Nannies from the Heartland wishes
you and your family a very Happy New Year!
Friday, December 30, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Let it Snow: Activities for Everyone
by Becky Kavanagh
Since winter and snow are such a big part of living in Minnesota we embraced it with activities that kept us busy both outdoors and inside. Here are a few of my favorites. We'd love to hear from you - share your favorite snow related activities.
Science of Snow - Snow is fascinating!
Take the opportunity to explore the properties and note the differences each snowfall. We had a couple of plastic tubs, magnifying glass, rulers, yard sticks, black felt and a journal book as part of our snow science kit. During or after a snowfall we'd be out gathering a nice sample of snow for examination. When the weather was cooperative we did our experimentation outdoors but sometime we just scooped up a nice tub of snow to bring indoors. Science experiments included observing differences in individual snow flakes using the magnifying glass and the black felt.
Viewing the snow flakes on a black or dark background is best for noting each flakes unique look. Do this outdoors while it is snowing. We'd also measure the depth of the snow and test the packing property. Measuring rates of melting is always fascinating - get a good amount of snow in the plastic tubs, measure the depth of that snow and then take readings every minute or so. On occasion, when the idea struck the children, we'd have a tub of snow melting in different rooms. Then there would be a very excited meeting to discover which room's snow melted quickest and then the whys would start, which lead to more research. We kept a Snow Journal with details of different snows, dated all our entries and used drawings along with photos to capture the moment. I've done these snow related experiments with infants through school age children. Take the children's lead - they'll come up with questions and ideas that will keep the activity going and changing.
Torn Paper Creation
This is a favorite from my own schooldays and one the children loved to do often. You need a dark piece of construction paper as your background, white construction paper and other colors to add interest. No scissors are needed and really tests patience as well as small motor coordination. Simply tear paper and glue down to create your masterpiece. This is fun to do any day or any season. Younger children may need a little help. They can tear the paper into small bits to be then layered for the shapes they want or tear the shape carefully out of the paper - both techniques work well. These technique works very well for mosaic art and we found ourselves tearing paper to have on hand for future use. I stored torn paper in zip lock bags. Hint: Sometimes tearing paper is very therapeutic for children and even for adults!
Shaving Cream Exploration
A lovely pile of shaving cream is just fun to get your hands into. You can sculpt, paint, mush, draw or write into shaving cream. It smells good and is easy to wash off little hands. We often would do this after a day of sledding or snow sculpting outdoors. I do recommend wearing protective covering over clothes. Roll up your sleeves and get into it. Piling the shaving cream on a counter top or table that will tolerate this activity is fun, but you can also have each child use a tray on a covered table top. With their own tray they can keep their activity from sliding into others - which can sometimes be an issue. To paint - add food coloring. If you have a child who wants to participate but doesn't want the shaving cream to touch their hands they could use plastic gloves so they still get the sensation but there is a barrier between them and the shaving cream. You can also try using kitchen utensils to manipulate the shaving cream.
Outdoor Snow Painting
Another favorite of ours for outdoor fun. You'll need spray bottles with diluted food coloring and a nice area of snow. I used the large and small sized spray bottles so all hands could enjoy this activity. We also brought out watercolor kits with brushes for smaller creations. Spray bottles give the children the ability to color a larger area of snow. This is wonderful to do on snow people or snow sculptures to add details.
I think of this as the sidewalk chalk activity of winter. Our neighbors enjoyed our creativity for several days afterward. This works best the day after a snow, after it's settled a little.
Depending on how intensely we got involved in this activity I might need to wash mittens and outdoor wear afterward.
Snow Sculptures
Taking it beyond snow people, let the children think of other creations they would like to make such as animals, forts, snow scenes, characters from stories, aliens and so much more are possible. I liked to have several things on hand for good sculpting results - several different sized plastic containers (great for shaping and transferring snow), small scoops and large plastic spoons (helps with detail work), spray bottle with water (good for giving a finish to sculpture or for adding moisture to a dry snow), then for small detail work plastic spoons/forks/knives are great and then we used other objects (sticks, rocks, vegetables, food color, etc.) for final details. I also have a couple small (child friendly) sized shovels for moving snow. Not all snow is good for sculpting. It depends a lot on the moisture content - fluffy snow with low moisture is lovely but doesn't hold together, slushy snow with high moisture is a mess. Test your snow by forming a snowball - if it packs well and stays together you're good to go!
Ice Painting
Painting with ice is great fun for all seasons. I like using dry tempera paint sprinkled onto a large sheet of paper and use an ice cube from the freezer or even better, an icicle from outdoors as the brush. As the ice melts it dissolves the dry paint creating beautiful designs. If I'm using ice cubes I put in a Popsicle stick when freezing them. With an icicle we get out our mittens or gloves - which is great fun! This can be a messy but rewarding project so cover table, floor and clothing well.
We have even painted with snow using this same technique. Sprinkle dry paint onto paper, add a scoop of snow and paint with a large long handled art bush. It doesn't take much snow to wet the paint.
This can get to be a soggy activity if you let it, so keep an eye on the amount of water that's being generated. Enjoy!!
Since winter and snow are such a big part of living in Minnesota we embraced it with activities that kept us busy both outdoors and inside. Here are a few of my favorites. We'd love to hear from you - share your favorite snow related activities.
 |
| Snow Scientist at Work |
Take the opportunity to explore the properties and note the differences each snowfall. We had a couple of plastic tubs, magnifying glass, rulers, yard sticks, black felt and a journal book as part of our snow science kit. During or after a snowfall we'd be out gathering a nice sample of snow for examination. When the weather was cooperative we did our experimentation outdoors but sometime we just scooped up a nice tub of snow to bring indoors. Science experiments included observing differences in individual snow flakes using the magnifying glass and the black felt.
Viewing the snow flakes on a black or dark background is best for noting each flakes unique look. Do this outdoors while it is snowing. We'd also measure the depth of the snow and test the packing property. Measuring rates of melting is always fascinating - get a good amount of snow in the plastic tubs, measure the depth of that snow and then take readings every minute or so. On occasion, when the idea struck the children, we'd have a tub of snow melting in different rooms. Then there would be a very excited meeting to discover which room's snow melted quickest and then the whys would start, which lead to more research. We kept a Snow Journal with details of different snows, dated all our entries and used drawings along with photos to capture the moment. I've done these snow related experiments with infants through school age children. Take the children's lead - they'll come up with questions and ideas that will keep the activity going and changing.
 |
| Torn Paper Masterpiece |
This is a favorite from my own schooldays and one the children loved to do often. You need a dark piece of construction paper as your background, white construction paper and other colors to add interest. No scissors are needed and really tests patience as well as small motor coordination. Simply tear paper and glue down to create your masterpiece. This is fun to do any day or any season. Younger children may need a little help. They can tear the paper into small bits to be then layered for the shapes they want or tear the shape carefully out of the paper - both techniques work well. These technique works very well for mosaic art and we found ourselves tearing paper to have on hand for future use. I stored torn paper in zip lock bags. Hint: Sometimes tearing paper is very therapeutic for children and even for adults!
 |
| Shaving Cream Experience |
A lovely pile of shaving cream is just fun to get your hands into. You can sculpt, paint, mush, draw or write into shaving cream. It smells good and is easy to wash off little hands. We often would do this after a day of sledding or snow sculpting outdoors. I do recommend wearing protective covering over clothes. Roll up your sleeves and get into it. Piling the shaving cream on a counter top or table that will tolerate this activity is fun, but you can also have each child use a tray on a covered table top. With their own tray they can keep their activity from sliding into others - which can sometimes be an issue. To paint - add food coloring. If you have a child who wants to participate but doesn't want the shaving cream to touch their hands they could use plastic gloves so they still get the sensation but there is a barrier between them and the shaving cream. You can also try using kitchen utensils to manipulate the shaving cream.
 |
| Snow Painting Fun |
Another favorite of ours for outdoor fun. You'll need spray bottles with diluted food coloring and a nice area of snow. I used the large and small sized spray bottles so all hands could enjoy this activity. We also brought out watercolor kits with brushes for smaller creations. Spray bottles give the children the ability to color a larger area of snow. This is wonderful to do on snow people or snow sculptures to add details.
I think of this as the sidewalk chalk activity of winter. Our neighbors enjoyed our creativity for several days afterward. This works best the day after a snow, after it's settled a little.
Depending on how intensely we got involved in this activity I might need to wash mittens and outdoor wear afterward.
 |
| Snow World |
Snow Sculptures
Taking it beyond snow people, let the children think of other creations they would like to make such as animals, forts, snow scenes, characters from stories, aliens and so much more are possible. I liked to have several things on hand for good sculpting results - several different sized plastic containers (great for shaping and transferring snow), small scoops and large plastic spoons (helps with detail work), spray bottle with water (good for giving a finish to sculpture or for adding moisture to a dry snow), then for small detail work plastic spoons/forks/knives are great and then we used other objects (sticks, rocks, vegetables, food color, etc.) for final details. I also have a couple small (child friendly) sized shovels for moving snow. Not all snow is good for sculpting. It depends a lot on the moisture content - fluffy snow with low moisture is lovely but doesn't hold together, slushy snow with high moisture is a mess. Test your snow by forming a snowball - if it packs well and stays together you're good to go!
 |
| Dry Tempera using Ice Cube Brush |
Painting with ice is great fun for all seasons. I like using dry tempera paint sprinkled onto a large sheet of paper and use an ice cube from the freezer or even better, an icicle from outdoors as the brush. As the ice melts it dissolves the dry paint creating beautiful designs. If I'm using ice cubes I put in a Popsicle stick when freezing them. With an icicle we get out our mittens or gloves - which is great fun! This can be a messy but rewarding project so cover table, floor and clothing well.
We have even painted with snow using this same technique. Sprinkle dry paint onto paper, add a scoop of snow and paint with a large long handled art bush. It doesn't take much snow to wet the paint.
This can get to be a soggy activity if you let it, so keep an eye on the amount of water that's being generated. Enjoy!!
This article was originally posted in December 2010 and brought back by popular interest.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Gift Giving Ideas
by Becky Kavanagh (originally posted 12/2010)
It’s the time of year we get calls from nanny employers and sometimes from nannies wondering what is “usual and standard” for holiday gifts or bonuses. This is a tricky question as there are no industry standards but typically families do a variety of things to show their appreciation at this holiday time for the service their nanny has provided to them. Many families choose to give a monetary gift which often is the equivalent of a week’s pay. They may also include a personal gift or gift card. Families may choose to have the children give a small item, which could be handmade, to their nanny as well. Much of this depends on how long the nanny has been with the family. Families who have employed their nanny less than a year might choose a modest personal gift to demonstrate their appreciation.
Monday, December 19, 2011
2011 Notable Children's Books
I love books! Maybe it started with our family tradition of getting a new book or two each Christmas. It was something I looked forward to with great anticipation. I have carried this love of books to all my interactions with children and particularly as a nanny. I recently came upon the website for the American Library Assocation and the page on 2011 Notable Children's Books. Here is a sample of their extensive list. You'll see the link to the site at the bottom of this posting, visit the site for their complete list. I'm excited to check these titles out for myself and, of course, share them with the children in my life.
Each year a committee of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) identifies the best of the best in children's books. According to the Notables Criteria, "notable" is defined as: Worthy of note or notice, important, distinguished, outstanding. As applied to children's books, notable should be thought to include books of especially commendable quality, books that exhibit venturesome creativity, and books of fiction, information, poetry and pictures for all age levels (birth through age 14) that reflect and encourage children's interests in exemplary ways.
Enjoy!
Becky
Friday, December 16, 2011
Tips for Avoiding Frostbite
Outward Bound instructor, Kristen Laine, who writes the Great Kids, Great Outdoors blog for the Appalachian Mountain Club says that parents should watch out for conditions that are prime for hypothermia and frostbite. "It's really only when the thermometer heads below 5 degrees F and winds pick up that frostbite becomes a real concern. As the days get longer, getting wet and cold becomes a more serious concern than frostbite — warmer temperatures mean rain or mixed rain and snow; warmer snow means wetter boots and mittens and snow pants. Hypothermia, then, is the concern," says Laine.
She offered these tips for keeping children safe.
• It's useful to remember a 5-30-30 rule: 5 degrees Farenheit, 30 mile an hour winds, 30 minutes before exposed skin risks frostbite. Wind chill advisories and the science behind them are based on adult responses, so err on the side of caution with children. As the temperature drops below 0, only 10 mph winds risk frostbite after 30 minutes of exposure.
• Outdoor gear and clothing has come a long way since. Nowadays, if children are properly dressed in a warm hat, warm mittens, layered clothing, and dry boots, they really can stay outside quite a long time. (Unless it's very windy...)
• But pay attention to signs of cold: cold hands and feet are often the body's first sign that its core temperature is dropping. Uncontrollable shivering is one of the early warning signs of hypothermia.
• On windy days, slather Vasoline on the exposed parts of a child's face -- it's great protection against the wind.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Sugar, Chocolate and Peanut Butter
by Kelly Miller
Today I am sharing two recipes that my grandmother passed down to my mother, who has since passed them down to me. Every year they are requested by friends ... I can imagine my grandmother in her farmhouse making these for my dad. Enjoy!
Cream: 1 1/2 cup sugar and 1 cup butter or lard (if using lard, add 1/2 teaspoon salt)
Add: 2 eggs, 1/2 cup sour cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla (also 1/4 teaspoon almond extract if desired)
Then add: 3 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Refrigerate dough. Then roll out 1/4 inch or less thick. Bake at 375 degrees for 7-8 minutes on greased pans. Frost.
Peanut Butter Krispie Balls
Bring to boil: 1 cup sugar, 1 cup dark Karo syrup
Remove from heat and add: 2 cups peanut butter and 4 cups Rice Krispies
Mix well and form into small balls. Melt semi-swee ice cap coating chips, then dip balls. Cool on wax paper.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Bundle Up: It's Cold Out There
by Becky Kavanagh
It's Minnesota and we won't let the cold keep us inside. Knowing how to bundle up properly will help you stay warm and dry no matter the temperature. Layers are the way to go - layers trap body heat and help insulate you from the cold. In addition, you can remove layers to let heat escape to prevent overheating. Using light and medium layer is better at regulating your body temperature than just going with a heavy winter coat or jacket.
Friday, December 9, 2011
How Can I Track My Child's Day?
Reposted from August 2010
Becky answers . . .
How can I know how my children are doing during their day with the nanny?
Having your nanny keep a journal about each day's activities, the foods eaten, child's mood and other important information is a great idea. I had a journal for each child in my care. When they were young - infant through early preschool age - I wrote in it each day. As they got older the journal became less formal. The children actually used their journal in a school project at one time or another - they loved reading through them!
Touching base with your nanny throughout the day by phone call is a good idea. Some nannies may think of this as a “check up” call and fear that you don’t trust them. Explain to the nanny that the call will help you to feel in touch with your child, that you simply miss not being there yourself. I appreciated the phone check-in from my employer. It gave me a chance to share some of the highlights of the day and frankly, talk to another adult. I also appreciated knowing I could call them and talk or leave a message if I had any questions. When I started the mother or dad would call at least once a day just to see how it was going. As time went by those calls were more infrequent because we had built our relationship and trust with each other.
Becky answers . . .
How can I know how my children are doing during their day with the nanny?
Touching base with your nanny throughout the day by phone call is a good idea. Some nannies may think of this as a “check up” call and fear that you don’t trust them. Explain to the nanny that the call will help you to feel in touch with your child, that you simply miss not being there yourself. I appreciated the phone check-in from my employer. It gave me a chance to share some of the highlights of the day and frankly, talk to another adult. I also appreciated knowing I could call them and talk or leave a message if I had any questions. When I started the mother or dad would call at least once a day just to see how it was going. As time went by those calls were more infrequent because we had built our relationship and trust with each other.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Gingerbread Face Cookies
By: Amanda Formaro, from Kaboose.com
GINGERBREAD FACE COOKIES
Make these adorable Christmas gingerbread people face cookies with your children. Just line up the candies and let them have a decorating party!
What you'll need:
Your favorite gingerbread cookie recipe or try ours (see recipe below)!
Candies for decoration such as gumdrops, nonpareils, sprinkles, decorator icing, M&M’s, Skittles, etc
GINGERBREAD FACE COOKIES
What you'll need:
Your favorite gingerbread cookie recipe or try ours (see recipe below)!
Candies for decoration such as gumdrops, nonpareils, sprinkles, decorator icing, M&M’s, Skittles, etc
Monday, December 5, 2011
Taking Care of the Caregiver
This is reposted from December 2009. Just a little reminder to parents and nannies alike during the stressful holiday season.
Set aside time each day for yourself. When children are napping or in quiet time, resist the urge to catch up on dishes, do laundry, or pick up toys until you have had 15-30 minutes of uninterrupted time for yourself. Remember, lunch hours are a standard in the business world!
Those who live or work with young children know how physically and emotionally draining it can be at times. For many child-centered people, one aspect is neglected — themselves. Here are some ideas to help you take care of yourself so you can be the best possible caregiver for the children in your life.
Set aside time each day for yourself. When children are napping or in quiet time, resist the urge to catch up on dishes, do laundry, or pick up toys until you have had 15-30 minutes of uninterrupted time for yourself. Remember, lunch hours are a standard in the business world!Friday, December 2, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Toy Safety Tips: Be in the Know this Holiday Season
This is from US Public Interest Research Group. For more information visit http://www.uspirg.org/edfund/toysafety-2011
Thousands of toys are on the market, each promising to educate or entertain our children. Unfortunately, not every toy is safe. Toy buyers can help protect children from injury by being careful, vigilant shoppers.
Thousands of toys are on the market, each promising to educate or entertain our children. Unfortunately, not every toy is safe. Toy buyers can help protect children from injury by being careful, vigilant shoppers.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)