background preloader

Munchkin

Facebook Twitter

"Spoiled Brats" Whenever I write or talk about treating children as if they are fully formed humans and not just incomplete adults, like I did yesterday, there are some who ask me about (or even accuse me of) "spoiling" the kids.

"Spoiled Brats"

They then go on to tell me horror stories about how permissive parents have let their rotten kids take over their lives, bossing them around, dominating their households, terrorizing their peers, and frustrating their teachers. It's hard, I think, for some people to understand the world without a hierarchical framework: someone has to be the boss -- if it's not the parent, it's the child. When I suggest paying attention to the words we use with children, avoiding the language of command, and instead choosing statements of fact which allow children to practice taking responsibility for their own actions, I understand how some people fear that it will become a slippery slope down which the whole carefully constructed family org chart will slide.

Do children break the rules? 50 fantastic road trip activities for kids. My husband has a lot of fond memories of taking road trips with his family when he was a kid.

50 fantastic road trip activities for kids

They drove to the Oregon Coast, Banff, Yellowstone National Park, Maine, Jasper… You name it, they did it. And he can’t wait to replicate these memories for our daughter, even though I’ve explained a million times that I refuse to take another road trip after this happened to my family when we drove from Singapore to Malaysia in 1985. 12 Preschool Science Experiments. These preschool science experiments are perfect for the smallest scientists.

12 Preschool Science Experiments

Engage little ones curious nature of “why” and use these hands on activities to explain. It is never too early to explore and investigate! Here are some fun ways to introduce science to your preschooler, inspired by We Made That. Affiliate links below If you’re looking for a fun, ready to play, box of science for your kids, check out the Color of Science kit from Kiwi Crate – we LOVE it! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 33 Activities For Kids That Cost Under $10.

Keeping kids busy while they are at home during the warm summer months is a challenge for any parent, older sibling or babysitter.

33 Activities For Kids That Cost Under $10

It’s not easy to fill an 8 hour+ day with fun activities for your little ones. Thankfully, some brilliant people online came up with some fun (and safe) ways to keep children occupied for less than $10. Don’t spend a fortune taking them to the movies, swimming pool or mall every day (although that can be fun). Toddler Science: Fizzy Drips. We love fizzy science!

Toddler Science: Fizzy Drips

Today I am sharing a super simple classic science activity that we did last week- fizzy drips! All you need is a medicine dropper, baking soda, food coloring, bowls, and vinegar. We started off by adding food coloring to our vinegar so that we had five different colored vinegar bowls. Homemade Floam Recipe for Play. The other day Rosie and Jewel saw Floam at the store and wanted me to purchase some.

Homemade Floam Recipe for Play

Before buying it I wanted to try and see if we could make floam first. The process of making play materials at home is fun and educational, and kids really enjoy playing with materials they made themselves. So, once we got home we Googled to see if we could make our own Floam. Homemade Floam For all the best kids activities follow Growing a Jeweled Rose on Pinterest & Facebook.

Floam Recipe- what you need (affiliate links provided) 2 tsp of borax 1/2 cup of warm water & 1/4 cup of warm water- divided 2 oz of white school glue1 & 1/3 cups of polystyrene beadsOptional: 3-5 drops of food coloring if color is desired. Welcome to Utah Pet Care. Sticky Sand Dough. {For all the best kids activities follow Growing a Jeweled Rose on Pinterest and Facebook} We recently purchased a 25 pound bag of play sand at Home Depot, and we have had a blast creating all sorts of fun recipes for play.

Sticky Sand Dough

This mold-able sand dough has been one of Rosie and Jewel's favorites so far. STICKY SAND: Mold it, build it, & CONTAIN IT! Wet Chalk Drawings. Frozen Bubbles. Bubbles are always a hit no matter your age.

Frozen Bubbles

We love creating colorful Bubble Snakes, and blowing beautiful bubble art however bowing bubbles in winter has been on our list for a while. Last week our temps dipped below -30 F, brrrrrrrrr. Since schools were closed, we decided to do a little cold weather science experiment. We dug through the box of sidewalk chalk, water guns and summer paraphernalia to find our bubble wands. Popsicle Stick HarmonicaHousing a Forest. Your kids will love making music with this simple DIY Popsicle Stick Harmonica.

Popsicle Stick HarmonicaHousing a Forest

They are so easy to make. When my son saw instructions (not sure where) on how to create these simple homemade musical instruments, he rushed home to create his own. This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. 2 Popsicle Sticks ~ We used the wide ones2 Rubber Bands ~ You could also use stringA strip of paper the same size as the Popsicle Stick2 toothpicks cut the width or just wider than the Popsicle Stick Sandwich the paper strip in between the 2 Popsicle SticksWrap a rubber band around one end until it is snug.Slide a toothpick to the inside of the rubber band.Sandwich the last toothpick at the other end of the Popsicle sticks, and wrap with a rubber band. 50+ Ways for Babies to Play. Quickest Puffy Paint Recipe. Quick Puffy Paint Recipe I’ve written about our 3 ingredient puffy paint before, but I wanted to share yesterday’s results with you because they’re so awesome!

Quickest Puffy Paint Recipe

I also figured there were probably a few of you who haven’t seen this stuff before, and you totally need to know how cool this process is, and how EASY it is to do. This puffy paint is really easy to make (I’m including the link to the recipe at the bottom of this post), and the transformation that takes place when you microwave it is sure to impress kids and adults alike. The paint is the consistency of stirred yogurt, and we use Q-tips to blob it onto a piece of white cardboard or sturdy cardstock.

Play Dough Recipe: {Great Gift Idea} No Cook PlayDough. Social Intelligence for Toddlers. Any parent of a toddler knows it isn't easy to teach them social skills. That's because even though toddlers want to have happy, friendly, interactions with others, their own fears and desires get in the way. They can't help wondering: Will that child grab their toy? Can they get the truck before the other child? If they push the other kid off the trike and speed off, will they get away with it? So the first step in helping toddlers develop social intelligence is helping them learn to manage their emotions, which is the foundation of interpersonal relationships.

Social Intelligence for Toddlers. Free Potty Training Charts. Karaoke - Childrens. 5-Minute Hairstyle Video Tutorials. Adorable Toddler Hairstyles. By Molly Thornberg | When my little girl was born, she was as bald as an eagle. Year 1 rolled around and she looked like a boy that wore a bow and a dress. Then sometime between the age of 1 and 2 she started growing hair faster than a chia pet.

Oh how I loved the first 5 years of her life where I could style her hair however I wished. We would try all kinds of fun styles, but unfortunately this was before the popularity of YouTube and blogs. Baby Hairstyle Ideas ~ How to Style Toddler Curly Hair. I am just so excited to share this post with you today. A bunch of awesome hair bloggers have gotten together and coordinated another Hair Carnival! Just for YOU! This is a copy cat carnival... and my blog to copy was brand new to me, I am slightly embarrassed to admit I'd never had the pleasure of seeing her work before! But it was super fun!! Let me introduce .... Great games for kids. SUPER WHY! . GAMES . PRINCESS PRESTO BINGO. Games. Mommy With Selective Memory: Confessions of a Sleep Deprived Mommy.

Confessions of a Sleep Deprived Mommy When I was growing up my Mom used to do stupid absent-minded things all the time and my brothers and I picked on her mercilessly. She was forever losing her keys, forgetting to set the timer when english muffins were broiling and one time she even left my little brother (three years old at the time) at a basketball game. No Time For Flash Cards - kids crafts, books, and play ideas for children. Physics Songs / MP3s. Have Fun Teaching. Sight Word Videos Playlist Play Sight Word Songs by Have Fun Teaching. These Sight Word Music Videos are all original, upbeat, and education.

Each Sight Word Video teaches a single sight word by saying and repeating the word, spelling the word, and using the word in sentences. Alphabet Songs Alphabet Songs By Have Fun Teaching are a fun way to teach the alphabet, letter sounds, phonics, vocabulary words and handwriting skills. Science Songs. ABCmouse.com.

PBS KIDS. Preschool games for kids, play online. Peter Rabbit Printables, Crafts, Recipes, & Games.