St. Patrick’s Day Counting Fun

Creative Learning Saint Patrick’s Day is coming up making it the perfect time to make this easy counting game. A common symbol of the Irish holiday is the pot of gold protected by leprechauns at the end of rainbows. So we made this simple counting game of putting paper coins on a paper pot. You […]

6 Activities to Do with “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?”

Weekly Trip to the Library Author Bill Martin, Jr. was an elementary-school principal, teacher, writer, and poet. His more than 300 books, among them the bestselling classics Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?; Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?; Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?; and Chicka Chicka Boom […]

The Hat by Jan Brett and 6 Learning Activities

Weekly Trip to the Library Read Jan Brett’s fun book The Hat then do some fun corresponding activities with the kids. In The Hat: Oversized Board Book Lisa’s woolen stocking flies off the clothesline, Hedgie finds it and pokes his nose in. He tries to pull it out, the stocking gets stuck on his prickles […]

Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh

Weekly Trip to the Library What can you make with one oval, two circles, and eight triangles? Just ask three clever mice. In Mouse Shapes,the mice play with shapes while hiding from a cat. In the end, the mice build big mice to scare the cat away. After reading the book let the kids trace […]

Want to Help Your Nanny Kids Read Better?

Teaching Phonics Phonics gives us the tools to sound out and learn thousands of words without depending upon memorization. Phonics is simply the relationship between the letters of the alphabet and the sounds they make. Use phonics to teach children the most common sound-spelling relationships so that they can decode, or sound out, words. This […]

Compound Caterpillars

Creative Wednesdays It is fun making Compound Caterpillars with the kids. Explain that a compound word is two separate words that are combined to make one word. Take turns naming compound words. Write the words on a chart. Then create Compound Caterpillars as we did below. You Will Need: Construction Paper Markers Circle to Trace […]

Foam Beehive: Bubble Science

Creative Wednesdays All children love bubbles. They will all love this bubble science experiment. When bubbles connect to one another, they create a shape with minimal surface area. If three bubbles unite, they arrange themselves into a 120 degree angle from one another to create a perfect hexagonal shape — exactly like a beehive. Bees […]

How Can You Protect the Earth?

Earth Day Project Earth Day will be celebrated this Friday, April 22 and this weekend in communities throughout the world. Some simple and tangible ways to help the kids in your care protect the world is by recycling; not wasting water; walking or biking to school and activities; turning off lights; and not littering. In […]

Color Bubble Painting: Bubble Science

Creative Wednesdays What kid doesn’t love bubbles? What child doesn’t love painting and science experiments? My youngest charge absolutley loves doing this color bubble painting project. There are two ways to make bubble painting. It’s very important that the child is old enough to be able to blow out of the straws and not suck […]

Lace a Mitten Filled with Animals and Read “The Mitten” by Jan Brett

Creative Children’s Book Project There are few books as loved by kids as The Mitten by Jan Brett. Winter is a great time to read this beloved children’s book and do this cute craft with the kids in your care. As you read the book the kids will love when a Ukaranian boy named Nikki loses […]