“Elmer’s Friends” by David McKee and Puppets

Creative Wednesdays David McKee’s most famous creation is Elmer the Patchwork Elephant which is published in more than 40 languages. In Elmer’s Friends we learn about the spotty, stripy, tall, and long elephant named Elmer and meet all of Elmer’s very best friends! This chunky board book with easy-grip toddler tabs on every page is […]

Love Makes a Family by Sophie Beer

In Love Makes a Family many different families are shown in happy activity, from an early-morning wake-up to a kiss before bed. Whether a child has two moms, two dads, one parent, or one of each, this simple preschool read-aloud demonstrates that what’s most important in each family’s life is the love the family members. […]

“Prickly Hedgehogs!” by Jane McGuiness and Hedgehog Puppet

Creative Projects Read Prickly Hedgehogs! by Jane McGuiness and make a cute little hedgehog puppet who goes in and out of a cardboard toilet paper tube log. In Prickly Hedgehogs! by Jane McGuiness the sun has set, and Hedgehog’s day has only just begun. She’s out and about, snuffling through layers of leaves and twigs […]

“Siblings Without Rivalry” by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish

Weekly Trip to the Library I have been fortunate. With just one brief exception, all the children I have cared for got along well with their siblings. This is clearly not the norm. Sibling rivalry is common and that is why Siblings Without Rivalry: How to Help Your Children Live Together So You Can Live […]

“When the World Feels Like a Scary Place” by Abigail Gewitz

Weekly Trip to the Library Who hasn’t felt anxiety over the past year? Amid the pandemic, racial injustice, capitol riot, gun violence, and unemployment this year has been really hard. University of Minnesota researcher Abigail Gewirtz’s book When the World Feels Like a Scary Place: Essential Conversations for Anxious Parents and Worried Kids centers on […]

Decoding Boys by Cara Natterson

Weekly Trip to the Library Not all nannies care just for infants and toddlers. For most of my nanny jobs I helped care for older boys until they went to junior high school, high school, and then I worked as a family assistant as the eldest son went off to college. In my past nanny […]

“The Very Hungry Caterpillar” By Eric Carle and Caterpillar Craft

Creative Wednesdays “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle features a caterpillar who eats his way through a wide variety of food before pupating and emerging as a butterfly. The winner of many children’s literature awards and a major graphic design award, it has sold almost 50 million copies worldwide. It has been described as […]

“How to Catch a Snowman” and Make a Paper Strip Snowman

Creative Wednesdays This week read How to Catch a Snowman by Adam Wallace and Andy Elkerton to the children and make a paper chain snowman I found it at buggyandbuddy.com. How to Catch a Snowman is a picture book that speaks from the perspective of a snowman as children try to catch him. Unlike other […]

“Hidden Figures” by Margot Lee Shetterly and Coretta Scott King

Weekly Trip to the Library In honor of Black History Month I highly recommend reading “Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race” with your Nanny Kids. It is inspiring for girls and boys and children of every race and culture specifically written for children ages four- to eight-years-old. “Hidden […]

“All the Little Snowflakes” by Cindy Jin and Crafts

Weekly Trip to the Library All the Little Snowflakes celebrates winter in this rhyming board book featuring die-cut snowflakes on every page! It is a wintry celebration full of snow and all things that sparkle, this novelty board book reminds us that everyone is one of a kind -— just like each special snowflake that […]