Cuddlebug Kids

Happy World Book Day! Today means a lot to me... Exhibit A: One of my most favorite things to do with my daughter is to read books together. And seemingly, the feeling is mutual for her ... I think back to when she was a teeny tiny baby (which was just a few blinks ago) and how she would stare intensly at the images... and now, fast-forward to present day where she recites lines, makes observations, and asks questions about the books before her. Our time spent with books are truly some of our most precious moments together. Exhibit B: Cover reveal for Bubble Babies!!! The process of creating a book has been SUCH an exciting and meaningful journey. It seems surreal this book will exist, and potentially reach the grips of little fingers, everywhere. My hope is that if and when they come across this book, they feel connection, curiosity, and joy! Do you have a favorite book? What makes it particularly special to you? Happy reading!

WIN A $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD AND A FREE PDF COPY OF BUBBLE BABIES! Guess what, guys?! Bubble Babies is officially finished! Woohoo! This means we're getting SO close to beginning our Kickstarter campaign for Bubble Babies, which is basically a way to preorder this special book very soon <3 In celebration of this upcoming event, we wanted to offer you a fun challenge with a chance to win some prizes. Here's how it's going to work...... Bubble Babies has 15 spreads that showcase some of the many ways children engage with bubbles. We've shared these with you so far... "CREATE bubbles with a wand" "BLOW bubbles under water" "POKE bubbles blown from gum" "HEAR bubbles boiling in a pot" But... CAN YOU GUESS THE REST?! There are 11 more spreads in this book that displays littles ones engaging with bubbles in different ways. The person who can guess THE MOST SPREADS that BEST REPRESENT what will be SHOWCASED IN BUBBLE BABIES WILL WIN A $25 AMAZON GIFTCARD AND A PDF COPY OF BUBBLE BABIES! RULES: In the comments below, please put the number before each guess and CAPS the verb, for example: 1. CREATE bubbles with a wand. 2. BLOW bubble under water. Remember "create," "blow," "poke," and "hear" are already used, and cant be used again! However, very similar words are used in the book, so get those thinking caps on! This contest will close on Saturday, MARCH 6th, so any comments/guesses after this date will unfortunately not be considered. The winner be announced on Tuesday, March 9th, with your prize awarded after the campaign wraps up in April. Please only guess under ONE social media platform, EITHER Facebook OR Instagram, not both. PM me if you have any questions or need more clarity! Happy guessing and may the odds be ever in your favor! ;)

Let's Discuss: Bulletin Boards I'd like for this post to be more reflective and collaborative before sharing my opinion. So let's consider: What do you think a bulletin board should showcase?... Who are bulletin boards for? Why are bulletin boards important? Here's two rather opposite bulletin boards showcasing sand... Which one do you find to be more meaningful? Why?

Lets Talk: Practical Life Skills Practical life skills is an aspect heavily supported in the Montessori approach, as it provides children with relative and purposeful everyday experiences. I'm sure you notice how interested children are in the everyday tasks and items adults engage with. And why wouldn't they be? Some of the people they love and respect the most spend so much time and attention engaging with these things. Children are understandably curious and want to be inv...olved. They want to "do" too! When we offer children the opportunity to engage in moments that support self care and care of their environment, feelings of pride, self esteem, independence, accountability, collaboration, teamwork, and reliability emerge! And lets not forget all of the other developmental skills such as motor and cognition that are also supported! This is a simple instance where Joss went to wash her hands, but quickly found a pot and a sponge accessible. So, she went for it! I stood back and wanted to give her space to explore and experiment, and man did she get into the zone! A part of me admittedly struggled a bit, worrying about the slippery glasses shattering, the large, heavy pot full of water dumping out, her falling down, etc. But, I also noticed her care attention and focused on that. I noticed when given the respect to be trusted with these "adult" items, how she engaged with them with such attention, care, and focus. I'd like to think this was a milestone for her. A moment where she thought " I can do this too!" Some other practical life skills Joss enjoys is watering the plants, feeding her cat, using the dust buster, loading the laundry machine, etc. What are some everyday practical life skills practiced in your home/classroom?