Perfect Gifts for Small Hands

Montessori Services presents For Small Hands, a website dedicated to developmentally appropriate toys and games for newborns to 6+ years old - over 450 child-size items! The website makes it easy to find age-appropriate gifts with buttons in the left column to jump to different age groups, or to

sort by price (lots of gifts under $5 and $10, too!)

If you purchase any items off this site, let us know how your child likes it so we can share the tips with other parents. :)

More Holiday Gift Guides for Toys

• http://www.littleones.com/2009/11/17/perfect-holiday-toys-for-children/
• http://www.littleones.com/educational-playtime/parents-grandparents-gift-guide/

UN-Safe Toys - check these sites before buying anything from a regular toy store or toy website 

• http://www.toysafety.mobi/unsafetoylist.html
• https://www.uspirg.org/issues/toy-safety

Halloween Party

Parents and their little ghouls and goblins were invited to a children's Halloween party in Benicia last Tuesday (10/27). They had such a fun time seeing all the other kids dressed up in their costumes, playing games, decorating cookies and going through the Haunted Maze (not too scary, though!). So glad some of you could make it and can't wait until next Halloween!

Here are some photos from the party:

Storm Trooper

Jedi Knight

Little Bo Peep's Sheep

Woodland Nymph and Little Fairy

Little Bo Peep and Sheep

Little Bo Peep and Sheep

King Arthur's Knight

Little Bo Peep, Little Fairy, and Storm Trooper

Lead Poisoning Prevention Week

Baby Mac Bean would like to remind you that October 19-23 is National Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Week. All children should receive a blood test for lead at 12 and 24 months or 12 to 72 months if circumstances change to increase the risk of lead poisoning. Children not previously tested and who are between the ages of 25 to 72 months should also receive a blood lead test. All children should be assessed for risk of lead poisoning with this question: Does your child live in or spend a lot of time in a place built before 1978 that has peeling or chipped paint or has been recently renovated? If the response is "Yes" or "Don't know", the child should receive a blood lead test. The blood lead screening test helps identify children with elevated lead levels who may not otherwise be identified and therefore do not receive appropriate treatment or environmental interventions.

What should you know about lead poisoning?

• Very small amounts of lead can hurt your child.
• Lead poisoning occurs by swallowing or inhaling lead paint particles or lead dust.
• Lead paint dust and paint chips in older homes and buildings are the biggest source of exposure.
• Most children who have lead poisoning do not look or act sick.
• A blood test is the only way to know if your child has lead poisoning.
• To get a blood lead screening test contact your child's doctor today.

Moving and Grooving!

 Today seemed to be all about movement - moving our bodies and streching our vocal cords!

We started with an outing in the stroller. All bundled up, they loved seeing the neighborhood and hearing dogs bark and birds chirp.

 When we returned the kids wanted to act like birds themselves.

They started "chirping" and yelping as well. They were like little songbirds in the backyard.

All that yelling made them awfully thirsty. Joey and Madison both signed they wanted water, after they finished their milk.

I gave them each a cup with a little water and was pleased to see they didn't spill a drop!

After lunch, what could be better than running in circles yelling?

How about bouncing and yelling!! :)

 

Not to be outdone, Shay added his two cents to the mix.  

Ryan was still sleeping.

Even though the windows were open in his room, he slept through all the "singing."

We practiced our hopping skills next. Joey is getting quite good!

Even Shay was trying is hardest to hop. :)

 Ryan finally woke up and joined his friends.

He showed them a thing or two about chirping at dinner time. :)