Using TV (and TiVo) for Good

I often feel guilty when I let A watch TV while I work or clean. But sometimes you just need some help! I do only let her watch the educational options where at least her little brain can do some work. On these shows, there are often opportunities to reinforce things your kids are learning--whether that's while watching, that you have been teaching, or that they've learned in daycare or school. For instance, if the show is asking your child to tell the character to choose the correct path to go or the green ball from a group of objects, if you have TiVo or another DVR system, you can pause the show to give your child a bit longer to answer appropriately. You can also pause to ask your own questions. Maybe an animal pops up. You can pause and ask what the animal is and what sound it makes. If there are multiple of an item, have him count them. And don't forget, you can then rewind the show or segment to go over the lessons again.

Customize a Coloring Book

Little kids love to color (as evidenced by the scribbles on your walls). To help keep their creativity on paper, give them pictures that capture their interests. With all the coloring pages available online, it's easy to create the perfect, customized coloring book for your little one. Go with one whole theme (for instance, ABCs, or mix it up with some Little Mermaid, favorite animals and some shapes. Check out these links for some popular options for toddlers and preschoolers: 

• Learning themes (letters, numbers and shapes), Little People, Rescue Heroes,  dinosaurs and more
• Nick Jr. characters
• Disney, Playhouse Disney
• PBS Kids

You have several options for putting the coloring book together.Whichever option you take, start by printing out 20 pages or so, which gives your child options to choose from (sometimes they want that perfect subject to color!).

1. Punch three holes along the left side and put into a paper folder with brads. This makes for a book feel but with flexibility so it's easy to put into your bag (great for restaurants and waiting rooms). You can also have your child decorate the outside with stickers.
2. If you want durability, stick the pages into plastic sleeves in a 1/2-inch binder. This gives the option of either taking the pages out and coloring with crayons, OR leave them in the sleeves and color with dry-erase markers! 
3. Punch three holes along the left side of the pages. Then add a construction-paper front and back; pull pieces of yarn through each hole and tie. 
4. Of course, the simplest route is just to staple them all together along the left side. Maybe add a blank "cover" your child can decorate.

Animal Magazine Made for Little Kids

Most little kids love animals--acting like them (as in my little monkey!) and learning about them. I just discovered a magazine just for little ones on that topic. National Geographic Little Kids is targeted to kids ages 3 to 6. I haven't yet seen an actual copy, so I can't say what the content is like, but they do have a website also for that age group (and with a mag subscription link, of course). It has various animal-themed activities such as interactive games (connect the dots, puzzles, etc.), masks to print out, coloring pages and science experiments (though the experiments aren't animal themed!).

If I have a chance to get to the newsstand and check an issue out, I'll post a review.

Put Your Child in His Favorite Show

The four of us took a trip to the library over the weekend. Thought A might be getting to the age to enjoy seeing all the books (she wants to read EVERYthing lately). We chose several and read a few. Then we also picked a few DVDs. She loves "Arthur," so we took one home. In the end commercials, there was one for Kideo, which puts your child's photo in an episode of certain kid shows. I checked out their site (not knowing if they were even still in business since this video came out). Come to find out, they don't only offer "Arthur" versions, but others as well. Here's a full list:

• Dora and Diego
• Precious Moments
• Spider-Man
• Arthur
• Care Bears
• Baby Genius
• Barney
• Gregory

I think most little kids would get a kick out of seeing themselves on TV. Could be a special treat. The Dora selection has one with a birthday theme, which could make a great gift. You can upload your child's photo on the website to get a preview. They're $29.99 each (must say, I was hoping for cheaper...yet I'm still considering one as a potential Christmas gift).

Free Sesame Street Webzine for Download

If your child loves Sesame Street, check out the free monthly webzine! Just download all or part of the latest issue in its PDF format and let your little one play and learn. Each issue has a different theme, and the current one is safari animals. You'll find various activities, from coloring pages to finding hidden objects to making animal sounds. 

Thanks, Freebies 4 Mom!

Free First Episodes of Nick and Disney Shows

CouponCravings.com has a post about free first episodes of various Nickelodeon and Disney Channel TV shows you can download from iTunes for a limited time (appears it's until Monday, June 14, 2010). Most are shows for older kids (such as Hannah Montana), but there is at least Dora the Explorer. Check it out, if you're interested.

Bowl Without the Alley...or Buying a Set of Pins

Your toddler or preschooler probably loves knocking things over. And you've probably seen (or maybe even have) one of those toy bowling sets. A bit pricey for what it is (in my opinion). However, you can easily make your own, and I bet your set will end up cuter than any you could buy. Plus, this can be an indoor or outdoor game; a great option for a warm spring day!

To make your own bowling set, start collecting empty 2-liter plastic bottles for the pins (to make a full set, you'll need a total of 10). Rinse them out well once the drink is gone. Then you can do any of several things to make up your set of pins. Here are some ideas:

• Leave the labels on if you like the "ad effect"!
• Remove the labels and have clear pins.
• Remove the labels and then have your child add decorations like stickers or foam shapes with adhesive backing.
• With clear pins, you can even put things inside for added drama (and, if you fill it up enough, an extra challenge for knocking them over). Try colored beads, pom-poms, colored sand, glitter, bells, colored tissue paper (for color and a textured look) and old buttons. Just be sure you the lid is on tightly so you don't have any accidents or give kids access to choking hazards.

Now all you need is a rubber ball to roll at them. Then let the kids have at it!

Science for Little Ones: Sid the Science Kid

Have you or your kids seen "Sid the Science Kid"? It's a fairly new (Sept. 2008) kids show on PBS from Jim Henson's production company; it's one of my favorites. It has great science lessons taught in ways little ones can understand and get excited about (I'd say Sid himself is in preschool). For instance, learn about weather, why it's important to brush your teeth, and why pancakes don't always turn out just right. You can then re-create the experiments at home. Plus, I want to go to the school Sid goes to! And have his room. So inviting and fun.

For a preview of the show and Sid's world, head to pbs.org's Sid page for episodes, games and activities.