Teaching Strategies for Young Children

Learning to speak and write are two of the most important skills to learn in pre-school. These skills are fundamental to learning other subjects and keeping up with the rest of the learning. As a parent, there are many things you can do to encourage young children to improve their speaking and writing skills. Here are some teaching strategies that can be useful. 

Kids See Free Program at Loblaw Optical Centres

With our children back to school, I am sure we all remembered to get them all the necessities they need for the school year. This is also the time for us, as parents to think about our children's eyesight. If we are unaware that our children are having a hard time seeing the blackboard or reading it might impact their learning. During my recent visit to the Loblaw Optical Centre, I learned a few ways we can recognize if our children need glasses.

Children's Magazines

I like the different magazines published by Cricket Media for children because they use lots of colourful images, cartoons, contests that encourage children to be engaged critical thinkers. The information in these magazines brings up questions in our children's mind, and it helps develop their natural curiosity to find out things we take for granted.

Baby Play for Everyday Making Finger Puppets

Baby Play for Everyday is a book with 365 activities that we can do with children during their first year. This book will keep the babies and us entertained, while encouraging the child's development. There are indoor play, outdoor play, craft and messy play, music and more. The book suggests activities that we can do using everyday objects and our imagination without buying expensive toys.

Books For Children Charlotte in Paris, Fish Finelli and Lifetime

Charlotte in Paris is a fiction book written in a journal format based on historical facts. There are lots of beautiful French impressionist style painting throughout the book. It is a fun book for older children to read. 

Action! with Toy State

It is all about action this month with Toy State as they celebrate their 30th anniversary. The new spring line toys encourage active play with exciting features of light, sound, and motion that children and parents who enjoy playing with cars are sure to enjoy :) These good quality toys will not only keep our children entertained, but also physically and cognitively active.

DK Holiday Gift Boutique Has Fabulous Books

My daughter enjoyed making this 13" tall by 23" long Stegosaurus following the instructions and using the 100 sturdy photographic "bones" that was in the Make Your Own Stegosaurus kit. Both my children were entertained for hours till this project was completed. I like that this kit slots together without the need for glue.

Three Season Tram Footwear

Tram footwear is perfect for all our winter, fall and spring activities from playing in the snow to slush or tobogganing and more. We really like the functional design with the grab-n-pull rubber handles that allow children to easily put the boots on. Having an easy to wear boots will give children the confidence to do things on their own. This is very important to young children like my son who is in kindergarten, as he is learning to get ready independently.

Importance Of Saving For Our Children's Future

Everyone's family financial situations are unique, so there is no one solution or strategy that fits all of us when it comes to saving money for our children's future and education. Since there isn't one solution sometimes it is best to hear what other families are doing to save money. 

InnoTab® 3 Opens a World of Learning

The InnoTab® 3 by VTech opens a world of learning. There is a wealth of age-appropriate educational games, apps and more that expands our children's minds, creativity and learning. 

Both my 4 and 8 year old enjoy using the 180° 2 megapixel rotating camera and video recorder to capture images and videos. They like using the WonderCam with over 55 photo effects, funny faces and frames to create fun images with the pictures they took. 

Buy ivivva Clothing For Active Girls With This Giveaway

ivivva is Lululemon’s sister store that provides dance-inspired, cross-functional athletic apparel for girls age 4 to 14. The official arrival of ivivva is just in time for girls to get back into action with clothes designed for serious movement. The colourful clothing designed for active girls uses the same signature fabrics and design features as Lululemon.

Travelling the Globe with Michaels Crafts

This Yarn Art Vase and Poison Dart frog was done by my daughter during the week of exploring South America at Michaels. 

For this yarn art activity we need...

black construction paper

different coloured yarn

glue

Crocs For My Little Crocs

With so many activities to do in the summer and places to explore, having proper footwear is very important. There are many choices of stylish, comfortable crocs for children that it becomes hard to choose just one. Both my children like wearing their lightweight, slip resistant, functional Crocs™ summer shoes. 

The Adventures of My Pirate and Princess

My daughter and son enjoy pretend-play, so they were super excited when we made this Spy Scope and Wand. 

There is a story to go along these two pirate and princess accessories... Once a upon a time Princess Sister lost all her jewellery except for her magical wand that gives directions. The good Pirate Brother helped his sister look for the lost jewellery using his Spy Scope. 

Elephant Inspired Step Stool

This Bumbo step stool is very handy to have in every home with children. We really like the design of this step stool that resembles the foot of an elephant. In our home, my son uses this stool all the time to reach the sink. This stool encourages our children to be independent, as they can use it when they are learning to wash their hands or brush their teeth. 

High-tech Innovative Tagamoto Motorized Vehicle and Road Set

Children over four years will enjoy playing with this Tagamoto Motorized Vehicles and Road set toy. The Tagamoto motorized vehicle has high-tech innovative movement, as the car reacts to the codes placed on the track. These code strips control the lights, sounds and movements in the car. 
Children will enjoy playing with it for a long time, as each driving experience is different. Even adults will enjoy watching this car as it zooms around. We really like it when the headlights and taillights come on. There are 15 different sounds such as engine revving, car horns and sirens that get activated by the codes. 

Our Triceratops Trapper Lego from Chapters Indigo

Chapters Indigo is having a fabulous Lego sale promotion that ends on March 31st. We are big fans of Lego, so we couldn't resist this promotion and the variety of fabulous Lego at Indigo.  We ordered the Triceratops Trapper LEGO set that my son has been wanting for a long time.  When we purchased this dinosaur Lego set online we got free shipping  and the order included a small package of Lego City building toy for free. 

It Is Officially Spring, Time To Spot Bugs and Butterflies

Today is the official first day of spring, but the weather outside is nothing like spring.  Everyone in my family is missing the warm weather, the beautiful sunshine, flowers, birds and even the bugs.  

As an adult I am not a big fan of bugs, however when I was little it was a different story as my brothers and I use to collect flies and look for other types of bugs in our garden... thinking back I feel bad about this activity of ours as it wasn't cool for the bugs.  

My children are big fans of insects as well, and they are both in the age of exploring about them.  When they saw this book Spot the Bug by Tom Jackson they became very excited.  

Million Moments of being a Mom

Petting a deer... innocence of childhood

Fisher-Price is launching the Million Moments of Joy campaign that celebrates the REAL joys of motherhood. I know we all have the joyful, good, scary, stressful and ridiculous moments we've experienced throughout the years. Our journey of motherhood starts from the first day of our pregnancy.

My son's first time under a sprinkler during a hot summer day in the park.

I had overall good pregnancy experiences with both my children.  I loved it when I felt my babies kicked and when my belly was getting bigger everyday :) Although, I did have moments of morning sickness and irritability. I gained a lot of baby weight because I couldn't control all my cravings ;) thankfully it was baby weight that I lost overtime. We were OVERjoyed when we had our children, although delivering babies were scariest moments in my life.  

I was and still am OVERjoyed when I think about their first smiles, every time they tightly held my fingers, their smell, cuddles, when they first turned from their belly, first time they crawled, balanced, walked, waddled, ran, ate solids, raked the garden, first lessons in soccer, swam, oh there are so many... even now when they say the funniest things they crack me up. Getting a "I love you mom hug" and "I missed you today" is somethings I am truly thankful for as they are beautiful blessings.

There were also many days I felt OVERtired and OVERwhelmed because my son barely slept when he was a baby.  I didn't know what to do as he kept me awake all the time.  I had so much to do during the day because my eldest was 3 years older than him, so as a preschooler she needed my attention in lots of things.  My husband and I were definitely tooooo tired and very stressed during the earlier years but looking back I don't think I would give anything to trade, we learned a lot and learned to appreciate each other and be thankful :) 

Being a mother is a very important part of my way of life.  I feel honoured by this blessing and take all the OVER moments as it comes thanking God for giving me strength during the OVER moments that were hard.  And for the family and friends that were there when we needed them :)

Loving the journey of being a mother :)

Disclosure: I am participating in the Million Moments of Joy campaign by MC Canada on behalf of Fisher-Price.  As a thank you for sharing my opinion I received compensation.  All rights reserved on photographs and written content Createwithmom © 2011 - 2013. Please Ask First

The Peaceable Forest: A Tale of Kindness to Animals

The Peaceable Forest is an ancient Indian Vedic tale about Kindness to Animals, written by Kosa Ely.  In this ancient parable from India was passed on to children through an oral tradition.  This story reminds children to be compassionate to all living creatures and respecting life.

In this story a forest-dwelling hunter learns that cruelty has consequences and that compassion has rewards.  When the hunter meets the wise man, Narada, "Do unto others as they would do unto you" takes on a very concrete meaning. The sage leads the hunter on an imagined journey in which the hunter becomes the hunted. When the hunter realizes his actions affect other living things, he has a change of heart and begins to live in peace with the animals he once pursued for fun and without reason.  My daughter said that her favourite part was in the end when the hunter becomes a good person and lived in a peaceful way.

Anna Johansson's richly detailed illustrations show the animal kingdom and enchanted forests with fine lines and luminous colors.  The Peaceable Forest is an inspiring picture book that illustrates flora and fauna native to India.  My children found this book to be colourful and fun to read.  The interesting pictures will attract young readers as they see the world in the perspective of the animals.  My son liked observing the pictures and asking questions regards to the characters' clothing and liked the picture of the hunter's stance when he was shooting the arrow.  

The beautiful and accessible message within The Peaceable Forest opens up conversations about kindness and nonviolence to all living things, which teaches children to respect life in all its forms.  After reading and looking through the book we can have meaningful conversations with our children about this philosophy.  

All rights reserved on photographs and opinion of the written content Createwithmom © 2011 - 2013. Please Ask First