Buckle Up!

Where and how should children be buckled in a vehicle for their safety?  Did you know that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that children ride in the back seat until age 13 regardless of height or weight?  For more information---http://www.nbcnews.com/id/42186101/ns/us_news/t/new-advice-tots-safest-rear-facing-car-seats-until-age/#.UeU3NawbiSo

Have a safe summer with your child!

Play-Grounds

To me, the smell of fresh- made coffee is 

one of the greatest inventions.  

Hugh Jackman

I have had a recipe for coffee grounds playdough for some time and I have finally made a batch.  I love it and cannot wait to see the kids use these 'play-grounds'.    Here's how---

3+ c. flour (you may need more depending on the consistency you like)

1 c. salt

2 c. coffee grounds (your local coffee shop may be delighted to give you bag like mine does)

1 c. cold coffee

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

First mix the flour, salt and coffee grounds in a large bowl.  Mix until blended.  It will be lumpy but the color should be fairly uniform.

Slowly add the cold coffee and vegetable oil and  mix as you go.  Knead the playdough thoroughly and store in a zip-lock bag.  This recipe makes a nice full gallon size bag of playdough.

 Playdough recipes---http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2011/10/dough-boy.html

Chocolate Playdough recipe---http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2013/01/chocolate-scented-valentine-playdough.html

Barnyard Discoveries

Barnyard Discoveries will be at the Metamora IGA 

on Friday, July 19th from 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

http://www.barnyarddiscoveries.com/

Summer Reading

Back-to-school ads are appearing in my morning paper. School supplies are showing up on the store shelves. Summer is showing signs of ending and school starting (in our area the public schools start mid-August). When the boys were little, I incorporated lots of activities into our summer to prevent 'the summer slide' so when I read this article from TIME magazine I thought I would share.

"Do Kids Really Have Summer Learning Loss?"
http://ideas.time.com/2013/07/01/do-kids-really-have-summer-learning-loss/?hpt=hp_bn18

Backyard Composting

In June, New York City Mayor Bloomberg suggested the city start a composting program to reduce waste.  I am not sure how this is going to work in a huge metropolitan city.  I am very fortunate to have space in my backyard to have two large rotating compost piles.  Composting was my husband's idea and I admit I was not on board at first. I had all the common concerns-smell, pests, mess but after four seasons of composting I am hooked.  It is really amazing to see grass, shredded newspaper, food scraps and coffee grounds turn into such a rich, dark material that is great for my garden. So how can you and your child get started?  Start with a large plastic storage tub and drill holes.

For directions---http://foodiegardener.com/composting-basics-for-beginners/

Video clip---http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/homeandfamily/episodes/170

The All-American Road Trip

When I was in college and someone said, "Road trip!",  it meant freedom and fun.  When I became a mom, road trips with the boys were freedom and fun but also lots of preparation and planning.  There are lots and lots of resources to help you keep your children occupied while traveling.  Try All-American Bingo (I think I pulled this from the Rachael Ray magazine last summer), create your own Bingo game,  or a search for "Car Bingo" will give you more ideas than you will ever need :-)

Here are few ideas to create your own Bingo cards...
Dairy Queen, safety cone, mail-truck, ambulance, horse, tree-house, doghouse, canoe, lawnmower, hot air balloon, sheep, fire hydrant, baseball diamond, church, school bus, basketball hoop, construction worker, bicycle, ladder, bridge, tank truck, windmill, taxi, and picnic table.  The ideas are endless.  This would be a great project for older children.  Non-readers?  Use picture clues with clip art. 

For more ideas---http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2012/07/are-we-there-yet.html
Enjoy making vacation memories with your child.

Happy Birthday, America!

Happy Fourth of July!

River City Rhapsody 2013

http://rivercityrhapsody.com/metamora.php

It's Your Day of All Days!

It's your day of all days!  It's the best of the best!  

So don't waste a minute!

Hop to it!

Get dressed!

Happy Birthday to You!

by Dr. Seuss

July is a big birthday month at our house.  We always try to make everyone's birthday a special event (which doesn't mean costly).  Food, fun and family make wonderful birthday memories.