Carla Snuggs's Blog
Posted by Carla Snuggs
As the year closes and I am looking back on the articles I’ve completed this year, I realized, sadly, that I have overlooked a very important issue in family daycares and preschools across the United States. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome affected our family in a tragic and unexpected way in 2004, as my nephew of 4 months old died of SIDS on his very first day of daycare. At the time I vowed to do my part, even if in some small way, to help others become aware of SIDS, and how as child care professionals and educators we can all do our part to ensure that SIDS rates are reduced. While SIDS cannot be prevented, reducing SIDS risk is simple. My recent article Reducing SIDS in Daycare is another way that I am supporting the reduction of SIDS, so I hope that it reaches those in need of this vital information.
I am thankful at the close of this year to my faithful readers. I am also thankful to Suite101.com for providing me with the opportunity to have a voice in this online community.
SIDS Organizations
Posted by Carla Snuggs
New Year celebrations aren't just for adults. Ring in the New Year with cute new year-themed crafts and music and movement activities as part of your preschool or family daycare curriculum.
Make new years hats out of cone paper drinking cups. Use crayons, stickers, confetti, paint, colored macaroni, glitter, yarn, or any other decorative scrap materials you may have on hand.
For music and movement, you can be creative and make your own noise makers by adding noise makers (beans, rice, etc) to coffee cans or boxes, or you can purchase them. Turn up the up-tempo music and let 'em go!
Confetti is always part of a good New Year celebration, but with small children it needs to happen in a very controlled environment or you end up with a big mess. With that in mind, kids like Confetti Collages. You can either make your own confetti or buy pre-made confetti. Using the confetti and any other new year-themed decorations, create a huge collage or let the children make individual colorful collages.
Happy New Year!
Posted by Carla Snuggs
I’m always on the lookout for outstanding daycare or preschool related books and music so I’m really excited to share this good news with you.
The National Association for the Education of Young Children, one of the largest early childhood education associations, has launched its new magazine Teaching Young Children! Hooray!It’s about time! This magazine is specifically for preschool teachers and offers articles about best practices, research, teaching ideas, and other preschool related topics. While the NAEYC also publishes Young Child, this publication is a scholarly, peer reviewed journal. Teaching Young Children has shorter articles and is written in an informal and friendly style. All of the articles support the standards set forth by the NAEYC.
If you are interested in purchasing the magazine, you can order by the issue or subscribe for an entire year. Therefore, you can test drive one issue before you make the commitment. There is also an online community and they will soon be launching a discussion board associated with the magazine so that teachers can share ideas, tips and strategies.
Posted by Carla Snuggs
With Thanksgiving behind us, it’s time to prepare for the end of the year holidays. I came up with a short list of my favorite sites for winter crafts and songs to get you off on the right foot.
I love First-School’s holiday activity pages because they have free printable crafts that are both religious and secular. They also include crafts for additional popular holiday celebrations such as Kwanzaa and Hanukkah. I also like Preschool Education’s holiday arts and crafts page for Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa crafts submitted by parents and educators.
Everything Preschool has a small but useful selection of easy to sing preschool Christmas songs.
DLTK has a great page of Christmas songs, plays and prayers. Many of the songs include sheet music and there is even a really sweet preschool pageant that you may want to check out.
It’s time to get crafty. Have fun. Happy Holidays!
Posted by Carla Snuggs
The holidays sure did arrive very quickly! In honor of Thanksgiving, I would like to suggest two cute Thanksiving songs that toddlers like to sing. I am not sure who authored these, but toddlers and preschoolers love them!
Five Little Turkeys
Five little turkeys by the barn door,
One waddled off, then there were four.
Four little turkeys out under the tree,
One waddled off, then there were three.
Three little turkeys with nothing to do.
One waddled off, then there were two.
Two little turkeys in the noonday sun,
One waddled off, then there was one.
One little turkey - better run away!
Soon will come Thanksgiving Day.
I Eat Turkey (sung to the tune of "Frere Jaques")
I eat Turkey,
I eat Turkey.
Yes, I do
Yes, I do
Turkey in my tummy,
Yummy, yummy, yummy.
Good for me
Good for you.
Happy Thanksgiving!!
