15 Tantalizing Summer Reads for Kids

June 25, 2014 - Mama Leave a comment

Ahh, summer. Between cloud gazing and visiting the beach and swimming at the pool, it seems like there’s so much excitement during the summer. Sometimes, it’s hard to forget to slow down, take a break, and just soak up summer. I guarantee that these books, though, will do the trick and help your kids take a few minutes for their imagination. Whether you’re curled up on the couch reading together, or you prepare a book basket for your young one to explore solo, these books are the perfect picks for summertime.

Note: This post contains affiliate links.

Summer Lunch Week: Grocery Store Games and Math to Get You Through the Store Without a Fight

May 12, 2014 - Mama 2 Comments

Guess what? In case you missed last Friday’s post, today is the official start of Summer Lunch Week here at DigitalEraMom. What’s Summer Lunch Week? Well, it’s a week where I can try to make your life a little easier with ideas, printables, recipes, and more that can make summer lunches more fun, less expensive, and a little easier to prepare. Don’t forget to come back all week long– there may even be a giveaway coming, so stay tuned!

After the third supermarket temper tantrum, I realized I was about at my limit. I had tried everything, from bribery to that free grocery store cookie the bakery section usually hands out. I knew that, as Zach approached 37 pounds, there was no way carrying him kicking and screaming through the store was an option. I knew there had to be a better way.

Then, I realized as we were going through the store that he was very interested in the products on the shelves, particularly ones we bought regularly. I also started noticing that, while he was a great eater that preferred fresh produce to cookies 9 times out of 10, that the packaging grabbed him, and he was after something visual.

I wanted a way to distract him, help him have that visual, and still make healthy choices.

Want to read more?

Top 10 Can’t Miss Books for Spring

April 3, 2014 - Mama 4 Comments

It’s spring! Finally. As Easter approaches, I’m sure many of you are looking for a great book to start the conversation about spring, or perhaps a treasure to ask the Easter Bunny to bring. All of these books on my top ten are perfect choices for your children. I’ve made sure to list the age range for books so you’ll know you’re getting the perfect picks whether you have a toddler, a teen, or something in between. I also have provided an affiliate link to the product on Amazon. While you should never feel obligated to purchase from one of my affiliate links, doing so is a great way to support DigitalEraMom.com!

Without further ado, here are 10 books you don’t want to miss this spring!

10. It’s Spring by Linda Glaser

This book is perfect for preschool through the middle elementary years.

This book is worth buying for the illustrations alone, which use hand painting and paper sculpture to convey the message. The lovely part is that this book is just one of a four-book season series, so if it becomes a favorite, of course, as spring dwindles, you can always switch to the summer book as well. This is a story about a child observing how spring arrives, and shows the animals, plants, and changes that occur during the spring months. The pictures bring the season to live, and it’s a great jump start to the season.

Purchase it here: It’s Spring

9. Little Seeds by Charles Ghigna

This book is a great pick for 2-4 year olds!

A beautiful springy book with bright colors and beautiful images, it’s a great way to teach all about planting flowers and the importance to them. It’s filled with beautiful colors that are perfect after cold and sad winter time, and it’s a fun poem, too! Definitely worth a read!

Get it here: Little Seeds (My Little Planet)

8. The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle

This book is a perfect book for preschoolers on up!

I think Eric Carle is really one of the first authors that readers grow up knowing. He’s an amazing author with very fun illustrations, and it’s always nice to see something special from him besides the Very Hungry Caterpillar we all know and love. This sweet book is a great tale about the life cycle of a flower, and the best part is that it comes with a piece of paper embedded with seeds that can be planted, so you can watch it grow into wildflowers, really helping ingrain the principles taught in the book! What better way to learn hands-on than to read this book and plant the paper inside? The book starts talking about how things happen to seeds, like being trampled on or eaten by birds, so it might be a little sensitive for some young readers, but otherwise, you’ll find yourself cheering for the Tiny Seed as he makes his journey to flowerhood!

Get it here: The Tiny Seed (The World of Eric Carle)

7. The Listening Walk by Paul Showers

This book would be good to introduce in preschool, but has great messages that even early elementary kids can grow with.

This book is a fantastic story all about listening to the sounds of nature. Revised from a 1961 classic, this story is all about a father and child listening to the sounds of what nature has to hold while going on a walk. It’s a great book to inspire a listening walk of your own! The value of this book extends far beyond the actual pages, because it helps kids tune into the sounds around them, be more aware of the subtle things in their surroundings, and listen to the amazing things that they encounter on the way.

You can buy it here: The Listening Walk

6. The Best Bike Ride Ever by James Proimos

This book is good for ages 3 and up, but especially perfect for a beginning bike rider!

This is a newer book that is definitely perfect for spring. Bonnie, the main character, begs and begs for a bike, and her parents finally surprise her with one! She
goes on an epic bike ride, over mountains, under animals, past major landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and the Grand Canyon. However, Bonnie realizes she never learned one important bike riding lesson– how to stop! When she takes a big tumble and learns a great lesson from her parents, Bonnie is back on the bike and ready for more adventure.

Find it here: The Best Bike Ride Ever

5. Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth by Mary McKenna Sidals

This book is great for ages 3 and up!

This is a fantastic (and rhyming) way to teach kids great things to add to a compost pile! Suggestions include eggshells, grass clippings, insects, and more, which will easily get kids learning more about Composting and creating very rich soil for a garden. What better book for springtime than one that rhymes AND acts as a recipe to create a perfect batch of compost!

You can purchase a copy here: Compost Stew

4. Duck and Goose: Here Comes the Easter Bunny by Tad Hills

This book is my top pick for toddlers and preschoolers.

What list of mine would be complete without a touch of Duck and Goose, right? I love these delightful, colorful, very silly board books that are so simple but very educational and happy. It’s so fun to watch Duck and Goose hide and wait for the Easter Bunny to arrive, and perhaps an inspiration to play a hiding game of your own. It’s a great pick for toddlers during the Easter season!

Buy it here: Duck & Goose, Here Comes the Easter Bunny!

3. Ducks In Muck by Lori Haskins

This is perfect for babies and older, and a great pick for a new reader.

Starting as an easy read to even the youngest children, it’s a great first-reader that will grow with them. I remember this book being a favorite of my little brother when he was young, and I enjoy reading it because it’s just so catchy– ducks in trucks, trucks stuck in muck, and you find yourself wondering if the ducks, and the trucks, will ever get out of being stuck in the muck! It’s a fun read with rhyming words that really helps motivate young readers to step into reading. A fun bedtime story, this is a great springtime story that turns into a year-round favorite.

You can get this title here: Ducks in Muck (Step into Reading, Step 1)

2. Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman

This is a good pick for 4th-7th graders, but even adults will get a lot out of it.

Another favorite from my childhood, this book is best geared at a slightly older crowd. A chapter book that would be a quick read for advanced readers, it may take a few days to get through, but it’s a great book about diversity, gardening, and the love that even strangers can grow for each other through a common interest. This book weaves together short stories, each narrated by a different character but with all of the characters woven through the book, of people living near each other and turning a vacant lot filled with garbage into a thriving community garden. People from so many different cultures, backgrounds, and stages in life all come together over a common interest, and that’s something worth reading.

You can snag this one here: Seedfolks

1. Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco

This is a good pick for kindergartners and older.

This is easily one of my favorite books from my own childhood and ranks in my top ten. As thunder starts to boom nearby, a grandmother comforts her granddaughter by helping her gather the ingredients for a special cake called Thunder Cake. Living in the great plains, storms were a part of Spring every year of my childhood, and they still are. While I still long to make an actual Thunder Cake just like the one described in the book (and yes, the recipe is given!), the story itself is rich and helps quell fears of storms. I look forward to when Zach is old enough to enjoy this treasure with me, whether or not he has a fear of storms.

You can buy a copy here: Thunder Cake

Obviously, some of my favorite picks on this list are the books that inspire more than just a story time together, but instead, give practical applications that extend past the story once the book is over. Books like Compost Stew, Thunder Cake, and the Listening Walk can get you engaged to do activities of your very own, getting kids active, exploring, and learning this spring and for many spring seasons to come.

What is your favorite book for the spring season, for any age group? Do you think the Easter bunny will bring a book for your little one this year?

Organizing Homeschool Curriculum

March 14, 2014 - Mama Leave a comment

One of the biggest questions I get when I tell people about the curriculum I use is, “Yeah, but how do you keep track of it all?” Sometimes, curriculum can get overwhelming, and I’ve heard more than one family lament the “Ugh, I’d love homeschooling a lot more if stuff wasn’t EVERYWHERE!”

While some families are lucky enough to have a school room that is dedicated for collecting all of the pencils, maps, charts, books, and supplies that homeschooling needs, many of us are homeschooling at the kitchen table, and it means it’s a lot harder to stay organized without having books on every surface of your house.

I am by no means an expert, and what works for me may drive you crazy, but since I’ve gotten so many requests, I decided to share with you my particular form of organization.

I’ve found some items have packaging that falls apart after repeated use, but at the same time, it’s important to keep all of those items together. I like to grab a gallon-sized back, put all of the parts to that particular item together, and then include any instructions or parts of the box that include extension activities. This ensures all parts stay together without letting things go missing. In the above picture, I took the suggested activities, and all of the items except the pegs, and put them in the same Ziploc bags. This means when we go to do an activity using this, I can grab this bag and the peg bag and have everything I need handy.

Alternatively, you can also lump like items together in bags. Several separate Lauri Toys that I have come with pegs, and the pegs they come with are all the same– multicolor in the same basic shape. I personally put all of the pegs in the same bag, and just grab the peg bag when we have an activity using pegs.

I’ve found that, for our Preschool-aged curriculum, a rolling cart works very well for storage. I’m able to put our CDs and music-related activities in one drawer, our workbooks in another drawer, our flash cards and activity cards in another, and then have our other activities and craft supplies in other drawers, neatly. Magazine racks on the top store other, larger items that won’t fit in the drawers as easily, like large sheets of tissue paper.

As Zach gets older, we may adapt our system and go away from a rolling cart, but for now, it makes it easiest to sort the individual activties. The rolling cart can be pushed into my pantry and easily rolled out for school time, or I can just grab the items we’re using for that time of day.

We don’t have a designated school space, so we work hard to intentionally add necessary school items into our decor without drawing too much attention to them. Zach’s calendar, for example, is tucked next to his indoor playset, making it look like a part of that area, but still allowing easy everyday access. Another alternative storage solution for the calendar would be to use Zip-Ties to secure it to our rolling cart.

Zach has a reading nook set up in his play area. Because having a reading nook is a necessity for us, we make sure to seamlessly integrate it into our playspace, even if we can’t integrate it into the kitchen where we do school.

I try to make sure that, in letting our school seep into other areas of our home, we aren’t letting it completely take over our lives, either. When school isn’t in session, either for the evening or weekend, school items that aren’t housed in our main decor can be put away easily in the rolling cart.

To give you a peek at another option, my mother uses a different storage system for schooling Jeffrey, in 8th grade. All of his school books that he uses for the current courses are stored spine-up in a filing cabinet. Resources that are larger and don’t fit in the drawer are kept on a separate bookshelf, along with supplies and past books they still refer to. Each night, my mother goes through the next day’s course schedule, grabs the books she needs quickly and easily, and then pulls any larger supplies or curriculum pieces they need from the bookshelf.

At the end of it all, there are a few tips that I have for you:

1. Do what makes sense for your family. What works for me might not work for you. What works for your homeschooling coop might not work for you. What works for that lady you met at that homeschooling convention that one time might not work for you. Find what works for you, and use that method.

2. If homeschooling curriculum is taking over your house, it’s time to purge. If you have a lot of supplies from past years, see if there is a family you can bless with those items, or find a swap site to sell it on or trade for items you need.

3. Homeschooling doesn’t have to involve one set classroom. One of the reasons I love homeschooling is that EVERYWHERE is your classroom. Want to study outside on the porch swing? Do it. Want to study at a coffee shop? Do it. Want to study at the kitchen table? Do it. Want to lay in bed and study? Do it. Don’t feel like you have to have a “classroom” in order to make homeschooling work. You can stay organized and keep your homeschooling unchained, too.

4. Group like items together! One of the easiest ways to lose curriculum pieces is to forget to group it together. By keeping things together that go together, you won’t lose it. You have to choose what grouping makes sense, though. Maybe for you it makes the most sense to store your flash cards with other flash cards to keep them together. Or, maybe you’d prefer grouping all of the history together, and all of the English together. Find a logical grouping, and keep things put together that way.

5. Ziplocs, Rubberbands, and Drawers are your friend! These things help keep items together, help hide the homeschool house takeover, and, while seemingly obvious, are overlooked way too often.

What are your tips for organizing homeschooling curriculum? Share them in the comments below!

Quick Picks: 7 Delightful Valentine’s Books for Kids

February 4, 2014January 4, 2015 - Mama 1 Comment

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Affiliate links help financially support MamaPlusOne, and I only recommend things that I actually LOVE.

I’m pretty much always on the hunt for awesome books to add to my son’s bookshelf each season, to the point that our bookshelves are overflowing! As an avid reader as a child, I’ve worked hard to instill that same passion in Zach. Because of that, I try to keep his selection fresh, and I’m realizing that there are a ton of great books or kids out there in various seasons and subjects. Valentine’s Day books are no exception. Growing up, my mom would always take my brother and I out for Valentine’s dinner– after all, love isn’t just about a couple… love resonates in an entire family. It makes sense that, in the season of love, it would be nice to include kids in the gifting, and books are a great option there! Here are my top picks for February!

If I Could Keep You Little by Marianne Richmond

When I first saw this book in Walmart, I decided to peek through it. That peek turned into me reading the entire thing, and crying right there in the middle of the store. No, not some discreet, teary-eyed cry. This was one of those “tears streaming down my face, ugly cry where I’m practically choking on my tears” kind of crying. I don’t know if it was just knowing my son was growing up, or seeing the changes he goes through every day, but this book hit me hard.

It seems simple enough… “If I could keep you little, I’d kiss your cuts and scrapes. But then, I’d miss you learning from your own mistakes.” Essentially, the book is saying, if I could keep you little, I’d be able to take care of you, and make sure you have everything you need, but at the same time, I’d be missing out on the child you’re becoming, on watching you grow into something special.

And that, well, it’s worth a really good cry. I dare you to get through the entire book without at least welling up with a few tears.

You can purchase this book here: If I Could Keep You Little

Happy Valentine’s Day, Mouse! by Laura Joffe Numeroff

On a less serious note, Happy Valentine’s Day, Mouse! features all of the best characters from the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie series, and talks about Mouse creating a special valentine for each of his friends. I think the book is great in that Mouse lovingly considers each of his friends and what he likes about them as he creates their valentine. That is a very special thing to teach kids, making this book a perfect start for a conversation about thoughtfulness, and also helping them more clearly share what they like about the people they care about.

Of course, it’s lit with fun illustrations and familiar characters, making it a staple in any home that loves the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie books.

You can find this book here: Happy Valentine’s Day, Mouse! (If You Give…)

Duck and Goose: Goose Needs a Hug by Tad Hills

I wasn’t familiar with the Duck and Goose stories until just a year or so ago when I picked up “Duck and Goose: It’s Time for Christmas.” My son and I had so many giggles over lines like “Goose! It is not time for making a SnowGoose!” that it quickly became a favorite during the winter time. While the Goose Needs a Hug installment isn’t necessarily specifically Valentine’s themed, it does show an important way to express caring for individuals through hugs. A simple hug can cheer up someone’s day and take them from sad to glad in just one brief moment of physical touch; if that wasn’t so, then Free Hugs campaigns wouldn’t be so popular! Goose Needs a Hug is a heartwarming tale for those who already love Duck and Goose, but it’s also a great introduction to Duck and Goose books if you’re not already familiar with them.

You can find this book here: Duck & Goose, Goose Needs a Hug

Happy Valentine’s Day, Little Critter by Mercer Mayer

I feel the need to include this one because Little Critter was a staple of my childhood. Truly, it wouldn’t have been a childhood for me without spending countless hours reading and re-reading, searching for that little spider hidden on the pages. I loved devouring the Little Critter books, and of course, this cute tale is no exception. It’s mushy-gushy in the right places, with just a touch of that Little Critter snark everyone knows and loves, and it’s destined to become a classic, especially if you’re a parent who loved Mercer Mayer as a child.

You can find this book here: Little Critter: Happy Valentine’s Day, Little Critter!

If you’re a big Little Critter fan, you may also like Little Critter: Just a Little Love (My First I Can Read).

The Day It Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond

The name of this author may look familiar to some, but even if the name doesn’t, a quick flip through the pages will refresh your memory. Felicia Bond is the well-loved illustrator of the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie books. These cute drawings are perfect, and the storyline is just so wholesome and fun. It starts with a girl seeing hearts begin falling from the sky like raindrops. As she catches them, she realizes each one is unique… and that each would make a great valentine for one of her friends! A cute book with darling illustrations, it’s one that will be read again and again, especially by families with younger children.

You can purchase this book here: Day It Rained Hearts

I Loathe You by David Slonim

I think we can all admit that sometimes, the “I love you THIS much” genre gets a bit mushy gushy. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love a good, sweet, overly mushy book– if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be crying over books in the middle of Walmart, would I? But this book has it right when it comes to providing that amazing unconditional love… without really going the mushy-love route. As two monsters talk and get so disgustingly silly with their loathing for one another, you quickly realize that this is a tale of love, albeit a different kind of love, expressed in an atypical way. This book is especially good for the kids who wipe away kisses saying “YUCK!” like my own son. It’s perfect in a secretly-loving, but extra-awesome way.

This book can be purchased here: I Loathe You

Ten Little Zombies: A Love Story by Andy Rash

Okay, so, I have to warn you here, this isn’t exactly a children’s book. Or, well, it is, but it kind of depends on the type of kid you have. You won’t see anything worse than an episode of CSI in here, but there are bits and pieces about zombie dismemberment, including the use of chainsaws, acid, and other horrifying stuff. It even has a special twist ending! But really, for an older kid, or a kid who has been exposed to their fair share of zombies, you’ll find tons of giggles in this silly counting book. It has a little bit of everything– humor, grossness, and even some love. It’s a cute story, and the illustrations are rudimentary, so it isn’t the stuff of nightmares so much as the stuff of “Eww! Dead zombie blood!” I think it’s well worth reading, especially if you’re an off-beat parent.

You can purchase this book here: Ten Little Zombies: A Love Story

Do you have a favorite Valentine’s book for kids? Share it in the comments below!

Two Days with the T-Bot II

November 30, 2012 - Mama 2 Comments

Typically, school follows a pretty set routine where we continue on in our My Father’s World lessons. This week, however, dad has been off work for a random vacation, which meant it was a good opportunity for Jeffrey to deviate from his standard lessons and give dad an opportunity to teach.

We’ve had the Pitsco T-Bot II for several months now, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to open up the box and get to work on it, and the time was finally there. What better way for dad to teach a school lesson than to do something fun for both of them, involving a very fun lesson in hydraulics.

The T-Bot II challenge kit came with a lot of parts. In addition to the entire robot kit, the challenge kit included some items for additional challenges plus a teacher’s guide for activities.

Jeffrey and dad got down to work.

They popped all of the laser-cut pieces out, one by one.

They measured parts and cut them.

They got everything organized and in order.

Then, the real work began.

He glued the pieces and worked with focus on each piece. Jeffrey has a natural instinct when it comes to putting things together. He can usually figure out that sort of thing without looking at the instructions. However, in some instances, he did double check his work against the very detailed images and diagrams in the instruction manual.

Because the T-Bot II is powered by hydraulics, it takes water to make it move, rather than solar, battery, or other forms of power. That means that it needs some sort of connections to power it. These syringes provided the link between the control panel and actual movement.

It was great seeing dad and Jeffrey work together to build the project, side by side.

Jeffrey had the reins, but dad stepped in to help when needed, sometimes providing a stabilizing hand or clarifying something in the assembly instructions.

Jeffrey was able to do a lot of the work on his own, though, with dad’s watchful eye.

Over the course of a day, the robot started to come together, piece by piece, screw by screw, syringe by syringe.

Finally, it was time to connect the syringes in the robot to the syringes that control it.

By the time the tubes were connected and the robot was mobile, it was finally time to stop for the day. The next morning, both boys were up and at it, ready to construct the control panel and the challenges for the T-Bot II to perform.

One of my favorite parts of the T-Bot II project was the little details. For one, the robot actually looks like a person, with arms and eyes and everything. Additionally, the control panel tells you exactly what each syringe controls and how pushing or pulling on the syringe will effect the movement of the robot.

The syringes were filled with colored water so we could see how things worked and moved and distinguish the parts of the robot’s hydraulics.

The robot was able to easily manage challenges with the help of Jeffrey’s hands on the controls, showing the robot exactly what to do.

I would explain more, but really the images don’t do it justice. I’ll just let you see for yourself…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KobxB1Ce-S0]

The T-Bot II from Pitsco provided hours of entertainment and education to both Jeffrey and dad. Additionally, the teacher’s guide is filled with challenges that will help Jeffrey continue to learn math and science while providing a tangible enhancement to his education.

It was amazing to see how he had learned how to build and operate the T-Bot II, and it was fantastic to see him working side-by-side with dad. We’ve already decided we will be getting more products from Pitsco in the future, because this was truly one of the best projects we’ve worked with all year. Jeffrey’s fascination with it truly showed that this is an area that interests him.

On the Pitsco website, there are plenty of options for amazing projects to help kids learn about robots, engineering, math, science, and more, in very tangible, hands-on ways. Jeffrey is such a hands-on learner that this is a great supplement to the other parts of his curriculum.

The best part is that the Pitsco items are pretty darn affordable. Oh, and you can buy the T-Bot II in a 10-pack so it could be used for classes, large families, or boy/girl scout troupes. Or, you can buy it with the challenge set (shown in the video) or you could even buy the challenge set separately if you decide to add it on later.

I couldn’t recommend this set even higher. It’s an amazing tool to teach kids a lot of great technology. Honestly, at 23 years old, I had never really understood hydraulics, and I was amazed at how this robot worked. Even Zach at 18 months old loved watching the T-Bot move back and forth, up and down, with just the push of a syringe.

I am so glad Jeffrey got the opportunity to build the T-Bot II, and I can’t wait for him to continue using it in activities throughout the rest of our school year.

Mama Plus One

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