Parent Tip Monday

Creating a Home Library

By: Reading Rockets (2008)

Starting a home library for your child shows him/her how important books are. Having books of his/her own in a special place boosts the chance that your child will want to read even more. Here are some ideas for creating your own home library.

Finding books

• Become a treasure hunter! Browse book store sales, garage sales, flea markets, used book stores, and sales at your local library
• Organize a children's book swap with friends, community groups, or your school
• Encourage family and friends to give books as gifts for birthdays, holidays, and other celebrations
• Don't forget quality nonfiction and children's magazines!

Building your library

• A cardboard box or small wooden packing crate that you can decorate together might make a good bookcase. Or you might clear one of the family bookshelves.
• Pick a special place for your child's books so that she knows where to look for them - in a cozy corner of your child's bedroom or close to where the rest of the family gathers and reads if your child is very social.
• Help your child to arrange her books in some order - her favorite books, books about animals, or holiday books. Use whatever method will help her most easily find the book she's looking for.
• "This book belongs to…" Bookplates give your child a sense of ownership and can add "newness" to a used book. You can make your own or download and print one of these colorful designs by children's book illustrators.
• If you and your child make your own books together, you can add those to your home library.
• Borrow books from your local library. Go to the children's section and spend time with your child reading and selecting books to take home and put in her special spot. You might even have a box or space just for library books, so that they don't get mixed up with your child's own books.

When collecting and reading books are a part of family life, you send your child a message that books are important, enjoyable, and full of new things to learn!

Friday Fun

Dig for Buried Treasure

To start, go through your house and gather some trinkets or toys you don’t mind burying. Next, put together a treasure-finding toolkit that includes a hand shovel, an old paintbrush (to clean off unearthed treasures), Ziploc bags (to contain what they find) and a map showing where kids should start their search. Then either bury the treasures in your garden (placing them in an area without plants is a good idea) or in a large bucket filled with dirt in your backyard. Give the kids their toolkits and watch them scavenge for treasures! For an extra bit of fun, have kids label their finds with made-up names and place them in a “museum” (or on a serving platter) to share with visitors.

Parent Tip

The Langauge of Touch

The importance we place on our words sometimes overlooks the importance our physical contact with children can have on their well being. Even before children understand words they learn the language of touch. Communicating our feelings of love and caring by pairing our words with a kiss and a hug expresses the basic feelings of comfort and nurturing. Touching provides sensory information to the child that is a primary part of healthy development. "Have You Hugged Your Child Today?"

Friday Fun!

Let's Play Camp

Your child will have fun "camping" with this dramatic-play activity

- Create a campsite at home for your child to play in.

- Set up a tent with a sleeping bag inside and put out several camp stools or chairs.

- Move a small table to a spot near the tent and place camping cookware and eating utensils on it.

- Help your child arrange rocks in a circle for a pretend fire pit.

- Let your child play in the campsite, doing such things as cooking pretend meals, exploring the "woods" with a flashlight and pretend sleeping in the tent.

Friday Finger Fun!!

Finger Paints

Finger paints are like a loud, life-affirming "Yes!" in a toddler's world of "Don't touch." And they're so easy and inexpensive to make from scratch -- a good thing, since those little store-bought tubs seem to disappear in the blink of an eye.

Materials
1 cup of cold water
1/4 cup of cornstarch
1 tablespoon of light corn syrup
Washable, nontoxic tempera paint
Bowls
Finger-paint paper or freezer paper
Masking tape

Instructions
Before you begin: Spread out a plastic tablecloth, keep wipes handy, and wear a smock or old clothes.
In a small saucepan, stir together the cold water and cornstarch. Whisk the mixture over low heat for about 5 minutes until it thickens and clears -- this will happen all at once. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of light corn syrup, then divide the mixture into bowls and stir a squirt of tempera paint into each one.
After the paint has cooled, scoop blobs of it onto finger-paint paper (taped to your table) or let your kids scoop it out themselves -- whichever they prefer -- and commence smearing. Leftover paint can be stored in sealed containers in the fridge for a day or two.

Tips:
Getting Started with Creative Projects for Little Hands
1. Keep it safe. Make sure supplies are labeled nontoxic and are not choking hazards. Discourage kids from putting supplies in their mouths.
2. Set it up. Designate an art area in your home with an easel or a low table where young artists can stand to work (this is usually easier for them).
3. Don't rush. Make sure you allow plenty of time for setup, exploration, and cleanup.
4. Don't stress over mess. Set things up so cleanup is easier for you, then try to relax and let your child have fun.
5. Write it down. Before you forget, write the date on your child's creation and, if she's talking, what she said about it.

Parent Tip

Kids and Choice

Adulthood consists of one choice after another. Making good decisions is linked directly to the development of responsibility. Therefore, a child who is told what to do all the time never has the chance to test her/his ability to make informed choices... Here is one "choice building" idea... Instead of always having to assign chores to kids, make a list of everything that needs to be done, call a family meeting and decide who will be responsible for each task. Involving kids in the process, making them part of the team, creates a sense of personal value and gives them practical experience at problem solving.

Friday Fun!

Your kids will be amazed when you tell them they can make their own crystals!

Materials
- charcoal briquettes
- vinegar
- salt
- warm water
- food color(optional)
- small enamel or glass bowl

Directions
Add three tablespoons of salt to half a bowl of warm water and stir until it dissolves. Keep adding salt until no more will dissolve. Add a tablespoon of vinegar. For colored crystals, add a dash of food coloring. Fill up the bowl with charcoal. Leave in a safe place without moving for a couple days. Take it out and notice that crystals have begun to form. As the water continues to evaporate, the bowl will be filled with rock crystals.