A Crab Walk Transfer Gross Motor Activity

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Getting kids to move doesn’t have to be tricky! This silly gross motor activity from Francis has a fun motivation and is great for building core strength.

This activity could not be any simpler, and it’s a great way for kids to burn off extra energy!

All you need is a few favorite toys, and some kind of “house” for those toys. We made a cardboard cutout of a house and taped it to the wall, but you could use a box, a laundry basket, anything really!

Mom bonus: if you’re already got toys laying around the house (who doesn’t?) you can use this game to get your kids excited about cleaning up on their own!

Check out this video to see our crab walk game in action!

Melissa chose some of her favorite stuffed animals. I told her the animals had wandered from home and had to get back with her help. But there was one important detail: she had to carry them home by crab walking!

With a stuffed animal on her belly, she sat with feet flat on the floor and knees pointing up. With her hands behind her back, she pushed down on the floor to lift her bottom off the floor.

Let your kids experiment with figuring out how they want to carry the toys in their crab walk. Their creativity could lead to some serious giggles!

Melissa learned how to move and carry her stuffed animal at the same time while trying not to drop it!

When the animal arrived home in our cardboard house, she ran back for the other animals. In the end, all three animals were safe at home!

This activity was a lot of fun! Sometimes I even catch Melissa doing some crab walking around the house now!

Here is a great list of 40 Gross Motor Activities to Get Your Kids Moving!

What other ways can you play with crab walking?

Summer Learning Ideas for Kids

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Summer Learning Ideas for Kids is always a top priority for us. Summer is the best time of year, especially if you’re a kid.  

No homework, no tests – what more can you ask for? As the summer quickly approaches, it’s time to kick those summer learning activities into high gear. With an almost endless amount of time to learn outside of traditional schooling methods, it’s just a matter of finding those opportunities and taking advantage of them when you can!

Museums

Throughout the summer, take a few trips to free – or fairly inexpensive – museums scattered across your state. From dinosaurs to airplanes, from human hearts to history, there are over 35,000 museums in the United States alone! Book your summer with day-long excursions to these awesome, educational hot-spots. If you’re worried about the kids getting bored, remember that many museums have interactive exhibits that will keep your kids busy learning!

National Parks & Cities

If you plan to go on vacation this summer, check out any national park or major city along the way. Far and near, there are hundreds of national parks and countless more cities. Each park and every city has their own unique history.  During the summer, many cities have tour guides that will happily explain the town’s history. The kids will be on the edges of their seats, amazed that where they are sitting was once a battlefield or a landmark.

Summer Camps

Although you’d love to take the summer off from work to spend traveling with the family, most parents don’t get that luxury. Thankfully, there are plenty of other learning opportunities available to your kids that don’t require you to take time off from work! Check out summer-long day-camps or sleep-away camps for some different options. If long camps aren’t in the budget, check your local parks and recreation department for week-long camps that would interest your little ones. Most of the week-long camps are geared toward learning or working on already developed skills. With professional teachers and camp counselors leading the kids, they will have the chance to sharpen those skills before the next school year.

Summer Reading Programs

Did you know that many public libraries have reading programs during the summer? Bring your kids to the library and let them pick out three or four books to read each week. Keep a log to see how many books they’ve read and total them up at the end of the summer! Many libraries have drawings or prizes available once a child reads a certain number of books.  If extrinsic motivation gets your child to read, this could be the perfect program for him! It’s also a great way for your kids to develop their reading skills while having a friendly competition amongst each other.

Online Games

Kids are more tech-savvy than ever, so online summer learning opportunities have increased with websites like Khan Academy. Videos and interactive work will give kids a chance to use their tablets and computers this summer in a productive way! From Minecraft-related summer learning classes online to programming lessons, there’s an online class for everyone.

No matter what you do this summer, have a great time.  Summer learning should be filled with experiences that more closely mimic play and vacation rather than bookwork and testing.  It’s the perfect time to learn together as a family and make the most of the summer months.  Have a great summer!

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16 Super Cool Recipes Made With Cereal

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Everbody loves cereal just the way it is… straight out of the box or in a bowl with milk. But I found some really fun ways to eat your favorite breakfast cereal and they’re pretty awesome.

16 Super Cool Recipes Made With Cereal

For a fun new breakfast treat, try this Fruity Pebbles breakfast bread with your favorite cereal baked right inside. via Sensibly Sara

You can also make Fruity Pebbles in cookies! via Simply Made With Love

These cereal and milk donuts look absolutely delicious. You can pick any of your favorite cereals to use. via Center Cut Cook

For a fun take on marshmallow treats, use Honeycomb cereal! via Lemon Tree Dwelling

Or Cookie Crisp! via Big Bears Wife

Cinnamon Toast Crunch waffles will change your waffle recipe forever. via Le Petit Treats

And this Cinnamon Toast Crunch cake would be awesome, too! via Liv for Cake

A new way to make krispie treats, this no bake option has Cheerios, peanut butter and M&Ms. via My Recipe Magic

For a really creative way to eat your morning cereal, try these breakfast cereal popsicles! via In Katrina’s Kitchen

Make your own totally delicious Pop Tarts, with cereal as the topping! via Aww Sam

Oh my goodness… this Honey Nut Cheerio milkshake looks incredible. via Honey and Birch

I love cinnamon rolls so next time I’m trying this recipe with Fruit Loops on top. via House of Yum

This Lucky Charms cheesecake would be an awesome dessert. via The Domestic Rebel

For a party snack, change up your normal puppy chow for this Captain Crunch peanut butter version. via The Housewife In Training Files

This summer why not try making a Fruity Pebbles ice cream sandwich? via Dude Foods

Freeze milk and cereal together for these morning cereal bars. via Babble

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Simple Chicken Salad Recipe

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We have the best chicken salad recipe around to share with you today! It’s simple and you can even use can chicken if you hurried for time, it’s a great picnic recipe or quick lunch when you’re super busy!

You’ll be surprised by this recipe too because it has no mayo in it, we use greek yogurt instead to make it a bit more healthy! I love the tanginess of the yogurt, I think it’s perfect for tying all these flavors together into one delicious sandwich!

My boys usually aren’t huge chicken salad sandwich eaters, but they love this one. Sometimes we throw in some grapes or nuts to give it a little different flavor or texture but my favorite way to eat it is just like this recipe shows you!

We’ve made this recipe super quick and easy by using can chicken, you can find it in the same aisle as the tuna. The cans are a bit larger too so be on the lookout for it!

How to Make Simple Chicken Salad

Ingredients You Need

• 1 Can of Chunked Chicken, you can use two chicken breasts that are baked and diced
• 1 Cup Celery, Diced
• 1/2 Cup Green Onions, diced
• 1 Cup Shredded Cheese
• 1/2 – 1 Cup Greek Plain Yogurt
• Salt
• Pepper
• Dill
• Garlic

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Serve on a bun, in a lettuce wrap or with crackers!

I like to serve this with either just some chips or a side salad. It makes a great meal to have with the girls when I have them over. Last year we had a quick meal on the back deck while the kids were playing and this is what I served. It was simple and a huge hit!

Do you make chicken salad? I’ve had so many different recipes but this one is probably my favorite.  Make plans to throw this together and head out for a picnic in the park with your kiddos soon!

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Sensory Processing Disorder at Home Ideas

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Today I want to share these Sensory Processing Disorder at home ideas,  because if you have a child with sensory issues, it can be the difference between a great day and a not-so-good day.

A few months ago,  on a rainy day in the cold part  of winter, I went with my son’s  class to  an amazing bright, well-lit, colorful museum built just for kids their age. Most of the  seven and eight year olds were so excited, itching to run around and explore.

I looked over to see John, my son’s classmate  with sensory processing disorder.  He was going further and further into his own shell.  What is excitement to some children is scary to him.

According to WebMD, “Sensory processing disorder  is a condition in which the  brain  has trouble receiving and responding to information that comes in through the senses.  The condition used to be called sensory integration dysfunction.  Some people with sensory processing disorder are oversensitive to things in their environment. Common sounds may be painful or overwhelming. The light touch of a shirt may chafe the  skin.  Others with sensory processing disorder may:

• Be uncoordinated
• Bump into things
• Be unable to tell where their limbs are in space
• Be hard to engage in conversation or play”

Sometimes, sensory processing disorder can look different than you’d expect.

As a former teacher myself and now a child developmental therapist,  I knew that John needed to be treated a little differently than the rest of the class to be able to enjoy this museum as much as the other children.

I took the lead on this one, to help out the teacher and it turned out to be a great day and everyone enjoyed their time there, including John.

It made  me realize that while so many of us have heard of SPD, it isn’t until you are “in the moment” that you are looking for things to do with your child. So I wanted to bring you five ideas for working with your child with Sensory Processing Disorder. Sensory aids are a great tool, along with some of the suggestions below. I do this daily in the homes of the families that I work with and most of the children have a great response to them.

Sensory Processing Disorder at Home Ideas

1. BRUSHING.  
Our son (he has a mild case of SPD) responded very well to brushing,  which is a tool for children with tactile defensiveness.  Most Occupational Therapists are trained in brushing. We use a soft-bristled brush (you can buy them specifically for this.  They are unlike any brush I had ever seen before we started using them) and we have had to learn the different protocols to find the one that worked best for him.

2. JOINT COMPRESSIONS.
Joint  compressions are  a form of proprioception.  It happens because of a pull or tension on the joint.  Most of my clients find it to be very regulating to their nervous system.  It gives the child spacial awareness, as well.   I highly suggest watching multiple YouTube videos and asking a therapist for help while learning to do these on your child.

3. PUSH LARGE THINGS.  
Some children are more hyperactive and actually seek sensory opportunities.  For these children, try letting them move furniture around, push the shopping cart, carry heavier things, like grocery bags or laundry baskets filled with clothes.

4. PAINT.  
For the tactile sensitive child, try finger painting.   Our son LOVES to paint and play with shaving cream.  I actually get a cake pan, fill it with shaving cream, add a few drops of food coloring and let him finger paint with it onto a sheet of poster-board or even just printer paper.   It is messy, but it is worth it.

5. JUMPING.  
Jumping on the trampoline is another idea that has worked well for my clients.   The feel of landing is their favorite part.  It is a hard land that stimulates their brain and ‘pushes back’ to their body.    The repetitive stimulation of jumping onto that sort of surface actually helps their body.   A small indoor trampoline works well.

6. SENSORY RICE BIN.
Check out this article about how to make a sensory rice bin for your child.

 

For more parenting and teaching tips, stop by our Facebook Page, where we talk about things like this on a daily basis.

 

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Caterpillar Magnets

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This time of year, we receive a lot of school notices and children’s birthday party invitations. Because of that, we often run out of refrigerator magnets. Thankfully, our craft cabinet was stocked with plenty of materials to make new magnets, like adorable Caterpillar Magnets, perfect for summer!

How to Make  Caterpillar Magnets

These magnets are so easy for school-age children to make independently. They are perfect for holding birthday party invitations, school notices, and children’s artwork.

Materials and Directions:

• 1 inch wooden circles
• standard sized wooden clothespin
• hot glue and hot glue gun
• yarn
• washable markers
• black permanent marker
• googly eyes
• magnetic tape

First, invite children to color the wooden circles with markers. Alternatively, kids could paint them, but sometimes it’s nice to have a little less cleanup!

RELATED: Hatching Monarch Caterpillars

After the wooden circles are colored, invite your child to create a face for the caterpillar with googly eyes and the permanent marker. Attach the yarn to the back of the caterpillar’s head to create antennae.

Use hot glue to attach the wooden circles to the clothespin in the shape of a caterpillar.

Last, apply a strip of adhesive magnetic tape to the back of the clothespin.

Aren’t they cute? Perfect for hanging “kid stuff” on the refrigerator!

More Easy Caterpillar Crafts for Kids

If you have a child interested in creepy crawly caterpillars, you won’t want to miss:

Pom Pom Caterpillars

Craft Stick Caterpillars

Egg Carton Caterpillars

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24 Red White And Blue Desserts

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These red white and blue desserts are perfect for the upcoming holidays. We have Memorial Day right around the corner and then quickly following is the 4th of July. If you need to take a dessert to a BBQ or a summer picnic, we have a bunch to choose from!

24 Red White And Blue Desserts

Sugar Cookie Bars – I love these because sugar cookies are my favorite and this is a much easier way to make them.

Patriotic Snack Mix – If you’re in a hurry, this dessert is quick to make and is delicious! via Love and Marriage

No Churn Ice Cream – Make red, white and blue ice cream to cool you down on the 4th of July. via Totally The Bomb

Twizzlers Fireworks Treats – These are totally cute and look just like little fireworks. via Simplistically Living

Patriotic Marshmallows – These look really cool and would be a fun treat to have the kids help make.

Firecracker Popcorn – You’ve got to see what the secret ingredient is here! via Foodie Fun

Firecracker Cake – This is so pretty, I almost don’t want to eat it! via Betty Crocker

Strawberry Shortcake – A festive take on shortcake. via Two Sisters Crafting

Cheesecake Cake  – Three layers of cheesecake! via Recipe Girl

Patriotic Ice Cream Sandwiches – These look super easy to make and kids will love them. via Simplistically Living

Sprinkle Cookies – My kids love these and they’re really pretty. via Simply Gloria

Pretzel Rods – These are always a fun and festive holiday dessert. via Catch My Party

Red White And Blue Cupcakes – How to perfectly layer the three colors for a beautiful cupcake. via Skinny Mom

Oreo Pops – Oreos dipped in chocolate and put on a stick – delicious! via Happiness is Homemade

Berries – These patriotic berries are a healthy treat everyone loves. via Juggling Act Mama

Fireworks Pudding Cookies – M&M’s and sprinkles both go in this awesome cookie recipe. via Crazy for Crust

Rice Krispies – Color and layer your favorite rice krispie treat recipe with red and blue dye. via Blooming Homestead

No-Bake Cake Balls – Cake balls are the best and I love that these are no-bake. via Who Needs A Cape

Pretzel Bites – A fun dessert to snack on and make. via Two Sisters Crafting

Patriotic Punch – This is such a fun holiday drink for the kiddos! via  Mom Endeavors

Flag Popsicles – Popsicles are the best on a super hot 4th of July! via Stagetecture

Jello Cups – Topped with fresh fruit, these are so good. via The First Year

Confetti Cake – Top these with sparklers and you will wow everyone! via Style Me Pretty

Red White and Blue Milkshake – Yum! I love a good homemade milkshake. via Pint-Sized Baker

Layered Cake – A red white and blue cake that everyone will love. via Three Different Directions

Fudge – This is one of the easiest fudge recipes ever and is so colorful and fun. via Chica Circle

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