Make a green smoothie in honor of St. Patrick’s Day! There are lots of recipes to choose from, but SimpleGreenSmoothies.com has a great chart to show you some possibilities. First, blend 2 cups of leafy greens (spinach, kale, romaine, bok choy, swiss chard, collards, dandelion) with 2 cups of liquid (water, milk, almond milk, coconut…
Bring some spring with coffee filter flowers and butterflies. First, use watercolors, markers, or food coloring to color the coffee filters. Let them dry flat overnight. For butterflies, just fold the filter accordion-style and use a chenille stem (pipe cleaner) to secure in the middle, then fan out the wings (see parenting.com page for…
By Cathy Chesher / As I was planning a recent storytime featuring Pete the Cat, I made a quick visit to the publisher’s website to get the download of the accompanying Pete the Cat song. This made me think of all of the other wonderful author, publisher and illustrator websites out there that enhance many…
By Michele Benjamin / We know the benefits that playgroups provide our children—peer socialization, new activities to learn and ideas to explore—but have you ever thought about what it can do for you? My family moved to Tecumseh in 2008 from Central Illinois, not knowing a soul in the area. Gulp. On top of that,…
by Lisa Eack / We have a new face here at Lenawee Great Start! Please help us welcome Carla Freeman as our newest Parent Liaison. Carla brings a great wealth of knowledge to the table and we are excited to have her. She is eager to get out into the community and meet families. One…
Try filling a muffin pan with as many red foods as you can! (SuperHealthyKids.com) Suggestions include grape tomatoes, radishes, red bell pepper slices, red apple slices, red grapes, strawberries, pomegranat seeds, watermelon, dried cranberries, and raspberries. Another fun idea is to cut food into the shape of hearts and arrows. You can do this…
Try making a heart garland–Martha Stewart shows you how in this video. Kids can help by cutting and gluing. Use this heart-shaped template (PDF) and place it on a stack of three sheets of card stock (the example uses red, pink and peach). Staple the center of the hearts and cut out the shapes. Make…
By Tricia Moyer-Fowler / In the winter especially it’s hard to think of things for children to do to burn off their energy and exercise. Here are some great ideas to get them moving! Visit a local playgroup! Check out Lenawee Child’s schedule on www.lisd.us/instructional-services/early-childhood-education/lenawees-child/ or www.lenaweegreatstart.org/local-resources/play-groups Have a snowball fight in the house using…
By Amy Williams / Everyone parent has their share of secrets when it comes to raising their kids. I am hesitant to confess this, but my “hush-hush” information is that I allow my young children to use my smartphone. Yes, I have heard the expert warnings and recommendations. But like anybody else, sometimes I need…
By Suzanne Lopez / Counting sheep has been referenced in our popular culture in cartoons and other media as a mental exercise to lull oneself to sleep or an idiosyncratic term to indicate insomnia. Many times we laugh at the notion and dismiss its significance. However, counting sheep may bring new meaning and may even…