development

The Only No Cook Play Dough Recipe You’ll Ever Need

/ jnspires / 1 Comment

I love love love love LOVE play dough.

When I was a kid, my sister and I would spend hours creating whole meals out of play dough. Burgers, peas, carrots, french fries, chicken nuggets…anything we could think of we would make.

Now that I’m all grown up, one of my favorite experiences to share with the little ones in my life is making play dough together. When my friends and their kids come to my house, they always go home with a bag of play dough that they made.

Here’s my super easy, kid friendly, NO COOK (yea!) recipe for play dough.

Continue reading →

More Than a Feeling: The Hidden Benefits of Sensory Bins

/ jnspires / Leave a comment

You know those minivan and suv commercials where they make the car look like it can do literally anything?

That’s basically the same as a sensory bin.

What is a sensory bin?

A sensory bin is a container filled with a variety of materials cultivated to ignite one or more of the five senses: touch, sight, smell, sound, and taste. You’ve probably seen water tables and sand tables at Target or Walmart. You might even have one in your backyard! There are tons of tutorials on the internet that show how to use pvc pipe and storage tubs to create a cheap table. I’ve found that those plastic under the bed storage tubs straight on the floor work wonders. You can move it anywhere (speaking from experience, don’t try to move it when it’s full) and you can store your materials in it when you’re done!

Scroll to the end of this post for a list of materials for your sensory bin!

Continue reading →

Four Favorites: Fine Motor Fun

/ jnspires / 4 Comments
Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Pexels.com

Last week we talked about the importance of fine motor development, so this week I want to share some of my favorite fine motor experiences with you! They all require gathering some materials but you can typically find most of these things lying around your house or at a dollar store. They’ll work to strengthen those little hand muscles needed to start writing and drawing and being more independent. These activities are sure to be home runs for your little ones!

Continue reading →

Where is Thumbkin?: Fine Motor Skills

/ jnspires / 2 Comments

Late last year I read an article that continues to stick with me.

A surgery professor in London noticed a trend in his students over the last decade:  a decrease in their fine motor skills.

With the refinement and widespread use of technology, people are spending more time playing games on their phones, watching tv, scrolling through social media, and less time writing by hand, building things by hand, and basically doing anything by hand.

Continue reading →

Rough and Tumble Play

/ jnspires / 1 Comment

“ARE YOU READY TO RUMBLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLE????!?!!!!!!”

Everyone’s attention is centered on a gymnastics mat surrounded by a circle of excited preschoolers. Two children are on their knees facing each other. Hearing the starting signal, they lunge toward each other, collapsing in a tangle of limbs as each one tries to pin the other to the ground for three seconds. Shouting fills the air as children call out words of encouragement to their friends wrestling on the playground. Through giggles, one child shouts out “I want to wrestle Jacob next!”

WHOA! WHAT IS THIS?! LORD OF THE FLIES?!

Continue reading →

Literacy Before Kindergarten: Intention in Book Selection

/ jnspires / 2 Comments

This is part three of a series on promoting literacy in the infant/toddler – preschool years. You can find part one here and part two here.

“Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.”

– Emilie Buchwald

No pressure, right?

Have no fear! It’s actually easier than you think.

I’ve written before about content related things to consider when you’re buying books for your little one’s personal library. It might seem obvious to some of you more seasoned mamas and papas, but if there was only one thing you could remember about book buying, I would tell you to choose books with intention!

(Check out this post for more on book content!)

Every literacy related thing you do with your kiddos should reflect their abilities. Kids need different things at different ages.

Here are some age specific tips to keep in mind.

Continue reading →

Four Favorites: Classic Picture Books

/ jnspires / Leave a comment

I’m super excited to start this new series “Four Favorites!” At least once a month, I’ll give you my insight on some of my favorite things for kiddos. Parents are always asking me what books, toys, and games to buy, so I hope that Four Favorites helps you find quality products that you and your littles will love for years to come.

This week’s Four Favorites features some of my absolute favorite picture books. They’re primarily for preschool aged kiddos but don’t worry babies and toddlers! You’ll get your own post soon!

You’ll probably recognize these books from your own childhood. They’ve stood the test of time, continuing to entertain children of all generations. These books will spark valuable conversations that can apply to many of life’s confusing topics. The more you read these books together, the more your children will pick up on their messages of kindness, acceptance, friendship, and bravery.

Continue reading →

Literacy Before Kindergarten: Go for the Gold

/ jnspires / 2 Comments

This is part two of a series on promoting literacy in the infant/toddler – preschool years. You can find part one here and part three here.

When I got my first job teaching in a classroom, I was so excited to build up my classroom library. As a lover of stories in all forms and a self professed bibliophile, it was my dream come true to have an actual reason to load up on books. It wasn’t long after that I learned how expensive children’s books are! How could a 32 page long picture book cost and an arm, a leg, and a firstborn?!

Begrudgingly, I surrendered to my circumstances and just accepted any and all children’s books I could get my hands on. I was desperate.

I knew the quality of the books in my classroom library was mediocre at best and I resolved to gradually add better books and get rid of the subpar books as quickly as I could.

Why was it so important for me to have high quality children’s books? Continue reading →

Literacy Before Kindergarten: Creatures of Habit

/ jnspires / 2 Comments

This is part one of a series on promoting literacy in the infant/toddler – preschool years. You can find part two (choosing quality content for children) here. You can find part three (intention in book selection) here.

As someone whose entire life has revolved around school years, I’ve come to recognize the return to the classroom in late August as the New Year — not January 1st. Vacations are over. The weather cools off. Parents and teachers are out buying fresh school supplies. Things are settling down and falling back into the routines that keep us sane.

Research shows time and time again that establishing and sticking to routines is one of the best things you can do for yourself. It can improve relationships, keep you healthy, minimize stress, and more.

In the case of children five years old and under, routines are essential for setting them up for success in school (and life), especially with regards to reading.

giphy1
Continue reading →