Now I Know My ABCs ~ U is for Umbrella

It's time for some fun alphabet crafts!! 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 all the fun crafty letters we have been working on. Be sure to check it out!

The Umbrella by Jan Brett

Summary: This book is a tropical twist on The Mitten, taking place in Costa Rica. More and more animals pile into the umbrella ~ great illustrations as always!

What You’ll Need:

• Pink, blue, and black foam sheet/construction paper 
• Pencil {to outline}
• Scissors
• Glue

How to Make the ‘U” Umbrella:

1. Trace and cut an uppercase ‘U’ out of a foam sheet {you choose the color} or construction paper. I used a foam sheet that was about 4" x 5" in size.
2. Cut an ‘inside’ for the letter U ~ to use as the inside of the umbrella. I used a complimentary color so that the letter U would stand out.
3. Use the black foam to cut a handle for your umbrella.
4. Cut some raindrops out of the blue foam.
5. Glue the pieces of the umbrella together.

 

Mommy Made Printables ~ Weather/Rainbows

Rainbows from 1+1+1=1…

R is for Rainbow {an entire set of printables} from Confessions of a Homeschooler…

Spring Showers {an entire set} from Home Grown Hearts…

Also from Home Grown Hearts, an entire set of Rainbow printables…

Weather Graphs and Printables {from our calendar sets, click images to go to our sites}…

Up, Up & Away File Folder Game from Mama Jenn…

If you have weather/rainbow printables you have created and share in PDF form, please leave a comment with the link!

Little Books for Little Cooks ~ Just Enough Carrots

Little Books for Little Cooks is a bi-monthly feature that focuses on creating some edible fun with your little one.   We will share a fun book to read with your little one along with a cooking activity to do that ties in with the featured book. Sometimes there may be actual cooking involved…and sometimes just fun!

 

Just Enough Carrots

by Stuart Murphy

Summary: Little Rabbit goes shopping with his mom at the grocery store and learns lots about math while he is there.

This book also has some additional parent/child activities at the end of the book ~ great for teaching compare/contrast and math concepts.

You’ll Need:

• a plate
• a small clay pot
• mini carrots
• parsley
• toothpick
• can of chick peas
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 cup olive oil

To Make:

1. Cut the parsley into small sprigs.
2. Poke holes into the tops of about 10 carrots using the toothpick
3. Stick a piece of parsley into the top of the carrots.
4. Drain the chick peas and put them into a food processor or blender. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and cumin. Blend til smooth {you may need to add a little warm water a teaspoon at a time to help it blend}.
5. Put the hummus into the clay pot and ‘plant’ your carrots in the garden.
6. Eat and enjoy!

Hope you enjoy this cooking activity with your little one! To see more featured books and activities, click here!

 

Get Real With God: Bent By Love ~ Lessons From a Rainbow

After spring showers we occasionally see the magic that follows in the sky above us. Stray bits of moisture come together to form an arch in the sky that bends light to form colors that dazzle us and remind us of a promise made long ago.

We find this promise in Genesis 9:13-17 when God explains his covenant with Noah and all mankind.
Today when we see a rainbow in the sky we often associate it with the word "promise" because it reminds us of God's faithfulness. However, have you ever noticed the shape of the rainbow?

Recently, it struck me in a powerful way that this great symbol shows light leaving the earth (to the ground upward) then light returning to the earth (the bending arch back down).

When God created the world he cherished and enjoyed his work. He put his whole self into it. The Bible tells us that He was pleased with His creation. Over time humanity became unrecognizable to Him. Tainted by sin and rebellion He was disillusioned by humanity's state.

I believe God's first regret is evident in Genesis 6:6 where it says " And the Lord was sorry that he made man on the earth, and he was grieved in His heart." Wow! His pain was so deep that He was done with His creation.

Imagine your child holding up a broken toy. They once loved it and treasured it, but now it's lost it's value. It will not take long for that child to cast the toy aside and find a new working toy to love and enjoy.
Humanity was in that same state of brokenness. God's disappointment was like light leaving the earth, departing with disappointment and disgust, regrets raining in his mind. In Genesis 6:7 God says . . ." I am sorry that I have made them." Ouch!

Then something strange happens. Just as this light and hope is about to turn away from creation something catches Gods eye. Some movement turns God's head and He watches with eagerness at the one thing in creation that still honors Him. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Gen. 6:8). God found something redeemable in Noah. He found a working piece of this broken toy and He saw hope.

Noah was obedient enough to endure the mockery of a sinful world and He began to follow God's directions to build an arc and fill it as God ordered. As the rains began to fall and the storm clouds formed, God bent down in mercy and placed his hand over the door of the arc to seal His treasure in safety (Gen. 7:16).

There are many times in the Bible and modern history that God's people have called on to "bend down and hear their prayer". There are also many Biblical example of God bending to hear, bending to feed, or even bending down to write in the ground.

Remember the story in John 8 about the woman caught in adultery? In verse 8 Jesus stooped down and "wrote on the ground with His finger." What might he have written? Whatever he wrote, combined with His words, brought conviction.

The story just confirms what we already knew about God. When others are bent on revenge, God is bent on mercy.

When the heart of God was broken in Noah's day by the complete depravity of the world, His glory began to pull away. Then He saw Noah and in mercy He bent back toward humanity. Like a rainbow, he changed course, he arched back to His creation and was bent by the love He saw in Noah's heart.

***

When I became a Mom I was eager to create life. You probably were too. You may have worked hard to create that life. Maybe you took your temperature, saw a fertility doctor, or worked a different and challenging road of adoption. In either case, you worked to create your family.

Then that child began to grow.

I'll never forget the first time I heard my child use the word "I hate you". The anger and rebellion that flowed from the tiny mouth was shocking and it broke my heart. In that moment I couldn't recognize my own child. I just saw the source of my pain. I felt the disappointment and fear that perhaps I'd made a mistake. Maybe parenthood wasn't for me.

I picked up that tiny little body and placed it in a time out. Truth be told I needed a time out myself to sort out my feelings and find the correct response. It took about two minutes until the little pouting face began to show remorse and slowly I watched love come out of teary little eyes.

How could I resist? I bent down. Eye to eye I faced her. I protected her in my arms from the anger that had only moments before flooded the room like a storm and threatened to destroy our most precious bond.

The rainbow is a promise. It's also so much more. It's Gods love bent down to hug humanity. It's a second chance to turn from our selfish, evil ways and love God bigger. It's a miracle in the sky that can also remind us mothers to bend in love, forgive when we are hurt, and show mercy when other's would seek revenge.

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!!!!

• Mary’s SoftDough…ends 4/17/10
• Real Nappies cloth diaper starter kit…ends 4/17/10
• Chic Tots Tote…ends 4/19/10
• Wee Ride Bike Seat…ends 4/19/10
• Mabel’s Labels…ends 4/21/10
• KidsCraft Play House…ends 4/21/10
• Britax Carseat…ends 4/23/10
• Annie’s Homegrown Foods Pack…ends 4/22/10
• Mommy Hook…ends 4/24/10
• Rock Crawler Bounce House… ends 5/3/10
• Little Tykes Pirate Water Play Table…ends 5/4/10
• Step 2 Play Cottage …ends 5/17/10

~ We do not take email requests to be added to this list, these are just personal favorites I find online, you are welcome to leave any giveaway links (TOT FRIENDLY ONLY) in the comments below. Bolded items are things we actually own ourselves and love!

In My Heart ~ Uu Psalm 17:8

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.

Once Upon a Book ~ The Growing Story

The Growing Story

by Ruth Krauss

Summary:  It’s hard to be patient to grow up when you are a child.  In this precious book by Ruth Krauss, we follow a little boy through four seasons as he questions his mother whether or not he is growing like all of the things around him.  At the close of the book, we become overjoyed with the little boy because he no longer fits into his old clothes!  He really is growing-just like his mother said!

Bible Verse: 

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. (Colossians 1: 9-12)

OK . . . I recognize that this is a long verse and it has a few big words, but I just know that you can adapt it to your child.  Our children are much like a big tree that grows or even the vegetables in our garden.  We don’t always notice that they are growing until maybe the munchkin tries on some clothes from the previous year or they begin to complain about their shoes being too tight.  At times our children become impatient that they can’t do “big kid” activities or play the games that an older sibling is participating in. Sometimes we as parents become frustrated that our little charge still needs help putting on a sock, zipping a coat, or even wiping their bottom.  But as they grow, and as we take on this privilege of discipling (not to be confused with disciplining) our children with the Lord, each day is an opportunity to help our child GROW in the knowledge of the Lord, being strengthened with all power that they might be strong Redwoods for the Lord. 

Activities

Watercolor:
The Growing Story is a beautiful book filled with watercolor pages.  Give your Tot the opportunity to paint some of the things that are growing outside.  For this activity, we went outside in our PJ’s and Mr. Me-Too spent some time looking all around him.  We talked about what God was causing to grow.  He then had to choose something in nature to paint a picture of.  Now, I will warn you . . . if you give a Tot a paintbrush – it might make his imagination see a dinosaur in the woods!

Our vantage point

The Artist

The View

 

The Final Product:  A pterodactyl

Take a fieldtrip:
This time of year is the perfect time to visit a zoo or a farm.  We actually did both, though I only have pictures of our trip to the farm.  Both places are filled with birth and growth.  At the zoo, we missed a live birth by about an hour!  However, we got to see a calf take its first step!  At the farm, where we get our milk, we have watched the calves grow this spring.  It has been exciting for Mr. Me-Too to see them grow taller than he is in such a short time.



Clean out the closet:
Either dig out some clothes from last year, or find some clothes that your child wore at the beginning of the winter season.  Purposefully choose an outfit that they have outgrown and have them try on their smaller clothes.  Watch their surprise when they look in the mirror and see that they have grown.  It would be especially fun if you found a picture of them wearing that outfit when it actually fit, and compare it to how it presently looks! 

What Makes Me Grow?:
Discuss the things that a person needs to grow, such as water, good food, sleep, safety, etc.   Expand on this according to your child’s age and understanding.  You could even talk about what a plant needs to grow – sun, water, soil, and sometimes pruning. 

Growth Chart:
Get a large sheet of paper and have your child lay down on the paper.  Trace and make an outline of your Tot.  Have them color their body in, making a shirt, pants, etc.  Hang it on a wall in their bedroom or tuck it away until the end of the summer.  Don’t forget to dig it out in a few months and re-trace your child.  They will be able to see just how much they have grown! 

Poem

Growing
by Lilian Moore

I’m taller today
but nobody knows.
I looked in the mirror
way up on my toes.
For the very first time
I saw
my
NOSE!

From The Coat in My Closet

I opened the closet and
there was my coat—
the coat that I wore last year…
“I don’t reach your knees,”
the coat complained.
“Whatever did you do?”
“Coat,” I explained,
“I grew.”

 
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!

Now I Know My ABCs ~ T is for Tractor

It's time for some fun alphabet crafts!! 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 all the fun crafty letters we have been working on. Be sure to check it out!

Touch and Feel Tractor by Parachute Press

Summary: Your little one will have fun learning about tractors ~ John Deere tractors, that is ~ with this touch and feel book from DK. Real life pictures make this a great book for little ones!

What You’ll Need:

• Green, yellow and black foam sheet/construction paper 
• Pencil {to outline}
• Scissors
• Glue

How to Make the ‘T” Tractor:

1. Trace and cut an uppercase ‘T’ out of the green foam sheet or construction paper. I used a foam sheet that was about 4" x 5" in size.
2. Use the black foam to cut out two big ol’ tractor wheels, a steering wheel and a seat for your farmer to sit on.
3. Cut out some smaller yellow circles and add them to the inside of the tractor wheels ~ we’re going John Deere green here!
4. Glue the pieces of the tractor together.

 

Simply Made ~ Spring Cleaning

Want some fun ways to prepare your little ones to help out with Spring cleaning? Check out these ideas!!

Sweeping Beans from My Montessori Journey

While you sweep up the floor, your little one can work on their fine motor skills and do a bit of sweeping of their own!

Sock Matching from Mama Jenn

Your little one can help match the socks while you sort through their fall/winter wardrobe for their spring/summer wardrobe.

Little Laundry Activity from My Montessori Journey

Your little one can hang up their own little laundry as you hang their laundry!

For even more Spring cleaning fun, put some water in a spray bottle and let your little one have fun working on their fine motor skills (squeezing the handle on the bottle and wiping the water), while helping to get the windows sparkly clean!

Terrific Tot Sites ~ Tot School Highlights

Every Sunday Carisa hosts a feature on one of her other blogs called Tot School. If you’d like to know more about it, you can read more here! She has over 60 moms joining up weekly, so there are plenty of wonderful resources and ideas to find.

 

I don’t think that Erica at Confessions of a Homeschooler needs any introduction, but she also has several older children she homeschools ~ so keeping the bitty tot busy can be hard at times. Erica shares some of things they use to help keep her busy….and not into everything. :)

 

 

They start early teaching about responsibility…guess who is helping with the dishes?

 

Pom poms and tongs ~ keep a tot busy for sure.

 

Old cell phones would keep any little one busy for a long time….

 

Stickers, stickers, and more stickers ~ great fine motor work!

 

In all honesty…Erica has some amazing resources on her site and shares some of the humorous sides of trying to occupy a little one. If you haven’t visited her site yet, thinking that your little one isn’t quite ready yet ~ go!! Many of her printables can be adjusted to use with younger kids.

 

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