Fun (and cheap) Learning Activities to Raise Smart Kids.

I've had a lot of people ask me for really fun, easy learning activities for their toddlers and children since my last blog post. So, I've compiled a list of activities that help your kids think, practice skills, work on fine motor coordination, increase their communication/vocabulary, and express themselves artistically. I don't have many pictures of the activities being done, but I've done all of them. These are the kind of activities even the ADULTS and teenagers will have fun with. All of the things I used can be found at the dollar store or grocery store! I also tried to reuse items in each activity, so that it STAYS a cheap idea. :)

1. Conditioner Playdough
What you'll need: a bowl, newspaper, dollar store conditioner (or shaving cream), corn starch. (Food coloring is optional. And I'd add in aprons if you want to stay clean).

This is a science based activity, we will have another next with corn starch later called "Oobleck". This makes playdough that is super silky, and smells delicious. It does dry out a bit as you play with it though. There's NO COOKING. Which makes this ideal for summer. It's messy so you can do it outside too!

What to do: Mix 1 part conditioner to 2 parts cornstarch in a bowl, add food coloring if you'd like. Mix with your hands. If it's too goopy add more corn starch, if it's too dry add a little more conditioner. You will end up with a handful of playdough that moisturizes your hands, and doesn't have that weird salt play dough residue.


2. Oobleck! 
What you'll need: 1 small container or bowl per child, water, food coloring, corn starch

If you haven't done this already, you're really missing out! This is a great way to teach your child about liquids and solids. When you squeeze the concoction it is solid, but as you relax your hand, it runs like liquid. There is a Dr. Suess book called "Bartholomew and the Oobleck" about a king that makes oobleck fall from the sky. Not only is this a good introduction to Oobleck, but it teaches kids about saying I'm sorry.

What to do: You put 1 part water to 3 parts corn starch in a bowl with a drop of food coloring. If it's too runny, add a bit more cornstarch, if it's too stiff and powdery, add more water.

3. Water Marbles
What you need: A big plastic container, water, water beads (can be found at craft stores)

Most craft stores carry water beads... which look tiny and deceiving at first. BUT, if you put them in a plastic container full of water they expand over night. You can incorporate vocabulary expansion with your young children by talking about what they observe. Use words like, "slippery" or "bouncy". Practice counting the balls, you can even use addition by saying things like, "If I have 10 of these, how many more do I need to make 15?" If you get the clear kind they become invisible in the water, but you can reach in and feel them. They're fun to dump and pour too! Make sure to keep an eye on children under 3 while playing to make sure they aren't eaten.

What to do: Prepare water marbles. PLAY!

4. Box Coloring 
What you need: A big box, crayons or markers.

This is self explanatory. Put your child in a box with washable markers or crayons and let their creativity go. This has been shown to reduce wall coloring because they learn that they can be creative inside the box.

5. Glowing Bath Tub or Pool 
What you need: Dollar store glow sticks, wading pool or bathtub.

This is fun because children usually associate bath time as play time. This gives them a different experience because they get to swim around in the dark and play with their toys in a brightly colored tub. You can also do this in the summer if it's a warm night.

What to do: Break glow sticks, throw them in a pool or bath tub, turn the lights off, let them PLAY!

6. Edible Finger Paints 

What you need: Vanilla pudding mix (prepared), food coloring, cookie sheets, clean up supplies!

This one is particularly fun with babies and toddlers because everything they touch goes in their mouths. This way, they can make a big, artistic, colorful, mess while being able to eat it too. By using a cookie sheet, you are able to control the mess. This also works best if the child is nakie or in their swimsuits. (Something easy to wash.)

What to do: Put a few drops of food coloring into portioned out vanilla pudding, and mix it in.

7. Shaving Cream Alphabet/Spelling/Art
What you need: Shaving cream, table.

This is great for all children. This allows emergent readers to practice writing the alphabet and saying letter names and sounds, but it's a fun way for older kids to practice their spelling lists. (Oh, and it cleans whatever surface you're using.)

What to do: Squirt shaving cream onto table, have your child spread it out (but not TOO thin). Have them use their finger to write letters, words, their name, OR just let them make pictures!

8. Foam Portrait
What you need: very dull pencil, cheap paint roller, paint, paper, foam take out containers

This is SO fun. Make sure you tell your child not to press too hard with the pencil when drawing their designs, or else it'll poke through the take out container. Great way to teach about recycling, make pieces of art, and strengthen fine motor coordination.

What to do: Use the pencil to make a design on your canvas which is the foam take out container. You press just hard enough to make an indentation. When your denting is done, paint over top of the container, but don't press too hard. Press a piece of paper on top and the design will come up onto the paper.


9. Tiny Volcanos

What you need: Eye dropper, food coloring, vinegar, baking soda, cookie sheet, plastic cups (one for each color).

I love this! This incorporates: science (chemistry and the scientific method) communication, and fine motor skills. You can talk to your child about making a prediction about what might happen when you combine the two substances. Talk about why they think it happened.

What to do: Pour 1/4 cup of vinegar into 3-5 plastic cups.  Mix a couple drops of food coloring into each cup to make different colors to use. Make tiny piles of baking soda on the cookie sheet. Use eye dropper to suck up vinegar solution and dibble it on the piles of baking soda.

10. Edible Bread Art
What you need: Light colored bread, milk, plastic cups, eye droppers, food coloring. (Toasting it after is optional) :)

This is an art activity for SNACK TIME. Art can be fun, and tasty. :) Not only is it art based, but you can work on patterns or making shapes with your child. AB patterns with color are always fun. For example: "If I have a yellow, blue, yellow, blue... what do you think will be next?" SO, your child is doing geometry without knowing it.

What to do: Pour 1/8 cup milk into each bowl or plastic cup. Add food coloring to make different colored "paint". Use the eye dropper to make designs on the bread. Toast, top with peanut butter or whatever your heart desires, and EAT.

11. Balloon Tennis
What you need: A balloon, paper plates, glue, tongue depressors/craft sticks

This is for those kids who can't sit still! Plus, exercise gets blood pumping, and endorphins flowing, which equals better thinking and processing. Be careful doing this indoors though, because things can get broken with really competitive kiddos. If you want to incorporate math or letters, have each one count how many times it gets hit before it touches the floor, OR you can try to make it through the ABCs before it touches to floor. Say a letter with each hit. I've also had them spell words as they toss it around.

What to do: Blow up the balloon and tie it off. Glue a single tongue depressor to the bottom of each paper plate (you'll need one paddle for each player). Let the paddles dry. Then play! Toss the balloon in the air, and hit it with the paddles. (I always make back up paddles, because they tend to get ruined quickly.)

13. Experimenting with Soap
What you need: a microwave, Ivory soap (chopped into 1-2 inch bits), another brand (or brands) of soap (chopped into 1-2 inch bits), paper plates.

This is so fun! Once again, this is a science experiment the kids can do with very little parental guidance. Have your kids make predictions about what will happen to each soap as it's put in the microwave. After the experiment discuss why they think one reacted the way it did, and why the other one did not. :)

What to do: Put one piece of soap on a place. Put in the microwave for no more than 20 seconds. The Ivory soap will puff up in a wonderful way! Other soap doesn't react the same way. Try as many different kids of soap as you'd like. I've found that this is a good way to use those little hotel soaps that you don't ever use. After the ivory soap is puffy and a bit cool, the kids can play in it, or play with it outside (as it is kind of messy and crumbly).

14. Bathtub Paint
What you need: paintbrush, food coloring, muffin pan, shaving cream (or whipped cream)

I have found that this makes bath time EXTRA long. Make sure to never leave the child unattended. If your child put it in his or her mouth adjust the recipe to use canned whipped cream. :)

What to do: Squirt a pile of cream in each section of the muffin tin. Add 1-2 drops food coloring, and mix with the paint brush. Let your little one paint the mixture on the inside of the bath tub! :)

Things People Need to Know and Understand About Their Children

I get a lot of questions from friends, family members, and total strangers about what to do with their child. Sometimes it catches me off guard, but they usually want to know things after they know that I am a certified encyclopedia on children that are typical and special needs from birth-8 years old. (No really, I have a degree in it.)
 I have had every question from, "How do I get him to stop cussing in church?" to "I can't make her use the toilet, what do I do?" to "I think he can do better at ____." Sometimes the questions are reasonable, but sometimes I want to shake my head. I do not have children of my own yet, but my education and experience has given me a lot of insight into things that are important for people to understand about their school age children and toddlers. This is a super random list that I've put together out of my jumbled thoughts and it doesn't mean children are all the same, but in MOST instances these rules and ideas apply.

1. Avoid "don't" and "no" statements: This is a big one. There is a huge difference between, "Don't tip in your chair!" and "We need to keep the chair legs touching the floor. " One has a negative impact, and one gets the point across. Children are not always able to process "don't" statements. You don't need to go into a huge list, but you can put things positively. In your head, try to restate your statement or request without the word "no" or "don't". This is a lot of the reason why a lot of the time a toddler's favorite word is, "No!"

2. Empathize Instead of Interrogate. Sometimes when a child does something wrong, we jump to the "Why did you do that?!" statement or "What were you thinking?!" Sometimes there isn't a reason as to why a child has a certain reaction to a stimulus. A reaction to stimulus is a BEHAVIOR. Can you explain all of your impulsive reactions and decisions? It's hard to analyze or reason out even as an adult. Try to be more empathetic with your child. Instead of, "Why did you hit your sister?" try "What did Sally do to get you so upset?" or "I know it makes you really mad when Sally takes your toys, but we need to keep our hands to ourselves. What do you think you can do if it happens again?" This way you're talking through your child's feelings and letting them know that you care, without losing your temper.

3. Keep Instructions Simple. There is a basic chain of command when it comes to giving directions. The older the child, the more complex and elaborate instructions you can give at once. A mistake A LOT of parents make is giving their toddlers and small children 3 or more step directions. You can't expect a 3 year old to process, "You need to wash your hands, go put your toys away, and then come throw away your paper cup." Keep it simple. 1 or 2 step directions are appropriate for toddlers up to about 6 years old. Even then, depending on the child, 3 step may be far too complicated. Toddlers are not little adults, and they surely can't process as quickly as you do.

4. Keep Learning and Activities Appropriate. One of my favorite theorists on development is Lev Vygotsky. He developed the theory of the Zone of Proximal Development. (If you haven't read the theories of Vygotsky, Eric Erikson, and Jean Piaget, I encourage you to do so.) Anyways, a part of ZPD is called "scaffolding". If you think of the scaffolding used to work on houses, it is in levels. Scaffolding in learning is building off pre-existing knowledge to make connections to other things, then continuing to build and stem off those ideas. Scholars explain it like this, "Those elements of the task that are initially beyond the learner's capacity, thus permitting him to concentrate upon and complete only those elements that are within his range of competence." Thus, you shouldn't expect your child to know something or complete a task when they have no prior knowledge. We all gain knowledge off what we already know. Activities and assignments given to children and toddlers needs to be: developmentally appropriate, age appropriate, and individually appropriate. Every child learns differently, but children need to feel successful before they are challenged.

5. Keep It Old School. We live in a technological age. I see little kids on their parents cell phones in public and I CRINGE. Why do American children have a short attention span? They're getting obsessed with quick stimulus. Our children are too absorbed in television and computer screens, cell phones, video games, leap pads, iPads, Kindles, and all other sorts of stuff that keep them 100% captivated 100% of the time. I'm not saying it's not okay in limited doses, but our children need to PLAY, and I don't mean on an XBOX. The less high tech a toy or activity is, the more the child has to use their imagination and surroundings to stimulate themselves. Engaging your child in simple, creative, fun, activities WITHOUT using a lot of technology, can make a world of difference. These activities allow kids to make connections, experiment, and problem solve. Have you ever put your toddler in a big, empty, cardboard box with a bunch of crayons? It's amazing what children can do with simple things. Empty spools, a bowl full of water and dish soap= bubble fun on the counter.Your kids can be entertained and out of your hair, no batteries required.

6. Immediate Consequences. To adjust behaviors to get responses that you want as a parent, you have to adjust your system. For example, when I hand out an assessment to my students, I accompany it with a small snack so that they see it as a positive thing. In their heads it goes from, "Oh no! A test?!" to "Oh cool, I get a snack when I get a test." Which makes it less bad to them. If you give immediate rewards and immediately implement consequences for negative actions, behavior responses can be made or broken. Say for example your child throws a tantrum about having to do their homework. Give them one warning, and state the consequence if they continue to tantrum. Then implement the consequence IMMEDIATELY if they continue. Don't hesitate or wait until after you've both started into a battle of wills. If your child gets up, and does their homework, give them a reward (a couple gold fish crackers or fruit snacks does the trick in my classroom) so that they start seeing that positive behavior gets positive outcomes.

7. Give Choices. I've found that most children will run the show if you let them. If you tell them directly what to do, there can sometimes be a great and terrible struggle. Giving choices is the BEST way to get what YOU want. The trick is to make both options, something you want from the child. By giving the choice, the child feels like they are still making the final decision and feel in control. For example, "Do you want to use the green crayon or the yellow crayon?" or "Do you want to feed the dog or do you want to help me do dishes?" The child gets to feel a sense of independence and empowerment, without you giving up power.

8. Avoid the "Little Adult" View. Children are children. The do not think the same way you and I do after years of life and learning. The children do not react, understand, or process the same way we do. Kids don't need to get their hair colored, their nails done, and they shouldn't be left to make big decisions by themselves. Their brains are still developing in many ways until they are 21 years old! You also do not have to explain to them the things you would when conversing with an adult. If I child asks, "Can I have some juice?" You could say, "You can have water or milk." BUT, in the "little adult" context, you would explain, "You've had enough sugar for today, so you don't need any more juice until tomorrow." Your child doesn't understand that juice is sugar, so why elaborate on it and leave them confused? For goodness sakes, let them be little! I blame a lot of this little adult view on the media and Disney channel and Nickelodean shows. Elementary aged students shouldn't be worrying about what color their hair is, how much they weigh, or if they have a boyfriend or girlfriend... they should be playing! So PLEASE, don't view your school aged child as a tiny adult or tiny teenager, because they are NOT.

9. Time Out is GOOD. As toddlers grow, they begin learning how to "self-regulate". What is self-regulation? It has to do with our emotions. It is the extrinsic and intrinsic (outside and inside) processes responsible for monitoring, evaluating, and modifying how they react emotionally. By giving a child a SHORT (4-10 minute) "time out" they have time to cool down, think through their feelings, and modify how they are reacting. Time out doesn't need to be viewed as negative (in fact they may battle you if you yell at them that they need to have a time out.) I suggest having a visual timer in a quiet area, so your child knows just how much time they need to be there. My favorite is a time-out bottle I used with my 2nd graders. I filled an empty Smart Water bottle with tons of glitter, a touch of food coloring, clear tacky glue, and water, and when a student went to the "time out" desk they shook it as hard as they could (getting the aggression out) and then watched it until everything had settled. When the glitter settled they could rejoin the class or activity. If your child is tantruming, and in no danger, feel free to let them cry/scream it out. It all builds up their ability to self regulate, recognize their emotions, and figure out how to deal with them. Time out doesn't need to be a negative consequence for a negative behavior or action, it can be a valuable tool to help your child develop important coping skills.

10. Keep it REAL WORLD and APPLICABLE. My wise preschool mentor teacher once said, "If you can't bring it to the student, or take the student to it, it shouldn't be taught in preschool." Basically, she's trying to say concepts that a child can't experience or touch with their hands are too abstract for typical 2-5 year olds to understand and grasp. For example, you wouldn't need to teach preschool children about Antartica, because you can't bring it to them, and you can't take them there to experience it.  I'm going to modify this and say for older kids, "Show how everything you do can be applied to the real world." Everything we do in school should be training kids for the real world, relating things to the real world can help them develop meaningful connections. For example, instead of just learning to count money with your child, take them to the store and have them count out their money to buy something.

What's up with pigment eyeshadow?

So, what's the difference between loose pigments and pressed eyeshadows (Pressed eyeshadows as in: Naked palette, most eyeshadow palettes in fact...)? Loose pigments are easier (in my opinion) to work with when you want to blend your eyeshadow out. Pressed shadows seem to work better for the older generation because loose pigments can have some fall out if not applied correctly, and can settle into fine lines. My own mother hates using pigments because they're "too hard to work with". BUT, if you use a good eye primer (I prefer Too Faced Shadow Insurance and Urban Decay Primer Potion), tap off excess pigment back into the container, and build your color or coverage,  they work perfectly. I personally prefer working with mineral pigments than pressed shadows, but especially when it comes to MATTE eyeshadows, that can get hard to use over time as it cakes. People sometimes use their fingers with their pressed eyeshadows! DON'T DO IT! Not only do you give up control of your eyeshadow shaping and blending, you put bacteria into your eyeshadows. YUCKY. 

In fact, this is my "pigment drawer". Yes, there are a few other eyeshadows in it, but for the most part it's over 100 single sample or deluxe sample eyeshadows. A lot of independent brands offer generous samples for 1.00-1.50 so you can try them out before you commit to a full size eyeshadow. 

Anyways, I figured I'd share with you some of my favorite pigment BRANDS. 

Pretty Zombie Cosmentics

If you LOVE using bright colors, matte colors, and aren't afraid to get creative with your make up, PZC is for you. They have a killer pro-matte line that I'm in love with. I swatched a couple of them below for you to look at! They are completely matte, and completely gorgeous to work with. You can check out their loose pigment collection here: http://www.prettyzombiecosmetics.com/category/loose-eyeshadow 

These colors are (from bottom to top): Pink Spiderweb, Sea Witch, and Hocus Potion. 

Dark Heart Designs

Dark Heart Designs is an independent company I've been sampling for a LONG time now. I have yet to find a product I didn't like. The owner is quick to fill orders, and very kind. She personalizes orders and even includes a list of ingredients. (This counts when working with indy companies.) She has a good color variety, but not many "neutral" colors yet. DHD has a Steampunk collection coming out soon that is full of rusty/brown-ish neutral goodness! Sometimes the store is being restocked so certain colors may be out of stock, but always check back. You can check out Tina's shop here: http://darkheartdesigns.storenvy.com. Some of my favorite eyeshadow shades include the following 3 swatches.

These colors are: Storybook, Siren's Song, and Gilded Girl. 

Pretty Addictions

Pretty Addictions was the first company I really got into a few years ago. There are a zillion colors to choose from, and the pigments are super, SUPER, smooth... like butta'!!! I really do love all of these colors. Kassie is the owner, and she's quick and efficient at getting the orders out. I tend to buy my neutral colored pigments from this company. They have a huge variety and they're SUPER affordable. 

Check out pretty addictions here: http://www.prettyaddictions.com

Here are a few of my neutrals: (Bottom to top) Foggy hollow, Dirty Girl, and Buried Treasure!