November 28th, 2008 Barefoot books giveaway Posted by Melitsa in Good reads, Media, Seasonal play, Sites to visit, language, play activities

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS

*Congratulations to Beth H*

In our home, as soon as you sit down anywhere someone will bring over a book, or two for you to read.  We’re a family of book lovers and use the library frequently to keep up with our habit. We love to give books as presents over toys as it’s such a precious gift and a great escape. Since books fuel the imagination and give rise to amazing pretend play scenarios we have a lot of books all over the house here.

By far our favorite books are those from Barefoot Books.

Barefoot books has a large range of books from timeless classics and poems to contemporary upbeat, multicultural books. All of them beautifully illustrated and with memorable story lines. We especially love that many of the books have singalong cds. The kids play them in their room or we put them on when we’re in the car especially when we’re doing all those stops about town.  Listening to stories and rhymes not only entertains them but helps improve their listening & memory skills. All the while bopping to a catchy tune or story.

There’s something about listening to a story that draws you into the story. You can’t beat it.

Books always make a great gift for kids. But which ones to choose? That decision is a lot easier this year with the fantastic gift collection range of Barefoot Books. Your favourite books altogether with a handy reusable bag for moving those books with you wherever you go.

For this giveaway I’ve selected the Readalong singalong gift set. This is perfect for the under 5s.

Gift set includes:
Animal Boogie

Journey home from Grandpa

Farmyard Jamboree

All with singalong Cds with the book.

Whatever your purse size this holiday time there are a range of prices to suit everyone.

Gift sets are new. Perfect for siblings, cousins, teacher gifts and birthdays.

Gift collections are new. They are a larger collection of books based around a theme like storytime or baby. Perfect for Class gifts, shower gifts and family gifts.

Little about Barefoot books

Barefoot Books is an independent, award-winning children’s publisher. These books are free from media tie-ins (no TV or movie characters) and these complementary products inspire a child’s imagination.

How to enter

1 entry visit Barefoot Books and tell me about your favourite book and why you like it in the comments.

For extra entries

• Bloggers: Posting this giveaway on your blog and linking to it (leave the link as a separate comment) trackbacks counted 1 entry.
• By email: Visit Barefoot books and email (playactivities (at) mybarefootbooks ( dot) com) the answer: How many new gift collections are available? 1 entry.
• Twitter: Twitters please leave your @username and post a separate comment on the day you tweeted this giveaway. So I can find you   1 entry.

Please make it very clear if you have different usernames, aliases so I can add up your entries. That’s 4 possible entries!

If you want to be kept up to date with catalogs, special offers, discounts and new books from Barefoot Books sign up for the Barefoot newsletter.

Comments close Friday 5th December 2008 11.59 MST.

Winner will be chosen randomly.

Contest open to US addresses only

Winner is required to reply by 8th December to ensure Christmas delivery.

All comments are moderated so they won’t show immediately on the post.

And lastly, as a thank you for visiting my blog, I am offering my readers 15% off on all purchases from my site using the 15% banner link . Please remember that you MUST click on the banner in order for your discount to go through.

Technorati Tags: books, Barefoot Books, gift set

November 25th, 2008 Overlooked creative toy Posted by Melitsa in Articles, Education, Good reads

Blocks… we’ve all heard about them but why should we be using them with our children?

Here’s a recent interview about those blocks packed away in that dusty corner and why they should be dusted off and out.

Elise Clark, Director of admission at City & Country school. She’s a teacher and parent. Elise has been in education for 20 years. She also teaches a graduate block building course for teachers at Bank Street College of Education.

How can blocks be seen as a 21st Century toy when we have laptops, talking dolls and other hi tech toys?

Now more than ever playing with blocks is important. Fast paced games and toys don’t challenge in the same physical ways. Children need to be active. They need to hold in their hands. Technical toys often lead to passive learners. These technical toys have the same outcome over and over again.The technical toys entertain them and are easy to master. Children gain pleasure from them because it’s easy. Whereas using block creates challenges and with repeated use inspires your child to be more creative and aim for more complex outcomes.

What is the best age for blocks?

As early as one or as soon as they can pick up & manipulate them. The younger ones will use their senses and mouth them and listen to the sound they make. The older ones begin to stack them up and line them up. Given time they move through the stages by experimenting and discovering without being told what to do and how to do it. There are ample opportunities to use this open ended material to experiment with ideas and not just in one way.

It’s important that children get a repeated chance to use blocks because this leads them to be more creative especially in the challenges they give themselves and their complexity.

Tell me more about City & Country school Unit blocks

They are wooden blocks with mathematical relationships designed to foster math and science learning while encouraging emerging literacy skills through storytelling. The blocks promote open ended creative play by helping children explore their world and their place in it.These blocks were first envisioned by world renounced educator Caroline Pratt and came into fruition through Lisa Mahar who developed the block reflecting the original design.

Set I is the foundation and is standalone. It is the essential introduction to block building.

Set II &III is bought as your child grows older as it exposes them to more mathematical relationships like fractions and ratios. Giving them a chance to internalize these concepts over time.Set II provides additional shapes and secondary colours. Set III includes triangles and curves to provide increasing challenge and inspiration as well as colours derived from nature.

Why is it so important to use blocks?

It’s an authentic way to try out ideas and make mistakes. Our instinct is to rush to come the aid of children. The stack looks like it will fall or the bridge’s falling and we rush to stabilize or help. Blocks is an genuine way of allowing trial and error construction. Your child discovers. There’s a pride to learn more. It’s a safe place to make mistakes.

**Find out more about this much overlooked creative toy in part II.**

Technorati Tags: Blocks, toys

November 21st, 2008 Are you an effective counterweight? Posted by Melitsa in Articles, Education, Good reads, Media, Roundups, Seasonal play, Sites to visit, Thought of the week, play activities

Through Michelle of ECSmart blog, she shared a great site by author Ginger Carlson . Imagine a place where you can discover, ‘.. wonder, imagination, thinking, and creativity!’ all in one place.

Her article inspired this post.

Play with kids is all about balance. Choosing to do activities that enhance and ultimately benefit them in the long run. I’ve never taken the line of no TV in our house but I do control the TV. There is an overwhelming amount of pressure to buy, want and have from kids. TV and friends have become the reason we buy ‘this’ toy. Sadly reason, research and playfulness don’t have as much sway as they should.

How do you pick your toys? What are your influences?

This is traditionally the time of year that we all consider gifts. Do you communicate your toy choices for your home to friends and family? Do you have a toy policy- what comes in and what will never come in? Many people do. Why? to encourage rich learning experiences for playful children you sometimes need to be the chooser of their things.

We haven’t limited what comes into the house but we do think carefully about our toy choices. We talk about what our children love to play with and do; we might send a suggested list of items they’d love but it’s mostly to give them an idea of our style. We take and send pictures of the type of play they love. It helps.

The boys will receive all sorts of toys chosen by their friends and family but we can make sure that the toys we know will be suitable, because we choose.

I liken it to eating vegetables and fruit. It’s my duty to provide a balanced diet that includes things they may not like to begin with, because it’s strange and different. However they learn to like and sometime love it. It’s my responsibility to provide the opportunity to explore that taste & smell. The boys will experience junk without trying to with birthday parties, social functions, playdates and the like. The scales tip in junks favour it you are not careful. The same way with toys. We need to be that counterweight. Balancing the needs of our child- to play, explore, learn, create & imagine against the amazing pressure from marketing & media to buy X toy because of its unproven educational value.

I’m not a fan of electronic toys for young children. But family send them. We restrict the amount of time and monitor the activity and suggest as nicely as possible that electronic toys just aren’t for us, right now. We’re able to value the toys lovingly bought and yet limit the play time so other more productive play does not suffer.

• Consider limiting electronic toys and educational products for the young ones.
• Audit their play time and make sure the majority of play experience are nurturing to their forming brains, maturing bones and spark their creativity allowing them to create and develop independently of the toy.

So now you are looking for toys for your little one.

Meet TRUCE
Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Children’s Entertainment is a national group of educators deeply concerned about how children’s entertainment and toys are affecting the play and behavior of children in our classrooms.

They provide guides and resources for parents and children that give practical advice, ideas and food for thought concerning the media , toys and play.

They produce a downloadable guide to choosing toys. From an excellent section on choosing toys of value to a handy checklist when you look at a toy to decide if it’s one to choose for you and your family values. Also a checklist of what to avoid in a toy and why.

Before you go shopping for toys this year take a look; download and share with your spouse, friends, and family. Allow your toy choices to be more informed than just the heavy marketing and the side of the box we all get but now you have another voice; more choice.

We are the ones that bring in the toys. We need to be the counterweight to ensure a balance of play opportunities. Balance….balance…balance.

How do you choose your toys? What toy choices have you made this year? Share your favourite toys shops?

Next…….. Where are those creative toys?

********************What’s on the play activities radio today? ********************

Teaching Your Child Self Control
Rae Pica and Laura E. BerkÂ

Technorati Tags: Play, playdates, toy, electronic toys

November 14th, 2008 Come Snuggle up! Posted by Melitsa in Good reads, Media, Podcast, Sites to visit, play activities

Welcome to the Snuggles Podcast – the podcast for little ones and the moms and dads who love to snuggle with them. With a welcome like that you know you are in for a treat.

Fancy listening to a audio story?This audio program is great for you to snuggle with your little ones any time of day or for bedtime.

What made you start Snuggles podcast?
I love children’s books and reading with my own kids when they were younger (and even now) was one of my favorite parts of the day. Snuggles is just a way that I can share that love with others.

Who does the reading is it always you?

I do some of the reading but my teenage daughters are both excellent readers and their voices aren’t as monotone as mine!   So they’ve taken over the actual story reading for the most part.

How do you choose your stories?

I love the classics so I’ve tried to stay with some of the favorites that we read when the girls were little. I’ve also had some contact with authors and musicians and have been able to read their stories for the show as well.  But I’m most proud of the series of stories called Purrkins and Pit Pat that my oldest daughter wrote and read herself.  Those are the stories that have gotten the most “fan mail” too!

Annette Yenis the work from home mom who loves children.  As a party planner for Noah’s Ark Workshops (http://www.funontheark.com) she and her teenage daughters work and have fun together bringing joy to children of all ages.  They also run the preschool parenting site http://www.parentingzoo.com along with the sister podcast at http://www.snugglespodcast.com.  Annette and her girls have also written birthday party planning books that you can find at http://www.partybymom.com

Technorati Tags: Snuggles Podcast, audio story, children’s books, Annette Yen