Tools to paint with

If I ask Sweetheart what she wants to do she will say painting. So, I am seeking all different kinds of tools to paint with or to paint on.  Really anything can be used. 
Here is a list
paint brushes all sizes
sponges of different sizes and shapes
toothbrush
q-tips
cars
monster trucks
fingers/hands/feet
plastic bottles (the bottoms...some have a flower pattern)
bubble wrap
yarn
spatulas
plastic animal toys
legos
wooden blocks
sticks all sizes and shapes
rocks all sizes and shapes
potato wedges
apple wedges
forks
any utentil with holes
golf balls
marbles
comb
brush
cookie cutters
eye droppers
straw painting

tin foil
wax paper

Learning letters, words, numbers

This was so easy and both Smartypants and Sweetheart loved this new game.  I found balloon borders at the Dollar Tree. Each border has 8 balloons.  For both I wrote letters in each balloon. They take a clothepin and match the letter. The clothepin has a letter to match. Using a clothepin is for their fine motor. For Smartpants I wrote "at" and "og" words on the balloon and clothpin. Smartypants matches the word as well as says the word.  Sweetheart I did numbers up to 16. The first 8 she had no problem. The second 8 she did great as well. Just have to have her say the number as she puts the clothespins.

I plan to do this activity again in the fall. Plus, have Sweetheart count out objects of each numbers.

August 2012
I am now back. The kids are older and wiser. Smartypants is now 6 and a wonderful big brother and friend. He is always willing to try new activities. He also has become quite the artist. I am very proud to be his nanny. He is a math whiz and an excellent reader. This past April he learned and can name all 50 states. In June I showed him a blank map of the US and I am proud to say he can name all the states.  In just over a month he will be in 1st grade.

Sweetheart is now 4 yrs old and quite the character.  She is a kind, caring sister. She is always willing to share and she looks out for her little sister.  This fall she will be going to preschool 4 afternoons a week. She is very excited to go and can't wait to do to art activities and then hang them up at home.  I am looking forward to spending the mornings with her and and her sister come this fall.

Smiles is growing up so fast and wants to do everything her siblings do. She is very sweet most days.
Her fine motor skills are excellent. One her favorite activities is putting tooth picks into a cheese grater and putting toothpicks into a styrofoam square.

Fine Motor Skills

I am a huge fan of introducing fine motor at a young age.  Infants, toddlers, and preschool children need to develop their fine motor skills so they are able to write, dress and play independently.

I am providing a list of various infant, toddler and preschool fine motor activities and ideas to help them develop foundational fine motor skills they will need! And remember, help them have FUN doing it.

I love playdough for children of all ages.  I just introduced Smiles (10 months) to playdough just the other day. She loved it. Of course, her natural reaction was to put in her mouth. I just encouraged use your fingers. I let her know what I wanted her to do. I would poke the playdough and she would laugh.  With time she will stop putting it in her mouth. It was homemade, so I was not as worried if she did try and eat it.
I used this recipe

Playdough Recipe
Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
Food coloring by drops

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a pan and stir. Cook over low heat, stirring until a ball forms.
2. Add food coloring and mix thoroughly until desired color.
3. Store in covered container. I used a ziplock baggie.

The following preschool activities support young children's fine motor development and will help to build the strength and dexterity (quick and precise movements and coordination of the hands and fingers) necessary to hold a pencil appropriately.

More preschool fine motor skill activities:

Rolling play dough into tiny balls using the palms of the hands facing each other and using only the finger tips.

Cut out shapes from cardboard (circle, square, etc.) and let your child trace them.
Using toothpicks to make designs in play dough.

Give your preschooler pair of tweezers. Provide two bowls with small items. Challenge them to get all the items from one bowl to another using only the tweezers.
Tearing newspaper into strips and then crumpling them into balls.
Lacing and sewing activities such as stringing beads.
Using eye droppers to "pick up" water.
Play with Legos, miniature cars, small blocks, action figures, and other small toys.
Working puzzles
Rolling small balls out of tissue paper, then gluing the balls onto construction paper to form pictures or designs.
Scissor activities
Clapping games
Connect the dots activities
Trace around stencils
Work on a chalkboard
Paint at an easel
Make crafts using scissors and gluing
Finger painting
Tying bows or tying shoes
weaving
geo boards
biggie beads

I have done many of these activities and I am always seeking more ideas. I think I will have to come up with 2 fine motor skills to use each week. Lately, it has been gluing and more gluing. Sweetheart will cut and then glue away. 



I found this list of fine motor activites for preschoolers
The following preschool activities support young children's fine motor development and will help to build the strength and dexterity (quick and precise movements and coordination of the hands and fingers) necessary to hold a pencil appropriately.

More preschool fine motor skill activities:

http://www.preschoolactivitybox.com/preschoolfinemotorskills.htm

Rolling play dough into tiny balls using the palms of the hands facing each other and using only the finger tips.

Cut out shapes from cardboard (circle, square, etc.) and let your child trace them.

Using toothpicks to make designs in play dough.

Give your preschooler pair of tweezers. Provide two bowls with small items. Challenge them to get all the items from one bowl to another using only the tweezers.

Tearing newspaper into strips and then crumpling them into balls.

Lacing and sewing activities such as stringing beads.

Using eye droppers to "pick up" water.

Play with Legos, miniature cars, small blocks, action figures, and other small toys.

Working puzzles

Rolling small balls out of tissue paper, then gluing the balls onto construction paper to form pictures or designs.

Scissor activities

Gross motor activities: Wheelbarrow walking, crab walking.

Clapping games

Connect the dots activities

Trace around stencils

Work on a chalkboard

Paint at an easel

Make crafts using scissors and gluing

Finger painting

Tying bows or tying shoes

Grandparents

Over the years the grandparents would come and visit. There have been good times and the challenges.In my current position the grandparents are the best. They compliment me all the time. Most of all they respect me as I respect them. I am been told so many times what a wonderful job I am doing.  Both sets are very active in their grandchildren lives. 
I love the fact their is no competion between me and the grandparnets.  They have their time as I have mine time. In a previous position, I felt at the end the Gma could not stand me.  It was uncomfortable when she would come and visit.  I strongly beleive if the grandparent is capable of caring for the children then the nanny should get the time off. I am not saying this to get more time off. I am saying because its in the best interest of the children. They want to be with the grandparents as the the grandparents want to be with them. They don't want to go by the nanny's rule's.  They are there to spoil their grandchildren. They want to do things their way and I am for all this.
So, I thank my current nanny family grandparents for respecting me.
    
    

A Little Bit of Everything

A fun activity we did back in the fall. I gave the kids black paper and gave them colored bandaides and foamies. They had fun making their creations. I can't wait to do this again on the next rainy day. Not that Smiles is older she can make her own creation

Contact paper and string. The kids in the fall made a creation using contact paper and colored string.

The kids used a white foamy board. They used pom poms, colored noddles, foamys and string.

Discovery Bottles

There are so many links and blogs to making a discovery bottle. What is a discovery bottle? Discovery Bottles are soda bottles filled with various items to explore a scientific concept.  The mini water bottles also work well for little hands. Or you can use the 20 oz soda/water bottles. Some of the fillers can be rice, sand, cut paper, gravel, salt, etc. After you close your bottle, hot glue around the lid.  I plan to make colored bottles.  Then some liquid ones as well.  Maybe some shakers as well. The ideas are endless. Here are some links:
http://www.quality-kids-crafts.com/kidscrafts_sensorybottles.html

Be sure to see the blog on discovery bottles for toddlers and older.