Presidential Magic

Here is a fun President's Day activity to do with your little one.

What you'll need: pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, 1/2 dollars; construction paper; masking tape, thin white paper, scotch tape, peeled crayons red and blue crayons

1. First, you will need to loop the masking tape and secure the coins to the construction paper. Do this on several sheets with the coins in various patterns, because your child will be amazed and will want to to do this again.
2.  Next, place the thin white paper over the coins and secure on the sides with the scotch tape.
3. Then show your little ones how to "rub" the side of the peeled crayons on the white paper to reveal the faces of our Presidents on the coins.

Optional: Allow the little ones to decorate their rubbings with star stickers, glitter, any Patriotic touches they'd like.

Hail to the Chief's Menu

President's Day is just around the corner. So have some food fun with your little ones by creating a day of Presidential favorite meals. Visit our website to download and print a copy of the presidential menu onto card stock or pretty printer paper and display for your family. Add to the fun by setting your table with special plates, linens, silverwear, and glasses. You can purchase cheap red, white, and blue paper products and plastic wine glasses at your local party store. Our menu includes the Presidential Seal and a fancy font, but I'm including the meal list below so you can plan ahead and get to the grocery store.

Breakfast: Zachary Taylor doughnuts (visit our website for an easy doughnut recipe ) w/ Woodrow Wilson strawberry yogurt (actually, strawberry ice cream was his fave, but yogurt is a healthier alternative)
AM Snack: Truman's veggies w/ blue cheese dressing
Lunch: FDR hot dogs w/ Reagan mac-n-cheese (or JFK grilled cheese sandwich w/ Eisenhower chicken noodle soup
PM Snack: Bush chips & salsa
Dinner: Carter's Southern fried chicken (or nuggets, store bought or homemade), LBJs creamed spinach,  Nixon's chocolate chip cookies (homemade or store bought)

For more information on the favorite foods of all of the U.S. Presidents, visit the Food Timeline - Presidents website.

Ronald McDonald House

Once upon a time, I hated Valentine's Day. To me it was a yucky, overly-commercialized holiday that was teetering on the brink of ridiculousness. Since having a little one, though, I changed my mind, because I love any opportunity I can take to shower him with love and affection. But a very, very close friend of mine reminded me of another reason why this day is so important. Because regardless of how we feel about the commercialism, it does remind us all to think, if even for a split second, about the people we love: husbands, children, parents, siblings, family, friends, co-workers, even the postman!

So, I want to take this opportunity to spread the love and spread the word about our Mom Cause of the Month, The Ronald McDonald House. This worthy cause helps to decrease the burden and ensure the care and comfort of over 4 million families worldwide who have a child in need of medical attention. But like any charity, they need the community's help. And it is so easy to help the Ronald McDonald House!
You can...
* donate your time
* hold a fundraiser
* donate toys, meals, or supplies
* collect aluminum can pop tops
 The possibilities are easy and endless, and so meaningful. Please visit their website for other ways to help out and get involved and for more information on Ronald McDonald House and their charities.

Cupid's Arrow Trail

Every year, my husband and I surprise the little love of our life with a small Valentine's Day treat. Typically, it is a book with a love or family theme (this year we bought him the book How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You, since he's a huge fan of this series of books). But, my friend Tina inspired me to add a little flare to the "presenting" of the present. From this year on, Cupid will be paying a visit to our little man, leaving a "trail" for him to follow to find his surprise. Tomorrow, I will leave a trail of helium-filled latex balloons to his prize. But any variation on this theme will work: a trail of foam hearts leftover from crafts or hearts cut out from construction paper,  a trail of paper arrows, a trail of Hershey kisses....whatever melts your little one's heart! You an even set up a few trails throughout the day for your little one to follow.

This is also a chance to serve a meal of love. We'll be enjoying a "hearty" pizza. We have a local pizza place that sells heart-shaped take-n-bakes pizzas; but if you don't, you can just get a cheese pizza and create a heart out of sliced pepperoni, mushrooms, red peppers, whatever topping your family loves! Serve it with a dessert of Cloud 9, aka, an ice cream float.

Boy, Was He Tall!

Happy 202nd Birthday, Abraham Lincoln! Boy, he'd be one old man if he were still alive today! And when he was alive, boy was he tall! At 6'4", he was our tallest President.

Measure and mark off Abe's height (with a pencil) in a doorway of your home. Then, measure and mark off your child's height and the heights of all family members. Compare everyone's stature to that of Honest Abe. Turn this into a fun math activity for an older child. Subtract the differences in everyone's height. Figure out the average height of everyone. Add up everyone's heights and figure out how long that would be.

Another fun activity to do with your little one is sorting. Get a roll of pennies from your bank or grocery store. Sort the pennies into 2 groups: tarnished and not tarnished. Then, place the tarnished pennies in a mix of 1/2 cup white vinegar with one teaspoon salt and watch the become shiny!

Abraham Lincoln is one of our nation's greatest President's. He is credited with abolishing slavery and keeping our country together. In the spirit of "keeping things together", make an Abe Lincoln jigsaw puzzle with your little one! It is easy! Print out one or all of the Abe Lincoln printables at our website. Help your little one to color the pictures. When they're finished, glue the sheets to card stock or poster paper (this is not necessary, but does help make the puzzle more sturdy). Give the glue time to dry. Then cut the pictures in a few large pieces, and help your child put together the "puzzles".

We Put His Face on A Penny

"Abraham Lincoln, king and good was honored and loved by many.
To help us remember this President we put his face on the penny."

I remember singing this song in my pre-kindergarten class and it always stuck with me. Really, it's not too early to start teaching our children a bit about our nation's history. And what a better way to start than with the birthday of one of our nation's most important historical figures. Here are some ways to celebrate the birthday of President Abraham Lincoln on Saturday.

1) Abe loved breakfast foods, so celebrate all day with breakfasts feasts! Visit our website for a delicious breakfast casserole recipe that can really be served for any meal of the day. Enjoy plates of pancakes, waffles, French toast. Anything your family enjoys!

Abe also loved gingerbread, so cook up some gingerbread cookies or pumpkin gingerbread . Or, buy some pre-made at the store or a boxed mix. Whatever you have time for!

2) Since childhood, I've associated Honest Abe with a large, black top hat. Make a top hat to honor President Lincoln's legacy.

3) Log cabins are another symbol we associate with the life of Abraham Lincoln. I have 2 options for making a pretzel log cabin with your little ones...
a) You will need a bag of pretzel sticks, chocolate icing and/or peanut butter, a small milk carton. Slather the milk carton with the icing or peanut butter. Then help your little ones cover the carton with the pretzel "logs". Feel free to sip and munch on a few as your constructing your log cabin.
b) You will need a bag of pretzel sticks and the log cabin printable. Print out the log cabin template and help your little one glue the pretzel sticks to the log cabin. Again, feel free to enjoy a little pretzel snack while you work.

Gifts From the Heart

Every holiday it seems we're wanting to shower those we love and care about with gifts. And as our little one gets older, that "gifting" list gets longer. Here's an easy and affordable way to gift all of those people you want to recognize this Valentine's Day: preschool teachers, neighbors, grandparents, play-date families, etc...

Here's what you'll need: clear, clean glass jars with lids (re-purpose empty food jars or purchase some affordable options from your local crafts store), Valentine's stickers, ribbons, festive candies.

Start by thoroughly cleaning the jars and lids. Have your little one go to town decorating the jars with stickers. Again, perfection is not necessary. Everyone loves a handmade gift, especially from their favorite little person. If you are using a re-purposed food jar that has a label or product name on the top, cover that with a large sticker. Fill the jars with some festive, Valentine-looking candy: Hershey kisses, Starlight mints, red hots, conversation hearts, red & white M&Ms, etc.... Tie a pretty ribbon around the top of the jar, add a small heart-shaped gift tag, and deliver in person to your loved ones!

Hearts, Hearts, and More Hearts!

Nothing says Valentine's Day like animals. Especially when they're made entirely out of hearts! My son and I had a blast following the patterns located on my website to create a menagerie of lovey-dovey animals. They're great for decoration or for sending out to some of your little one's loved ones (grandparents, anyone?).

The easiest way to create these little loveys is to buy foam hearts in several different sizes and colors (available at Wal-Mart, Target, craft stores, etc...). Just follow the patterns and glue the hearts together.

No foam hearts available? That's okay! Just cut out hearts in several shapes, sizes, and colors from construction or colored printer paper. And no, they don't have to be perfect! That's what adds to their charm and cuteness!

Icy Valentines that Warm the Heart

Love is in the air. Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Time to spread some love with your little one. Here's our first fun and splashy Valentine activity...ICY HEARTS! My son had a splash making these together and hanging them around the front porch.

Here's what you'll need: construction paper (red or pink), red ribbon, scissors, a hole punch, regular-sized muffin pan, water, freezing temps outdoors

1. Cut small hearts from the construction paper, small enough to fit in the base of the muffin tin, but large enough to be seen (about 2 inches tall).
2. Punch a hole in the top of each heart.
3. Loop 6 inch lengths of ribbon through each hole and tie. Your preschooler can loop the ribbon through the hole and you can tie it off.
4. Have your child place 1 heart into each muffin holder, but arrange the ribbons so they're hanging over the TOP of the muffin tin.
5. Help your child pour just enough water in to soak and cover each heart (about 1/4 of the way up in the muffin tin). You may need to gently hold the hearts down until they soak and sink into the water.
6. Place in freezer or outside for several hours until completely frozen. Once frozen, gently twist the muffin tin as you would an ice cube tray, to loosen the icy hearts. Carefully pull each ice heart ,out and hang them all over the front porch, in the windows, anywhere you want to spread a little love!

Super Bowl Buzz!

Our family is all abuzz about Sunday's Super Bowl game, especially since we'll be throwing a big party and cheering on our favorite team, the Green Bay Packers, as they take on the Steelers. We'll have a house full of adults, but there will also be quite a few 2-and-3-year-olds running around our house. But my #1 idea for having a successful party for the adults while keeping the little ones entertained and out of the way? Plan ahead! Here are some tips for keeping your Super Bowl party a success for everyone...

1. Create a special area just for the kids. We're lucky enough to have a playroom in our house, but if you don't, move everything into the kids room and re-arrange some furniture is necessary to accommodate the fun! Hire a teenage sitter (or 2) if you can to watch the kids or share the responsibilities with the other parents and work in shifts. Be sure to move a TV/DVD  into the kids room so the parents on patrol can still watch the game. And never underestimate the power of a Disney movie in the DVD player! Also, try and set aside a "quiet" room or area or children who need a time-out, a nap, or a Mommy who may need to nurse.
2. Don't forget the kiddos when you do your food shopping for the party! Put out kid-friendly snacks at the kid's level. The good ole standbys: goldfish crackers, Chex mix, fruit snacks, juice boxes. These are all easy to clean up, as well, since none will stain or ruin your floors or furniture (especially if their all in the bedrooms playing).
3. Provide some special treats and surprises for the kids. I got mini footballs for the boys at the $1 store and some pom-poms for the girls. Football, cheerleading, and music stickers are also fun treats for the kids. I also stocked up on crayons and created Super Bowl-themed coloring books for each child (I am lucky enough to have access to a page binder, but you can print out coloring pages for the kids without binding them, as well). The Internet is full of sites with free coloring pages, but I've included some links below to help you out.
4. Organize a craft time. Valentine's Day is just around the corner, so put out the red, white, and pink construction paper, markers, paints, Valentine stickers, foam hearts, etc.... and have the little ones make their own Valentines! This will, of course, need to be supervised or you'll have one major mess on your hands! This might be good for halftime.
5.  Encourage your guests to support your Souper Bowl by bringing cans of soup that will be donated to a local food bank. We offer a prize to the guest who brings the most cans.

Coloring and Activity Page Links:
* This page offers fun games and activities for older children, including math games and trivia.
* Teaching Heart has some cute ideas for football-themed activities.
* Football Helmet Coloring Pages offer NFL helmets for every team.
* Football Coloring Pages has a lot of cute football pictures to print and color.
* Preschool Coloring Book also offers lots of adorable football and sports-themed printables.

Up Next: Valentine's Day! Lots of fun crafts, games, and gift ideas to take you through the big LOVE day!

Cause of the Month: Ronald McDonald House. We'll share some ideas about how you can easily share the love and help out this worthy cause for children.

Stock up on: red, white, and pink constructions paper; doilies; foam hearts; paint; Valentine stickers

Bring on Spring!

As we head in to day 3 of below zero temperatures, I know my family is hoping that adorable little rodent does not see his shadow and Spring arrives soon! We plan on celebrating a little bit of groundhog love at our house, even if we do live 2,000 miles from Punxsatawney, PA, and all of the festivities. Now while the whole idea of the groundhog emerging from its hibernation to "prognosticate" about the arrival of Spring will likely be completely lost on your toddler or preschooler, it doesn't mean you can't still have some fun! Here are some cheap and easy ideas you can try at home...

1. Watch the event on TV! This is free and easy, as almost every morning news show will offer up coverage of the event.

2.  The whole event is about whether the groundhog sees his shadow, so have some fun with shadows! Pull out the flashlight, turn off the lights, and have at it! Create shadow puppets with your hands or put on some music and have your little one "dance" with their shadow. Or turn the music off and on and play "Shadow Freeze Dance". Infants in the house can participate in this one as they love following the light along the wall. Have an older child? Have them hold the flashlight or pick the music or turn it off and on.

3. The official celebration in Punxsatawney, PA, includes a pancake breakfast. So, make pancakes! Whether you have them for breakfast or dinner (which we will be doing in our house), get the whole family involved in the preparation. And it doesn't really matter if you make them from scratch, from a box, or in the microwave. Just eat a meal together!

4. Become a part of Punxsatawney Phil's Inner Circle, those guys in the top hats who carry on the tradition year after year. Grab some black constructions paper and make top hats for the family.  Visit this link for directions.

5. Speaking of circles, this is the perfect opportunity to employ some shape recognition. Help your little locate everything in the house, on the street, in the neighborhood, etc....that is shaped like a circle. If they can find 10 on their own, give 'em a little treat!

6. If your preschooler is anything like mine, they are not so good about eating their fruits and veggies. So, tell them you're going to pretend your groundhogs today. Build a little blanket fort they can crawl out of, spend some time crawling around, and then have a groundhog "snack": fresh fruits and veggies!

7. So, what's this year's verdict? Is Spring on the way? Then celebrate by planting a small, indoor herb garden (basil holds up well and is useful in so many ways, so I'd suggest this). Help your little one plant the seeds in a small pot and place them in the kitchen (Home Depot offers a great little indoor herb garden kit for about $10). Keep a chart as you watch it's progress each week. Winter sticking around? Then get into your warmest pjs, mix up some hot chocolate, and settle in for a family movie night or story time.

For more information about Groundhog Day and teachable moments for your little ones, visit the official Groundhog Day website.

Brrrrrrrr!!!!!! It's cold outside!

So, we were lucky(?) enough to get a "cold" day off from school since the temps aren't expected to go above zero. Yeah, it's really cold out there! So, what to do with your little ones who may also have been granted an unexpected day off from pre-school? Here are some fun ideas to pass the time when it's too cold to go outside:

1. Grab your pie plates, cake pans, small baking pans, cookie sheets, etc.... and fill with about 1/2 inch of water. Squeeze in a few drops of food coloring. Lay a piece of yarn or thick thread in the water. Then, lay a delicate doily on top of the water and set them out front to freeze. When frozen, bring inside for a few minutes so they can melt slightly and then "release" the ice from the plate. Hang them up on the porch and enjoy your winter creations. Sorry: This only works if the temps are below freezing where you live. No doilies? Cut snowflakes from computer printer paper instead.

2. Bake cookies! Any kind! Your favorite, their favorite. As long as you have butter, flower, and sugar in the house, you can do this! And little ones can help pour pre-measured ingredients into the mixing bowl and can do a bit of the stirring. And a fresh, warm cookie with a glass of milk will have everyone feeling warm and happy in no time!

3. Have a video camera? A flip? A smartphone? Get your little ones moving by creating their own videos. My 3-year-old and I created an exercise video this morning. We put on some music and got moving: jumping jacks, marching, jogging in place, some easy yoga poses. Put your kids' talents to good use! Sing a special song! Dance the day away! Record yourselves reading a book! Then upload, and send to a friend or loved one.

4. The good 'ole standby: Build a fort! Drape a blanket (or a few) across the furniture or over a table. Let the kiddos drag in some of their favorite toys and pillows, and they're good to go!

Coming Tomorrow: It's Groundhog Day! Let's celebrate with your little one!
Possible materials to have on hand: pancake mix, a flashlight, herb seeds, planting soil, small pot for planting