For this Thanksgiving week, I wanted to share a thought on gratitude from Epicurus. It reminds me that in all the hustle and bustle of life, all the carpools and homework, the tantrums and sibling battles, the spilled bowls of cereal and stained Tshirts, THIS is the life that I once only hoped for. I dreamed of a busy home full of children, and that’s certainly what I got. While I will say the days of parenting young kids are hard, and that there are plenty of days I collapse into bed, wondering how I could feel so tired and seemingly accomplish so little, I am so grateful for these days and I try hard not to wish them away.
Weekend Reads 11.23.13 — Thanksgiving Edition!
Are you looking forward to counting your blessings and gathering together with family? This weekend’s round-up has a Thanksgiving theme to help you on your way!
Thanksgiving Activities for the Kids’ Table
With Thanksgiving upon us here in America, it’s customary to take some extra time to ponder on the things we’re grateful for. I am blessed with so many things. Among those are the blessings that have come from this blog — and for that, I want to thank you, the readers of Not Just Cute.
Also on the minds of those preparing for Thanksgiving Day is how to keep all the little ones at your gathering happily busy in all the right ways. I’ve gathered up a sampling of great activities (with tons of fine motor practice and creativity opportunities) so you can gather the kiddos around and build great memories together.
It’s Turkey Time!
With Thanksgiving right around the bend, it might be a fun time for a little turkey craft at the kiddie table. That’s right, I used the word craft. Remember, there’s a Spectrum of Preschool Arts and Crafts. There are times when a craft may better fill your objectives, but as I mentioned in last year’s Turkey Time Craft, you have to be sure your craft matches the abilities of your children, that you have the time and extra adult assistance that crafts require, and that you are willing to let go of the final product and let the children own it.
It's Turkey Time!
With Thanksgiving right around the bend, it might be a fun time for a little turkey craft at the kiddie table. That’s right, I used the word craft. Remember, there’s a Spectrum of Preschool Arts and Crafts. There are times when a craft may better fill your objectives, but as I mentioned in last year’s Turkey Time Craft, you have to be sure your craft matches the abilities of your children, that you have the time and extra adult assistance that crafts require, and that you are willing to let go of the final product and let the children own it.
Thanksgiving Turkey Craft Times Two
Now, before you get all worked up over the word “craft”, let me reiterate what I said in this post. Crafts are not inherently evil. They’ve just gotten a bad rap because too many people have misused and abused them as a substitution for creative art experiences. Open-ended creative art activities should be the mainstay of a preschooler’s experiences, but occasional craft projects can be beneficial as well. There are simply a few things to consider before choosing a craft project for your children.
1) Is it developmentally appropriate? Meaning, you need to consider their developmental levels, their motor skills, interests, and attention spans, and decide if the project matches those needs. Think through the craft project and consider how much of the project the children can do on their own without undue frustration. If you have to do all the work, it really isn’t their project!
Set the Table – A Preschool Food Study
There’s something about November that just makes me hungry! Perhaps it’s the time-honored tradition of gluttony, and maybe it’s the fond association with childhood memories of loved ones around a table……or just around a kitchen counter. Food is not only essential for fueling our bodies, it is often a hallmark of culture and a centerpiece of celebration. This month I’ll be posting activities supporting a food theme to be implemented with preschoolers.
Objectives! You didn’t think I would post something without telling you why, did you? That would just go against everything I believe in! So here’s the nitty gritty. A food study provides plenty of opportunities for children to have cooking experiences, the benefits of which I have discussed here. They also learn about the origins of food, ie that lemonade comes from a lemon not a box, milk is produced by a cow, not a factory. There are plenty of opportunities to talk about choosing a variety of foods, trying new foosd, and the importance of healthy foods for our bodies. I also like to take the opportunity to talk about manners a bit and give them the chance to practice and pretend in a restaurant theme. Here are some of the activities I’ll be posting, and then linking back to this post.