You spend hours filling eggs, creating a diversion to sneak out and hide them all… the egg hunt itself is over in 10-15 minutes tops. Now what? Whether you are planning your preschooler’s Easter party at school or need some Easter ideas to burn off those chocolate bunny highs, these…
Skills
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A fun way to introduce engineering to preschoolers is with simple machines. If your last physics class was over a decade ago like me, for reference, simple machines include a lever, wheel and axle, pulley, inclined plain, wedge and a screw. Gears can be considered a simple machine as a…
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Blowing bubbles with our homemade bubble solution has been one of the girls’ favorite summer activities. However, halfway through the summer, our giant Dollar Store bubbles wands are beginning to fall apart. So this week, I decided to seize upon the girls’ favorite outdoor activity as a learning opportunity with…
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Compared to my oldest, Lil’ M (age 2) has never had any attention span. But now that she is getting older, and when my preschooler is at school, she has started requesting her own ‘projects.’ And, more surprising, without big sister around to takeover, she is fully engaged for 15-30 minutes, an…
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Despite Easter being less than a month away, it snowed here again this week… and since moving to New England nearly 10 years ago, I have seen more than my fair share of egg hunts amidst patches of snow, it’s always important to plan indoor fun for Easter, just in…
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Lil’ M has been struggling with recognizing her colors. We keep practicing through play, and she now names about half of them correctly, most of the time. For this month’s Rainbow-themed Top 10 series , I sought out to find more fun color matching activities. Top 10 Color Matching Activities for Toddlers…
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In the last week, we’ve had three snow days and a weather advisory to stay indoors due to a windchill up to 30 degrees below zero! To say cabin fever has set in would be an understatement. For my own sanity last week, I needed the kids to burn some…
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Any Daniel Tiger fans out there? My girls are and one of their favorite episodes, which they often quote in real life, is when Daniel and friends build “the tallest tower in the world!” This week’s Architecture and Engineering series activity invites them to build a tower and do just…
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My girls love math games – especially when they involve lots of shiny, new loose parts. But official math manipulatives can be expensive, ranging anywhere from $10 to upwards of $30 for larger sets. The good news is you can play and teach all sorts of arithmetic with math manipulatives that…
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I’m always on a quest for activities that engage both my toddler and preschooler at the same time. This one was originally set up for my toddler to work on her color sorting and identification, and to prevent my preschooler from taking over, I made a few modifications to create…
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Architecture and EngineeringBook-InspiredFor KidsSTEAM
Three Little Pigs Architectural Challenge
by MeghanConfession. Children’s books can be a bit tiresome, especially when your preschooler wants to read the same one for the 100th time. Therefore, I really appreciate clever ones, like The Three Little Pigs: An Architectural Tale which put an intelligent twist on classic children’s literature. It portrays the architectural greats – Frank Lloyd Wright,…
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We have been on a quest for indoor entertainment this winter, and this (mostly) Indoor Scavenger Hunt for Kids definitely provided it! Last week in my Architecture and Engineering for Kids series, the girls Made Monuments with Mega Bloks, learning about the majesty of famous and historic architecture. This week, by…
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Preschoolers are natural scientists. Their insatiable curiosity and inquisitiveness set the perfect stage for basic science experiments. This week, Big M (age 4) and I are exploring science experiments with candy, featuring SweetTart hearts and custom My M&Ms for Valentine’s Day, but you can use any candy you have on hand.…
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The toughest part of any preschool party is planning the entertainment! If you are in charge of your preschooler’s parties this year, I’ve got you covered… with these Top 10 Valentine’s Day Party Games. And don’t miss the over 200 Valentine’s Day ideas to go with them at the end…
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Are you excited?!? Today marks the first activity post in our Architecture and Engineering for Preschool series! To kick things off, I turned our neglected Mega Bloks into famous monuments even my toddler and preschooler can build. Making Monuments During my Art History for Preschool series last year, some of…
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I had a huge mommy fail this weekend. Every morning, I let the girls watch one show while I get breakfast together, lunches made and feed the baby. These days, it is usually Sofia the First. And for weeks, Big M (age 4), has been begging me to write her…
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Does the next Frank Lloyd Wright live under your roof? Last week, I launched my latest series: Architecture and Engineering for Preschool. Over the coming weeks, my girls (ages 4 and 2) will explore a great list of books and activities, featuring the toys and supplies below. If you have…
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“…27, 28, 29… Mom, what comes after 29?” This became a recurring conversation with Big M (age 4) over the holidays. She has mastered counting to 20, and quickly caught on to the pattern thereafter. When she starts asking repetitive questions on a subject, I like to seize on her enthusiasm.…
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Architecture and EngineeringFor KidsSTEAM
20+ Books About Architecture and Engineering for Kids
by MeghanAfter all the fun we had in 2015 with our Art History for Preschool series, I decided to explore some of the other STEAM categories. Introducing our newest series – Architecture and Engineering for Kids: STEM for Preschool. To kick things off, today I am sharing a great list of…
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Book-InspiredCraftsFor KidsFor ParentsPlayPractical ParentingSkills
The Best of 2015 – Parenting & Kids Activities
by MeghanHere on the Playground Parkbench, I share everything I would talk about with my fellow parents sitting on the parkbench as our kids play on the playground. That mostly fits into the broad categories of Parenting and Kids Activities. As my kids have gotten older, where we talk may vary – the…