To purchase these books, click on the links below!

Hello!
I’m excited to see that you’ve found yourself here! I know that your day is long, that you’re incredibly busy, that the day is just slipping by too quickly... and that you might be able to use a little help!
Try some of the activities below with your preschooler.
And check back to see what’s new!
So what will you do today to add some fun and learning to your preschooler’s day? 

•One, Two, There’s a Note in My Shoe!    
How many ways can you show your preschooler you love him/her? How about a simple note tucked into her sneaker or shoe. The next time your child gets ready to go outdoors, or start the day at preschool, have a love not tucked into the shoe. What a surprise to find a love note from mom or dad tucked into the most unexpected of places! Share what the note says with your child. Guaranteed he or she will skip out the door with a great big smile!
(You will be building your child’s self esteem and supporting their literacy skill development)

•Finders Keepers!
One person’s trash is another person’s treasure! Have a “treasure hunt” throughout the house with your child. Search for anything that might be tossed away, such as scraps of paper, pieces of “junk mail”, left over wrapping paper or ribbon, newspaper, bottle caps, empty cartons or packaging, etc. Then provide a cardboard box, paste, markers or crayons, and child-safe scissors. Explain to your child that this box is going to be his or her mailbox. Have your child decorate the box with the items you have collected. 
From time to time, slip a note into the box (this can be a love note, a letter from a relative, a sticker you think your child will enjoy, a birthday party invitation, etc.
Keep the box in an area of the kitchen where your child can regularly check for his/her “mail.” (Watch this box get lots of visits!)
(Your child will be developing creative thinking, small motor, and early literacy skills)

• There’s Magic in the Air!
Take an imagination walk with your preschooler. You might have him/her stoop low to the ground and ask: “ What would you like to see pop right out of the ground?”  “What would it look like?” “How would it move?” “Where would it go?” Or you might want to approach a tree and ask: “If you could pour magic dust over this tree, what would it turn into?” “What would it look like?” “What would it say if it could talk?” “Where would you like to take it?” Try to ask questions that require your child to offer more than a “yes” or “no” response. You may be surprised by your child’s active imagination!
(You will be helping your child develop important language and creative thinking skills)


•What’s in a Name?
Try this activity to support your child’s ability to recognize his or her name in print, as well as strengthen creative thinking skills. 
Print your child’s name in bold letters on a large piece of paper. Have your child decorate the name in any way he/she likes. (Your child may choose to add designs or details to each letter, decorate the area around his/her name, draw a picture below the name, etc. It’s up to your child!) Later, display your child’s name in an easy to see place where his/her name can be showcased and admired!
(You will be helping your child develop skill in name and letter recognition, as well as building small motor skills)

• A Homemade Obstacle Course
Build a simple indoor or outdoor obstacle course. You can use an old blanket, an outdoor/indoor chair, a wastebasket, a wooden plank, an old tire, or other item that your child can move around, under, across, or in and out of safely.  Arrange the objects in a row and give your child different directions as a way of moving from one end of the course to the other. For example, if you use the objects above, you might say, “Skip around the chair, hop to the wastebasket, walk across the plank, step inside and outside of the tire.” Each time, offer different directions for moving through the course (“take giant steps to the chair, take baby steps to the wastebasket,” etc.)
(You will be helping your child develop listening and gross motor skills)

Tips to Brighten Any Day!
Nothing picks up a dull day like a change of scenery—in your own home! Try setting up a small pup tent in your living room/family room/den. This need not be a store-bought tent. You can make one simply by covering a table with a large blanket. Fill the tent with art supplies, a CD player so your child can listen to favorite tunes while working, some favorite toys, and voila! A brand new place for your child to work and experience! Keep the “flaps” open so you can see what is happening (as well as for safety) while your child enjoys his/her new environment!  

A New Picture Book!
Here’s a peek at my latest children’s book from Frecklebox (Frecklebox.com)

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What parent doesn’t imagine all the wonderful times they’re going to have with their young child through the years?  Moms and dads everywhere easily conjure up images of their little one’s hand tucked up in their own as they walk through the woods or around a city block,  snuggling up with a sweet picture book, feeling the warm sensations of hugs and more hugs at bedtime…. or anytime! 

What We’ll Do, Just Me and You! brings these endearing and universal images and feelings into focus, and wraps them up into a sweet love letter from parent to child.  The rhyming text and delightfully charming illustrations, by illustrator Sharon Vargo (sharonvargo.blogspot.com) work together to send the message of a parent’s love to preschool-age children everywhere. 

"What We'll Do, Just Me and You!" can be personalized with the name of your own young child. Just click on this link  http://www.frecklebox.com check "personalize it"  and watch the magic happen!

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