Welcome to our April Online Book Club for Kids.  Each month, we choose a different children's author, highlight their books and share a number of kids activities & crafts.

This month, our featured author & illustrator is David Shannon.

I'm so excited that we are finally seeing some spring weather!  We are so past due - and it's cutting into our gardening schedule. 

I'll admit, I am not one of those amazing Martha Stewart-type gardeners, but I really do enjoy having a small backyard garden each summer.  The kids and I choose a few favorite plants along with some new items to try each year and then we get dirty, watch the plants grow and reap the harvest (literally!)

Do you know today is?

March 14th...

3/14...

3.14

Ring a bell at all?

 

Have you ever had a kid who asked "Can I help?" when you were preparing a meal?  There's all kinds of ways that kids can get involved in the kitchen!

 

Cooking is a great life skill and everyone should know some of the basics behind preparing a well-balanced meal. 

Young children can learn how to choose nutritious foods, prepare snacks, and mix & measure ingredients.  Older kids will enjoy mastering the skills of whisking, creating fun desserts and learning to crack an egg (warning: buy more than you think you'll need).

 

I do so love the holidays!  Yes, I know they get crazy and busy (and I never seem to get all the baking done that I would like to) but it's a time to connect with family and reflect on all the joy that we have in our lives.

And for our family, it's also a time to give to others.  Some years, we adopt a family and help provide them with a meal; other years, we'll adopt an angel from a tree or donate toys to Toys for Tots.  There are so many ways to give back and make the season a joyous one for others.

 

 

Are you raising curious kids?  You know, kids who love to ask questions, search for the answers and learn new things?  If so, BRAVO! Curious kids are the result of 'thinking families' -- You must be a 'thinking' family!

Thinking families encourage kids to ask questions.  When your child asks 'why' or 'how', thinking families enjoy the exchange of ideas and the hunt for ways to answer the questions.

 

I think, at a child's birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift should be curiosity. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

 

 

Lately, some of the most common questions in our house are "Mom, do you know where this country is?" or "I heard about this place on the news/in school, where is it?" 

And with the Olympic Games this summer, I imagine that we'll have a lot more of these geographic questions.

My response "Let's find it on the map."

 

As kids grow up, it's important for them to have their own spaces, learn some reponsibility with regards to taking care of their things, be able to become independent and feel that they are contributing to the family. 

Here are a few ideas for easy ways to change your home environment so that kids can do more for themselves, enjoy their space and help out around the house:

Do your kids have their countdown clock for the last day of school started?  Have them help you do one more thing before they ditch their school supplies for bathing suits!  Sort through all their end of year school supplies to see what they can reuse or recycle for next year!

Anyone who’s met me, or my kids, will tell you that I’m a fairly protective parent.  Or as my kids lovingly refer to me, 'The Fun Police'.  I didn’t plan to be this type of parent – one who monitors what they eat, where they are and how much sleep they get.  But plan or no plan, it's happened.

May is Get Caught Reading month - a challenge to everyone to do some reading (or listening)! 

There's so much research that shows encouraging kids to read, and reading aloud to kids, helps to increase vocabulary, comprehension skills and overall achievement at school.  But, I often get this question from parents, "What should my child read?".

My answer - anything they enjoy!

 

It's the official start of Spring, and if you're like me, you're itching to get some of those big chores done around the house.  Getting closets cleaned out, prepping the yard, and cleaning out the clutter -- why not have the kids help during this yearly event. 

It's important for kids to learn some of these yearly chores. 

Here are a few age-appropriate things the kids can do during spring cleaning along with some fun books to read:

 

"The Lorax" movie is a great way to introduce kids to the topic of ecology!  Take this opportunity to share one of the many messages from Dr. Suess' story about "The Lorax":  the long-term consequences of a decision, why we should protect nature, and how one person can help to change the world.

Welcome to the 'Edventures with Kids' Blog!  We’re so happy you’ve stop by to Discover, Learn & Connect with us.  Some of the regular items we’ll share with you include:

• Exploring Kansas City