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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.
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*Note: this post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Any purchases made via the links provided go to support our literacy efforts.
This week we have chosen to feature a series of books from a local Michigan author, Deborah Diesen. Diesen’s The Pout-Pout Fish was selected for the 2009 Michigan Reads! literacy program and the series has since blossomed to include board books, picture books, activity books, a sight word game and chapter books. With a four-year-old ready to embrace letters, rhyming and sight words, I am thrilled with the number of books and options available. In addition to the amazing illustrations, this Pouting fish and his stories flow in a rhythmic pattern and contain a signature repetitive phrase that lends itself well for interactive reading. Many of the titles in the series are excellent for helping children explore simple feelings making them a wonderful social/emotional learning resource. These books can also be used to open up a dialogue with your children discussing not only their emotions but recognizing the emotions of others as well as exploring different emotions and learning new ways to express themselves.
Read as many books from the series that you have on hand or find them in read alouds on YouTube. Look online for ideas and activities to do with the series and to further extend the fun and learning, you can:
Since summer is just around the corner, and hopefully we’ll be able to safely leave the house, a fantastic book for all ages to read is The Pout-Pout Fish Far, Far from Home. Anyone who has ever traveled can relate to the mishaps of detours and bumps in the road. Make sure to pay attention to the illustrations, which are full of humorous details and puns. For a fun activity, discuss where the family would want to go on vacation and then consult a map to see if this would be feasible. Even if it’s not feasible (my daughter insists we need to visit Paris,) perhaps see if there are travel guides available to order and order some. It’s always fun to receive mail. If the location is not doable, make alternative plans that you might actually be able to visit. Research the location and what it has to offer and then plan an itinerary, perhaps locating points of interest along the way. Then make a list of what will be needed and what you just want to bring along. If your child can’t write what they want to bring, have them make a list in pictures or stickers. There are so many possible activities for this title that can be both fun and educational. Think outside the box and remember that learning often occurs when you least expect it.
So, spend some time this summer exploring the series and let your child know that….
Oh, and be sure to keep an eye on our Instagram (@btbliteracy) to see photos of our Pout-Pout Fish inspired extended activities!
Happy reading and learning! -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.
During self-isolation you no doubt have become an educational maven but in spending so much time with your child on a daily basis, you may also have observed that they gravitate toward particular interests and have their own passions. I remember when my brother was little, it was all about trains and LEGO Technic sets. As he got older, he graduated to taking things apart and making new power sources from old microwave transformers. My parents fed his passion and today my brother is an electrical engineer. Looking back, I can see that the engineer was in him from a young age. Though my mother tried to get him to read for pleasure, his pleasurable reading consisted of the non-fiction How Stuff Works and various DK books. My passion was reading (even while walking to school) and literature and I followed that to my degree in Children’s Literature and now my literacy business. I have a friend who is an amazing artist who didn’t follow her passion and today regrets her decision. That is why I feel that while you should introduce your child to the many options there are in the world, you still need to be aware of their natural talents and passions and help them to fully explore the opportunities available to them.
Therefore, this week we have chosen to feature some books that celebrate individual gifts, curiosity, perseverance and self-expression. Iggy Peck, Architect, Rosie Revere, Engineer and Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty help children see that pursuing one’s passion can lead to achieving that big dream. Again, if you don’t have the books, they are available as a read aloud on YouTube. Also, look for activity ideas online at TheQuestioneers.com and once life gets back to normal, look for the chapter books in this series as well.
While you explore this series, offer your child age appropriate activities such as:
This series is also wonderful for children of all ages for career exploration. Take architecture, engineering and science as a basis to explore all the various jobs and opportunities within each field. Feed their passion and their life will be full!
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.
*Note: this post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Any purchases made via the links provided go to support our literacy efforts.
May; A time of flowers blooming and thoughts of summer planting. In addition, the month of May reserves a special day for the foods BBQ, Egg, Hamburger, Salad, Salsa and Strawberry, as well as celebrating National Herb Week during the first week of the month. We suggest you plant an herb garden, even if it’s in a container or on the deck, to enjoy all summer long. You might even consider having the child in your life give mom or grandma an herb plant for Mother‘s Day along with a favorite recipe filled with herbs. Have dad or another family member help kids make mom a special dinner and dessert featuring favorite herbs. A prime day to learn about another culture is Cinco de Mayo. Consider sharing a bilingual storybook. Since National Chocolate Chip, Walnut and Devil‘s Food Cake Day fall during the week of World Baking Day, find a new recipe to try out with your child(ren) and let the flour flow!
The month of May is also Get Caught Reading Month. It’s a time for you and your children to go on an adventure and lose yourself in another world. This is not just for kids but for all people to take the time to get out a favorite book or a new one and just read! Check out the Get Caught Reading site and look at all the celebrities who got caught reading and take photos of your own family members reading and share them on your Facebook page or even ours. Don’t forget that reading can include cookbooks. Consider including some classics and then cook your way through the classics with The Storybook Cookbook by Carol MacGregor or Fairy Tale Feasts by Jane Yolen.
“Eating and reading are two pleasures that combine admirably.”
C.S. Lewis
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May
National BBQ, Egg, Hamburger, Salad, Salsa & Strawberry Month & Get Caught Reading Month
National Strawberry Month
The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry and The Big Hungry Bear by Don & Audrey Wood
Get Caught Reading Month
Get caught reading whatever tickles your fancy all month long and share your photos with us!
2nd: National Truffle Day
4th - 10th: Children's Book Week - Get in on the fun by reading your favorite children's books aloud and visit Every Child a Reader's website for celebration ideas and resources. #BookWeek2020atHome
4th: Star Wars Day - May the Fourth Be With You!
4th: National Orange Juice Day
5th: Cinco de Mayo
First Saturday: National Herb Day
13th: National Apple Pie Day
2nd Sunday: Mother‘s Day
15th: National Chocolate Chip Day
17th: World Baking Day
Hear a spectacular read aloud of How to Bake a Book (known as Recipe for a Story in the UK) on YouTube here.
17th: National Walnut Day
Let's Go Nuts!: Seeds We Eat by April Pulley Sayre
19th: National Devil‘s Food Cake Day
Bake the world a better place!
Happy baking 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.  Hopefully the showers of April have brought you May flowers, which also puts me in the mood to plant my own garden; flowers to bring me joy and herbs and vegetables for yumminess. I love being able to walk out to my backyard garden in the summer to gather what I need for a salad. We even keep pots of herbs on the deck, which my daughter loves to water and cut to use when we cook together. Be sure to include the little ones in decision making and in planting and don’t forget the fairies. They love their own garden and children enjoy creating them.  This last month of spring is Get Caught Reading month. Many schools reward students when they are “caught” reading this month but on the flip side, those same students are often reprimanded for reading when they shouldn’t be throughout the school year (I know, I was one of them.) Be supportive of and encourage your child’s reading habit and, if possible, snap a photo when you catch them reading and share it with us on our Facebook page. The first week of the month is the 100th anniversary of Children’s Book Week. Read your child’s favorite book with them or share one of your favorites from childhood. For ideas and further suggestions, check out the book lists on the BTBL website. This is also a great time to support local authors. Ask your librarian or local book seller who would be on the list. Last but not least, the second Sunday in May is Mother’s Day. Celebrate the day reading with your children, your mother and your grandmother if you are so lucky to have them all in your life. Including the generations fosters a sense of continuity and builds lasting memories. Special Dates in May *Note: this post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Any purchases made via the links provided go to support our literacy efforts. 4th: Star Wars Day (May the 4th be with you!) - Need we say more? There are many Star Wars books to choose from, from board books to graphic novels. For a fun read choose a title from Jeffrey Brown’s Darth Vader series. If your child has other interests, get creative. Read under the stars, read about space exploration or extraterrestrials, and so on.
5th: Cinco de Mayo - Though officially the date is in celebration of a battle victory for the Mexican army in 1862, today in the U.S. it has become a celebration of Mexican culture. Read one of Roseanne Greenfield Thong’s books. Another fun option is Dragon’s Love Tacos by Adam Rubin or choose a book from the Skippyjon Jones series, a cat who thinks he’s a Chihuahua, by Judy Schachner.
16th: Author/Illustrator Margret Rey’s Birthday - Best known for the Curious George series she created with her husband, H.A. Rey. Read one of the many stories about the world’s favorite monkey and also read about the Reys’ harrowing journey to bring their beloved stories from war torn Europe to the United States in The Journey That Saved Curious George: The True Wartime Escape of Margret and H. A. Rey by Louise W. Borden.
24th: Queen Victoria’s Birthday - The longest reigning British monarch until Queen Elizabeth. Besides a biography, there are several interesting and fun books you can read. Queen Victoria’s Bathing Machine by Gloria Whelan and The Queen’s Knickers by Nicholas Allan. An interesting title, especially for older children might be The Adventures of Alice Laselles, written by Queen Victoria herself when she was 10 years old.
Poem “Mary Had a Little Lamb” published in 1830 - Great time to read the poem with your child and sing the song. For older children who are already familiar with the poem, check out Mary Had a Little Lamp by Jack Lechner and Mary Had a Little Lab by Sue Fliess for laughs and perhaps use the Internet to find and listen to Thomas Edison reciting the first lines of the poem on the original phonograph. A great learning opportunity that also makes a connection to a historical event.
May is also a month for remembering our fallen heroes who died while serving in the armed forces. Armed Forces Day is the third Saturday in May and Memorial Day is the last Monday. Look for ways to celebrate our freedom and to honor those currently serving our country as well as our veterans.
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 editions, a daughter for Kate (now 3) and a son for Amanda (now 1.) 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. |
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
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