Build a Robot Game
(Find out more or buy through Amazon…)

I am pretty sure that this game was made specifically for my son. It is no wonder that it was awarded the Oppenheim Best Toy award.

It has everything that a preschoolers like: a spinner, sturdy pieces, and…oh yeah…robots!

Every robot piece has a number, from 1 to 5. There are 4 pieces for each number. You spin a little spinner and pick which piece you want for your robot. The first person to finish their robot wins.

This board game is crazy simple, a little creative, and my preschooler loves it!

Rivers, Roads And Rails
(Find out more or buy through Amazon…)

This is one of those games that is just as much fun (if not more fun) for preschoolers to play on their own.

The game consists of a bunch of cards that have parts of rivers, roads and/or railroad tracks. The object of the game is to match the pieces together so that the paths are continuous.

Edison will sit there for an hour straight, matching the pieces together. We don’t even bother trying to play the actual game. It is wonderful for preschool cognitive skills and matching.

Hi Ho Cherry-O
(Find out more or buy through Amazon…)

I originally bought this board game out of a combination of curiosity and nostalgia. When I was little, all of my friends had this game, but they never wanted to play because they could play it any old time.

So, I picked it up for Edison to finally see what was up with all of those little cherries.

The object of the game is to get all of your cherries (10) from your tree into your basket. You spin a little spinner and either pick cherries from your tree or take some from your basket and put them back on your tree.

It is a simple game that is good for counting and basic addition and subtraction. But, it is also great for fine motor skills because the cherries are so flippin’ small.

(Note: I was happy to find the “book” version because it is much easier to store than the traditional version. Also, even though the plastic box seals tightly, I still use a zip-lock baggie for the cherries. We haven’t lost one yet, and we play it all the time.)

Guess Who?
(Find out more or buy through Amazon…)

This game was recommended by my step-mom as a great way to practice deductive reasoning skills. Her 6th grade class loves it, but it is easy enough for preschoolers to play.

Basically, players use yes or no questions to determine which card the other player has. For example, a player might ask, “Is the person on your card a woman?” If the answer is yes, the first player can eliminate all of the men on their playing board.

This is a great board game for introducing logic to preschoolers, and Edison loves the mechanics (sliding the pictures up and down on his game board.) We also use it for pre-reading skills by asking questions like, “Does your person have an ‘E’ in their name?”

(Note: There is a full-sized version, but I read on Amazon that the travel version is actually more sturdy. Plus, I can throw it in my purse and bring it with when we travel.)

Perfection
(Find out more or buy through Amazon…)

This game is oh so annoying if someone else is playing, but awesome for fine motor skills and spacial relations. I mean, absolutely incredible!

You set the timer (that’s the annoying bit). Then, you put as many pieces into the correct holes as you can before the timer goes off. When time is up, the board jumps which is a bit startling but loads of fun for a preschooler.

My brother and I had this when we were kids, and I still enjoy playing it.

Connect 4 (with Five Ways to Play)
(Find out more or buy through Amazon…)

Yes, I know…This is not a “board game”, but I am still going to put it on here because it is one of Edison’s favorite ways to make a temporary mess.

I probably don’t need to explain how it works, but basically, you take turns putting checkers into slots. With the classic game, you are just trying to get 4 of your checkers in a row. We have the “Five Ways to Play” version, which (obviously) has a few more ways to play the game.

Edison’s favorite part is the end. After someone wins, you empty the checker holder by flipping a little thing on the bottom and the checkers spill onto the table. Great fun for a preschooler.

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Looking at a picture of a puppy or a bird or a fish is one thing, but nothing can compare to having a puppy lick your hand or seeing a bird flutter its wings or watching the lights glisten off the scales of a fish.

The next time you and your toddler are out and about and need a break from the monotony of running errands. Stop by a pet store…And be sure to bring your camera!

The post Toddler Pet Store Adventure appeared first on Wild Edisons.

We were going crazy. Sure, Little Man was sleeping through the night, but he was getting up so early that we were still loosing sleep. And, since he couldn’t tell time, it was impossible to convince him that it was not time to get up.

Enter the most amazing alarm clock in the world…

It took me forever to find this thing, but once I did, it changed our lives. It is not really an alarm clock. It is actually kind of the opposite of an alarm clock. Rather than telling your child to wake up, it tells them it is NOT time to get up. (Queue angels singing.)

It is simple. You set the night light on the clock and then set a wake up time. Instead of a bell ringing to wake your child up, the color of the light changes. It took all of 30 seconds to explain to our child that he cannot get up until the light turns green.

Now, instead of him demanding to get out of bed at 4:45, we hear a sweet little voice at 6:00 in the morning (or much later!) saying, “Mommy. The clock turned green. This has even made it into our family jargon. When we put him to bed, we say, “I’ll see you when the clock turns green.” And, he says things like, “Mommy, when the clock turns green can we play trains (cars, transformers, whatever.)

Oh, and it has a digital and analog display with a button that says the time out loud so he is actually learning how to tell time too.

If you have a young child that gets up way too early, you have to try this thing. You might be able to find it locally, but I just got ours from Amazon.com.

The post How To Get Your Child to Sleep In…This Works! appeared first on Wild Edisons.

I know there have been many more, but these are the books I can think of off the top of my head. As I come across more, I will add them to this post…

The Day the Babies Crawled Away
(Find out more or buy through Amazon…)

Look for the upside down baby.
 
 
 
 
Silly Little Goose!
(Find out more or buy through Amazon…)

Look for the hat…

The post Cool Stuff Hidden in Picture Book Illustrations appeared first on Wild Edisons.

Spirited children are often very intelligent, but (like most kids) they tend to excel at things that interest them. From what I have read and experienced, spirited kids either have an easy time with reading or they struggle.

There may be a number of reasons that reading may be tough for a spirited kid. Some kids have a hard time sitting still. Others enjoy being read to but do not have the patience or motivation to read themselves. Some kids get distracted by the pictures or their minds wonder or they have a million questions or prefer to make up their own stories. Or, there may be a combination of reasons.

If you are having a hard time getting your spirited child to enjoy reading, the solution may depend a lot on why they don’t like it in the first place. These are some of the things I have encountered with my spirited preschooler.

My spirited child cannot sit still long enough to read…

Spirited kids can be very energetic (in case you haven’t noticed). If your child has trouble sitting still, you might try one of the following:

• Wear them out first. My son does something he calls “Dance Fighting”. I think he picked up the phrase from the movie Puss in Boots. If he is boiling over with energy, I ask him to show me his dance fighting until he wears himself out. Or, I ask him to jump in a big loop around our house or hop on one foot down the hallway or something tiring. Then, I ask him to pick a book or go to the bathroom to transition to reading time.
• Try popup books, flip books, texture books, or books with buttons that make noises. As long as you make actual reading part of the process, there is nothing wrong with making it extra fun.
• Switch it up with a flashlight. Sometimes, when we read, I turn off the lights and have my preschooler hold a flashlight as still as he can. It is like putting blinders on a horse because he can’t see other distractions in the room.
• Try reading books that have accompanying hand gestures (or make some up on your own). Books like 5 little monkeys can give your preschooler the opportunity to move, but still remain focused on the book.
• Keep a couple of books in the potty. If they are busy pooping, they aren’t running around. (I hope!)

My spirited preschooler likes to be read to, but he will not read himself…

 My son has always enjoyed being read to, but for awhile he did not want to do much reading himself. It wasn’t that he couldn’t read. He was just being lazy.

• Make it a game. As you are reading, follow along with your finger. Every now and again, just stop at a simple word. See if they can fill in the blank.
• I read-You read. Make an agreement that you will read all of the words on the left side if they read the words on the right side, or vice versa. Or, let them pick one book for them to read and one for you to read.
• Find the phrase. Pick a word or phrase that is common in the book, like “the little red caboose”. They have to read that word or phrase every time it appears in the book.
• Purposefully make an obvious mistake while you are reading and then stop with your finger under the incorrect word. For example, if someone in the book is wearing a blue shirt, I might say green. If my preschooler doesn’t notice, I may say, “Wait…That isn’t right…” Then, he can look at context clues and the first letter of the incorrect word and figure out what the real word should be. He thinks it is hilarious.

My spirited child does not seem to have any interest in reading…

On the whole, Edison likes to read (or be read to), but there are definitely times that he is less interested than others.

• Weekly themes. If your child goes to a preschool that has weekly themes, go to the library in advance and find books that relate. If you don’t have a weekly theme to mirror, have your child pick one. Sometimes, reading about something familiar seems to perk up interest.
• “I picked it!” Take them to the library or a bookstore and let them pick out a special book.
• Try a totally different genre. My preschooler seemed to be getting tired of the same old style of picture book. We switched to non-fiction for awhile and he was a new kid. (Plus, we both learned a lot!)
• Find similar books. Pay attention to any books they do like to read and find books by the same author or ask the librarian for suggestions.
• Look for books that match your child’s interests. If your child is not interested in books, what are they interested in? Soccer? Find books about soccer. Trains? Find fiction or non-fiction books about trains.
• Don’t forget about their favorite preschool shows. Look for books that are based on their favorite TV shows. Most preschool shows have accompanying early reader books.

General Tips for Getting Your Preschooler to Read:

• Make books accessible. If books are down at their level, they can grab one any time. And, don’t just put them in one room. Make a little space anywhere you can; in the bedroom, in the bathroom, in the living room, even in the kitchen.
• Monkey see. Monkey do. If your preschooler sees you reading, they may just grab a book themselves.
• Look things up in books as often as you can. Spirited children are full of questions. If you can find the answers in books, they will understand the importance of reading and books will become a natural part of their learning process.
• Make reading a reward. It sounds silly, but I swear this one works for us. If Edison is hounding me while I am making dinner, I may say something like, “If you can just give me 5 minutes to finish getting this in the oven, I would love to read you a book.”
• Make reading part of the routine. Reading before bed is an easy ritual to keep, even on busy days.
• Ask your preschooler’s teacher what gets him going. I was shocked to learn that the big thing in my son’s class was ninjas. Ninjas? Luckily, you can find age-appropriate picture books for just about anything.
• Get them interested in reading ANYTHING. It doesn’t have to be all books, all the time. It could be cereal boxes, sports magazines, cooking instructions, highway signs, age appropriate comic books, whatever, whenever. As long as they are reading, it is a start.

Great Books for Preschoolers:

In case you haven’t figured it out yet, Edison and I love critiquing picture books. Feel free to check out our picks for the best books for preschoolers.

The post How to Get Your Spirited Preschooler to Enjoy Reading appeared first on Wild Edisons.

I am sure they are out there, but I put together some money worksheets to help my preschooler learn the basics. They are very simple, just real-size pictures of coins and what coin they equal. At this stage, I don’t cover every coin combination, because my preschooler does not have the patience to put 100 pennies on a worksheet to get a dollar. But, it is a start, and we actually have a lot of fun with this little game.

The money worksheets are at the bottom of this post, but first I wanted to describe how we play our little money game with them.

Preschool Money Game

Like many preschoolers, my son has a piggy bank. (It is actually just a bowl in his drawer, but who said it has to be a pig?) He earns money by doing extra chores or going above and beyond to be helpful. It is just a few nickels here or a quarter or two there, but it adds up. When we go to the store, he knows not to ask for anything because he knows we will just ask him if he has enough money.

The problem is, it is rude to have him sit there and count out pennies, nickels, and dimes while folks have to wait in line behind us. So…The goal of this little preschool money activity is to get him to trade his coins in for dollars. At the same time, he is learning the basics of currency.

This is how we play the money game…

Before we go to the store, Edison grabs his change bowl and his currency worksheets. Then, starting with the pennies, he places the coins on the sheet until he has covered the pictures. He counts them out and tells me what coin he should get in return. Then, I act as the bank and trade him the appropriate coin for his. Simple. He goes through his coins and trades up until he has as many dollar bills as possible.

Tip: We always start with the pennies and work our way up. That way, he isn’t sitting there with 25 pennies and 3 quarters at the end.

When I first put together this activity, it took FOREVER! He was always getting his quarters and nickels mixed up. Plus, my little perfectionist had to have the coins perfectly arranged on the worksheet. Now, it goes pretty quickly, and he actually has lots of fun doing it.

Preschool Currency Worksheet Downloads

	Preschool Currency Worksheet – Pennies(Click to Download)
	Preschool Currency Worksheet – Quarters(Click to Download)
	Preschool Currency Worksheet – Dollars(Click to Download)

Other Preschool Money Resources

Brain Quest Workbook
(Find out more or buy through Amazon…)

I have the Brain Quest quiz cards for preschoolers, and they have questions about money. But it does not look like they cover it in the preschool workbook. The Kindergarten version does though, so this is an option if you want to give your preschooler a head start with more than just understanding money.

The post Preschool Money Game with Printable Money Worksheets appeared first on Wild Edisons.

I have a lot of board games left over from when I was a kid, and I just can’t wait until my son is old enough to enjoy them. Lately, I have started adapting some of the games to work for younger kids. Even though Scattergories is quite a bit above his level (it requires writing), I did manage to find a great way to “play” it with my son.

My spirited child has more fun learning when he is moving. So, the other day, I pulled the alphabet die out of our Scattergories box and turned it into a little alphabet and phonics game. We called it Letter Ball.

The “rules” were simple. My son would roll the die, run after it, tell me the letter on the top of the die, and then we had to come up with words that started with that letter. The nice thing is that the Scattergories die does not have the notoriously difficult letters like X and Z.

This little alphabet activity kept him occupied for about a half an hour. It also gave him the opportunity to run around and throw things in the house, always a plus with an active child.

Practice Phonics and Introduce New Vocabulary with Your Preschooler

Even though my son is now a preschooler, I am still able to modify the rules to keep it challenging. Now, we pick a category like “food”. Then, when he rolls the die, we have to come up with foods that starts with that letter.

So, not only does the game help him practice phonics, but it also expands his vocabulary because he can’t just come up with the same old words time after time.

Scattergories Letter Ball in Action (Toddler style…)

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There are different schools of thought when it comes to teaching children how to read. Some programs focus on sight words and some focus on phonics. Sight words are common words that children can recognize by sight. Phonics is the relationship between the letters and the way they sound.

In the beginning, I decided to focus on phonics because I was afraid that if I taught sight words, my son would learn how to read the word “bat” but not be able to read the word “fat”. Recently, I decided to take a combined approach. I still work with him on phonics, but now we are looking for sight words when we read.

I put together the attached download to help my toddler with sight words. (Now, he is a preschooler, but we still use them.)

It is simply a list of common sight words that can be printed on magnetic paper and cut out. We use the magnetic sight words make sentences on the refrigerator, etc.

Making Your Own Sight Word Magnets is Easy:

1. Download the file: Sight Words Magnets

2. Print it out onto magnetic paper (available at most office supply stores and Amazon.com).

3. Cut the words apart.

See? I told you it was easy!

Pre-fab Sight Word Magnets

I wrote this post a couple of years ago, but just recently discovered a slew of options for pre-fab sight word magnets. We own (and love) the sight words for preschoolers. I haven’t tried the “Really Big Words”, but they are by the same company, so I am sure they would be perfect for toddlers.

Magnetic Sight Words for Toddlers
Read Reviews at Amazon.com >>
Like I said, I have only tried the magnetic sight words for preschoolers, but I totally would have gotten these when Edison was a toddler. According to the product description, they are over an inch and a half tall, so they would be perfect for little hands. I also love that they come with a sturdy case, just like the “Story Maker” magnets below.

Magnetic Sight Words for Preschoolers
Read Reviews at Amazon.com >> 
These are the best! Not only are they a great way to practice reading, but they are color coded by parts of speech. I could not believe how quickly my son took to these. We make silly sentences and practice reading, and the box is small enough to fit in my purse when we travel.

The post Sight Words Magnets (Free Download) appeared first on Wild Edisons.

Wow! What a great way to pass the time! Not only does it keep the conversation focused, but I swear he learns 5 new things every time we get in the car. It has introduced him to new vocabulary, helped him practice his phonics, and improved his cognitive and problem solving skills. I can almost hear his little brain cranking away when we play. Now, he initiates the game more than I do which is pretty cool.

This is how my preschooler and I play…

One of us starts off by saying, “I am thinking of something that starts with the letter [A LETTER].” We follow it up with a few general clues like, “It is purple”, “It is a person in my school”, or whatever.

There is no limit to the number of hints we can ask for. We just keep asking questions until we figure it out. Then we switch sides and the other person gets to start.

Yes…Sounds kind-of lame, but it can actually be pretty challenging. Sometimes, when it is Edison’s turn, he does not get the first letter right (especially with C’s and K’s), so it makes it extra tough. Plus, he occasionally will come up with such crazy things that no amount of hints will lead me to the right answer.

Case in point…

Edison: I am thinking of something that starts with the letter F.

Me: Is it a person?

Edison: No.

Me: Is it a place?

Edison: No.

Me: Is it a thing?

Edison: No.

(Um…Maybe he does not understand what a “thing” is.)

Me: Is it a food?

Edison: No.

(I list other categories of things, and he says “No” to each one.)

Me: What color is it?

Edison: Um…No color.

Me: How big is it? Is it bigger than the car?

Edison: Um…It isn’t big.

(I list a bunch of “F” words and he says “No” to each one.)

Me: Are you sure it starts with “F”?

(Edison makes the “F” sound quietly to himself before answering, “Yes”.)

Me: I give up.

Edison: It’s “Friction”!!!

—

Seriously? He could have given me a million hints and I never would have guessed that.

Now, in case you are thinking that my preschooler is some kind of amazing genius who reads Physics books alone by candlelight before he goes to sleep, I should probably tell you how he learned the word.

At school, he was doing something that was the exact opposite of genius…Crawling around with his head on the floor. Afterwards, he looked up at his teacher and said his head hurt. By the time we picked him up, a giant welt had formed on his forehead. You guessed it…Rug burn.

So, we gave him a nice demonstration of friction by rubbing our hands together really fast and feeling how they got warm. We explained that the welt on his head was actually a burn because the friction made it so hot.

Apparently, the conversation made an impression because it came up over 2 months later in our little game…Crazy kid.

The post Great Preschool Activity for Expanding Vocabulary and Practicing Phonics appeared first on Wild Edisons.

How many words should my preschooler know?

Most of the things I have read have said that a preschooler should have a vocabulary of about 4,000 words. I don’t know where they got this number, and I have no clue how many words my preschooler knows. All I know is that 4,000 words is a lot, so we have been doing our best to grow my son’s vocabulary.

How to Help Your Preschooler Build Their Vocabulary:

Keep a List of New Vocabulary Words on a Whiteboard

We have a whiteboard in the kitchen. When my preschooler asks what a word means or we come across a less common word, we write it on the board. Then, a few times a day, I will talk to him about one of the words on the list.

For example, one of our recent words was “gills”. Out of the blue, I would ask him, “What are those things called that make it so that fish can breath under water?” Or, “I can’t remember…What are gills?” Sometimes, we look up pictures on the internet or ask Daddy if he knows what something is.

Once he has mastered a word, we remove it from the list.

Beef Up Your Own Vocabulary

When you have a baby, often you find yourself dumbing down your vocabulary. The poor kid already has enough new things to absorb without learning 20 different ways to say “Please don’t touch.”

Now is the time to start talking like an adult again. If your preschooler does not understand, they will tell you or you will know by the blank expression on their face. You don’t need to go crazy with 5 syllable words, but stretching your vocabulary outside of the norm can help your preschooler immensely. 

Use Context Clues

If you are using a new word that you don’t think your preschooler will understand, use context clues to give the definition while you talk.

For example:
“My favorite is the maroon colored car. I love dark red.”
“I am ecstatic that you picked up your toys. It makes me so happy when you clean up after yourself.”

Define New Vocabulary Words As You Read

Books are a great source of new words. When we are reading and we come across a word that I don’t think my preschooler has seen before, I define it as I read.

For example:
“The emperor…(An emperor is kind of like a king)…The emperor loved wearing new clothes.”

Hunt for New Vocabulary Words

Documentaries and nature shows are a great place to find new words. My child has never been to the Arctic, so words like “tundra”, “blubber”,  and “ice floe” are not words he hears every day.

It never hurts to do a little recap after the show to reenforce the new vocabulary words.

Take Time to Rhyme

We stumbled on this vocabulary activity by accident. I asked my preschooler if he could think of any words that rhymed with “fun”. He came up with a few and then I added to the list. That was when I learned that my son had never heard the word “stun” before. I also had to explain what “none”, “nun”, “pun”, and “ton” meant.

A simple rhyming game turned into one heck of a vocabulary exercise.

Praise Your Preschooler for Using New Words

When your preschooler uses a word that you have not heard them use before, point it out. Every kid loves praise and this is a good way to motivate them to use new vocabulary words.

The post How to Help Your Preschooler Build His/Her Vocabulary appeared first on Wild Edisons.