Pumpkin Pie Play Dough

Nothing is better than the smell of pumpkin in the Autumn. So, this week we made this easy homemade play dough recipe that is scented like pumpkin pie. While playing with play dough, children use the small muscles in their fingers and hands. They use hands, fingers, and tools to pound, push, poke, shape, flatten, roll, cut, […]

Voting Day: How to Teach Kids About Democracy

Do the Kids Know What a Democracy Is? When I asked nannies if we should share our own political beliefs with the children left in our care I was expecting everyone to answer, “No,” because we obviously want to shield kids from nasty campaign ads and mean-spirited comments from presidential candidates attacking one another. But then, […]

The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger

Leaf Projects The Little Yellow Leaf is a great story to share with children during Autumn. After reading the book be sure to do leaf projects with the kids. You can purchase the book by clicking links at bottom of page. The Little Yellow Leaf is about a lone leaf that doesn’t want to let […]

Pumpkin Pancakes

Cooking With Kids Pumpkin pancakes make a great breakfast for Autumn holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving. I made both plain and pumpkin pancakes for my little ones this morning. If you don’t have pumpkin handy you can always just add any flavor the kids like to the pancakes such as pumpkin spice or cinnamon and use […]

Paper Bag Pumpkin Project

Autumn Arts N’ Crafts Here’s a super easy project to do with any toddler or preschooler to use as a decoration for Halloween or Thanksgiving. You can purchase the supplies for this project by clicking the links below or by visiting my storefront by clicking here. You Will Need: Large Lunch Paper Bags Washable Orange […]

Soft Pumpkin Cookies

Cooking With Kids It is pumpkin season and kids sure do love cookies. So, I combined the two loves this week and made this easy pumpkin cookie recipe I found on verybestbaking.com. The kids loved finding the ingredients in the pantry and fridge, measuring, pouring, mixing, and eating this easy project. I hope the kids you care for will enjoy making […]

Frankenfoot a Footprint Frankenstein

Creative Halloween Thanks to Heather Marinkovic, formerly a hard-working nanny and now a devoted mother, we have shared quite a few footprint crafts with our readers this year. For Halloween, she made this adorable footprint Frankenstein with her son. Here are her simple directions to do the craft with the kids in your care. You […]

Toddler Head Cushions: Helpful or Hype?

Product Review Sunday Now that my friend’s 13-month old son is walking (and tumbling) around he keeps hitting his head on furniture. So, when I found this Toddler Head Cushion I knew I had to show it to her these adorable cushy head protectors designed to cushion a toddler’s bumps and bruises while he learns to […]

Pick a Circle, Gather Squares: A Fall Harvest of Shapes by Felicia Sanzari Chernesky

Weekly Trip to the Library Pick a Circle, Gather Squares: A Fall Harvest of Shapes by Felicia Sanzari Chernesky is a great book to share with the children this Autumn. It captures the atmosphere and activity at a pumpkin patch. As the family takes a hayride through the pumpkin patch they point out many different […]

Emeril Lagasse Apple Coffee Cake

Cooking With Kids Nothing is more satisfying after school on a cool Autumn day than a slice of warm apple coffee cake. I found this yummy snack recipe on the Food Network web site. I’ve tried it both with the brown sugar glaze at the end and not and it’s just as good (and less soggy) […]