Now I Know My ABC's ~ Xx

It's time for some fun Xx activities!!! We hope you enjoy these! If you are new, you can visit our ABC webpage to find links to any other letters we have done, letters (with books listed) coming up, as well as the PDF of the cover sheet for your ABC notebook!

Jessica's X-ray
by Pat Zonta

Summary: Jessica is scared when she has to go to the emergency room, but she finds out all the things she can do to help people. She comforts her friend when he comes to the hospital, and she can't wait to get home to have all her friends sign her cast.

Xx X-ray

1. Print out or hand draw Xx,
   
2. Print out and cut the xray bones and have LO glue them to the sheet
   
3. Color the Xx, cut it out and glue it to the construction paper sheet with the bones
4. Hole punch and add to alphabet binder.
   

Option 2 (we did this one): I cut out the X-ray, the X (then recut it in black construction paper) and the X is for X-ray. I gave my LO the pictures, construction paper and the glue bottle and had her color and glue the sheet. Then you can hole punch it and add it to your homemade alphabet book!

Xray Puzzle

You'll Need:

- 2 xray puzzle sheets
- Construction paper
- Glue

To Make:

1. Print off puzzle sheets.
2. Glue one puzzle set to construction paper.
3. Hole punch and add it to alphabet binder.
   
4. Cut out and laminate the other sheet. Place it in an envelope in the binder.
5. Have them assemble the puzzle.
   

More X Fun

- Painters Tape X: place painters tape in the shape of a X have LO paint and remove tape to reveal the X

- Cut an X into pieces and have LO reassemble

- Play with a Xylophone

Cute Tots

Tots sure are cute, aren't they? Be sure to click on the photos to visit the mom bloggers of these cute tots!

Is one of these tots your tot (or has your tot been featured as a Cute Tot in the past)? Grab this button for your blog to share with your readers...

<a href="http://totallytots.blogspot.com/search/label/Cute%20Tots" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Cute Tot" src="http://i688.photobucket.com/albums/vv250/carisafrank/cutetotfeature150.jpg" /></a>

Want to send in a photo of your Cute Tot? Click Here!

Terrific Tot Sites ~ Lil' Fingers

If you are looking for a fun site that is great for your tot, Lil' Fingers is a storybook site for toddlers and has games, coloring pages and activities all geared toward toddlers.

Lil' Fingers storybooks cover a variety of topics: opposites, numbers, potty time, holiday, and more. Many of the books use the Macromedia Flash plugin and are 'read' to your child while the characters act out the story. It's sure to engage your tot! You can even create and upload your own picture and story to read online {read here for more details}.

If your little one enjoys coloring, Lil' Fingers has a large selection of free coloring pages ~ letters of the alphabet, numbers, time, shapes, flowers, and holidays. Lil' Fingers offers over 300 coloring pages.

Lil' Fingers also has games for your tot to play ~ Funny Faces, ABC match-up, Find the Groundhog, Match-up and others. The site features a handy little baby icon to help you know what age the activity is recommended for {i.e. two baby icons = two years old}.

Hope you enjoy this Terrific Tot Site! To see more featured sites, click here!

Once Upon a Book ~ Pumpkin Patch Parable

The Pumpkin Patch Parable
by Liz Curtis Higgs

Summary: Tells a parable in which the farmer turns a simple pumpkin into a glorious sight to illustrate that God wants His children to be full of light.

Bible Verse for Younger Tots: "For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"

2 Corinthians 4:6

Bible Verse for Older Tots: "For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:6

Pumpkin Patch Parable Mural

The Bible and art activities this week all work together to make a mural put together by your whole family.

Bible Time Craft

Jesus Shines Pumpkin (from Danielle's place):

- Print of the pumpkin printable
- follow directions on Danielle's Place

Art Time

Family Pumpkin Patch

You'll Need:

- Orange and brown paint
- Blue, green and white construction paper
- Glue
- Your family

1. Paint the palms of each family member orange. Be sure to add some brown paint on the two middle fingers to make a stem and press hands onto construction paper.

2. Let it dry and then cut around the pumpkin (I used yellow so it looks like the pumpkin is shining!).

3. Glue to a big piece of green and blue construction paper (cut the blue construction paper in half and glue to the green so you have grass and a sky).

4. Add the cloud Bible verse on top of the family pumpkin patch of pumpkins

5. Glue the Jesus Shine booklet next to the clouds. Hang your Pumpkin Patch Parable Mural up for the month of October.

Song Time

This Little Light of Mine
from EBible teacher

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

Hide it under a bushel, NO! I'm gonna let it shine...
All around the neighborhood, I'm gonna let it shine...
Don't let Satan pfft- it out! I'm gonna let it shine...
Let it shine 'til Jesus comes. I'm gonna let it shine...

Snack Time

English Muffin Pumpkins: Tint some cream cheese orange and spread it on your english muffin (opt: add raisin or chocolate chips to make a jack o lantern).

Want to see what's coming next (and books we've done in the past)? Click here to see our Once Upon a Book webpage!

Meet Stella Grace...

Stella is 25 months. She has one older sister, Anya who is 4 1/2. Stella has the sweetest personality...but she is also into everything. She's extremely busy. If it's too quiet in the other room, I know to be worried! :) Stella is very talkative. She will talk to just about anyone, anywhere! It tends to throw people off because she is small for her age but speaks exceptionally well. She started counting at the age of 16 months. She could count to 10 with no problem. We have video here at 17 months to prove it! She loves playing with her big sister and wants to do everything big sister does. On most days, Stella is happiest playing with crayons and paper or mega blocks. She loves to build tall towers and then knock them down. She keeps me on my toes and makes me laugh daily. Stella is just a joy to be around. She puts a smile on your face and lights up a room when she enters it. I'm probably biased since she is my baby girl!

Her favorite learning toys...

1. LeapFrog Fridge Phonics Magnetic Alphabet Set

2. Play-doh

3. Shape Sorters

4. Hello Kitty Cutie World Computer Game

5. Crayons & Coloring Books (we practice naming colors as she picks them out)

6. Her older sister

7. Marshmallows & Raisins (counting & sorting games)

8. Mega Blocks

9. Cars (she lines them up and counts them)

10. Play kitchen

Her favorite DVD's or TV Shows:

1. Ni Hao, Kai-lan

2. Charlie & Lola (the show and DVD's)

3. Leapfrog Letter Factory DVD

4. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

Her favorite books:

1. Goodnight, Moon

2. Pat the Bunny

3. Any Dora book

4. Don't let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Stella's Mommy Blogs at: Urban Bundle

Do you want your tot to be featured one week? Go here to read more details!

Treats 4 Your Tot

Here are some more cool giveaways for tots/moms of tots, check them out below and let us know if you win something we told you about!!!!

Leapfrog Tag Junior, ends 10/12/09

Baby Bjorn Potty, ends 10/14/09

Pediped Shoes, ends 10/16/09

Munchie Mug, ends 10/16/09

Dyson Vacuum, ends 11/2/09

Little Girl's Apron, ends 10/9/09

Alpha Sherpa Diaper Back Pack, ends 10/19/09

In My Heart ~ John 6:48...Bb

Verses are from: Songs for Saplings: ABCs
(You can get it here, or here)

Find the PDF files to download here!

See our Raising Rock Stars posts here!

See our intro post about teaching Bible memory verses to tots here.

Now I Know My ABC's ~ Ww

It's time for some fun Ww activities!!! We hope you enjoy these! If you are new, you can visit our ABC webpage to find links to any other letters we have done, letters (with books listed) coming up, as well as the PDF of the cover sheet for your ABC notebook!

Weather
by Keith Faulkner

Summary: Turn the tabs and the pictures change like magic as you learn all about the weather.

Ww is for Weather

You'll Need:

- Letter W sheet
- Weather symbols: sun, clouds, raindrops, and snowflakes
- Glue
- Piece of construction paper

To Make:

1. Craw or paste weather symbols to the letter sheet.
2. Have your LO color the letter.
   
3. Use a hole punch and add to your alphabet binder. My LO made GIANT snowflakes!

Weather Card Memory

1. Print out 2 sets of the weather cards.
   
2. Color, laminate, and cut them out.
   
3. Glue one set onto a piece of construction paper
4. Hole punch and add it to your alphabet binder. The 2nd set goes in a envelope for when you are ready to play.

More Weather Fun

- Make a weather display board for your school circle time.

- Place two ice cubes in separate bowls. Sett one in the sun and one in the shade and see which melts the fastest.

- Make sun prints. Place items on dark construction paper and place the paper in the sun. Let the sun bleach out the paper and make prints.

Treats 4 Your Tot

Here are some more cool giveaways for tots/moms of tots, check them out below and let us know if you win something we told you about!!!!

Bloem and Grow Blocks, ends 10/11/09

Step 2 Motorcycle, ends 10/5/09

See Kai Run shoes, ends 10/9/09

Wet Happened? wet bag, ends 10/9/09

3 FuzziBunz OS cloth diapers, ends 10/6/09

Boon Flair Highchair, ends 10/30/09

Nature Circle Cards, ends 10/6/09

Once Upon a Book ~ The Scarecrow and the Spider

The Scarecrow and the Spider
by Todd Aaron Smith

Summary: Benny, a lonely scarecrow, befriends a spider who explains that God is always watching over both of them.

Read the following verse together with your little one and try to learn it together. Talk about how God watches over us all the time and protects us. Then you can talk about how the scarecrows job is to protect the farmers crops from crows.

"The LORD will watch over your coming
and going both now and forevermore."

Psalm 121:8

Scarecrow

What You'll Need:

• Paper Plate
• Paint
• Construction Paper (cut into a hat shape)
• Yellow Construction Paper Strips
• Googly Eyes
• Triangle Nose
• Glue

How To Make:

1. Have your LO paint the paper plate.
2. Glue the construction paper strips on the top for straw hair
3. Glue the hat on top of that, and add the eyes and nose.
   
4. Have your LO add a line with crayon for the mouth or draw the mouth.
   
5. Set aside to dry.
   
6. When dry, hang your cute scarecrow up.
   

Number 8 Spider

Talk about how the spiders body is shaped like a number 8 and they have 8 legs.

What You'll Need:

• Number 8
• Construction Paper(black like the spider in the book or have your LO pick out a color)
• 8 strips of construction paper for legs
• a handful of googly eyes
• Glue

How To Make:

1. Print off or hand draw a number 8.
2. Cut it out of construction paper to make it more durable.
   
3. Cut out 8 legs and give your LO a handful of googly eyes.
   
4. Have your LO assemble the spider to their liking; set aside to dry.

More Books

Scarecrows

The Scarecrow's Hat
written and illustrated by Ken Brown

Summary: Chicken thinks Scarecrow's hat will make a nice nest, but first she must swap with Badger, Crow, Sheep, Owl, and Donkey.

Spiders

The Itsy Bitsy Spider
illustrated by Robert Snyder

Summary: Join the itsy bitsy spider as his family cheers him on, in this playful take on a beloved nursery rhyme. (really cute and plays music)

God's Protection

Shaoey and Dot ~ A Thunder and Lightning Bug Story
by Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman

Summary: When the lights go out during a lightning storm, Shaoey, a young Chinese American girl, is frightened until Dot the ladybug reminds her of God's protection.

This book is a great book ~ we love it!

My list of books to buy just gets longer and longer with all the great books we've done for Once Upon a Book. Want to see what's coming next (and books we've done in the past)? Click here to see our Once Upon a Book webpage!