Money Bags: A Coin Value Game

Looking for a good way to teach your children about money? We love this game at our house.



Money Bags is a game where the players take turns rolling a die to advance around the winding path on the board. Most of the spaces are filled with chores to do, for which money is paid. For example, Wash the Dishes- earn 30 cents. Then the player spins the wheel to see if they get to keep the money (or if it goes into the "Money Bags") or how they can collect their money from the bank. For instance, the spinner may say, "no dimes"- and then you have to collect your 30 cents from the bank using just quarters, nickles or pennies.

There are several places on the board where you can land on "Money Bags"- the and you win all of the money in the pot- this adds some excitement and tears to the game :). Additionally, there is a "Bank Exchange" space where you can exchange your coins in for dollars- and earn money in the process.

The game ends when the first player crosses the finish line. That player gets to collect the "Money Bags," but is not necessarily the winner. The winner is the player with the most money.

My kids love playing this game, and I am amazed at how much they have learned by playing it. The game recommends players who are 7 and up. You can play with a younger child (5 and up) if they have some assistance.


I like this game because it teaches children that money doesn't just come out of the sky (or the money bags pot), it comes from work- in this case, the form of a chore (i.e dish washing, feeding pets) or an entrepreneurial effort (i.e lemonade stand). So beyond teaching math skills, I like that it teaches work=money.

You can purchase Money Bags from Amazon.

Sensory Matching Game

We are wishing daily that spring will come.  After last weeks big snow fall and a daughter almost in tears over it, we decided we needed to come up with a new game to play at home.  This sensory matching game is easy to make with items from your closet.

You will need:

• 4 card stock cut into four equal pieces (16 squares total)
• household items that fall into the following categories: rough [sandpaper, scouring pad], smooth [aluminum foil, paper, ribbon], hard [wood, metal, pasta] and soft [cotton balls, fabric, pipe cleaners] -- use your imagination.
• glue, scissors and a marker
• blindfold

Write hard, smooth, rough or soft on the back of each card.  Each category gets 4 cards.
On the front side glue on the corresponding item, making two identical cards.  For example, I used cotton balls for soft.  On two cards I wrote soft on the back and glued cotton balls on the front.  Once you have made all your cards lay them out with the item facing up.  For a younger child use fewer cards per game.

Blindfold the child playing.  Instruct her to feel all the cards and select two that are the same.   Set those aside until all the cards are matched up.  Next have your child look at all the matches she made and sort them into the appropriate categories.  Checking the back to verify the answer. 

A fun game for yet another day indoors.

Brite Kids

When I was young, maybe 6, I remember my mom bringing home a set of 12 cassette tapes and corresponding books for us kids to listen to.  Let it be known that I listened to these tapes day in and day out, until every word and song was memorized.  I loved these tapes.  So 25 years later when my mother-in-law said she had these very same tapes and wondered if I would want them for my kids, I was all over it.   Oh the memories that came flooding back.  To my delight, my girls love them just as much as I did.  I remember thinking this would be a great thing to post on Citrus, but where would the readers find the tapes and who uses cassette tapes these days besides me...if only we could purchase them new today on CD.

Well, we are all in luck.  I recently discovered that these tapes are available for purchase on CD or MP3 download on Britemusic.com.  Brite has six different series of books and tapes.  I am only familiar with the Standin' Tall series and the Safety Kids series.  Here is what I absolutely love about these two series.
The Standin' Tall series is the one we enjoy now.  There are 12 books and CDs featuring 12 character building values: obedience, honesty, forgiveness, work, courage, happiness, gratitude, love, service, cleanliness, self-esteem and dependability.  The stories and songs do an excellent job of illustrating and bringing to life some hard to describe topics like dependability and courage.   If nothing else it opens up a discussion with my children as they ask questions.  I can't tell you how many times I have referred to the lessons in the tapes by saying something like, "remember in the tape how Jenny was ungrateful and no one wanted to help her anymore....or how the princess was unhappy even though she had everything she wanted." 

I will warn you the songs stick in your head and the music is reminiscent of the the late 1980s at times.  But overall they are very well done and are in every way applicable today as 25 years ago.  Standin' Tall is perfectly geared toward preschool to about 1st or 2nd grade age kids.  

The Safety Kids is another series that I loved as a child.  Monica, Amy, Freddy, Zan and Gregor are five kids that teach through different situations about the importance of safety rules: never talk to strangers, always use the buddy system, lock the doors when alone or taking care of younger kids, know your telephone number and don't let anyone do things to your body that they shouldn't do.

Again, Safety Kids helps parents begin discussing these important issues in a fun, child friendly way.  There are three CDs in this series: Personal Safety, Stay Safe from Drugs and Protect their Minds.  I only know the first one, Personal Safety, and love it.

If you want to get started, but are not ready to buy the entire collection let me suggest a few of my girls favorites: Cleanliness, Dependability and Gratitude from the Standin' Tall series.   One book and CD from Standin' Tall is $15.96 together.  For Safety Kids, one book and CD are $19.95 together.  All the CDs are available for MP3 download for about $2 cheaper.

Reader Rabbit

My girls love to play on the computer.  Do yours?  I'm not opposed to a little {precious little} time on the computer as long as its constructive, instructive and creative.  Computer time can be a source of education if you are selective.  Of course there is easy and free access to websites like Disney Playhouse, Nick Jr., and PBS Kids, but I've found the challenge and the learning factor to be minimal. 
A couple of years ago, when my oldest was 3, we purchased a set of Reader Rabbit computer games at Costco.  It came with a Preschool, a Kindergarten and a Math CD.  Reader Rabbit is made by The Learning Company the same one who made the Oregon Trail.  Does that ring a bell?  I remember playing the Oregon Trail in elementary school.  Needless to say, we didn't know quite what we were buying.  Surprisingly, I have been VERY pleased with this software.  Let me tell you why.

The preschool CD begins with a story.  The carnival in town closed down and all of the rides are broken.  The object is to help get the carnival back to working order.  In order to do this, you need to complete certain tasks multiple times to earn tickets.  Each ride needs 6 tickets.  This adds up to a lot of work on the part of your child.  These tasks include counting, matching, creating patterns, letters and sounds.  Each task is tucked into a fun scenario of its own.  Such as letters and sounds are matched together as you try to figure out someones order at a restaurant.  You learn the art of pattern making (an early math skill) by assembling a marching band in a parade.  Counting is done in a game of hide and seek.

There are four main characters, Reader Rabbit, Sam the Lion, Mattie the Mouse and Wonder Pony.  The characters are super cute and innocent.  There is plenty to explore.  It takes dedication to get your ticket which is a good thing.  It brings great satisfaction to a child to finally get a ticket they have been diligent at obtaining. You are able to adjust the difficulty according to the level of your child, but the game does that already as more tickets are earned.   My daughter has been content with the preschool CD for a couple of years.  Recently she has begun exploring the Kindergarten CD which introduces more reading and math skills using the same adorable characters and more challenging games.  The Learning Company has Reader Rabbit for toddlers up to 2nd grade.  After that, The Clue Finders  take you through 6th grade.  There is a great selection of games on Amazon starting at about $8.00.  Today it looks like most of the games are on sale, so you may want to make your purchases soon.

Here are a couple of tips when selecting a game and letting your child play on the computer:

• Remember your child will always learn better from you and with you.  At first my girls needed help every step of the way.  Now, though they don't need my constant help, I make a point to be in the same room with them asking questions, encouraging them and staying involved in a more passive role.
• Always, discuss and set rules about how much time they are allowed.  Computer skills have their purpose in learning, but there are so many other things that teach more efficiently and effectively than a computer game.
• Do your research on the game you plan on buying (ie don't follow our example, we just happened to be lucky)  Games can subtly teach your children behavior or attitudes you may not approve of.  This gets trickier as your children get older. Visit Media Wise for more information.
• Look for games that have multiple levels of difficulty and learning and games that promote problem solving.
• In our house computer games are a privilege not a necessity.

I would love to hear your ideas on how to manage computer time and other games that have been good for your family.

Healthy Eating

Do you have a picky eater?  So do I.  Here an idea to help your child make healthy food choices since my 5 year old is all about choices and I'm so done with candy.

Following the current food pyramid, I made my own out of paper. It shows all the food groups.  After finding out my daughter's suggested servings in each food group, I drew the appropriate number of lines to achieve in a day.  With a needle, thread some ribbon through buttons and through each end of the pyramid.  Tie loose ends on the back side.  

The plan: let your child move the button after eating a serving from a particular food group.  Then when they are hungry they can make a choice from a group that is lacking.  Even though I made a pyramid for each of my girls, this is mostly for my oldest who is beginning to understand that we eat to keep our bodies healthy.  I don't intend to use it forever, maybe a couple of weeks.  Hopefully we will recognize how to make better food choices.  I say we because its a good reminder for myself especially with the holidays coming.

MyPyramid.gov is a great resource for using the food pyramid. This is a good place to start your nutrition search.  For more healthy knowledge, read the book "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy."  It is an excellent, must-read for the nutritionally conscious! It can be found on Amazon for as low as $3.72.

Election Day

"The single most important factor in whether young people vote in their first or second eligible election is whether their parents vote."  

Eric Plutzer, a Pennsylvania State University political science professor.  [US News, 12/20/07]

My girls were intrigued when I left them with a friend to go vote at the local elementary school a couple of months ago for my state primaries.  It took me 10 minutes and I came back with a bright green sticker saying "I voted."  They of course wanted a sticker, but beyond that what did voting mean.  I was unprepared for all their questions.  Today I will be prepared.  What a great teaching moment!

I've compiled a list of 11 (for the election month, November) activities, kids websites, and conversations you can have with your children today.

1.  If your child is old enough to be patient and quiet, take them with you to vote.  Let them see what this process is all about.  Explain what a privilege it is to vote.  I'm confident they will remember the experience.

2. For story time, look at coins and bills.  Tell simple stories about the past presidents found on the money.  Here is a quick review: $1 George Washington, $5 Abraham Lincoln, $10 Alexander Hamilton, penny- Abraham Lincoln, nickel- Thomas Jefferson, dime- Franklin D. Roosevelt, quarter- George Washington.  Click here for quick facts about past presidents.

3.  PBS Kids has a great website called The Democracy Project.  On this website you can find out more about the importance of voting, discover what it takes to be president and enter a time machine that takes you to past voting events.

4.  Teacher Planet has a myriad of  links to patriotic activities, lesson plans and coloring pages.  A great resource!

5.  Memorize the Pledge of Allegiance.  

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: One Nation under God, indivisible with Liberty and Justice for all."  

Take time to discuss what some of the bigger, more complex words mean.

6. Sing the Star Spangled Banner.  If singing it alone might seem daunting, then click here for accompaniment and lyrics.

7.  Look at the American flag or make one out of construction paper.  Discuss what all the symbols mean, stars, stripes, colonies and states.  Include that red=courage, white=purity, and blue=justice.

8. Ben's guide to U.S. Government for kids is an interactive website that gives an overview of the nation and the government.  You can choose the appropriate age group for your child.  It is good for K-12.

9.  What are the symbols of our nation?  Do you remember?  How about the flag, bald eagle, White house, Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, Statue of Liberty to name a few.

10. I had no idea there were so many different government sponsored websites for kids.  The list seems endless.  Click here for a comprehensive list.  Some good ones are H.I.P. Pocket Change (U.S. Mint), Fact Finder Kids Corner (Census Bureau), and Kids in the House (Congress).

11.  Let your kids vote.  Also powered by PBS kids is ZOOM.  ZOOMout the vote is conducting an online vote your kids can participate in today.  Its also a good place to learn about the election process and how kids can be involved in their communities.

Now stop reading and go vote!  Enjoy your freedom to participate in this historical election and pass on your love for this country to your kids.

Autumn Leaves

Beautiful colors are filling the scenery and I love it!  Here is an easy science project bound to captivate the curious child and adult, but hurry, time is short.

What you need:

leaves

small jars & lids (foil or plastic wrap work fine)

rubbing alcohol

paper coffee filters (I recommend white)

shallow pan

hot tap water

tape & pen

First, collect leaves.  Tear or chop the leaves into very small pieces and put them into small jars.  Add enough rubbing alcohol to each jar to cover the leaves.  Using a plastic knife or spoon, carefully chop and grind the leaves in the alcohol.

Cover the jars very loosely with lids, plastic wrap or foil.   Place the jars carefully into a shallow tray containing 1 inch of hot tap water.  Keep the jars in the water for at least a half-hour, longer if needed, until the alcohol has become colored (the darker the better).  Twirl each jar gently about every five minutes.  Replace the hot water if it cools off.

Cut a long thin strip of coffee filter paper for each of the jars and label it.  Remove the jars from the water and uncover.  Place a strip of filter paper into each jar so that one end is in the alcohol.  Bend the other end over the top of the jar and secure it with tape.

The alcohol will travel up the paper, bringing the colors with it.  After 30-90 minutes (or longer), the colors will travel different distances up the paper as the alcohol evaporates.  You should be able to see different shades of green, and possibly some yellow, orange or red, depending on the type of leaf.

Remove the strips of paper, let them dry and then tape them to a piece of plain paper.

**The only changes I would make is to use white paper coffee filters.  Mine were brown which masked some of the colors.  The effect will be stronger with white.  Also, if you are using leaves that have already changed colors, experiment times will be longer.

I got this project from Science Made Simple, a great site with many easy science projects for all ages.  Click here for a simple explanation on how and why leaves change colors.  I used this information to teach my young girls about leaves changing colors as we were preparing this science experiment.   There is nothing like teaching and learning with a hands-on experience!

PearBudget

Who hasn't been thinking about money these days? We all have, I'm sure -- its hard to get away from money talk.

I don't consider myself a financial guru, but I do believe in the simple financial values of saving, budgeting and living within my means. As the wife of a medical resident, these values have been extremely important to our livelihood. When I was first married it was easy to live simply and stay within our income, but as kids, a house, traveling, education, and rising gas prices started to enter the picture, budgeting became essential.

At first, we struggled to maintain our finances and quickly became frustrated with some well known budgeting software. They were too complex, with too many options and categories. Our efforts to stay on top of the budget were mediocre at best.

After reading an article about PearBudget in Popular Science Magazine a couple of years back, we decided to give it a try. We love it and found this to be a budgeting tool we could stick to. PearBudget is what it claims to be, "really simple budgeting." In the beginning, PearBudget was a spreadsheet you downloaded to your computer. Now PearBudget is available online for a minimal fee of $3 a month. You can still download the spreadsheet for free if you are super cheap like me.

Here are my favorite features:

1) It's very flexible.

2) I make my own categories, a lot or just a few, with the names I choose.

3) I can see how much I need to budget each month for yearly expenses like Christmas or traveling.

4)It's user friendly; hey I can use it.

So if you are looking for something to sort out your finances that is simple and virtually free, try PearBudget and put your mind at ease about your finances.

Make Your Own Toddler Book

My goal is to get crafty enough to sit down and create a personalized board book. I know that if I did, my 2-year-old would absolutely love it. What toddler wouldn't love finding themself under the flap of a board book? Directions to the book created above can be found on Instructables. Adorable. If do take on this project, I will be sure to post, and tell you how many thousands of hours it took :). Thank you for the link Jillian!


Here is a less labor-intensive idea to create a similar product. Blank Slate Board Books offers a board book that you can purchase, and then print your graphics on enclosed page-sized stickers that then affix directly to the board book. This way you can pull your own pictures from your computer and make a completely personalized book. Photographs, scanned works of art, clip art, and text can all be added. Your child can publish at 3. Very cute idea.





For an even more basic approach you can try these board books from Romp. I love the offerings at this store btw- everything from the wallpaper to the toys. Everything is fantastic. Anyway, the board books they sell are just basic blank board books. They are a great deal at only $3 for a 5x5 book and $5 for an 8x8 book. I am imagining that a few photos and a few coats of mod podge would make a fantastic book. Or, just give your young child a pack of markers, and let them create a story of their own.

This will be a project we are going to definitely take on. I will tell you how it goes. Have any of created a board book before? Any insights you want to share on the experience?

Goosie Cards

I am very impressed with these flash cards. Goosie Cards are essentially very high-quality flash cards that can be customized to images in your child's life. I created a customized set two weeks ago with images of our family. We live a long distance from most of our extended family so my children really get a kick out of seeing (and pointing out) cousins, uncles, aunts, and grandparents on these cards. You can also purchase already-made card sets with themed stock photography (see the top picture).

Goosie cards are laminated with dense plastic and are very durable- unlike any other "flash-cards" out there. The thickness of these cards is comparable to my driver's license- thin, but at the same time very sturdy. The fact that they are laminated, also makes them very easy to clean (and prevents my infant son from chewing up the corners).
My 6 and 4-year-old love to look at these cards during church and on subway rides. My 18-month-old loves to spread the cards all over the living room, and then turn them over one at a time. His favorite card is the "llama" from the animal kingdom set. Don't ask me why, but he is a huge llama fan:).

Another great aspect of this product, is that Goosie cards have been recognized by the autism community as being an effective treatment/teaching tool for children with this condition. April is Autism Awareness Month, and to show their support for raising Autism awareness, Goosie Cards will be offering a 15% discount for parents and teachers of children with autism. Additionally, Goosie Cards will be donating 15% of all on-line April proceeds to "Autism Speaks", an organization that raises autism awareness, and helps to fund autism research. Autism currently affects 1 in 150 children worldwide (1 in 94 boys).

You can purchase customized Goosie Cards on goosiecards.com. A set of 10 customized cards
runs 28$. Themed, pre-made (non-custom) stock photography sets start at $16. Goosie cards will be offering a 15% discount to citrus readers for the month of April. Enter the code "april" at checkout.

Who wants to win a set of customized Goosie Cards? One reader of citrus will receive a certificate to create their own 10-card customized set. Email us at citruscontest@gmail.com
before Sunday at Midnight to be entered. Include GOOSIE in the subject line, and in the body of your email tell us what is your favorite set of pre-made goosie cards from this link.

-Theresa

Sign Language Flash Cards

My six-year-old came home from kindergarten recently with excitement oozing out of her. A guest speaker had visited her class, and had introduced them to the ASL alphabet. She was eager to try out her newly acquired skills. For the remainder of the day she replaced a verbal "Yes" or "No" answer with a signed response. After a few days passed, however, she realized that she could not remember all of the letters she had previously learned. She would start to sign a word and then ask....."Mom, how do you sign a (place any letter here)?" Of course, "mom" is the source of all knowledge (at least when you are 6), so she was shocked when I could not provide an answer.
There are a few charts on the internet that you can download and use to teach you children the ASL alphabet. However, each chart I would print off ended up drawn on, or chewed up by baby brother- so I set out to find something a little sturdier to help us in our sign language studies.
I came across this set of Sign Language Flash Cards in Pottery Barn the other day. It includes 26 cards (all of the letters of the alphabet) and their corresponding sign. It is made of very sturdy material. Usually when I think of "flashcards" I think of something pretty flimsy and relatively small. That is not the case with these cards; they are each very thick, durable, and measure about 9"x 4". I did not hesitate to purchase these, knowing they would be sturdy enough to survive to the day my child #3 wants to learn to sign the alphabet, plus- I knew my 6 year-old would love this set in her easter basket (and it is sugar free!;).
My one-and-only qualm with the set is the packaging. It comes in a very cute box, but it is nearly impossible to put all of the cards back inside (they are supposed to slide in). If it is a hard task for me to accomplish, I know it will be impossible for my kids. So, the original box will end up in the garbage room, and the flashcard set will have to find a new home- probably in a zippered pencil case or something.
In all, a great educational teaching tool that will survive a lot of "love" from young kids. It retails normally at PotteryBarnKids for $14.00 a set, but is currently on sale "in- store" for $9.00. My guess is that the website will reflect the discount price soon.

Easter Egglings

I have been on the hunt to find some "Sugar-Free Stand-ins" for the Easter baskets this year. No, I am not going to deprive my children of the traditional chocolate bunny and jelly beans, but, I will say we are cutting back considerably. We still have a "sugar hangover" from Valentines Day when my children got oodles of candy from classmates.

This year these cute little Japanese imports will take the place of some of the old sugary mainstays. These are called Egglings. They arrive in a cute little box (they came yesterday) and when you are ready to "hatch" your egg, you (or your child) takes a spoon, and cracks the top of the egg open. Place the Eggling in the terracotta dish (provided), add water, find a sunny spot indoors, and watch nature run its course.

The plant options are varied: cactus, mint, basil, parsley, chrysanthemum, phlox, petunia, lavender, red pepper, and wild strawberry. You watch the plant grow for 5 months, and then it is time to transport the Eggling to a bigger pot, or greener pastures outdoors. I am partial to cooking with fresh herbs, so I will admit that this gift is somewhat strategic- but hey, who says mom can't give a gift that gives right back, right?

Okay, they also have these cute little Nyyoki. Adorable. Cuter than any Chia Pet I ever met. They grow rye grass, which is essentially your front lawn (if you have one:) growing in one of these festive little easter-themed pots. The rye grass grows to full height in less than two weeks, which is great news for any of us who have kids with patience deficiency.

When the Nyyoki "hair" reaches its full height, you can cut it, style it, and watch it grow back. This is good news for all your budding child stylists out there. Nyyokis will be in the baskets at our house, in hopes that hair cutting "needs" will be filled by this plant, and that my four-year-old will start leaving her own hair alone. Plus, living in NYC, my children have forgotten what grass is, so I thought it was high time for a re-introduction.

My only disclaimer to this is post is that these little guys just came in the mail yesterday, and we have not actually begun the "hatching". Both the Eggling and the Nyokki have great reviews on every website I have seen, so I am optimistic it will work out great. I am spotlighting them now, because you have to mail-order them (or hunt for them here in NYC- they do exist is a few stores out here) and if you want them in time for Easter you should get "cracking" now to leave time for shipment. I will be officially reviewing them at the end of April, with pic's of how our little guys turned out, if you want to wait for the official word.

So, if you want your Easter to have a few less candy sprinkles, and still maintain some excited faces, Eggling or Nyokki may be the answer. They are available at Amazon and Brooklyn5and10.com , and run about $10 each. Right now you can purchase a set of three Easter Nyokki at Brooklyn5and10.com for $20.

If you have any other sugar-free Easter ideas, leave a comment and share! I am going to throw a few more easter ideas your way over the next little while-so stay tuned.