Does your child have the game Scatterpillar Scramble?

My daughter and I were at Target yesterday and I was looking at some of the toys/games on clearance.  I saw Scaterpillar Scramble on clearance for $4.77.  Regular price was $19.09.  Since games can be expensive, I thought this was a great deal and decided to get it.

I have to admit it is a great game for preschoolers.  First of all, what preschooler does not love a dancing caterpillar?  Second, it is a great game to build fine motor and hand-eye coordination.

The object of Scatterpillar Scramble is to have children use tongs to pick up marbles and place them on the caterpillar while he dances around.  If you have small children in your home, you need to be careful of the marbles.  I like this game because it holds a preschooler’s attention while working on a skill they need to develop.  I give it 2 thumbs up!

Idea of the Day:

Check your local Target to see if the game Scaterpillar Scramble is in the clearance section.

The online price for this game is $19.09.  I don’t think I would pay that much for this game, but I was willing to pay the clearance price of $4.77.

(Photo taken from Lakeshore website)

Have you ever done masking tape art with your children?

Both of my children love creating masterpieces out of colored masking tape.  I saw this activity while my daughter was enrolled in an Early Childhood class.

Her teacher had the rolls of masking tape on this nice wooden dispenser (as pictured above).  It seemed like an item I could find at an educational store for a reasonable price.  It was masking tape.  How expensive can it be?

After doing some research, I found the dispenser and 8 rolls of tape for the bargain price of $49.95.  WHAT?  I was not going to spend that on a tape project.

So for a while we simply used pieces of white masking tape and the kids colored the pieces different colors.  We also used the white tape on different colored paper.  Then one day we decided to stop by Ax-Man and JACKPOT!  Rolls of colored tape for $.75 a piece.  Another time, I found pink at a Dollar Store.

Moral of the story: You can find colored masking tape for a decent price at random discount and thrift stores.  Keep your eyes open!

Idea of the Day:

Do masking tape art with your children.

This activity:

- helps develop fine motor skills

- focuses on creativity as your child makes designs from small pieces of tape

- helps hand-eye coordination for older children as they hold and cut the tape

- teaches younger children that once tape is placed on paper, it can not be removed

Do you remember playing the card game, War as a child?

Let me refresh your memory… It is the game that seems to go on and on forever.  Sometimes lasting longer than a good game of Monopoly.

If you have not played this card game in a while, you may want to consider teaching it to your children.  This game not only helps develop patience, it is a great game for learning numbers.  Each time a card is flipped, your child must identify the two numbers and then figure out which number is larger.

This card game not only can help strengthen math skills but it is great for hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.  The constant flipping of cards and holding the deck helps strengthen the hand and wrist muscles.

Idea of the Day:

Teach and play the card game, War with your children.

If you need a refresher course on the rules of the game, here are a couple sights that discuss the rules:

How to Play War

War - The Card Game

Do you only use cookie cutters for making cookies?

Once you have children, there are a number of kitchen gadgets that have new alternative uses.  For example, my pizza cutter now cuts more sandwiches than it does pizza and my turkey baster can often be found in the bathtub.

Cookie cutters are another commonly used tool in our kitchen.  However I cannot even tell you the last time we used them for making cookies.  My children use them to cut their sandwiches and pancakes into shapes.  My daughter will eat 5-6 pancakes if they are cut into the shape of a turtle.  If it is simply a circle pancake, she may eat one or two.

Besides using cookie cutters in the kitchen, there are a few educational activities that involve cookie cutters.

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Do your children use silverware at each meal?

Today many children are lacking the ability to properly use a spoon, fork and knife.

Why is this? Finger Foods!

If your child’s diet mainly consists of french fries, chicken nuggets, pizza, sandwiches, etc., he/she does not need to use silverware.

Yesterday I discussed Jamie Oliver’s new series, Food Revolution.  In one of the episodes he was shocked to find out that in one of the elementary schools he visited, students were only given spoons.  This meant that from age five to around age ten, children were not learning to use a fork or knife unless it was done at home.

At our house, our kids use a spoon and a fork but it never occurred to me that we should introduce a knife at this stage.  It does make sense.  Children should learn silverware skills while they are developing their fine motor skills.

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