In My Heart ~ Jj Habukkuk 3:18

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 Mitten

The Mitten 

 by Jan Brett

Summary: After Nicki loses his new white mitten in the snow, the animals from the woods find it ~ and have fun squeezing in to use it!

Songs

The Mitten
Tune: The Farmer in the Dell

The mitten on the ground,
The mitten on the ground,
Heigh-ho! It's cold outside,
The mitten on the ground.
The {mole} snuggles in,
The {mole} snuggles in,
Heigh-ho! It's cold outside,
The {mole} snuggles in.
{Continue singing filling in the names of the other animals in the book}

Art Activity

Mitten Prints
 


We have several lone mittens hanging out around our house. You know ~ the ones the kids have pulled out to play with and then somehow one of the pair wanders off. :) We rounded up a lonely mitten and used it for this painting activity.

Needed:

• a lonely mitten
• White paint
• Blue paper
• a plate
• Your child

To Make:

1. Squirt some paint onto a paper plate.
2. Have your child put the mitten on his hand.
3. Let your child dip his hand {palm down} in the paint and press his hand on the paper to make a mitten shape on the paper.
4. Repeat until your child is done {or you are…}.

Snack

Snow Ball Cookies



Needed:

• Vanilla wafers
• softened cream cheese
• flaked coconut
• knife or spreading utensil
• bowl
• napkins

To Make:

1. Put the coconut into a bowl.
2. Have your child spread a small amount of cream cheese onto a vanilla wafer.
3. Dip the cream cheese side of the wafer into the coconut.
4. Enjoy!

Language/Story Telling

Sequencing ~ Use the animal and mitten printables from Jan Brett’s website to sequence the story with your child. Color the animals first and then cut them out. Can you remember what order the animals went into the mitten?

Math

Mitten Matching ~ Make pairs of mittens {you can find some templates here} and lay them out on the floor for your child. I made a variety of mittens from colored construction paper and spread them out all over our table. We looked for the same color match and used a clothespin to put the two together {a great fine motor activity too!}. We also used the activity to practice naming colors.

* Another option for older tots is to use old wallpaper sample books and make mittens from the different patterns and practice matching patterns.
 
Following Directions ~ Use the mittens from the Mitten Matching game and have your child follow simple directions. For example, “Pick up the green mitten and run to the kitchen” or “Put the striped mitten on your head and turn around”.

Animal Size Sorting ~ Use the animal printables that you printed off for the story retelling and sort them all by size from smallest to largest.

Fine Motor

Lacing Mittens ~ Print off this mitten pattern onto cardstock {make two copies} and punch holes around the outside of the two mittens. Have your child lace the two mittens together. When you are done, you can put all the animals from the story inside your mitten!

Games

Hide the Mitten ~ Using either the mittens from the Mitten Matching game or the ones printed off from the Jan Brett website, play a game of “Hide the Mitten” together, similar to Hide and Seek. Take turns hiding the mitten from each other and use simple directions and positional words to help your child find the mitten if they need help. For example ~ take 3 steps forward, look up/down, etc…

Toss the Mitten ~ Stuff a few pairs of socks into all those mittens around your house {if your house is anything like mine there are lonely little mittens all over the place!}. Pull out a laundry basket and play a game of ‘Toss the Mitten’ with your tot and see how many mittens you can get into the basket.

Mitten File Folder Game ~ color matching game to use for matching colors and color names.

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 ABC’s ~ G is for Goat

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!

 

 

I Love Animals

by Flora McDonnell

 

Summary: Take a walk through the barnyard with a little girl as she sees all the animals that she loves. Great pictures and a simple text for little ones.

 

What You'll Need:

• White and brown foam sheet/construction paper
• Scissors
• Pencil {to outline/trace letter} 
• Googly eye
• Crayon {if you want to color your goat}
• Glue

How to make the 'G' Goat:

1. Trace and cut an uppercase 'G' out of the foam sheet or construction paper. I used a foam sheet that was about 4" x 5" in size.
2. Using the extra white foam, cut out two small triangles for horns.
3. Cut out a ‘beard’ and ears from the brown foam {you can choose the color for the goat’s beard}.
4. Fringe the goat’s beard with the scissors so it looks more like hair.
5. Color your letter G with a brown crayon to give your goat a little color {if you want too!}.
6. Glue the ears, beard, eye and horns onto your letter G to make your goat.

Crafty Corner ~ Winter

Looking for some fun winter crafts for this chilly season? Check out some of the wonderful ideas we found from fellow Mommy Bloggers!

Penguin Craft by Ramblings Of A Crazy Woman

Toilet paper roll snowman by Just For Fun!

stART Snowflakes by Mama Jenn

Pinecone Skier by That Artist Woman

Felt Snowman Dressing by Itty Bitty Love

Popsicle Stick Snowflakes by Ramblings Of A Crazy Woman

Beaded Snowflakes by Confessions Of A Homeschooler

Snowman Craft by Mama Jenn

Stuffed Snowman by Raising Memories

Build A Felt Snowman by A Mommy’s Adventures

Cotton ball Snowman by Confessions Of A Homeschooler

Snowflake Craft by Tired, Need Sleep

Snowman Trinity by Spell Out Loud

Snowman Craft by Mama Jenn

Snowman Cup Craft by Ramblings Of A Crazy Woman

Popsicle stick Snowflake Craft from Confessions Of A Homeschooler

Snowman Mobile by Ramblings Of A Crazy Woman

Penguin Prints by That Artist Woman

Paper Snowflake Craft by Confessions Of A Homeschooler

Snowman Q-tip Painting by Ramblings Of A Crazy Woman

Marshmallow Snowmen by Confessions Of A Homeschooler

Snow Globe Snowman by No Time For Flashcards

More fun Winter Crafts:

• Free Kids Crafts
• Kaboose Winter Crafts
• Kids Soup
  
• Toddler Crafts
  

Do you have a tot-friendly Christmas or winter craft on your blog? Read here first and then email me (EricaAtTotallyTots@gmail (dot) com) so I can add it here! If you feature crafts on your blog often, be sure to let me know in the email so I can add you to the "search" list for future posts!

Terrific Tot Sites ~ Literacy Center

LiteracyCenter.net is a site that is devoted to helping children learn to read.

“At the LiteracyCenter.Net, we believe that learning to read in a first language should be as natural as learning to speak. All research at the Literacy Center begins with parents and teachers because no one knows better what children need than those who love them and teach them.”

 The site provides activities in different areas ~ letter {uppercase and lowercase}, numbers, colors, shapes, simple words, and keyboarding {there are four different languages available for all activities}. Each activity has different levels also so that the games can ‘grow’ or change each time you use them. All of the games are interactive and engaging for little ones.

Shapes can be sorted and matched using a shadow {and helping your LO learn mouse skills of drop/drag}…

image copyright LiteracyCenter.net

Click on a color and it is named while the color grows and expands.

image copyright LiteracyCenter.net

In one of the ‘step-up’ number games, children learn to match the word to the actual number of objects.

image copyright LiteracyCenter.net

In addition to the play site, be sure to check out some of their other pages: Letter Center, Shape Center, Number Center, and Color Center. These pages offer some additional activities and ideas for parents to do with their children.

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

From Tots to Teens ~ Introduction

Let's start with a quick introduction - I'm Jill - blessed Mom of 9 - 7 through international adoption over the last four years. You can read the rest of my bio here.

Yes, we are the proud and very blessed parents of 9 amazing children - ages 2 - 15 yrs old. Life is fun, busy, silly, never dull and always full of His praises.

As a mom of many I hope to bring you wisdom through the many experiences I have gone through over the last 15 yrs of parenting and what it is like to raise children who fear the Lord!

Our home and hearts are truly set on Him - as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15

Sometimes setting your heart on Him and desiring to parent His way is not popular with family and friends. Yet, everyone benefits from the fruits of my obedience to Him and the grace His pours out each and every day to parent His children. The fruit each of our children bear comes from hours of training and mastering skills needed to bring honor and glory to God and us. It is not due to luck or them being good kids. It is because every word we stand on is 100% truth and does NOT return void. God is a promise maker and keeper! I only need to do one thing - trust in them and allow them to be what guides me every single day.

Our family is blessed by my husband who loves and fears the Lord, and that he spends hours each week teaching us from His Word. We are blessed by the discernment and ways in which he stands before me in parenting our children. Parenting this many children is a two parent full-time job - that needs every ounce of grace God gives to us as we look to Him and walk by faith on this journey He has called us on. Had it been our way - we would be a family of four maybe six. No way would we have believed you even three years ago that we would soon be the parents of 9 children! But God knew and His plan for us is perfect! It has refined us, stretched our faith and given us wings to love with great abandon!

As we travel this journey together here on Totally Tots - I will share funny stories and struggles that we experience in hopes to encourage you in the greatest job on earth - loving His children His way with joy!

My life verse and rock in which I stand - Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind and soul and lean NOT on your own understanding. But in all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths straight. AMEN! Thank You LORD!

I often quote that verse to myself when I can't see the fruit of weeks of discipline and correction. Or when a child is testing me over and over again on something and need to remember He is in the middle of this struggle.

I remind myself of the fact I am to do this powered by His Spirit and not by my might. Zech. 4:6

I remind myself that I am to do this (parent) without complaining or disputing. Phil 2:14

I remind myself that I can only do this through Christ who strengthens me. Phil 4:13

I remind our children that it is well pleasing to the Lord when they obey me and bring honor to God in doing so. Colossians 3:20

I remind myself that as I obey God - they are watching and will follow my lead. So if I willingly pick up my cross each day, deny myself and follow after Jesus - they too will do the same thing as they understand the full meaning of being a child of the Most High God. Luke 9:23

Parenting tots to teens requires all of Him and me humbly dying to self each day. When I don't do it His way - we all have a really long day - filled with whining, arguing amongst the children and a battle of the wills. When we begin our day and even throughout the day calling upon Jesus - our day is peaceful, calm and joyful.

Our children at very young ages have learned to go to God whenever they can't gain self-control on their own. They stop what they are doing and pray. It has been amazing to watch our now 2 yr old daughter do this at 18 months old - then walk away from praying with a smile on her face. It has been my saving grace with her because she tends to get wound up really fast and her temper is quick to take action - I give her the cue - "please stop and pray - you need God." Down she drops, hands folded, head bowed and her sweet words that we can't understand all of the time come out and up to Jesus. We all benefit from watching her do this and has taught our other children to do the same thing when they are hurt, angry, frustrated, sick or not being nice to their siblings.

You see our day begins and ends in prayer. Prayer is our rock and it has given us great power to do the impossible - parenting 9 children who love and desire to serve the Lord at such tender ages.

Parenting doesn't have to be a struggle - when we give up wanting to control our children and force them to obey - and our desire becomes for them to obey even when are not there - things begin to change. This has become our focus over the last year and it is amazing to see the changes taking place in our home. It has been hardest on me not to jump in and stop every behavior or action they know breaks the rules of our home - yet, watching them catch themselves and making a quick change is the greatest reward there is. They made the change because their heart wants to bring honor to God first and us second. They know He sees all and nothing goes unnoticed before Him. They know that even when we can't see or won't be there to tell them to stop - they truly want to tell us, "I made the right choices while you were gone."

That is my hope in writing this feature - to teach you ways to train your children in the way they should go - where their hearts greatest desire is to bring honor to God first and then you as their parents. That they seek to hear, "good job, well done my faithful little one." And that they will be a light in a dark and hurting world - shining their lights so bright for Jesus that our Father in heaven will be glorified in all they do. Because we know that, "even a child is known by his deeds." Proverbs 20:11

Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. 1 John 3:18

I hope you will join me and let me know the areas of parenting you have questions or ideas that you want me to share here. I look forward to hearing from you and sharing this amazing journey together!

Blessed beyond measure! Walking in His amazing grace!

Jill

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!!!!

• Generation Baby Wet Sack…ends 1/4/10
• Melissa & Doug Grocery Stand…ends 1/6/10
• Carry You Stroller Accessories…ends 1/8/10
• Paperoni Kit…ends 1/11/10
• Pixos Design Station…ends 1/11/10

~I 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.

In My Heart ~ WINTER Psalm 51:7

This is another of the special seasonal verses from Songs for Saplings. With winter in full swing (in most places), we thought we’d kick off the new year with a special verse for the chilly season!

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.