Do you have trouble finding fine motor activities for your children?  I do.  Yes there are the basic fine motor activities of writing, coloring, cutting and lacing string.  However children easily get bored with the same activities.  I find that is they are bored the activity falls apart and then nothing is accomplished.

I recently found a great fine motor activity that I need to try…. Sand Castles

Idea of the Day:

Make sand castles at home.

What you will need:

- Play sand

- White or light brown play dough

- Ice cube tray

- Plastic knives

1.  Mix the sand into the play dough.

2.  Have children press the play dough mixture into each section of the ice cube tray.

3.  Next have your child gently remove the play dough using a plastic knife.

4.  Now that the play dough is in a cube form, your child can begin to build a castle.

Did you know that having children crumple paper is actually a learning activity?  I was surprised to find that having a child crumple paper is a great pre-writing activity.  It helps children build muscles in their hands necessary for writing.

Tip of the Day:

You guessed it…. Crumple Paper

Have children crumple paper that you are going to recycle.  Whether it is last week’s newspaper or junk mail start crumpling.

Make a game out of it.  Simply crumpling paper will only hold their attention for so long.  Here are a couple examples:

- Throw the papers into a basket or can and keep score.

- Build a pile of crumpled paper and have them jump into it.

Are we there yet?  How often do you hear that as a parent?  If your answer is, too often, today’s post is for you.

Whether you are going on a road trip or simply doing errands, children can and do benefit from activities in the car.  Today a number of vehicles have DVD players which are used to pass the time.  However try to plan educational activities before you give in to a movie.

Word of advice: For those children who get carsick, plan activities accordingly.  My daughter suffers from motion sickness and reading in the car is a definite - NO!

Tip of the Day:

Plan Car Activities

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

- Check out books on tape from the library.  Play them on the radio and have them follow along.

- Play an educational CD.  Sing to Learn with Dr. Jean is a great CD which teaches everything from states to presidents.

- Bring notebooks or Doodle Pro boards  for children to draw.

- Play I spy.  Have children look for letters, numbers, license plates, etc.

- Ask trivia questions. You can make up your own or invest in the Brain Quest trivia games.

There are many more activities you can do with your children while traveling.

If you have a great car game, please add your idea in the comment section of this post.

Do your children know the story of The Three Billy Goats Guff?  Pinocchio? Babe the Blue Ox?

Folktales, stories and legends are an important piece of a state, region and country’s culture.  It is important that parents begin exposing children to these stories.

I read the Three Billy Goats Guff to my children for the first time a couple weeks ago.  They loved it!

Idea of the Day:

Pick a folktale, story or legend to tell your child.

There are a number of books containing tales from the United States and around the world.  Check a couple of these out at your local library.

Search the internet for folktales and stories.  You can find stories and legends from a specific area and state or from any country in the world.

I found a site that focuses on American Folklore.  It seems to have a great deal of information on it.  However the tales are limited to the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Another site I found allows you to pick a country and it has a list of tales for that country.  It is not the best site but it will give you a basic start.

Check it out: Stories, Legends and Tales from Around the World

Do you struggle to find creative ways to teach your child math?  Often times parents think that the best way to teach math is through drill and practice using workbooks and worksheets.

I agree that worksheets can be helpful from time to time, but they should never be the first method of instruction.  Hands on learning is one of the best ways to get a child actively involved in learning.

Idea of the Day:

Driveway math

If you don’t have a paved driveway, it can be sidewalk and/or patio math.

What you will need:

- Sidewalk chalk

- A cement or tar surface to write on

- About 5-10 rocks

1.  First draw two large circles and a square.

2.  In between the circles draw a + sign.

3.  In between the circle and square draw an = sign.

4.  Ask your child to put 2 rocks in the first circle and 1 rock in the second circle.

5.  Ask him/her, What is 2 + 1?

6.  Have your child put the number of rocks for the answer into the square.

7.  Take turns giving each other math problems.

8.  As your child progresses you can use subtraction, multiplication and division.

9.  To vary the activity, you can have your child hunt for various items around the yard to use in the equations.

Examples:  Sticks, acorns, pine cones, shells, etc.