Hello friends! Happy Valentine's Day!
I am having so much fun with Liza lately. This is such a great age! Last night she came up to me and said, "Mama, open stickers?" When did she start speaking in sentences?! It's so cute :)
Back to the blog post....I have a passion for teaching and I am trying so hard to provide Liza with as many different learning experiences as possible. I know that Katey feels the same about her kiddos. I hope that we can regularly share activities that we do with our children and that you all will enjoy reading about them :-)
I have learned from talking with different friends that sometimes doing educational activities, or even messy activities, can be a little intimidating. It is important to remember that learning should never be stressful. Children learn through play and it's our job as parents and educators to help guide their play.
To kick off our first official Tot Spot post, I'll share with you a few tips that I have learned as a teacher. Just know that I don't have all the answers. I am new to this mommy thing and I am still trying to figure out how to incorporate my teacher self into my mommy self :)
So, here we go!
Be resourceful. Look in your kitchen, basement, the Dollar Tree, Target's Dollar Spot, and other cheap stores. Don't spend a fortune. There's no need.
 |
| Paint, paper towel tube, & paper. |
Try not to be fancy. The simpler, the better. Kids have a way of turning even the simplest of things into something grand.
 |
| I tried to make a heart shape with the paper towel tube. It wasn't as awesome as I thought. |
Things never, ever go as you planned. Just go with the flow. Follow your kiddos lead. Sometimes you might think of an awesomely amazing activity and your kiddo might not even glance at it. Just move on. Put it away and try again another time.
 |
| "Keeping the paint on the paper is no fun!" |
Don't be afraid of the mess. Toddlers are messy. Kids are messy. Messes suck, but it's all part of the experience. Just involve your kiddo in the cleanup.
 |
| "I know! I'll paint my shirt!" |
XOXO Sarah
Thus my insistence on all washable art instruments/mediums. I love it when they decide to paint a cheek, or their hair ;-)
ReplyDeleteEmily and I finger painted yesterday--to make her daddy a valentine. After we finished our little craft, I let her have at it and paint/finger paint all she wanted. She looked much like Liza does in her pictures above...and then some. She decided to paint her arms--whole arms! But then she would press her arm on the paper to make an arm print--just like we were doing for her hand print valentine. It was so cute, a messy clean up, but totally worth it!
ReplyDeleteYes, washable is best!!! Becky, I think Liza & Emily should do some kind of activity on their playdate and then I can blog it! I'll have to think something up (unless you have an idea!!). Thanks for your comments, we REALLY appreciate them!!! And if you have photos you'd like to share with us, please do!
ReplyDelete-Sarah