day-of-school traditions; my cousin's family has a cute end of school tradition as well.

They take a picture of their daughter stepping over the threshold of the classroom of each elementary grade. That way they capture the very last moment of "kindergartenhood" etc.

As she stands at the threshold, my aunt says something like. "This is the last moment of your being a kindergartner. When you step through that door you'll be first grader. Are you ready?...One...two...three- step through!" (Hugs and excitement!) "Now you're a first grader!"

Isn't that fun?

Does your family have any fun traditions/ activities you do on the last day of school? I'd love to hear about them!

Same and Different Activity

We've been working on a new concept lately- the concept of "same and different." To practice, we've been playing a little game.

I made a set of picture cards out of halved index cards. I drew four simple pictures and made four copies of each. Then I shuffled the cards and turned over two cards in front of M and asked her what the pictures were.

I then asked her "Are they the same?"

If they were different, I would say, "No, they're different," and we would shake our heads sadly together.If they were the same picture, I would say "Yes!!! They're the same. Let's clap!" and we would clap our hands together. M loved the clapping- got very excited. Understanding the concept is still a work in progress, but she has fun with the practicing!
I suppose it's also good preparation for eventually playing the memory matching game together.