FREE Personalized Elmo Songs

Use code MYELMO to download three free personalized Elmo songs.  S thought this was great!

Thanks, Saving with Shellie!

Happy Groundhog Day!

(SIDEWAYS AGAIN!)

It's probably too late for you to try this now, but you may want to file away the idea for next year...we followed these directions to make a groundhog puppet.

You can sing the rhyme to I'm a Little Teapot, but I was too embarrassed to sing on the blog!

I see a little groundhog, furry and brown,
He's popping up to look around.
If he sees his shadow, down he'll go.
Six more weeks of winter - oh, no!

Free Music/Story Downloads

Sorry for such a long break.  S and I have been very sick, but we're slowly recovering.  Here are some free music/story downloads for you to enjoy with your little one: 

"John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt" and "Yankee Doodle Boy"










The Best of Countdown Kids: 10 very familiar tunes

Use code NAPTIME here to get a PDF of The Original Story of Winnie the Pooh, an MP3 of the story read aloud, and an MP3 of the song "House at Pooh Corner" by Fred Molliin







Thanks, Freebies 4 Mom!

Free Baby Einstein Mozart Download

Baby Einstein is celebrating Mozart's birthday with a free Mozart download.

Thanks, Money Saving Mom!

Free Mozart for Baby and Toddler Downloads

The Munchkin site has free Mozart downloads for babies and toddlers.  Thanks, Money Saving Mom!

FREE Leapfrog ABC Animal Orchestra Board Book

You can get a free ABC Animal Orchestra board book if you own a Leapfrog toy.  Just sign up and link to the toy you own here.  I did this several months ago and didn't think it was still offered, but it is!  The book can be used with the Leapfrog Tag Junior if you own one or plan to, but it can also be used as a regular board book.  It would make a great stocking stuffer!

Books on Record

My wonderful mother saved a lot of our childhood games, toys, books and amongst the collection are these Disney books on record.  I used to listen to them on my Smurf record player.  Well, we my husband has a record player and I put one on the other day for S.  I loved it and S hated it.  Perhaps in due time...

Autumn Leaves are Falling Down

We did a new felt board activity a few days ago and S liked it, but not as much as "Five Little Pumpkins".  I got the song from the book, The Encyclopedia of Infant and Toddler Activities, that I checked out from our toy library.  I know I really need to work on my freehand cutting.  I could print out a template, but I always try to do things like this in a rush because I get excited to try it immediately. 

Autumn Leaves are Falling Down

(sung to the tune of "London Bridges")

Autumn leaves are falling down,

Falling down,

Falling down.

Autumn leaves are falling down,

All through the town.

Red and yellow, orange and brown,

Orange and brown,

Orange and brown.

Red and yellow, orange and brown,

All through the town.

Tambourine Man

I remembered making these tambourines in school as a child and thought it would be a fun addition to S's instrument collection.  We just stapled two paper plates (I used the smaller luncheon size for S) together with the insides facing each other and filled it with some beans.  I also put book tape around the perimeter so S wouldn't try to peel it open.  For older kids, you can have them decorate the plates and glue/tape streamers coming off the sides.  S has been enjoying his, though it has taken quite a beating. 

Music and Movement

 

I keep all of S's instruments in one basket in our playroom.  I like having doubles of some so we can play the same thing together.  Sometimes I will tell him to follow what I am doing and other times I will copy him.  The scarves are wonderful for movement and dancing around.  These are juggling scarves, but you could just cut any thin fabric to make them.  You could also make your own ryhthm sticks.  S's first instrument was an egg shaker.  S loved his as a baby because it fit so well in his grasp. 

4 Alternative Uses for Breastmilk Storage Containers

1.  Bubble Maker.  Just put a little liquid soap and water in a container.  S loves to shake it to make bubbles.  You can also add food coloring if you like.  Thanks to Amy at The Wonder Years for the idea. 

2.  Shakers.  Add dry beans or rice (or anything else I suppose) to make a shaker instrument.  S likes that beans make a different sound than rice.  Thanks to my friend, Kristen, for the idea. 

3.  Open/close practice.  I try to give S various types of containers to practice opening and closing.  These work well for screw tops since they are not breakable and the perfect size for little hands.  Of course, once they master this you may want to screw the lid on tight or tape it shut for #1 and #2.  Thanks to Productive Parenting for the idea.  Side Note:  If you sign up at Productive Parenting's website, they will send you an email each day with an age appropriate activity idea from birth through four.

4.  Snack Containers.  I like the slim fit of the containers to keep snacks in my diaper bag for S. I find them less bulky than small Tupperware types.  #3 led me to this idea.

Any other ideas you want to add?