My 5-year-old had her kindergarten screening yesterday, and walked out with the biggest smile on her face. “I can’t wait to learn!,” she told me later. It’s moments like these that make you want to stop time, and bottle that infectious enthusiasm. To help my daughter get off to great start, even before September comes, we’ve been playing lots of simple learning games–using magnetic letters to spell out fun words, talking about the bugs and birds who’ve been making a home in our backyard–and I’m watching how they fuel her imagination. Just as important as these creative teaching moments are the opportunities to reinforce what she already knows and keep it fun. Just in time for back-to-school comes Priddy Books’ Schoolies, a line of educational [&hellip
The Smart Walnut Archive
Today, my almost 5-year-old had kindergarten orientation, and couldn’t have been more excited (or me for her). After visiting a kindergarten classroom, meeting the principal and taking a spin around the school on a bus, she would have happily begun school today! Luckily I have a few months to prepare myself (read: stock up on Kleenex) and so does she. Before we leave the fun world of preschool, it doesn’t hurt to keep her already-active brain in tip-top shape. How apropos that we received a new board game to help get ready for September. HABA’s Loco Lingo Kindergarten is a visually-driven game that tests memory, storytelling and other basic learning skills that make a solid foundation for that first year of school. Picture cards make [&hellip
When my husband was invited to choose some used books from a colleague’s retired collection, he brought home a treasure trove of reading materials. Among his findings was a well-worn copy of a guide to seashells, one that had yellowed with age and whose pages were slowly losing their binding. While it was the thought that counted, we wound up recycling the book after a cursory look-through–and long before having a chance to consult it on beach excursions with our young daughters. Having practically grown up on the beach myself, I was always collecting the jewels of low tide, but my knowledge of seashell classification never went beyond periwinkles and mussels. This summer, however, we’re going to do things right, thanks to the just-published Seashells: [&hellip
Just before the holidays, I managed to catch up with an old friend. After updating each other on our families’ lives, she told me about her toddler son who wasn’t speaking and talking like other kids similar in age. After having him evaluated, she learned that he was speech delayed and began taking the proper steps to get him the extra help he needed. Oddly enough, we had just learned of a new speech/language service specifically designed to help parents like my friend work with their child and boost their verbal development. The beauty of Language Launchers‘ subscription-based service for ages 0-2 is that it gets mailed directly to your home, and you can use it at your own pace with your child. We got [&hellip
Now that all the gifts have been unwrapped and all the guests have gone home, we finally get a chance to catch our breath and enjoy my favorite part of the post-holiday madness: sitting down with a hot cup of tea and looking at all the presents we so hurriedly tore open (and just as quickly dropped) so we could ask “what’s next?” In the flurry of activity that is Christmas Day, now I can actually take the time to see what my kids received and pore over their every detail. I must admit that the books they acquire are among my favorite gifts, both to give and to receive. I gave my mom the new Capturing Camelot book, since she is a die-hard Kennedy [&hellip
If my dad were alive to see his 8-year-old granddaughter, I think he’d be impressed. This is one kid who does not shy away from math or science, and if there’s a problem that needs solving, she’s your girl. For all I know, she may one day follow in his footsteps and wind up as an engineer. And considering that we’ve all been hearing about the shortage of female mathematicians and scientists, this would be a most welcome accomplishment. If you know any future math majors who happen to be of the female persuasion, and you’re looking for something to encourage their complex thinking, pay close to attention to a new toy line that’s getting a lot of buzz–and with good reason. GoldieBlox is a [&hellip
I’m amazed that my 4-year-old still likes doing the wooden preschool puzzles at our local library. Maybe it makes her feel proud to show off just how fast she can complete them. Or maybe it’s because they’re unlike the same old, same old puzzles at home. If you know a preschooler (or even an ambitious toddler) looking for the next step up in the puzzle world, but who’s not quite ready for the 24-piece jigsaw variety, check out Skip Hop’s Animal Zoo Match and Play Puzzle, made up of 6 mini vignettes of playful animals just begging for little hands to uncover. Because each of the 10 pieces corresponds with the correct letter in its background, it’s a fun way to teach matching, letters and [&hellip
Until earlier this week, when our electricity was restored following the wrath of Hurricane Sandy, family time was all about board games, crafts and anything that could be played by firelight. While those first few rounds of Candyland were doable, the novelty soon wore off. (I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t envisioning an escape plan–for one.) And with school closed for more than one week, I began seeing signs of brain drain I hadn’t seen since summer vacation. Before I was ready to throw my hands up, our mailman delivered a welcome treat: a trial sample of Little Passports, one of the more entertaining boredom busters we’ve seen in a long time. This subscription-based service lets kids ages 7-12 play armchair traveler [&hellip
As I write this, my 8-year-old is doing her math homework. A natural with numbers, she devours three-digit addition and polishes off regrouping like nobody’s business. Let’s just say she didn’t inherit the math gene from me…although both her uncle and grandfather (on my side) may account for some of her braininess (I just take credit for her way with words). Amazing, though, how all these years later, it’s still not cool as it could be for girls to love math. Even after the recent publication of Danica McKellar’s (a.k.a. “Winnie” from “The Wonder Years”) books touting math’s cool factor, I don’t see young girls running out to buy their own calculator. Maybe if we as parents found a way to recognize those kids who [&hellip
As the first leaves over our pond slowly begin to show hints of red, I’ve been noticing more of the local wildlife anticipating the coming change in seasons. Squirrels that have scampered playfully these last few months are suddenly scampering to gather nuts (yes, already!), while the Canadian geese have returned to claim their share of the pond waters. It won’t be long before all the trees are dressed in a rich palette of reds, oranges and yellows and, dare I say, the first snowflakes decide to fall. Because my family delights in watching these changes in nature take place, we try to do our part in caring for our fellow “friends”–and that includes those of the feathered variety. If you think birdwatching/bird-feeding is…well, for [&hellip