Painting fun

Can’t find a paint brush to paint at home? Use a quip tip!

Money and Young Children

When you’re raising children, one of the most important things you, as a parent, can teach your children is how to handle their money. Children should be taught at a young age that they can't always get what they want, when they want it. This automatically means that you can, and must, say "no" to children every now and then. This is also a good opportunity to teach children that life involves making choices and dealing with money is one of many areas in life where we need to evaluate our options and make a choice.

Get a piggy bank for your preschooler and teach him or her about the different sizes and values of coins. As early as possible, let your child save and spend his own money (perhaps at the dollar store) for certain things that he or she wants to purchase.

Any allowance given to a young child should be small, so he or she will ‘run out’ of spending money and consequently learn how to budget. When you go shopping at the grocery store, give your child a small amount of money for example, $5.00, to buy a certain item and tell her she can keep the change. This will teach her how to get the ‘best deal’ for the item she was assigned to purchase.

One good way to get children to save is to say you will match whatever they save (out of their allowance) if they keep it in the bank for 6 months, 1 to 5 years, etc. Whatever they spend is gone and not matched. This way they will watch their savings grow!

When your child grows older, his needs will change. He may start to nag you for additional money so he can get something that everyone else has! Don't always give in to your child's request without asking for something in return. You may want to give your child some extra chores to earn additional money so he learns that it won’t just be handed out. As a parent, you are obliged to provide the roof over their heads and their meals, but it is also your job to prepare your child for the responsibilities of an adult.

Personally, I also feel there should be certain non-paid tasks that are your child’s responsibility as a contributing member of the family unit. This can start as early as age 2, when your child can help do little tasks like putting her socks in the drawer. It may take a little more time, but you are teaching your child a valuable lesson in helping the family and, in the process, your child will be proud of his or her accomplishments.

Once your child is old enough to understand, sit down and show him or her some of your monthly expenses. Many people keep their financial affairs from their children, but when you share this information with them, they know what to expect in the future.

Thanksgiving Turkey

Here is a fun Thanksgiving Project you can try at home! Get some child safe paint and a few paint brushes and paint each of your child’s fingers a different fall color! Paint his or her palm brown! Have your child press his or her handprint on a piece of paper to create a very special turkey!

Messy But Meaningful

Yes, Kangaroo Kids get Messy! The best learning experiences for children are hands on opportunities where they are truly engaged! Look at the light in their eyes during this hands on experience! They are learning about science and nature as well as expanding their vocabulary and learning social skills like taking turns and kindness to others!

Who would ever have thought so much could be learned from digging for worms!

Make Gathering Leaves A Learning Opportunity

A nature stroll to collect leaves can end with a math, science or literacy lesson! Have your children collect leaves then discuss how the transformation of leaves occur from green to the many beautiful colors of autumn as a science lesson. If you need a little help explaining photosynthesis and the entire leaf changing process visit this website http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/leaves.html.

For your math lesson count, compare, and match the various sizes, shapes, and colors of the leaves! You can create your very Leaf Books by pasting the leaves into a few pieces of folded construction paper or by placing a leaf under the page and rubbing a crayon over the leaf to create a leaf rubbing book.

Children learn best through song so you can also sing a favorite fall song.

Here is a simple one to try:
Sung to: "Farmer in the Dell"

The leaves are falling down
The leaves are falling down
Red, yellow, green, and brown
The leaves are falling down

Amazing how a beautiful leaf can create so many learning opportunities!

Leaf Painting

Fall is a great time to explore the outdoors! There are endless learning opportunities as well as fitness fun during this season!

Take a hike through the crunchy leaves! Bring a few back leaves to the picnic table in the backyard and do some leave rubbings or put some paint in a pie tin and let your children be creative by painting with the leaves they collected to make their very own masterpiece.

Happy Halloween

Looking to make some homemade Halloween Ghosts with your little ones?

Paint the bottom of your child’s foot with some white child safe paint and let them step on a piece of black construction paper add a few dots for eyes when it dries.

Now, your child has had some sensory fun, a special time with you and you have a memento to store away for Halloweens to come!