Summer Treats

Eating healthy in the summer can be a challege. With picnics, car trips and late nights, the regular menus are easily set aside. Healthychildren.org provides some good tips for food choices when it's just too hot to cook. Here is a recipe I found there for Kiwi ice pops that are a healthy hot weather treat. Enjoy! ++Remember NEVER to leave a child (or pet) in a car in the summer even if only a few minutes! ++

June 2013 Product Recalls

Here's the newest list of recalls. Time to check your purchases!

Craft Ideas For the Fourth of July 2013

I just found this great site that has lots of cute craft ideas. Here's the link for July 4th crafts. Enjoy!

Happy Fourth of July 2013

I hope you are ready to enjoy a great holiday with family and friends. Here in the Northeast, we are hoping for a nice day with no rain! Also, we hope that all our children stay safe. Healthychildren.org had some tips on backyard safety, as well as information on swimming pools, fireworks, and the dangers to children of lawn mowers. Follow this link and make sure you are a responsible adult. Don't forget to explain to the children in your life the historical reason for this meaningful holiday.

May 2013 Product Safety Recalls

Follow this link and check your purchases for recalls.

Sand Play

If you are fortunate enough to live close to a beach, I'm sure you and the kids in your life have learned the fun of playing in the sand. Many of us are not so lucky and visits to the beach are few and far between or not at all. I am always on the lookout from every source for fun ideas for the kids during summer vacation and here is a great one.

Make your own sculpting sand:

Clean play sand (available at most home improvement stores)
corn starch
water

Mix together the sand and cornstarch at a ratio of 3:1 (12 cups of sand and 4 cups of cornstarch for example). After it's thoroughly mixed, add about 3 cups of water. Mix slowly adding water until it is a good consistency and packs nicely. Store in a plastic pail with a tight fitting lid. You can always add more water when it starts to dry up too much or starts to get dirty. Now, build, build, build!


Here are some good books to give you ideas:

Sea, Sand and Me by Patricia Hubbell

Super Sand Castle Saturday by Stuart J. Murphy

Sand Castle Bash: Counting from 1 to 10 - Jon Scieszka's Trucktown Series

Sisters Are For Making Sandcastles by Harriet Ziefert

Sand and Surf by Tanya Provines

Ideas For Teaching Bright Children

There is a new book that was just released that has some really excellent ideas for teaching bright children. There is an opportunity to ask questions of the author too. Follow this link to find out more.

June 2013 Books and Craft

Here are some book suggestions for this month's theme of Butterflies:

From Caterpillar to Butterfly by Deborah Heiligman

The Butterfly by Patricia Polacco

When the Butterfly Came by Kimberley Griffiths Little

The Lamb and The Butterfly by Arnold Sundgaard

Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle

A Butterfly is Patient by Dianna Hutts Aston

Angelina and The Butterfly by Katharine Holabird

Little Butterfly by Happy Books (board book)

Materials Required:

Plastic spoons

Unused coffee filters

wiggle eyes

hot glue

markers

Directions:

1-Color designs on the coffee filters with different colored markers. The filter paper will spread and mix the colors. A slightly damp filter will add to the blending. (Crayons can be used as well but you don't get the blending of colors)

2-Crimp the middle of one filter with your fingers and lot glue to the back of a plastic spoon right where the bowl of the spoon meets the handle.

3-Glue the eyes to the bowl part of the spoon and draw the mouth.

4- Body sections can be drawn on the handle sections too.

5-Spoons can be placed into flower pots for decoration. Hot glue different lengths of cords or heavy thread to the tops of several spoons and tie to a branch to create a lovely mobile for a porch.

These were made by my 5 yr. old grand daughter. She wants to make lots more!

Transitions

Here is a wonderful article from NAEYC with tips on making the transition from pre-school to Kindergarten. Learn how to remove stress and make it an exciting time.

Get Ready For Summer Fairs!

Even thought the weather here in the northeast US has been uncommonly chilly the last few days, I know that the warm summer will be here before you know it. Along with that comes a variety of county fairs and festivals and day trips to amusement parks. My husband and I always try to take the grand kids to some because we all enjoy them so much. The kids of course love looking at all the 4H animals sand exhibits but equally enjoy the rides. Although I personally do not like to go on rides, I do let the five year old go on a carefully selected few. Yesterday, in my local paper, there was an eye opening article about "kiddie rides." According to this Scripps Howard News Service article, more than 92,000 children under the age of 18 were treated in emergency rooms from 1990-2010 as reported in the Journal Clinical Pediatrics. On average, every three days during the months of May through September, the injuries sustained required hospitalization. So, here is a list of rules to consider when enjoying amusement park rides:                          

A. Follow all age, height, weight and health restrictions                                                                             

B. Avoid mall or arcade rides if they're on a hard surface or don't have safety requirements.                     

C. Make sure children use safety bars and seat belts and keep their hands and feet inside the ride.            

D. Be sure your child is mature enough to follow the rules on any ride. Otherwise, keep him or her off the equipment and do something else.                                                                                                                                                                                 

Don't spoil a family outing with an accidental injury. Have fun and enjoy every minute.

Mother's Day Project 2013

Here is the Mother's Day project I made with my grandkids to give to their mom.

I had purchased some flats of flowers for my garden and let the kids choose their favorites. There are these special makers I got at AC Moore's Craft store which are designed especially for drawing on terra cotta.

The kids really enjoyed using them and they weren't as messy as I thought they might be. The pots were dry in a few minutes and we headed outside to plant. We had so much fun, I decided to use the markers to decorate some of my own pots! To all the mother's and mother-like caretakers out there, have a wonderful holiday!

Planning a Trip With the Kids?

Check out this handy list of what to pack for your vacation here on the Melissa and Doug blog.