Book Review: llama llama red pajama by Anna Dewdney

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llama llama red pajama is a well illustrated book with lots of rhyming! It is part of a series of books written by Anna Dewdney. The book goes through llama llama red pajama's bedtime routine with his mamma. He learns that his mamma is always near even if she isn't right there with him.

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Activity to go along with this book:

Explore rhyming with your child starting with basic words. Try giving your child a word and seeing how many different words they can come up with that rhyme. If your child is older, see if they can write a poem or a story that rhymes. This is a great activity to help broaden your child's language skills.

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Plastic Bottle Bowling

One of my "nerdy" hobbies in life is bowling. I joined a bowling league in January of this year and had the time of my life. My team and I ended up winning the tournament a few weeks ago which led me to this fun playgroup activity I found on another blog. This could be a great activity that you make with your kids which leads to a fun game you can share with other kids in a playgroup.

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Here's what you'll need:

10 clear plastic bottles-preferably all the same size with the caps too
Craft acrylic paint
A ball-a little bit of weight to the ball is helpful. 

Instructions:

• Clean the inside of the bottles well.
• Add some paint to each bottle. See the picture below for a good amount. If your paint is  thick you'll want to add some water to it so the paint can move around and coat the inside. About a teaspoon of water should work. 



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• Put the caps back on the bottles and let your kids shake them allowing the entire inside of the bottle to be covered in paint. You could also use 2 colors in a bottle and make the inside look swirly. Get creative!
• Take the caps off, dump the extra paint out and let them dry for about 12 hours. 
• Put the caps back on and arrange them on your sidewalk like the pattern to the right. 
• Let the game begin! You'll kids will love a little challenge. Hopefully they can knock them all down!

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Back Yard Camping

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One of my favorite summer time activities as a kid was to sleep out on my deck in the back yard with my siblings. The nights were warm and the stars were so bright; there was something so special about sleeping "out in the woods" even though I was still at home.  My dad would roast hot dogs and mallows over our barbecue grill and later would point out some of the constellations in the sky. These are the kinds of memories I'll never forget. Camping can be a lot of work with young kids but making memories like these are fun and will give your kids the quality YOU time they need. To reduce the stress and work of actually camping in the woods or mountains just camp in the back yard! You're close to everything you need, just in case, but your kids will love the imagination and adventure they'll find in their own back yard.

Camping

Here are some fun back yard camping ideas:

• Pitch a tent and fill it with blankets and pillows or create some foam pad/air mattress beds on your deck. 
• Roast hot dogs and marshmallows on your BBQ grill or fire pit if you have one.
• Have your kids point out different shapes and objects that the stars make in the sky. Name them if you want. This can be a type of eye spy game too.
• Use flash lights wrapped with colored cellophane to create a light show against the side of the house or on the tent ceiling. 
• Use the flash light as a spot light for you to make shadow hand puppets. 
• Turn out the lights and tell stories.
• Play Squirrel Tag: One person is the squirrel catcher; everyone else is a squirrel, clinging to his own tree (if your yard is treeless, you can use lawn chairs). When the catcher shouts "Squirrel scramble!" the squirrels have to dash to another tree without being tagged. Once you get tagged, you're the new squirrel catcher.

Hand Puppets

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Tips and Tricks for your Child's Seasonal Allergies

Spring Time

This time of year is beautiful in Utah but with that beauty there is often a price to pay; that price is allergies. Over the past 2 weeks I've been trying every trick in the book to help control my allergy symptoms. Runny nose, itchy eyes and sneezing has made an annoying few weeks for myself. I never had allergies as a kid but I remember my brother suffering from them every spring. He'd be sprawled out on the couch with a cold rag over his swollen eyes and constantly had a box of tissues with him. Because seasonal allergies can be annoying for you and your young kids, here are some helpful tips and tricks to prevent and control the symptoms.

Seasonal Allergies

Stay Inside. The best way to treat allergy symptoms is to avoid allergens to begin with. So when pollen counts soar, keep kids indoors as much as possible. Pollen is usually at its peak mid-morning, early evening, and when the wind is blowing.

Use Saltwater. Having a plugged-up nose can be one of the toughest symptoms for children with allergies. For relief, older children might want to try nasal irrigation with a saline solution. You can buy saline at the drugstore or make your own by mixing in a squirt bottle eight ounces of boiled water to one teaspoon non-iodized salt.

Stay Hydrated. All that sneezing and blowing can leave a child parched. Keep a water bottle full and close to hand and encourage your children to keep sipping.

Warm It Up. Steam from a warm shower or bath seems to offer allergy symptom relief for some so encourage kids to enjoy a little tub time. Just be careful to make sure the shower is not too hot.

Keep It Cool. To keep pollen out when the weather’s hot, air condition your car and home and keep windows closed.

Deal With Dry Air. A little moisture in the air makes breathing easier for most, so if the air in your house is dry, get a humidifier. But be careful: Humidity over 40% can encourage the growth of indoor allergens like mold and dust mites.

Go Cold. When itchy eyes are driving your kid crazy, try a cold compress, which may help reduce the itch and soreness.

Keep Your Hands to Yourself. Help kids to avoid rubbing their itchy eyes. Rubbing will only irritate them -- and could make the itchiness even worse.

Spice It Up. If your kids will eat spicy foods, a dish made with cayenne pepper, hot ginger, fenugreek, onions, or garlic may help thin mucus and clear nasal passages.

Use Top Tissues. When kids’ allergies are at their peak, tender noses can get sore pretty fast. Look for tissues with lotion or aloe..

Rub Jelly On It. And if your child’s nose is raw and red from blowing, you can soothe his sniffer with a dab of petroleum jelly.

Gargle to Relieve Sore Throats. If drainage leaves your child with a sore throat, gargling with warm salt water made of 1-2 Tablespoons of table salt in 8 ounces of water may ease the pain.

Drink Warm Tea. Drinking more fluids can also help sooth tender throats. Try a weak tea with honey and lemon. Bonus: The steam may relieve sinus congestion, too.

Get Face Time. Warm compresses applied to the face may also help soothe a child’s sinus pressure and pain.

Watch Out for Certain Foods. If your child is allergic to ragweed, he may also have an allergic sensitivity to some foods that may include bananas, melons, chamomile tea, sunflower seeds, and cucumbers.

(WebMD, Nov. 2012)

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Book Review: Bubble Bubble by Sesame Street Workshop

"Reading to your child helps them become ready to start and stay in school. The fun doesn't have to stop when the reading is done! There are many skills that can be initiated from reading a book. To build upon these skills, use activities to reinforce the learning." 

 School age: Infant

Developmental Skill: Gross Motor skills target the large muscle groups such as arms, legs and torso. Develop these skills by jumping, throwing, running and kicking.

Activity: Have your child touch his/her body parts that they mention in the story. Make your own bubbles and have your child learn to blow through the wand, then have your them chase the bubbles. If it is a cold day use the bathtub as a place to blow bubbles.

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