It is time again for another felt giveaway. This month’s price is two sets of felt figures that can be used with a felt board or they can be used without the board.

First is out Butterflies set. The set includes 17 realistic looking butterflies and 7 figures that show the life cycle of the butterfly. This set includes an information sheet that identifies each butterfly by name.

Second is our Wild Animals felt figure set. This is a set to be used with your own felt board or it can be used without a board. It contains 31 realistic looking wild animals. This set contains an information sheet that gives facts on each animal in the set.

These items are perfect for classroom or home use. The pieces are machine washable and can be kept clean for classroom use. Because they are washable they can also be used for tub time at home. They are perfect for teaching and decorating.

To enter the contest this month just leave a comment below. In your comment let us know the ways you like to teach your child/ren about animals.

A winner for this contest will be randomly chosen on August 9th, so be sure to get your entry in before that date!

It’s never too early to ask your kids to help you with chores around the house. You can even start as early as two years old. While children mature at different rates, you can still determine what age appropriate chores are best suited for your child.

Having chores servers several purposes for children. Chores let your child realize that they are an integral part of the running of the household, things to not just magically get clean and tidy, they can do their part to keep they house running well. They gain responsibility and an understanding of the value of work. By having chores they are also learning life skills that they will need for the rest of their lives.

A great way to help your child become independent in performing their chores is with a responsibility chart.  The chart is a visual reminder of their household chores.  It lessens your need to keep reminding your child about what they need to do and in turn increases their independence and personal responsibility.

Some ideas for chores for toddlers are: making the bed, picking up their toys, feeding the family pet, helping you put laundry into the basket, or cleaning up split milk on the kitchen floor. These chores are well suited to two and three year olds. You can teach your toddlers to do their chores by making a game out of it or improvising different ways in which they can help. It will give them a sense of pride and accomplishment. Yes, even at that young age.

For four and five year olds, you can ask them to help you set the table, dust around the house, help make cookies, help you carry grocery bags (as long as you make it light for them). Six to eight year old can really get into the chores by taking care of the pet they’ve always wanted, help you vacuum the floor, take out the trash or fold the laundry. You can even ask them to help you prepare meals. Think of the experience they are getting at this early age.

Your pre-teens will have their work cut out for them. Some of the more vigorous chores can be relegated to outside work: rake the leaves, wash the car, help clean out the garage. If you need help inside the house, they can certainly help you prepare meals, dusting and vacuuming the house, wash dishes or clean the bathroom. They are definitely old enough to make their beds, clear their room of debris; organize their toys, etc.

In yesterday’s Thursday Thinker Joe had to choose a barber.  Since there are only two barber in this small town, then you can assume that they cut each other’s hair.  If this is the case, then Joe should choose the barber with the awful hair because he gave the other barber a good haircut.

Joe Traveler was passing through a very small town when he decided that he needed a hair cut. There was only one barber shop in this town and there were two barbers working there.

One over the barbers had very nicely trimmed hair and the other looked like his hair was cut with a pair of hedge trimmer.

Which of the two barbers should Joe choose to cut his hair and why?

As these summer days continue along writing is often something that gets put to the side.  If skills are not practiced over the summer, many of the things they learned during the school year are lost.  I find it easy to include reading throughout our summer days, but writing gets a little trickier.

Here are a few ideas to keep your child writing over the summer.

1. Encourage your child to write a letter to their previous teacher to tell them about their summer.
2. Set up a pen pal with a current friend or relative.
3. With your child, search online for an international pen pal.
4. Sit outside with a pencil and paper and write about the nature you see in your yard.

Remember to keep these activities light and allow their writing to go in the direction they choose.  For more fun writing ideas you can visit: Encouraging Your Child to Write.

The answer to yesterday’s Thursday Thinker is

NONE!

A plum tree does not bear and pears.

This week’s Thursday Thinker is similar to last weeks where you children need to be aware of the wording. they may seem like grammar or math problems, but not this time!

Farmer Joe owns a beautiful plum tree. He sells the fruit to a local grocery store. On Thursday the store owner called the farmer to find out how fruit is available for him to purchase.

Farmer Joe knows that the main trunk of the tree has 22 branches and each branch has 10 boughs and each bough has 8 twigs. Since each twig bears exactly one piece of fruit, how many pears will the farmer be able to deliver to the store owner?

Beatrix Potter is probably best know for her writing of Peter Rabbit, but did you know that she was a conservationist, mycologist, author and well ahead of her time?

She wrote 23 book filled with lovable animal characters.

This month I have put together 4 activities that were inspired by the works and life of Beatrix Potter.

Learning With Beatrix Potter