Hanging Bat

This is such a fun Halloween craft to make with your Nanny Kids I found at the buggy and buddy web site. Make many of these and hang them up by their feet as the bats hang upside down all over the children’s playroom and bedrooms. You can make them in other colors like orange […]

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“The Leaf Thief ” by Alice Fleming and Nicola Slater

Make leaf rubbings after reading The Leaf Thief: (The Perfect Fall Book for Children and Toddlers) by Alice Fleming and Nicola Slater with the children in your care. The Leaf Thief is a funny picture book that teaches kids about autumn, adapting to change, and the seasons. The main character is Squirrel and he loves […]

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Chicken and Leek Cream Stew

When I cooked for a family that moved to the United States from Europe I simply Googled a metric conversion chart to transform grams into ounces for the recipes they liked me to prepare for them. The family absolutely loved this comforting stew recipe found on the bbcgoodfood web site. Click here to here to […]

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The Color Monster

Halloween has a lot of scary characters but the monster in The Color Monster by Anna Llenas is not scary at all. The Color Monster helps children identify emotions and feel more in control. One day, Color Monster wakes up feeling very confused. His emotions are all over the place; he feels angry, happy, calm, […]

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Stir-Fried Udon

Cooking for Families This is such an easy and delicious dinner that tastes better than takeout stir-fried udon. I sound the recipe on epicurious. I used ground turkey instead of ground pork. But you can make this vegetarian by using shiitake or crimini mushrooms to replace the animal protein. I also used both red and […]

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Twirling Hanging Leaves

Creative Wednesdays Autumn is my favorite season. I have so many Autumn leaf projects on my blog. Click here to see some of my favorite leaf projects. This year I wanted to try something new so my Nanny Kid and I made this pretty project that allows the leaves to twirl. We cut out paper leaves […]

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“The Anxiety Workbook for Kids: Take Charge of Fears and Worries” by Robin Alter and Crystal Clarke

Have you ever cared for a child that was scared to go to school, eat a new food, join a sport, or so extremely shy that they were unwilling to play with kids at the playground? Does the child become irritable, jittery, over-tired, sleepless, or have physical symptoms such as headaches and stomachaches due to […]

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Apple and Berry Crostata

It’s Autumn and officially apple harvest season. I am no pastry chef and have trouble making pretty pies. Making a crostata doesn’t require excellent pastry skills but tastes as good as a pie. I added some summer berries we had left in the fridge to add extra flavor to this delicious apple desert. Don’t forget […]

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Read “Too Many Pumpkins” and Make a Pumpkin Using Scissor Skills

It’s pumpkin season! I used an orange marker to make dashes on orange paper for the kids to practice using their scissor skills. Then, we made these little pumpkins with the orange strips of paper. Be sure to read “Too Many Pumpkins” by Linda White with the children while they make these pumpkins. You Will […]

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Sheet-Pan Chicken with Tomatoes and Mozzarella

The children I care for call this “Pizza Chicken.” It’s super easy to make in the oven just on a baking sheet. I found the recipe on the epicurious web site. You can always not add pepperoni or onions if the children don’t like these ingredients. You Will Need: 3 pints grape tomatoes, halved1/4 cup […]

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