“My Leaf Book” by Monica Wellington and Making Leaf Rubbings

Weekly Trip to the Library One of the most visible indicators of autumn are falling leaves. In “My Leaf Book” a little girl gathers leaves. She uses the leaves to create prints and rubbings and adds them to her own leaf book. “My Leaf Book” is a delightful way to encourage children to identify leaves. […]

“The Keeping Quilt” by Patrica Polacco and Paper Quilt Activity

Weekly Trip to the Library In The Keeping Quilt Anna is a young girl and all she has from Russia is her dress and shawl which is called her Baboushka. When Anna’s dress gets too small, Anna’s mother invites all the ladies from the neighbourhood to help make a quilt. The story follows this quilt […]

“Leap Back Home to Me” by Lauren Thompson and Craft

Weekly Trip to the Library I love making arts and crafts that correspond to a children’s book that I read to my Nanny Kids. This week we read a cute book with frogs as the main characters and made some paper plate frogs. In Leap Back Home to Me a little frog’s first leap out […]

The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle

Weekly Trip to the Library It’s difficult for children to learn to share. Children are seldom capable of true empathy under the age of six. Prior to that time they share because we condition them to do so. Don’t expect a child less than two or 2½ to easily accept sharing. I typically read children’s […]

“Roller Coaster: by Marla Frazee

Weekly Trip to the Library I always love doing a craft project that corresponds with the book after reading it to the children. This week we read Roller Coaster and made a paper roller coaster. Marla Frazee has illustrated many acclaimed picture books, some of which she also wrote, such as Roller Coaster. In this story […]

Mondrian Sidewalk Chalk Art

Creative Wednesdays Known for his Modernism abstract paintings, Piet Mondrian used the simplest combination of straight lines and right angles, creating geometric shapes of bold primary colors. After showing the kids paintings by Mondrian and reading “Coppernickel Goes Mondrian” go outside to make similar art using sidewalk chalk. Of course on a rainy day you […]

Kindness Snippet Jar by Diane Alber

Weekly Trip to the Library Undoubtedly one of the most important things to teach kids is kindness. We must show them how to be friendly and to be kind towards others, to use good manners, and not to be mean or bully or cyber bully others. Learning to be kind as children will ultimately make […]

Write Positive Sticky Notes

Encouraging a Positive New Year with Your Nanny Kids What can brighten a day more than an unexpected happy message? I have often read in self-help articles the phrase that a positive attitude will lead to positive outcomes. As this decade ends and we are about to start a New Year we not only should […]

“Mossy” by Jan Brett and Activities

Weekly Trip to the Library Mossy is an eastern box turtle who loves the pond so much that she spends all of her time there. Moss, plants, and flowers begin to take root on her shell. Dr. Carolina and her niece Tory are thrilled to find Mossy in the reeds, and they take her up […]

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 […]