Earth Day 2008: Activities for Toddlers

April 22 is Earth Day! What are you going to do to introduce your toddler to this very important day of awareness?

Here are a few activities that we're thinking about doing!

Sort Recyclables

One of the skills that Toddlers continue to improve upon is sorting, so why not give them some more practice? Depending on your child's ability, offer him several of two or more categories of items such as cardboard, plastic, and aluminum. Of course, you'll want to ensure that all items are safe and clean.

For the littlest sorters, keep it on the simple side with two types of items. For example, toilet paper rolls and empty water bottles. For older kids, try providing a more varied selection.

Build a Birdhouse

Birdhouses can be a great way for youngsters to see how nature is working right in their backyard. Build a house worthy of nesting and your tot might even get to see eggs and, later, baby birds! (Of course, you should not tamper with bird eggs or babies).

You can make your birdhouse from recycled materials such as a milk carton, a coffee can, a juice container, or a gourd!

Make a Bird Feeder

While you're providing a cozy home for your backyard birds, why not give them something munch on as well?

You can use everyday household items to make this bird feeder.

Or use some of your toddler's favorite foods...Cheerios and peanut butter! (but don't forget the birdseed ;) ) You can find instructions for this feeder here.

Plant Something

The rewards of growing live plants are far-reaching.

Plant a tree with your child and explain to them that as the tree grows it will provide shade for us and a home for birds and squirrels.

Grow any kind of edible plant: a tomato, some cabbage, or even a few herbs. Once the plants are grown, your toddler can then experience the satisfaction of eating the fruits of his labor!

Plant some flowers! Flowers are especially intriguing for our young ones simply because of their aesthetically pleasing qualities: they are colorful, often fragrant, and have interesting textures to explore. Or, take advantage of the Spring bulbs that are popping up this time of year. Give your toddler a daily peek at the flowers and anticipate their "grand openings." We just had some lilies shoot up and every day I would explain to Little Bit that they would soon open into beautiful flowers. When they finally did open, she was overwhelmed with excitement as she brought me to the patio door to show me!

Go on a Nature Walk

Little Bit is always excited to walk as opposed to being strolled or slung. She always finds things she wants to stop and look at, but usually I'm in too much of a hurry to let her.

For your nature walk, try to let your little one set the pace. You can bring along a checklist of things to keep an eye out for, or bring along a camera and snap shots as your child makes new discoveries on her own. Later, you can print the photos and make a nature catalog for your youngster to peruse.

Put on Your Green Shoes

Get some plain white tennies and die them green! Then slap them on the kiddos and play music from the 1993 CD Put on Your Green Shoes. Here are the lyrics to the title track (by Cyndi Lauper):

Gather 'round children and you will hear
The sound of a cricket crying in your ear
That's Mother Nature, she's crying out loud
This old earth needs some loving now, so

Chorus:

Put on your green shoes
Put on your green shoes
Mother Nature, she's calling to you
To put on your green shoes

Put on your green shoes and walk with me
We'll go around back and plant a tree
Help it grow and you will see
The way the world was meant to be

Chorus

Wonder how the world would be
Without the shade of a redwood tree
Without all the fish, the birds and the bees
Springtime would be lonely, so
Chorus

I may wait another year or two to do this one, but my nieces did it a few years ago at school and I just loved the idea. It was a great way to get the kids in the spirit and music always has a way of leaving a lasting impression. Plus, every time they don their flashy green kicks they'll remember the importance of taking care of the environment!

Read a Book

Here are some titles we'll be keeping an eye out for at the library and bookstores:

This Is the Earth That God Made

I Love Our Earth

The Earth and I

The Whole Green World

Baby's Book of Nature

I'll post our projects as we complete them then do a round-up of them all on Earth Day. And, if I can figure out how it works, I'll try to post a Mister Linky so you can join me in sharing your Earth Day activities! (If I don't figure it out, you can still share your ideas in the comments).

Links for New Moms

It seems like a lot of people have been getting knocked-up lately. A couple friends of mine are expecting babies over the next few weeks and one of them is a first-time mom. I recently sent her an email with a list of links that I found myself turning to time and time again. Of course, nothing beats following your own gut instincts on many matters (or a call to your ped), but when you want some quick answers here are some links that get the job done:

http://www.babycenter.com
http://parenting.ivillage.com/  (the message boards are great)
http://www.askdrsears.com
http://www.kellymom.com (awesome breastfeeding resource)
http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/animal-rhymes.htm
http://www.parenthacks.com/
http://www.preschoolexpress.com/
http://www.hipgirlclips.com/forums/  (if you're having a girl you may enjoy making her hairclips yourself)
http://www.oompa.com/  (when Toys R Us just ain't cutting it: "NO BATTERIES. NO BLINKING LIGHTS. NO CARTOON-THEMED TOYS. PERIOD")

And in case you're considering using cloth  ;)
http://www.diapersafari.com/diaperinfo/newtoclothdiapers/
http://www.cottonbabies.com/index.php
http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-ppdiapers
http://www.diaperpin.com/home.asp

 

Ok...Did I leave any out? Tell me which sites or blogs about parenting you have found helpful. I don't have anything to give away, but I will be very appreciative!

Get Out of Your PB&J Rut

Sometimes I find myself making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for Little Bit day after day after day. I get so bored just serving it to her, and I can imagine she gets tired of eating it, too.

So, on days when I feel like really shaking things up a bit, I bring out the good stuff. Here are a few alternatives to the PB&J blahs:

• Peanut butter, banana, and honey- Oh, so yummy. Ok, you don't really need to add the honey, but it really does add that special something that makes you go, "Mmm, mmm, mmmmm."
• Ham and cream cheese roll-ups-  Slather some cream cheese onto a tortilla shell, add a few slices of ham, and roll!
• Turkey and cranberry relish- Think Thanksgiving dinner between two slices of bread. Get some real turkey from the deli, sliced kind of thick, then add the relish. The cranberry adds a sweet touch to your basic turkey sandwich. (Haven't done this one in a while because I can't find a good store-bought cranberry relish, but if you can get your hands on some, it's delicious)!
• Burrito- Peel open a can of refried beans, add some shredded cheese, and fold a tortilla shell around it. Lots of protein!

These are some easy lunches that Little Bit really seems to enjoy. Have any other suggestions? What foods do you find yourself serving your little one for lunch?

Best Cities to Have a Baby: Where Does Yours Rank?

Fit Pregnancy Magazine has ranked the best cities to have a baby from the 50 largest cities in America. Portland is at the top of the list with San Francisco, Denver, and Boston also making the top 10.

From Fit Pregnancy:

1. Portland, OR
2. Minneapolis
3. San Francisco
4. Seattle
5. Denver
6. Boston
7. Omaha, NB
8. Virginia Beach, VA
9. Austin, TX
10. Albuquerque, NM

Want a more personalized list? They've also generated a tool that allows you to specify criteria most important to you, then recompiles the list accordingly.

The magazine took into account information from numerous organizations and assessed each respective city's affordability, birthing options, child care resources, safety, and many other factors.

Beyond "Our Father"

We all want our children to develop a loving relationship with the Lord. And they will, provided we offer them plenty of opportunities to explore and practice living a faith-based life. One of the most meaningful ways we, as parents, can provide an atmosphere of devotion is to model our own relationship with Him through prayer.

Traditional prayers such as The Lord's Prayer are important, but a strong bond between our little ones and our Lord can be better established by incorporating prayer into our daily goings on.

For example, with your baby's first diaper change of the morning say a simple prayer like,

Dear Lord, thank you for this day, and thank you for Mommy and Daddy and Brother and Sister. Amen.

Or, when your toddler starts testing your reaction to her teeth on your skin:

Dear Lord, I'm sorry for hurting Mommy. Please help me to make better choices. Amen.

Here are some sweet and fun prayers that your child can learn:

Thank you God for a world so sweet,

Thank you God for the food we eat,

Thank you God for the birds that sing,

Thank you God for everything!

And (to the Happy Birthday tune)

Thank you, thank you dear God,

Thank you, thank you dear God,

Thank you for families and friends,

Thank you, thank you dear God!

Finally, to really liven things up, try some of these dinner prayers:

Superman Prayer (to the tune of Superman)

Thank you God - for giving us food!
Thank you God - for giving us food!
For the food that we eat
For the friends that we meet
Thank you God - for giving us food ! Amen!

Jaws Prayer (said with hands on top of your head like a shark fin and in the same manner as the Jaws theme, starting slow then speeding up)

God is
Great and
God is
Good and
(faster)
So we
Thank Him
For Our
Food and
AMEN! (clothes hands together like a big mouth)

Here are some books with more prayer ideas:

Baby's First Book of Prayers

Prayers for Children (Little Golden Book) 

Thank You for This Food: Action Prayers, Blessings and Songs for Mealtime

My First Book of Prayers

 

Follow these links for more great ideas for prayers:

• CBN
• Meals
• Bedtime
• Variety

Never Pay Retail Again!

Very few things in this world feel better than knowing you got a great deal on something. I got that feeling today when I went to my favorite consignment shop, Wallabie's Kids, for their Winter Clearance Sale and Spring Preview.

Babies can be so expensive...upwards of $10,000 in just the first year, so it's important to save where you can. I have found that I can find pretty much anything I want and need for my kids without paying full price for it.

How do I save money on baby and toddler stuff? Shop around!

• eBay- Great for buying new or used baby clothes if you want a huge selection and don't mind buying without seeing. As with most things, you’ll pay less per item when you buy from larger lots.

Most sellers provide pictures and detailed descriptions, but I've still had my share of
disappointments. Sometimes the clothes just don't look the same in person. It's hard to see
pilling and fraying in photos and some stains go unnoticed by the sellers.

Finally, there's the matter of shipping. Unless you happen to buy from a local seller, you
have to wait for your clothes to ship which could take up to a couple of weeks. I actually
won an auction for my youngest shortly after she was born, but by the time the clothes
came she was almost too big for them.

• Craigslist- My local Craigslist is my “go to” site for gear, toys, and furniture. You can expect to pay about half of an item’s retail price. Sometimes more, sometimes much less…depending on the item.

I love Craigslist because it’s local, there are often pictures of the item posted, and the prices are always great.

The problem, however, is that sometimes you have to be really quick when inquiring about an item. There have been several occasions when I’ve emailed a seller about an item within just a few hours of it being listed only to learn that they’ve already sold it.

Also, if you have something specific in mind, you may not find it right away. It took me about a month of checking the site several times per day to find someone selling an Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper at a price I thought was reasonable ($75).

• Consignment Shops- Local consignment stores are great for clothes, gear, and toys. Prices here also usually fall at around half of what you would pay retail.

Consignment stores are fun and feel more like “real” shopping". There are a few in my area that I visit every few weeks and they always have new goodies. Chances are, even if you have a specific item in mind, you’ll still walk out with some adorable outfit or cool toy that you had no idea you wanted.

• Garage/Yard Sales- Yard sales have great prices. Most of the time the sellers want the stuff gone and are just looking to make a few bucks in the process. Baby clothes are often around only $1 a piece and there are usually a ton of toys lined up that are ready to move on to a new family.

Unfortunately, yard sales are hit or miss. Sometimes you can find the deal of the century (a couple weeks ago I bought a Cozy Coupe that was in great shape for just $3), and other times you may drive around for a few hours with nothing to show for it at the end of the day.

• Freecycle- As the name suggests, this is where you can find stuff that’s being given away for free. Can’t beat that!

Similar to Craigslist, if you see something you want, you have to be fast. Sometimes things are just left at the curb and you can simply drive by and pick it up. I actually haven’t used Freecycle since I found Craigslist, but in the past I regularly scoped for miscellaneous items my family was looking for. You’d be surprised by what people are willing to give away.

Raising kids is expensive...that's a no-brainer. Between childcare, health insurance/medical bills, food, clothing, field trips, camps, extracurricular activities, and not to mention saving for college, having kids makes a pretty significant dent in your wallet. Considering all of these expenses, it's important to save wherever you can. With all of the second-hand sources out there, there’s really no reason to have to pay full price for something that you can get for less!

Use a Dog to Prepare for Baby?

Apparently some people think it's a great idea. (article)

Anybody who has had both a baby and a dog can tell you this is a terrible idea. For one thing, you can put a dog in a crate when you leave the house and still have a life. Also, dogs don't need to eat from a bottle or your breast every 2-4 hours. Dogs don't need to be rocked to sleep. And, dogs learn to walk straight away, which means they don't need to be carted everywhere they go.

Babies are babies for a lot longer than puppies are puppies. They require so much more of you physically, financially, and emotionally.

The main difference, though, is that your baby is a part of you, and that intimate connection alone is often enough to turn a selfish, irresponsible, lazy person into a devoted parent.

Nobody is ever really ready to have a baby. There is no way to prepare because unless you have one, you can't truly have a complete understanding of what is involved.

Dogs are great pets, but in the end, they're just pets.