Author: Nurture Mama

The season for hearts: Valentine’s Links

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Once again, the season of hearts is upon us. The Ant Bug has really been looking forward to February, and she made sure that we had our hearts ready to go and up on the walls by January 31st (wow, one day early!).

I’ve been finding a lot of fun ideas to celebrate Valentine’s Day, and the best way for me to keep track of them all is to share them with you!

Decorating the House

Fun banner ideas from I love it all

Valentine Heart and Ribbon Garland from Our Best Bites

Free love printable from beckyhiggins.com

Button Collage from I really should be sleeping

LOVE Canvas art from Crap I’ve Made

Live Laugh Love printable from I love it all

Handmade Valentines for kids to make

Monster Valentines from Make and Takes

Happy Face and Flowery Valentines from Teach Mama

Paint Chip Valentines -thanks to Not Just Cute for the link!

Things to do with the kids (or for them)

Lunch box knock knock jokes from Teach Mama

3 quick and easy heart activities from The Activity Mom

Valentine’s Day Scavenger Hunt from The Activity Mom

Thumb Print Hearts from Frugal Family Fun Blog

Felt heart clips from Pink and Green Mama

Love Birds from Moments of Mommyhood

Gifts for that special someone

Key to my heart from I love it all

For Him from I love it all

Our fun valentines activities from 2010 can be found here and here.

I’m sure there will be more to come, but I just wanted to share the good ideas I have already found in my reader. I’ll be back next week to share with you my versions inspired by some of these projects!

N is for Noodles

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Last week I hosted the Sweet Bee’s preschool for her and five other three year olds. We had a great time discovering noodles for the letter N.

In preparation for our activities, the girls and I colored noodles a few days before. I followed the directions here (using a 1/4 cup of rubbing alcohol and a few drops of food coloring for one cup of noodles) and it was pretty simple. Because the noodles were slightly yellow-ish to start with, that set the tone for the colors, but I think they were quite pretty.

We explored the many varieties of noodles: macaroni, rigatoni, rotini, lasagna, corkscrew, spaghetti, bowtie… Each child got to hold a cup of noodles, and then we passed them around. It was a great touch and feel activity. Then we cooked up some spaghetti and made noodle art. I’ve done this before with my girls, and it was a hit both times. This time around the kids colored their letter N poster first, then laid out the cooked noodles on top to dry.  Although this picture is blurry (you try to get 6 three-year-olds to hold still!!), it gives you a good idea of how the activity went. There was a lot of tasting along with the crafting!

One of the finished projects.

Of course, snack time was noodles. I cooked up a pan of these alphabet noodles I found at the grocery store and served them with a little butter and parmesan cheese.

Our last activity was noodle necklaces. We used the previously dyed noodle to string up some lovely jewelry. It was interesting to see the different personalities of the children as they made their necklaces: one child laced 6 noodles and was done, another child laced every noodle she could until the string was full, and another child only used the green noodles. I had planned to do a little noodle counting and sorting by color, but we ran out of time. I’ve still got some leftover noodles for an activity another day with the Sweet Bee.

Most of my ideas came from this preschool lesson site. We had a lot of fun with our noodles!

“Teach them in every circumstance”

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“The world will teach our children if we do not, and children are capable of learning all the world will teach them at a very young age. What we want them to know five years from now needs to be part of our conversation with them today. Teach them in every circumstance; let every dilemma, every consequence, every trial that they may face provide an opportunity to teach them how to hold on to gospel truths.”

Rosemary M. Wixom, “Stay on the Path,” Ensign, Nov 2010, 9–10

Signing Before They Can Speak

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The following is a guest post co-written by Emily Patterson and Kathleen Thomas.

A great deal of research has clearly demonstrated that the early years – ages 2 to five – are the best time to educate children in different modes of communication and language. This goes beyond the spoken word (though it is an optimal time for children to learn a second language); many young children have an aptitude for signing as well. This can be taught at home, or some child care programs have begun to teach it in their curriculums.

This really isn’t as odd as you may think. As you may already know, many indigenous peoples around the world, including American Indian nations, have used sign language for centuries to facilitate communication with other tribes with whom they do not share a language. Some paleontologists and anthropologists theorize that Neanderthals – who apparently lacked the vocal mechanism to produce many spoken words – depended a great deal upon hand gestures to communicate.

In fact, recent research suggests that sign language is innate. An article published in the Boulder Daily Camera in 2003 presented strong evidence that babies as young as six months old communicate with their hands:

“…by 6 to 7 months, babies can remember a sign. At eight months, children can begin to imitate gestures and sign single words. By 24 months, children can sign compound words and full sentences. They say sign language reduces frustration in young children by giving them a means to express themselves before they know how to talk.” (Glarion, 2003)

A study funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development is also cited, demonstrating that young children who are taught sign language at an early age actually develop better verbal skills as they get older. The ability to sign has also helped parents in communicating with autistic children; one parent reports that “using sign language allowed her to communicate with her [autistic] son and minimized his frustration…[he now] has an advanced vocabulary and excels in math, spelling and music” (Glarion, 2003).

The Best Time To Start

Incorporating sign into pre-verbal youngsters early childhood education as a way to communicate can also strengthen the parent-child bond – in addition to giving children a solid foundation for learning a skill that will serve them well in the future. The evidence suggests that the best time to start learning ASL is before a child can even walk – and the implications for facilitating the parent-child relationship are amazing.

Emily and Kathleen are Communications Coordinators for the Austin child care facility, a member of the AdvancED® accredited family of Primrose Schools (located in 16 states throughout the U.S.) and part of the network of child care preschools delivering progressive, early childhood, Balanced Learning® curriculum

The ultimate treasures

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We affirm that marriage is necessary for the accomplishment of God’s plan to provide the approved setting for mortal birth and to prepare family members for eternal life. Knowledge of God’s plan gives Latter-day Saints a unique perspective on marriage and children. We look on the bearing and nurturing of children as part of God’s plan and a sacred duty of those given the power to participate in it. We believe that the ultimate treasures on earth and in heaven are our children and our posterity. And we believe that we must contend for the kind of mortal families that provide the best conditions for the development and happiness of children—all children.

Dallin H. Oaks, “Fundamental to Our Faith”, Ensign, Jan. 2011, 22–29

Free Children’s Illustration

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Katie at oohmoon is giving away one children’s illustration a day, everyday, for the year.  The illustrations are free to download and use as you please, the only trick is that they are only free for 24hrs, when it will then be replaced by a new illustration. Illustrations from previous days are available for a modest price. Pretty awesome.

These are adorable, aren’t they? They are so colorful and bright and happy. I think it might be time to redecorate my daughter’s bedroom!

Sunday Bags and Quiet Books

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This past year for Christmas my girls received a fabulous gift from their Aunt Tiffany.Tiffany sewed adorable doll sleeping bags for each girl, along with a matching pillow and pillowcase. They are really wonderful and have been getting a lot of use since Christmas day. All of their baby dolls have been inside for a nap, and so have their zhu zhu pet hamsters! Tiffany wrote a little bit about how she made them on her blog here.

But that wasn’t all. Tiffany also made them scripture bags! Let me tell you, I was thrilled beyond measure.

The background: The Ant Bug has been using her dad’s scripture tote from when he was a little boy. The bag is cute and has worked well for her, but the handle is starting to fray. The Sweet Bee would be a little Sunbeam in Primary in January, so she also needed her own bag. I knew that sewing a scripture tote should be a simple enough project and perfect Christmas gifts, but unfortunately, I don’t really sew. Not really at all, except for this project. I searched on Etsy for a tote bag, but failed to find exactly what I was looking for. As Christmas Day approached, I had to admit defeat in this project and file my thoughts away in the “hope to figure out a way to do this project soon” category.

This is the bag the Ant Bug has used for the last three years. It has to be at least 20 years old, from when my husband was in Primary.

So I was really thrilled (and suprised!) by the adorable scripture totes that Tiffany made. She told a little bit about how she made them on her blog here. I am also very excited about what goes inside the scripture bags. Would you like to take a look inside?

A copy of the Book of Mormon (my girls are young still, so they don’t have a complete set of scriptures just yet).

A small notebook for writing and drawing (not pictured) and a set of these awesome markers. I was spying on the family we were sitting behind in sacrament meeting the week before Christmas and I noticed their solution for Sunday writing tools. Never lose a marker lid or crayon under the bench again! The markers are made by Roseart and come with a clip attached to the cap, so they can all be easily held together on the clip. Just uncap the marker you want to use for the moment, and the markers all stay together. Pure genius. They are washable, and I found them easily for sale at Target.

Quiet Books, courtesy of Simply Fresh Designs.

The story behind the quiet books: I discovered Simply Fresh Designs while looking on Sugardoodle for ideas for the 2011 Primary Theme. Heather had shared a file of images illustrating each of the monthly Primary themes for 2011. The images are beautifully made, using accepted LDS artwork, and she made the jpeg files available to download free in a variety of sizes. What a great resource! But as I started to browse through her site I discovered more of her files that make perfect quiet books. And she is generously sharing them all for free!

The images are available in a variety of sizes and can be printed using a photo lab (like Costco, Walgreens, Walmart, etc) just like you would a digital photo. She suggested inserting them in a 4×6 photo album, which is exactly what I did. I found my albums at Target for $1 each. So I downloaded the files, sent them off to Walgreens (they had a nice print special before Christmas-I think I printed between 70-80 images), and then stuck them in the inexpensive albums. Three quiet books for about $10, not too shabby. I used them as stocking stuffers, and my girls have been excited to have special new books to take to church.

Here are the links to the files I made my books from:

Quiet Books–We Believe (adorable illustrations of gospel principles)

LDS Primary theme 2011

Articles of Faith (colorful text)

Book of Mormon Stories (26 story summaries from the Book of Mormon, illustrated with the well-known LDS artwork)

I combined the Primary theme and Articles of Faith into one book, since it wasn’t as long as the others.  There is also another book available, Prophets and Apostles. I haven’t downloaded it yet, but I think it would be great for General Conference.

So there you have it. Now each of my girls has their own Sunday bag with their own activities to help them be reverent during Sacrament Meeting, and they are responsible for carrying it. I also usually stick a Friend magazine in my bag, and they each get a small container of snacks in their own bag (pretzels and fruit snacks), and that’s it. My own Sunday bag(s) just got a lot more manageable, and the girls feel special carrying their bags into church/Primary. Whenever the Sweet Bee talks to someone at church she proudly says “This my Sunday bag!” and shows it off. Thanks again Tiffany! And be sure to go check out Simply Fresh Designs if you would like to make your own quiet books!

Teach your children to love the scriptures

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“Recent research on the development of a child’s brain has revealed new insights into how and when a child learns. I quote from a recent study: “From birth, a baby’s brain cells proliferate wildly, making connections that may shape a lifetime of experience. The first three years are critical” (J. Madeleine Nash, “Fertile Minds,” Time, 3 Feb. 1997, 49).

“Is it surprising that our Father in Heaven fashioned the minds of very young children to be so capable of learning at a time when they need to be taught who they are and what they must do? The years from birth to age 10 are the peak years for acquiring the language that will become the foundation for understanding future knowledge and truth. That foundation is formed by the words they hear and the impressions that come to them from the world around them. It is an ideal time for parents to read to their children from the scriptures. They will begin to learn the language of the scriptures.

“The Savior has given us a pattern to follow as we study the scriptures. We hear the word, we ponder upon its meaning, we ask our Heavenly Father to help us understand, and then our minds and hearts are prepared to receive the promised blessings. Pondering is more than reading words; it is searching for meanings that will help us as we relate to one another and as we make choices in our lives. It is allowing the word to move from our minds to our hearts. The Spirit bears witness to our hearts as we prayerfully seek to know the things of our Heavenly Father. When we have that witness and knowledge, we think and live and relate to each other in more Christlike ways.

“As parents, our children look to us and our example to guide them. When we consistently live what the scriptures teach, we provide them with an anchor that will guide them in discerning truth in a world of conflicting values. With the scriptures as a reference point, we can help them process their experiences and the consequences of their choices. By so doing, we help them keep the eternal perspective always in focus so they never forget who they are and where they are going.”

Anne G. Wirthlin, “Teaching Our Children to Love the Scriptures,” Ensign, May 1998, 9

Let it snow!

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Did you get snow over the weekend? Quite likely, since 49 of the 50 states now currently have snow. I, however, am living in Florida, where snow continues to be elusive and just out of our reach. In my mind, January should equal snow, so this week we have been making our own.

Make and Takes suggested using coffee filters for cutting out snowflakes. Let me tell you, the filters work wonderfully. Already in a perfect circle shape, and they are a little thinner and easier to cut through for little fingers. They were well worth the 97 cents I paid for 100 filters (although I did feel a little weird buying coffee filters, since that isn’t something I have ever consumed…)

We have them decorating our windows and hanging from the ceiling.

Later this week we plan to add a little color to our snowflakes. And when we get tired of our filter snowflakes, I think we’ll make a few out of q-tips.

Thanks to Confessions of a Homeschooler, the Sweet Bee and I have plenty of preschool activities to keep us busy. Today we had fun with the snowman matching card. We matched number clothespins with the appropriately numbered snowman, then counted and put each snowman in order.

Here are the books we are reading to complete our snow-themed bookshelf:

Snowmen At Night by Caralyn Buehner

Snowmen All Year by Caralyn Buehner

Thomas’ Snowsuit by Robert Munsch

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats


Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton


Stella, Queen of the Snow by Mary-Louise Gay

For more snowy ideas, check out my Snowy Fun post from 2010.

Read the scriptures to your children

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President Hinckley has counseled parents: “Read to your children. Read the story of the Son of God. Read to them from the New Testament. Read to them from the Book of Mormon. It will take time, and you are very busy, but it will prove to be a great blessing in your lives as well as in their lives. And there will grow in their hearts a great love for the Savior of the world, the only perfect man who walked the earth. He will become to them a very real living being, and His great atoning sacrifice as they grow to manhood and womanhood, will take on a new and more glorious meaning in their lives” (quoted in Church News, 6 Dec. 1997, 2).