Learn To Spell Your Name Activity for Preschoolers

When teaching my kids the alphabets, I always like to start with letters from their name. That way, the first thing they can spell is their name.

Here is one activity I found that helps them spell their name. Have them arrange the letters of their name to form a snowman. I'm a bit lazy here and opted out of making snowman hats and a scarf. But if you want cuter snowmen, I'd encourage you to do that. I guess we could do the same thing and make caterpillars too.

Gluing and pasting is ideal when kids are still don't know how to write or are still struggling to control their pencil movements. My little girl here really enjoyed this activity. She wanted to do more. This helped her learn not only to put the letters of her name in the right order but also to put the alphabets the right way up.

Strengthening Basic Multiplication Skills in Children

Yesterday, as I presented my student with a worksheet of basic multiplication questions, she started to yawn (unintentionally, of course). I've been working with this kid for the past 2 months to really strengthen her multiplication skills. We've already worked on the individual times tables: 2 - 12. Unfortunately, I only see her 3x a weeks and I doubt she even looks at the multiplication tables the other days. BUT the only way any child is going to be an expert with basic multiplication is to practice, practice, practice everyday until they get it.

The problem is, how to make them practice without boring them out of their minds?

So, this is what we did yesterday... We created a game out of the multiplication grid.

She wrote in the ones that she absolutely knew... ones that she could answer in 2 seconds. The ones where she hesitated, we put a colored paper. So now, she can take home this game, and fill up the missing blanks with counters that show the correct answer. This way, she only practices the ones that she has been having problems remembering. It is sort of like 'target practice'.

So if you have a child that has already learned all the multiplication tables but are still struggling to remember certain ones, this is one way to target those troubled areas and have fun at the same time.

Brainzy: Making Computer Time Fun and Educational For Preschool to 1st Grade

I think many of us parents have a hard time controlling the number of hours our young children are on the computer. It is almost to the point of addiction... or is it just my kids? Every day I hear the same question, "Mom, can I use the computer?"
You can't really ban computer from their lives. So the next best thing would be to make sure they are using their computer time wisely.

Learning does not always equal "boring". Kids can play computer games and be learning at the same time. Brainzy is one such program.

Try a free trial of the Brainzy educational games program today!

This is a paid program. I know there are many free programs out there but not all of them are good quality. There is a free trial for Brainzy. Give it a try before you decide if it is worth your money. See if your children like the games. If they are having fun and you see learning taking place, you should consider adding Brainzy to your education resources.

Go check it out for yourself.



*This post contains affiliate links.

Awesome Worksheets That Make Learning Fun For Your Kids

I'm always looking for ways to make learning fun for my kids. I am currently homeschooling 1 child and have another 2 going to school. Unfortunately, teachers here are not very creative. The culture is such that kids are drilled to pass exams. My kids constantly tell me how boring their homework is.

I am not one to leave all the teaching to the school. I believe as a mother, I am still their number 1 teacher. And so I am always on the net, scouring for fun educational stuff for them. I can only hope to keep their love for learning alive.

So I'm here to tell you about a website that offers a variety of fun worksheets and workbooks...

Education.com provides printable workbooks to help children learn key skills in math, reading and writing. These workbooks are suitable for children in preschool through fifth grade.

New Workbooks on Education.com!

I've downloaded quite a few from their website. If you are seeking fun worksheets for your kids, I encourage you to check out this website. You can download some for free but there is a limit every month. If you want to enjoy the full privileges, there is a fee to pay. They offer a subscription service that grants access to all workbooks. The quality of worksheets you get makes it pretty worth it.

Have a look and tell me if this resource will help in your child's education.

Save 20% by signing up for a Education.com PLUS subscription AND get unlimited workbook downloads!



Here are some of the products available:


Ready to crunch some numbers? This workbook will help your child review numbers and counting, and introduce your little learner to number sequences, order and grouping.


Explore the parts of a plant and the stages of life it goes through. Then try your hand at germinating seeds as you introduce your little bud to important plant processes like photosynthesis.


These worksheets will strengthen your fourth grader's writing conventions and sentence construction, including capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.


What's a metaphor? How do you haiku? Kids will hone reading and writing skills with this book, from a simple syllable counting exercise to inventing rhymes and tangling with the Jabberwocky!


 *This post contains affiliate links. 

Frozen Fans Will Love Disney Frozen Sparkle Anna of Arendelle Doll

My 4 year old daughter can't get enough of the movie Frozen. I have to admit, I truly enjoyed the movie too and the songs are now stuck in our heads.



This Disney 3D animated musical takes place in an imaginary land called Arendelle. Loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen's chilly Nordic-based classic The Snow Queen, Frozen is centered around sisters Anna and Elsa, daughters of the King and Queen of Arendelle. While one sister (Elsa) stays isolated filled with fear, the other sister (Anna) is bursting with energy and life. A real contrast in character. This Disney Frozen Sparkle Anna of Arendelle Doll delivers the younger of the two sisters in faithful detail. Let's step inside the frozen fantasy environment of Arendelle and take a closer look at young Anna.

Disney Frozen Sparkle Anna of Arendelle Doll

Key Features

• Based on a character from the hit Disney animated film Frozen
• Anna is the younger of the two sisters, the main characters in the film
• Anna's gown from the movie is re-created with pink swirls, sparkles and flowers
• Bright blue skirt also included, bearing traditional Norwegian design

Why is the Disney Frozen Sparkle Anna of Arendelle Doll a Smart Buy?

If you have a little girl that is a Frozen fan and especially loves Princess Anna, you can be sure that the Disney Frozen Sparkle Anna of Arendelle Doll will be a good gift choice.

Get the best price over at Amazon.

Imaginary play helps keep your child's imagination alive. With this doll, your little girl can have fun re-creating those movie moments with this detailed Disney doll.


In the movie, the removable skirt, multicolored bodice, black snow boots and pink cape that Anna wears are all beautifully detailed in the girl-friendly colors of pink and light blue. They have been wonderfully re-created on this Disney doll, as well as Norwegian designs complete with rosemaling present on the skirt. And the many sparkles seen on the film character's Anna are here as well.

This doll will bring the movie character to life for your little princess. The attention to detail includes molded lace features on the black snow boots, as well as the familiar freckles on Anna's face and pink tiara.



The Disney Frozen Sparkle Anna of Arendelle Doll is definitely a must-have for the Disney Princess lover, Disney collector and the gift buyer looking for an extremely attractive retail price tag. The big-screen Anna character is faithfully reproduced, and Disney has also re-created Anna's wintry home in the Disney Frozen Castle & Ice Palace Playset.



Whether just purchasing Anna, or including her sister Elsa and the Disney Playset, your little girl will busy enjoying herself and making up her own imaginary stories with these wonderful Disney toys.

Oreo Ice Cream Cake

My son just had a birthday. Of course there must be a cake. Some of the kids were asking for ice cream cake. Buying one is quite expensive. So, once again, I had to turn to Mr. Google to see if I could make one myself. This is what I came up with at the end: Oreo Ice Cream Cake.

It's pretty easy to make and the kids (plus friends) gave it a thumbs up.

Here's how I did it:

1. Baked a Lemon Cake. Of course I didn't do it from scratch. Just got a box of the shelves (Pillsbury). Most people use chocolate cake but the tangy lemon really blended nicely with my fudge topping.

2. Slice the cake into 2 layers so you can sandwich the ice cream in between. Put one layer at the bottom of your cake tray.

3. Crush a packet of Oreos. If you want more Oreos, just crush more. Mix it with your choice of ice cream. Vanilla, chocolate or Cookies N Cream flavor works well.

4. The ice cream has to be a little bit soft. Scoop out the ice cream and make a layer on top of the cake.

5. Put another layer of cake on top of the ice cream. Put back in the freezer so the ice cream hardens up.

6. Meanwhile, make some chocolate hot fudge . You can find a recipe that you like but I used this recepi:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 tbs butter

7. Pour the chocolate hot fudge on top of the cake layer. Return the cake to the freezer.

8. Just before you serve the cake, top off the cake with swirls of whip cream. Add a little bit more crushed Oreos to that.

I hope my directions make sense. You're basically just putting one layer on top of another. Modify to your liking.

Leave a comment to tell me what you think.

Easy Hot Dog Buns For School or Snack

One of my friends shared with me this fried hot dog bun after church and it was really yummy. My kids tell me that they sell it at the school canteen too (RM1 each). It is so easy to make and the kids love it. If you're out of ideas on what to pack for your kid's recess time, this is something to consider.

 All you need is bread, hotdogs and a rolling pin. Just put the hotdogs (here we call them sausages) in boiling water to cook.

 

Use the rolling pin to flatten the bread. Place a hotdog on top of it and roll it up. 

Fry it in oil. Make sure the oil is not too hot as it can get burned really fast. Add ketchup, chilli sauce or mayonnaise. Its also yummy just eating it plain.

Help Your Autistic Child

I am a true believer that a child's first and most important teacher is the parents. Teaching a child is no easy feat. Any parent will attest to that.

As I strive to teach my own children, I often feel frustrated when they don't listen to my instructions, turn a deaf ear to what I'm saying,  resist my attempts to teach, throw a tantrum or give me a bad attitude. My patience is constantly tested. I wish to cultivate in them good characteristics and be well behaved. I believe this is the desire of all, if not most parents. However, children are as varied as snowflakes: each different and unique. Each come with their own set of challenges.

I cannot imagine how much more difficult it is for parents with special needs children. I have a friend who has an autistic child. I'm amazed at her diligence, patience and strength in teaching this son of hers. I've seen the improvements in his behavior over the years. So much so that he is able to attend a normal school instead of a school for special needs children. Let me make it clear that he is not 'cured' from autism but rather, he has been taught the skills to function in our society.

I believe the most important step she took was to accept, from a very early stage, that her son was different and needed special help. I can see that awareness for special education and autism is increasing, especially in Asia. More parents have a better understanding of autism and are willing to take positive steps to help their child. Before, most old folks would brand a child with autistic traits as disobedient, stupid and useless. Some of them would even mistreat the child. All this because of their lack of understanding and ignorance.

We are lucky that we have the internet to do research. This is our advantage over the older generations. Surfing around the net, you can learn what is autism and read the many experiences of parents with autistic children. You can find teaching supplies such as toy games for learning, flash cards, activity kits, communication pictures, token boards and charts, visual timers, social skills curriculums and ABA language cards. There are forums you can join to gain support and ideas from other parents in the same boat. You can also search for centers that provide services to treat and educate your child.

No doubt it is difficult to raise a child with special needs. It takes lots of patience, dedication, prayer and unconditional love. Do not let pride or ignorance prevent you from giving your child the opportunity to learn new skills. With the right resources, support and education, they can improve. The benefits of early intervention should not be disregarded.

Kuih Kosui Recipe

I learned how to make this Kuih Kosui from my mom's friend. She experimented with the recipe and finally found the right amount of ingredients that work. So, before I proceed to show you how make this yummy 'kuih', let me first say thanks to Aunty Karen Tam.

First thing you need to know is the cup that is used for measuring. It is not the standard cup but rather a standard coffee mug (like below). I did attempt to convert the recipe to the standard measurements. Unfortunately, I have lost that piece of paper where I noted down the conversion. So, until I get those measurements down again, just find a mug like below. And to tell you the truth, it really is easier just to measure with this mug when doing this recipe.

Ingredients

(Remember, the size of the 'cup' here is referring to the mug above. Please restrain from laughing :) )

Ingredients A:
1 cup plain flour
1 cup tapioca flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Air Kapur (betel lime water)
3 cups pandan water (screwpine)

Ingredients B:
1 1/2 cups sugar (Mixture of white and brown sugar. Ratio of white:brown sugar depends on your preference. As for me, I just use 3-4 tbsp. of brown sugar)
1/2 cup water

Ingredients C:
100g grated young coconut (Here at my wet market, I just buy 1 packet which is RM1)
Pinch of salt

METHOD

1. Combine 1 cup of plain flour, tapioca flour and salt. Do not need to sift.

2. Add 3 cups of pandan (screwpine) water. Add little by little to initially make a paste. This way it is easier to smooth out the lumps. Once everything looks smooth (no lumps), add in the rest of the water.

How to make pandan water
What you do is take a few fresh leaves of pandan, cut into small pieces and put them in the blender. Add a little water and blend it. Strain to get just the juice. Give the pulp a squeeze to get more juice out. Then just add water to make 3 cups.

3. In a separate bowl, dissolve the sugar in 1/2 cup of hot water. Then add it into the flour and pandan mixture.

4. Last of all, add in about 1/2 - 1 tsp of 'air kapur'. You can get this ingredient at the Indian stores. I was told that you could substitute with alkaline water (Cantonese people call it "kan sui"). However, I have not tried it with any substitute. They say this ingredient helps to harden the 'kuih', so it is not soft and mushy.

5. Sift everything into a tray for steaming. The 'batter' is actually quite watery. I usually have lumps of 'kapur' in my sift. So I just smoothen it out on my sift.

6. Steam for 30 minutes. The more brown sugar you use, the more brown color your 'kuih' will be. After you steam, there will be some water on top of your layer of 'kuih'. Just pour it away.

7. Let cool completely. After cooling down, I like to put mine in the fridge for like 5 minutes. This is just to make the 'kuih' harden a little bit more.

8. Cut into squares and roll them in your grated coconut. Don't forget to add a little salt to your coconut first.

 

 

So far, I've only had praises for this recipe. Give it a try and tell me if it worked for you too.
Enjoy!

MAKING SAFETY YOUR CHILD’S COMPANION – INDOOR AND OUTDOOR

Kinderdijk Champions Child Safety Education with Aprica and Graco Baby Products Roadshow

KUALA LUMPUR, 17 October 2013 – As every parent holds their new-born infant, the overwhelming feeling of unconditional love and care envelopes the child the moment the baby is held in their arms. What’s more, the smile of the baby brings a sweet and warm joy to the parents knowing that their precious child is happy, feeling safe and protected. Nonetheless, deriving the reason behind the smile of the baby is what pulls experts at Aprica and Graco to engineer simple modern solutions to best enrich every family's journey to make safety the child's companion, inside and outside.

To ensure that infants grow happily in a safe environment, there are little things which parents can do to protect them from the more serious injuries that can lead to disabilities and even fatalities. Accidents can occur indoors and outdoors, and most of them can be prevented when safe and prudent precautions are taken. For instance, the increase in car accidents involving infants and children every year is a dreadful reality which highlights the issue of child safety.

A crash test analysis conducted by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) in 2010 revealed that an adult passenger will not have the required strength to prevent an infant or a child from being thrown forward during a collision at any speed applied. More frighteningly, at a vehicle driving at the speed of a mere 50km per hour, an unsecured infant weighing 7.0kg will actually be thrown forward at a powerful force of 240kg/sq2, which is an equivalent impact of an adult falling from a five-storey building. These numbers reveal that infants are the most vulnerable passengers and a high percentage of children in Malaysia were unfortunately killed during road accidents; more than any other causes known to date.

With this in mind, Kinderdijk Sdn Bhd launched a one-week Child Safety Roadshow Campaign that centres on Kinderdijk’s commitment to strongly remind parents and guardians to be wary and to take all necessary precautions to safeguard their children’s safety. The roadshow held from 14th to 20th October 2013 in Mid Valley Megamall, also showcased a line of Aprica and Graco child safety car seats, strollers, baby carriers and travel systems, all of which are designed in line with the principles of paediatrics and childcare engineering to enhance childcare and create a fun family life.

Gwei Tze-Co, Managing Director, Kinderdijk Sdn Bhd said, “Based on the statistics, more parents seem to assume that holding their child or letting them sit on the lap is enough to protect them from the impact of accidents. It is also becoming a worrying trend that the usage of child safety car seats and travel systems are not something that most Malaysian parents take seriously. Parents must understand that children are the most precious cargo on-board; hence safety should not be undervalued, nor taken for granted as it can benefit them in the long-run.”

“According to the study conducted by MIROS, an infant will be flung forward at a high velocity albeit being held by an adult during a vehicle collision at only 30km per hour and most likely will be killed as the direct result of such violent impact. Thus, being equipped with the right and comfortable baby travelling equipment can provide a peace of mind to parents when using the equipment while travelling,” said Jenny Kwan, Senior Sales Manager, Hong Kong & ASEAN, Newell Rubbermaid Asia Pacific. “Furthermore, parents need to practice buckling up and young children should be taught on how to use them. Safety is crucial to child development and it is imperative to cultivate the prudent habit from young.”

Understanding the Reason behind the Baby’s Smile

Psychologists have found that babies are the most happiest when they feel secure and safe in a trusted environment. A baby’s smile can bring wonders and eases the stress away. To ensure babies are safe, experts at Aprica are designing products that are developed with scientific approaches and medical science on babies and childcare engineering to provide comfort to the baby. Likewise, Graco is providing safety solutions that make childcare easier with products which are fully convenient and intuitive, catering to making a fun family life.

In light of this, Aprica has formed the 8.3.8 Principle to identify, protect and nurture the baby’s body and mind to create the best environment for babies with the development of comfortable baby products. Aprica has drawn out ‘8 Medical Structures to protect and nurture babies’ from the ‘8 Babies’ immaturity in body to be protected’ structure and ‘3 Baby’s emotional growth to be encouraged’ concept identified through researches on baby paediatrics and childcare engineering.

“At Kinderdijk, we understand that care and safety are essential to keep the baby comfortable and secure. The Aprica and Graco products distributed by Kinderdijk are innovatively engineered and carefully designed to provide convenience and security to parents, especially those who are leading a modern lifestyle,” Gwei added. Given that comfort and safety are vital to form the foundation of childcare devices, the following are the standards that guide Aprica engineers to develop baby products essential to make babies happy.

Homeschoolers May Excel Better Than School Bound Children

Many people these days are unhappy with the government's school education system. The idea of homeschooling is appealing to some but there is the fear of taking a path that is unfamiliar. Maybe this infographic will give you some confidence in homeschooling.


Created by: CollegeAtHome.com

Although homeschooling seems favorable, the decision to homeschool or not cannot be made without doing some homework. Many factors have to be considered such as the home environment, parents' work commitment and also the child's attitude.

Whether you are homeschooling or not, you're welcome to share why you chose one over the other and how that is working out for your children.

Moms, What Do You Have In Your Wardrobe?

I have to admit, my wardrobe at this moment is quite pathetic. Since becoming a stay-at-home mom, my collection of clothes has become limited and very simple. I'm happy just wearing a T-shirt and 3/4 cotton pants every day.

The thing is there is no motivation to dress up when all I'm going to do is get dirty and sweaty from cooking and cleaning. Oh yes, I do go out but that is just to send and pick up the kids from school. I don't really get out of the car.

I used to have some nice clothes but after pregnancy, parts of my body have expanded, especially my chest and shoulder areas. Let's not even talk about the tummy. I remember a few weeks after having my 1st child, I tried to put on a button down blouse and I just couldn't get the button any where near the button hole. That was so depressing. But I knew then that I had to say goodbye to many of my nice shirts and dresses. I'm now at 4 kids and I know my body ain't going back to my pre-kid days.

So, some of us moms (me included) tend to settle for simple and unappealing when it comes to dressing; Well, because it is just more practical. However, I'm going to repent and try to shake off the grungy and sloppy look. I'm getting older but I don't have to look it right?

FASHION TIPS FOR MOMS

• Don't just fill up your drawers with oversized t-shirts and sweatpants. Invest in some nice tunics. Try to be a little chic when you go out. It really does make you feel better about yourself. If you wear frumpy, you feel frumpy, and that's no fun at all.
• It is so common for moms to put everybody else first. Don't neglect yourself. You deserve to feel good and look good too.
• Shape wear garments helps to pull together your mommy tummy and whatever else that is loose.
• Wear clothes that fit instead of oversize clothes.
• Cardigan style sweaters that stay loose in the front works great in adding a little zing to your style.
• Amy Tara Koch, author of Bump It Up recommends leggings, T-shirt dresses and ballet flats instead of sweatpants that make you look heavy. Consider stretch denim.
• Get a clue from Princess Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge. She looks good as a new mom. Whatever she wears seems to sell out.
• Make sure you have 1 or 2 nice evening dresses. It is so easy to get cooped up in the house. Find at least one occasion a year where you can dress elegantly and treat yourself to a nice night out. Just look at some evening dresses online such as Dress First and tell me if wearing something like that won't boost your self esteem?
  
  
  
• Empire waistline dresses helps to hide your waistline.
  
  
  

So, what is in your wardrobe and what fashion advice you have for moms?

Art Idea For Kids: Zentangle

The other day, I came across this art idea of Zentagle and thought it would be perfect for my kids. It is kinda like doodling and they say it helps people relax. Also for kids, they say it increases their focus and concentration.

Here are some drawn by my kids and me.

It is actually quite fun to do. I especially like how the drawings turn out. It looks stunning and all it takes is simple strokes. So simple even your children can do it.

To get the kids excited, I bought a special notebook for us to draw in and also 2 special pens.

Here's a video to get your started on the idea. In the video, you can pick up the different kinds of patterns you can do. There is no right or wrong. You just draw whatever your heart feels like. Great way to nurture the creativity in your kids.



Recommended Books

#3450 Zentangle Basics


Design Originals-Zentangle For Kidz


I hope you have fun tangling!


p.s. The Zentangle® Method was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas and is copyrighted. Zentangle® is a registered trademark of Zentangle, Inc. Learn more at zentangle.com