Oceans, beaches, and seashells

Since its summer now, and children LOVE swimming and the beach, I thought it would be so fun to bring the "ocean" to us (since we never get to see it here in Utah!).

We kicked off our playgroup with reading The Pout-Pout Fish in the Big-Big Dark by Deborah Diesen.  Its a fantastic book about Mr. Fish wanting to help his friend the Ms. Clam find her lost pearl.  He has to search  the depths of the ocean and overcome his fear of the dark.

The children loved this story and could relate to helping a friend find something that they lost.

We then came over to the picnic table to see how to make your own ocean at home! Its really easy and simple, and the children love playing with it.  

  

 What you need:

• - Empty 2 liter plastic bottle with a lid
• - Clear vegetable oil or mineral oil
• - Water
• - Funnel
• - Blue food coloring
• - Small star fish, shells and other sea creatures
• - Glitter
• - White craft glue
• - Hot glue (get an adult to help with hot glue)

Steps:

1. Wash and dry 2-liter bottle and remove all labels.
2. Fill bottle halfway with tap water.
3. Add a few drops of blue food coloring and swirl around to mix.
4. Add a little glitter.
5. Add sea cratures.
6. Using funnel, fill the bottle the rest of the way with vegetable oil.
7. Make sure the rim and cap are dry, then apply white craft glue around the rim. Seal cap.
8. Have an adult use a layer around the outside edge to keep it from leaking.
9. Turn the bottle on it’s side and gently rock the bottle to create your very own waves!

Our craft was making our own beach using real sand and seashells! First, the kids all received a blank piece of eggshell-colored cardstock. The paper has to be heavy enough to hold the glued seashells and sand.  Next they colored their own scenes with crayons.

On the bottom they put a thick layer of glue and added lots and lots of sand. Good thing we were outside because this gets messy!! 

 And viola! Here is a finished product!!!

This kids absolutely loved this craft! You can buy all sorts of ocean and beach making materials from Hobby Lobby.

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Vaccinations: Easing the Pain

Vaccinations are important to your child's health.  You've probably heard it many times from lots of different people--when your baby gets his scheduled vaccinations he is protected from many illnesses that could be extremely dangerous!  Yet, just knowing how important it is isn't a whole lot of comfort when your baby is crying in the doctor's office.  As a mommy it is so incredibly heartbreaking to hear your little one in pain, even if you know it's for his own good!

So what can you do to make the whole experience less painful for baby (and mommy)?  Here are a few tips to keep in mind as your next doctor's appointment approaches!

•  Plan your appointment well!  The first step to a happier baby during shots is making sure your baby is just plain happy to begin with.  Try to plan your appointment for a time when your baby is well fed and not overly tired (as hard as it may be!), this should help the entire visit go more smoothly.

• About a half hour before your appointment give your child a dose of infant's acetaminophen (Tylenol), that way it has time to kick in before the shots start!  Be sure to check with your pediatrician about the dosage your child needs.

• Take a deep breath and stay calm!  Babies are sensitive to your emotions--if you are nervous or stressed out about the shots, chances are your baby will be too!  Make it a better experience for both of you by staying relaxed and upbeat.

• Try giving your baby a pacifier dipped in sugar water before the shots (a sucker works well for an older child).

• Ask your nurse or doctor if you can hold your child during the vaccinations.  Hold him and talk to him in a soothing, reassuring voice while he gets his shots.  If you can't hold him, stroke him gently; your touch can be very reassuring!

• Try bringing a favorite toy to distract your child. 

• After the shots you can breastfeed or give your baby a bottle to help soothe him. 

• If your baby is very upset, try to make sure your baby is calmed down before you leave the office, this will make it less likely that he will be scared of the doctor's office the next time you have to visit.

Vaccinations can be hard, (sometimes even harder on mommy than on baby!) but fortunately it's a relatively short process.  You will make it through, and your baby will be healthier because of it!!


Photo taken from:
http://www.nutritionist-world.com/blog/2011/04/15/vaccinations-dtap-or-dtp/ 
Information taken from:

www.napnap.org/TipsForParents.aspx,

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/on-parenting/2010/11/17/ouch-how-to-make-shots-less-painful-for-kids,

http://www.prevnar13.com/Improving-The-Vaccination-Experience

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Weekend Plans

Do you ever feel like this on Friday?

I sure do!

Well I just wanted to give a fun free activity idea for this weekend.  Summer is one of my favorite times of the year because there are so many fun activities and fairs going on around Utah County.

Nothing beats walking around a fair while sipping on a cool lemonade.  

This week Springville is kicking off with Art City Days.  There are fun activities going on from June 2-9th.  There are tons of kid-friendly crafts including an art competition, eye spy photo hunt and sidewalk chalk.  Don't miss the hot air balloons and Rodeo!

Here is the link to check out the specific days and activities.  A few hours at this event and your child will be ready for bed!

Art City Days

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Immunization Schedule

It seems like there are several sick bugs going around, which is always a good reminder to check up on your immunizations and your child's immunizations.

Here is a current chart from the Health Department.  I thought this was a good chart that was easy to understand! 

For more information visits, www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/easy-to-read/child.html 

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Where do Animals Live?

FARM, JUNGLE, DESERT, OCEAN, FOREST

Our playgroups last week learned (and most of them knew already) where we can find specific animals.  A cow usually lives on a farm, where as a monkey we would find in a jungle.  We read an amazing pop-up book called The Very Busy Bee by Jack Tickle which has great illustrations that the children loved.

"Bee is buzzing busily, His friend is buzzing too, But when they sniff the flowers It makes them sneeze - ATCHOO!"

We also had a mystery box where the children could pick out an animal and say what animal it is, what sound it makes, and where it lives.

Making a mystery box is really easy.  All you need is:

• 1 medium sized box that is wrapped. You can use either construction paper or wrapping paper
• For animals, you can either use small plastic animals (can find some at the dollar store) or I just used CriCut cut-out animals.

The children knew what types of animals they would find in a zoo, and what kinds of animals they would find on a farm.  We sang "Old McDonald on a Farm" and had hand puppets to go with the song...and the children LOVED it!  Hand puppets are always a hit with children, because it almost brings that animal to life.

Our activity was to sort out stickers into two groups: farm animals and zoo animals.  Its amazing to see that even the youngest children knew where they could find animals, and where they live!

From our Springville playgroup

From our Franklin Community Center playgroup

A great activity for the summer is going to the zoo. The Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City has a children's story time this Saturday, June 2 that is interactive with the children. Each class includes a story, a craft, and a special animal encounter. This program is geared towards younger learners but will be enjoyed by children of all ages.

Zoo Storytime

Start: Saturday, June 2, 2012
End: Saturday, June 2, 2012
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Join us for Storytime

$5 per child over two years old: adults free

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