Top Ten Children's Books That You and Your Preschooler Will Treasure

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“There are many little ways to enlarge your world. Love of books is the best of all. ”
— Jacqueline Kennedy

I spent some time recently wading through our ever-growing collection of children’s books. In honor of World Book Day, I’ve pulled together a list of our favorites.  I’ve chosen the ones with beautiful words and pictures, the ones that make me feel nostalgic. I'm attracted to old, well-loved children’s books. Sadly, many of them are out of print. Still, you should be able to find a few old copies running around out there!  Here they are, our top ten books, guaranteed that you AND  your kids will love them.  These are the books that won’t make you want to skip over a few pages and call it a night. 

TOP 10 MOST LOVED BOOKS FROM THE WORKSPACE FOR CHILDREN: 

Good Night Baby Bear by Frank Asch:  A mother’s patient love when her cub can’t fall asleep.  This book highlights bed-time struggles that everyone has dealt with. The language and the pictures are breathtaking.

Thunderstorm by Mary Szilagyi: Hands down, the MOST comforting book about storms I’ve ever read. The language is simple and the pictures are expressive.  I could read this book a million times and not get annoyed. 

When I’m Angry by Jane Aaron: Does your child ever have tantrums? I thought so.  You need this book.  Every young child can relate.  It is told from a child’s perspective. Goes through the range of feelings about anger. The simple, collaged pictures really fit with the text. This book is perfection.

The Line Up Book by Marisabina Russo:This book reminds me so much of every three year old I know.  The little boy makes a line all the way from his room to his mom in the kitchen using toys and found objects.  I’ve watched countless children do exactly this.  Your child will be delighted to see the little boy complete his task and every parent will understand how mom feels!

Sam by Ann Herbert Scott: A younger sibling who cant do anything right! Everyone can identify with the main character, Sam. We've all been there. A great discussion  starter.

You Go Away by Dorothy Corey: A book for the very beginning stages of dealing with separation-anxiety.  I love to give this as a one-year-old birthday gift.  Simple text and pictures are perfect for the very young. 

Sam Who Never Forgets by Eve Rice: A book about zoo animals and empathetic friends.  Sure to be a hit with the two to four year old crowd. 

Into My Mother’s Arms by Sharon Jennings: Mother and daughter go through their daily routine.  Loving and engaging. A great classroom book for the Fall when children are missing their grownup.  Great book for cuddling and retelling your day.

Sometimes You Get What You Want by Lisa Brown and Meredith Gary: Simple and straightforward.  I love to read this when my stubborn 4yo is getting the best of me.  It’s magic.

On Mother’s Lap by Ann Herbert Scott: A graceful tale of big-sibling jealousy.  The words and pictures reassure everyone that mother has enough love to go around.  I love to give this as ‘big brother/ big sister gift’ when a new baby arrives in a family.

An Egg is an Egg by Nicki Weiss: The most comforting book of all time.

 I hope you check out some of our favorites.  Please let me know by commenting below if you do.  

Thanks for reading along,   

Lizzie 

*This Post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support. 

 

“It’s light fell on the snow like warm honey”
— from Goodnight Baby Bear by Frank Asch

Crying is Allowed

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“The wider the range of possibilities we offer children, the more intense will be their motivations and the richer their experiences. We must widen the range of topics and goals, the types of situations we offer and their degree of structure, the kinds and combinations of resources and materials, and the possible interactions with things, peers, and adults.”
— Loris Malaguzzi

People often ask me about the WHY behind the play.  Why is it important? What are they really getting out of these activities? Would their time be better spent at lessons or being taught to read and spell? Simply put, no. Their time is SO valuable.  And it is my mission to make sure its protected.  It is really important to me that my kids have the time to spend being bored, being dreamy, and playing.  In an effort to explain why, I am going to take you through a recent experience with my girls.

On this particular morning, I had  set up some loose parts and kinetic sand on our light table.   When the girls noticed the prompt, they began to work. As I went about my own work, I watched and listened. 

My 4year old set to work doing 4 year old things.  She scooped the sand and let it slip through her fingers.  She squeezed kinetic sand and then filled and dumped from a small container making smooth little mounds.  When she was satisfied, she added wire and wood chips to her little structure. 

My 7 year old, on the other hand, set to work doing important 7 year old things.  Same materials, different developmental stage.  The seven year old smoothed out a block of sand and then used the loose parts to write the word “LOVE” in the sand.  She shaped her letters out of rocks, sticks, negative space, and wood beads that she retrieved from our art cabinet. She rearranged the letters and spoke out loud about her spelling.  Making sure "LOVE" was spelled correctly was really important to her.

As the girls worked side by side, something important happened.  Something more important than letter writing, fine motor work or sensory exploration.  What happened? The girls ARGUED.  Sloane, at just four years old, is at an impatient moment in time.  She wants what she wants NOW.  Ruby, at seven, can be equally impatient, but in a different way.  She doesn’t want her work touched by sticky little fingers and she especially does not want to give up what she is using in an unreasonable time frame.  At seven, she is much more reasonable than at four.  She doesn't remember what it feels like to be four and so, she does not want to give in to four-year-old demands.  As you can imagine, this can lead to conflict.  With conflict comes learning, and that is the most important thing to me. 

The argument went down like this.  Ruby picks up the small silver cup that Sloane was using a few moments earlier.  Sloane screams and yells at Ruby that it’s HER cup.  Ruby calmly replies that she is using it and will give her sister a turn when she is finished.  Not good enough.  Sloane throws herself to the floor sobbing about the cup.  Ruby tries to talk her off the ledge, but unless Sloane has the cup in her hand, it's not good enough. Clearly, Ruby is not giving up the cup. This goes on for three or four minutes.  The tired mom in me fights the urge to get an indenticle cup from the cupboard and make Ruby trade.  But, the teacher in me forces myself to give them space to figure it out.  Eventually, Ruby is finished with the cup.  She tells Sloane, but Sloane is too far gone.  Sloane is committed to her outburst.  She carries on crying, and Ruby carries on working at the table.  And then suddenly, Sloane stands up, wipes her tears and announces, "I’m done crying now.  Ruby, you can keep the cup.  I'll use this stick to poke holes instead."  No one intervened, no one gave in to her demands, she had simply worked through it in her own time.  She was ready.  She had taught herself to cope.  

Children need to have the opportunity to argue and test emotional ideas.  Often, we solve these issues FOR children.  We “teach” them rules and phrases for sharing.  We inject adult notions of “fairness” into these innocent earlychildhood experiences. But don’t we KNOW that children learn best by doing?  I know that.  I’m sure of it.  With that being the case, I know they need the opportunity to try crying as a tool, to try talking, to try grabbing, and to eventually find the right tool.  I want them to learn how a peer might respond if they grab or cry.  I want them to learn how to communicate by communicating.  I want them to learn to negotiate materials, space and ideas.  This is why play is so important for all children.   

Our Top Playroom Picks

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Here come the gifts! The piles and piles of toys! Be grateful, right? Be happy for how fortunate we are to be given all these things.  But why do we have all these things and no one uses ANYTHING??  

When my big kids were toddlers, I remember feeling unsettled about the onslaught of toys around the holidays and birthdays.  Well meaning friends and relatives would generously gift the children with expensive toys that were meant to make us all happy.  But instead, I felt overwhelmed by the clutter and the children never seemed to use the toys after the initial excitement wore off. I felt guilty putting them in the closet or (gulp) donating toys that were just given to us.  As an Early Childhood Educator, I knew that a good set of blocks, some sturdy art supplies, books and perhaps a few dolls and trucks could keep my children playing for hours.  Despite the piles of plastic purses, fireman towers, and beeping, flashing balls, my kids returned again and again to their blocks, books and crayons.  The less they had, the more they played.  When our playroom was filled with overflowing piles of toys, it just didn't happen. 

Why won't children play when they have all these toys?  Think about walking into a huge grocery store.  You are hungry.  You need to make dinner.  You want to eat.  Your family will want to eat. And here you are.  Easy, right? Wrong.  So wrong.  You are overwhelmed. It's loud in there and the lights are so bright! Sale specials are constantly blaring over the loud speaker. You toss chips in your cart.  A head of broccoli. Hamburgers are on sale, you should get those. Oh wait, you need milk! Can you see where this is going? You end up in the long check out line with a full cart of random stuff and nothing for dinner.  You are still hungry.  Wallet empty.  Tired. Probably a bit cranky.  I imagine that this is how it feels to be a child walking into a messy playroom, full of loud, cluttered toys.  They want to play.  They NEED to play, but it is too overwhelming. 

Now, imagine yourself walking into a well organized, small  grocery store.  There are limited choices. Someone who knows you well has placed the basic ingredients that you need to feed yourself and your family. You place a few delicious objects in your cart. You can relax, and be productive.

 Now imagine your child walking into a play space that has only a few well chosen materials to work with.  The materials are open-ended, meaning that they can become whatever your child imagines.  There is clear space to play.  They know exactly where to find what they need.  Now imagine hours of peaceful, uninterrupted PLAY. 

I have three children.  They are nine, seven and almost four.  They have very different interests and personalities.  But ALL of our materials are open-endeded.  Every material in our playroom can become anything.    Our blocks are the probably the most important thing in our small playroom.  My nine year old builds huge intricate marble runs and towers that would impress an architect.  I swear he can defy gravity.  My Seven year old builds as well.  She makes homes for little critters.  if you remove the roof, you can look in and see rooms deep inside.  There are little beds that are cozy with colored bits of wool and fabric scraps for blankets. Her own mini art works hang on the wall. She uses her finger knittings to hang hammocks off the outside of the abode. My littlest uses the blocks constantly.  She doesn't "build" with them, really.  But boy can she play with them! She sets up little enclosures for her dolls, she pushes critters around on a "bus" and sends them off to school.  She processes her own life experiences, by transforming the blocks into whatever she needs in order to set the tone for her play. For me, that is the key;  open ended materials that can transform into whatever your child needs to set the tone for his or her play.  My best advice to you is to keep it limited.  Keep it simple.  Keep it open-ended.

Here is a list of my top five open-ended materials in our playroom right now.  

  1. Unit Blocks

  2. Waldorf Silks

  3. People and Animals

  4. Dollhouse

  5. Marbles

 

What works for your family in your playroom? Do you have any great ideas or materials that you love?  Let me know! Thanks for reading along, Lizzie

*This post is not sponsored in any way.  

Fun with First Graders

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A beautiful result of an exploration with clay, wire and natural materials.

Fall in the Northeast has fueled some serious creative love over here at The Workspace.  The colors, the shapes, the abundance of natural materials....this season lends itself to so much inspiration! Here is a project I recently did with some pretty awesome first graders. It was a simple process to set up, but the creations that the children came up with were anything but simple.  

Materials We Used:

How We Did It:

First, I laid out all of the materials on a long table in a visually appealing manner. Then, I gave each child a small ball of clay.   After that, they were free to create.  They colored, hole punched, poked, stacked and rolled.  Some children worked independently, some chose to help each other. They spoke quietly as they worked.  Each child interpreted the materials so differently, it was amazing!  The classroom teachers were incredibly patient and generous in allowing me to take over their classroom.  Im happy to say our exploration went off without a hitch.  Just check out the photos below.

WHY We Did It:

It's not often that our children are given the opportunity to create in an open-ended manner. Often, their "art" is prescribed.  They are presented with a set of pre-cut materials, a list of instructions, a pre-made model of what their "art" should look like. During this exploration, the children were offered the chance to make their own decisions.  They manipulated real materials and reflected their own life experiences.  They exercised fine motor skills as they pinched the clay, poked the wire and squeezed hole punchers.  They used rich language to talk about their creations, and reflected on science concepts as they explored natural materials.   Most importantly, there was a sense of community among the children.  They helped one another and they complimented each other's work.  It was a joy to work with these fabulous first graders and their wonderful teachers. 

A final collection of works.

A final collection of works.

Have you been inspired by Fall? I would love to hear about it.  Do you have questions or ideas? Please contact me.  

Thanks for reading along, Lizzie 

*this post contains affiliate links.  Thank you for your support.  

 

 

A Jungle Jumparoo Has Landed In Our Yard!

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We have a Jungle Jumparoo! And we LOVE it.

When the folks over at Jungle Jumparoo first contacted me about trying out this product, I wasn't really sure.  We've never had any kind of jungle gym or trampoline in our yard.  We have our tinkerspace, an open yard where we  run and play and lots of neighbors to ride bikes with.  If we want to climb, we are lucky enough to have a local playground just around the block.  I've never felt the need for any kind of climbing apparatus.  Also, I am not a trampoline fan.  Bouncy castles and trampoline gyms make me nervous.  If you know me, you know I support risky play for children.  I watch my 3 year old ride up and down our bike ramp with much older children. I've encouraged my 6 year old to jump off a cliff into the ocean below.  I often trust my littles with electric drills and hot glue guns.  But trampolines? Not so much.  Enter the Jungle Jumparoo.

It came in a super-heavy box that sat in our living room until we finally had time to put it together (thanks, honey!).  We set it up in our front yard so that all of the children in our neighborhood would have the opportunity to give it a go.   Minutes after set up, I looked at the kids jumping and laughing, and realized, WOW, THIS JUMPER IS THE REAL DEAL!  

I am always setting the stage for play in my home.  We have very few "toys" but we do have lots of loose parts and other open ended materials.  I have a criteria for the 'toys' that we keep in our home. When my children play, I want the materials to be able to meet them where they are in their own personal development. The materials must be multi-use and appropriate for all three of my children.  For example, a unit block can be used as industriously by a two year old as it can by a nine year old.  Will they use it in the same manner? No way!  Can they both use a unit block industriously? Absolutely.   Same thing with the Jungle Jumparoo.  

From the very littles,  all the way up to the adults, everyone is jumping on our Jumparoo.  The other morning, I observed as our little neighbor toddled up to the large bouncy tube and push against it, feeling his own weight come back against him.  He eyed up the colorful poles and reached up to feel them.  Meanwhile, my three year old climbed right into the middle of the tube and cozied up in the center with her lovey and watched the clouds role by above her.  Enter a gaggle of 5 and 6 year olds.  They came by and bounced, climbed, and monkey-barred around the top.  They made up a game using certain colored poles as "home" poles and the other colored poles were worth varying points.  They flipped themselves upside down and hung there and laughed and laughed.  My oldest child, nine years old, uses the jumper all the time. He and his friends can catch tons of air as they let off steam after school.  They jump and chatter and challenge one another to see who can get themselves higher.  I even gave it few bounces.  Yup, really fun!

One of my favorite things about living in my neighborhood is that children of all ages interact and play together.  There are kids of all ages everywhere!  ALL of these children can safely play TOGETHER on the Jungle Jumparoo.  Click HERE to see more safety facts on the Jungle Jumparoo vs a trampoline.

 We already own the large Jumparoo.  But now I kind of want the small one for our basement during the winter! And the accessories that are available are pretty cool too.  There's a rope swing attachment, a sprinkler, a ball pit, etc!!   Um, good thing the holidays are around the corner.  Right now, the creators of Jungle Jumparoo are offering you guys $100 off the purchase of your Jumperoo when you use the code WORKSPACE100.  

Do you have any questions for me regarding the Jungle Jumparoo? Maybe you want to know more about open ended materials? Reach out and let me know. 

Thanks for following along,  Lizzie 

*This post contains sponsored links from Jungle Jumparoo. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sewing with Children

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We have an on-going sewing project in our home.  It started last Spring as an invitation to create with needles, thread and beads.  

 One afternoon, I found a wooden window grate in our garage.  It was left over from some construction a few years ago.  I think it's the piece you pop into the windows to make them look sectioned off. I covered the frame in burlap and stapled around the edges to hold it on securely. Then, I set it out on the table with a small bowl of beads.  I pre-threaded some needles with varying string and yarn.  I want my children to be as independent as possible in their work, and I knew that threading the needles themselves would prove to be frustrating for little hands.

After school, the girls came home and sat down to work.   Ruby, age six, began sewing right away.  Sloane, age three, needed a little more instruction before she was able to work successfully.  I showed her how to sew, but I think she actually learned from watching and listening to her sister.  Ruby often thinks out loud while she works and it is a great learning resource for Sloane.  

The girls worked on this piece for a few weeks.  Then, we gave it to our best friends to work on and return.  A few weeks later Summer arrived and we headed off to the beach.  Sloane really wanted to pack this huge frame, but I was worried it wouldn't transport well.  She was very disappointed because her new found skill was such a source of pride for her.  Being capable of  a grown-up task like sewing made her feel so big and important.  

For the past few months, this beauty sat untouched in the window of our den/playroom. Yesterday, I noticed Sloane running her fingers along the different threads.  I asked her if she wanted to sew.  She lit up! After gathering some supplies, we spent a long time sewing and chatting and listening to music.  It was an amazing experience for me to see her development over the past few months.  Her fine motor skills have improved so much.  She was able to work much more competently than just a few short months ago.  I love how open-ended materials can provide that concrete evidence of growth.  

As I am upstairs writing this, I hear her little voice downstairs asking Daddy if she can sew for a few minutes before her nap.  

Here are the supplies you'll need to do this project (aff. links): 

  • window frame or any large wood frame
  • sturdy burlap fabric
  • sewing needles for children (we like these)
  • various beads (we like these and these)
  • thread and yarn (we like these and these)

 Do you have questions or comments? You can contact me here.

Thanks for following along with me! -Lizzie 

 

Halloween Love

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They used the materials that I had selected for them, but within minutes they were dipping into their own stash of supplies to add to the fun. Out came the glue guns and hammer and nails.  

I am a huge fan of Halloween.  Not the scary, gory Halloween, but the one with the creative costumes, candy, and excellent Autumn weather.  This year, Halloween snuck up on me.  I mean, of course I knew it was coming.  Just not that fast!  I found myself stressing over what is usually my favorite day.  The kids kept asking when we would put up the decorations and we hadn't even discussed costumes!  A quick trip to the dollar store changed everything.  These gangly skeletons were everywhere, begging to be brought home.  Then I saw a large bin of skulls.  My trunk was already full of pumpkins from an earlier trip to Trader Joe's.   It was not the best day for a messy project, but the skeletons made me do it!  Now it feels like Halloween is coming.  If only the kids could commit to a costume...   

Here's how it went down:

I set out the pumpkins, skulls and skeletons on the table and dug into my stash of art supplies. 

Out came the colored glue that we already had, loose parts in a repurposed paint pallet,  some hand-dyed wool (seriously, this is the gift that keeps on giving), and fun chalk markers.  Because my art supplies are generally kept in an organized manner, it is really simple for me to pull this all together.   

The kids came home and dove right in.  They were psyched!

The best part? This little lady has some new dolls to play with.  Here she is tucking them in before she goes to school!

The best part? This little lady has some new dolls to play with.  Here she is tucking them in before she goes to school!

Do you love Halloween art as much as we do?  Do you have questions or comments for me? Please reach out!

Thanks for following along, Lizzie

Stickers

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We love stickers over here at The Workspace.  This is an example of a simple invitation to create using stickers.  I put it together in just a few minutes, but I know that there will be hours spent creating with it.  

Stickers are a great fine motor exercise for little fingers. They are useful and fun for all ages.

For the very little ones, I peel stickers and tape in advance.  Here is an example of how I might adapt this tray for the toddler set.

Toddler Sticker Tray

Stickers are always a travel companion for us.  In every bag, in my coat pockets and in the glove compartment of our car, you will find baggies of stickers and small papers.  We use them in restaurants, at the doctor's office, in traffic, at Grandma's house, and just about everywhere else.

Have stickers, will travel.

Stickers are a mainstay in our art cabinet.  The children use them for patterning, collaging, making mandalas, making people and monsters.  They cut them, draw on them with sharpies, etc.  I try to remember to talk about only using stickers on paper or with other art materials. We talk about how stickers can ruin clothing, furniture and windows. 

Here is a list of our favorite stickers and trays for setting them out.  They are affiliate links, Thank you for your support.  

 

Do you use stickers in your home or school? Tell me about it. I would love to hear from you. 

Happy Stickering, 

Lizzie

Our Art Cabinet

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The Art Cabinet in our kitchen is the hub of almost everything that goes on in our home.  The children reach into the art cabinet just as many times a day as they reach into the fridge or the food pantry.

When choosing materials, I always go for simple, useful and inviting.  Everything is open-ended with multiple uses. 

Here are a list of basics:

·      Scissors

·      Ruler

·      Hole puncher

·      Stapler

·      Sharpened pencils and erasers

·      Various markers (these and these too!)

·      Clear Scotch Tape and Painters Tape

·      Glue 

·      Various Papers (cardstock, lined, graph, colored)

·      Twine or String

·      Blank Stickers  these and these!

 

Here is a list of Variables that I change with the children’s interests and needs:

·      Playdough

·      Toothpicks

·      Colored match sticks

·      Googly eyes

·      Beads

·      Mallets

·      Washi Tape  and Washi Stickers

·      Pipe cleaners

·      Paper clips

·      Felt

The most important thing, I think, is to value your  art space.  If you value it, the children will value it as well.  People often ask me how to help children care for their materials or how to keep things from becoming a disorganized heap.  If you care about the materials and are respectful of the space, your children will be as well.  Talk with them about how much easier it is to work in an organized space than a cluttered mess.  Express to them how much you respect their independence and creativity.  Allow them to use the materials how they see fit.  It might look like your two-year-old is wasting tape as she unravels an entire roll and sticks it in a jumbled heap.  But, it's not wasteful.  She is strengthening her fine motor skills and exercising her developing sense of self as she decides how much tape she needs and where she will put it.  Don’t expect a pretty product every time.  Trust your child to be the capable learner he or she is. 

Of course, the art cabinet requires regular maintenance.  I peek in the cabinet and do a one minute re-organization each day or so.  This keeps things ready to go whenever the mood strikes.  Yes, everyone will need to work together to clean up after a big creating session.  But an adult or capable over child will need to maintain the space. 

Do you have questions? Suggestions for me? Do you have an art cabinet? I’d love to hear from you. 

Thanks for reading,

Lizzie  

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