The One with Fine Motor Favorites----GIVEAWAY

Hey there! I'm starting my January lesson plans back for the new year up on Monday, January 5th. That way, the lessons will be in my normal 4-week increments.  I thought it was time for a giveaway just for fun! I will do the drawing on January 5th!


Kids being antsy when you're trying to cook dinner?
When you feel like you're about to go crazy, open up your pantry and find something for them to scoop, dump, or pick up!
It's the best! Beans, rice, cereal, noodles, popcorn kernels, and even colored water keep my kids entertained for a extended periods of time while I'm getting meals ready. Here are some of my favorite tools for toddlers to use to develop fine motor skills! I keep these all in my kitchen for some quick entertainment.

a) Learning Resources Handy Scoopers 

These are so fun! The dome is about as big as a golf ball and has holes in it. My girls love to grab things with these. They are especially fun (and humane...air holes!) for checking out cool bugs. They have also used these to pick up items in sandboxes since the sand runs through. We recently used them to grab floating cranberries out of water. My children still haven't mastered the concept of using them with one hand, so they use both hands to operate these scissor-like grabbers. 

b) Magnetic Wands

When my girls first got these, they ran around the house sticking them to everything. It's so fun for them to discover what is magnetic. You can place a bunch of small items in a bowl (beans, rice, cereal, etc) along with some paper clips or other metallic items for them to discover. 

c) Toddler Scissors (Faber-Castell)

These are THE BEST toddler scissors! I got them for my girls when the first turned 2. They get better and better at using them over time. They aren't very sharp, the tip is round, and they spring right back open. My girls love to cut paper all around the perimeter so that it looks like fringe! It's also really fun for them to cut straws in the kitchen! (And later we lace them on a string to make necklaces!) With any scissors I recommend constant adult supervision. 

d) No-Spill Water Pots (Lakeshore Learning)

These aren't really a fine motor tool, but I had to list them! I bought this set for my girls and they are one of my favorite purchases. When I'm cooking dinner I always let my girls do watercolors. I think this cup is essential for watercolors! The base is big and wide and doesn't tip easily. I also let my girls use these cups filled with vinegar. I give them a bowl of baking soda and allow them to have fun putting the vinegar on and let it fizz! 

("Painting" with water outside!)

e) Tweezer Tongs (Lakeshore Learning)

These are more challenging than a traditional tong/tweezer. They will really help promote pencil grip and strengthen hand muscles if you guide the toddler correctly. These are challenging to use for small items, but are great for larger items like cotton balls, large marshmallows, or pom poms. We recently used these tweezers to pick up acorns and sort them into egg cartons. 

f) Mini kitchen tongs

These make any scooping or fine motor activity more fun! You can find mini kitchen tongs in lots of kitchen stores such as Bed, Beth, and Beyond. It's easier and safer than tweezers, and the silicone tips help grip! My girls love to "cook" with these with their pretend food. I let them sort items (buttons, pom poms, etc) in muffin tins as I cook. Instant entertainment! 

g) Eye Droppers/Turkey Basters 

I got this medicine dropper for free at my pharmacy! I keep these in the bathtub and outside in our sand/water table. It helps strengthen hand muscles and is just plain fun! My girls play with colored water all the time in the kitchen. They use these droppers to transfer water back and forth between vessels. I let them drop vinegar onto baking soda as well. It's also fun to add colored water onto coffee filters with these! The sky is the limit! 

GIVEAWAY TIME for my Facebook buddies!!!

I will be giving away a set of these fine motor tools! 

Drawing will be held January 5th, 2015: the start of the new year of lesson plans!

To enter:

1. Like "Twinsane in the Membrane" on Facebook and "share" this giveaway post. 

2. Comment on this Facebook post to ensure that I know you're entered to win! 

The One with December Plans: Week 4!

Sorry, these plans are coming out late! I'm out of town for Christmas and feeling sick!
I don't have any of my supplies with me, so I'm not able to do demos. I'll post links to pictures if you need some visual ideas!

Monday: Christmas Tree Shapes (triangles!)
http://www.littlefamilyfun.com/2011/12/christmas-tree-shapes.html

Tuesday: Baking Activity
Our family makes cupcakes every Christmas Eve time to celebrate Jesus' birthday! If you don't celebrate this way, feel free do another fun family baking activity! (cookies for Santa, etc)

Wednesday: Decorate Gingerbread House
Have fun decorating a gingerbread house today! :)

Thursday: Snowman Handprint
http://www.clickacraft.com/handprint/gifts/handprint-snowmen

Friday: Mitten Number Matching
http://makinglearningfun.com/themepages/MittenNumberLinks.htm


Have fun celebrating the Holidays with your loved ones!

The One With December Plans, Week Three

Um, December is crazy. If you've made it this far, you're a winner in my book.

Here are the December plans!
Remember, all printable files are free and located at the bottom of each post.


Extra supplies needed this week (other than the typical basic supplies listed in the beginning of the year)
-ice cream cone
-green frosting
-sprinkles/M&Ms
-marshmallows/popcorn/cauliflower for lamb snack
-clear contact paper
-cotton balls
-buttons (or other small items used for counting, such as dried beans, pom poms, etc)

Week 3:
Ll Dot Art*
Directions: print file. Allow child to decorate the uppercase and lowercase L. (You can use circle stickers, dot stampers, play dough pieces, or pom poms) Read Dr. Seuss's ABC book, and discuss which letter is "Big L" and which one is "Little l" Hang paper on fridge for the week to reference. 

Triangle Tree Christmas Symmetry
Directions: fold paper in half. Paint a right triangle on one half of the paper. While the paint is still wet, fold the paper in half again to see the tree be completed! Add decorations to the tree as desired. Discuss how the tree matches on both sides.

Christmas Tree Ice Cream Cone
Directions: turn an ice cream cone upside down and apply green frosting on the outside. Allow the child to add ornaments (M&M's, sprinkles, or other candies) My kids looooooved this!

L is for Lamb Snack*
Directions: print file. Discuss that the word "lamb" begins with the letter L. (letter of the week!) Ask what color the lamb is (white, color of the month!). Use the paper as a snack mat and add marshmallows/popcorn/cauliflower to the lamb as wool. Super fun! Discuss that we get wool from lambs in order to make sweaters (and other things) to keep us warm. :)

Lamb Cotton Ball Craft
Directions: cut out a section of CLEAR contact paper that is about as wide as your window you'd like to use. On the non-sticky side of the clear contact paper (not the white paper backing) draw a picture of a large lamb. Carefully pull the white paper backing away from the contact paper. Tape the NON STICKY side of the contact paper against your window. The sticky side should be facing out, so that the children can decorate the contact paper. Invite your child to stick cotton balls all over the lamb! My kids thought this was SO FUN. No glue needed, just stick on the cotton balls!

Christmas Pom Pom Sort*
Directions: print file. Give the child a small bowl/cup full of pom poms (or other small manipulatives) full of red, green, blue and yellow pieces. Invite them to sort the item onto the correct present. For older children, slow them down by asking them to use tweezers/kitchen tongs to place the pieces onto the presents. Discuss the colors as you sort. Have fun!

Snowman Button Counting*
Directions: print file. Cut apart the hats on page 1. (I just cut mine into cards rather than cutting around the hats tediously. It's how I roll.) Ask the child to place a hat on the snowman and add the corresponding number of buttons onto his belly. "That is the number 3! Let's add 3 buttons to his belly! Good job! One, two, three! Now we can get a new hat for him!"

That's all folks!
Printable files here:
Ll Dot Art
L is for Lamb Snack Mat
Christmas Pom Pom Present Sort
Snowman Button Counting

The One with the Playroom, part one

Over the past year or so I've had lots of people ask me to share more about my playroom/toy ideas/organization. I honestly feel weird posting this. It's as though I'm on MTV cribs, yet bragging about my Duplos.  Lame? Yes.
But I love good a organizing post as much as the next crazy person, so here goes...

Tubs. 
I have everything organized in shoeboxes ($1 each, from Walmart). I was the educational director of a preschool in Houston after college, and they had bookshelves full of tubs just like these. It helps so much with kiddos! Typical 12x12 cube shelves you find in stores don't fit 2 tubs wide, so my husband built this shelf specifically for my tubs! So sweet!

Here are the pros and cons of organizing toys in tubs like this:
Cons:
1. It can be tedious to clean up at times.
2. Everyone thinks you're a freak. A big giant weirdo.

Pros:
1. Containment and Lids:  It keeps each group of toys together. It has a lid, and my kids couldn't open the lids by themselves for nearly 3 years. Yes. That means they didn't open any tubs without my help/permission for nearly 3 years. Awesome. No insane toys spewed all over the house. And in 3 years, I haven't lost any toy pieces. 
2. Classification, Responsibility and Order: From about 10 months old and on, my kids were able to sort and differentiate which toy goes into which tub. I usually allowed my girls to have 1 or 2 tubs open at a time. Then they had to clean up in order to choose a new group of toys. (Now that my girls are older, I let them have tons of tubs out at a time!)  They do have to clean up before bed time though.
3. Moderation: Let's be honest. We can get completely out of hands with little kids toys. They multiply in the middle of the night and somehow you have 4,563 Happy Meal toys. This way, each genre of toy is limited to one shoebox sized tub. I won't allow more than 1 tub of princess dolls. I don't want more than 1 tub full of matchbox cars. Having 1 tub limits quantities.
However, I have more than 1 tub full of some related items. Some of our favorite items I have broken into smaller subgroups (duplos, duplo figures, etc).

I'm particular about what type of toys my kids play with.
What you will see more of: wooden, classic, creative, constructive, hands-on, open-ended toys.
What you will see less of: battery-operated, plastic, "overly girly" or gender specific toys.  (Although these toys do have their merit at times!)


So here's the breakdown...

On top: These are just classic preschool board games, but they look like books! Adorable! They are hard plastic instead of flimsy cardboard boxes. Also, that blue game on the right is Barnyard Bingo, one of our FAVORITE board games for 18m+
(p.s. See the orange dots at the bottom of the games? Any items with an orange dot have tiny pieces that my baby can choke on. I've trained my big girls only get these toys out when she is taking a nap! Yessssssssss.)

On top:  Ikea shape sorting house, Ikea wooden stacking toy, Melissa and Doug shape sorter, Melissa and Doug gears, Melissa and Doug hammer pounding game, Ikea wooden bead maze, Fisher price farm.
All of these are baby-safe, and my 3 year old twins still play with them! Ikea has such great wooden toys for super cheap! Usually under $10!

Shelf one (with links to some items): Duplos, Duplo animals and dinosaurs (I highly reccomend these! Favorites!) Duplo Letters, Star Builders, hand and finger puppets, Melissa and Doug stacking train, and a tub of transportation things. (a few wooden cars, wooden stop/traffic signs, etc)

Shelf two: a tub of cheapo fun plastic jungle animals, Wooden magnetic dress-up dolls, Mr and Mrs. Potato Head, Wooden train and track, small, Plastic tool kit, Lakeshore peg set (another favorite!), Leapfrog Alphabet bus (discontinued) Again, any tub with an orange dot has small pieces that little sister can choke on, so the big girls only get those out when she's sleeping.

Shelf three: Fisher Price Tea Set, wooden stacking block animals (similar to these, but mine were $10 at Michael's!) various science tools, and stacking cups (another favorite since the twins were babies!) Fisher Price Noah's ark and animals, Fisher price princesses

These are some of the things in the girl's science tools kit. They love getting the different pieces out and it's neat to see them intentionally getting out this tub because they need a tool. (Magnifying glasses, magnetic wands, measuring tapes, color mixing paddles, etc.)

Shelf four: twin doll bunk beds, two doctor kits (from target in the baby doll section, I love that they are hard cases!) alphabet beanbags (I sewed them a long time ago for my classroom), build-your-own saxophones, simple wooden blocks, Tag, Jr readers with books and flash cards

So there you have it. I feel like I've just made some embarrassing confession, but you know what? I like being organized. But please know that my entire house doesn't look like this. At all. My closet looks like an episode of Hoarders. Nobody goes into my master bedroom because there are mountains of laundry in there at all times. Such is life. 

Hope you enjoyed the tour, and I'll show you the other side of the playroom next time! 

The One with December Week 2

Is it just me, or is December crazy busy? Here's some activities for any free time that you might have! Enjoy! 

K Dot Art*
Directions: print file. Allow child to decorate the uppercase and lowercase K. (You can use circle stickers, dot stampers, play dough pieces, or pom poms) Read Dr. Seuss's ABC book, and discuss which letter is "Big K" and which one is "Little k" Hang paper on fridge for the week to reference. 

Felt Christmas Tree
Directions: get a large piece of felt from a craft store and cut it into a large triangle (or tree) shape. Using other colored felt, cut out ornaments for your tree. Since felt sticks onto felt without adhesive, your children can redecorate the tree over and over. My kids love this one! (You can also do this on a smaller scale with a small tree vs. a large tree.) I used staples to put the tree on my wall. 

Popsicle Manger Craft
Directions: Use 5 popsicle sticks to create the shape of the stable. Glue together the sticks together. Cut (scissors work!) 3 popsicles in order to make the shapes of baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Have fun decorating the people and the stable together! (I just did a simple demo!)

K is for Kite Snack
Directions: Create a kite out of 4 triangles. Triangles are the shape of the month! I used cheese, but you can use graham crackers, sandwiches, or other everyday snacks! Just raid your fridge and see what you can find! Discuss that kite begins with the letter K. 

Paper Plate Penguin
Directions: Fold a white paper plate into the shape of a penguin (see pictures below!) I stapled mine closed for stability. Paint or color the head and wings of the penguin black. Discuss how penguins have a white (color of the month) belly. Use paper triangles (shape of the month) to make a beak and feet. Voila! 

Sensory Activity: Make Pretend Snow!
Directions: I'm so excited about this snow! It's clean and smells fresh and the shaving cream makes it feel cold. All you need is shaving cream and baking soda. Dump out out baking soda (I used a small box) into a big bowl or tub. Slowly add shaving cream and stir until it is a fluffy, moldable consistency.  It feels great! You can make snowmen and snowballs and all sorts of fun things. The coolest part is that if you add drops of vinegar near the end, it will bubble and "erupt!" Have lots of messy fun with this one! 

Snowman in a Bottle Counting Game:

Directions: Decorate a clean, dry bottle or cup like a snowman. (I used a sharpie and an orange triangle). Roll a die or draw cards (even playing cards!) to see how many marshmallows to add to your snowman. Adding the marshmallows inside the small neck is a great fine motor skill activity.  Make sure to practice counting skills while you're having fun! 

Variations: younger children can simply add marshmallows/pom poms without using cards or a die.

 Older children can use tongs/chopsticks to add the marshmallows in. 2 children can race to see who can fill theirs up the fastest. 

Have fun!

Printable here: K dot Art

The One with December Plans: Week One

Here comes Christmastime! I can't even believe the year has flown by so fast! This month I have the typical letter/shape/number/color, but I tried to also incorporate lots of fun crafts. Our family specifically doesn't celebrate with Santa, but feel free to incorporate him in if he is part of your family traditions.

Here's December's printable calendar! 
-------------------------------------
Objectives:
Letters: J, K, L
Color: White
Shape: Triangle
Number: 10
Theme: Christmas Trees, snowman, nativity (or substitute/add Santa if desired!)
-------------------------------------

Jj Dot Art*

Directions: print file. Allow child to decorate the uppercase and lowercase J. (You can use circle stickers, dot stampers, play dough pieces, or pom poms) Read Dr. Seuss's ABC book, and discuss which letter is "Big J" and which one is "Little j" Hang paper on fridge for the week to reference. 

Triangle Popsicle Tree
Directions: paint 3 popsicle sticks green. Glue the sticks together into a triangle shape. Describe the attributes of a triangle (3 straight lines, 3 corners). Decorate the sticks to look like a Christmas tree using craft supplies (glitter, buttons, pom-poms, sequins, etc).

Manger Handprint
Directions: paint your child's hand brown. Add straw and a baby Jesus for decoration. It looks like a cute little manger! Tell the story of Jesus' birth! (This would be a great keepsake for grandma!)

J is for Jellyfish Snack
Directions: poke lots of uncooked spaghetti sticks into hot dog pieces. Boil the hot dogs (with sticks attached) until the pasta is tender. It looks just like a jellyfish! It's a fun lunch! Talk about how jellyfish starts with the letter J.

(picture coming soon!)

White Snow Pictures
Directions: use white crayons/chalk to draw snow on a black piece of paper. (Kids think it's so fun how you can't see the white crayon on white paper, but it shows up on black paper!)

Mitten Sort*
Directions: print file. Cut apart pictures from page 2. Mix up the small pieces and allow the child to sort them onto the corresponding color of mitten. Describe the colors of each mitten as you match.

Play Dough Christmas Tree Counting
Directions: cut Christmas tree shapes out of play dough with cookie cutters.  Roll a die to see how many ornaments to put on the tree. Use pony beads (or any other small decorative items) as ornaments in the game.  "Let's count the dots on the die! There are six dots! Let's put 6 ornaments on the tree!"

Printables here!
December Calendar
J Dot Art
Mitten Color Sorting

The One With November Plans: Week Four

Hi!
This week is short and sweet! I'm sure that you all will be busy with family and other things this week, but I wanted to offer up a few ideas to keep the kiddos occupied. You can always do any old activities that you missed this month as well. 

Turkey Shape Sort*
Directions: print file. Cut apart the feather shapes on page 4. Mix up the feathers. Invite your child to sort the feathers and add them to the correct turkey. 
Printable here!!! 

Hand Turkey
Directions: It's an American tradition. Trace your child's hand and make it into a turkey shape. Discuss what they are thankful for and add it to the feathers/fingers. Voila! A sentimental craft that family loves. Feel free to spice up this craft however you'd like! There are tons of variations. 

Ice Cream Cone Cornucopia Snack
Directions:  (to make the end of the cone curly)Dip the end of a sugar cone in hot water for about 30 seconds.  Then, put the soaked cone into the microwave for 20-30 seconds to make the wet point soft a pliable. Roll the soft end around a clean pencil or wooden spoon, and hold to set.
OR
you can just leave the tip pointy!  Serve with fruit or other snacks inside for a fun treat!

Cranberry Bog Activity
Directions: provide your child with a bag of cranberries ($2 in grocery stores around here!) and a tub of water. Allow them to scoop and dump the water and cranberries with various kitchen tools. I found that small tablespoons and large slotted spoons worked the best. We also used these tools, which we LOVE. 

We discussed how the cranberries floated, and how real-life cranberry bogs work (in very very simple terminology, ha!) They scooped and dumped for a long time! 

Love you guys! Excited for December's plans! :)

The One with November Plans, Week Three

Week 3 is up! Here is the November calendar of activities if you haven't printed it yet! 

This week we are learning about the letter I. An important note about vowels is that you should teach the short vowel sound first. So /i/ makes the "ih" sound, as in iguana, igloo, etc. 

{For more tips on beginning reading, click here on my post about pre-reading and alphabet skills for toddlers. This stuff early childhood teachers know, but is great for parents that aren't certified teachers!}

I Dot Art*
Directions: print file. Allow child to decorate the uppercase and lowercase I. (You can use circle stickers, dot stampers, play dough pieces, or pom poms) Read Dr. Seuss's ABC book, and discuss which letter is "Big I" and which one is "Little i" Hang paper on fridge for the week to reference. For older toddlers, teach that /i/ makes the "ih" sound. 

(I had to use a funky font in order to make the capital I look different than a lowercase L!)

Star Beanbag Toss
Directions: use painter's/masking tape to make a star on the floor. As you make the star, describe the attributes of a star (5 points, straight lines, etc) Have fun throwing a beanbag into the star. (If you don't have a beanbag, you can fill an old sock with dried beans or rice). You can make stars of different sizes! "Can you throw your beanbag into the big star?" 

Brown Paper Bag Turkey Puppets
Directions: use a paper bag as the body of the turkey. Add eyes and a beak (with googly eyes, crayons/marker, etc).  Adhere feathers to the back of the turkey (real or construction paper feathers). My girls loved this! They ran around the house playing puppets with their turkey while yelling "Happy Thanksgiving!" and gobbling.

I is for inchworm snack*
Directions: print file for snack mat. This will be my girls' first linear measurement activity! Give your child a gummy worm (aka inch worm) and teach them to lay it along the ruler. Count the numbers 1-5 and then measure how many inches your inchworm is. Allow them to take bites and re-measure as the gummy worm gets eaten. Note how many inches it is after the bites. This activity should really give you an opportunity to measure more things around the house and discuss how many inches it is. Have fun! :)

Decorate Letter I
I actually changed this to a new activity I found on Pinterest...magic appearing letters! 

Directions: on white paper, write big, bold capital letters in white crayon. Invite your child to paint on the paper with colored water (you can use food coloring or watercolors). They will love to see the letter appear magically! See if they can identify the letter without prompting. :) 

Sorting G, H, I*
Directions:  Print file and cut apart pieces. Label 3 different cups as "G, H, and I". Invite your child to sort the pieces into 3 different cups. 

Bonus cute idea: Put an adult sock over a regular cup and have the child pick the letters out of that cup! It is super fun to reach inside the sock-cup and pull out a letter that way! (Like my fuzzy striped sock? Eh? Eh?)


Play Dough Counting Mat*
Directions: print file. Roll a die and count the dots on top. Invite the child to place pieces of play dough as acorns onto the mat. Count the "acorns" together. Roll again and again for fun! :)

That's all, folks. Printables here:
Ii Dot Art
Inchworm Snack Mat

GHI Sorting Letters
Play Dough Counting Mat