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Take a Taste Tuesday with Two In Tow
Tonya Strickland is a newspaper reporter turned mommy blogger who launched her family adventure blog Two In Tow & On The Go earlier this year to share pictures tips and stories about things to do with kids on California’s Central Coast. You can share in their adventures (along with all the reasons they like to get out of the house) at @two.n.tow on Instagram + Facebook or visit the blog at twontow.com. Rainbow Pancake Muffins with Two In Tow & On The Go So … truth is, I don’t like to bake. Or cook. Or do anything in the kitchen, really, besides hide from my kids each morning as I…
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Peanut Butter and Little Free Pantries
Have you seen the Little Free Pantries popping up around town? At first glance, the Little Free Pantry looks like a Little Free Library. Upon closer inspection it’s really quite different. For those in need, Little Free Pantries are used to meet everyday food and personal needs of people in need throughout Columbus. Regardless of location, the Little Free Pantry is stocked organically by the local community with non-perishable food and toiletries. Those who wish to contribute do so at their own discretion and convenience. Likewise, those in need are welcome to take items from the pantry for free. Recently, Crazy Richard’s Peanut Butter Co. posted about the need for peanut butter…
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Our Fall Bucketlist
I look back fondly on Fall 2016. My daughter just started walking, she started to imitate sounds and words, and we went on a ton of new adventures. This year I want to be sure to do our favorites again, so I decided to write them down all in one place. I am sharing our Fall Bucket List in hopes that you will find some inspiration, new ideas, or new places to explore. My hope is that your child will experience new vocabulary and opportunities for language growth along the way. Our Fall Bucket List Spend a Fall Day on US-68. We can spend a whole day on US-68 right…
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A Year at Goldfish Swim School
We have just completed a full year at Goldfish Swim School, and my goodness my baby has come so far with her skills in the water. She has gone from crawling across to walking across the floating mat, and from clinging to Mom or Dad in the water to briefly leaving her parent’s arms to begin exploring the pool independently. Yes, my daughter probably would have learned to walk without the support from Goldfish swim lessons, but there are a few areas of her development that I am convinced would not have progressed as quickly without the support of Goldfish. For the following reasons, I will be forever grateful to…
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Summer Challenge #10: Explore a Children’s Museum
To beat the heat of the dog days of summer, the challenge this week is to explore a Children’s Museum. Children’s Museums provide rich environments that stimulate a child’s natural curiosity and creativity. Museums are generally multi-sensory, hands-on, active, and child-centered environments which offers children unique opportunities to play and learn. Central Ohio is surrounded by a number of Children’s Museums. A few of our favorites include: AHA! Children’s Museum located in Lancaster, Ohio. You can read all about our experience here. Little Buckeye Children’s Museum located in Mansfield, Ohio. Our first hand experience is here. Also, be sure to ride the carousel down the street from the museum when you are there.…
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Summer Challenge #9: Visit a U-Pick Farm
This week the challenge is to locate and visit a u-pick farm in your area. A u-pick farm is a wonderful opportunity to develop language in a natural setting. You can talk about the type of food being picked by describing how the food looks/feels/smells/tastes. Your child will also have the opportunity to follow simple directions during the activity, ex: pick one/put in/give me. There are a variety of fruits and vegetables to pick at end of July/beginning of August. For an idea of what’s available for harvest in Ohio check out this Ohio Harvest Crop Calendar. Some of our favorite u-pick farms to visit in the Central Ohio area include:…
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Make Your Own Story Trail
Setting up your own Story Trail in your backyard is a funny and easy way to get moving and promote literacy. A Story Trail is a way for families to read together outside, promoting literacy and movement. The pages of a book are laminated and mounted and presented one at a time down a trail or around a park. The pages can be spaced as close or as far apart as needed. Families can stroll from one page to the next, or you can encourage movement by having your child skip or run to the next page. I thought it would be fun to create a Story Trail in our…
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Using Basic Language Concepts with Goldfish Swim School
My daughter had very few words when we first began swimming with Goldfish Swim School. Her vocabulary consisted of the few words that all babies start out with (mama, dada, no, mine, etc.), but she was using very few, if any, basic concept words (location, time, number, description, feelings, etc.). These are words that a child needs to understand and use in order to perform everyday tasks like following directions, participating in daily routines, and engaging in conversation. Basic concepts often occur in pairs and tend to be opposites (hot/cold, happy/sad, etc.). Our weekly swim lessons at Goldfish consist of practicing the same skills. The directions and tasks my daughter…
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Summer Challenge #8: Take a Walk on a Story Trail
This week the challenge is to locate and take a walk on a Story Trail in your community (or make your own). A Story Trail is when pages from a children’s story book are placed page by page along a walking route in your community. You may have seen one placed on posts around a library or along a path in a park. A Story Trail is a fun way to combine early literacy learning, physical activity, and family interaction. It helps build a child’s interest in reading while encouraging healthy outdoor activity. StoryTrails local to Columbus: Dawes Arboretum – This year the Story Trail book is Sunflower House written by…
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Summer Challenge #7: Engage the Senses at the Farmers Market
This week the challenge is to check out a local farmers market and engage your senses while you are there. Children experience their world through their senses: smell, sight, hear, taste, and touch. A trip to the local farmers market is a multi-sensorial experience, which can further result in increasing your child’s language development. For more on how to engage the senses and promote language development click this link . If you are in the Central Ohio area be sure to check out Eat Play Columbus for a list of when/where the local farmers markets are happening this summer. My hope is that each and every adventure will be different and exciting. Please…