Get out those rain boots!

We've been cooped up in the house way too long. The rain seems to be sticking around for awhile so let's take advantage of it. Grab those rain boots and a few waterproof toys and head outside. Here are a few ideas of what to do:

Water
- Splash around with your hands. Is the water warm or cold?
- Stomp in those puddles and compare the splashes made by big stomps vs little stomps.
- If you have a larger puddle, see if some of her toys float.
- Absorb water with sponges. Show him how the water goes into the sponge and what happens when you squeeze the sponge.
- Measure the water with measuring cups. See how many cups it takes to fill up a bucket. When one bucket has 1 cup of water in it, is it heavier than the bucket that has 2 cups in it?

Worms
- Count how many worms you see.
- Talk about how fast or slow they move. What other animals move like a worm does?
- Pick them up, how do they feel?
- Compare sizes of different worms. Do all worms look alike?
- Talk about why you see worms after in rains.
- What do worms eat? Which animals eat worms?

Mud
- Find some mud and get dirty!
- Let your child feel the mud with his hands and talk about how much heavier it is than regular dirt.
- Build a mud castle.
- Dig in the mud to find bugs.
- Play with cars and build a race track in the mud.

As I finish this post, the sun is peeking out a little bit so hurry before the puddles dry up! Hey, is that a rainbow I see?

What are your family's rainy day activities?

How was your day?

How was your day? is a common question that is usually asked on the way home from school or during dinnertime. Some people ask it to be polite but some people really want to know.

I'm sure that many parents have been asking their children about their days this week since it's the first week of school. Sometimes you get an answer such as "I don't know", "Ok, I guess", "We played outside", or "We had pizza for lunch". These are probably not the answers you were looking for but don't give up. Your child just came home from an exhausting day of school and they need a little time to relax. Once you've noticed that they are ready (which may not be until bedtime) ask them to tell you about their day. If they can't come up with anything ask them specific yet open-ended questions to help jog their memory such as "What toy did you play with at center time?", "Tell me what you painted a picture of today", or "What was your teacher's book about?".

To help get ideas for your questions or to help start off your conversation, check out this great children's book called Tell Me What We Did Today. It's written by Rick Kupchella and illustrated by Warren Hanson.



This special time between you and your kids is important because it lets them know that you care about what happened to them and that you value their education. This conversation will help you to be more in tune with what is going on in their life, good or bad. In time, they may start asking you about your day. Set aside a certain time and make this special conversation a part of your everyday life, you won't regret it!