Exploring Creative Tools

Little ones want to examine everything within their reach. This time of discovery leads the to the tools for expressing their creativity. Placing some paper or whiteboard on their level and some drawing/painting tools ready for use will allow your child to discover his/her ability to leave a mark. The first time my son scratched a pencil on paper he giggled with joy. It was a powerful experience for him to see that he could make something happen from what he was doing. 

I say their level for  little ones because you can sit comfortably with them while they move with their work and explore. Big chairs and tables can hinder the free flowing experience. Any option that brings the tools to their level will work. Little ones (I mean two and under ) seem to like putting their whole body into it.  As children develop an understanding of the use of cause and effect tools and refine their motor skills they will tell us stories using these tools. They can show us their joy and imagination. They can draw from their hearts and mind things they might not yet be able to fully express in words.

The prompting of this gift and supporting your child in the creative process is in my mind as valuable as teaching them to read and write. They are opening a channel of expression that allows them to share more of their heart with others.   Describing their artwork to you opens up a new world of discussion. Listening to their sweet little descriptions of their artworks is very uplifting Enjoy!

By Janine Georgiou-Zeck

Artist Educator 

www.jzartstudio.com 

Art classes age 4 and up

Sent from my iPod

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Good 'Ol Fashioned Birthdays Parties and Potential HARMFUL Risks You May Not Have Thought About

As an event planner by profession and fellow mom, of course my head is always spinning with new event ideas and ways for the kids to have a fun time.  Recently I had to plan to party which would have many children ages 0-6 years.  I must have been stuck in some type of time warp the last few years, because what apparently the things we all grew up with at birthday parties as children (and still likely do in our homes and experience when we go to other birthday parties) are now not considered "safe".  In fact, they are FORBIDDDEN in many places.  

I am sharing this information with all you fellow parents and "party planners" out there in case you, like me, had no idea.  And please don't feel bad about it!  Because I totally beat myself up (and likely still am, hence this blog rant post) because I felt like "I should have known better" or that I was a "bad mother" or "bad event planner" because of it.  The fact of the matter is that information changes all the time and sometimes we don't even realize such things until we become a parent and experience it hands on to learn about it.  Of course we all want the best for our children and when caring for other children we especially want to ensure their safety as well.  So although you (like me) may find some of these things a little "extreme"; after thinking about it some more you may see that they do in fact make sense.  Just be aware of these recommendations and decide what to do in your own home for your own parties and with your own children - and don't be surprised like I was if a 3rd party place you chose to host a party at will absolutely just not allow certain things in their facility.

Allow me to elaborate on just some the dangers: 

1.     Balloons.  Apparently now HUGELY forbidden. I had some that I was going to blow up for decoration at a party but apparently they are a huge choking hazard for children (both un-inflated and inflated).  I must have been naive to think that birthday parties generally have balloons?   The last dozen of parties I've been to with my son recently have had balloons?  I never thought twice about it.   But yes, it's true (see links below to Canadian Red Cross).   Balloons are totally a thing of parties past. 

2.     Most Candy & Chocolate.  It's not challenging enough (but at least it's very common knowledge now) that we need to be extremely careful when it comes to Nut Free treats.  This is generally an accepted principal across the board now and "common knowledge".  However in going through my Piñata recently almost 100% of what was in there proposed some type of danger per the resource links provided.  Whether it be a dangerous due to a "stick" (i.e. lolly pops), too hard of candy, too chewy of candy, the shape, the size, etc. -- the fact is that most candy you can get today is just NOT RECOMMENDED.  So scrap the piñata all together I suppose?

3.     Popcorn.  Yup!  They serve it as part of the kids meals at movie theatre and will sell it to you at any children's show (I just bought some for my son at Disney On Ice), but also extremely not advisable. With its sharp edges and kernel flakes, popcorn is one of those foods that can even get caught in an adult's throat, causing gagging and choking.

Thankfully we could sing happy birthday and have a candle for me to blow for the event I had planned.  (I suppose it wasn't unreasonable for me to ask if cutting a cake with a knife or having an "open flame" was an issue after my other new findings?   (--> insert sarcasm here ;) ........ Good thing this was allowed *phew* cause my birthday party plans would have turned into just another day of chaos but with 30 unoccupied kids to entertain and equally frazzled moms.

Thank You,

Connie Berenguer

Founder / Director

Newmarket Goober Gang Play Group

E. connie@connieberenguer.com

W. www.goobergang.yolasite.com

See the following resources for further information:

Canadian Red Cross http://www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=6884&tid=021

Ontario Public Health: http://news.ontario.ca/mcscs/en/2011/08/public-safety-reminder-from-the-chief-coroner-for-ontario.html

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Creative Hands Creative Hearts!

Article 2

 

As parents we think of so many things we would like our children to accomplish and dream of them doing great things. When my teens were little and I would drop them off at school I would say “Do Great Things”.

They knew that I felt that the little, kind and thoughtful things they did each day were “Great Things” to me. We are the teachers of great things. We know  when we are presented with a teachable moment. We have the gift of a wonderful connection with our own children. They hang on our words and actions. They hold moments close to their hearts and pull them out of a hat when they need them. When they are toddlers they are retaining memories that are tactile and more of the visual. It’s a time to feed the visual memory by supporting it with tactile connections.  It’s a time to share with them how their little hands can be creative and hearts thoughtful at the same time..

Valentines is a time to show your little ones visual ways of expressing what is in their hearts.

The heart itself is a great first shape to teach. Using their own hands they can form a rough shape of a heart. They can stamp their hand in finger paint or have you paint the bottom of their hands with a washable paint. You might want to have a bowl of soapy water and a towel ready. Once the heart is stamped as many times and in as many colours as they like, they can fill in the shape.

 

You could offer them some decorative sticky foam or other embellishments that are easy to apply to decorate the artwork or card. You can cut shapes out that they can stick on. Ask them what they would like to say in words on their gift, and who they would like to give it to. You can use dots for letters they can trace over or write the words for them.  This will help them to reinforce connections with others through a creative channel, while learning about a special shape and their abilities.

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone!

Janine G-Z . 
Janine’s school of Fine Arts. 
Newmarket, On 
905-952-0806 
 www.jzartstudio.com 

    

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Guest post: Our Little Creative Thinkers

By Janine Georgiou-Z 
Article 1

In the 21^st Century our children need to be creative and critical thinkers. We are continuously moving forward into times of new challenges. Creative thinkers will pave the way as problem solvers and engineers of the future. 

When your child says “ I love to draw” what they are saying is that that they love to use the creative side of their mind. This is an expression of one of their many gifts and talents. This gift if nurtured will enrich their lives in many ways. One way will be to infuse all areas of their education.  Creative thought processes  will help them explore other subjects with curiosity and search for creative solutions to problems that arise. Joy in one area inspires contentment and enriches abilities in another. 

The very beginning of this creative process is the wonderful stories children are told that inspire their imagination and the mucky stuff we let them touch and explore, like paint and textured creative materials. These are a feast for the hungry mind of child. As you know if you feed them well they will flourish as will the creative spirit that dances with the arts. All one needs to get stared is their little ones and a few simple materials. 

   

When my teens were toddlers I threw a huge sheet of paper on the kitchen floor, and had 6 colours of paint at hand, as well as a bucket of soapy water and some towels. We had a blast. The paper became a beautiful mural of hands and feet and I think a nose or two.lol. I know it’s not an everyday event especially with a busy household, but trust me it is one of those events that are never forgotten, for the pure creative fun of it. Take photos and stick the poster on the ceiling so they can look up at it while lying on the floor. Even if it’s just for little while. Of course you want to wait until it dries. 

These moments will inspire future creative moments in both you and your children. Get messy and have fun!


Janine G-Z . 
Janine’s school of Fine Arts. 
Newmarket, On 
905-952-0806 
 www.jzartstudio.com 

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Sensory fun at home! Easy, fun, great activity for a toddler.

 So I decided to ease up on posting every day in our mag. I wouldn't want this to become all about my life with my kid, but I still feel that there is a lot to share. That's why I decided to post a summary of our sensory activities, selected ones that I've documented so far.

Santino's sensorial activities have been mostly tactile these days, with a few occasional auditory, visual, and thermic. I haven't been documenting much of these other experiments, but he has learned to discriminate by size, length, weight, loudness, color, even edibility. With the tactile activities he uses his small muscles, just the hands, and sometimes the tips of the fingers, and that allows him concentrate his attention on sorting, touching and feeling. He has his preferences and often starts off not wanting to touch another funny messy substance mommy pulled out for him. After some time he accepts the new tactile sensation, and this helps him learn his likes and dislikes, helps him classify his experiences and learn about the world around him.

The ideas, inspiration and terminology came from Montessori school. While it is the most popular type of schooling nowadays for the preschoolers and elementary students, the sensorial activities are applicable for children of all ages. Though use your judgement on what is safe for your child (I'm not suggesting giving some playdough to your newborn, and a bunch of tiny beads your 1 year old). And always, always exercise caution and supervise closely!

Out of the sensory activities that I've published on my blog so far, here is my top 5.

1. Homemade finger painting.

I loved this activity because not only it was a great sensorial fun for Santino and Kate, but also an artistic experiment, giving the kids an opportunity to play with colors the way they wanted, even if it meant painting on their own hands and tummy instead of the paper. Check out here the full report.

2. Christmas sensory bin.

This one was a fun one, as Santino got to play with some Christmas decorations, let him practice his fine motor skills and introduced him to a regular sensorial play. From that point on I've been trying to create and encourage at least one sensorial play a day. See the post here.

3. Flour and water.

This is an awesome simple activity that in its simplicity was great, allowing Santino concentrate on something for a long time. Read here.

4. Cloud dough.

Another activity with flour. Also, very simple to arrange, and so captivating for a toddler! Here's my report.

5. Homemade playdough.

This was an equally guided and child-led activity. I was sitting next to Santino, explaining how the prints work, how the playdough texture allows to mold it into shapes. He would take what I said and immediately put it to use, only the way he thought it would be fun, not my way. Check this post here.

I would so recommend these activities at home! They are very easy to organize, easy to explain, give something to do to your toddler and make you (mom) feel great about yourself, because you let your child play and learn and it will give his/her brain such a boost!

This is a review of only 5 activities, but the rest of our sensory play was as much fun! See all posts under "sensory" tag here.

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Simple DIY activities for a toddler

Here is a simple set of activities I like to offer Santino. It is something inexpensive, actually more like free, very simple to do, although promoting hand-eye coordination, attention, concentration, and a whole bunch of other skills.

1. I divided a sheet of paper in 2 halves. I covered the bottom half with a greenish blue waves, and the top with a darker blue color. I then cut out a few simple fish shapes, a boat shape, a few stars and a moon. I then let Santino sort these shapes and put them in their place. He was phenomenal! He put everything in the right place, except for the moon, which he wasn't sure. But I showed him, and now he knows!

 

2. Here is another take on the same idea. I drew a Christmas tree, and Santa without a hat, mittens or a sack of presents. While I was drawing it, Santino got nervous about Santa's hat, and immediately noticed "no hat!". Then I drew and cut out a hat for Santa, a pair of mittens and the sack. I also cut out a few decorations for the tree. 

Santino immediately put the hat on Santa, being very careful not to put it over his eyes, then he put mittens, and stumbled upon the sack. I told him that the sack goes in Santa's hands, so he tried to arrange it in the hands, but wasn't sure how. After I showed him, he went on to decorate the tree. 

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Simple art project for a 2 year old. A present for nonna

Santino loves painting, holding a paint brush and mixing the colors. Well, for now he mixes all the colors together, until they turn brown, and then he paints careful stripes here and there, swooshes, calling them dinosaurs and fire trucks.

I wanted to channel his love for painting and help him make a present for nonna Lucy for her birthday.

I got a painters tape, using it to mask the picture. I taped a few strips in the middle of a water color paper sheet. I then drew a flower over the tape with a pencil. Then, using a sharp x-acto knife, i cut off the tape, leaving only the shape. It is possible to do, just need to be careful and don't rush.

Then I mixed up some water colors for Santino. To avoid him mixing up all colors into one brown, I gave him colors one by one, blue, then yellow, then red. The colors mixed beautifully on the paper.

Then I let the picture dry, and carefully removed the tape. It stuck a bit too much to the paper, but I removed it slowly. Next time I would have to use a real masking tape. After the tape was removed, the white flower shape was revealed. Looked very warm and tender.

I signed it "2012, From Santino, To Nonna Lucy" and put it inside a simple frame. Nonna liked her present.

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Staging for Play-Dating

Aud and I are avid play-daters and have been since she was about 3 months old. We thoroughly enjoy meeting up with mummy and baby friends and making an afternoon of it. As I have mentioned in past posts I have a really amazing circle of mums and babes, most of which have gone back to work, but a couple who are still at home.  I live a little out of the way for a lot of them but have come up with creative ways of hosting like meeting up at the park for a picnic, or stroller walks and splash pads in the summer, mall walks in the cooler days. There are times I have hosted at my place and as I was getting ready for our play-date I couldn’t help but giggle to myself about how I ‘stage’ my home for company.

I’m not saying I don’t enjoy a clean house, or that my place is a dirty, frazzled mess all the time. I actually thoroughly enjoy cleaning and organizing but since becoming a mum finding time to do a full out clean or even the daily dusting is few and far between.

So here I go, picking up toys, dusting every shelf, shining the mirrors, scrubbing the bathroom and then it dawned on me. Does my mum friend really believe this is what my place looks like everyday? Am I really fooling her to believe I make our bed every day? That my kitchen looks this immaculate? Not to mention the fresh baked cookies and pumpkin spice candle for smell. If only I was a real estate agent staging homes for a living, I think I would do pretty well.

How funny is that?  Her and I have actually had a good laugh about it before. How we try our best to impress other mums, giving off this façade of a women who keeps it all together, who’s floors are spotless and shelves are dustless. Personally I have never walked into a fellow mum’s home and thought OMG? Why hasn’t she folded the toilet paper ends in her bathroom? Or I see a spot on her mirror, doesn’t she clean? Puh-lease.

 Ready for the truth? I definitely do not make my bed everyday, actually our room usually looks like a clothing bomb went off. I have this bad habit of getting out clothes, changing a million times and never putting them back. Then finally at the end of the week when I can no longer see my dresser I decide to go through it all and put it away.

I do have a habit of vacuuming a couple times a week but only because Audrina will find the smallest of smallest fluff or crumbs and eat it, (ok-do babies have x-ray vision or something?) Aud has also figured out that if she keeps her bottle tilted upside down she can paint a beautiful of milk drops and smears all over the floors…try keeping up with that 45 times a day.

Fresh baked cookies? Ok I might of gone to Tim Horton’s and bought a half dozen of cookies to put out…although I really do bake a mean batch of uh-mazing CCC’s, but who has the time? Let me know if you want my recipe…one tip melt the butter.

So why do I do it? Why do I insist on spending all evening and even during her nap cleaning and getting prepped for a play date that will only result in toys and food everywhere? I guess it’s because I really do have a feeling of satisfaction when it’s over. The feeling of knowing when they walk in they will think, wow her place smells great, or being comfortable putting their babies on my floor not worrying about them eating last nights dinner. Even though the women I am friends with are probably the least judgmental mum’s I have met, I still have this need to impress them.

So I am giving myself a challenge, the next play-date I host I will not go on a cleaning spree, I will not “bake” cookies or light a candle, and I will not pick up Aud’s toys all morning or make my bed. Do you think they will notice? Probably not…because the truth is the only one’s us mum’s need to worry about making an impression on is our kids and to be honest I think Aud would love it way better if I didn’t spend the time putting away her blocks only to have her have to find them and spill them out onto the floor for the 3^rd time today thinking, ‘I wonder how many times she wants to play this game?”

To read more of my blog please visit http://newmumontheblog.wordpress.com sharing experiences, insights, and advice from one mum to another

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Tip: to avoid night time flooding

In our Goober Gang group, we already discussed this issue, exchanging tips on how to prevent night time flooding, as babies and toddlers often sleep through the night on their tummies.

I suggested double diapering for the night, which works great. Recently, though, I noticed that double or not, Santino still often wakes up wet. And, its not because the diaper was so full, rather the diapers got pulled down over the night, and the pee escaped from the top. This issue does not depend on the size, make and style of the diaper. I tried various kinds and styles.

It seems, that I found a solution: I put the diaper backwards. It goes up his tummy and stays there, while the front part stays in place on his bum.

P.S. I hear, its something that other moms practice as well, but I wanted to share this tip anyways. Works magic!

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F.. this s...!

Yes, its what you thought. And I'm not angry and not venting. I want to write a few paragraphs on my experience with un-teaching my son those bad words. Well, one bad word in particular. The F word!

I guess my husband and I lived without children too long, both as a family and individuals before we got married. I worked in marketing and promotions, my husband was a DJ. Our primarily night-time lifestyle added its mark on the language we use. Used. Past tense.

As Santino grew and started developing his speaking skills, he now repeats everything we say. Except "thank you" and "please" of course. Well... even... okay, will tell you later.

So yes, he heard the "F" word, as we said it a few times in front of him, even though we had been very careful, trying to watch what we say. Only if something falls on your toe, you find marker all over the wall, poop falls out of the newly changed diaper, yes, you kind of sort of forget the etiquette and exclaim it with a passion. F...!!!

It only took two or three times, and here he was, my 18 months son, walking around, hitting a ball with a stick and saying.. you know what. If he tripped and fell, he said it. If he lost something under a couch or a parked car, he said it. Sometimes he would just mumble gibberish, passionately waving his arms at a wall, finishing up with the "F...". And the more he noticed how we laugh, the more he wanted to say it.

It was the time to make a change.

I realized, that saying "don't say f..." will only encourage Santino say it more and more. I noticed, there is a little bit of an actor in him. He loves attention, and if he sees how people laugh, he'll do it over and over. This is something I am trying to incorporate in our toilet training process. Well, that's another story.

First, I thought we'll just ignore him, and this word will die and fall out by itself, as nobody pays attention. That wasn't the case, Santino kept saying it, savoring every moment he got to use it. Plus, it was really hard to keep telling everybody, just not to pay attention. I gotta admit, it was funny, the way he said it.

Then I decided to turn his attention from the bad word, to something more acceptable by the society. He didn't budge. Next, I tried re-setting his mind, to thinking he is saying something else. Like right after he said it, I would say "funny", in an attempt to convince him, that that was actually the word he was trying to say.

I experimented with various words, including "fudge", which I hated. It just didn't sound ... satisfying. Wasn't right.

Finally, I found it! Fire truck! It really only took me about 5 or 6 times, after which Santino almost completely forgot THAT word, and switched his attention to fire trucks. It is his new obsession.

And by the way, for about 7 or 8 months now, every time I give Santino something I would say "thank you mama", if he does something I ask, I say "thank you Santino", I've been reminding of the "please" word multiple times per day since January as well. Did he say it? No. Not once. Only about a month ago, when after every time I heard Santino saying F... (not that often anymore, I must say), he finally started saying "please" and "thank you". Sometimes even without prompt!

Thank you, baby!

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Play date ideas

One of the most important socializing activities of my toddler son, are play dates. I look for the opportunities to get together with other kids, as I want Santino to develop social skills and have fun while doing it. We have attended such amazing Goober Gang play dates with the themes like "salad bar", or "pool party" (its from the recent ones that I attended; other play date ideas, although not mentioned here, were also amazing). We also often meet up local non-Goober kids with their moms for the walks and for playing inside. Santino loves his friends, remembers their names, and often talks about them... Well, he doesn't really talk in paragraphs yet, but he likes to mumble jibberish, pretending he is telling a story, popping in there some familiar words, like "fire truck" or names of his friends.

I often find, that without structure or a theme, a playdate can become rather boring; if not for the kids, but for their moms for sure. I noticed, once kids start enjoying an activity and having fun, moms usually get really involved and become very proud and excited, too.

So for the next play date, consider one of these ideas below. And if these ideas give you a push for another idea, that's even better! If some of these activities look kinda messy, or noisy for a big group of kids, consider more intimate play date, with 2 or 3 kids. At 2 or 3 years of age, when kids become more independent  and possessive sometimes, its better for everybody, when the playdate is kept to smaller kids numbers.

Snacks

One of the awesome ideas I found recently, was to have a muffin tin, filled with various snacks, like cheese cubes and veggie or fruit slices available for the kids to munch on while they play. I find nothing unites them better, then fishing for the fish crackers. 

 

I noticed, that the best time for the snacks to come out is about 20-30 mins after the start. This is when the first excitement is gone and they are looking for more stuff to do.

I tried the muffin tin today when 2 other kids came visiting Santino. This worked awesome! I put various snacks, like veggies and fruits, as well as fish crackers, and they all munched on their favorite snacks, which, surprise surprise!,  was different for each kid.

As for the activities, the first one I suggest to try, actually concerns snacks. The all-time favorite PIZZA! Well, in this case, is a make-your-own pizza. Provide the kids with the flat bread (in our family we enjoy naan bread for this purpose), sauce, cheese, pieces of veggies, some odd things, like fish crackers or cheerios! Have an adult put the pizzas in the oven and enjoy it together at a table or on a blanket on a grass, picnic style.

Activities.

You don't have to wait for the play date to enjoy these activities. It's something fun to do at home any time.

1. Making your own music instruments out of card board boxes, rubber bands, tins, and other similar stuff. The point is not to have a real drum or a real guitar, the point is to spend time with the kids making it, then playing it! If hosting a playdate with this idea, have lots of boxes, paper towel insides, rubber bands ready. Maybe spread the word before the playdate, and have visiting moms bring whatever you are missing.

Now, after the instruments are made, kids can go crazy, playing them all! 

Bongos. Source

More music instruments ideas here: http://www.thecraftycrow.net/2011/07/homemade-musical-instruments-for-kids.html

And here: http://www.marthastewart.com/265694/making-music

2. Target shooting!  I found this awesome idea of how to build a flipping target here: http://almostunschoolers.blogspot.ca/2010/12/cardboard-box-nerf-target.html

Basically, using old cardboard box, make a shooting target, and then shoot using Nerf guns, or in the toddler case - throw little balls or balloons. Its hard to throw a balloon, but its possible. I found recently, if the balloon is not blown up to its full "potential", it can be thrown and it follows the trajectory. Much safer choice for young kids.

3. Another awesome card box idea. Making frames out of card box: http://pintalaluna.blogspot.com/2012/02/marcos-de-carton.html, then filling them up with art. Great idea for the outside art project.

4. Dinosaur digging: http://www.teachpreschool.org/2011/03/digging-up-dinosaurs-in-preschool/

This could also be a great idea for the outside, or, if you are brave enough, or able to cover the floor well, then definitely do this at home. Kids love dinosaurs, love digging, and finding little treasures hidden in the sand, is such a thrill! 

5. One of my favorite games when I was little, was "playing post cards". Me and my friends would take old post cards, cut them up in 4 pieces, mix them up, and try finding matching pieces. A great easy and inexpensive idea for matching activities. If puzzles are too early for your kid, try this idea. You can use any pictures, mount them on a card board for durability, then cut up in squares, or other shapes, and here is your toddler puzzle! If the pictures show something the kids are interested in (like a fire truck in our case... surprise, surprise!), then it sure will be a hit!

6. Hit a balloon with a paddle game! Hang balloon/balloons off the ceiling, give your toddlers paddles, or help them make their own, and let the game begin! If you have several active toddlers having fun hitting the balloons, consider giving them long balloons instead. Just an idea.

Santino loved this idea, but I made a mistake first, and hung the balloon too low. He was able to reach and grab the balloon, so he pulled it down immediately, ripping it off the thread. I moved the balloon a little bit higher, and he had a blast, trying to reach it, knocking it off with the little plastic balls and other balloons. The paddle wasn't a hit with him at this time. I am sure soon he will be more coordinated and will have more interest in holding a paddle.

Here is the source: http://blogs.babble.com/toddler-times/2011/08/02/loads-of-toddler-fun-with-a-simple-balloon/#so-she-could-hit-it

7. Bring your walkers/scooters and tricycles, some chalk and have a blast making a road and driving on it. It doesn't need to be as elaborate as driving to a store or a library, but its a chance to use the scooters, so anything else is a cherry on top!

http://innerchildfun.com/2012/05/have-you-been-to-trunki-town.html



There are so many ideas! Once I saw, what people are inventing on the spot, and how beneficial this is for the kids, I became very excited. I stopped being stressed that I don't know what to do with my son, I stopped thinking I should get him more toys, and I realized, that the best activities are often free or cost something next to nothing.

In order to keep this post not-too-long, I decided not to collect an even number of ideas, like 10 or 15. When we explore more ideas, I will post them too!

Join in!

Nataliya

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Dinos, colors and a sponge

After the dinner is finished, I have to clean up, wash the dishes, keep Santino calm, also making sure that he doesn't destroy the house. Recently I started leaving him in his high chair, buckled up (yay! no running away) and provide him with entertainment. Not TV, rather something creative. TV after dinner is not good for his sleeping routine, so I used to provide him with markers, crayons and toys to color and play.

Coloring and drawing is not his strongest area at this time. Markers quickly end up on the floor, as well as crayons.

I started thinking of other creative ideas, after researching the internet and finding amazing blogs, written by moms and their children. Mothers come up with ideas, children enjoy them.

Today I gave Pipidinko a sponge and poured some water on the high chair tray. He played with it a little, but then got bored, as it was fun, but not that fun. So I added a few drops of food coloring. Oh, yeah! That's already something!

He discovered, that water makes funny shapes and figures, and started playing with it.

You can collect the water in the sponge, and squish it out. You can make splashes with your hands.

I added a few drops of another color. I also gave Pipidinko a q-tip, just for a different experience. I also let him hold the tooth pick, which I used to put the color drops.

He used it to make a boat. Looks freaky on this picture :)

Then he got bored with the sponge, and I gave him ice cubes. I also added food coloring there.

For a few minutes we enjoyed watching the swirls the water was making while melting. Then we got rid of the ice, and found new fun! The game is called "make a dino, spot a dino". Well, I just gave the name to it now, but you are welcome to use this name or the game any time. Replace "dino" with any animal or machine you wish. I just found that the dinos were the easiest.

I drew a dino for Santino, using colored water. Its very easy: a big body, a long neck on one side, a long tail on the other side, and legs... 2 legs or 4 legs, whatever you can make. That's it. He was mesmerized by the ability of this dino disappear and separate into little puddles, as the water didn't stay still, rather moved and collected itself into random shapes.

He kept asking "what happened?"

This really got his attention for a while. I moved the high chair next to the sink, and got back to my kitchen routine, and after the next dino disappeared, I would quickly make a new one, leaving Pipidinko playing with it. He was trying to make his own dinos, and was even finding unexpected dinos on the other side of the tray!

What a great source of inspiration, simple water and food coloring!

Original of the post here

Nataliya

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Bringing up a bilingual child

  I speak Russian and English, my husband speaks English. Since even before Santino was born, I've been researching best practices on how to bring up a multi-lingual child, hoping he would get the best out of both languages and both worlds. I realize that he most probably won't be a fluent Russian language speaker, but I would love for him to be able to read and understand the literature.

I read somewhere that bilingual children start speaking later, although 2 languages simultaneously. I was prepared for Santino to start speaking after 2 years old. Luckily, he started speaking way before. He is picking up on both languages successfully, being more comfortable with English at this time. I worried before, didn't want him to have any preference in language, but later on I relaxed and let him pick up any language he wants, trying to tag the second one along. Santino prefers English words at this time, and I am not surprised, 90% of words he comes in contact with right now are easier to pronounce in English, but he did pick up some Russian words as well.

While Santino is not putting words in long sentences yet, he picks up more and more words every day, he responds to both languages and points at the pictures when I ask him in either language.

I got lucky, after being the only constant Russian-speaking person in his life (my parents live far away and only get to talk to him once in a while via Google video conference), I met a Russian-speaking family, living in my neighborhood and (yay!) also with a 2 years old boy. I encourage Santino hang out more with them, to hear more of the language and to have more practice speaking it. I hope these little boys can grow up being close friends.

Anyways, back to my teaching strategy. Here is what I've been doing, some tips that I learned on the way, and a start to a conversation on this topic. Please, do pitch in!

1. Being not a talker by nature, I found it very difficult to "talk as much as possible" to my son, especially in the beginning, when he was not as responsive and sleeping most of the time. I couldn't just talk, so I sang. I sang almost non-stop, while washing dishes, while breastfeeding, while walking baby in a stroller. I sang mostly in Russian, and when I didn't sing, I played those songs for him on a radio. I don't know what that did for his language skills, but I hope it gave Santino the feeling of the flow of the language, recognition of the sound.

2. When he grew up a little, I actually started forcing myself to talk more and more, and while I still wasn't able to talk about various things, I decided I can talk about the same thing over and over, only now in 2 languages. So I started commenting on Santino's moves, on the things around us in 2 languages. And when I didn't know what to say, I would repeat the same thing. Repetition is good, right?

3. I tried making flash cards with written Russian words (according to Doman, it was supposed to help Santino learn how to recognize written words), but found that I often couldn't get him concentrate on these cards, he didn't like to be disturbed if he was playing with a truck or a ball. I also kept mixing them up, losing, and in general they were in my way. I adjusted this idea, and created these cards in PowerPoint. Words, numbers, letters, flags, shapes, etc. Pictures were accompanied with the words and my voice recording would clearly say what was shown on the screen. I also added some Mozart music in the background. I heard, that Mozart music promotes memory and concentration, and all and all, is very beneficial for everybody.

So I started to show these flashcards to Santino several times a day, every day for several months, and he suddenly started not only recognize them, but also make an effort to pronounce whatever he hears. I think my voice, Mozart music and repetition really did help Santino to get a push and start trying to say the words out loud.

He still doesn't repeat everything I ask him to (the hardest part for me, is to have him say "thank you" and "please"), but he is much more responsive now, he understands both languages and he loves repeating both of them!

Please do comment and share your experiences teaching your child how to speak and understand in one, two or however many languages.

Nataliya

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Adorable moments...

Santino and Kate on a stroll....

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Finger paint fun

Today Pipidinko had his girlfriend Kate over for a play date. I cooked up some finger paint for them and let them have fun.

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