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Saturday, March 30, 2013 by Shelley Miles
Parenting, April Activities
APRIL 30—National Honesty Day
George Washington, often recognized as exceptionally honest, was inaugurated on this day in 1789. Open a discussion about honesty with your child. Remember though, that a child of four still has some developmental limitations for processing certain things. For example, he is beginning to know the difference between right and wrong, is showing a growing ability to distinguish real-life from make-believe, and will tell tall tales, but cannot always distinguish between honesty and dishonesty. This is very normal. So, knowing this, Ask him or her to explain to you what telling the truth is and what telling a lie is. Gently correct any misconceptions. Remember that the most effective means of teaching your child to be honest is to model honesty yourself!
Friday, March 29, 2013 by Shelley Miles
April Activities, Nature, Outdoors
APRIL 17—National Car Care Month, Bat Appreciation Day
To a small child, spending time at a car wash is almost as entertaining as going to an amusement park. He or she will be fascinated watching the bustle of activity behind the big glass window: suds sloshing, nozzles spraying, giant mops scrubbing.
So head out to clean the family car, and get a show for free (well, almost!). And if the weather's warm, wash the car together and see who gets the wettest.
Bats are essential to the health of our natural world. They help control pests and are vital pollinators and seed-dispersers for countless plants.
There are more than 1,200 species of bats – about one-fifth of all mammal species. They range from the world's smallest mammal, the tiny bumblebee bat that weighs less than a penny to giant flying foxes with six-foot wingspans. Except for the most extreme desert and polar regions, bats have lived in almost every habitat on Earth since the age of the dinosaurs. To learn more about bats, visit Bat Conservancy
Friday, March 29, 2013 by Shelley Miles
April Activities, Games, Parenting
APRIL 19—National TV Turnoff Week
Instead of losing hours of the week “vegging” in front of a screen, make it a priority to find alternative forms of entertainment this week. Whenever you feel the TV calling, pull out a board game, go for a walk, listen to music, read a book, or start a craft project instead. You’ll be singing, dancing, and playing in no time flat!
Friday, March 29, 2013 by Shelley Miles
April Activities, Parenting, Recipes
April 20 Lima Bean Respect Day
Sometimes kids are so worried about what their friends think, that they forget about their own opinions. What does this have to do with Lima beans? Enjoy one of my favorite books, A Bad Case of Stripes
A Bad Case of Stripes read by Sean Astin while enjoying some delicious Crockpot Baby Lima Beans
Tuesday, March 26, 2013 by Shelley Miles
Money, Recipes, April Activities
APRIL 2 – US Mint authorized by Congress in 1792 National Peanut butter and Jelly Day
Kids figure out the importance of money pretty early on in life – usually when you’re in a store and some toy or treat catches their eye. Start by teaching kids about the different denominations of coins. Let them sort coins into different piles, matching up quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies. Practice counting by ones, fives and tens with coins. The mint has some fun Online Games for kids about money. But where does all that money come from? Watch this fun video of how coins are made.
Kids love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches—and they’ll love them even more when you cut them into fun shapes. Simply take a cookie cutter and press firmly through both layers of bread to create dinosaurs, flowers, bunnies, or whatever your child chooses. You can use the same magic on other types of sandwiches, too. (Before serving peanut butter to other children, be sure they are not allergic.)
Tuesday, March 26, 2013 by Shelley Miles
April Activities, Games
APRIL 3 - Pony Express Day
From April 3 1860 until October 24 1861, the Pony Express delivered mail between St. Joseph, Missouri and Sacramento, California , riding across what is now Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada. The mail was relayed from rider to rider 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The youngest rider was 11 year old Charlie Miller, known as Bronco Charlie. The fastest delivery of mail by the Pony Express took 7 days and 17 hours. The message was Abraham Lincoln's first inaugural address. The completion of the trans-continental telegraph October 24, 1871 marked the end of the Pony Express.
Pony Express Game – a relay race game
Materials
- Pony express mail- Create a message for each team to deliver. Each message should be a sentence or joke of an equal number of words.
- Write each word of each sentence on a separate piece of paper or an envelope to create “mail” Mix up the pieces of paper containing the words of a sentence and put them in a bag.
- Boxes or baskets – Each team will need a basket in which to deposit their mail. Players
- Postmaster – a team member who will give the Pony Express Riders the mail to deliver
- Pony Express Riders – they will deliver the mail Play
How to play
- The Postmaster for each team hands the first rider a piece of mail to deliver.
- The rider runs to the Postbox, drops in the “mail” and runs back.
- When the rider returns, the Postmaster hands the next word the the next rider.
- The first team to deliver all the “mail” and to figure out their sentence wins.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013 by Shelley Miles
April Activities, Games, Recipes
APRIL 4 - Tater Day, Hank Aaron Tied Babe Ruth's Home Run Record
There is no better time to enjoy a game of ball with your little one. Playing catch is one of the first games in which your baby is an active, reciprocal participant. But along with the joy of playing, your child also experiences an emotional dilemma. The game requires your child to give up his or her special ball. He or she thinks, "Will I get my ball back"? By rolling or throwing the ball back, you are saying, “Yes! You can trust me.”
According to nutritionists at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI),the sweet potato ranked number one in nutrition of all vegetables. With a score of 184, the sweet potato outscored the next highest vegetable by more than 100 points. Points were given for content of dietary fiber, naturally occurring sugars and complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium. Points were deducted for fat content (especially saturated fat), sodium, cholesterol, added refined sugars and caffeine. The higher the score, the more nutritious the food. So, try these sweet potato oven fries for something both nutritious and delicious.
Sweet Potato Oven Fries
Ingredients
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper or chile powder
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 large (about 1 1/2 pounds) sweet potatoes
How to
Prepare the sweet potatoes:
- In a small bowl, combine salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Peel potatoes, cut each in half lengthwise, and cut each half into 6 wedges.
- In a large bowl, combine the cut potatoes, oil, and spice mixture.
- Toss until potatoes are evenly coated
Bake the fries:
- On a baking sheet, arrange potatoes in a single layer and place on the middle shelf of the oven.
- Bake until edges are crisp and potatoes are cooked through -- about 30 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013 by Shelley Miles
Geography, April Activities
APRIL 6 – Tartan Day, North Pole Discovered, National Pillow Fight Day
Native to Scotland & Ireland, the tartan is a plaid that is specific to a clan, family or district. The local weaver would produce a length of cloth and the residents of that area would all wear the same plaid. Since clans & families also tended to be regional, the tartan would then come to represent the family in that area. If you are of Scottish heritage, you can see your family tartans here . Or, for the rest of us, add a Mc or Mac or O' to your name and design your own !
Robert E. Peary and his assistant, Matthew Henson, endured a lot of hardship to reach the geographic North Pole. Play explorer with your child—without facing rough terrain and bitterly cold weather! Make a paper flag, paste a photo of your child on it, and challenge him or her to “discover” something—a tree, a boulder, a fountain (it can be anything)—in a backyard or park. Take a photo of your child placing the flag on the designated spot while he or she grandly announces, “I hereby discover this (object)!” Play reporter and “interview” your child about how he or she made his or her discovery.
It must be spring. It's International Pillow Fight Day. When I was small, we used to get in trouble for having pillow fights. Now, not only is there a pillow fight holiday, but there are pillow fight gatherings all over the world. Check it out!
Tuesday, March 26, 2013 by Shelley Miles
Animals, April Activities, Parenting
APRIL 10 - National Sibling Day, National Farm Animal Day
Sit siblings down in a circle and ask each one what he or she likes best about the others. You may be surprised by what you hear. If you have an only child, make it a day to share some old pictures and tell a funny childhood story about you and your siblings—especially if it involves doing something that got you into trouble. Children love imagining their parents as typical little kids just like them!
Check out this fun website where kids can learn about farm animals
Tuesday, March 26, 2013 by Shelley Miles
Literacy, Poetry, April Activities
APRIL 14—National Poetry Month
Enjoy some whacky poetry by Children’s Poet Laureate J.Patrick Lewis . Whether you love "Benny Said, Ruby Said","First Girls in Little League Baseball", or "First Men on the Moon" will spark your child’s imagination. Challenge your child to finish this classic poem with any word that rhymes with “blue.” Roses are red, Violets are blue, Sugar is sweet, And so are ______. Then make up more versions requiring different rhymes, such as: Bananas are yellow, Apples are red, After a story, It's time for ______!
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