Keep Preschool, Toddler Children Busy With Free Activities

 As a 10-year homeschooling mom of four, I know about multitasking with kids. The hardest age of child to keep productively occupied is toddler. Maybe I should rephrase "productive" to "occupied in parent-approved ways." Our kids were always productively employed, at least in their minds. From a parent's view it looked like mess-making. And during the holidays it only gets worse. More work, antsy kids, abnormal schedules, added events make it more challenging to keep a toddler in check. Here are parent-friendly, child-minder holiday activities. For free printables to occupy kids, click the "printables" keyword on this blog or check out my link blogs. You'll find enough printable games, crafts, cut and paste toys and educational activities to keep an army of kids busy! Toddler Child-minder Activities for Busy Parents

Free Printable 2013 Calendars for Parents, Kids

One of the best ways to teach a child to be organized is to help them follow a daily calendar or schedule. Here are free printable 2013 monthly and weekly calendars, personal organizers and schedules for kids. Many are coloring page calendars, too. Free printable coloring page calendars make great math and time lesson plans for elementary and special needs students. Keep preschoolers busy when older siblings aren't in school with these printables. You might even use these free printable coloring page calendars are birthday or holiday gifts for family and friends.  Read more

Free Printable Advent Countdown to Christmas Activities

Advent begins on Sunday late in November or early in December. For the next 25 days we will prepare our hearts for the coming (Advent) of Jesus. Here are free printable Advent coloring, puzzles, crafts, calendars, wreaths and activities to celebrate the season. These activities will help kids anxious kids occupied (so mom and can work) till Christmas. I have been exploring and testing links for free printable Advent activities to keep children busy productive and happy as they prepare for Christmas.  read more

Montessori mom: At-home preschool practical life learning center

I'm a certified special needs teacher and a former home school parent. I also taught in a Montessori school. Both Montessori and special education follow a learning center-based classroom model. Learning centers (also called areas or stations), engage children in hands-on, multisensory tasks. Each center focuses on different activities: reading, math, science, building, gross motor, art, dramatic play and practical life. When I taught our kids at home, I brought the learning center concept into our home. If you've got preschool kids or are a home school parent, why not try the learning center approach? Here's how this Montessori mom set up a practical life learning area.  At-home preschool practical life learning center 

Montessori mom: At-home preschool dramatic play learning center

 As a special needs and former Montessori teacher, my classrooms have always been organized on the learning center principle. Learning centers are rotational play areas were children perform tasks related to specific content areas: math, reading, science, art, practical life, dramatic play. When I had children, I imported the learning center philosophy into my home. The play room was set up like a modified preschool classroom. Got toddler or preschool age kids? I highly recommend setting up learning centers. If you're homeschooling, learning centers are a must. Here's how this Montessori mom designed an at-home dramatic play area.  Montessori mom: At-home preschool dramatic play learning center 

Recycled Halloween, Fall Crafts for Preschoolers

With older kids going back to school, little ones get bored. And bored preschoolers means parents must entertain or face consequences. Here are fall and Halloween-themed preschool crafts to occupy preschool children. These are great for a Halloween party, too. Easy, inexpensive crafts using recycled materials. Eco-Friendly Recycled Halloween and Autumn Harvest Craft Ideas 

Best Free Online Spelling, Vocabulary Games for Busy Moms

Need to keep an energetic kid busy while you work? Maybe you need some rainy day fun activities? Here's an idea--educational video games. I have a confession to make--I love online word games. For all the articles I write warning parents and kids about the dangers of obsessive game playing, I admit that there are advantages. Playing word games helps boost my visual tracking, perceptual acuity and typing skills (or so I tell myself). Mostly, I use them as a brain break from writing and research.  Best Free Online Spelling, Vocabulary Games to Boost Reading Skills 

Printable Thanksgiving Calendar, Craft Activity

Countdown calendars are a great math teaching tool for children to help them learning to organize, count and measure time. Here's a free printable countdown to Thanksgiving calendar. Fun craft activity keeps children productively occupied as the countdown the days to the Thanksgiving holiday. Read more

Multitask: Get Your Work Done and Entertain Your Toddler

How to Occupy a Toddler and Still Get Work Done Great multitasking tips and ideas for ways to entertain and occupy a toddler and still get your housework done. View more »