Terrific Tot Sites ~ Tot School Highlights

Every Sunday Carisa hosts a feature on her other blog called Tot School. If you are one who doesn't know that, you can go here to read more about it! She has over 60 moms joining up weekly, so there are plenty of wonderful resources and ideas to find. This week I'd like to introduce you to Jane, the mom of Esme @ Mozi Esme.

Esme’s mom writes the blog from Esme’s perspective as a two year old, and loves to share the alphabet activities that they do weekly. She always provides a bunch of fun ideas and links to the things that they do together. Here are a few fun ones…

Esme got to see how much she had grown since the time she was born. Her mom cut two pieces of yarn, one showing how long she was when she was born and the other showing how tall she is now, so that they could compare the two pieces.

Esme even got to help out ‘building’ her own schoolhouse…

When they talked about feelings, Esme had fun putting together face puzzles of different feelings that her mom made out of paper plates.

Some fun little froggies to celebrate the letter ‘F’…

…and making gumdrop counting and toothpick sculptures when talking about the letter ‘G’. Yummy!

Be sure to stop by and visit Jane and Esme and say hi! Hope you enjoy this Terrific Tot Site! To see more featured sites, click here!

Once Upon a Book ~ Christmas Activities

Want to see what's coming next (and books we've done in the past)? Click here to see our Once Upon a Book webpage!

During the month of December we have some great ideas in store for you to do with your little one ~ every day of the week! The activities will be posted the Thursday before the week begins, so you have a few days to prepare for the following week.

In case you would like to check through your supplies and round up anything that you don't have on hand, here is the list of what you will need to do the activities along with the books we'll be using.

Jesus, Me, and My Christmas Tree
by Crystal Bowman

Supplies needed: green paint, white or cream construction paper, green construction paper, star stickers, sugar cones, green frosting, and sprinkles.

Dec 1: Handprint Christmas Tree

Dec 2: Christmas Tree Mobile

Dec 3: Christmas Tree Ornament

Dec 4: Edible Christmas Tree

A Star for Jesus
by Crystal Bowman

Supplies needed: salt, flour, water, star cookie cutter, paint, clothespins, posterboard, cinnamon, sugar and tortillas

Dec 7: Salt Dough Stars

Dec 8: Clothespin Star game

Dec 9: Count the Star

Dec 10: I'm a Star Ornament

Dec 11: Cinnamon and Sugar Stars

My Christmas Gift
by Crystal Bowman

Supplies needed: plain wrapping paper or butcher paper, paint, cookie cutters and sponges, gift bows and 2 small boxes

Dec 14: Homemade Wrapping Paper

Dec 15: Sorting fun

Dec 16: My gift for Jesus

Dec 17: Pass the Gift Game

Dec 18: Gift Ornament

Happy Birthday, Jesus
by Kim Mitzo Thompson

Supplies needed: plain wrapping paper, markers and crayons, white/cream construction paper, flour, salt, water, peppermint extract, cake mix, frosting and decorations.

Dec 21: Birthday Banner

Dec 22: Candy Cane J ornament

Dec 23: Candy Cane Playdoh

Dec 24: Make and Decorate a Birthday Cake

Dec 25: Sing Happy Birthday

Treats 4 Your Tot

Here are some more cool giveaways for tots/moms of tots, check them out below and let us know if you win something we told you about!!!!

Rockin Green...ends 11/22/09

Diaper Sprayer...ends 11/29/09

Pop Up Nativity and Jesus Doll...ends 11/24/09

Veggie Tales Saint Nicholas DVD...ends 11/27/09

Hold it Baby Toy Organizer...ends 11/28/09

Evenflo Generations Booster Seat...ends 11/30/09

Tiny Tongs...ends 11/27/09

Baby Signing Time DVD...ends 11/29/09

PopATot...ends 11/22/09

In My Heart ~ Hh...Psalm 144:15

Verses are from: Songs for Saplings: ABCs
(You can get it here, or here)

Find the PDF files to download here!

See our Raising Rock Stars posts here!

See our intro post about teaching Bible memory verses to tots here.

Now I Know My ABC’s ~ B is for Bumblebee

It's time for some fun alphabet crafts!! We hope you enjoy these! If you are new, you can visit our ABC webpage to find links to any other letters we have done, letters (with books listed) coming up, as well as the PDF of the cover sheet for your ABC notebook!

Buzz-Buzz, Busy Bees

by Dawn Bentley

Summary: A fun fuzzy touch and feel book for little ones! Cute rhyming story that follows the little bees all around the barnyard and teaches animal sounds.

This little craft has the potential to get a little…dare I say it…messy. Marker doesn’t always dry as well on the foam sheets, so little fingers *may* be a little black when the craft is done! But really, the bumblebee is so very cute, so a few smudgy fingers should be forgiven!

What You'll Need:

• Yellow foam sheet or construction paper
• Black sharpie or marker
• Wax paper
• Googly eye
• Black pipe cleaner
• Glue

How to Make the Bumblebee:

1. Cut an uppercase 'B' out of the foam sheet or construction paper. I used a foam sheet that was about 4" x 5" in size.
2. Cut out two circles from the wax paper to use as wings for your bee.
   
3. Cut the pipecleaner into two pieces ~ one should be 1/3 of the length of the pipecleaner, the other 2/3 of the length.
4. Poke the small pipecleaner through the bottom base of the 'B' to use as a 'stinger'.
5. Poke the longer pipecleaner through the upper part of the 'B' to use as the bee's antennae.
6. Have your child draw stripes on the B using the marker.
7. Glue on the googly eye and wings.

Crafty Corner ~ Thanksgiving

Native American Headdress
from No Time for Flashcards

Little Indians
from Ramblings of a Crazy Woman
Native American Dolls

from Ramblings of a Crazy Woman
Mayflower
from Ramblings of a Crazy Woman

Thanksgiving Corn
from Ramblings of a Crazy Woman

Corn Craft
from Ramblings of a Crazy Woman

Bubble Wrap Indian Corn
from No Time for Flashcards

Here's a few more sites with some fun Thanksgiving Craft ideas...

• Kaboose
• FamilyFun
• AHC Arts and Crafts
  

I also added a few more to these posts here on Totally Tots...

• Fall
• Gobble Gobble
  

Do you have an tot-friendly Thanksgiving craft on your blog? Read here first and then Email me (CarisaAtTotallyTots@gmail (dot) com) so I can add it here! If you feature crafts on your blog often, be sure to let me know in the email so I can add you to the "search" list for future posts!

Terrific Tot Sites ~ Scrapcoloring.com

Scrapcoloring.com is a site that provides free online coloring pages for kids. Think of all the great patterns and colors that scrapbook papers offer and you will get an idea of some of the fun stuff that Scrapcoloring offers!

The creators of ScrapColoring didn’t want kids to have the ‘same old, same old’ solid colors to fill in online pictures. They wanted to offer textures, patterns, and more to give kids a variety of options. Children are also able to create their own patterns and colors.

It’s so simple to use the site too:

1. Choose a picture to color.
2. Choose the colors you want to use.
3. Find a pattern you like
4. Click ‘zones’ on the picture to color in.

Once the picture is finished, you can save the picture as an image file or print it off too. One of my favorite features of the site is the first name coloring page. On this page you can create a coloring page for your child to color in their first name, or you can use it to make fun greeting cards for others! Here’s the fun I had making my name creation:

If you’d like to learn more about ScrapColoring or let your little one have some fun, be sure to visit their site and check it out. Hope you enjoy this Terrific Tot Site! To see more featured sites, click here!

Once Upon a Book ~ I Love My Family

I Love My Family
by Mark S. Bernthal

Summary: The Baxters love BOZ. He's like family to them. They teach him new things. They invite him to play. BOZ is part of God's family too. And God loves BOZ.

November's Bible Verse

During the month of November we will be learning parts of this verse each week so that by Thanksgiving time your little one will be able to say the whole verse!

"Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His loving kindness is everlasting." Psalm 106:1

This weeks' verse segment: "Praise the LORD!" and add: "Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good."

Family Memory

Get out the photos, some card stock and make up a memory game for your LO's to play.

Family Memories

Start a family memories scrapbook and journal. Take pictures and write memories of all your adventures as a family.

Family Tree

Print out this adorable Bear Family Tree and make your own to add to the Family Memories book.

Song Time
from DLTK site

(sing to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell")

Some families are big. (spread arms out wide)

Some families are small (bring arms close together)

But God made our families (point up in the air) one and all!

Some families are big. (spread arms out wide)

Some families are small (bring arms close together)

But God loves our families (cross arms over chest) one and all!

Some families are big. (spread arms out wide)

Some families are small (bring arms close together)

But God keeps our families (cup hands in front) one and all!

Want to see what's coming next (and books we've done in the past)? Click here to see our Once Upon a Book webpage!

Voting Has Begun!!!

Totally Tots is nominated for Best Group Blog AND Best Curriculum Blog! We are so honored and excited, THANK YOU!!!

Also, some of our team members are nominated for their own personal blogs...

1. Best Homeschool Mom {Carisa @ 1+1+1=1, Jolanthe @ Homeschool Creations}

3. Blog Design {Jolanthe @ Homeschool Creations}

5. Crafts. Plans & Projects {Carisa @ 1+1+1=1, Jolanthe @ Homeschool Creations}

17. Funniest {Jolanthe @ No Ordinary Moments}

18. Best Cyber-Buddy {Carisa @ 1+1+1=1, Jolanthe @ No Ordinary Moments}

20. SUPER Homeschooler {Carisa @ 1+1+1=1, Jolanthe @ Homeschool Creations}

22. Nitty Gritty {Carisa @ 1+1+1=1}

25. Homeschooling Methods {Carisa @ 1+1+1=1}

Were YOU nominated? I'd love to know which of our Totally Tots readers are on the list that we may not know about, please do tell in the comment-your blog name and the category you are nominated in!! And if you are one of the people who nominated us, THANK YOU!!

Before voting, click here to see the rules, then vote away!

In My Heart ~ Gg James 1:17

Verses are from: Songs for Saplings: ABCs
(You can get it here, or here)

Find the PDF files to download here!

See our Raising Rock Stars posts here!

See our intro post about teaching Bible memory verses to tots here.