Sparky the Fire Dog Activity

Here's a fun fire safety activity for the kids. It's used with the book Flat Stanley, that is introduced by many teachers to promote creative writing. What a great way to practice both!

Car Seats for Older Kids

Wondering whether your children are old enough for booster seats or should still be in car seats? Follow this link for answers.

Indoor Fun

If you are living in parts of the country where the winter weather keeps the kids cooped up inside for a few days at a time, I have some fun ideas to share. This link will take to you directions for setting up "prop boxes" that young children can use for all sorts of games and imaginative play. I used them often in my classroom and now am setting them up for my grand children to enjoy. Hope it helps pass the hours for your children while provided plenty of picture and video opportunities as well. Happy pretending!

Valentine's Day 2013

Here are some Valentine's Day books worth reading with your children :

Well know authors and characters~

Happy Valentine's Day, Mouse by Laura Neumeroff

Valentine's Day Fun by Rosemary Wells

Snowy Valetnine by David Petersen

Night Before Valentine's Day by Natasha Wing

 Here are some authors that may be new to you~

The Day It Rained Hearts by Felicia Bpnd

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff

The Valentine Star by Patricia Reilly Giff

The Ballad of Valentine by Alison Jackson


How about a wonderful easy recipe for Valentine's Day? I saw these somewhere online but don't remember where. These pretty pink cookies with chocolate chips look good to me!


Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 box of Strawberry Cake Mix (they used Dincan Hines)
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable/canola oil
1/2 teasponn vanilla extract
1 and 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix and baking powder. Set aside. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, and vanilla extraxt by hand. Add the egg mixture to the cake mixture and stir to form a dough. Stir vigorously until all of the packets of dry cake mix are gone. Gently mix in the chocolate chips.

Drop rounded balls of dough, about 2,5 tablespoons each onto the prepared baking sheet. Drop a few more chips on top of the balls. Make sure the balls are taller than they are wide.

Bake for 10 minutes-not letting them get browned. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes. They will be very soft at first. As they cool, the tops may settle down. You can press the tops gently if they don't settle. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container, for up to a week.

Product Recalls January 2013

Time to check the list again for product recalls. Here is where you can go for the lastest information.

Winter Sports Safety

There is so much to be enjoyed in the outdoors during the wonter months.  Children are especially excited to spend the day playing in the snow and having fun. Here is a link to some helpful tips for you to make those activities safe for them.

January 2013 Books and Craft

January books and craft~ January usually brings lots of snow here in the northeast U.S. so here are some great books to enjoy.

Baby Snow Animals by Jane Katirgis
Who Grows up in the Snow? by Theresa Lonenecker
A snowy Day by Lola M Schaefer
Snow Globe Family by Jane O'Connor
White Snow, Bright Snow by Alvin Tresselt
The Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett
Sally's Snow Adventure by Stephen Huneck
Snow by Uri Shulevitz

"Sno" Dough Recipe Mix 2 cups of corn starch with 1/2 cup of vegetable oil with a spoon in a small bowl. After combined, work together with your fingers. It will "crunch" like real snow and have a wonderful texture that holds together and packs like real snow. It can be a bit messy since it can crumble, so make sure to work with it on a big piece of foil or paper for easy clean up. Use rolling pins and other clay tools and you can make designs in it as well. It isn't sticky and will not make hands messy so have fun playing in the "snow."

Product Recalls December 2012

Follow this link to read the list.

December 2012 Christmas Books and Craft

Christmas Books For Kids:


Old Favorites
Madeline's Christmas by Ludwig Bemelmans
Charlie Brown's Christmas by Charles M. Schulz
Home For Christmas by Jan Brett


Some You May Not Know
Sweet Smell of Christmas by Patricia M Scarry
Most Mizerable Christmas by Mick Foley
The Life and Adventure of Santa Claus by L Frank Baum
The North Pole Dog Division by Stacy Bardsley


Ornament Craft
This one is easy and very inexpensive! I purchased cookie cutters from my local dollar store. I got three in the set. I traced them onto scraps of Christmas paper that were purchased for scrapbooking. I cut them out and helped my granddaughter tie some silver string through the cookie cutter and then glue the paper onto the edge. She made cute ornaments in just a few minutes. Since cookie cutters come in so many different designs, the possibilities are enormous. To change it up, you can use fabric which an older child can cut, or even scraps of wrapping paper. The name and date can be added if the ornaments are to be used as gifts for teachers or others that care for your children. Have fun!

Dangers of Magnetic Toys

They look like fun and can be easy for little ones to handle, but magnets can be deadly for kids. Read more about it here.

Safety Recall Nov. 2012

Here's the list...I'm checkin' it twice. Gonna' find if it's unsafe or nice!!

Holiday Buying Guide 2012

Since I taught elementary school for many years, I often have parents ask what they should look for when buying holiday gifts for young children. I have some guidinglines to help you choose wisely.

For Babies and Toddlers:
When buying books, look for board books or washable cloth since they will take a beating. Images should be colorful and not crowded on the page. Simple images are the best and flap book where kids can lift to peek are really fun. Toys should let kids explore colors, shapes and music. Foam blocks and simple puzzles are also great.

Preschoolers:
Kids like stories that tell about the things they see every day, both in the home and in their neighborhoods. Animal stories are very appealing and kids are starting to enjoy humor as well. Toys are this age are starting to have more than 1 piece, often using cause and effect motions. Simple games are fun, especially if they foster cooperative rather than competitive play. Beginning art materials are appropriate now also, especially washable markers and lots of big pieces of paper, window and bath crayons, and soft clay.

Kindergartners and First Graders:
Beginning readers are easily found for kids this age. Children learn a lot about reading while watching you run your finger under the words as you read, and seeing you read top to bottom and when you turn pages. Now they can predict what will happen, and talk about their favorite character or favorite part of the story.
Non fiction books are especially helpful, since the children can more easily predict the words they might see and what facts the story will be teaching. Toys at this age should follow their interests. Many of them will require multiple steps and following directions. Games will require taking turns and some memory skills. At this stage, children will need to recognize numbers, letters and symbols to play. Don't forget to look for games on-line as well. Continue with arts and craft activities, introducing safety scissors, washable glue and watercolor paints.

As always, don't forget to follow the safety age recommendations required to be listed on all games and toys.
They are there for a reason...and you risk harm to children by letting them play with toys that have small or moving parts that are recommended for older children.
Check here every month for products that have been recalled.