The other day, my 3-and-a-half-year-old and I were getting into the car when he pointed up to the sky.

“What’s that?” he asked.

I looked up and saw a pipe on the roof of a building, emitting clouds of steam. “That’s called steam,” I told him. “That’s what happens when warm air mixes with cold air”.

He looked at me quizzically.

I thought fast. “Look,” I said, exhaling heavily. “Mommy makes steam, too!”.

His eyes widened.

“You try!”

He opened his mouth and blew. He was delighted when a small puff of steam eked out. After a few more successful tries, he happily bumbled into his car seat and we were on our way.

As someone who is a strictly summer weather person, I have learned to make the best of our East coast winters by taking the Mary Poppins approach: finding the fun in it. Winter weather is unpredictable, inconvenient and coooold, but it is also chocked full of learning experiences for kids.

If you can muster the energy to get yourself and your crew all bundled up, a snow-covered landscape is one of the best hands-on classrooms available. To help them learn about hot and cold, have your kids scoop up snowballs in plastic cups and bring them inside; they’ll learn quickly what happens when left in your warm kitchen overnight. Then take the water-filled cups and put them into the freezer to make ice (you can also mix in a little fruit juice for a colorful frozen treat!). Scope out icicles, crunchy leaves, and if you’re feeling brave, have your kids take off their gloves, put a little snow on their hands and watch the “magic”. Kids are little space heaters; those flakes will disappear in seconds.

If you don’t feel like braving the cold, you can let your kids make “art” on the windows of your house or car by breathing on them and “finger painting” on the steam – this is also great for literacy; kids just LOVE writing their names wherever they’re allowed to (and where they’re not allowed to, sometimes).

However you choose to spend this winter with your kids, remember to stay warm and have fun!

What fun Winter activities do you do with your kids?

Look through the ALEX Blog for fun & creative indoor activities to do like Making your own snow globes or Shrinky Dinks!

Personally, I prefer to take only one kid with me on errands if I can, but that’s a luxury I don’t always get. When I’ve got all four in tow, I go by the credo, fail to plan, plan to fail. Depending on where you’re going, it’s always good to have a game plan to avoid any trouble spots along the way. Here are just a few ideas:

Bribery. I’m not above it. I start the beginning of the trip by having my children pick a special treat they would like for behaving themselves while they’re out. Depending on where we’re going, it can be as simple as a roll of stickers to a trip to the ice cream store when we have multiple stops to make.

Distraction, not rejection. Avoid having to say “No” every 30 seconds by having your children bring something along that will keep them occupied. Small toys and snacks are great for the smaller ones (especially in the grocery, when they want a bite of everything you put in the cart), and the older ones can be designated “Shopping Captains”, being in charge of the grocery list, helping you find what you need, and even asking store professionals where to locate what you’re looking for. They don’t know it, but they’re getting language arts reinforcement while building interpersonal skills.

Pace Yourself. When you’re running errands with kids, there’s a good chance you won’t get everything done. Don’t sweat it; it will all get done eventually. Consider trips out quality time with your kids, even when you’re bustling from here to there. It’s a lot more fun when Mom isn’t stressed out and rushing everyone, or worse, losing her cool in public. Plus, it will teach them to handle life with calm and balance, just like you do.

Happy Shopping!

Do you have any tips for successful errand running with kids?

In search of a festive holiday craft, we took out our ALEX/Kid Concoctions – Weird Wacky & Wild book and found the prefect project! See below for the “How-To” on making jewelry out of Indian corn.

To make Indian Corn Jewelry you will need:

Indian corn kernels

Sewing needle

Thread

Bowl

Water

An adult

I couldn’t find loose kernels at any of my local grocery stores, so I bought the decorative bunches of Indian corn sold in the floral department. (If you know what kind of store sells just the kernels –please let me know!!)

The first step is to take all the kernels off of the cob. Lori actually had a really fun time popping them all off!

Put all the kernels in a bowl and soak them for several hours so they become soft. Note: I was overly excited to make the jewelry and accidentally skipped this step and tried to poke the needle through the kernels right away –it was IMPOSSIBLE!! Just do yourself a favor and make sure you do this important step!

Next, thread your needle and tie a knot at the end of the thread.

*For small children an adult should help for this part of the project*

Push the needle through each of the soft kernels until the necklace or bracelet is as long as you want it to be. Lori, who is 4, was able to do this step very slooooowly, but halfway through she decided it was more fun for her to pick out whichever pretty kernel she wanted next and I strung it on. The necklace came out really nice; the kernels look like shiny colorful stones. I even made one for myself!

Tie both ends of the thread together, put on and enjoy your festive new jewelry!

What fun crafts do you and your family enjoy doing for Thanksgiving? Hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday!

I hate to say it, but the way we celebrate Thanksgiving is not exactly conducive to cultivating gratitude in our children. We buy lots of food, maybe even some new clothes, stuff our faces and then camp out in front of the TV to digest and yell at the Giants to get the ball to the end zone. Where exactly is the “Thanks” in Thanksgiving?

Many children learn the story in school about the first Thanksgiving in this country, a shared meal between the pilgrims and the Native Americans to express their gratitude for the bountiful food they’d harvested together. These days, we don’t do much harvesting, but we can certainly take this holiday as an opportunity to plant the spirit of the holiday in our children.

One of the best ways to help children appreciate what they have is to expose them to those who have not. Plenty of children just like them are without toys, warm clothes and good food to eat. Instead of throwing out leftovers, pack them up with your kids and bring them to a women and children’s shelter. You can even have your child help you make extra food beforehand to bring along. In this country of excess, children learn to appreciate what they have by giving, not by getting. I promise you that giving them opportunities to give will make an indelble imprint on their character.

But why should gratitude be reserved for just this time of year? Appreciation can be expressed any time, and it starts with parents. Take time to verbalize your appreciation for what you have and the many blessings in your life within earshot of your children. Encourage them to think of the things they have to be grateful for. They’ll be surprised at how many they can think of.

By raising grateful children, you’ll have much to be thankful for.

The other night, when I told my three-year-old, Yonah, that it was time for bed, his response was to head for the door. “I want to run away,” he said. As frustrating as it was for me that he wasn’t happily following directions, I could at least understand where he was coming from. Who wants to go to bed when there are so many cool things to see… and break?

This is where my primary parenting mantra, “Distraction, not rejection”, comes in very handy. From the time he was born, Yonah has had a nightly bedtime routine: book, sandwich (where he gets tucked in the middle of the blanket), song and sleep. Our routine is something he enjoys, something he’s used to and ultimately, something that tells him it’s time for bed. So, I gave him a choice: “The Sneetches” or “Harold and the Purple Crayon”. He chose “The Sneetches” (the longer one, of course), and happily shuffled off to his room.

While I am definitely one of those Earth Mother types who encourages independence in her children, I’m not a fool. Boundaries and routine are just as important as independent decision making, because, quite frankly, kids don’t really know what’s best for them (exhibit A: frosting for breakfast). Kids feel safe when they know what to expect and they’re proud of themselves when they deliver what’s expected of them.

So while I don’t guarantee a meltdown-free bedtime every night, my experience has shown that a set routine will decrease the likelihood of a tantrum exponentially. It doesn’t have to be anything complicated: you can read a book together, do some relaxing stretches or yoga poses, sing a bedtime song or even have your child tuck a favorite toy in before they slip into bed. Whatever you decide, your child will fall asleep safe and secure that you’re there with them.

Nighty-night…

The kit is ADORABLE! It comes with a carrying case that opens up to an entire “mini classroom”. There is an activity pad filled with exciting coloring sheets and activities, a drawing pad, tons of colored pencils, report cards, awards, stickers, attendance chart and more. There is a large dry erase pad with pages of colorful charts: ABCs, 123s, shapes, colors, a map, days of the week and lots of other activities. There is a dry erase marker, eraser and even a handy pouch to store everything. If that wasn’t enough, there is even a little school bell, which Julie, who is 2, had the best time ringing and screaming “Time for school!”

Lori enjoyed teaching Julie about the letters and how the hands on the clock move around. After Julie did a good job listening to her “teacher”, Lori gave her stickers and an award for being such a good student.

Next they colored in the fun activity sheets. Then it was on to more learning…

Lori really liked pretending to be the teacher, but her favorite part was rewarding her star pupil with praise and awards. Julie loved the coloring activities, turning the hands on the clock and, of course, the stickers!

When school was over for the day, every piece had its own pouch and the super-organized case easily folded up. Now, where to put that apple?

Why I love this toy:

• Makes learning fun and fosters love of school outside of the classroom.
• Encourages make-believe play and creative fun.
• It is filled with over 200 pieces and has dozens of activities for many hours of play.
• Great for a play-date with multiple kids and exciting for a single child to enjoy.
• Super-organized: it is easy to pack up for take-along fun – play, store and go!

Do you know a little teacher in the making? Or want to get someone excited about school? I highly recommend this kit!

While this can certainly be fun, it can also send some tricky messages to a girl. What she sees in the magazines is what is considered “cool” and “beautiful”, and if she doesn’t look like that, then she must not be “cool” nor “beautiful”. This is why you see so many teens, tweens and even grade-school children dressed in the same type of trendy clothing. While they may like what they are wearing, it can be a hindrance to independent thought and developing their own, personal sense of style. As someone who wears purple silk Converse sneakers on a regular basis, I felt that I would be doing my daughters a disservice by letting them fall into the “trendy trap” and ignore their own creativity.

The best way to combat the trend obsession, I found, is not to shield my daughters from it, because then I’d be fighting a losing battle. Instead, I provide them with opportunities to develop their own sense of fashion and style, particularly, by encouraging them to make their own clothes. There are many beautifully simple, kid-friendly patterns everywhere they can follow to make their own shirts, skirts, dresses, you name it. This builds a number of fine-motor and visual planning skills. Knitting and crocheting are also both “in” right now, and plenty of kids have joined the bandwagon. For the younger ones, you can also go the crafting route and let them paint and color t-shirts with paint markers and glitter paint. They’ll LOVE showing off their one-of-a-kind pieces at school.

Giving children ownership of their clothing helps them appreciate the hard work that goes into making them. And while the clothes may eventually fray or fall apart, the kids’ pride in their own creativity will last forever.

I suppose I should consider myself lucky after the horror stories I’ve heard about that dreaded time of day: parents who have to bribe, cajole, drag their children into the bathtub. The minute my kids hear the word “bath”, they’re practically stripping off in the middle of the living room. The problem is that they love the water a little too much. They’ll splash, dive, swim, make waves, search for hidden treasure. By the time bathtime is over, most of the water is out of the bathtub and all over me.

But, their fascination with water is something I can make work for me, with the right props. Bathtime is a prime opportunity to teach kids about the properties of water, how things can change when wet, dry, hot, cold, etc. They can learn about weight and buoyancy, what floats and what sinks. Sponges, food coloring, ice, wax paper, balloons are all fantastic props that will keep your kids entertained and the water in the tub. As for the kids who would be happy to just stink, these sorts of “experiments” are a great incentive to get them into the water.

Other great ideas to get kids into the bath: letting them wear swimmies, goggles, even bathing suits, having them draw on the bathroom walls with washable markers/crayons (see picture above), promising them ice cream for breakfast every day for the rest of their lives.

How do you make bathtime fun for your kids?

ALEX has some awesome pirate-themed toys, like the Pirate Tent Play Set, which is perfect for pretend pirate fun! It comes packed flat and takes only a minute to set up. It is large enough for multiple kids and one [not fully grown-up] adult, and comes with a carrying case so you can pack it up easily and take it along to another shipmate’s house!

Thar’ she blows! This play tent has a front hook and loop door to let in all the ship’s crew. It even has a secret back door and comes with matching pirate bandana and eye patch!

The girls had SO much fun dressing up and playing inside the pirate ship tent! They really liked learning all the different things that pirates say (poop deck was their favorite). For a fun, pirate-themed snack we had some gold chocolate coins –yum!

Our next pirate activity was coloring! Print out this pirate-themed coloring page I whipped up for your kids to color! Click here to download.

By now, I reckoned, it was time to play the Pirate Match It game! Imagine an adorable storage suitcase filled with big chunky memory tiles that have tons of pirate pictures on them: treasure chests, pirate ships, sea serpents and more!  The game also came with 2 pirate hats that we wore while we played the game – Arrr!! We love memory games; they encourage turn taking, good sportsmanship, pattern recognition, counting and more!

I figured we couldn’t have a pirate day without finishing it off with a good old-fashioned treasure hunt! I hid all sorts of booty (Mardi Gras beads!) around the yard and let the girls go looking for it together.

Shiver me timbers!!! We had such a fun pirate day!! I hope our adventures inspire you to talk like a pirate too! Please share your Talk-Like-a-Pirate Day adventures with me – I would love to hear all about them, matey!

The only problem with the way Mom cooked was that she liked to do it alone. Part of it was classic Debbi Control-Freakiness, but cooking was also my mother’s down time, her chance to relax. Once in a while she would happily accept my offers to help, but eventually I’d get a gentle nudge out of the way so she could take over. This is why, when I moved out on my own, I realized I could barely fry an egg without setting off the smoke detector. It took a number of years of trial and error (including a soup that tasted like “burning”) before I became the rocking cook I am today, as my husband and children will attest.

For this reason, I try to include my kids in most of my culinary adventures. Not only is it fun and exciting for them, but they also gain important life skills in the process. There’s the math component: measuring cups and weighing, counting, multiplication when you halve or double recipes. There’s science: watching materials change when you mix them together and add heat or cold. And, of course, there’s Language Arts: reading recipes, making grocery lists, finding all the ingredients they need at the store. With one pan of brownies, you can cover an entire school day’s worth of lessons.

Personally, I consider teaching my kids how to cook an investment in my future peace of mind. One day down the road, when one of my kids tells me he wants mac and cheese for dinner, I can kick up my feet and say, “Go right ahead. You know how to make it”.

Now to teach them to clean their rooms…