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December
2007
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Toys are at the top of everyone's
list this time of year. What are the best toys to
buy for your children? In last month's issue of
the Grow Up Reading e-newsletter, we focused on
children from birth to one. What about toys for
children one to five years
old?
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1-2 Years
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can:
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Best
Toys:
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Sorting
toys
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Toys with pegs and
holes
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Puzzles with large
pieces and handles
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Books with large
colorful pictures
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Self-help toys
(practice zipping, snapping, etc.)
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Art
supplies |
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3-5 Years
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Your child
can:
- Ask a lot of
questions
- Develop a longer
attention span
- Sometimes share and
take turns
- Constantly develop
new physical skills (riding a bike, throwing,
catching)
- Likes to spend time
with friends
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Best
Toys:
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Simple science books with
fun and easy experiements
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Interlocking blocks and
sorting games
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Clay, narrower paint
brushes, easel
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Realistic
vehicles
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Magnetic letters and
numbers
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Plastic ball and bat
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Dress-up clothes
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Puppets |
Remember, each child is different
and develops at his/her own pace. Pick toys that
reflect your childs abilities and interests.
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Tech Savvy
Websites For Parents:
Healthy Toys- If you are like millions of parents in the
United States, you are concerned about the safety of
toys with the recent recalls. Here is a website
that is easy to search to ensure the safety of your
child's toys.
Websites For Kids:
Brain Teasers-Did you know math can be fun? Check
out these brain teasers with new questions posted
every Thursday.
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Sing A Song
I'm a Little
Snowman
(sung to I'm a Little Teapot)
I'm a little snowman short and fat.
Here are my buttons, here is my hat.
When the
sun comes out, I cannot play.
I just slowly melt
away!
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How
to Make a Snow Globe:
Take an empty clear glass jar,
a baby food or pickle jar, with a
screw-top lid. Fill with a mixture of 1/3 light
corn syrup and 2/3 warm water. Stir with a popsicle
stick until mixed. Add a couple pinches of
glitter and a few snowflake-shaped sequins to the
mixture. Have an adult hot-glue the lid on
the jar, screwing tightly into place.
Voila! You have
a snowglobe.  |
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Science and Math
Exploration
Study winter, ice and snow, by freezing water in
balloons. Fill each balloon with different amounts of
water. It can take 1-3 days to freeze the water
outside. When done, peel the balloon off. Put it under
water, it will peel off nicely. You will have a nice
round ice ball. Place the ice balls into a roasting pan
(something with sides) and let your children explore.
Never fill a balloon more then 6 inches in diameter.
A variety of sizes adds lots of vocabulary
as children compare sizes and
shapes. | |
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Newsletter
Spotlight
What the Big Idea?
20
"Big Idea" Books to Read in Second Grade
Why reading with your
second grader is so important -
In first grade, your child learned
strategies for reading unfamiliar words and began to
read more challenging books. In second grade, as your
child's reading skills improve, the emphasis is on
comprehension and understanding what is happening in a
story.
Second graders read books with more
complex vocabulary and plots. They read books with more
sophisticated ideas, views of the world and reasoning
that may need explanation or clarification. Read with
your child and talk about what you're reading. This
dialogue fosters a greater understanding of concepts,
circumstances and dilemmas that your child may not fully
grasp if he is reading on his own. Talking together will
increase your child's reading comprehension and help
prepare her to handle personal and social situations in
ways you want to encourage.
Our 20 "Big Idea" books have questions
listed in the front of the books in order to get the
conversation going for you and your second grader.
Check out these books today:
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The Winter/Spring 2008 youth
program schedule is now online!
Find all your favorite storytimes
plus exciting new programs including The Amazing World
of Bees, and Color Play: Exploring the Art and Science
of Color. Click here for more information.
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Fine & Gross Motor
Fun
It's that time of year when
we need to put on layers of clothing.
Kids need to learn how to button, snap and zip
in order to dress themselves. You can do a lot of
fun things to help your child learn these skills.
- Get out a bunch of clothes that have to be
fastened in different ways and play dress - up.
Your child will have so much fun being creative they
won't realize your helping them learn a new skill!
- Have a family winter relay race. Have two
teams with one person from each team standing at the
end of the room. The other team members are
lined up at the opposite end of the room. Each
team member must run to the opposite end and put a
piece of winter clothing on their team member until
they are completely dressed to go outside (hats,
mittens, coat, boots, scarf).
- Buy zippers at a craft store and make music by
having a zipper band.
- Read books about getting dressed such as Froggy Gets Dressed by
Jonathan London or Thomas' Snowsuit by Robert
Munsch.
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West Bloomfield
Township Public Library Website
Links:
Grow Up
Reading
Books To
Read
Program Schedule
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West Bloomfield
Township Public Library | 4600 Walnut Lake | West Bloomfield |
MI |
48323 | | |
