Friday, February 26, 2010

Friday, February 19, 2010

Feed the Fish



Click your mouse to feed the fish. Your child will love to help you and watch how the fish follow the cursor. You can explore counting, colors, up, down, left and right, all while having fun!

Promoting Positive Behavior in Young Children

Promoting Positive Behavior in Young Children
A Webinar for ALL Families in HMG
February 26, 2010
10:30 a.m. to Noon

We love them dearly, but our children’s behavior can sometimes be a puzzle and at times very frustrating for even the most experienced parents! On February 26 at 10:30 am, Dr. John C. Duby, Director of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Akron Children’s Hospital, will be doing a 90-minute live online presentation Promoting Positive Behavior in Young Children. The Webinar is being coordinated by the Family Information Network (FINofOhio).
How to register? Simple! Email finofohiowebinar@ymail.com. In your email, please indicate the date of the Webinar: February 26, 2010. Several days before the Webinar you will receive an email with information on how to log on and join this very informative and practical presentation.
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear Dr. Duby! Sign up now!

Next Topic
How to Encourage Language in Young Children
Friday, March 19, 2010 from 1:00-2:30 p.m.
Presenters: Abbie McCauley, Ph. D. and Lindsay Thatcher, CCC/SLP
Family Child Learning Center

Thursday, February 18, 2010

The Benefits Of Messy Play

By Nancy Barker

“Oh no, I don’t like my child to play with anything messy" most parents say. Messy play is usually avoided at all cost by parents everywhere. But there are too many benefits of messy play to say never... really!

Here is the scoop! Messy play stimulates the senses helping your little one develop eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills. Your child’s brain is generating new neurons and synapses while they poke, mash, squeeze, pat, pick it up and smash it down. Play dough, finger-paints, water and sand play, shows your child that each of their actions have consequences. This shows them the important concept of cause and effect. All this and they are not even out of diapers yet. Children’s play is hard work!

The bathtub is a great place to enjoy water play without much mess. Be sure to provide your child with some plastic cups in different sizes to fill and dump during bath time. Fill the cup and hand it to your child and watch what happens. Soon they will be dumping out the water, filling it up again and dumping it into another cup. Learning is happening!

Finger painting with pudding is another great messy activity to do before bath time. You can discuss different colors by putting in a few drops of food coloring in vanilla pudding. Don’t forget to strip your baby down to their diaper and put in the high chair. Give your child a small amount of pudding on the tray. Your child will smash, and spread the paint on the tray, their face and hair. Give them some clean, large chunky sponge brushes or craft sticks to move the pudding paint around. By doing this your child experiences different textures that will in turn generate those neurons and connect those synapses in the brain. More learning is going on!

Play Dough is one more, fun activity that develops hand and finger coordination (small motor) and hand-eye coordination. You can make play dough out of materials you most likely have in your cupboards. The good news is the ingredients are not toxic. Place play dough or goop on the tray of high chair or on the table and show them what to do with it. If you cringe or make funny faces they will too. Show them how to mash it flat. Use cookie cutters to cut it in shapes, roll it into snakes and push it into small baking dishes. Look through your kitchen to see if there are other items you could use, always keeping your child’s safety in mind. You won’t have to worry if they taste it (and they will), you know what is in it because you made it! And yes, there will be learning happening while you and your child are having fun!


Here are some recipes for play dough’s, goop's and finger paints you can make at home. Not all of them will taste good but most should not hurt your child if small amounts are ingested and they are not allergic to the ingredients.

Peanut Butter Play Dough

1 c. peanut butter
2/3-1 c. nonfat dry milk
2 tbsp. honey

Mix all ingredients together add more powdered milk if necessary to make play dough dry enough to roll into balls. Use other edibles such as raisins, Chocolate Chips, to make faces or add cereal for crunch. This one tastes very good!

Goop

1 cup of cold water
2 cups of flour

Stir water slowly into flour in a bowl. Stir until the water is absorbed

Cooked Play Dough

1 cup of flour
½ cup of salt
1 to 2 tablespoons of oil
2 teaspoons cream of tarter
1 cup of water

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a saucepan and then add oil and water. Cook slowly over a low heat until the dough comes away from the edges of the pan and it is hard to move with a spoon. Remove from heat and cool until it can be handled. Knead. Add food coloring if desired. Store in an airtight container or zip lock bag, will keep for at least 2 months. Can omit cream of tarter but it will not keep as long. Can use kool-aid packets for color and fragrance in place of food coloring.

Oatmeal Play Dough

1 Cup Flour
1 Cup water
2 cups oatmeal

Mix ingredients together until they form a ball.

Uncooked Play Dough

¼ cup of salt
1 cup flour
¼ cup water

Mix flour and salt in a bowl and add water knead the dough to make a play dough consistency. More water can be added if needed. Use food coloring or kool-aid for color if desired.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Family Information Network’s Educational Sessions Webinar Schedule for March 2010

The Family Information Network of Ohio (FIN) is excited to give you the opportunity to join us for an educational Webinar... A Webinar is a Web-based seminar, a presentation/workshop that is transmitted over the Web (internet). A key feature of a Webinar is its interactive elements -- the ability to give, receive and discuss information.
The FIN Consultants have developed eight educational sessions for families in Help Me Grow under the umbrella title Steps Toward Tomorrow. The sessions typically last 1 to 1.5 hours and are free. This will allow you to join us if the weather is bad, your child is sick or you don’t have transportation. What you will need is a computer, access to the Web and a phone line to call a toll free number.

Here is a list of sessions scheduled for March 2010 and a brief description.

Dollar$ gives practical tips on how to organize information and work through the financial system. We also share information on federal, state and local financial resources.

Galaxies teaches effective family advocacy skills to assist in being equal members of your child’s team.

IFSP shows how to be actively involved in your own Individualized Family Service Plan and make it work for you.

Pieces helps you learn how to turn your life experience into a powerful tool for assuring quality in Ohio’s Help Me Grow and other systems.

Rights is a fast-paced, interactive opportunity to discover the rights guaranteed to families in the Help Me Grow system.

Seasons provides an opportunity for discussion on the early emotions you may experience when you learn your child has or is at risk for a disability.

Transition explains federal timelines, federal regulations, and strategies for planning that apply to children turning three and leaving the Help Me Grow system.

Visioning helps you learn the importance of developing a desirable vision for your child and family including practical ideas on how to.

To be notified via email about future Steps sessions or to register for any of the sessions listed, email us at finofohiowebinar@ymail.com. Be sure to let us know the session title, date, time and your phone number. A few days before the Webinar you will be emailed an invitation with instructions on how to join the Webinar. The instructions will include a link to the website (video) and a toll free number to call (audio).
If you would like to be notified about future Steps sessions, please send your email address to finofohiowebinar@ymail.com.
It’s that easy!! We are looking forward to meeting you on the Web.

Session Day Date Time Presenter Deadline to register
Transition Tuesday March 2 1:00 p.m. Cindy Bregel February 26
Seasons Thursday March 4 10:00 a.m. Cindy Bregel March 2
IFSP Friday March 5 10:00 a.m. Janet Strottner March 3
Dollars Tuesday March 9 10:00 a.m. Georgie Stoner March 5
Rights Wednesday March 10 10:00 a.m. Janet Strottner March 8
Galaxies Monday March 15 7:00 p.m. Janet Strottner March 12
IFSP
Visioning Wednesday
Thursday March 17
March 18 10:00 a.m.
1:00 p.m. Cindy Bregel
Cindy Bregel March 15
March 16
Transition Monday March 22 10:00 a.m. Janet Strottner March 19
Dollars Tuesday March 23 10:00 a.m. Georgie Stoner March 19
Pieces Thursday March 25 10:00 a.m. Janet Strottner March 23
Seasons Tuesday March 30 10:00 a.m. Georgie Stoner March 26
Galaxies Wednesday March 31 10:00 a.m. Georgie Stoner March 29

Fun snow day activities for kids

Are you looking for something to keep your snowbound kids entertained? Check out this article in the Columbus Early Childhood Parenting Examiner.

Fun snow day activities for kids

Posted using ShareThis

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Family Information Network's Webinar Sessions

The Family Information Network of Ohio (FINofOhio) is a statewide parent network designed to keep family perspectives at the forefront of Ohio’s Help Me Grow (HMG) system by offering support through information and education to families of young children and the professionals who serve them.

They are offering free educational sessions by webinars for Help Me Grow families. Here is a list of sessions you could participate in.

Dollar$ gives practical tips on how to organize information and work through the financial system. We share info on federal, state and local financial resources. Sessions are on 2/3 @ 1:00pm or 2/18 @ 7:00pm

Galaxies teaches effective family advocacy skills to assist in being equal members of your child's team. 2/4 @ 1:00pm or 2/17 @ 7:00PM

IFSP shows how to be actively involved in your own Individualized Family Service Plan and make it work for you. 2/17 @ 10:00am or 2/24 @ 7:00PM

Pieces helps you learn how to turn your life experience into a powerful tool for assuring quality in Ohio's Help Me Grow and other systems. None at this time

Rights is a fast paced, interactive opportunity to discover the rights guaranteed to families in the Help Me Grow system. 2/17 @ 10:00am

Seasons provides an opportunity for discussion on the early emotions you may experience when you learn your child has or is at risk for a didability. 2/11 @ 10:00am or 2/26/ @ 7pm

Transitions explains federal time lines, federal regulations, and strategies for planning that apply to children turning three and leaving the Help Me Grow system. 2/3 @ 1:00pm or 2/17 @ 1:00pm

Visioning helps you learn the importance of developing a desirable vision for your child and family including practical ideas on "how to " 2/15 @ 10:00 or 2/24 @ 1:00

If you would like to join any of these sessions email FIN at finohiowebinar@ymail.com for webinar address and further instructions on how to join the webinar.If you would like to join a webinar and don't have access to a computer you can contact us at Help Me Grow and we will make a computer in our offices availible to you. Just call us at 740-992-5266 to schedule the date and time.

Monday, February 1, 2010

December Supply Card Winner

The winner of the December Supply Card Drawing is Dawn Romines. Congratulations, your card is on its way. Remember you can enter the drawing for January by getting your Developmental Calender to your Service Coordinator, drop it off when you are in Middleport, or mail it to
GMCAA Help Me Grow
P O Box 129
Middleport, Ohio 45760
We will be drawing for the winner during the last week of January.

Here is a Valentine rhyme that you may want to try this month and put on your developmental calendar. It explores counting,small motor and cognitive(thinking) skills. You could also make valentines to go along with the rhyme or purchase inexpensive ones at the Dollar Store.

Five Big Valentines

Five big valentines from the corner drug store
I mailed one to a friend - then there were four
Four big valentines, lovely ones to see
I mailed one to my Mommy - then there were three
Three big valentines - red, shiny, and new
I mailed one to my Daddy - then there were two
Two big valentines, the best is yet to come
I mailed one to Grandma - Then there was one
One big valentine, the giving is almost done
I mailed it to Grandpa - and now there is none

Here is a simple way to make inexpensive valentines:

Give your child a plain piece of white paper, a peeled red crayon and a cardboard heart shape. Show him how to place the heart beneath the white paper and how to turn the crayon sideways and rub across the paper creating a heart rubbing. Then have your child fold the paper and give it to someone special.
Alternative: Let your child glue a red heart in the middle of a white doily.

Remember the most important part of any activity is to have fun.