DIY light table

Well I really do actually do many of the millions of things I pin on Pinterest and we finally made a real light table!

I asked just about everyone I know who has done this for tips and looked at every blog post about it ever before I spent the $30 on it. Ours is one clear plastic under the bed storage box with plastic frosting spray from Lowe's sprayed very lightly in one coat (more and it will peel) in the main bin. Two florescent bar lights ($10 each bulb included) in the lid and some foil on the bottom to increase the reflection of the light in the box. It works super!

Ah ha ha this is Ava's 'I am so stressed Lilly is playing with this' stance.

You can make pictures. 

You can put a sensory box on it or just a dish with some rice like we did here. Think rice, liquids, paint, etc.

These are our first materials all from the dollar tree - clear airplanes, colored linking shapes, jewels, clear straws cut in different lengths.

This is just the sort of thing I love to do with the girl's. It is easy, appeals to both of them (11 months and 3), and is high on the exploratory open-ended play scale. There are hundreds of ways to play with this. I get really happy when something this easy gets so popular on the internet because there is an amazing sharing of 'mom ideas' and I love that!

Here are some links -
- Put a mirror behind it or make a mosaic - http://reggiokids.blogspot.com/2011/10/beautiful-house.html
- Color play with colored translucent objects, discs, wands, etc. http://kristin-senseofwonder.blogspot.com/2011/09/light-box-color.html
- Play at home mom really has the most activities posted. I really like her painting on plexi idea, liquid color mixing and the colored bubbles activities - http://playathomemom3.blogspot.com/search/label/Playing%20with%20Light
- You can also buy x-rays and put them on the table or those cool water beads (I just ordered about a million of them here on eBay for $6 shipped) the possibilities are endless!

Next up for us playing with the black light I bought! Check out Play At Home's links for black lights!

worth sharing 2

  

Imogene's Antlers and these free downloadable paper dolls would be the sweetest gift for a little girl. (Thanks Design Mom and Silly Eagle Books for the idea!)

You should check out Silly Eagle Books because you will really like her! (or I do anyway)

Ava is going to LOVE tracing animal projections - we have been working on the idea of tracing and she is figuring it out - such a smart girl. 

The word from the boss is that we are headed toward a Go Diego Go third birthday party this summer (ugh) so I have been looking for some cute ideas but finding nothing - I am thinking maybe I will just make Ava a rescue pack, have a Diego cake and then just do lots of girly orange and blue. Seriously why can't she just want a cat party like this one - I NEED to make those little cat carrier party favors.

Shop for earrings and this doll and especially this singing bird in a cage at DarlyBird. How cute would an easter basket with things from DarlyBird be?! 

I want to stencil an accent wall with something from here!

Good people SWEAR by the CeraVe line of skincare and it is really affordable. The ladies I know that use it talk about it as if it were a religion. My moisturizer is almost out and I think I am going to pick some up. I love the title of the most popular review of it on Amazon: "more effective than steroids, immune suppressants, or light treatments" ... like a religion.

Finally, I haven't tried it yet but I really needed this advice for removing white heat marks from furniture. 

How to Choose a Great Daycare

I have been meaning to write this post for a long time! Here is my background on this topic: First, I have a history of working with children in both childcare and public schools. Second, my toddler has been in daycare three days a week since she was about 2.5 months old and has attended FOUR daycares and had a nanny for a short time.

Daycare #1 - Closed. Was very good and I am sure we would still be there.
Daycare #2 - We lasted just a couple of weeks while the inexperienced new owners broke just about every safety rule and parent interaction rule in the book.
Nanny - We had a nanny for about a month while we were searching for the perfect new daycare. I interviewed 10 centers during this time period.
Daycare #3 - Ava was bitten so many times to type it out here would be embarrasing. It was an extremely popular local daycare too. Finally, we just couldn't get control over the biting and had to remove her.
Daycare #4 - We currently attend. We are happy with it for the most part - even though leaving your child with others is hard and you have to make comprimises even in the good situations.

So here are my tips of things to look for when picking the right daycare (besides of course trusting your 'gut') :

1. Low staff turnover. Ask specifically how long the teachers have been there in each class. Don't accept a general answer and ask about several or all classes.
2. Ability to monitor your child. I believe whether they are online or not childcare facilities should have cameras in each classroom and on the playground. Daycare #1 had online cameras and Daycare #4 has a viewing room where you can see what is going on in your child's class. Ultimately reviewing a tape can solve all kinds of problems and misunderstandings.
3. Clean, fresh spaces with new toys. If a daycare is full of old toys, carpeting and needs painting and repairs then they are not putting regular money back into the center and that is a huge red flag. Even as you attend you should notice constant updates and new gear going into the classrooms. Daycare #4 installed a very expensive splash pad on the playground this summer for example.
4. Positive interaction with the oldest children. How a center cares for the oldest children on campus is a good indicator of their overall attitude toward childcare. If you notice in the late afternoon the 4-year-old children are all sent to a blazing playground with caregivers that sit and chat or they are parked in front of a TV each day that isn't a good sign. I have noticed a lot of caregivers use very harsh tones or raised voices with the oldest children in the center.
5. Curriculum and an appropriate daily schedule for every age classroom. Ask to see the curriculum used in each classroom and to see examples of the activities done that support the curriculum. Unfortunately, I have always felt like the activities I do at home with Ava are far more suited to her abilities and interests than the 'curriculum' (aka crafts) that she has followed at school. However, there should still be a strong curriculum that is followed. Check the class schedules when you are interviewing and see if they are following them.
6. Absolute, 100% adherance to child / teacher ratio. Understand your state's laws regarding child / teacher ratio. A classroom should never be out of ratio even for a teacher to go to the restroom. If there isn't back-up to relieve teachers during lunch, for bathroom trips and at the start and end of each day then there is a problem. The center director AND owner need to strongly believe in this. Just think about it - how can even for five minutes one person safely manage 8 infants or 12 one year olds alone? They CAN NOT.
7. There should be a strong end and start to the day. Visit the center right when it opens and right after most of the children are picked up. These are the most stressful and often mis-managed times of the day.
8. Clean noses and faces. If a center's caregivers are not noticing snotty noses or dirty faces and hands then they are not noticing many other less obvious things like rashes, illness, emotional distress or even being hurt.
9. An agressive 'biting' policy. Ask for specific examples of how it is enforced and there should be stories shared of children being asked to leave. This is a very sensitive subject for me. I have even noticed that centers often ignore their policies for certain children and enforce them for others. Kids bite - they may or may not bite your child and your child may or may not bite other children. No matter what your situation is though biting can be controlled.
10. A good and clear owner / director relationship. This is hard to do before attending but try really hard to figure out the dynamic between the center owner and the director. I personally prefer a center owner that is also the center director but as child care centers become larger and more successful most owners hire a director to take on many of the day to day responsibilities. There needs to be though at the end of the day one person that is absolutely has the final say that you can go to for guidance and to help solve problems.

Once Your Child is Enrolled:

1. Request in writing to be called each time your child is bitten or they have an injury that breaks the skin. This shouldn't be a problem, even though at our current center, #4, we have had several times where we have not been called even after making this request.
2. Request to be informed on your child's daily report if they are put in time out, for how long and what for. If for no other reason than to be supportive at home of the rules at school that you might not be aware of. You also want to be aware of your child's dynamics with other children. For example, a child who is an angel at home might be more likely to join in the 'fun' of being disobedient around a group of children.
3. Make time each day to chat with your child's caregivers. Just asking how your child did that day isn't enough - you will almost alway be told that they did well. The really intimate details of your child's day won't come up unless you have forged a personal relationship with each of your child's caregivers. When Ava was an infant I would often feed her in the classroom when I picked her up and spend that time talking with her teachers and watching them interact with the other parents.
4. When things go very wrong (and they occasionally will) you should always find a supportive ear. I learned this the hard way - if your child's teacher or the center director gets a defensive tone with you when you address a problem, especially a problem that involves your child being injured then you need to be very careful. I dealt with constant defensiveness from center #3 and we should have left much sooner. Constant support and swift action when it comes to the 'big stuff' is what you should see.
5. Look for a bond to form between your child and thier caregivers. Your child's teachers should be able to recognize your child's abilities and point out their strengths to you. Your child and their caregiver should both be genuinely excited to spend time together. This doesn't mean that your child won't cry when you leave or that they won't prefer you, especially if they only attend part-time.

Finally ...

Realize and accept that just like any other close relationship you will have to comprimise. I had decided early on that I would be supportive of Ava's school schedule at home and that I would do everything I could to be supportive of her teachers' situation of having to provide care for so many children at once. I didn't realize how much comprimising I would have to do. Childcare is one of those 'choose your battles' situations. You can't nitpick every little thing or honestly the things that are really important will start to be minimized. For example, when Ava was an infant I started to notice that my feeding rules were really being bended. As a first time mom I was really sensitive about what Ava was being fed as an infant. She was being given food that I didn't bring for her or that I hadn't tried out with her at home first. Instead of getting upset I decided just to spend more time in the class observing the dynamics. The truth is that babies are very aware of each other once they reach a certain age and what was happening was that Ava was crying for the food and snack that other children had so instead of denying her and letting her cry the teacher's would give her some to try as well. She would also refuse her food if another baby had something she liked better. Another example of this would be that I have had to accept that sometimes even great teachers are going to miss things or have an off-day. I have had times even in centers #1 and #4 where I went to pick up Ava and she was fussy and the other children seemed fussy and the teacher seemed disconnected. As long as situations like these don't become a regular pattern and there isn't a safety issue I try really hard to ignore randomly lowered standards...even though it is really hard!

Developing Your Own Toddler Curriculum: Art - Painting

When thinking about toddler art curriculum I like to think of it in the following categories (again to make sure I am providing a broad range of experiences):

Painting * Drawing * Sculpture * Printing (overlaps a lot with painting) * Textile Arts * Collage * Photography * Crafts * Digital Art

I think painting is the most fun so here is the list of every toddler painting activity I could think of and find. Beyond experimenting with different kinds of paint (finger, watercolor, tempera, glitter, biocolor, powder, fabric, etc.) and brushes here are some other fun activities you can do with toddlers:

Fingerpaint with pudding, yogurt or cool whip - color with food coloring or do this in the shower.

Shaving Cream Painting - color with kool-aid or tempera paint. Make design and then press paper on top of it. There are lots of cool marbled effects you can get with shaving cream and paint.

Kool-aid Paint - Mix 2 tablespoons of water with one packet of kool-aid and paint. When dry is scratch and sniff!

Texture Paste - Equal parts flour and salt, mixed with a little water and tempera paint to make a thin or thicker paste

Painting & Printing with a variety of objects:   feathers, combs, q-tips, potato masher, toothbrush, bath poofs, etc. Anything with fun textures.

Stamp & Sponge Painting

Crayon Relief - Color a picture with crayons and then paint over it with watered down tempera paint. Works beautifully for under the sea drawings painted over with blue watered down paint. Also you can use white crayons to create a design and then paint over it

Make stamp pads by watering down tempera paint on a wet sponge

Ball Painting: drop dabs of paint on  a paper in a box or lid and then roll marbles or balls through it to create a design

Bubble Painting:  Add food coloring to bubble mix and blow bubbles onto paper. For older children you can use paint in the bubbles.

String Painting: Tie things to string and drag or just drag string

Bingo Markers or bingo marker containers from school supply store to fill with washable paint

Spin Art - Put paper in an old salad spinner and drop in different colors of paint - then spin. Very messy.

Frozen Paint - Mix tempera paint and water then freeze in ice cube trays, paper cups, or popscicle trays. You can also freeze BioColor

Food Prints - cut up hard different fruits and veggies to make stamps. Apples and corn are the most common.

Spray Bottle Paint - Watered down paint in spray bottles. Fun to put a shape down on the paper and spray over then remove the shape, layer colors etc.

Snow Painting - Use spray bottles filled with water and food coloring to paint snow.

Dropper Painting - Use droppers filled with paint or watered down paint

Rain - Put freshly painted paper in the rain for a few seconds

Coffee Filter Painting - Use bingo stampers, spray bottle painting, or dropper painting. Once dry cut out shapes. Makes a tie-dye effect. This is how you make the wing portion of the popular clothes-pin butterfly.

Magnetic Marble Painting - Bin or box propped up on the sides. Paper in the bottom of box with paint splattered around then put magnetic marbles on top of the paper. Use a magnetic wand underneath the box the move the marbles around and paint. You can buy the wands for about $1 and 20 marbles for about $6 through Discount School Supply.

Car Painting - Use toy cars and trucks to create tracks on the paper.

Animal Tracks - Use toy animals to make foot prints on the paper

Nature Painting - Using shells, leaves, sticks, etc. as stamps

Painting Life Size Objects - Trace your childs body, draw a life-size version on their favorite car or bike, etc. on a big roll of paper and have them paint the huge shape.

Body Prints - Besides just printing with hands use feet, elbows, wrists, belly, cheek, etc.

Sidewalk Paint - Make your own! http://www.petitelefant.com/homemade-sidewalk-paint/

SOURCE NOTE: The ideas I didn't add from memory were mostly pulled from answers to a forum thread on Baby Center.com that I just can't get back to for some reason.

More toddler curriculum ideas here or under the category 'toddler curriculum'

Can you think of any more???

How to develop your own toddler curriculum - MUSIC

WARNING - what follows is rather 'teachery' and formal but I take talking about learning seriously!!! ;)

Probably because of my teaching background  I tend to view my toddler's (and infant's) learning and experiences like a school curriculum. Basically I mentally break down the areas into:

Language * Math * Science * Art * Motor Skills (Large & Fine) * Music * Humanities or History

I make sure I provide lots of different levels of experiences in each area and then follow my child's lead for her interest and level of understanding. While I fundamentally believe that early childhood education should be experiential, play based, and child lead I also don't think there is anything wrong with introducing 'formal' learning elements if your child is ready for them. For example, by about 19 months Ava could count to 10 and identify every letter of the alphabet now at 22 months she identify shapes, colors and numbers (oh yeah and she sings an adorable version of the abc's). I took her lead by seeing her very early interest in identifying letters (she started calling out A and B with pride shortly after she turned one) and then I took on finding lots of different fun ways for her learn to more.  I never had a plan for my child to memorize those things at age One (even though I think by three most children should have those skills) I just followed what she loved.

PHOTO: Dancing this evening in the Living Room

Lately she has been really interested in music and so I am working on building music experiences. Ava does go to daycare three days a week and she just started a new school where they do a really great job with music and I have seen a tremendous increase in her interest level. It did make me think about my stay-at-home mom friends and how if you are not careful in your daily experience planning you can miss introducing something that your child might have a real passion for.
This is how I mentally break down the "curriculum":

1. Music Appreciation: The goal here is to develop a love for music.
Expose your child to lots of different styles of music from children's music to classical to early jazz. Even if you HATE kids music remember that your child will probably love it! By almost two your child will have songs they like and dislike - create a playlist of their favorites.
Make music time as fun as you can possibly muster - dancing, flags, jumping - toddlers are super sensitive to your excitement level.

2. Dancing: Both free dancing by responding to rhythms and exposure to new and mimiced movements

I think the Wiggles are really hit and miss but we all love The Wiggles: You Make Me Feel Like Dancing (almost all the wiggles you can stream to your TV for free  if you have Netflix). I won't bore you with a huge list of children's music and I have written here a little bit about it HERE before - but there are hundreds of really great options for kid friendly music that (unlike the Wiggles) will not give you a migraine ;)

3. Instruments - Create your own and use 'real' instruments
You can teach your child a lot about tone, rhythm and other elements of music without ever formally naming them. Having two sets of the most basic teaching tools is helpful because you can play together. Here are some of my favorite instruments. Everything here can be purchased from discount school supply for about the same price as the mostly amazon.com links below, except that children's companies don't make great drums so I would actually just buy or look for affordable 'professional' ones like in the link below if you can. Off of this list, rhythm sticks and egg shakers are my favorites for double purchases. Obviously, exposure to any adult instrument is ideal. Ava thinks my husband's old trumpet is the Bee's Knees ;)

Basic Beat Pair of 8" Combination Rhythm Sticks $1.25
Basic Beat Single Egg Shaker $1.50

Two-Tone Wood Block Musical Instrument $4.12


Latin Percussion CP376 6 Tambourine With Head Single Row $7.20


Hohner Cluster Bells $2.15



Remo Pretuned White Bongos $30.15

Other ideas are - Triangles, Maracas, Jingle Clogs, Sand Blocks, Hand Castanets ... the list goes on and on ;)

5. Singing - The best way to teach a child to sing is to help them memorize a favorite song - this will probably mean that you will have to sing it about 200 times to them as they demand "again, again" - but truly once your child learns their first song it is amazing how quickly they start to memorize other songs and make up their own even. Singing is the easiest and (I think) the most fun component to toddler music education.

I am sure you all have tons of ideas here - so SHARE THEM please! But hopefully thinking about these categories will help you, as it does me, to keep your scope of toddler experiences broad and well balanced.

More toddler curriculum ideas here or under the category 'toddler curriculum'