“Elmer the Elephant” by David McKee and Craft

Children love the Elmer the patchwork elephant book series by David McKee. I love the Mini Mad Things blog. After reading “Elmer’s Colors,” “Elmer and Butterfly,” “Elmer and the Rainbow,” and “Elmer’s Special Day,” by David McKee I let the child in my care use paint and pastels to decorate a cardboard Elmer. It might […]

Our Weather Touch and Feel Board Book and Craft

We have all heard, “April showers bring May flowers,” and it has been rainy this April in my neck of the woods. So, I have been reading about the rain and weather with my Nanny Kids. I love touch and feel books because engage young readers with in the books. After reading this fun book […]

Black Is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy

We live in a colorful world, and Black Is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy teaches children that the beauty of the African American culture and history is not only extraordinary but something worth celebrating. In Black Is a Rainbow Color child reflects on the meaning of being Black in this moving and powerful anthem […]

“The Leaf Thief ” by Alice Fleming and Nicola Slater

Be sure to 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 […]

“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 […]

“Too Many Carrots,” Origami, Carrot Cookies, and Worksheets

Lesson Plans Too Many Carrots is such a cute story about kindness all children love. Rabbit loves carrots and that’s a big problem! In this phenomenal bestseller, Rabbit loves carrots a little too much. In fact, his carrots are crowding him out of his cozy burrow. When his animal friends offer to help, they’re just […]

How Nannies Can Use the 80/20 Principle to Achieve More Doing Less

The 80/20 Principle suggests that 80 percent of our results come from 20 percent of our efforts. The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less by Richard Koch shows how we can achieve much more with much less effort, time, and resources, simply by identifying and focusing our efforts on the 20 percent […]

Painted Fireworks

Creative Wednesdays Fourth of July means fireworks in America. Read “The Night Before the Fourth of July” by Amy Wummer then have your Nanny Kids make painted fireworks. To help keep the colors separated we made one toilet paper roll for each color of paint, (red, white, and blue). This craft is great because it […]

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. […]

Raising Antiracist Kids by Nicole C. Lee

Weekly Trip to the Library Racism is a difficult topic to discuss with children. But if we avoid the topic of racism (or any difficult topic) with children because we are worried about saying the wrong thing, the children will “fill in the blanks” for themselves. Raising Antiracist Kids by Nicole C. Lee is written […]