Here is a quick art activity for toddlers or preschoolers. I did this with my toddler class several years ago and they loved it. I was looking through old photos and found pictures of their collages. By the end our floor and table were covered with little white sticker papers, but they had a good time and worked on their fine motor skills in the process.
What you’ll need:
Ocean themed foam stickers and some kind of ocean themed paper. I found these scrap book ocean sheets at a local craft store, but you could also use blue construction paper or print out ocean pictures from online. If you are adventurous or want the project to have an extra level, you could have your children paint their paper before adding the foam stickers. That would stretch the project over a couple days. Otherwise, it’s so simple and you only need two materials.
I can’t find a link for the sheets that I bought, but here are some other ideas. You can cut a square from this role or make a larger display.
Here are the the collages made by my little friends who would be in first and second grade now. How time flies! As a side note, sorry for the lower quality of the images. The lighting in the classroom wasn’t that great, but at least you can see them.
Do you have any simple art activities planned for your kiddos this summer? Tell me in the comments.
You know what really makes my day? Getting a really good comment on one of my posts. Blogging is hard work. I write content, do a bit of research, find images, create pins and then promote posts once they are published. This process is the same for every post. When I get a really thoughtful comment, it makes my efforts worth it. When I have taught someone something, made them feel less alone or simply made them think from a different perspective, I have achieved my overall goal for this blog.
If you are a blogger, there are several reasons why you should make commenting apart of your blogging routine. First, comments are what connect you with other bloggers. It is recommended that you find several blogs that you really enjoy within your niche and comment on them regularly. This way, you are building a relationship with other bloggers in your niche and bringing traffic back to your blog. They may start commenting on your blog as well making it a win-win for both of you. Next, comments help with SEO. A comment that uses key words from your post will help your posts rank higher when searching on Google. Finally, comments equal back links to your site. The more back links you have, the more credible your website will be and your domain authority will go up.
If you aren’t commenting or getting comments, you are missing out, but the important thing is your comment should be meaningful and strategic. How do you do that? Well, that’s what I’ll be going over in this post. I’m not an expert on everything blogging, but I have had other blogs in the past and A Flourishing Rose has been up and running for over a year now. With my previous blog, I got over 100 followers by simply commenting on other blogs. I did not have much of a social media presence back then and was blogging by trial and error. It didn’t take me long to figure out that commenting was the best way to build up my network.
Make It Meaningful
When you leave a comment, you want to show the blogger that you are interested in his or her post. If you just say something like, “good article” or “great post”, that doesn’t tell the blogger anything. Why was it a great post? To leave a good comment, here are some questions to ask yourself. The answers will help you leave a good comment.
What did I like about this particular post?
What did this post teach me?
Can I relate to something in this post?
Did this post make me think differently and if so, what changed my mind?
What is your response to the call to action in the post?
Is there something you can add that the blogger missed?
Did you disagree with something in the post? If so, what is it?
Did the post inspire you to do something? If so, what?
Commenting Takes Time
In order to leave a good comment, you need to take the time to read the entire post. It’s painfully obvious when someone leaves a comment without reading the post. Those comments are often generic, but if you read the post, you can answer one of the above questions or think of an entirely different response that is unique. Another reason to read the post is to find the call to action. I often put them towards the end of my posts, but there can be questions throughout. For example, a call to action might ask, “what does your self-care routine look like? Tell me in the comments.” Other calls to action may be that the blogger asks you to try the recipe, download a printable, watch a video, click on links for further reading etc. These are all things you can respond to when commenting.
Keep SEO in Mind
As I said above, when you leave a comment, it becomes apart of that bloggers post whether it is good or bad. Everything in that post can be searchable through Google or another search engine. Assuming that the blogger is paying attention to SEO, you’ll want to sneak some key words into your comments to help that blogger’s posts rank higher with Google. A comment like, “thanks for posting” does not add to the posts value. However, if the post is about baby lead weening, it’s safe to assume that “baby lead weening” is one of the key word phrases for that post.
Here’s an example of a good comment. “I want to try baby lead weening with my daughter. I think we will try cooked carrots and sweet potatoes for her first foods. Thank you for sharing the feeding tips and the suggestions for baby’s first foods. I have bookmarked the list.” Do you see how I included some key words, mentioned which foods I would try and let the blogger know what I appreciated about their post?
Here’s another example of a wonderful comment from one of my lovely readers. Rose writes, “Oh, man. I don’t think I could have read when the air hits your brain. I am not squeamish about very much but I think the situations would’ve gotten me more than the medical things. I congratulate you on 50 reads. I’d love to know what’s on your TBR list for 2019!” Not only was it obvious that she read my post as she mentioned specific books that I read, but she gave me an idea for a future post. She also gave me something to respond to as she continued the conversation from my post. I like to respond to every comment I get, so it definitely helps when there is substance to the comment. You don’t have to write an essay, but you want to write at least two or three sentences.
Be Careful About Link Dropping
If you only leave a comment to drop your links, that will be obvious. Not only is it rude, but it appears spammy. If you want to link drop, here a couple things to consider. Does that link have anything to do with the blogger’s post? For example, with my previous blog, I did a weekly favorites series where I’d round up a list of my favorite blog postseach week. When I published the post, I’d leave a comment on each person’s post that I linked to letting them know. I wouldbn’t just link drop and run though. Here’s an example.
“Your ice cream cone sensory bin is adorable. I will have to try it with my preschool class. I have included your post on my weekly favorites list which can be found here. Thank you for sharing this wonderful idea.” It took time, but I would get lots of gratitude and appreciation for sharing their posts.
Link dropping can be a slippery slope, but if you feel it relates to the bloggers original post or it contributes meaningfully to the conversation, you can include it, but I’d be cautious. My final note about links is that you definitely want to include your blog url in the appropriate box. That is what will drive traffic back to your blog. Most comment forms have fields for your name, E-mail address, blog url and comment.
Summary
To summarize, a good comment asks a question, answers a question or provides a different perspective. In short, it brings something new to the conversation. Some rules of thumb for commenting include read the entire post, give the comment some substance, keep the blogger’s key words in mind and don’t link drop unless their are special circumstances. Is there anything I forgot? What makes a good comment for you? Scroll down and let me know.
Taking your baby to the beach for the first time can be exciting. You can experience the sand, the waves and the sun together. While the beach may be an enjoyable place for you, it may be a little scary for your baby or todler the first time. There will be unfamiliar sights, sounds and textures. When I took Rosebud to the beach for the first time, I didn’t realize how daunting it could be. We needed to take a lot of stuff, so I want to simplify it for you and make a list of the essentials you will need for baby’s first trip to the beach.
Beach Bag
First you need to have something to contain everything. A good beach bag is a must. I use a clear jelly beach bag that is quite large and can hold most of what we need. I couldn’t find the exact one, but here are some similar bags.
Safety
Sunscreen
Sunscreen is an absolute must if your baby is over six months of age. I chose to use Blue Lizard because it is natural and not too sticky or oily when you put it on. There are a variety of sunscreens to choose from, so it’s worth doing some research. Here is EWG’s list of best scoring sunscreens for kids to get you started.
Don’t forget sunscreen for yourself as well.
If your baby is under six months, it is recommended that you do not use sunscreen. You’ll want to use a seat or stroller with a canopy.
If your baby goes in the water with you, you’ll definitely want to keep them safe. Rosebud used one of these. She was around 18 months and was walking when I took her for the first time. I put her life jacket on her and we held hands the whole time we were in the water. I just wanted her to experience the waves and getting her feet wet. We did not go out very far. Although, she kept trying to walk out further where some bigger kids where playing. She had no fear.
If your baby is not walking yet or you feel more comfortable baby wearing, you’ll definitely want to check out this list of the best baby carriers to use in water.
Sunglasses
I always have sunglasses with me, so Rosebud brings hers with her most of the time as well, whether she needs them or not, but they are helpful on bright sunny days.
Hat
A hat is a must have to keep your baby’s head safe from the sun.
Food and Drink
Water Bottle
Hydration is so important. Especially in extremely hot weather. Be sure to bring water bottles for everyone. It’s recommended that baby’s not be given water until they are at least six months of age.
Bottle Holder
If you are breast-feeding, you won’t need this, but if you are using formula or pumped milk, you’ll want something to keep those bottles cold. I like this bottle holder because it’s big enough for two bottles and comes with an ice pack.
Lunch and or Snacks
Depending on how long you are at the beach, you’ll want something to eat.
You could bring a cooler for drinks, a picnic basket with sandwhiches or a variety of snacks that are easy to eat on the go.
What to Wear
Bathing Suitt
Diapers or Little Swimmers
Water Shoes
Be sure not to forget changes of clothes.
The Fun Stuff
Beach Towels
Blanket
Totally optional, but a blanket is a good choice if you don’t want the extra bother of bringing chairs.
Comfortable chairs
Toys for Sand Play
Phone or Camera to Take Picturess
I was not the one taking pictures when we went to the beach. Since I was in the water with her, I never let go of her hand, so taking pictures were out of the question until we were safely ashore. I kept the use of my phone to the bare minimum while we were at the beach. I used it for taking photos of her playing in the sand and checking the time. The whole point is to unplug and enjoy nature and family time anyway. If you want to document though, it helps when there are extra sents of hands.
If you can get a break from supervision duties, bring a book and relax. If you need some book suggestions, check out this list of top beach bag reads for moms by the Confused Housewife. Most of all, enjoy the beach and the wonder of your baby seeing it for the first time. Are there any beach must haves that I missed? Tell me in the comments.
I usually don’t write anything about Fathers Day. I could’ve made up a gift guide to get some blog traffic, but what would I know about that? How would I know what dads want? My parents divorced when I was very young and I barely ever remember them being together as a family. I wanted to acknowledge the holiday somehow, so here is a letter to my father. This is very personal and is difficult to share, but I hope it helps someone or maybe even myself.
I’m not sure how to start this letter. Should I write, dear dad? No. That doesn’t sound right because I haven’t seen you in over 20years now. I’m sure I’ll never see you again and I accept that. It is probably for the best. Maybe I should address this letter, “to my father”, but you don’t deserve that title. I guess I’ll just jump right in then. I’m writing this letter because Father’s Day is very close and I always start thinking of you around this time because I see Fathers Day stuff everywhere. I work with kids and of course, we always make Fathers Day cards and projects with the kids. That doesn’t bother me though. I’m happy for the kids when they have a good dad in their life. Sometimes I wonder what you are doing now and if you’ve changed your life at all. I wonder if you ever think of me or if you regret walking away. Mostly I think about what you’ve missed out on and definitely what you are missing out on now.
I know if anyone realizes who I am and who you are, you’d be embarrassed and would hate to find this post. You wouldn’t want anyone to know that any of this is your fault. I know that my disability bothered you and I’m sure you were embarrassed about that as well. You didn’t want to deal with my problems and I’m sure it was difficult for you, but you do those things as a parent. You accept your child, meet them where they are and solve problems together. At least that’s what a good dad does. Regardless of my short comings, I’m successful in a lot of ways. I contribute to the world. I care for children. I reach out to others. I write. I create art. I try to be a good daughter, a good friend, but most of all, I try to be a good mother.
I have a child of my own now. That’s what I meant when I said I think about what you are missing out on now. You are missing being a grandfather to an amazing little girl. She’s bright, energetic, funny and sweet. Maybe you have had that opportunity with my sister. You always called her my sister, but I know she’s not biologically related to either one of us. That never mattered though. It doesn’t matter whose DNA she has. Obviously, the emotional bonds mattered much more as I always saw her as my sister. That is until we didn’t see each other anymore. That is the one thing I truly miss. I always wanted a sister. I have my brothers and they are close, but I feel like the odd one out. Sisters have a different bond. I always wondered why you liked her more than me, but deep down I already knew. It was painfully obvious. She wasn’t defective.
I suppose it was because she was successful and you figured I’d never amount to anything. I’m still not as successful as I’d like to be, but I am more than what you or your family envision. I ran in to a family member of yours one day at Walmart. I couldn’t tell you who it was, but I was in my late 20’s and I had just graduated from college. They just assumed I had graduated from high school and actually asked if I went to a special school. It goes to show how little they know and what your family thinks of me. Unfortunately, you had the same attitude. I used to think it was me and I admit, sometimes I still do. I wonder why or how anyone else will accept me when you couldn’t. I know that it’s possible because mom accepts and deals with it in her own way. She believes I’m capable even though she’s over protective at times. At least she taught me things and is proud of what I’ve done. She’s not perfect. No one is, but at least she’s always been there and I know she loves me. She had to work full-time plus do the job of two parents. They say the negative almost outweighs the positive. You can hear ten positive things about yourself, but you’ll remember that one negative thing. Our relationship or lack of one has left a hole in my life. One that will never be filled and I’ve come to terms with that a long time ago.
I talked to this psychic once. She claimed that she could connect with spirits. She said she connected with your father and she felt a lot of aggression. I don’t know much about any of your family or what it was like for you growing up, but based on your life as an adult, I think I can assume that your childhood was no picnic. I know that your dad died when you were very young. I’m sorry about that. I’m not sure if it was him who she connected with, but the psychic told me that your leaving was your gift to me. A gift on a soul level. It sounds crazy, but maybe that’s the best you could do. Sometimes it’s better to just walk away. I’ve learned that the hard way. In my head, I understand this, but in my heart, I never will.
Fathers Day is approaching and I was just going to skip over it. Pretend like it doesn’t exist. That wouldn’t be hard to do because that’s what I’ve always done except when my grandfather was alive. He was my male role model. A good dad. Everything I wished you could’ve been. He taught me the value of hard work and what it means to be honest. I remember playing in his shop, helping him in the garden, playing card games and his stories about what it was like for him growing up. That’s what Fathers Day is really about. Celebrating men like him.
This morning, I planned on writing a happy post about what you need for a baby’s first trip to the beach, but then I was inspired. I was inspired by this wonderful sweet letter that another woman wrote to her dad. Only it was all positive. Brimming with love and admiration. Of course it would be, Fathers Day is for celebrating dads, but what if your dad isn’t in your life? What if you never knew your dad? What if your dad is a horrible human being? I’m not saying that about you. There must have been something good underneath, but there are so many people who can’t celebrate their dads for whatever reason. This post is for them, so they know they aren’t alone. This letter is for those of us who don’t have our dads. This letter is for those of us who feel left out when we see supportive and involved dads. If you don’t have your dad, I can relate. If you are a good father who supports and cares for his children, thank you. I hope you realize how important you are in your child’s life. Happy Fathers Day.
Here is a fun spring themed sensory bin. Rosebud and I love flowers and I through this together in less than five minutes. After we waited for the water beads to puff up to full size, it was all set for play. This kept Rosebud busy for over an hour while I made dinner.
I didn’t have any purpose in mind when putting this sensory bin together. I showed her how to put the flowers in the flower holders and showed her that she could turn the little containers into vases, but other than that, I let her take the lead.
The little funnel was perfect because the water beads fit through the hole. The measuring spoons were the perfect size as well. They work great for scooping up the water beads.
What are your favorite activities with water beads? Tell me in the comments.
I’m writing this post because of situations I’ve had recently both with coworkers and old friends. One reason I have created this blog is to talk about some of the difficult issues that come up surrounding motherhood. For me, isolation is one of those issues. To be honest, I’ve never really fit in anywhere. I’ve always had trouble meeting people and making friends. Maybe it’s my shy and introverted personality. Maybe it’s my visual impairment that puts people off. Maybe it’s another flaw in my personality or maybe it’s the world we live in today. Whatever the reason, I’ve never really found my tribe.
This past week, I reached out to an old friend. We exchanged a couple of messages, but the conversation fizzled out pretty quickly. It ended with me asking about his kids and how his work was going. Whenever I hear from this person, there are always excuses about how busy he is, but it’s clear he’s just too busy for me. It’s like that with most interactions I have with people. I make all the effort to keep in touch, but get very little in return.
The Isolation
I hear this from a lot of adults. They feel isolated. It’s hard to make friends and it’s hard to see the ones we have regularly. Another friend and I were talking the other day about how isolating parenting can be. She told me that many of her friends had kids young, so now they are in a completely different stage of parenting. They don’t want to deal with the birthday parties, the baby showers etc. It’s harder to find things in common. I miss the ease of childhood friendships. Kids bond over playing the same sports, liking the same music or it could just be as simple as deciding they will be friends and then sticking to it. Then we all grow up. Now that we have smart phones and the internet, we seemed to have forgotten how to interact with the people around us.
Are we passing our isolation on to our children?
Awkwardness
Rosebud is social by nature. She still has trouble with sharing her toys, but she generally loves to be around other kids. The thing is, she doesn’t have much of an opportunity for that since she is not in childcare. I want her summers to be fun and memorable, so I took her on a few field trips last year. For starters, I took her to the library where they have a play room. Presumably, children can play together there. We spent some time looking at books and playing and hoped another kid would show up. Well, a father and his two kids eventually did, but he sat with his kids outside the room and was clearly waiting for us to leave. It was awkward, so we left.
Hovering
Our next trip was to a small children’s museum. Honestly, it was just a larger preschool classroom that advertises itself as a museum to get funding for their program. Rosebud had a good time playing with the different toys there, but I hoped she’d get to play with other kids. There were a couple other kids her age, but instead of encouraging the kids to play together, the parents hovered and followed the kids from place to place. When I was a kid, the kids played together and the parents would talk. This was true even in new places with new kids. Especially if the place was relatively small and you could see the kids from where ever you were.
Aggression
Our third trip was to a larger museum for children where Rosebud’s favorite thing was a room full of blocks and balls. There was a boy around her age who was there with his brother. They were building a tower with the blocks and then filling it with balls. Rosebud noticed this and started gathering balls for them, but whenever she brought balls over to them, the smaller boy would tell her to go away and that they weren’t playing with her. She was too young at the time to feel the rejection and kept filling buckets of balls for them.
After a while, we went to another room that had different kinds of tunnels with balls. They also had an exhibit where you could keep balls floating in the air. It was basically a cone with air being forced out of it. Anyway, there was another boy around her age and she noticed his dad bouncing balls over the cone. He could keep several going at once which made her laugh. When she noticed the boy, she went over to stand next to him. There was plenty of room for them both to play with the ball machines, but the boy kept hitting her and pushing her away no matter what she did. I kept having her move away from him, but she really want to play with him. After a little while, we decided to leave because I didn’t want the boy to keep being mean to her. Maybe he was the one who should’ve left, but I didn’t want to cause a scene or try to have an awkward conversation with his dad. However I told Rosebud to tell the boy that she didn’t like it when he hit or pushed her. I also told her to stay away from him and that she didn’t have to be around people who were mean to her. While hitting and pushing is developmentally appropriate to a point, as a childcare provider, I’m seeing an over abundance of aggressiveness. That seems to be the first response to everything. Many kids seem to get physical without remorse and I’m convinced that there’s more involved than kids just being kids.
Insecurity
Then one day at our neighborhood playground, Rosebud was enjoying the slide when a father and his four-year-old daughter showed up. While Rosebud was excited to see another kid, I couldn’t wait to leave. I had a quick conversation with the father and we left. While this is what I complain about, I couldn’t help but feel like I needed to get away. First, I wasn’t sure if they wanted the playground to themselves. Then all these things ran through my mind. What would I talk to this guy about while our kids played? What if Rosebud did something to the other child that I didn’t see? What if his daughter did something to Rosebud? What if I had to chase her if she ran off the playground? Sometimes she’d run off and I had to run after her. I didn’t want to do that in front this man who I didn’t know. I didn’t want him to notice my visual impairment and think that I was less of a parent. I didn’t want this stranger to see me make a mistake, so it felt safer for me to leave. Then I wonder if I denied Rosebud an opportunity to make a friend. Will I have to keep doing that?
Final Thoughts and
Questions
This brings me back to the struggle I have with making friends. Am I unintentionally passing it on to her? Before she was born, I thought it’d be easier to make friends as a mom. I thought there’d be play groups and more ways to connect. Of course we’d have something huge in common, being a mother. Then real life happens, insecurities pop up and then motherhood becomes more isolating than ever. Most of the play groups or children’s activities in my area are during the day. Childrens activities and play groups are great places for making mom friends if you are a sahm or have a flexible work schedule. Unfortunately, I’m a working mom with a standard work schedule, so it’s not possible to attend. There are also the logistics of transportation which makes things even more complicated and I usually decide it’s not worth climbing the mountain.
Since I haven’t figured this out yet, I’m posting some questions to you. How do you make friends as a mom? Do you feel isolated or have you found your tribe? How do you facilitate your children making friends? Let me know in the comments.
I made a fresh batch of play-dough for spring and I decided to add some lavender essential oil. Lavender is supposed to be calming, so I thought it’d be good for Rosebud to play with in the evenings.
This time, I thought it would be fun to make the play-dough with her. I usually use the same recipe, but will switch up the food coloring, glitter, or scent. This time I used blue and red food coloring, glitter and lavender essential oil.
Ingredients:
2 cups flour,
1 cup salt,
2 table spoons cream of tarter,
2 table spoons vegetable oil,
1&1/2 cups boiling water,
A couple drops of glycerin to add shine,
A couple drops lavender essential oil,
Red and blue food coloring, (optional)
Glitter to make it sparkly, (optional)
We started with the dry ingredients which she mixed. Of course, quite a bit ended up on the counter, but it could’ve been worse.
Next, we added the wet ingredience. The water and vegetable oil. If you need a substitute, you can use coconut oil instead. I also add the drops of glycerin at this stage. This is where it starts to get clumpy.
Before you start kneeding, add your food coloring, glitter or essential oils or extract. Sometimes I use vanilla or other fruit extract to add scent. You’ll want to kneed it until it is smooth and sticks together. If it’s too wet, add flour. If it’s too dry and falling apart, add a little water until you get the desired consistency.
Directions:
1. Mix together dry ingredients.
2. Stir in oil.
3. Add water and stir until the lumps are gone and it comes together.
4. Kneed. Add food coloring, scent, glitter and or glycerin at this stage.
5. Store in an air tight container.
This is the final product. As always, the texture was great and Rosebud played for quite a while, but she wouldn’t let me take pictures of her creations. I will have to sneak and try to get some next time.
What are your favorite things to add to your play-dough? Tell me in the comments.
As I’ve mentioned before, I love interactive books. While there seems to be less and less of them being made, I search for them anyway. When I was a kid, interactive elements such as scratch and sniff, 3d popups and even sound helped me get into a story. We all have different ways of learning, but I think we are much more likely to remember something when we experience something using all our senses. Since I can’t read the printed words or see the pictures very well, interactive elements help me bring books to life for Rosebud. We read plenty of regular books with only words and pictures, but when we can interact with our books in another way, it’s a special treat. Here are the best interactive books I’ve found for the summer. The book descriptions are from Amazon.com.
Llama Llama Sand and Sun: A Touch & Feel Bookby Anna Dewdney
While I was doing some research for this post, I was excited to come across this book. Rosebud loves her Mama Llama books and almost knows them by heart. We don’t have a summer time Llama Llama book, so we will be checking this one out. It might be a little young for her at this point, but she loves books with touch and feel elements, but it would be perfect for a toddler which is why it’s on my list! Book Description
Read along with Llama Llama as he splashes in the waves and plays in the sand in this brand-new touch-and-feel board book!
Seymour Sea Turtle Snaps Up Lunch
by Matt Mitter
This is an older book, but Rosebud has fun with this one. This is the story of Seymour the Sea Turtle who is tired of eating sponge everyday. He tries other foods only to realize that sponge is his favorite. I think we all do this. We try new things only to realize we really prefer the familiar.
Book Description
Tired of always eating sponges, Seymour Sea Turtle tries other dishes including coral and shellfish until he realizes how much he likes to eat sponge.
The Ocean (Touch and Explore)
by Nathalie Choux
This is another gem that I found. I had never heard of this author before, but she has a whole touch and explore series. This one is all about the ocean and it has a lot of great reviews. This series of books is definitely worth checking out.
Book Description
Touch And Explore™ is Twirl’s multi-sensory series for children who want to do more than just listen! Already bestsellers in their original French editions, these well-crafted interactive titles encourage hands-on engagement, learning, and knowledge retention.
What’s rough, scaly, smooth, or bumpy? What crawls or dives? In this splashy treat for visual learners and pre-readers kids can discover the facts, feel, and functions of over two dozen marine animals.
They’ll touch shiny scales and bumpy barnacles, turn a flap to find a clownfish hiding among the anemone, touch a shark’s sandpapery skin, and discover who can squirt ink and change color!
This sea-feast for eyes and hands will encourage kids to immerse themselves in a fascinating beyond-the-bathtub habitat. It’s a trip to an underwater world that’s just a touch away!
On My Beach
by Sara Gillingham
Most of the books on this list are touch and feel, but this one is a little different. It has a finger puppet in the middle. This looks like a cute story and the author has a series of these books. Rosebud does not have this book, but I’ve seen these in the toddler room I worked in several years ago and the kids loved them!
Book Description
Turn the colorful die-cut pages of this irresistible board book to discover just what makes little crab’s beach so cozy. Is it the soft sand? Is it the salty seaweed? No, it’s his loving family! Bright pictures, a sweet reassuring message, unique layered pages, and an adorable finger puppet combine to create interactive reading and playtime fun!
By The Seashore: A Natural Trails Book (A Touch and Feel Adventure)
by Maurice Pledger
This is another older book. Rosebud loves this one. She knows all the fish and loves to find and count the jewels. This book has it all. It’s touch and feel and has flaps to lift.
Book Description
Combining wonderful illustrations with lift-a-flaps and touch-and-feel components, this unique book introduces children to the different textures that they might find on the seashore.
Where Is Baby’s Beach Ball? A Lift the Flap Book
by Karen Katz
This is a cute story. Baby is looking for the beach ball and every page has a flap to lift. Rosebud loved these books as a toddler. She still looks at them occasionally, but last year, all her Karen Katz books were in heavy rotation.
Book Description
It’s summertime, and Baby is looking for the beach ball–but where can it be? Little ones can lift the large, sturdy flaps in this board book to reveal pretty seashells, crawly crabs, and more! Babies will love this interactive adventure!
Fruit (Pop and Sniff)
by Piggy Toes Publishing
I was looking for a scratch and sniff book with a summer theme. Unfortunately, I didn’t find one, but then I remembered this scratch and sniff fruits book. Summer is the perfect time for fresh fruits! Rosebud loves this even though she says the fruit smells are gross. She goes back to the orange over and over though. This is one of the better scratch and sniff books I’ve had. The scratch and sniff element is built right into the page. It’s not a sticker that can be pealed off. I bought this book almost ten years ago to use with my preschool class and the smells are still strong and pretty realistic as well. There’s no story, but the focus is mainly on the giant pop up fruits and the scents on each page. It’s great for toddlers, but it can be ripped easily as the pop ups are delicate. Now that Rosebud is a little older, she is starting to be much more careful with her books.
Book Description
Pop & Sniff books are interactive pop-up books for young children and their parents. Featuring brightly colored photographs, large, sturdy pop-ups, and simple interactive elements, these books encourage learning and foster creativity in the youngest of readers.
What are your kids favorite summer themed books? Let me know in the comments. Happy reading!
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