The Importance of Block Play
At it's simplest use, Block play encourages children to develop hand eye coordination and build muscle strength in their hands as they stack and manipulate blocks. Used regularly it also can help develop language skills, perception, illustrate early math concepts and provide a creative outlet.

Intellectual Benefits:
Although to kids, block play is just plain fun, there are many educational and intellectual benefits. For instance, young children develop their vocabularies as they learn to describe positions, shapes and sizes. Through grouping, adding, subtracting and eventually multiplying with blocks, math skills are developed. Early elementary aged children may  experiment with gravity, balance, and eventually geometry using blocks.

Creative Benefits:
Blocks allow children the opportunity to create and (safely) destroy by allowing them to build and knock down the structures they create.  Children may also incorporate blocks into their dramatic play (pretend play) time.

Wood Blocks:
Melissa & Doug 100-piece Block Set
Log Builders
68-piece multi colored blocks
Discount School Supply Natural wood blocks
Classic Unit Blocks with pull wagon
Triwood Blocks
Small kids 72-piece building block set
Rainbow Construction Blocks

Block Play
Snap Bloc
Kapla Building Blocks
Bristle Builders
Snap & Build Cubes
Best buy Building Bricks

Books:
The Block Book (out of print, check your library)
Block Play
Building Structures with young children

Online Articles:
There's more to children's block play than meets the eye

Karin Katherine is a homeschooling mother of 4. You can follow her children's learning adventures on their blog, Passport Academy.

Discovery Tables are a wonderful way to both entertain and educate your Littlest Learner.  In traditional school settings Discovery Tables are also known as Sand and Water Tables, but that name is deceiving because these tables can do far more than just sand and water activities.  Although you can purchase a Sand and Water table from any school supply, you can also create your own fairly inexpensively from objects you may already have in your home.  Once you gather the necessary tools the options are only limited by your imagination.  Discovery Tables allow your child to explore (self directed) and can be easily integrated with lessons or themes.

When children pour water into measuring cups, they gain a foundation for future mathematical thinking. When they drop toy boats, shells, feathers, and marbles into a tub of water, they are exposed to science as they discover what objects sink and which float.   When they comb sand into patterns or form letters, they learn about both math, art and even language arts!

Here are a few activities and resources to get you started:

Sand & Water play: 
As the name suggests, this discovery table includes both sand and water. Include tools for playing with both and mixing them together (think beach toys).

Water Play:
Involves ONLY water.  You can set this up in your bathtub, a plastic tub or baby pool if you don't have a traditional sand and water table.  Anything and everything that involves water can be done.  Include sieves, colanders, funnels, measuring cups etc. Experiment with colored water too!

Dry Oatmeal or Cornmeal
perfect for finger writing--uses your fingers to write letters.

Feathers
Another sensory activity. What could be more fun to touch, sort, and watch float down than a tub full of feathers?

Beans & Metal Scoops
I don't know what it is about beans and metal scoops that keeps preschoolers busy for hours---but it does! Perhaps its the crunching sound?Although supervision is required it's a wonderful activity that involves scooping, transferring and pouring.  You can also use dry pasta or rice as a substitute.

 Nature Walk Discovery Table:
Take a nature walk with your child and collect your finds in a paper bag (leaves, pinecones, rocks,etc.). Later put them inside a tub, add a magnifying glass and/or microscope (you can also use binoculars and turn them upside down and look through the large holes) for an closer inspection of what you've found.  Tie this in with books about nature, leaves or whatever it is you've found and your lesson is complete!

Discovery Tables:
Mini Discovery Table
Sand & Water Activity Tubs
Economy Sand & Water Tables
See all table with cover
See thru sand & water table (expensive!)

Discovery Table Kits:
Dino-Dig Kit
Water Play Kit
Sink or Float Activity Kit
Scoop & Sifter Set

Books:
Sand & Water Play  preview book here
Exploring water with young children

Online articles:
How Sand & Water Play promote development
Topmarks educational Search Engine: Sand & Water Play
Messy Play: Bubbles, Dough, Sand & Water PDF from Lekotek

Karin Katherine is a homeschooling mother of 4. You can follow her children's learning adventures on their blog, Passport Academy.

Two of the first words we teach our children are Please and Thank-you, yet do they truly understand what it means to be thankful?  Thanksgiving is a wonderful season and opportunity for modeling and teaching thankfulness, yet it shouldn't be limited to the month of November. Plant the seed now, but water and tend to it each day afterwards.

Here are some ways you can take advantage of this teachable moment, now and throughout the year.

Model what it means to be thankful.  Don't just talk about it. Show it. Everyday, not just during Thanksgiving week.

Verbally express your feelings of thanks.  Let your children hear you tell people you are thankful for them and why.  Don't miss this opportunity to let your child know you are thankful they are in your life.  Encourage a conversation with your child about who and what they are thankful for.

Cultivate a grateful heart. Contentment is a gift. You will do well to teach this to your child early on.

Pray with Thanksgiving all year long.  During meal and nighttime prayers let your children hear you give Thanks to the Lord for the blessings in your life. 

Incorporating picture books  and craft projects celebrating the spirit and history of Thanksgiving is another way to send the message home to little ones.

Thanksgiving Picture Books:
Thanksgiving is for giving thanks by Margaret Sutherland
A Thanksgiving Story by Alice Dalgliesh
The story of Thanksgiving by Nancy Skarmeas
My First Thanksgiving by Tomie dePaola
One little, Two little, Three little Pilgrims by B.G Hennessey

Thanksgiving Craft Ideas:

Create a Thankful Tree.  Have each family member name a few things they are thankful for and add that to the tree.  As a variation you can name PEOPLE that you are thankful for and each day following Thanksgiving you can remove a name from the tree and pray for that person.

Create a Thanks and a Giving Tree.  This tree helps keep track of what you are thankful for and what you have done for others.  A wonderful way to capture the spirit of Thanksgiving.

Create a Thanksgiving Thankful Turkey.

Create a Thanksgiving Turkey Card by tracing your child's feet (in shoes) for the turkey body, and hands for the wings and feathers.  Add googly eyes and cut a beak, waddle and feet.

Create Pine Cone Turkey placesettings

Create Learning Letters Turkey

Create Learning Numbers Turkey

Create Indian Corn Mosaic (wonderful cutting activity)

Create a Turkey handprint card
Include a handwritten note letting someone know why you are thankful for them.Create a Playdough Turkey Kit

Additional ideas:
Danielle's Place


I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with your Littlest Learner.
You can follow our homeschool journey at PassportAcademy.com

Photo credit: The Mayfly.com

Kids Table Activity Ideas

As homeschool mothers we spend considerable time making sure we put healthy meals onto our tables and stimulating and educational activities into our homeschool.  While these are certainly worthwhile and good uses of our time, we should remember that we are first and foremost our children's parent and so we must remember to take the time we have with them to just simply enjoy them and nurture our relationship with them.  They will learn.  There will still be time to teach colors, counting, the alphabet and more, but make sure you take time to enjoy your children first. 

Instead of focusing on what you need to teach your child today; focus on your child today.  You won't regret it.

Suggested Reading

The power of play: How spontaneous imaginative activities lead to hapier, and healtheir children by David Elkind, PH.D

The Miseducation of Preschoolers by David Elkind, PH.D

Web Site References:

Preschoolers & Play
Brain Play

Karin Katherine is a homeschooling mother of 4 who is learning to simply enjoy her children more each day.  Visit her personal blog Mommy Matters Blog or her homeschooling blog Passport Academy

Inspiring a love of reading in your little ones is perhaps one of the most important aspects of developing a successful home education program.  It is also surprisingly one of the easiest.

Make reading together a positive experience that invokes feelings of love, comfort, security, happiness, and even adventure.  When you read with your little make sure you are both comfortable and able to enjoy the story together.  Cuddling up on the sofa, bed, or even floor together, makes them feel safe and secure.  When you are reading don't rush through or complain about the time you are spending reading to them.  These moments go quickly, so savor them and the book.

Have books easily accessible to your young ones. Place on bookshelves or baskets that are easily within their reach.  Use board books for younger children while keeping library books in a safe place until your child has shown they can treat borrowed books responsibly. 

Allow your child the opportunity to select the book they would like you to read.  Even if it means reading the same beloved books four times (or more) in a day.  Children like repetition and while it is good to encourage a diversity do not begrudge them their favorites.

Create a home library (even if it is a borrowed one from the library) that is built around the interests of your child.  How much would you enjoy reading if the only books you were able to read were about things that did not interest you at all?  Thankfully there are books available to suit every possible interest your child may have.  I know when my twin boys were interested in construction vehicles I was amazed at the selection that also included alphabet books based on construction vehicles.

Bring books with you to restaurants, on errands or appointments and in the car.  Allow your child to choose a book for a car ride or to place in the diaper bag.  By doing so you allow them to see books as a source of entertainment and a way to occupy themselves instead of turning to video games, television, or depending on you to entertain them constantly.

Discuss the book with your child and allow them to ask questions.  It is never too early to discuss a book with your child.  Let your child know that they should never be afraid to ask you what a word means.  My kindergarten age children still stop me and ask me what a word means when I'm reading to them.  What a wonderful trait to develop!  Not only can I be assured they are listening but their vocabulary is developing naturally through our reading.  When they are older I can be assured that they will look up any words they do not understand.

Read with enthusiasm.  You don't have to be a professional actor to bring a book to life for your children.

Extend your read aloud time to include crafts, games, or dramatic play based upon the characters or theme of the book. 

Do not limit your read aloud selections to books that are marketed specifically to preschoolers.  The more you read to your child, the more their vocabulary and comprehension will develop.  As this develops so will their attention span.  Even preschoolers can enjoy a chapter book.  You know your child best.  Don't be afraid to read books to them that are typically marketed to elementary age students or above, as long as the subject matter is appropriate, so is the book.

Do not limit your selections to fiction.  Non-fiction books can be equally enjoyable to preschoolers if it is about a subject they are interested in. Poetry is also wonderful to share with young learners. 

Allow your child the privilege of owning their own book and writing their name inside the cover.  Not only will they learn responsibility, they will also have a precious heirloom from their childhood to share with their own children one day.  There is something very special about owning your own book, if you doubt its significance give your child their own book and see what happens.

And finally, let your children see you reading your own books, newspapers or magazines.  Talk about what you are reading with your children.  Let them see that reading is something that you yourself value and enjoy.  Families who love reading  and share time reading with their children typically have children who enjoy reading as well.

These are just a few of the many ways you can develop a love of reading in your young children.  I hope they will be a blessing to you and your family.  Join me next week as I share some of my favorite poems and poetry books for Little Learners.

Karin Katherine is a homeschooling mother of four ages: 8 months, 3, 5, and 5.  She enjoys sharing her passion for homeschooling with others through this column and her blogs Mommy Matters Blog  and Passport Academy.