What Do We Do All Day?

Friday Do-Over: Easy Trick for Pattern Blocks

2012-05-25T05:04:00.000-04:00

If you have small pattern blocks, try using a muffin tin to build shapes. The cup helps keeps small pieces contained so little hands have an easier time keeping the shapes together. Idea first published 6/3/09.

Our former neighbor gave us these great pattern blocks. Unfortunately, when Kiddo tries to build the pictures, he has a hard time keeping the blocks in place. We found a new way to use them: Kiddo put them in a muffin tin to explore the relationship between the shapes and sizes.

Also, check out Mama Smiles' great solution to keeping pattern blocks from slipping around: contact paper!

Games for the Airplane

2012-05-21T05:00:00.000-04:00

We don't rely on electronics to entertain our kids on the airplane, but that doesn't mean I don't stock up on some good games (and a few new books) to keep them entertained during long trips.

I got a few great travel puzzle games for our flight across the country last week. They were big hits with Kiddo, so of course I thought of sharing them with you.

Magnetic Sudoku (pictured in top photo). I like that the 40 puzzles can be recycled over and over for different people. No need to erase.

Peg Game. (above left) Watch out! Highly addictive for grown-ups who feel they should be scoring at the "*WOW* Genius" level, but are only scoring "Just So-So". Um. Er. Not that I know anyone like this.

Kanoodle. (above right) Brain twister that can be played as a 2-D or 3-D puzzle. Super addictive, especially at the higher level puzzles.

Happy Travels.

P.S. These games would be great for restaurants, too.

Transportation Tuesday

2012-05-15T05:11:00.000-04:00

We are on a rural holiday this week, but in the meantime, check out New Kid's attempt at color sorting his cars.

Kindly make no comment on the unvacuumed state of the rug.

Books of the Week: Kids' Choices

2012-05-11T05:06:00.000-04:00

Even though Children's Book Week lasts through this Sunday, this is my last book post of the week. We are going on a much needed holiday tomorrow and I didn't find time this week to write a couple of posts for the weekend.

So, for my last post, I will share with you a few random books that my kids chose at the library this week.

First, Kiddo:

For the Birds: The Life of Roger Tory Peterson. This is a picture book biography of the author of the well-known bird guides. I believe Kiddo might be planning on writing his own bird guide someday.

Harriet's Hare. Dick King-Smith (author of Babe), is a no-fail early chapter book author.

New Kid's choice:

Will Goes to the Post Office. It just warms my hear that my love of Swedish children's literature is rubbing off on New Kid.

The Donut Chef. This book is seriously putting my anti-sugar diet in jeopardy.

Lest you think I am slipping by only checking out 4 books this week, I assure you, there were many others. Some were kid choices I don't care to mention!

What books did your children choose at the library this week?

Children's Book Illustration I Want To Jump Into

2012-05-10T05:39:00.001-04:00

There are a few picture book illustrations that depict a certain style of carefully conceived world and I want to take a running jump and see if I might just be able to step through the pages. Literally. Have you ever felt that way about a picture book?

These types of books are few and far between and I don't even necessarily call them my favorite books (although I love them) or the ones with the best illustrations. However, they have a specific draw (pun intended) and I'd really like to take a stroll through them.

Here are three:

Adèle & Simon. Old school turn of the century Paris. When do we leave?

Woody, Hazel, and Little Pip. Miniature magical creatures, autumnal loveliness.

Christmas in Noisy Village. Swedish Christmas goodness. Plus, gingerbread pigs are delicious so I wouldn't get hungry.

I would also mention the lovely Maggie B (oh look, I just did), but it was part of Monday's post.

What illustrations do you wish would transport you away?

Chapter Books That Stayed With Me

2012-05-09T05:49:00.002-04:00

If someone were to ask me which chapter books I read as a child I could probably sit down make you a list of more than a hundred books, but if you were to ask me which ones were memorable, which ones sit in my memory still, the list would be much shorter. With one exception I couldn't even tell you how I old I was when I first read these books, but they are the books I easily remember plot arcs or vivid moments without difficulty despite the fact that I have not re-read them as an adult (yet).

Here are a few of them:

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Despite reading this book almost 20 years before I ever dreamed I would live in New York City, this book was essential in formulating in my imagination what it must be like to live in the fabled city.

The Westing Game. If you think kids can't handle intricate and complex mystery plots, you are incredibly mistaken.

Anne of Green Gables. Thought not as complex a book as the above, it is hard to get past this book's lasting influence. I read this over and over as a kid.

Bridge to Terabithia. And this is when I learned that some books will make you bawl your eyes out.

The Secret Garden. I dreamed of having my own Secret Garden. But then, didn't we all?

The Phantom Tollbooth. When I learned that language was something to be loved. And made fun of.

Honorable Mention: The entire Wizard of Oz series by L. Frank Baum. All sixteen books. An American Fairy Tale if ever there was one.

What Chapter Books from your childhood stayed with you? What books do you hope your kids will read?

Children's Picture Books: Baseball

2012-05-08T06:04:00.002-04:00

I sooo hate to be a cliché, especially when it comes to gender divisions.... but I'm not a sports fan myself, yet I married one and gave birth to two. I don't mind staying home and napping while dad and the boys out to a ball game (that way I don't have to think about the food they are eating) but reading books, even if they are about sports is definitely something I can get behind.

It's baseball season (Right? Right?), so read a few of our favorite baseball books with your Little Leaguer.

Children's Picture Books: Quiet Classics

2012-05-07T04:00:00.000-04:00

We are all familiar with the powerhouse picture books like Goodnight Moon and Where the Wild Things Are, but there are many other classic picture books which all too frequently get left off "top ten" lists. These are books that I like to call "quiet classics," picture books which manage to stay in print over the decades and never go out of style.

Be sure to add these quiet classics to your home library:

Mr. Gumpy's Outing (1970). Don't tip the boat, but if you do, we'll still have tea.

May I Bring a Friend? (1965). Yes, indeed. Friends of all sorts.

The Maggie B (1975). After reading this book, living on a tiny boat will seem like the most glorious experience you can possible imagine.

Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present (1977). Lovely presents in all colors.

Angus and the Ducks (1930). Sassy ducks and a curious Scottie dog make for fine entertainment.

The Best-Loved Doll (1962). When I was a kid I actually convinced my mom to let me throw a party just like the one in the book.

What about you, what are your favorite lesser-known classics that publishers have actually kept in print? Have you read any of these?

Children's Book Week: May 7th - 13th

2012-05-06T06:02:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow starts Children's Book Week, and here at What Do We Do All Day? we cannot pass up the ~~excuse~~ opportunity to devote an entire week to book posts. Stay tuned for our suggestions of great books to read to your kids. In the meantime, download this free bookmark designed by Lane Smith, find a local event, and visit your local library to stock up.

Also, check out this awesome graphic which pretty much sums up the power of books:

And don't forget to visit and like our NEW facebook page, where I will be posting links to other book-related goodies all week.

Now On Facebook

2012-05-05T13:33:00.000-04:00

Well, I did it, I made a What Do We Do All Day? page on Facebook (actually I started making it last September but I got a little sidetracked). I hope I'm not in over my head, but you'll never find out unless you like me.

Friday Do-Over: Painting With Magnets

2012-05-04T05:54:00.001-04:00

NEW: Just what you've been waiting for! Now you can join me on Facebook!
You may have seen this art idea floating around the internet, and for good reason. It's fun! First published 7/2/09.Heavily coat some metal hardware in paint and place them on top of a sheet of paper taped to a tray or sturdy piece of cardboard (cardboard will produce a nice textured effect, see last photo).

Holding a strong magnet under the tray move the hardware around the tray to create a painting.

We also taped some paper to a piece of cardboard which produced a textured effect.

10 Great Construction Work Picture Books

2012-04-30T04:56:00.001-04:00

I'm not sure it's possible to love construction vehicles as much as a three year old. Publishers are well-aware of this so I am here to help you move away from the cheesy board books with actual wheels (No judgements! We read those, too!) towards something a bit ~~less annoying~~ more substantial. Try these ten out for size.

Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site. Fantastic. New Kids has this one memorized. The cuteness when he reads it to himself is pretty unbearable.

Digger Man. Brothers teaching brothers the importance of diggers!

Good Morning, Digger. So, even though you might not like that crunching noise every morning, your kid still does.

Roadwork. All the fun of watching roadwork and none of the smell.

Who Made This Cake? Guess what? You can construct your cake and eat it, too!

Tip Tip Dig Dig. I've spent hours reading this book, now you can, too.

I'm Dirty! Seriously. Take a bath.

Trucks, Trucks, Trucks. I'm confused that this is out of print, it's perfectly simple.

Machines Go To Work. More than just construction, but hard to believe the oil-painting-like illustrations are created digitally.

Machines at Work. Well that Byron has a book for everything, doesn't he. Thankfully they are good for parents with tired tongues.

Dig in!

Friday Do-Over: Cute and Easy Frosting-Free Cupcake Decorations

2012-04-27T05:37:00.000-04:00

My husband's birthday is coming up so I thought I'd share my signature frosting-free decorating idea again. I loathe dealing with frosting but that doesn't mean you can't make your cupcakes super cute! For the stenciling you see below we used plastic letters but you can also cut your own shapes from card stock. I use this method for the boys' birthday cupcakes, too, which you can see here. First published 5/4/09.

We used Kiddo's letters and a paper heart as inside out stencils for powdered sugar to relay a very important message.

Friday Do-Over: How We Read

2012-04-20T05:55:00.001-04:00

Most of the time my book posts are what I like to call "micro-reviews." But occasionally I write a longer post addresses the way we read around here. Here are four of those posts.

3/22/10 Reading to Differently Aged Children at the Same Time.
1/8/11 Books They Love But I Hate.
3/26/11 Why I Let My Child Read Books About Burping and Underwear.
1/27/12 How to Find Good Children's Books.

Transportation Tuesday

2012-04-17T06:12:00.003-04:00

One of the side benefits of living in New York is the large amount of public art -- even on the subways. I am absolutely in love with the latest creation by the amazing Sophie Blackwell, whom you may know as the illustrator of Big Red Lollipop and the very funny Ivy + Bean books. You can see the whole poster in close up on Blackwell's blog.

New Kid may be more interested in what's out the window that what's above it, but the poster and its oh-so-accurate depiction of subway life makes me smile every time we have to get on the train.

Spring Give-Me-A-Break

2012-04-15T03:00:00.000-04:00

When your two boys have just spent 5 long days of spring "break" bickering and whining at each other you might decide to look the other way when they start slapping wet felt shapes all over the wall, causing water to run down onto the floor.

Because at least they are working together.

The After School Blog Hop is co-hosted by: Just Playin’ Around, Little Wonders’ Days, Mama Smiles, Mouse Grows, Mouse Learns, The Educators’ Spin On It, What Do We Do All Day?

Friday Do-Over: Indoor Carnival Game

2012-04-13T05:51:00.002-04:00

Got a rainy spring day to fill? Turn a box into a ball toss and sneak in some math practice while you are at it. First published 11/16/10.

There is just way too much ball play in our home for normal people. To try and direct it away from my ~~authentic Tiffany lamp~~ ikea street finds I took one of the huge boxes that Kiddo will not let me get rid of and fashioned it into a carnival game.

It's also good for math practice and buses.

More Great Early Chapter Books For Kids

2012-04-09T04:55:00.000-04:00

As evidenced by the comments and emails that resulted from my recent post, Early Chapter Books for Kids, there are many of you out there looking for some good reading material for your grade schoolers. And so, in order to appease the masses I give you some more suggestions. All of these books are series so there are many continuing adventures to read. Kiddo's micro-reviews are in italics, my comments follow his.

EllRay Jakes Is Not a Chicken. Ellray is a good guy. I found this on the new books shelf at the library and Kiddo has been enjoying them.

Betsy and the Boys. They need to let the girl play football. Super retro series from the 1940s! You may be more familiar with "B" Is for Betsy.

Calvin Coconut. I like these books because Calvin gets to live in Hawaii. When are we going to go there? And really, how many kid books set in Hawaii are there, anyway?

Toys Come Home. This book is so funny! Especially the part when walrus is covered in barf!!! While that may seem like an enticing review, let me assure you the books in this series are clever and charming. This is a perfect example of a book I would have passed over in the library ("A book about toys? How good could that be?"), but discovered by reading a book blog review. Also, I have been reading these aloud to both boys since New Kid loves to laugh along with his brother.

Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything. There are so many interesting kids in this book. A great series from the author of Alvin Ho.

Invisible Inkling. This book might be set in my school, Mom, they have Pizza Fridays!. The school is fictional, but it's hard not to love a book set in a Brooklyn neighborhood inspired, in part, by your own. It's by the author of the above Toys Come Home, and Emily Jenkins is quickly becoming one of my favorites -- she also wrote the lovely picture book, What Happens on Wednesdays.

The Buddy Files. This book is good because it has a problem and a solution. Again, this is a series I would have passed over were it not for the great book bloggers out there.

Mostly Monty: First Grader. Monty is in 1st grade, like me. This one comes from the author of one of my favorite series, Riverside Kids.

Gooney Bird Greene. This one is so good, my favorite series! I actually haven't read any of these myself, but Kiddo enjoys this series so much likes to read me passages. Thanks to Amy for suggesting it! If you are familiar with author Lois Lowry, you know she is an extraordinary versatile author.

What are your grade schoolers reading?

I'm linking to What My Child Is Reading and Book Sharing Monday.

Friday Guest Post: Warm-Weather Outdoor Car Wash

2012-04-06T05:58:00.002-04:00

I've done a couple of indoor car wash activities in the last two weeks so, when Shannon sent me her guest post today I was happy to see it was car washed-themed! The warm weather is here so enjoy! And don't forget to check out her great new book: The Essential Stay-at-Home Mom Manual: How to Have a Wondrous Life Amidst Kids and Chaos.

Warm-Weather Kids' Activity: Outdoor Car Wash

Not long ago, Mom and Kiddo invited me to write a guest post on a kids' activity idea for What Do We Do All Day? Considering that I've been reading this site for years and have often considered it the gold-standard kids' activities resource for harried at-home moms, I was very flattered. Mom and Kiddo recently read and reviewed my newly-published book, The Essential Stay-at-Home Mom Manual, which includes a special bonus chapter at the end called, not-so-coincidentally, "'So, What Do You Do All Day?': Simple, At-Home Kid Activities that Won't Break the Bank or Drive You Crazy," so I figured I'd take one of the ideas from that chapter to talk about today.

Outdoor Car Wash

I don't know about where you live, but here in MN it's been uncharacteristically spring-like for weeks, bringing warm-weather, outdoor activities to mind. Here's a fun kids' activity to pull out this spring and summer when it's hot. If you live in the city and don't have a driveway, get creative and use a stoop, front sidewalk, back alley, or any patch of space you can put into use for some fun water play. (You could even do this on the grass somewhere if you use only plain water and not soap.)

The toy car wash is simple. All you need to do is gather your children's (better yet: have them gather) water-safe toy cars, trucks, and other vehicles, and bring them outside with buckets of plain and soapy water, washrags, and sponges for an outdoor "car wash." Trust me--kids of many ages love anything that involves water on a warm day, so stretch the fun out for as long as possible by adding any washable "vehicles" you can think of, from Matchbox cars to that Fisher Price Little People fire engine. Don't stop at the tiny toys; add the real-life ride-on toys, tricycles, bikes, and scooters your children use, too--my daughters even included their toy grocery cart from our playroom--and let them give everything a good scrub. Now that's good, clean fun!

Restaurant Activities for Kids: Part 2 - Pencil and Paper Games

2012-04-05T04:18:00.000-04:00

In Restaurant Activities for Kids: Part One I filled you in on a few of the ways I keep my Preschooler contained at restaurants, but Kiddo is now 7 and is not particularly interested in stringing beads. Although he often brings a book for when he starts to get antsy, I find knowing a few pencil and paper games comes in handy, especially for those of us not packing smart phones with apps and such.

Of course you can always play Hangman or Tic Tac Toe, but here are a few others to try.

Dots. You may have played this classic game. You can find grids to print out online, but if you don't have one, simply put down a grid of dots on the restaurant's paper place mat (if it has one, you fancy-restaurant goer-you!). Each player takes his turn by drawing a line connecting a pair of dots. Lines can be put down anywhere but have to be either horizontal or vertical and must be between adjacent dots. Players put their initial inside their completed boxes to keep track. The goal is to make as many boxes as you can until the page is completely filled with boxes.

5 in a Row. Using a grid at least 15 x 15, each player takes his turn by filling in a box with either an X or an O. The first player to get 5 in a row wins. In a pinch you can turn a Dots printout into a grid.

Bulls and Cows. Kiddo likes this one because it is similar to one of his favorite games, Mastermind. I am not even going to try and explain it myself. Just read the Wikipedia article about it!

What about you, do you have any favorite old fashioned pencil and paper games? When do you play them?

Transportation Tuesday

2012-04-03T04:28:00.001-04:00

Cheaper by the dozen.

Giveaway Winner

2012-04-02T04:22:00.000-04:00

I used random.org to pick the winner of The Essential Stay-at-Home Mom Manual: How to Have a Wondrous Life Amidst Kids and Chaos.

The winner is #5: Lisa. Please contact me at momandkiddo [at] gmail [dot] come with your mailing address.

Thanks everyone for participating. Even if you didn't win, you can always pick up a copy of Shannon's helpful book for yourself!

Five Great (Newish) Picture Books

2012-04-01T06:20:00.000-04:00

This is a collection of picture books that I have been trying to find a way to seamlessly work into a blog post, but since I haven't been able to come up with something to dazzle you, I will simply group them all together. Had I read them last year they may have made their way into my Top Ten Picture Books of 2011, as that was when they were published.

They all deserve a read, so enjoy!

The Princess and the Pig. Do not let the saccharine cover fool you, this is one witty tale.
A House in the Woods. Super cozy illustrations, plus BONUS!: peanut butter sandwich eating beavers!
Stuck. Picture Book Absurdism at its finest.

I Must Have Bobo!. Those sneaky sneaky felines.

Everything Goes: On Land. Everything. No, really. Everything.

I'm linking to What My Child Is Reading and Book Sharing Monday.

Friday Do-Over: Shaving Cream Car Wash

2012-03-30T05:38:00.001-04:00

I am bowled over at how popular last week's Car Wash Post ~~was~~ is! In one week it has become the most popular post of all time. Thanks for the love, people! This week I was too crazed to post, but here is a variation on the indoor car wash (or outdoor for those of you with a yard or deck). There's also not much time left to sign up for my giveaway, so hurry and get on that! First published 3/17/10.
A fun sensory activity: hide some cars in mounds of shaving cream, provide spray bottle and fingernail brush and call it a car wash.
Provides at least 45 minutes of fun.

Chapter Book Read Alouds

2012-03-24T05:24:00.000-04:00

It's not always easy for me to decide which books to post about. I've been reading chapter books to Kiddo since he was four but here are a few that we've enjoyed.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. If you have not yet read this book with your child, put it next on your list. A beautiful story of a heroic girl's journey. One of my favorite children's books ever.

Owls in the Family. Boys, owls, and Saskatchewan. Could anything be any more hilarious?

Homer Price. One word: Doughnuts.

The Magician's Boy. This one could goes fast since it could also be a child-read chapter book for a seven year old, but you wouldn't want to miss this magical fractured fairy tale yourself, so read it aloud instead.

The Cricket in Times Square. It's New York, so... well... obviously.

The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread. It's such a relief when all the hype is true. So lovely.

If you are looking for age recommendations, I would suggest age 6 and up (although The Magician's Boy could be read to a 4 or 5 year old), but every child's level is different, so use your best judgement.

Have you read any of these books with your child? What are some of your favorites?

I'll be linking to What My Child Is Reading and Book Sharing Monday.