5 Ways to Repurpose an Easter Basket for Learning

April 6, 2018

Now that Easter has passed and the candy is just about gone, have you thought about what you are going to do with the empty basket? Before you toss, recycle, or pack it away for next year, consider these alternate uses to spark your child’s imagination and inspire learning.

Book Basket

Put a few books in it and leave it within reach for your child. If the books are nearby and easily accessible, children are more likely to grab them! Interactive titles will work especially well for this use. Examples are books with flaps to lift, textures to feel or pictures to find. Even children who are not reading independently can gain great benefit from having books available for them to explore.

Nature Basket

Take your basket on a nature walk and fill it with treasures! Rocks, sticks, flowers, etc. All of the interesting things your child can find. You can bring them home in the basket for a closer look. Or you can bring along a magnifying glass or pocket microscope for some observation in the field. So much learning happens when children are closely observing nature. They are recognizing patterns, making connections and learning how the world works. They are gaining an appreciation and respect for nature and their surroundings. When you bring the treasures home, you can explore them further. Maybe look them up in a book or online to identify them. Another idea is to make a craft out of what you found. Or just add them to a special spot in your garden.

Bug Basket

Fill the basket with a bug catching kit and a book about bugs. Many kids are obsessed with bugs and will love the invitation to get up close and personal with their insect friends! One of my children is actually not a huge fan of bugs, in fact, he was so nervous about them that his fear almost ruined any time we had outside. So I got him a bug catching kit. He started to gradually catch and observe bugs. He started to understand their role in nature and appreciate them. I added a book about insects and now he loves to read about the different kinds of bugs and is always telling me cool facts about them. Some bugs still make him nervous. But since he has explored insects more closely and learned a bit more, he is able to enjoy being outside without being so nervous. Whether your child is a bug lover or not, this ideas has potential to appeal to both sides of the equation.

Storytelling basket

What is a storytelling basket? Great question! It is basically a basket filled with some materials that will help your child act out the story. Contents can include puppets, small toys, and other materials that can be used as props or characters. They can be as simple or as complicated as you and your kids want. You may even be able to easily find items in your home already, especially among their toys. Paper bags, old socks or large popsicle sticks can be turned into puppets. The easiest way to start out is to read a favorite story (fairy tales work especially well for this!) then ask your kids to find toys or household items that represent the characters, setting or events in the story. Using a storytelling basket is an excellent literacy exercise as well as a totally fun invitation to play. Give it a try! Your kids will love it!

Grocery Shop Basket

Use it to play grocery shopping. Either as a shopping basket or a way to display the shop’s wares. My youngest especially loves this type of play; grocery store, restaurant, anything to do with play food really. Playing store not only exercises the imagination, but uses social skills, writing, and math. Your kids can set up a display, write a price list, ring up the purchases, make change and give customer service. You could even use the basket to shop at a farmer’s market and let your child help you choose healthy food for the family. The bonus is that they may be more likely to at least try the food they choose. Worth a try anyway. 😉 My kids have always loved choosing fresh fruits and vegetables from the farmer’s market.

Did you get an Easter Bucket instead?

Here are a few bonus tips for you!

Add some measuring cups and spoons for use in a mud kitchen in your yard.
Add a shovel and bring to the beach or sandbox.
Fill with bubbles and sidewalk chalk and keep in the entryway to always be ready for outside play.

I hope you found these ideas helpful and inspiring. Whether you try one of these ideas or if reading this got your own creative juices going, I would love to hear from you! Let me know how you plan to use your leftover basket or bucket to encourage learning in your home by dropping a comment below.

Happy Learning!

Carrie

Read Aloud Challenge January 2018

January 1, 2018

Read Aloud Challenge

Do you want to improve your family’s reading habits this year? Join me for this FREE challenge during January 2018 and start yourself off on the right foot!

How does the challenge work?

You commit to reading aloud to your children for 10-15 minutes a day, most days of the month of January 2018. When you have read aloud for at least 26 days of the month (because life happens!), come back here to fill out an entry for a chance to win one of the prizes. That’s it! Easy, peasy, right?

What can I read?

Anything your kids are interested in! Books, magazines, blogs, comic books, joke books, newspapers, ebooks, poems. plays, you get the idea! It all counts. The aim of this challenge is to create a positive relationship with the printed word for your child as well as to give the opportunity for you and your child to bond over the experience. Sharing the same reading material automatically gives you something to talk about, something to refer to, something to bring you together.

What if my child knows how to read on their own?

Read to your child anyway. Let them read on their own, certainly, but also find something to read to them. You can take turns reading to each other if they volunteer to do that. Otherwise, you just read to them and let them sit back and enjoy. All of my children are independent readers, two of them teens, and I still read aloud to all of them. We enjoy that time spent together and often refer back to things we have read. It gives us a common ground, a place we can relate to each other.

What if I already read to my child everyday?

That is awesome! Give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done! And then join us for the challenge, too. I read aloud to my kids, but sometimes can use a refocus and a new dedication to the practice. Make this challenge your own. Do you want to read for longer periods at a time? More difficult material? Challenge yourself to take your habit to the next level.

What about the prizes?

The biggest prize will be the bonding experience of reading to your child and the memories made. However, I am going to offer some prizes as well to sweeten the pot so to speak. 🙂

First Prize:

Read Aloud pack of two of my favorite family read alouds from Usborne Books & More, Olga da Polga and Nibbles the Book Monster. Retail value is $34.98. One first prize winner will be chosen at random from all of the entries received.

Second Prize:

One Shine a Light book of my choice. These books reveal hidden pictures when you shine a flashlight (or other light) behind the pages. They are fun for reading aloud for kids of many ages.Retail value is $12.99. One second prize winner will be chosen at random from all of the entries received.

Third Prize:

A phonics reader or a pack of mini books, my choice. Retail value will be around $6. Three to five third prize winners will be chosen at random from all of the entries received. The number of third prize winners will be determined based on number of entries received The more participation, the more prizes will be sent up to a maximum of five third prizes. (Share with your friends and pin this post to encourage more people to join us!)

The Fine Print

Entrants must be legal residents of the United States. Prizes can only be mailed to US addresses.

Entrants must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

Winners will be chosen at random from all of the entries received.

There is no purchase necessary to enter.

Participation in this challenge is voluntary and free of charge.

How Do I Enter?

Join my email list by filling out the form below. You will receive a tracking sheet to keep track of your reading throughout the month, so you will want to sign up right away. You will also receive tips, encouragement and more. At the end of the month, I will send you a link to a form to fill out to enter.

On your mark, get set, READ ALOUD!!!

Did you finish the challenge?

Did you read aloud to your kids at least 26 days in January 2018? If so, click here to enter for prizes.

Join the Challenge to Improve Your Family’s Reading Habits in 2018

December 21, 2017

Want to improve your family’s reading habits in the new year? (I sure do!) Then, join me for a FREE challenge in the month of January 2018!

Want more information on the challenge? Join my email list and you will be kept up to date on all of the details including a tracking log and what prizes you can be entered to win.

Welcome and happy reading!