Learned Tot: On the Go

Wow, it's been a good while since I've posted about our learning-at-home-after-school activities. It's not that we have slowed down our learning efforts, indeed not. Yet finding a quiet moment to write about the said endeavors can be a challenge.

In a matter of days we will be boarding a plane for a spring break (destination is another matter, there will not be a palm tree in sight). Travel calls for packable activities, preferably with educational value, that fits into the carry-on with room to spare.

This before you is a fairly balanced curriculum that will serve us well for the duration of the trip, especially one the road.

Here is our packing list:

• Tiny flashcards of words to review spelling - this itty bitty flip book I chanced on at Muji is perfect size for words.
• The Angry Birds pack with a handful of twisty color pencils (less messy and easier to use than crayons!) and a pen.
• We love any books that Simon Basher has to dish out. These books were selected off the shelf for their slimmer size and to cover a range of subjects: U.S. Presidents for a bit of civics, Math (in lieu of daily worksheets, it is spring break after all), and Extreme Physics to learn about way-out-there concepts. 
• Wimpy Kid notebooks, one for writing and the other one for drawing. This was a great buy indeed - slim to pack and as evidenced by the smudgy nose well loved.
• A fold-up map (no spontaneous Dora songs, por favor) - all of us in this house love maps and this one, which came in the mail from a charity, is perfect for travel.

Best part? All the materials stack up to fit into a medium size backpack with room for a snack and a hoodie.

How do you incorporate learning into your travel plans?

Organized Chaos: Art Supplies

My art supplies habit dates back to my own childhood and I've been hording pastels and gouache paints ever since. So it is no surprise that we order art supplies in bulk these days. But a bigger question is how to corral the goodies.

We've tried boxes on the shelves but tucked away the paints just never come out. Freely roaming art supplies around the house drive everyone here mad. Little jars for crayons are good in theory but if the crayons were out, they never made it back into the said jars. So now we are trying stackable boxes. So here are our must-have supplies, one box at a time.

Labels are really a road map for supplies to make their way back.

Paper - plain white and colorful construction paper, extra packs are stashed away. Tissue paper is helpful too.

Crayons are a given, loads and loads of crayons. This isn't the place to skimp. Crayola is the way to go, cheaper crayons just don't stand up and are too waxy. While natural and posh crayons appeal to my own sensibilities, Klatch kids like Crayolas very well. 

Crayons are bound to break and ratty broken up crayons are not fun to draw with, but fun to melt.

Oil Pastels. These are not a must strictly speaking but a nice addition, bright and vibrant.

Keeping crayons in jars failed us miserably so now crayons get their own box.

Markers. Self explanatory. Washable are best. The skinny pencil size ones remind me of the ones I had as a kid. The small pip squeaks are popular around here too.

Pencils. These do not get as much play around here these days, perhaps time to invest in a decent pencil sharpener.

Tools box is full of glue (liquid Elmer's and glue sticks), glue gun for supervised activities, extra scissors since they always seem to go missing. Masking tape in different colors has been a welcome addition. Sponges and droppers are waiting for the right project to come along.

Odds and ends - this is the fun box bursting with goodies. You can never risk running low on goodly eyes. The pad of paper dolls is possibly the best thing we ever bought. One never knows when pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, and poms will come in handy.  Feathers and glitter. We need to replenish our glitter glue supply.

Two other very worthwhile additions for non-messy fun. Floam, sticky little foam beads, though somehow the colors get mixed together right away, and Wikki Sticks, bendy waxy sticks.

Of course there are other supplies that do not get every day use and are squirreled away elsewhere. Since we are a gluten free household, Play Doh is out of bounds and early experiments with Moon Sand proved to be detrimental to the carpeted area. Our molding product of choice is Model Magic - clean and bright, at least until the colors get mixed. A tub of clay is popular around here. Turns out cardboard six-pack boxes are perfect for storing pint sized bottles of tempera paints on the very top shelf.

So to recap, must-have supplies to buy in bulk - I am a big fan of Discount School Supply and Michael's:

• Paper - stacks and stacks of paper, different colors, textures, and size
• Crayons - a good supply of fresh crayons
• Washable markers
• Color pencils
• Tempera and watercolors (acrylic is too risky for the younger set!)
• Lots of brushes in different sizes
• Extras of glue and scissors
• Googly eyes (yes, these make the must-have category)
• Popsicle sticks
• At least one of the following - poms, glitter, pipe cleaners, feathers
• Something to mold - play doh, model magic, clay

Nice additions:

• Colorful tissue paper
• Paper doll cut-outs
• Pony beads
• Floam and Wikki Sticks
• Felt fabric
• Foam shapes
• Ink pads and stamps
• Stickers
• Sun paper
• We'd like to try Magic Nuudles, seems like a worthy addition

Anything else to add to this list?

Learned Tot: SAT Prep for Kiddie Set

It all started with a word of the day on our daily commute. Simple words soon became more complex, inspired by view outside the car window: facade and obelisk, twilight and desolate. When it comes to vocabulary, one does not need a whole lot of special equipment, just remembering to make the time, five minutes at a time.

This is our kitchen wall. And meet Barnaby the Whale. A quart of chalkboard paint and some bistro-style chalk markers is all you need. It is also a solution for a white wall in need of a statement. At meal time, we point out the words and remember to work them into conversation.

For word ideas, just google "SAT Vocabulary List" - abhorrent anyone?

Endless Alphabet is the best app ever! And free. Silly monsters march, spell, and act out word definitions. New words are added all the time. Smallest tot loves "demolish" and who wouldn't like to see a monster scattering blocks all about?

Parent involvement - pretty much nonexistent after loading the app!

Yes, you could make your own flashcards. But these Big Word Flashcards are more awesome and they often come out at mealtimes. "Nincompoop" and "mollycoddle" have been very popular with our lot.

Parent involvement - for younger tots pretty high but in small time increments.

Last but not least, here are our a few of our favorite words to get you started:

1. Petulant - applies in many situations and super useful when little brothers annoy you
2. Shenanigans - see above
3. Multiply 
4. Nincompoop - no explanation needed
5. Befuddled
6. Hobnob
7. Mediocre - a polite substitute in many sticky situations
8. Extraordinary

So You Are Planning a Scavenger Hunt....

A few days ago this little box arrived at our doorstep.

Inside, a letter: "We need your help! Greedy Art Collector wants to snatch precious art works for his personal collection. We require a clever art detective to help find each masterpiece and confirm that all are still hanging on the walls of the museum."

Each numbered envelope contains a clue

A wild chase led us through the art museum following the clues left by greedy about his heinous plans. Some three hours and many detours later we tracked down six works of art - Da Vinci (the one and only work in US!), Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh, Warhol, Rothko, a healthy dose of art history. As instructed, we took a photo of each as proof. Hooray, Greedy did not steal the precious treasures! Great fun, awesome one-on-one bonding, and a memory to treasure.

So, if you are planning a scavenger or treasure hunt of your own (and as a wise man said, if you never have, you should, these things are FUN and fun is good), here are a few lessons learned from the trenches of scavenger hunt planning:

Choosing Treasures. For a museum adventure, it was critical to choose artworks that we could count on being displayed. The choices were also well-known works that museum staff would readily point us to and represented different types of works (a portrait and a landscape, from Renaissance to modern). The order of clues was organized so we would not find ourselves zigging and zagging but also so the works would not be in a single gallery making adventure all too short. We set our adventure at the art museum but these principals apply no matter where you go.

It's all about the mystery. Packaging matters. Theatrics made the day more exciting: the early morning doorbell, the box on the doorstep, the rolled up mysterious letter, the tale of Greedy. It is also very hard not to spill the beans ahead of time so be warned!

Plan ahead. Yes, planning a scavenger hunt takes time. More than one might expect. It is also far easier to have this sort of adventure on a weekday, when the museums are not as crowded.

Make it personal. Sure, there are downloadable templates but making the clues personalized to books we've read and artists we knew made it more accessible and more fun. Again, takes time, but pays off in spades.

Clues. Clues should not be too difficult but also not too obvious. Just enough of a challenge, but not so tricky that one gives up. You could stick with a single format or vary between different types of puzzles.

• Secret Code. I am a fan of hieroglyphics but Morse code or really any symbols can be used. Each symbol represents a letter and one deciphers the message using the key. We liked this one and will probably keep coming back to the ciphers! I recently discovered this hieroglyphics typewriter and it is pretty awesome, just don't forget to include the key!

• Crossword. Create your own crossword to spell out the clue (I used numbered letter boxes to flag the letters that spelled the answer). This one was really fun, it also took up a good bit of time to create.

• Reverse writing, that can be read with the help of a mirror, is remarkably easy to accomplish (MSWord WordArt). Of course that was an obvious choice for our Da Vinci clue since he often used mirror writing.

• Rebus (pictures representing words or parts of words) is a forgotten art. Thanks to technology these are much easier to create (just Google a rebus generator).

• Puzzle. Puzzle pieces when put together spell out a clue. I used just a cut up photo of a painting that led us to the artist. 

• Invisible Ink. My last attempt at invisible ink was a bust but it is something that we'll try again!

This post was incredibly helpful in writing the clues! If you can't tell, we are hooked and anticipate new adventures soon!

If you and your tots like a good mystery but don't have the time and inclination to plan your own, try this Top Secret subscription from Highlights Magazine. It's a 'whodunit' kit set in different countries around the world. 

Art History for Breakfast

Would you believe it, around here we like a healthy dose of art? From early age Klatch tots are getting to know Leonardo and Vincent, troll art museums, and learn to express their artistic preferences and dislikes. At times it is a bumpy road - not gonna lie, before they embraced 'important art' getting their interest was only possible through a sheer force of will. But one ought to chip away despite whining (it is not a democracy around here after all). Here are a few picks to encourage interest in the appreciation of the fine art. 

There is no substitution for seeing art in a gallery. And creating art, experimenting with materials and going through the process, gives one a deeper appreciation for the art. But introducing art in a familiar context is the way to get them interested, if not hooked.

You Are My Work of Art is a silly and sweet board book, with flap on each page revealing a masterpiece - staples like Mona Lisa and Starry Night but also Hokusai, Mary Cassatt, Grant Wood. 

One of the bedtime staples around here! Flaps and silly pictures for littlest art lovers.

I quite like the board books that introduce numbers, letters, colors and shapes using works of art instead of oh-so-boring photos of farm animals and lollies to illustrate concepts. Colors with Warhol, I Spy Shapes in Art, these books are super-simple but the itty-bitty ones get use to seeing art as more than a picture.

Turns out Thiebaud is perfect for counting!

Flashcards are not for everyone and index cards ARE boring. But there there is such a thing as fun flash cards. We keep a few boxes in the kitchen pantry and cards usually come out at breakfast time. These ones have questions on the back (and a dice) but we usually just look at our favorites. A few picks are strange and it is hardly possible to boil down an artist's body of work (let alone entire artistic movement!) to one card. But with the limited space editors did a fine job representing the fundamentals - concepts, artists and movements.

Before they remember painters' names, they will remember their favorites. 

Though not an art history book Beautiful Oops is included because it teaches confidence in creative process and to take an unconventional view at art. 

Love! With oops turning into something new altogether, this book is as fun as it is unique.

Last but not least, don't let black and white illustrations of this book fool you. Chock full of art projects teaching kidfolk about the great artists it is rich and creative, from Gothic to Dada collage. WARNING: purchasing this book may also result in an excessively large order of art supplies.

Good to be back after a busy month!

PS Images are snagged from Amazon where I often buy these very treasures.

Learned Tot: Nutrition

Learned tot knows all about science and math, but also about feelings and nutrition. And when it comes to teaching tots to eat the right foods instead of sugar bombs and nasty chemicals, it is an uphill battle. Lets face it, we all bargain, blackmail, and bribe to get that extra piece of broccoli down.

In desperation to diversify Klatch Tots' diet, we've searched for tools to teach them to eat right and on occasion resort to deception of the most benevolent nature (liquefied spinach in a brownie never hurt anyone!). There is no shortage of nutrition activities and games, trouble is they are unbearably boring. So, here is the round-up that's more palatable. If you have suggestions that do not include food pyramids, send them along!

Play food sets go a long way to talking about healthy foods and "sometimes" foods. We can also hope that pretending to cook and serve a meal will stick with them so that tots learn to prepare and eat healthier foods than consuming a week's worth of saturated fat in one restaurant sitting.

Parent Involvement: VARIES

Does your tot know what jicama is? Eating the Alphabet is a charming little picture book that introduces produce from A to Z and teaches letters in the process. The illustrations are scrumptious and will expand the tot's world beyond bananas and apples. My friend Eve compiled this awesome list of books about food for tots, check it out.

We use this book to talk about foods but also to learn letters and colors.

And this little carrot friend is adorable and snuggly to get the smallest pookies to embrace vegetables.

A sectioned plate become our great ally in the quest for better nutrition, splitting up the plates with thin masking tape, each section to be filled with a different food. But this plate is more fun and according to description BPA free.

Then of course there is trickery. The recipies in this cookbook are fairly ordinary, but the idea of sneaking veg into all kinds of meals from eggs to brownies, is brilliant. And so our children routinly consume brownies with spinach (you just have to let them cool, then you really can't taste it!) and meat loaf with made with pureed pumpkin and covered in ketchup mixed with carrots.

Jars of baby food work just as well if pureeing your own is daunting.

You might also like these Learned Tot resources:

• How to teach your tot about feelings, in style.
• All about human body

Learned Tot: Think Inside the Box

Apparently much like summer reading, summer learning is all the rage. To keep our own tots on their toes we stocked up on workbooks and educational toys reside in the living room for easy access.This year we are also trying something different. Each evening we assemble "the boxes." Each sturdy box (we had a few Brooks Brothers boxes laying around waiting for a purpose) is an activity with a slip explaining the task and all the necessary provisions. Each box has a theme and the contents of the box are usually a surprise. Here are some that proved popular with the Klatch youngsters:


This strange mammal is aardvark (a mammal). 

Special Assignment: Animals (Parent Involvement: MEDIUM to HIGH)
Supplies: sheets of animals stickers (pulled from a sticker book) and firm paper and labeled "mammals," "reptiles," "amphibians," "birds," "fish," and "insects." Tot's job is to organize animal stickers putting them where they belong. If you have not discussed animal classes before, including a book would be helpful (or National Geographic has a great online resource about different animal types).

Skills: in addition to learning about biology, this box is an opportunity to teach new vocabulary, logic (sorting animals where they belong) and critical thinking (like debating where the lobster belongs).

Beading a pattern was a favorite at our house - and it was the simplest to put together!

Special Assignment: Bead a Pattern (Parent Involvement: LOW)
Supplies: shoelaces and plastic pony beads; Tot's assignment is to make patterns lacing beads on the shoelaces. You can either provide a list of simple patterns (ie green-pink-green-pink) or let them create their own.

Skills: fine motor skills and math reasoning.

You could also include modeling clay to make terracotta warriors.

Special Assignment: China (Parent Involvement: MEDIUM-HIGH)
Supplies: With boxes spotlighting a country the variety is really endless. Here are a few ideas from Michael's (yes, the one that sells every imaginable craft supply). In addition to the craft (a coloring page of Chinese flag), this box included a book about the Terracotta Army and assignment to build the Great Wall of China using wooden blocks.

Skills: Geography, History, Art - check out Geography post for more ideas

Here are some additional ready-made kits to consider:

• Kiwi Crates are available as subscriptions - way cool packaging thought looking at the sample crates these kits veer more towards crafts than our own tots like.
• Highlights Top Secret Adventures - these are packets of "whodunit" variety set around the world. The clues lead to answers. The kits are for 7+ kids so while younger set will enjoy the journey, be prepared for more hands-on involvement.
• Little Passports - I am a fan of this around the world adventure subscription concept.

Learned Tot: Feelings

 Discussions about feelings are just too squishy for my taste, too imprecise and smacking of self indulgence. It came as a surprise that one ought to educate tots about feelings much like teaching letters and counting. Telling one's offspring to 'get over it and carry on' would be considered callous and so here are some resources for the parents of my ilk.

First come Kimochis. In the little dolls we found a hip way to compartmentalize and, truth be told, open conversations that do not come naturally. Kimochis is Japanese for feelings and are possibly the only emotional-education toy in the market that actually looks fun.

Kimochis characters have a little pouch to hold their feelings. Meet cloud. Sometimes he is happy. And when he is happy the world is happy with him.

Parent Involvement: VARIES, just depends on you and the tot.

And sometimes cloud is sad - presto, quick spin of the head and he is frowning. Admittedly rotating happy/sad head reminded me of the Voldermort scene in the first Harry Potter movie.

Get it? It's the same dolly as above just with his head spun around.

If happy/sad doesn't cover it, there are options, from curious to loved and everything in between.

There is no shortage of books on feelings. Here are two we like. First, My Many Colored Days from Seuss because it relates feelings to colors.

And who doesn't love the crabby pigeon? Especially since he is no goody-goody.

You might also like:

• Learned Tot Astronomy
• Learned Tot Human Body
• Learned Tot Geography

Learned Tot: Human Body

Gotta be honest, anatomy is not my favorite subject. Reading about pancreas is a sure way to lose one's appetite. Thankfully human body subject is often covered in preschool.  Here are a few of our favorite resources.

"Can you please get me swine flu?"  You don't hear that every day. But several of these plush guys, including the ever-precious brain cell, made it to our Amazon wish list. You can round out your tot's collection of cells with models of their favorite diseases - ulcer, herpes, gangrene, syphilis, pneumonia.

Parent Involvement: LOW but you may find yourself explaining a range of horrid diseases.

Of course this won't substitute Gray's Anatomy but the Skeleton floor puzzle is an accessible way to teach wee ones about major bones in the body. 

Parent Involvement: VARIES - depending on aptitude for puzzles and age.

Our latest download, Human Anatomy App (Free!). Some reviewers complain that 29 bones isn't nearly enough to learn about skull. But there is plenty to introduce major muscle groups and digestive system to the tot and pick up a thing or two yourself.

Parent Involvement: HIGH

"I want a statue of the brain!" We quite like the look of anatomy models around here, though they are itty-bitty for little hands to manipulate.

Parent Involvement: VARIES

We do not have any of The Magic School Bus books around here - junior Klatch set doesn't seem as keen on it, but I quite like the idea of a journey through the digestive system on a yellow bus.

Parent Involvement: HIGH, unless child is of reading age

Of course there is the inescapable Basher book that covers major body functions and structures and even DNA and T Cells in an engaging and easy to understand way.

Parent Involvement: HIGH, unless child is of reading age

Other useful links:

• Human Body activities from Sid the Science Kid. Digestion Investigation is our favorite!
• Science of Human Body - ideas on educating your kids from PBS Parents website

You might also enjoy Astronomy and  Geography resources.

Learned Tot: Geography

I have always loved geography, not so much topography but knowing where you are in the world. This subject is pretty easy to integrate into daily activities, in the car and at the dinner table. We often go overboard with maps and geography quizzes but it is paying off in a big way, awakening in our tot wanderlust. Incidentally, all of these items are $20 or under.

Speaking of dinner table, place mat is one map that won't get ruined by spilled snacks. You can scribble on the blank map on the flip side with a pencil or special crayon. We often brush up on places during meals and numerous snacks.

Parent Involvement: HIGH but can multitask with this one.

Growing up my dad played with me Capitals of the World game. We upped the ante with an inflatable globe (which I can tell you is WAY more fun than a stationary one). One holding the world asks a question about a place or landmark - if you answer correctly, you get the ball. Sample question: Point on the globe Australia.

Parent Involvement: HIGH - I mean sure, tot can throw the ball about but as a learning tool parent interaction is a must.

I've mentioned Leap Frog Solar System before - once you invest in the Tag reader, might as well maximize the learning. Double sided map provides factoids and questions about the states of the Union. There is also a map of the world on our wish list.

Parent Involvement: LOW (You will need to download info onto your Leap Frog's Tag wand to use this kit, otherwise this is very hands off)

Good old-fashioned atlas, fun to look at continents and pictures of the world. We do have one but I have my eye on this one from National Geographic. 

Parent Involvement: HIGH - unless your kid of a reading age.

Other resources:

• Good old-fashioned flash cards of landmarks and flags. We grabbed some at Target for next to nothing.
• Crayola had tons of geographically oriented coloring pages. We focused on New Zealand.
• National Geographic has features with photos on countries - great information but making it fun is your job.
• Check out the library shelf of geography books highlighting places.  Of for for fiction turn to world-traveling Dodsworth.
• I am still on the look out for good apps so send ideas my way!