Mama Zooms

Book Review: Mama Zooms
By Jane Cowen-Fletcher

What a little gem. This book touches upon the topic of parenting from a wheel chair. Told from a child's perspective about all the creative ways to pretend what a wheel chair could be. I love that in the beginning of the story you can't really tell what is being spoken about but a picture is later revealed. Very sweet book especially for those Busy Bees with family members in wheel chairs.  

Get Mama Zooms by clicking here! 

Happy, Healthy Ajay!

Book Review: Happy Healthy Ajay!
By Stewart J. Murphy

This sweet lil creature wants to be happy and healthy. With the help of his friends he is given great examples of what he can do to be both, {happy and healthy!}. A great hands on example of what it means to be happy and healthy with your Busy Bees. LOVE lil AJay! 

Buy Ajay & be healthy with him by clicking here! 

Spring has SPRUNG

And it has literally been flying by. It is seriously already JUNE!? When did that happen? I did notice the insane summer-like-weather here, but I almost can't believe that March, April and May are all now behind us. 

It's also at this time of the year that I notice an intense energy change in children. Maybe there's something magical about not having to put on a jacket while transitioning to the playground? Maybe children are affected by seasonal affective disorder? But there is something awesome that unfolds each spring with my students.  It's like they all of a sudden blossom, not to sound cliche especially during spring, but they do! 

With my Busy Bees this season I have noticed that they are eager to go down the slide, instead of being scared and excited to play with peers, instead of being anxious about it. It truly is amazing to watch and I can honestly say I am in the right career. I can go home each day and have confidence that my funny, charismatic ways and over enthusiastic facial expressions are put to good use to help each child come out of their shell and participate fully in activities that their peers have been enjoying all year. 

A few Busy Bee Favorite outside activities:

• Duck Duck Goose: Can your busy bee take turns? Wait to be picked?
• Bubbles: Can your busy bee blow bubbles? If not, introduce some other oral motor games into their lives to strengthen the muscles in their mouths. Can they pop them with each hand's pointer finger? Or clap them? The use of both hands and cross their bodies midline is an important developmental milestone {Bilateral Integration}. 
• Spray bottles: Can your busy bee squeeze a spray bottle? Ask children if they want to be sprayed? Can your busy bee be in charged of watering flowers & plants? 

Happy Spring {soon to be summer} everyone! 

What to Watch?

{A Toddler & Preschool Guide to Movies}

I was recently asked by a busy bee mom for appropriate movie recommendations. Since she has 2 little busy bees, she asked that they be appropriate for her toddler and preschooler as well.

As we all know, some kids are movie watchers and some are not. It's really hard for any busy bee to concentrate on just one task at a time, but this specific preschooler was working really hard at filling a good choice jar. Pretty soon, that jar would be full and Busy Bee Mom had to react quickly for the jar to continue it's importance at home. In this case, the jar's reward would be watching a movie at home.

 Top 10 Busy Bee Movie Recommendations: 

1. Monsters, Inc. 
2. Toy Story
3. The Incredibles
4. Shrek
5. Clifford the Big Red Dog
6. Finding Nemo
7. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
8. Thomas & Friends
9. Madagascar
10. The Muppets
11. Happy Feet
12. The Lorax 

I'd love to hear your favorites too!

Fruit Stand Avalanche

Fruit Stand Avalanche

I know some grown ups have a problem with playing with food, but I promise during this game there won't be a juicy mess to clean up. I recommended this game for a family and I play it often. It's great for strengthening fine motor muscles that children, when ready, will use to control their pencil marks through writing and drawing {graphomotor} strength. I actually recommend to play by putting the fruit in the stand, rather than taking it out. It's much less confusing and frustrating for our little busy bees. My way they are still using the same tools and strengthening the same muscles. I find that while playing more exciting and stimulating games, some children can become more easily excitable than others which causes them to have a harder time sitting to focusing. So while playing to put the fruit on the stand, there's no anxiety about it falling down. It's still fun and tricky just picking up with different pieces of fruit.

To make it more fun there are more "fun" chopsticks that can also be used.
For Dinosaurs click here. 
For Animals click here.

Buy & have fun with your Fruit Stand! 

I'm Me by Sara Sheridan & Margaret Chamberlain

Book Review: I'm Me

Topic: Pretend Play, Imagination Self-Esteem

An adorable book with the perfect depiction of what it means to pretend play. This cute busy bee gets many suggestions on what to play from an adult and she decides she'd rather be herself than any one else. If your child is having a hard time with pretend play then this book is highly recommended. Buy the book for a little busy bee that you know by clicking here. 

We Love You! {Love/Valentine Themed Basket}

Friends of mine just renovated their house and to show them how much we love them, I created a Valentine themed basket for the whole family-of-four to enjoy. A perfect present for a February weekend visit to congratulate them on their new home.

All items were purchased at Homegoods and cost less then $50.

The fun-loving items included: 1 red basket with handles, 2 heart mats to be used for art projects, 2 different sets of love and heart dish towels, heart pot holders, heart cup cake wrappers, pink and red heart sprinkles, jelly beans and lastly my favorite item an "I Love you Book" which is a big book that contains a number of stories for little busy bees put together by Scholastic.