*Note: this post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Any purchases made via the links provided go to support our literacy efforts.
The start of summer is the time to think about planting your garden and with June being National Fresh Fruit & Vegetable month, why not try out some new fruits and vegetables offered in your area? Before planting your garden, read The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss and for the little ones consider reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle or Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert. National Dairy Month has been celebrated since 1939 and with all the health benefits of consuming dairy, be sure to include it in your baking and cooking. Support your local dairy farm during these trying times with a visit and for a fun read, include The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson. Spend the day outdoors with dad on Father‘s Day complete with cheeseburgers, grilled vegetables, strawberry shortcake and a book.
June is also generally the month when children are released from school to begin enjoying the pleasures of summer but unfortunately, June 2020 has been thrown into a bit of turmoil. Not to worry. Summer is an excellent time for natural learning from gardening, to exploring on nature walks to visiting farms, zoos and aquariums to canning, cooking and baking. All of these activities incorporate reading, math and science naturally and the experiences build background knowledge. Be sure to include plenty of fiction and nonfiction books for children to explore on their own and for read alouds
June
National Candy, Dairy, Fresh Fruit and Vegetables, Iced Tea & Mango Month
National Dairy Month
National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month
National Mango Month
National Iced Tea Month
Sit back on a blanket out in nature, sip a glass of iced tea and share your favorite storybook.
2nd: National Donut Day
First Full Week: National Garden Week
For additional titles, take a look at our previous blog: Why get kids in the garden?.
11th: National Corn on the Cob Day
13th: National Weed Your Garden Day
14th: National Strawberry Shortcake Day
21st: Father's Day
Research shows that boys are increasingly viewing reading as something for girls, which tends to result in lower reading scores. The best way to combat this attitude is for children to see the males in their life read. This Father’s Day, have dad or grandpa share their favorite story from childhood.
Happy reading!
-Kate @ BTBL Author
We are three generations that seek a way to get back to basics. It’s not that we eschew technology, but sometimes simpler is better, especially in raising our children. Mom was a reading teacher, Amanda is an early childhood educator and Kate a children’s literature specialist and former school librarian along with the latest additions, a daughter (now 4) for Kate, and two sons (now 1 and a newborn) for Amanda. We advocate reading aloud, the simple toys that use imagination and encourage creativity and learning in the kitchen, which can be a fun mess but also teaches life skills. Join us in raising healthy, happy, inquisitive and intelligent children.
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*Note: this post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Any purchases made via the links provided go to support our literacy efforts.
As the saying goes, April showers bring May flowers, so now is the time to get out in the yard and plant some sunny blooms that not only attract the butterflies and bees but also brightens up a world that certainly needs some happy colors at this time.
Children and nature is a great combination building physically healthier children with a stronger immune system. Being outdoors also improves sensory skills, increases attention span and aids in social/emotional development. One way to spend time outdoors is in a flower garden, which then can be brought indoors. Bringing the outdoors in with flowers is a wonderful way to add color and fragrance to a room but flowers can also be added to a meal and what child doesn‘t love to pick flowers? Edible flowers often taste like they smell so try some different varieties to find what you like. Just remember that not all flowers are edible so be sure to do a bit of research first. Some edible varieties to include might be:
(Partial list from Good Housekeeping)
In addition to growing some edible flowers, why not please the natural pollinators that visit your yard; bees and butterflies. Include those flowers that attract bees such as Bee Balm, Black-eyed Susan, Goldenrod, Butterfly Bush, Purple Coneflower, Snowdrops, Crocus, Salvia, Sunflowers and Roses. The honey that bees produce makes a great sweetener in baked goods, on biscuits and in tea. Making honey candy is also a fun family activity. Look for various recipes and how tos online. Remember, due to the increased risk of botulism, do not give honey to children under the age of one year.
Be sure that when you choose your flowers and plant your garden that you make it a fun and engaging day that promotes discovery and natural learning. Then sit in your newly planted flower garden and read a flowery title such as:
Usborne Books and More
Sunflowers are a favorite flower for children to grow and include many varieties that vary in color and size. For a fun project for the whole family, read The Sunflower House by Eve Bunting and then get some mammoth sunflower seeds and plant your own sunflower house in your yard. At the end of summer, harvest the large seeds they produce and roast them for some healthy yummy goodness. Simply Recipes has a great article on their website, “How to Harvest and Roast (in shell) Sunflower Seeds” that covers the entire process.
One of our favorite “flower” books is the classic The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. To share the story through the years and ages of your children:
Happy planting and reading!
-Kate @ BTBL Author
We are three generations that seek a way to get back to basics. It’s not that we eschew technology, but sometimes simpler is better, especially in raising our children. Mom was a reading teacher, Amanda is an early childhood educator and Kate a children’s literature specialist and former school librarian along with the latest additions, a daughter (now 4) for Kate, and two sons (now 1 and a newborn) for Amanda. We advocate reading aloud, the simple toys that use imagination and encourage creativity and learning in the kitchen, which can be a fun mess but also teaches life skills. Join us in raising healthy, happy, inquisitive and intelligent children.
*Note: this post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Any purchases made via the links provided go to support our literacy efforts.
Spring is in the air with showers and the anticipation of blooming flowers. April is also the month that celebrates BLT’s, grilled cheese, pecans, soft pretzels and garlic. Quite the combination, but it is also Poetry and School Library Month and includes National Library Week. So, in this “Open” month, why not open a cookbook, a book of poems and an account at your local library or for that matter, open any book in April and read! Combine National Picnic Day with Earth Day and Arbor Day and pack a picnic basket with foods you’ve made with your family and kick back and take the time to enjoy a good book, good food and good company. Once again, look over our food calendar and choose a date, choose a food and choose a book and enjoy! Don’t forget to consult our book lists for suggestions and ideas. **Note: unfortunately, the Coronavirus has changed our daily lives, how we go about them and what we do. Sheltering at home can still include reading books, telling stories and writing poems and even picnicking in the backyard. Keep little brains engaged with books. Reading and listening to stories and baking in the kitchen are excellent for home learning. Enjoy and stay safe!
April
National BLT, Garden, Garlic, Grilled Cheese, Pecan, Poetry, School Library, & Soft Pretzel Month
National Garden Month
To learn about the benefits of having children help in the garden, refer to our previous blogs: The Power of a Garden and Why Get Kids in the Garden?.
“For children, most importantly, being in the garden is something magical.”
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AuthorWe are mom Sandra and daughters Amanda and Kate, all with backgrounds in literacy and education, who want to share our philosophy of taking the basics of life; books, simple toys that encourage play, imagination and creativity, and using cooking and baking to teach math and real life skills to raise happy, inquisitive children. Join us in exploring the old and the new and sifting through the myriad of research to consider what is best for our children. Archives
June 2022
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