ABC Home Preschool Blog

Reasons to Use a Home Preschool Curriculum

TheNanny612 — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 15:04:49 +0000

Perhaps you are stumped as to why to use a home preschool curriculum. Or, maybe you just need that extra little push to begin your own Preschool Curriculum. At any rate, here are some reasons to start using a home preschool curriculum.

Monitor what you are teaching them. When you send your child to a public preschool there is no way you can monitor everything the teachers are teaching your children. However, when you are teaching them at home you monitor everything…. after all, you are the one teaching your children.

Teach children positive social skills. We all hear of children getting bullied and teased. And, unfortunately, it starts early…. as early as 3 or 4 years old. When you are homeschooling your children Preschool you will be setting up all their social activities. You will be there to monitor all of them and you will be able to observe when your child is having a difficult social situation and coach them through it.
Children learn at their own pace. Not all children learn well by sitting at desks and listening to a teacher teach. Some children learn hands on better while other children learn visually. When you are teaching your child at home you can pick up on how your Preschooler finds it easier to learn and teach that way. Your child will have an easier time learning when you are teaching them with that method.
Many Preschoolers still need one-on-one attention. Just like Preschoolers learn at their own pace as I mentioned above…. some also need one-on-one attention. If your Preschoolers is like this and needs the one-on-one attention then there will be no problems if you are homeschooling….. you will be there to offer the Preschooler plenty of one-on-one time.
Preschool Years don’t last forever. The Preschool years will be gone before you know it. Why not spend as much time as you can with your Preschooler now before this time is gone. The nice thing about teaching your Preschooler at home is they will be spending this time with you instead of spending it with a teacher.

There you go…. 5 Reasons to Use a Home Preschool Curriculum. Hopefully, this is enough information to help you make a informative decision as to whether using a Home Preschool Curriculum is the right thing for you.

Top Image by jimmiehomeschoolmom

How to Teach Preschoolers the Days of the Week

TheNanny612 — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:27:25 +0000

The Days of the week can be very
complicated for a Preschooler to learn. Sure, you can keep reminding them
every day what day it is and you can also be repetitive and keep repeating
the days of the week over and over again. But, that can get boring. Another
way to teach your Preschooler the days of the week is to do it through
fun activities.

Below I have added many ways to teach your Preschoolers the days of the week
through fun activities. Before you know it your Preschooler will be reciting
the days of the week.

How to Teach Preschoolers the days of the week

How to Teach a child the days of the week

This article will show you a couple of songs
to teach your child to learn the days of the week. Song is a great way to
teach your Preschooler many things. And, the days of the week is no exception.
They will surely know the days of the week within one week if you practice it
everyday!

Days of the Week Worksheets for Preschool

Enjoy these free printable activity
worksheets to learn and write the days of the week. Theses worksheets can
also extend into learning about nutrition (food pyramid), numbers, and the metamorphosis
of a caterpillar to butterfly.

Lift and Paste Days of
the Week Activity

Here is a clever
and crafty activity to help teach your Preschoolers the days of the
week. With a scissor and some glue your kids will be reciting the days
of the week in no time flat.

Calendar Time – Learning the Days of the Week

This page has tons
of fun educational activities to help teach your preschooler their days
of the week. You can do it with song, poem, coloring pages and many, many more
activities. You have tons of options to help teach your Preschoolers the days
of the week.

Days of the Week by Caillou

I don’t know about your Preschoolers, but my kids when they were Preschoolers
loved Caillou. And, he is still around and he has something to teach our Preschoolers.
Let Caillou
help teach your Preschoolers the days of the week.

Teach the Days of the Week through Song and Video

Let this fun
and catchy video help teach your Preschooler the days of the week. The song
is not only catchy, but the fun animation is a joy to watch as well. Your kids
will love learning the days of the week with this video.

Days of the Week Pictures

If you are trying to teach your Preschooler the days of the week then you have
to remember to teach them visually too. Repetition is great, but don’t forget
their sense of sight as well. Here are Days
of the Week Pictures to help you teach your Preschoolers the days of the
week visually.

Top Image by Rubyran

Families Come in all Shapes and Sizes

TheNanny612 — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:20:41 +0000

Everyone’s families are different. Some families have a mom, dad and one child.
Some families have many children. Some families have pets and some families
have their extended families living with them…. such as grandparents or Aunts
and Uncles.

This post will be about Families and how everyone’s families are different.
The activities I am including in this post will help you to teach this fact
to your children.

Families Come in all Shapes
and Sizes

Building Houses

Bring out the blocks and lego’s. Help your children build homes with
you. Have them describe what fills the homes they built.

Family Portrait Puzzles

Sit down with your children and the Family Photo Album. Let each of your children
pick out a family portrait. Once they do make a photo copy of it, laminate it
and cut it into puzzle pieces. Let your children put their family portrait puzzle
together.

Wash the Baby

Bring out a Baby Doll, wash tub, wash cloth and towel. Encourage your child
to bathe the baby. Make sure they are being gentle…. babies are delicate.
The reason for this activity is to show that some families have babies even
if their family does not. Remember, families come in all shapes and sizes.

Create Stick Puppets

You will need tongue depressors or popsicle sticks, glue, crayons, markers,
yarn, etc… Have the children decorate the tongue depressors… each
depressor representing a family member. Did they forget anybody?

Put on a Family Puppet Show

Bring out some lunch bags and crayons or makers. Help the children make family
member puppets out of the lunch bags. Let them put on a Family Puppet Show.

Top Image by rolands.lakis

Teaching Children to Give

TheNanny612 — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:33:10 +0000

Teaching your Children to Give – What to do with those Old Toys

Right after the Holidays or after your Children’s Birthday can be an excellent
time to start teaching your children the benefits of helping the less
fortunate people. Sometime children become very selfish. They have
a roof over their head, plenty of food, and over abundance of toys. At a young
age most children have no idea that there are many children out their that have
much less than them. After the holidays and/or Birthday is the perfect time
to begin teaching your children about this fact and explain to them how they
can help.

After the Holidays or a Birthday
our children tend to have new toys plus their old toys. Many of the times
our children no longer play with the older toys and these toys land up
getting thrown out.

Why not have your children help you gather up their old toys and take them to
a shelter where their old toys get plenty of use and make children smile again.
This will teach your children that they can make a difference. Not only that it
will keep them from taking their good life for granted. It will teach them that
giving to others not only makes the other children happy, but it also makes them
feel good as well.

Tips for Teaching your Children to Give

Have your children give the same amount of their older toys that they
get new. This gives your children an actual figure to work with. Plus,
it keeps them from having their toy boxes over-full .

Be a Role Model.
This process can be very difficult on your kids at first. Even if they no
longer play with certain toys, they can still be very apprehensive about
giving them away. This entire process can be made easier if they see you
are doing it with your belongings as well.

Keep a Family Blessings Journal. One things that this entire
process teaches your children is to be more thankful for what they have….
to appreciate it all. Keeping a Family
Blessing Journal can aid your children in remembering what all they have
to be Thankful for. Plus, it is a great way to look back at your wonderful life
in writing.

Top Image by Mr.
Kris

Kid-Friendly Holiday Recipes

TheNanny612 — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 16:23:56 +0000

Some of my fondest memories growing up is baking with my mom and my sister.
Yes, it was messy and time consuming and probably very stressful, but my mother
made sure to bake with the kids year after year.

So, just like my mother I bake with my children every year. Here I
have added many Kid Friendly Holiday Recipes that you can enjoy this Holiday
Season with your kids. All of them are Kid Friendly,
fun and totally yummy. Enjoy!!

Kid Friendly Holiday Recipes

Magic Reindeer Food Recipe

Your kids will love making this Magic
Reinder Food Recipe with you. And, there is nothing that will make the Reindeer
happy this Christmas than to enjoy some of your child’s homemade Magic Reindeer
Food.

Rice Krispies® Treats Wreaths Holiday Recipe

Okay, I don’t know about your children, but I know that my children absolutely
love Rice Krispie Treats!! Well, look at these Rice
Krispies® Treats Wreaths…. they are not only Holiday beautiful, but
I have no doubt equally YUMMY!!!

Snickerdoodles Holiday Recipe

These cinnamon sugar cookies are wonderful!! And, they are a terrific addition
to the other Christmas Cookies you might be making this year. Try rolling them
in Red and Green sprinkles… that will add a nice Christmas touch to these
delicious Snickerdoodle
Cookies.

Whoopie Pies Holiday Recipe

In case you don’t know what a Whoopie
Pie is it is two round mound-shaped pieces of chocolate cake, with a sweet,
creamy frosting sandwiched between them. And, Whoopie Pie = Total Yum!! Not
only will you and the kids love making this Holiday Recipe together…. you
will no doubtingly love eating it too.

Jolly Peanut Butter Gingerbread Cookies

Total Cuteness + Total Yummyness = Family Total Delightfullness!!! Okay, well
maybe I am exaggerating a little bit, but these Jolly
Peanut Butter Gingerbread Cookies are so cute and delicious I just had to
say that. Plus, your kids will have a ball decorating them… let alone eating
them. Isn’t that what making Holiday Recipes together is all about anyway?

The Elves Snickerdoodles Holiday Recipe

I already explained above how delicious Snickerdoodles are. Well, these Elves
Snickerdoodles are just the same type of recipe, but they are made into
balls and are smothered in sparkly sugary topping…. exactly how the sweet
Elves enjoy their Snickerdoodles.

Cranberry Applesauce Recipe

This is a wonderful recipe that you and your children can make together. Cranberry
Applesauce is a great dish to serve during the Christmas Feast, so it gives
something that the children can say they helped with when make the Christmas
Dinner. They will feel so proud…. especially when the people at the dinner
table are enjoying their treat.

Candy Cane Marshmallows

This is one Holiday Recipe I have got to make with the kids this Holiday Season.
These Candy
Cane Marshmallows look so pretty in pink that I need to find out how wonderful
they taste. Because if they taste half as beautiful as they look they will sure
be a hit.

Hanukkah Latkes Holiday Recipe

Hanukkah
Latkes or potato pancakes are wonderfully delicious!! I know, because I
have them every year around this time. They are so good with a dollop of sour
cream or apple sauce. Make them with your children and talk to them about Hanukkah
and how Latkes are Jewish Tradition during Hanukkah.

Fabulous 5-Minute Fudge Wreath Holiday Recipe

There is only one word that I want to use to describe this Fabulous
5-Minute Fudge Wreath Recipe……FUDGE-A-LICIOUS!!!! Seriously, look at
this Christmas Recipe…. if you love Chocolate you will no doubtingly love
this Christmas Recipe. YUMMY!!

Fresh Cranberry & Orange Bread

I love bread and this sweet bread is no exception. Have it warm with some bread
and you will not regret it!! Make this Fresh
Cranberry & Orange Bread with your children this Holiday Season and
enjoy the bonding and fun experience for a life time.

Holiday Wreaths Recipe

Made with Frosted Flakes Cereal, Marshmallows and some other fun ingredients
this recipe is sure to be a big hit with your family. These Holiday
Wreaths are very festive and equally delicious.

Top Image by 1Happysnapper(is
trying to catch up )

Hanukkah Puzzles

TheNanny612 — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:21:07 +0000

Hanukkah is less than two weeks away. And, if your kids are anything like my
kids they are getting super duper excited about it. Sometimes it can be difficult
to keep your children’s energy focused in the correct area when they are this
excited. Hanukkah Puzzles are one way to keep your children
focused and creative during this highly exciting time.

Here I have put together some Hanukkah Puzzles I found online. These are great
to do along with your children…. and a whole lot of fun too. And, don’t forget
that we have some Hanukkah
Crafts and Activities to keep your children creative too.

Hanukkah Puzzles

Hanukkah Word Unscramble
Puzzle

ABC Teach put together this awesome Hanukkah
Puzzle. I love it…. and your kids will too. Sit down with your kids
and see if you guys (and gals) can do this puzzle together.

Easy Hanukkah Word Search

My kids and I love doing Word Searches. And, even the youngest Preschoolers
can enjoy a word search. The young kids who can’t find entire words can help
you find the beginning letters and get you on your way. Gotta love the team
effort puzzles. Print off this Hanukkah Puzzle Word
Search and enjoy doing it with your children.

How to Play the Game of Dreidel

The game of Hanukkah Dreidel is a traditional Hanukkah game that has
been around for hundreds of years. But, do you know how to play? It is a lot
of fun. Check out this article from About and learn
how to play the game of Dreidel with your kids.

Hanukkah Crossword Puzzle

This Hanukkah puzzle will definitely be a puzzle that your young kids
will need to do along with you. But, think of it this way…. it will be a great
bonding time with your children. Answer the questions along with your children
and see if you all can get all the answers in the Hanukkah
Crossword Puzzle correctly.

Hanukkah Maze Puzzle – Find the Dreidel

The HolidayZone
put together this great maze. Can you and your children help this little girl
find the Dreidel? Print off this Hanukkah
Maze for your kids and see if they can help the little girl find her way
to her dreidel…. she wants to play it after lighting the Hanukkah Menorah.

Star of David Dot-to-Dot

Kids love Dot-to-Dots and PrintActivities
put together this awesome Star
of David Dot-to-Dot that I know that your kids’ will totally adore. See
if your kids can do this Hanukkah Dot-to-Dot and make this beautiful Star of
David.

Top Image by skazon

Thanksgiving Handprint Crafts

TheNanny612 — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:22:47 +0000

Thanksgiving is just days away. And, there is nothing that could get your kids
excited about the Thanksgiving Holiday than to get them doing some fun Thanksgiving
crafts. And, these ones are not only fun, but easy. The kids will use the shape
of their hands to make all kinds of Thanksgiving Handprint Crafts.

I have hunted all over the internet to put together some super duper fun Thanksgiving
Handprint Crafts for you. No need to hunt all over the internet yourself….
below you will find plenty of Thanksgiving Crafts to keep you and your kids
busy for a long time.

Thanksgiving Handprint Crafts

Handprint Turkey

Here’s a quick and easy Fall or Thanksgiving preschool craft. All
you need is a little glue, some scissors, colored paper and your preschooler’s
hand. What your finished project turns out to be is a handprint
turkey that is super cute!!

Feather Turkey Handprint Craft

Using some brown cardboard, orange paper and feathers you and your children
can make this adorable turkey. How sweet is this Thanksgiving Project?! So Sweet!!
Your kids will have a blast making this Feather
Turkey Handprint Craft with you.

Autumn Handprint Tree Craft

Hand print and finger print crafts always make wonderful keepsakes. Here’s
a fun way to celebrate the coming of Autumn while preserving your child’s
size and age at the same time. Take a look at this beautiful Autumn
Handprint Tree Craft… Its not only adorable, but it is truly a keepsake.

Framed Handprint Turkey

Kids will literally need to lend a helping hand for this framed
handprint turkey project! A twist on the classic handprint turkey, this
craft makes a wonderful keepsake that you and your child will cherish for years
to come.

Thanksgiving Cornucopia with Hand Print Leaves
This
Thanksgiving
Cornucopia Craft makes a lovely centerpiece and the whole family can contribute
to the finished product. Notice the construction paper hands? Nothing like having
a centerpiece to look at during your Thanksgiving Feast that you can literally
see that your children helped put together. It will be quite the conversation
piece. (you will have to scroll down to the 3rd craft on the page)

Hand-y Thanksgiving Wreath

This Hand-y
Thanksgiving Wreath Craft is just perfect for the hands of your little ones.
With a little hand tracing, construction paper and crafting, your child will
have something to display in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.

Handprint Turkey Art
This
Handprint
Turkey Art is a unique way to not only make some Thanksgiving artwork,
but to show off how much your children have grown from one Thanksgiving
to the next. Why not make it a tradition to make Turkey artwork every year
and watch how your children hands and the turkeys grow.

THANKSGIVING HANDPRINT TREE

This Thanksgiving
Handprint Tree is a beautiful crafty item. Using a cork board or poster
board, paint, handprints, tacks and some other items you can make a creative
item that can last a lifetime. Why not add have the entire family write what
they are thankful for on their own handprint. Great thing to do together as
a family.

Handprint Turkey Cookies Recipe

These cookies look so YUMMY!! Now, I know the children will need a
lot of help with these Handprint
Thanksgiving Cookies, but how much fun would it be for all of you?! So much
fun!! Why not get all of your hands dirty and you make some using your handprints
too.

Thanksgiving handrpint turkey Artwork
Now, I must admit that
out of all the Handprint
Turkey Crafts this one looks more like a real Thanksgiving Turkey than all
the rest. I’m sure it has to do with the colors and they type of paint they
used. Very clever!!

Handprint Tree
This
is a unique handprint
Tree and I love it!! I have 5 kids so I love when my children do this craft.
With all the different sizes of hands and different color construction paper
this Handprint Craft makes the perfect Autumn / Thanksgiving Handprint Tree.

Handprint Keepsake Thanksgiving Plate Craft
I
love this craft and I must say that this is a "Must Do" craft for
me and my family this Thanksgiving!! I have no doubt that these Handprint
Keepsake Thanksgiving Plate Crafts will be something to treasure for years
and years to come. As a matter of fact, why not make these keepsake plates and
give them to a grandparent as a gift….. no doubt they will love it!!

Toilet Paper Roll Turkey
Wondering
what to do with those old empty toilet paper rolls? Why not make these adorable
Toilet
Paper Roll Turkeys. They are super cute and the kids will get a kick out
of using the toilet paper rolls. If they are anything like my kids the minute
you tell them you are going to use toilet paper rolls they will giggle and giggle.

Family Thanksgiving Flyer
If
you are looking for a unique way to invite your guests to your Thanksgiving
Feast why not involve your children and make these unique Thanksgiving
Dinner Announcements. Using your children’s hand’s and some cardstock you
can make some wonderfully beautiful Thanksgiving Invites.

Handprint Wreath Of Thankfulness
I
love this Handprint
Wreath of Thankfulness. We all have something to be thankful for. Why not
have everyone in your family write what they are thankful for and add it to
this Wreath of Thankfulness craft. Not only will the outcome be gorgeous, but
it will be a family project…. gotta love that!!

Top image by terren
in Virginia

About Me Activities Part II – Teaching the Five Senses

TheNanny612 — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:47:05 +0000

Yesterday I gave you plenty of “All About Me” Preschool Activities that you can do with your children to help
teach them about themselves in the Physical sense. Everybody is unique, but
it goes deeper than just the Physical sense…. such as our senses. Today I
am going to give you some activities to do with your children to help you teach
them about their senses.

We have 5 senses

Touch
Sound
Smell
Sight
Taste

Here are some activities that you can do with your children so that
they can see that their senses are unique…. different than anyone else’s.

Teaching the Five Senses

In order to teach the five senses to your preschool age children you have to
be hands on…. there is no easy way to teach your children about their five
senses without having them touch, taste, hear, smell and see. So, that is exactly
what we are going to do.

Sense of Touch Activities

My Hand Book – Help the children trace their hands on to
paper…. these will be the pages of the book. On each page of the book have
the children write what they like to do with their hands. You will probably
have to help them with this project.
Feely Box – Place different objects with different textures
in a box or bag. Ask the children to reach in and describe what they feel.
Can they figure out what you have in there?
Playing in Sand – Put some sand in a box or a cake pan
and have the kids play in it with their hands. Let them draw things in the
sand. Have them describe what it felt like.
Textured Finger painting – Mix some finger paints with
sand. This creates a textured paint. Have the children paint with this textured
finger paint concoction. What did it feel like? Did they like the way it felt?
Being the Architect – Bring out all different types of
material that have different textures… such as corrugated boxes, egg cartons,
empty paper towel rolls, etc. Let the children use their imagination to build
things.

Sense of Smell Activities

Scratch and Sniff - Help the kids make their own Scratch
and Sniff items. Simply spread flavored powered gelatin on a paper. Once it
dries completely let the kids scratch and sniff them. Which one do they like
the most? Which do they least like?
Jars of Smells – Soak cotton balls in different flavorings
such as peppermint, orange or lemon. Place each cotton ball in a baby food
jar. Punch holes in the lid. Let the children smell each. Which one do they
most like? Which do they least like?
My Art Smells – Bring out some scented markers. Ask the
children to draw pictures of things they love to smell…. such as flowers,
meatloaf, shampoo, etc…
Vote with your Nose – Using index cards spray different
scents on each. Label each with a number and pass the cards around. Let the
children vote on what they like most. Let them also vote what they least like.
Potpourri - Help the children make their own Potpourri
mixture. You can use spices such as cinnamon sticks and mint leaves. Use squares
of netting that you can pick up at any craft store or even a discount store
like Wal-Mart.

Sense of Taste Activities

Likes and Dislikes – Bring out some old magazines.
Each child gets 2 pieces of construction paper….. 1 marked, "Foods
I like" and the 2nd marked, "Foods I don’t Like".
Give each of the kids safety scissors and have the kids cut out foods
and past them on one of two papers accordingly.

Look the Same / Taste Different - Provide items that look
alike, but taste VERY different. Bring out vinegar and water, salt and sugar,
and flour and baking soda. Let the children try each and describe the differences.
Just a little dab on the end of the finger is good enough. What makes them
so different even though they look similar? What are the kids’ thoughts?

Sense of Sight Activities

My Art is BIG - Have the children draw pictures while looking
through a magnifying glass. Is it hard or easier to draw this way? Why?
Pin the Tail on the Donkey – This is a fun game to play
when you are talking about the Sense of Sight. After playing the game with
the children ask the kids if this task was difficult. Ask them why or why
not. Listen to their detailed explanation. Talk about it.
Look at the World Differently – Bring out different colored
cellophane. Have the children look through each by placing a small piece of
cellophane over the eyes (Do Not let them place the cellophane over their
head!! This is a safety hazard). Ask the children to describe what they see
when they look through the different color cellophane. What did they notice
when they looked at something without the colored cellophane compared to with
the cellophane? Which color cellophane was their favorite?
Look at Those Eyes – Bring out pictures of human’s eyes
and animal’s eyes. You can look for pictures online, in books, magazines or
at a library. Show the kids all the different eyes you found? Are their any
differences between a human eyes and an animals eyes? Discuss.

Sense of Sound Activities

Rhythm – Help teach the children rhythm. Turn on some children’s
music. Using instruments, sticks or even the children’s clapping hands see
if they can find the beat. You start by discovering the beat and let them
follow. Now, you stop…. can they continue keeping up with the rhythm?
Make Musical Instruments - Bring out empty canisters….
Empty Pringles cans work wonderfully for this. Fill up the canisters half-way
with items that make different sounds. Make one musical canister with macaroni
noodles, make the next with rice and maybe the next with pennies. They each
should sound differently. Now, let them use their new instruments to follow
the rhythm in a song.
Can you Find the Sound? – Blindfold one of the children.
Have another child make a noise. Ask the blindfolded child to point in the
direction of the sound. Were they right? Was this a difficult task for the
blindfolded child? Why or why not?
Ring the Bell - Hang bells from the ceiling using yarn.
Make sure the bells and yard are out of the way so children don’t get hurt.
Give a child a bean bag and see if they can ring the bell. Pass the bean bag
around and give everyone a chance to ring the bell.

In conclusion

There are so many activities that use our senses. As a matter of fact, we could
easily take our senses for granted because we use them so often. But, without
our sense our lives would be so much different. Talk to the children about this….
ask them what they think life would be like without one of our senses such as
hearing, seeing, tasting, touching or smelling.

After these activities your children should be very aware of their own senses.
There is no better way to teach children about their senses than just getting
right in and using them.

Top image by Nickster

“All About Me” Preschool Activities – Part I

TheNanny612 — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:13:12 +0000

It might surprise you to know that many children think that what they
enjoy…. everyone enjoys. And, what makes them happy….
makes everyone happy. And, what they find fun…. everyone
would find fun. It’s true. So, today I am going to write about different
projects that will help you teach your children that everyone is different...
from their looks, to their feelings, to even their senses such as taste and
sound.

Today I’m just going to get into projects that have to do with physical attributes.
Tomorrow I will get into the feelings and senses attributes.

But, the concept of "everyone is different" can
be hard to teach to a child without some hands-on projects. So, without further
ado…..

"All About Me" Preschool Activities

Me Puppets

In this project you will be assisting the children in Making "Me Puppets".
Me puppets will help you reinforce to the children that everyone is different
in the physical sense. You will need 6 inch paper plates to use as faces, popsicle
sticks or tongue depressors as the holders. Also, get out some yarn, markers,
crayons, child safety scissors and glue to finish off the "Me Puppet".
Let them put on a puppet show.

Self-Portraits

Give the kid some art supplies and let them draw pictures of themselves. Give
them a list of easy descriptive words and let them chose the words that most
describe themselves. You can even have pictures next to the descriptive words
to help them chose the words that best describe them. For example, for the word
“funny” you can have a person laughing so that they know that word is "funny".
And, for the word “smart” you can have a picture of a person with a light bulb
above their head. Those are just examples, but you get the idea. You want to
help your child pick descriptive words describing themselves.

Eye Color Graph

Make a color graph to show the different colors of eyes such as…. blue, green,
brown and hazel eyes. Let the children look in the mirror and decide what eye
color they have on their own. Did they chose the right color. Talk about that with them.

Thumbprints

This is a really cool project… a little messy, but cool. Bring out an ink
pad and let the kids place their thumb on the ink pad and then onto their own
pieces of blank paper. Give each of the children a magnifying glass and let
them determine what makes each thumbprint different. Do they notice the differences?
Explain to the children that no two fingerprints are alike…. pretty amazing,
huh?!

Body Tracing

You might need to help the child
with this project if you don’t have more than one child. Give each child
a very large paper. Your best bet would be to use butcher paper or art paper
from those very large rolls. The paper has to be large enough that a child
can lay on top of it and be traced. Lay the paper on a hard floor and have a child
lay on top of the paper. Use a writing utensil (pencil, crayon or marker)
to trace around the child’s body. Ask the child you just traced to color
in the clothes on their body and to draw their features on it. Have them
make themselves using the traced body.

Me Stories

Let the children create short stories about themselves. They can draw pictures
and make it a picture book or you can help them write a story using word and with the pictures
as well.

Felt Faces

Cover a coffee can with felt. Also, cut out different sizes and shapes of
felt cutouts. Tell the kids to make their faces using the different shaped felt
and the coffee can. Felt sticks onto felt pretty easily, so no other supplies
such as glue or tape is needed.

Growth Charts

Provide a measurement chart and scales for the children to measure their height
and weight. Explain to the children what these numbers mean.

In Conclusion

These projects should help you teach your children all about them in
the physical sense. Tomorrow we will continue the "About
Me" topic, but go into projects that help you teach them about
themselves using their feelings and their senses.

Top image by squacco

Homemade Halloween Costumes for Kids

TheNanny612 — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 23:21:43 +0000

One of Children’s favorite Holidays is Halloween. And, what’s not to like?
There is candy, decorations, walking around the neighborhood at night, and of
course….. getting dressed up. But, what always happens is that the child lands
up wearing a costume that many other children are wearing as well. After all
…. all the stores seem to sell the same costumes. Plus, buying a costume for
all the children can get VERY expensive. If they are anything like my kids they
want a different costume EVERY year.

The solution?

Make the costumes yourself this year. It doesn’t have to be terribly difficult.
Many of these crafty Halloween creations are quite simple to make.

Below I have listed quite a few creative Homemade Halloween Costume
for Kids. They are not only super duper cute, but they don’t seem that
difficult to create.

Homemade Halloween Costumes for Kids

Little Bearded Gnome

This is such a cute costume. The gnomes in my neighbors yards are more than
annoying. But, seeing this little one dressed in a garden
gnome costume makes me giggle.

Skunk Halloween Costume

I’m not sure what is cuter? Is it the baby or the costume? But, truthfully….
what child wouldn’t look totally cute in this skunk
costume. A skunk has never looked so sweet.

Robot Costume

Using some clever items from around your house you can make this totally
awesome robot
costume for your child. How excited will your child be to wear this
on Halloween?

Weather Gal Costume

This is my favorite Halloween costume out of all of the costumes I chose for
this post. This is a Weather
Gal Costume and it is so creative!! Using items such as a balloon and a
cardboard box you can creative this weather gal look for your child.

Lego Costume

I don’t know about you, but when I was growing up my sister and I spent hours
almost every day building things with our lego. Our imaginations just didn’t
quit when it came to Lego’s. Check out this homemade
Lego’s Costume. There are excellent directions so you can make this for
your child as well.

Knight Costume

You can make your little boy into a strong Knight simply with a margarine tub,
milk jug, grocery bag and some other items you can find around the house. Not
only will your son be thrilled to be a Knight for Halloween, but you can also
feel joy in knowing you made this Knight
costume for him. How cool is that?!

Cell Phone Costume

This is such a creative homemade costume. And, you know what?!….. there isn’t
even sewing needed with this Halloween costume. It’s true. You can make this
cell
phone costume with some things around your house like plastic containers,
a box, paint, glitter and a few other items. It’s so creative!!

Hawaii snow globe costume

This is one of the most creative Halloween Costumes for Kids I have ever seen.
It’s a Hawaii Snow Globe Costume and it was totally homemade. Check out how
this one mother made this Homemade
Hawaii Snow Globe Costume.

Mummy Costume

Not only is this Homemade Halloween Costume very festive for the Halloween Season,
but it just might be the easiest Homemade Halloween Costume EVER!! With some
materials such as cloth, scissors, glue and eyeliner you too can make this Mummy
Costume!! It doesn’t get much easier than that.

Little Tinker Bell Costume

Even your tiniest of tiny children can get into the Halloween spirit with
a homemade costume. Check out how this one mother used some crafty items
such as fabric, glitter and cardboard to make her 7 month old into Tinker
Bell for the Trick-or-Treat Season.

Homemade Sushi Costumes

Here is yet another totally creative homemade costume made by one mother. I
would have never thought of dressing my child as a sushi, but after seeing this
costume and how easy it sounds to make I just might consider it. She made this
sushi
costume using such items as foam they use for cushions, packing peanuts,
and vinyl. What a great costume!!

Easy Homemade Halloween Costumes
Here
Sonja Marks from CookieMag gives us some creative and easy ideas on how to put
together costumes using items we already have around the house. Its a great
way to save money and to insure that your child’s costume won’t match that of
others. She comes up with homemade
creative costumes such as Colonel Sanders and a Bucket of Chicken, Sherlock
Holmes and Dr. Watson, Curious George, and a bunch of others.

Little Lamb

This has got to be the cutest Lamb I ever did see!! And, you know what is so
cool about it?! You can recreate it yourself. Using some crafty items you can
make your little one a homemade Lamb
Costume for Halloween.

Top Image by hanna_horwarth