Make Your Mark With This Awesome New Kids' Activity eBook!

I’m so excited to be part of an amazing new book, Make Your Mark! Seriously, I’m not just saying it’s amazing because I’m in it. It really, truly is. Make Your Mark is a book about creative writing, confidence, compassion and caring – and all for kids! Okay, so it’s you (the adult) who is going to read it. But, it’s your little one who will totally benefit from the activities inside.

(This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure statement for more information).

What kinds of kids’ activities will you find? Make Your Mark is filled with 30+ projects. These will help your child to develop a love of writing early on. From creative storytelling to building self-confidence and compassion, this book goes deep and helps your child to learn on many different levels.

 

The activities are an array of ideas, featuring play, art, language, writing and more. Whether it’s making a first mark through art, using pens and brushes to make more complex marks or igniting inspiration through storytelling, you’ll find plenty of ideas and activities for your young child to try out. These include:

·        Art

·        Writing trays

·        Finger gyms (and other fine motor play ideas)

·        Interview activities

·        Kindness activities

·        Collaborative projects

·        Printables

 

This is a perfect way to help your young child develop early literacy skills, build social abilities and improve her emotional awareness. One of the things that I enjoy most about this book is that there’s an awesome array of ideas included. There isn’t just one “right way” to help your kiddo to develop early literacy abilities. Some kids learn by keeping their hands busy, while others like to look at pictures and print (and these are only two examples of the many ways in which people learn). Giving your child choices and having a variety of activities on hand makes it easier to match your little learner’s individual development with educational options.

 

Make Your Mark is for sale starting Friday December 9^th. There is a special launch price for the month of December – in other words, buy it this month to save your hard-earned money! The launch special price is $11.25. That’s a 25% savings, no discount code needed (all you have to do is buy the book before December 31, 2016). After December, the ebook will available for the regular price of $14.99. So, why wait? Get your copy right now!

 

 

 

 

Buy it worldwide for instant download

This is an ebook, which means you will be sent a link that allows you to download a PDF containing the ebook and all the resources. You can save it to your computer or iPad* and then either read it on screen or print some/all of the pages, as you prefer.

You can buy the ebook wherever you are in the world. You pay via PayPal, which will take care of any currency conversion for you. The ebook costs US$ 14.99.

*You can buy the ebook now, on any device, and then download it when you are ready. Depending on the apps you have installed and your operating system, you might be able to download the ebook on your mobile device. However if you have any doubts or problems, I recommend you use a computer to download the book and then share it to your mobile devices. You will be sent download instructions when your purchase the ebook.

The Make Your Mark ebook is published and sold by Cathy James at NurtureStore.co.uk. Please direct any customer service queries regarding purchases of the ebook to support@nurturestore.co.uk or refer to the NurtureStore FAQ.

The Make Your Mark ebook is protected under copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

 

Literacy and Math: ABCs and 123s eBook!

I’m a huge fan of using art to creatively teach early literacy and math concepts to young children. I spent years figuring out how to successfully incorporate letter and number activities into art explorations (while teaching children ages 2 and up in museum-based art classes). Well, now I’m super-excited to be part of a brand new ebook – ABCs and 123s!

(This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure statement for more information.)

ABCs and 123s includes 40+ hands-on play ideas that will help your child to build letter and math skills! These activities aren’t just the artsy kind (even though, as an art teacher, I might be partial to those). The ideas included are multisensory explorations (for children ages 2-8-years) that encourage creative play, helping your child learn by doing. Whether you’re a parent or an early childhood educator, these activities cover a variety of content areas – including science, sensory play, imaginative learning and (of course) art.

 

You can use these activities at home, in the classroom, inside or outdoors. And, don’t worry if you’re not exactly bursting with confidence in your ability to teach your young child about literacy and math concepts (that’s completely normal, and totally understandable). Each activity includes a detailed materials list, step-by-step instructions and full color photos. Meaning, it’s amazingly easy to take what you see in the ebook, and turn it into a real-world activity with your little learner.

So, what will your child/young student learn? The activities include concepts such as:

·        Learning how to recognize and write letters and numbers.

·        Understanding both upper and lower case letters.

·        Drawing shapes/making marks.

·        Alphabetic order.

·        Spelling (your child’s name, sight words and other age-appropriate vocabulary).

·        Building language skills.

·        One-to-one correspondence.

·        Counting, adding and subtracting.

·        Understanding base-ten.

 

Aside from the awesomely imaginative activities, one of my favorite things about this book is that it’s an ebook. No torn pages here! You’ll be sent a link that lets you download a PDF containing the book (and accompanying resources). Save it on your laptop, computer or iPad/tablet and use it straight from the screen or print it out. In some cases (depending on what device you’re using and what apps you have installed), you can download it to your smartphone. But, it’s recommended that you start by downloading it to your computer – and, then share it with your mobile device.

ABCs and 123s is available worldwide. Payments are accepted via PayPal, which takes care of all currency conversions. The regular price is $14.99. If you purchase the book before Friday July 22^nd, you’ll receive a special discount price of $11.25. That’s 25% savings – no discount code needed.

 

 

The ABCs and 123s ebook is published and sold by Cathy James at NurtureStore.co.uk. Please direct any customer service queries regarding purchases of the ebook to support@nurturestore.co.uk or refer to the NurtureStore FAQ.’

‘The ABCs and 123s ebook is protected under copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.’

Learn with Play: 150+ Ideas for Year-round Fun & Learning Book Release!

I’m super-excited to announce the release of the new book Learn with Play: 150+ Ideas for Year-round Fun & Learning. Ok, so I’ am included in the book. But, it’s filled with more than 150 (obviously, based on the title) ideas, activities, projects, lessons, crafts and artsy adventures by some of the best bloggers out there.

 

(This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure statement for more information).

Seriously. The 94 co-authors from the Kid Blogger Network are all imaginatively awesome when it comes to creating kids’ activities. I’m pretty picky when it comes to big books like this. Between having my own child, teaching preschool-aged kids and teaching art classes, I’ve browsed quite a few crafty compilations. This one takes the cake. The ideas intelligent, creative and pure fun!

What will you find in Learn with Play: 150+ Ideas for Year-round Fun & Learning? All kinds of cool stuff! It includes sensory play, fine motor, arts and crafts, holiday projects, science, math, literacy, life skills, imaginative play and even area organization.

Why get this book? I know, I know. There are enough kids’ activities books out there to fill every bookshelf in your home. But, this one is special. The bloggers who co-authored it comes from a variety of backgrounds (and from all over the world), all adding their unique skill sets to the ideas. The activities are all hands-on, with detailed how-to steps and materials lists. The activities also bridge a wide range of ages. You’ll find ideas for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and kindergarten kids!

Where can you get it? You can get a regular old-fashioned print copy, a Kindle edition or choose the ebook version. If you’re going with the ebook, during the first week of the release we’re offering a $5 discount, making it $9.95 (starting July 7, 2015).

The regular prices are as follows:

·        Print copies are available from Amazon for $29.95.

·        The Kindle edition is also available on Amazon and is $14.95.

·        The ebook’s regular price is $14.95 (this is the price after the initial launch week).

 

Model Magic Letter Art for Kids

Model Magic plus an easy art activity can equal learning letters for your child. How? I love the clayish compound. I tried to sneak it in to just about every project that we made when I taught art classes and camps. With my own son, I would let him play with the stuff for what seemed like hours. He never really liked making ‘something’ with it. He just enjoyed molding and modeling it. If you’ve never used it, imagine what would happen if a marshmallow and modeling clay got married and had a baby. That’s Model Magic.

So, what does this have to do with learning letters? While I’m all for playing and exploring with the sculpty stuff, your child can also use it to make letter imprint art. This is super-easy and helps your child to create his own letters (in a way that’s different from drawing). Make one of these little letter imprints or create an entire alphabet. Your child can then puzzle the pieces together to make words!

Here’s What You’ll Need:

·        Model Magic – Just the plain white stuff.

·        Pipe cleaners

·        Tempera paint

·        A paintbrush

Here’s What to Do:

1.     Bend the pipe cleaner into a letter shape.

2.     Roll the Model Magic into a ball.
 

3.     Press the ball flat. Your child can use her palm to do this.
 

4.     Press the pipe cleaner letter into the top of the clay compound.

5.     Peel the pipe cleaner off.
 

6.     Paint the surface with tempers. Your child can also add a second color in the pipe cleaner imprint. This highlights the letter.
 

 

If you leave the letter out, the Model Magic will eventually dry and harden. These little imprints allow your child to feel the letter, and not just see it. Have your child pick up and touch each piece of alphabet art. Ask what the letter is and what sound it makes. Move on to another letter or combine them.

Are you looking for more letter art? Follow my Pinterest board for ideas!

Follow Mini Monets and Mommies's board Letter and Literacy Kids' Crafts on Pinterest.

DIY Arts and Crafts Organizer for Kids

I have an art bin in my basement. I would love to say that it’s meticulously organized but in reality it’s an old laundry basket that I toss everything artsy into. I know that I should keep the markers out of the oil pastel bag and that the paint brushes shouldn’t just rest on some old cardboard. But honestly, I can’t stand spending the cash on those cute (but, very pricey) organizers. So, I’ll occasional buy the cheap-o versions. While they do offer some relief from the nest of brushes and crayons that I‘ve accumulated, they don’t look very nice.

 

 

To solve my organizational dilemma of how to keep the crafting materials neat without going over-budget, we made our own brush/pencil/marker/craft stock holder box. All it really took was an old tissue box and some tape! This is so super-simple to make and your child can dress it up however she wants. She can make a rainbow pattern, her own initials, shapes or the letter “A” for art. If you’re reading that last line and thinking, “Wow! She might also learn a lesson or two!” you’re right. If you’re working on learning her first letter, have her add that to the design. If math is on the agenda, play with patterns, shapes or talk about fractions (divide the sides into fourths using different colors). When she’s done with her project, fill it with art tools and set it on a table or desk. It is ready for use – and, it looks pretty too!

Here’s What You’ll Need:

 

·        A tall tissue box—You can use a flat one for other arts and crafts items such as scrap collage paper or crayons.

·        Duct tape – Choose the colorful kind. You can use as many colors as your child wants. If you really want to get fancy, try a patterned version (I’ve even seen mac and cheese duct tape).

·        Scissors

Here’s What to Do:

1.     Start at the top of the box. Peel off a piece of tape that is slightly longer than the box top. Press the tape onto the top. Remind your child to avoid the opening. If she covers some of it, you can always cut away the extra later.

2.     Continue peeling tape until your child covers the entire box top.

3.     Move down to the sides. Peel and stick the tape on all four sides of the box.

 

4.     Add a design. Make a pattern by cutting thinner or smaller pieces of tape. Your child can add lines, make shapes or create letters.

 

 

Are you looking for more creative crafts? Follow my Pinterest board for ideas galore!

Follow Mini Monets and Mommies's board Creative Kids Crafts on Pinterest.

Apple Alphabet Art with the Letter A

Fall is apple season! One of my favorite memories from the years when my now-teen son would actually spend time with his totally uncool mom (that’s me!) is picking apples at a local farm’s fall festival. As the leaves begin to change colors and the caramel apple ingredients show up on the store shelves, I’m doing an apple-themed art activity.

 

Connecting art to other areas (such as literacy or science) is a super-easy way to engage your child in the learning process. Why would she want to sit and stare at a worksheet filled with letters when she can make a paint print? A is for apple – and it’s for art! Make your own model magic stampers and get your little artist printing her letters.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

·        White construction paper

·        Green tissue paper

·        Model Magic

·        Cardboard

·        Scissors

·        Clear drying school glue

·        Red tempera paint

·        A paintbrush

·        Wax paper

Here’s What to Do:

1.     Fold the white paper in half, book style.

 

2.     Cut a circle to make the apple shape.

 

3.     Make the stampers. Cut squares of cardboard in different sizes.

 

4.     Mold “A’s” onto the squares with Model Magic. If your child is struggling to get the “A” shape, lightly draw it on first with a pencil. Press the modeling compound down firmly, it should stick to the cardboard. If you have a not-so-soft batch, use a bit of glue underneath to hold the letter onto the cardboard. Make sure that your child doesn’t flatten the “A” all of the way. If she does so, it won’t show up as well on the print.

 

5.     Pour a golf ball-sized pool of red tempera onto a piece of wax paper. The wax paper makes an easy, affordable DIY paint palette.

 

6.     Brush the paint over the “A”.

 

7.     Press the letter down onto the white paper, making a print.

 

8.     Continue this process with other sizes of letter stampers. Your child doesn’t need to recoat the letter stamper each time. Have her explore and experiment with how many times she can press it onto the paper before she needs to reapply the paint.

9.     Tear or cut a square of green tissue paper. Your child can glue it to the top of the apple as a stem.

 

 

 

 

 Are you looking for more fall themed art? Follow my Pinterest board for ideas galore!

Follow Mini Monets and Mommies's board Fall Activities for Kids on Pinterest.