5 Steps to Make the Perfect Playdough Elephant

Looking for a fun activity to do this weekend? Pull out some playdough and create some animals! Sometimes the best learning experiences happen when you don’t know you’re learning. Playdough is a great activity to help with shape recognition and sensory issues.

Imagination Play: Abracadabra

Recently my 3 year old nephew came to visit.  He had a magic wand that he wanted me to play with with him. I'm pretty sure if we had the time, he would have spent hours with me playing with it.  His favorite was to turn me into a kitty and then back into myself while chasing me around the house.  How fun it is to see the imagination of young children. 

Self Soothe Box: Calming Technique Using All 5 Senses

Wouldn't it be great if kids could calm themselves down when they get overwhelmed? Utilizing the five senses is a great way for kids to focus on something other than what is making them upset. Children who are more sensitive, whether they have a sensory processing disorder or not, can benefit from this technique.

A self soothe box is a small tote or box of items that help a child calm down, or stay calm, when they are in a stressful situation. The goal is to have something in the box for each of the 5 senses: touch, sound, smell, taste, and sight.

Valentines Cake Pop Bouquet!

With Valentine’s day being right around the corner, what better way to celebrate than making fun, yummy treats with the family! Kids love helping with cooking and making treats, which is a great way to spend time with your child. This activity will be sure to keep any child engaged and attentive! Use your imagination with this activity and be creative. Let the kids choose how they want to decorate and, most importantly, have FUN!

Foaming Paint

Science experiments at home are a great way to teach children. Kids are naturally curious, so providing them with opportunities to explore and grow will help them learn more about the world around them.

Happy Recycling Day!

Happy Recycling Day!

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Here at Help Me Grow we LOVE the world we live in and we want to help make it a better place!

We all can do this by recycling; however, recycling is just a part of how we can help our environment. Today we are going to focus on the REUSING part of recycling. We have three fun craft ideas that you can do at home with your family with extra plastic bottles you might have.
(Idea found at this link)

DIY Sensory Bags

According to Katharine Robinson (MOTR/L) and Crystal Emery (P.L.A.Y. Consultant) from Easter Seals-Goodwill Northern Rocky Mountain; sensory processing involves the ability to take in information within our environment through our senses and utilizing that information to create a response. Once sensory information is received through nerve receptors in our body, that information is sent up to the brain. The brain then decides how to respond or react to that sensation. Exposing children to sensory play helps develop the use of their senses. 

Here is a fun, simple sensory activity to do with your children!

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Materials:

• Cheap hair gel (if you use clear gel, get food coloring to dye it)
• Ziplock bags
• Glitter
• Soft add ins
• Duct Tape

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How to:

1. Fill the ziplock bag with hair gel and throw in some food coloring if you only have clear gel. 
2. Throw in some fun things for your child to look at and squish around in the bag. Ideas: flat marbles, beads, little animals, glitter, buttons, anything that won't poke a hole in the bag. 
3. Squeeze as much of the air out as you can when sealing the bag
4. If needed, run duct tape around the edges to reinforce the bag. 

Here are some different sensory bags to try!

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If you decide to try this project yourself, let us know what you think! Which add-ins would you use?

To read more on sensory processing, read our blog post here!

Your Creative Artist

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Children naturally enjoy art - painting, sculpting, drawing, gluing, making music. Art introduces children to be able to work through emotions, experiment with different materials, represent their understanding of the world, and learn to think creatively. 

According to the Parents as Teachers National Center; process art focuses on actions, thinking, and individual expression, rather than on final projects. What your child learns about himself and the world through his experiments, is more valuable than the resulting piece of artwork. Start thinking about what your child can create with instead of what he will create. 

Fun, creative items to start collecting in your home are: 

A- art foam, aluminum foil, aquarium gravel

B- beans, buttons, bingo daubers, 

C- cardboard rolls and tubes, clothespins, corks, cotton balls, computer paper, cookie cutters

D- duct tape, dandelions, detergent jugs and caps

E- envelopes, electrical tape, egg cartons

F- feathers, flower pots, food containers, fabric, felt, folders

G- grocery bags, greeting cares, gallon milk jugs, glitter, glue

H- headbands with animal ears, hair clips, hats, hangers, handkerchiefs

I- ice cube tray, ice cream tub, index card, 

J- junk mail, jewelry, juice cans, jars, jellybeans,

K- kitchen utensils, kleenex, knobs, kite string, keys

L- leaves, lace, lids

M- magnets, magazines, macaroni, manila envelopes, milk cartons, music

N- noodles, nuts, newspaper, necklaces

O- ornaments, oatmeal boxes

P- pipe cleaners, paper plates and cups, popsicle sticks, pvc pipe scraps

Q- q-tips, queen's crowns

R- ribbon, rubberbands, rice, rubber gloves

S- stickers, shoe boxes, sponges, sheets, spice containers, sand, stensils, spray bottles

T- tissue paper, toothpicks, tempera paints, tennis ball containers

U- utensils 

V- velcro, vase, vines, velvet scraps

W- watercolor paints, wire, wallpaper scraps, wood, washers

X- x-rays 

Y- yarn, yardstick

Z- zippers, ziplock bags

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Have fun with these ideas and remember to encourage your child to wonder, experiment, and create! Make sure to display their artwork proudly in your home and feel free to share with us too!

November Craft Ideas for Children

Looking for some fun Thanksgiving themed craft ideas for your children? There are many educational and fun ways to make fall and Thanksgiving a memorial time for you and your child. Here are a few different turkey crafts that are quick, easy and kid friendly.

Leaf Turkey

Do you and your kids like to take nature walks? If so, this is the perfect opportunity to gather some leaves for the first craft.

Supplies needed

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• various leaves
• different colors of construction paper
• glue
• scissors
• googly eyes (optional)

Cut out a turkey body out of brown construction paper. Have your child make feet, a beak and giblet and then glue them to the body. Create a colorful tail using the leaves you collected together and glue them to the paper. Next glue the body on top of the tail and you are all done.

Toilet Roll Turkey

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Are you looking for ways to reuse household items? This toilet roll turkey is a perfect way to reuse an item that normally just gets thrown away. 

Supplies needed

• empty toilet paper rolls
• construction paper
• colored markers
• scissors
• tape or glue

Using the colored markers or construction paper, help your child make eyes, beak and other facial features for their turkey. Attach them to the empty toilet paper roll with glue or tape. Cut out 4-5 feathers for your turkeys tail out of different colors of construction paper. Ask your child a few things they are thankful for and write the answers on the tail feathers. Attach with glue or tape and use them as decoration or a center piece for your table. 

Easy Leaf Wreath

Do you have leftover leaves from making those leaf turkeys? Here is a fun idea to make a wreath to decorate your door.

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Supplies needed

• paper plate
• Elmer's glue or a hot glue gun
• leaves
• scissors
• ribbon or string to hang the wreath with

Cut out a 4-5 inch circle out of the middle of your paper plate and discard. Using the Elmer's glue or hot glue gun, help your child glue the leaves around the paper plate to create a wreath. Continue to glue until the plate is covered. Let dry and attach a ribbon or string and hang your child's creation on the door.


What are some ways that you teach your kids about Thanksgiving?

Fall into Fun with the Family!

Fall is right around the corner! In just a couple more days you can officially start enjoying all of your favorite fall traditions.Fall is my absolute favorite season. The leaves are changing colors, the weather is starting to get cooler, football season has just started, and I can start getting ready for my favorite holiday: Halloween. It doesn't get much better than that! 

It is also the prime season for family fun. Here are some ideas for you and your family to do together this season:

• Visit a pumpkin patch and have fun picking out the perfect pumpkin for your family

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• Have fun exploring a corn maze or going on a hayride. You can find a pumpkin patch or corn maze that is close to your home by visiting this website.

• The weather is beautiful; enjoy being outside and go on a family bike ride or hike

• Make a bird feeder. All you need to do is cover a pine cone in peanut butter, and then have your child roll the pine cone in birdseed. Hang it outside near a window and enjoy watching the birds come eat off of it.

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• Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are my favorite treat to eat in the fall. If you love pumpkin just as much as I do try one of these other delicious pumpkin recipes.

• Go on a Fall Nature Photo Scavenger Hunt with your children

• Create apple prints or leaf rubbings

                                     

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• Have a camp-out in your own backyard and make s’mores

• Take a trip to an orchard and go apple picking

• Make this yummy smelling pumpkin pie play dough for your children to play with

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• Bob for apples. Afterwards, you can make these tasty caramel apples!

• Jump in a big pile of leaves and take lots of pictures!

• Take a drive through the canyon and look at all the beautiful colors

                                     

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• If you are like me and eager for Halloween, get in the holiday spirit by watching one of these not so scary Halloween movies or reading one of  these  fun, Halloween books.

There are so many other fun activities to do and places to visit during the fall! What’s your favorite fall family tradition? 

Ready, Set, Pin!

Are you one of those individuals who is always on the internet looking for fun and creative ideas?  Or maybe you are even looking for advice on how to do something, such as parenting tips or how to teach your child!  Maybe you are even a regular on Pinterest! 

If you love to find different resources from blogs, websites, and other sites, have you checked out Help Me Grow's Pinterest page?  Help Me Grow has many different boards filled with resources and ideas available to you to help you become the best parent you can be!  Here is a list of boards with descriptions that Help Me Grow's Pinterest page has to offer!

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Activities and Crafts
Fun, simple, educational crafts & activities for kids

All About School
Tools and resources to get kids ready for school as well as links about bullying

Autism 
Resources and information on Autism Spectrum Disorder

Children’s Books
Links to book reviews, book lists and other literacy related sites

Christmas
Christmas craft and activity ideas

Community Resources (Utah County)
Links to referrals to community resources, such as early intervention agencies, family therapy organizations, literacy support organizations, mentoring and tutoring programs, parenting classes and support groups, recreational opportunities, and much more.

Easter
Easter craft and activity ideas

EveryDay Learners
Activities that encourage learning and literacy and support United Way’s EveryDay Learner’s initiative

Family Resources
Tips, information, and resources covering all sorts of family issues: babysitting, chores, cleaning, fathering, organizing, traveling, products, etc.

Fine Motor Milestones/Activities
Activities and information about development of the small muscle groups

Green Baby
The non-toxic alternative to keeping babies healthy and happy

Healthy Living
Information on keeping baby healthy and safe

HMG Resource Sheets
Parenting suggestions and activity sheets created by Help Me Grow Utah

Halloween
Halloween/Autumn craft and activity ideas

It’s Baby Time
Tips and resources for new parents with a baby

July 4^th
Patriotic craft and activity ideas

Just for Mom
For all you mom’s out there-take time for yourself and your health

Music Fun!
Music is important in child development.  Make an instrument and music activities with your kiddos

Parenting Tips
Information about sleep, eating, teething, potty training, CPR, etc.

Science Projects
Science experiments and projects to teach young learners about science

Sensory Activities
It’s all about “feel!” Sensory activities are key for child development

Sneaky Nutrition
Tricks on how to sneak in fruits, vegetables, etc. into kids diets

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Speech/Language/Communication
Speech and language milestones for young children

St. Patrick’s
St. Patty’s craft and activity ideas

Summer Activities
Activity ideas to keep your kids busy & active throughout summer

Technology for Kids!
Technology is one good way to teach your kids! Educational and safety apps will enforce and continue learning

Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving/Autumn craft and activity ideas

Toddlers, toddlers, toddlers
Information on how to teach, discipline and deal with your toddler

Valentine’s
Valentine’s craft and activity ideas

Welcome Baby
Informative and educational information from Welcome Baby's Blog

Welcome Baby Playgroup
Great ideas for neighborhood and community playgroups or fun activities to do with your children
Milestones

Baby milestones to know whether your child is on track with development

Now that you've seen a list of all the boards Help Me Grow has to offer, are you excited to go pin away?! Get ready...get set...go start pinning from Help Me Grow's Pinterest page and let us know of your favorite finds!

Packing Peanut Pool and Other Fine Motor Activities

Looking for simple and entertaining options for kids this summer? Want activities to assist in the development of fine motor skills? Here are a few ideas for you!


Swimming In Packing Peanuts

Want a drier option for your swimming pool? Fill a plastic toddler swimming pool with biodegradable packing peanuts (found at Walmart, Target or online). Prices vary by amount and size of the package. These are non toxic, not a choking hazard and not staticy (making clean up much easier!) They look like white cheese puffs so don't be too surprised when your child puts them in their mouth expecting something tasty. Place beach toys or kitchen utensils in the pool as well. Feel free to hid items in the pool as well. Watch your child pick up peanuts with large spoons or shovels. Feel free to join in the fun (we have!!) you won't regret the giggles created from a foam peanut fight! This will help in their fine motor development and sensory awareness. 

Foam Blocks

Foam blocks allow children to build or put pieces together. Due to their softness they pose no danger of injury if they are (inevitably) thrown or if they fall on your child. These can be purchased in a number of different places such as Walmart or Target. Price usually ranges between $20-$40 depending on how many come in the pack. Show your child how to use the blocks in the following ways: carrying, sorting by shapes and colors, stacking, knocking down and cleaning up. This play will assist in problem solving, fine motor development and identifying shapes and colors. 



Homemade Cardboard Blocks

You can buy cardboard blocks which tend to be larger (great for building larger forts). Expect them to be flat and need folding and assembling. OR you could save all those CapriSun boxes over the weeks, tape them shut, color or cover them with construction paper and go to town! With these blocks you can do many of the same activities as the foam blocks. These will also help with spacial awareness and cause and effect as you build and knock them down.

Playgroup Fun Anywhere!

Welcome Baby provides the community an opportunity for parents and their children to have fun interacting at Playgroup with activities and more! We would love to have you, and invite your friends! If you have questions, feel free to contact us.

We currently have 1 playgroup held at the South Franklin Community Center 
Where: 770 South 700 West, Provo, UT 84601
When: Every Friday, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm

Children are able to develop in many ways as they play. Bruce Duncan Perry, M.D., Ph.D. explains, "The child's cognitive capacity is enhanced in games by trial and error, problem solving, and practice discriminating between relevant and irrelevant information. Play requires the child to make choices and direct activities and often involves strategy, or planning, to reach a goal."

Children need to be children, so let them play and explore new things with you! Playgroups can be benificial in many ways, one of which is that children are able to stregthen their social skills. Parents can share experiences and gain support. In the past few playgroups, we've had a great turn out. Provo has a lot of diversity and we were able to see that a couple of weeks ago when we had five different languages at playgroup. Come join the fun and build relationships while gaining ideas for great activities!

If you can't come to Playgroup, try some of these ideas at home.
Here are a few!


Butterfly Paint Fun:

• Cut out a butterfly shape as big as you wish.

• Fold the butterfly in half vertically.

• Have washable paint ready for children to pour onto the paper (different colors make for great designs)
• Once the paint is on half of the butterfly, fold it and press down on the paper so the paint gets on both sides.
• Open the paper up and let dry.
• Staple pipe cleaners on for the antennas and enjoy your creation

Butterfly Peanut Butter Snack:

• Cut a piece of bread horizontally after peanut butter has been spread over it.
• Turn the 2 pieces facing out.
• Put a carrot in the middle (For the butterfly's body)
• Sprinkle raisins (or anything you would like on it) on the bread for fun.

Here are some other simple butterfly snack ideas!

Bird Feeder:

•  Take out a few slices of any type of bread.
• Make a little hole towards the top of the slice.
• Sting yarn through the whole and tie a knot (so you can hang it up).
• Spread peanut butter on one side.
• Sprinkle birdseed over the peanut butter.
• Hang up your bird feeder on a tree branch.

Check out some other shapes!

Please let us know how you liked these activities. If you have some activities that have worked for you, we want to hear about them!

March Playgroup Recap

During March, playgroup was full of spring-themed crafts to welcome in the new season. We wanted to give everyone a chance to make the crafts at home so click on the links below the pictures for a link to the instructions. Happy crafting!

Play Dough

Click HERE for some awesome DIY play dough! 

We started out the month by making homemade, bright green play dough. The kids had pipe cleaners, figurines, beads, stickers and other items to help them create their own “play dough garden.” At the end of the day, everyone got to take home their play dough so the fun and creativity could continue at home.

Wind Socks

Click HERE for instructions! 

Children love to watch the wind blow around outside. Kids will have a blast making their own wind sock and then watching it blow around in the wind. Help your kids learn about the wind and the weather as they create this fun craft.

Water-colors painting

Follow the link HERE and scroll down to#6 on their list!

Bright colors and flowers are iconic parts of spring. We gave the kids at playgroup the chance to use their imaginations and paint their own pictures about spring with some bright water colors. It was so fun to see the kids gets so excited about their new creations. 

Rain

For more details click HERE! 

As Spring comes, we welcome in the rain to replace the cold snow we have had all Winter. To help your child learn more about rain and umbrellas, help them make an umbrella out of a paper plate, popsicle stick, and tinsel. They will have fun pretending to have it rain on them for hours!

Five Birds, One Stone

Today at our South Franklin Community Center Playgroup, we did the best little craft activity. This activity is awesome for five reasons. 

1. It takes time and attention. Your little ones will love playing with the cereal, placing the pieces on the glue and coming up with different patterns. 

2. ummm... Snack time and a craft all in one? You just can't go wrong.

3. This is an awesome opportunity to learn COLORS! 

4. It will help develop your child's fine motor skills. Challenge the kids to stay inside the lines. 

5. Who doesn't have all these supplies on hand. It is easy and cheap! So grab your glue, a printed design, any colorful cereal and get crafting! 

Whether it comes out looking like this......

or this.....

Its a win! Happy Friday! 

PS. This playgroup meets every Friday at 11 am. The first half hour we do free time playing with toys, then an activity, snack and a craft. All are welcome! The address is 770 South 700 West Provo Utah. 

Fun in the Springtime Sun!

How great has the weather been lately?! It just makes me want to get out and do stuff! With busy schedules and six long months since we were able to do some fun, WARM outside activities, it can be hard to think of fun things to do in that beautiful springtime sunshine. So I scoured the internet and came up with 10 great ideas for some new or nostalgic, active or relaxing, family-friendly or kid solo activities to do this spring break.

1. Plant something green

Whether you are outside getting an early start on your summer garden...

...or spending a rainy day making a beautiful indoor garden, springtime green is always a happy addition to a home.  

2. Take a hike

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Hiking is a great way to help kids connect with nature. Its also a great way for parents to refresh as well!

3. Go on a bike ride
Get out and enjoy the sunshine while you visit downtown or your local park on a bike ride.

4. Visit a farm

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5. Fly a kite
Flying a kite is the perfect match to a windy spring day. Get nostalgic and show your kids a fun new activity!

6. Jump in puddles

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April showers bring May flowers....and plenty of puddles for kids to play in! Send them out in the rain if you need to get out some of those winter wiggles.

7. Feed the ducks
Ducky ducky! Visit your local duck pond and have a picnic, for you and these cute little animal friends.

8. Pick strawberries

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Don't those look delicious! Investigate local farms in your area that let visitors come and pick their strawberry harvest and get to pickin'.

9. Play with sidewalk chalk

Help your kids create a sidewalk chalk world to take pictures in and then have an afternoon photo session.

10. Take a sun nap
What better way to recharge than to relax in the sun and get in a quick nap. Or a long one!

Get out and enjoy spending some time in the sun, or rain, this spring!

Welcome Baby Provo Playgroup: Valentine's Day

 As children are growing up and learning about the world around them, they need a variety of experiences in order to grow in the right ways. Research has actually shown that one of the key ways to strengthen your child’s social and emotional skills is by taking them to a community playgroup where they can interact with other children. (Citation)

Welcome Baby currently has a playgroup at the South Franklin Community Center in Provo that is open to children under five and their parents on Fridays at 11 am.

For our playgroup on Valentine’s Day, we started out the day with free-play where we played with blocks, cars, and other fun toys together. Then we moved on to making Valentine’s Day cards by tracing our hands. See how cute they turned out? This activity helped develop fine motor skills as the children color.  This activity can be used for any special occasion to share with a special someone.  Click on the link below to learn how to make your own.

http://www.happyclippings.com/2012/01/handprint-love-you-this-much-card-kids-craft.html

 When all hands were traced, it was time to read “The Kiss Box” for story time. All the children gathered on a rug as they were read to, enhancing their cognitive development.

Then it was time for everyone’s favorite part of the day: snack time! In honor of Valentine’s Day, we made mini heart-shaped pizzas and ate oranges too.  

Check out how much fun we all had during playgroup and look below for a general schedule of what you can typically expect each Friday as we play! We hope you will join in all the fun and come to Provo playgroup! To join, visit the Welcome Baby website at www.welcomebabyuc.org or call us at 801-691-5320.

Playgroup Schedule:

11:00-11:20   Play time

11:20-11:25   Clean up

11:25- 11:45   Story time/ singing/ finger plays

11:45-12:00    Arts/ crafts

12:00- 12:15   Snack time

12:15-12:30    Large motor/games Clean up 

Wait! Those Aren't Trash! 7 Ways to Reuse Baby Food Jars!

When a baby begins to eat solids, it is a big step in their life. Recently, my baby has begun to eat solid foods. With this enormous accomplishment came lots of trash. Or, so I thought. I hated to throw out perfectly good glass jars, so I started to keep them. I couldn't help but wonder if there were things I could be doing with these jars. Turns out there are many crafts where baby food jars come in handy. Here are just a few ideas:

1. Baby Food Jar Cupcakes

           Mix up your favorite cupcake recipe and fill up a clean, empty baby jar only HALF WAY. This will allow the cupcake to rise as it is baked. Top with a delicious frosting and even add sprinkles! Tie a cute ribbon on the jars when you're done and serve them at your next party with some plastic spoons.

2. Jar Lids Memory Game

Boost your child's memory! Use letters, shapes, or pictures on the inside of baby jar kids, then turn them over and let your child match them.

3. Spice Containers (Click here to find out how to make your own)

            Get rid of misshapen spice containers and use baby food jars for a creative, uniform look!

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4. Jar Advent Calendar

       Christmas is closer than you think! Use those baby food jars to make an advent calender! Put a little prize, candy, or quote into each jar for your child to open each day!

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5. Baby Food Jar Kid Lanterns (Click here to find out how to make on your own)

            Great for backyard camp-outs! Buy battery operated tea lights for kids' safety!

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6. Decorate and Fill with Party Favors or Candy

          Fill them with M&M's or Hershey's Kisses! Paint the outside or add a ribbon and hand them out at your next party.

7. Decorated Tea Candle Holders (Click here to find out how to make your own)

Spice up your decorations with unique candle holders.

          
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The possibilities are endless! Just use a little creativity, and your old baby food jars will turn into anything you choose! Now, if I can just figure out what to do with all of my saved up toilet paper rolls....