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What Would Your Pet Monster Look Like?

October 27, 2010 by notjustcute Filed Under: Celebrate!, Create Leave a Comment

Halloween may provide an ideal window, but there’s really not a bad time for Laura Numeroff’s book,  Ten Step Guide to Living with Your Monster.  From the same author who wrote the “If You Give a…” series, this whimsical spin on monsters explains how one should select and care for a new pet monster.  It’s hard to hang on to any fear of monsters as this story shows them playing the banjo, blowing bubbles, and drinking from the bathtub!

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Book Activity: 10 Step Guide to Living with Your Monster

October 29, 2009 by notjustcute Filed Under: Building Readers, Celebrate!, Get Outside, Learning through Play and Experience Leave a Comment

Laura Numeroff is perhaps best known for her “If You Give a…” series (“If You Give a Mouse a Cookie”, “If You Give a Moose a Muffin”, etc.).  Ten Step Guide to Living with Your Monster  is lesser-known, though just as great.  This whimsical spin on monsters explains how one should select and care for a pet monster.  This book is perfect for dispelling monster fears as it exposes them for the silly characters they really are!

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Everybody Does the Monster Boogie!

October 28, 2009 by notjustcute Filed Under: Celebrate!, Learning through Play and Experience, Music and Movement Leave a Comment

Laurie BerknerLaurie Berkner has a great monster song that just compels your little monsters to get up and dance!  You can download Monster Boogie on iTunes, and you can listen to it with a little animated video on YouTube here.  One of the great things about Laurie Berkner’s music is that you almost instinctively know how  to dance to it just from the elements she uses.  At the beginning, the music is staccato, and so we march with our scariest monster faces.  Then during the boogie/wiggle chorus, we dance and wiggle as only a silly monster would.  Often the roar at the end is the favorite part!  Music and movement activities are great for transitioning, building large motor skills, as well as enjoying the creative and interpretive aspects of music.  As an extension, you can have the children create drawings of a monster party with all their favorite monster characters boogying down!

For more favorite fall activities, click here!

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I’m Amanda Morgan. Here’s what I’m about…

In early education, there is too much distance between what we know and what we do. I bridge the gaps that exist between academia, decision-makers, educators, and parents so that together, we can improve the quality of early education while also respecting and protecting the childhood experience.

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