Monster Mash

This week in my story times at work we are doing a Monsters theme for Halloween. Monsters are notoriously scary to younger kids (and even some older ones, for that matter), yet there are a lot of really great children's books featuring monsters! I made a real effort to choose monster books that encourage and empower kids, through teaching empathy and other tactics for de-scarifying (yes, that's a word now apparently) the things that go bump in the night.

My Favorite Monster Books

• Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems
• There's a Nightmare in My Closet by Mercer Mayer
• Monster Hug by David Ezra Stein
• Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley
• Bedtime for Monsters by Ed Vere
• The Monster's Monster by Patrick McDonnell
• The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone
• The Monster Who Lost His Mean by Tiffany Strelitz Haber

Make Your Own Monster

Sometimes just the act of creating the thing that can be scary is empowering in itself - but making a monster and then tearing it to bits can also be good for some kids - you can try either with this craft! In any case the coloring and peeling off the stickers encourage the development of manual fine motor skills necessary for writing down the road.

Materials: Multiple colors of construction paper, crayons, shape stickers, googly eyes

The Reindeer Christmas

Today's highlighted book is: The Reindeer Christmas by Moe Price

What did Santa do to get around before the reindeer? This picture book full of lush illustrations tells the story of how Santa gained his sleigh and the his famous flying reindeer. A charming story you are bound to share again and again.







Similar Titles:

• Reindeer Christmas by Mark Kimball Moulton
• How the Reindeer Got Their Antlers by Geraldine  McCaughrean
• Reindeer Moon by Mark Kimball Moulton
• The Wild Reindeer Christmas by Jan Brett

Candy Cane Reindeer

Candy Cane Reindeer are super easy for even the littlest hands to do. You'll need candy canes, googly eyes, small pom-pons, pipe cleaners and glue. If you want to get really fancy you can also use beats and brick-a-brack to dress up your reindeer. The picture below is pretty self-explanatory for how to put the pieces together. When done you can give them as stocking stuffers or use them as ornaments!

Clothespin Reindeer

Clothespin Reindeer are a little tougher to make, but not by much. You'll need plain wooden clothes pins, tacky glue or a glue gun (watch out for little fingers), googly eyes, small pom-pons and any extra decoration pieces you want to use. It takes 2-3 clothes pins, depending on how you want to do the legs. If you use two clothes pin glue them together overlapping the pin heads, but tines pointing in opposite directions, for 3 clothes pins, glue two together the same direction and the 3rd with tines in opposition. Be sure to give the glue time to dry or cool before decorating. When they are finished you can stand them up in a cute display like the ones below, or use them as ornaments for your tree.

Russell's Christmas Magic

Today's highlighted story is: Russell's Christmas Magic by Rob Scotton

Russell is an adorable sheep who helps save Christmas when Santa's sleigh crash lands nearby. This is a cute and exciting story that will draw kids in. I love the illustrations!








Similar Titles:

• Russell the Sheep by Rob Scotton
• Merry Christmas, Splat by Rob Scotton
• Llama Llama Holiday Drama by Anna Dewdny

Here are the instructions for some fun Felted Sheep from Martha Stewart, with a grown up to help, kiddos can definitely create!

Dear Santa

Today's highlighted book is: Dear Santa: The Letters of James B. Dobbins complied by Bill Harley

This book tells the story of hockey loving big brother, James Dobbins, as told through his own letters to Santa in which he tells St. Nick of his difficulty with being nice to his sister, his strong desire for all things hockey, a rink in the back yard would be amazing, and how sorry he is for the bad things he's done in the past year. One particular touching moment happens when James gives his teacher her Christmas present and then confides in Santa how much fun it is to give to others and see their faces when they receive your gift. An endearing book, great for sharing.



Similar Titles:

• Dear Santa Claus by Alan Durant
• Dear Santa . . . by Ronne Randall
• Cat's Letters to Santa by Bill Adler
• The Jolly Christmas Postman by Allan Ahlberg and Janet Ahlberg

Write a Letter to Santa

There's not real instructions required for this activity - just make it fun! You might consider including: Christmas stationary, special Christmas stamps (The USPS has made evergreen seasonal Forever Stamps this year), stickers, rubber stamps, glitter and sealing it all up with some sealing wax before mailing it off to Santa! (I love Nostalgic Impressions for sealing wax and seals).

One suggestion I do have might be to include a thank you within the letter and requests for gifts for needy children, especially if your family sponsors a child. And if you don't sponsor a child, you might consider it, even if just for the holiday season, through organizations like The Angel Tree, Salvation Army Angel Tree or Operation Christmas Child.

Also, if you want to be really green and not use paper to send Santa a letter, you can Email Santa.

Happy Holidays!

A Story a Day 'Til Christmas

There are so many children's books available for the holidays it hardly seems fair to try and highlight them all in just 3 or 4 weekly posts, so this year The Kids' Stacks will be highlighting A Story A Day 'Til Christmas. 25 different stories along with craft ideas and recipes for families and care givers to share. The countdown will begin on Wednesday, December 1 so be sure to check in and check back each day as we count down to Christmas.

And don't fret, while I personally celebrate Christmas, I will, as always, be sure to highlight books and activities appropriate for families of all cultures and beliefs - because no one should be left out!

I hope you and yours have had a wonderful Thanksgiving and I look forward to seeing you back here December 1.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, One and All!

I found a wonderful craft activity that would be great for children 2+ to share with their parents. Here are the directions for creating your own "Tree of Thanks".

Creating a Tree of Thanks

Supplies:

• Naked branches (Note: it would be a nice activity to go on a walk with the kids and let them pick the branches for themselves)
• String or yarn
• Construction paper or card stock for leaves (Note: these could also be prefab dye cuts, pre-cut by a grownup or with older kids you could make a leaf stencil for them to trace and then cut out the leaves for themselves)
• Terra cotta pot or basket
• Floral foam, gravel and or decorative marbles to support the branches in the container
• Hole punch

Instructions:

• First create the leaves, if they are already cut out then you can jump straight to the next step, otherwise trace a leaf shape (I recommend oak or maple) on your paper and cut out as many leaves as you'd like, at least 3 per person.

• Next put the gravel into your chosen container and then add the branches in such a way that they are well supported, not slumping over and look like a small tree or shrub.

• Then write what you are thankful for on each leaf. Older children can write this for themselves and younger kids may be encouraged to try. Parents can also take dictation for younger children and should of course add their own contributions of gratitude to the leaves. (Note: this portion of the activity helps develop print awareness and fine motor skills in pre-school aged children and written communication skills in older kids).

• Finally, punch a hole in the end of each leaf and thread it with the yarn. To help with fine motor skills parents may wish to have the children tie their own knots in the strings before allowing the kids to put each of their blessings on a branch, being sure to share with every one else what it is they are thankful for as they do. Again, care givers should definitely include their own blessings on the tree.

In the end you will have a Tree of Thanks that not only has helped develop fine motor and communication skills, but more importantly makes a great centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table that focuses on gratitude and the true meaning of the holiday.

Now here are some great books to share with your family this Thanksgiving:

• The Thanksgiving Bowl by Virginia Kroll
• Thanksgiving at Our House by P.K. Hallinan
• The Thanksgiving Door by Debby Atwell
• Thank You, Thanksgiving by David Milgrim

May your family have a blessed and wonderful holiday!

Be sure to check back here a week from today for the first installment of A Story A Day 'Til Christmas.

Final Foliage of Fall

Around the country the brilliant colors of fall foliage are beginning to wane, as the last of the autumn leaves flitter to the ground and the trees brace themselves for the winter that is on the way. But there is still some time to get out this week to enjoy the changing seasons! Here are some books to inspire your adventures:

For your beginning reader, Little Critter: The Fall Festival is a great book, with big lettering and easy to sound out words along with descriptive pictures, all with the childhood favorite Little Critter and his family celebrating the harvest season.

The Little Yellow Leaf is another good one for early readers to read along with their grown-ups. The illustrations are great artisitically, and might inspire some craft ideas - in addition the story is a great tale about friendship and taking leaps of faith.

For the more scientific and curious child What Happens in Fall? by Sara L. Latta, from the series I Like the Seasons! does a great job of explaining what causes the leaves to change colors and fall, why the weather gets cooler, the days shorter, and how animals prepare for the coming winter.

Translated from Japanese, Hooray for Fall! tells the story of three little squirrels discovering the beauty of autumn's colors.

Last but not least - We're Going on a Leaf Hunt takes the classic children's chanting game "Going on a Bear Hunt" and gives it a fall twist. The children in the story hunt for the leaves of different trees squish-squashing their way through the woods - and it is their adventure that is the inspiration for today's activity: Leaf Collage!

Go out on a nature walk in a nearby park or forrested area with a well-marked trail. On the way observe the animals gathering nuts and berries for the winter and take some time to gather your art supplies. Pine needles, grasses and especially the fallen leaves of a variety of trees all make good choices for your collages. You may need to dry and flatten your leaves before you can use them for your craft project by putting them between sheets of paper towel and laying a heavy book or two on top for about half an hour. Then use crayons, markers, colored pencils, water color etc. to draw your scene if you wish. Or you can do an abstract collection. Whatever you choose, white school glue or glue dots work the best for sticking your collected flora to your paper. Most importantly, have fun, be creative and take some time to enjoy Mother Nature!

It's Back To School!

Due to last week's change of plans I postponed the posting of this particular blog about back-to-school books. Most of you out there have probably already started classes, but still - better late than never!


When I was first starting kindergarten it was no big deal for me. I was an outgoing kid, it was only a half-day of school, I'd already had some pre-school experience and my mom (or a family friend) picked me up and dropped me off at school each day.

For me the scariest back-to-school experience came on the first day of first grade. My family had just moved to Colorado and because I was therefore a late enroller, I got pushed to the overflow school rather than the elementary school that all the other kids in my neighborhood attended. It was a half-hour long bus ride from our home on (what was then) the eastern edge of town to my elementary school in the west, just off the interstate. It was my first time going to school all day long and my very first time navigating the mine field of riding an intimidating big yellow bus.



My mom dropped me off the first day, but wouldn't be able to pick me up, so I had to find my bus out in a lot full of yellow bus-colored giants all alone after school. I was terrified I would get on the wrong bus and end up in a strange neighborhood with no way of finding my home or my family. I very nearly cried as I paced the lot of roaring engines twice before finding the right bus number. Fortunately my bus driver, Ms. Beth, was looking for me so I knew I had found the right place! Maybe school wouldn't be so scary afterall . . .

There are so many great books about school that I can't even begin to list them all, but two of my favorites tell the story of a classroom ill-behaved children in Texas, and their teacher, Miss Nelson. We are first introduced to Miss Nelson and Miss Swamp in Miss Nelson is Missing when the evil substitute Miss Swamp pays a visit and the students learn just how lucky they are to have a teacher like Miss Nelson. In the sequel Miss Nelson is Back, a new set of pupils learns their lesson from Miss Swamp as well.

If your kiddo is just getting started in school I would also recommend I Am Absolutely Too Small for School from the Charlie and Lola series, Franklin Goes to School from the Franklin the Turtle series, The Berenstain Bears Go To School, and Little Critter: First Day of School.

For your older child just getting started on chapter books the Wayside School series by Holes author Louis Sachar are great fun!

And for your YP reader there is of course the Harry Potter series and one of my favorite British school girls, Georgia Nicolson, whose series of confessional journals started publication back when I was still a teenager!






Making a Personalized Pencil Box


What you need:

• a plain pencil box (plastic or wood recommended)
• multi-colored permanent markers (or paint pens, or paints)
• stickers (optional)

Write your child's name prominantly on the top or side of the pencil box, then let them go to town decorating and doodling on it!

Lightning and Thunder and Tornadoes, Oh My!

I don't know about the kids in your life, but I remember vividly my fear of summer storms as a child. I was terrified of thunder and, after an evening spent in a closet waiting out a tornado warning, I was afraid of any strong wind gusts as well. Like so many fears however, I found that more I new about a topic, the far less fearful it became, to the point that by late childhood thunderstorms were (and still are) one of my favorite parts of the summer.

The cliche rang true - knowledge was indeed power. Power, and freedom from fear.

Books were a key part to gaining that knowledge.

One episode of PBS' Reading Rainbow was probably the tipping point. In this episode James Earl Jones brought life to the story of Kipat, who watched his herd, as he stood on one leg like a big stork bird in Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain. The story taught me about the importance of the rain to the plants and animals who share our planet, that summer storms are a blessing for the Earth.

Another book that helped me to make sense of the weather was the children's non-fiction book Weather Words and What They Mean. This book gave me words to put the phenomena I saw around me.

Recently I used these two books, in addition to Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, to teach two different programs for preschoolers about the weather. The weather here in Colorado this summer has been rather crazy, and often severe, so I thought some of the kids I see each day might be struggling with the same fears I once had regarding the weather.

Here are the crafts we did:

Drawing the Weather

Supplies:
blue construction paper
blue, grey, white and yellow crayons
glitter (glitter pens or rolling glitter)
cotton balls
school glue (or glue sticks)

The kids were each given a sheet of "sky" and then were encouraged to use their imaginations and the supplies provided to draw the weather. Many drew lightning, made glittering rain and had lots of fun gluing cotton ball clouds to their papers.

Making Clouds

Supplies:
dixie cups (or other small disposable container)
white school glue
shaving cream
blue construction paper (which we glued to paper plate frames in advance, to add support)
craft sticks (to stir and stick with)

Put one part school glue per two parts shaving cream in a cup, then have the kids mix the shave cream and paste together - this will be their cloud foam. They can then plop it on their papers and shape their very own clouds, big or small, globby or thin, thick or sparse.


Next time - one of my other favorite parts of summer, Camping!!