What 's Coming Up?

Hi Mama Friends- I just want to tell you about some neat things I'll be passing along to you this month:

*Things I'm learning from the new book I'm reading- Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood.
*Interesting tidbits from MomSense- my MOPS magazine
*Ideas from Parent Map for nutrition, movies and activities
*My own recipes that I have found that my son likes to eat
*Also, more teaching ideas too (music, books, large motor and Easter)!

Can't wait for you to join me!

Giveaway on ABC and 123!!!

I have recently found this great teaching blog that is also featuring a giveaway this week. Click on over to ABC and 123 to catch a glimpse of Tara's books. Oh, my! They are great! I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. Also, I signed up for her newsletter and she sent me a personal email thanking me. I was very honored and impressed. Don't forget to check out Tara's site: Books by Tara. She also has some awesome extension ideas for her books. Take notes, moms and teachers. :)

PS. I'm also going to start reviewing some of Tara's books right here on this blog. I'm so excited!

Brain Games for Toddlers

These ideas were taken from Brain Games for Toddlers and Twos by Jackie Silberg.

What to do with a 15-18 month old?
*Say names of objects around the house
*Sing, sing, sing!
*Lots of storytime- we like to cuddle in the rocking chair before nap and bedtime
*Play with texture
*Cuddling and holding- my son runs to me for hugs and I indulge EVERY time
*Establish a good bedtime routine
*Rolling a ball
*Make sounds while playing with toys
*Animal sounds

It's so much fun to play with your little one and all along their brain is growing too.

Jackie's book has brain games for ages 12 months- 3 years.

So what are you doing for YOUR Milk N' Honey today?

Blessings, Shonda

The Secret of Play

My son is almost 16 months old and for the most part all we do is PLAY! Yes, that's how little ones learn best. I just picked this book up from the library about play. Here are some tips especially for one year olds:

-Stack blocks or plastic cups
-Talk with dolls, stuffed animals and puppets (I need to do more of this!)
-Fill containers, then empty out
-Imitate grown up behavior
-Sort toys by shape
-Identify "boy" or "girl" toys
-Walk while pulling a toy

Have fun!

Taken from The Secret of Play by Ann Pleshette Murphy

What are YOU doing for your "Milk N' Honey" today?

Library Story Time

My son is 15.5 months old and one of the first places we visited in our community was the library. That's right, at 2 months old, my son and I made the library a weekly visit! Well, I absolutely LOVE books and I want him to love them too. In fact, one of his first words is book!

The library has so many programs and resources that I try to take advantage of many of them. We try to go to a weekly library story time for my son's specific age level. I find this so helpful for many reasons: ideas for books, songs, listening, and social interaction. We also take time to check out books and play in the children's section.
I also like to pick up free articles and magazines. I have found some great (sometimes FREE) activities that I attend with my son. Here's just one free activity that I have been able to enjoy with my son attributed to the library. Last week we picked up a free pass to the local Children's Museum. We invited a little friend to come with us and we took the free link light rail to the museum downtown. How fun is that!Also, I have picked up several book lists of recommended books to read to babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. I not only pick out my own books, but I try to read as many from the list too. This gives me some good guidelines.

So many fun ways to learn and grow through the library!

What are you doing for your "Milk N' Honey" today?

Welcome to Milk N' Honey Learn and Grow!

Hi, I just want to welcome you to my new blog dedicated to learning and growing! I am a mom of a one year old son and after being a teacher for 12 years I have retired and am staying at home to raise my son and eventually homeschool. I'm starting this blog to share my journey of homeschooling. I am starting to form my preschool curriculum through all the wonderful websites I have found. Thanks for joining me! Feel free to click on any of the buttons below to find some great ideas while I get started posting here on Milk N' Honey.