DIY Matching Game!

Looking for a fun activity to do with your child? Here is an offering from one of our local parents.

Paint Sample Matching Game

Supplies Needed…

-Clothespins (These can be found at your local dollar store)

-Paint Samples (These cute Mickey ones are from Wal-Mart)

-Glue

-Paint Brush

Total Activity Cost…

$3.00

This can be a great game for toddlers to learn their colors and build fine motor skills.   The age of your child will depend on how you will want to start using the game.  When I first introduced this game to my son I only picked out four cards and I would work the clothespin.  Now that he is a little older he is able to pinch the clothespin himself but it still works best if we do the activity together.  It always helps to remain positive with children so they think it is fun and want to keep trying.

If they make a match tell them

“Good job you found the blue card!”

When they make a mistake and we know they will

“Good job you found the green card, lets match that to the green clothespin.”

**This can even be played with older kids by finding a paint sample that has multiple colors.   

Steps…

-Cut paint sample down to the size you would like. Make sure your scrap is big enough to fit on the clothespin.

-On the backside of the scrap piece trace the clothespin.

-Cut out the small shape and trim to make sure it will fit.

-With a paintbrush paint small amount of glue on the clothespin and place piece of the sample on the clothespin.

-Make sure the glue is not coming out from the sides (a little is okay, remember it will dry clear).

-The sample may need to be pressed down a couple times as the glue dries.

-Once everything is dry you are ready to introduce these to your little one.

-Have Fun!

-Samples may also be laminated. This helps them last a little longer but it is not necessary.  

Danyle is a parent of two children and her youngest child is 2 1/2 and involved in the Ionia ISD birth to three special education program.  Danyle enjoys creating activities that help her children learn in fun ways at home.

Resolve to Laugh More in 2015

In a previous blog entry we talked about many ways you could start new traditions with your family to improve your overall health in 2015. This weeks post offers a great idea for you to consider as well for your New Years resolution: Laugh More as a Family. The physiological changes that occur in your body when you laugh are real. We use and stretch muscles in our face, our pulse rate increases, blood pressure rises and more oxygen gets to our tissues and organs throughout our body; these all do a body good!

Laughter has been linked to improved blood flow and sleep and reduced blood sugar and stress levels. The greatest benefit from adding this to your family dynamic will be with the relationships you build with your children. Read on to learn some great tips offered from Bright Horizons.

http://shar.es/1HcPGy

Laughter is the best medicine and a great way to build a happy and healthy family. Find out how to laugh more with tips from Bright Horizons!

We’ve Got Something Special Here in Ionia County

By Cheryl Granzo, Director of Early Childhood Programs, Ionia ISD

I remember January of 2007 very well.  I had just submitted a grant to the Michigan Department of Education in the hopes of receiving $25,000 dollars to be used as startup funds to bring the Dolly Parton Imagination Library to Ionia County.  The Dolly Parton Imagination Library requires an organization in the community to be the champion and lead the effort, and the Ionia ISD was intrigued with the idea of doing this. In January of that year, we invited a spokesperson from the national program in Tennessee to Ionia, Michigan to speak with leaders in our community about the program. Many members of the community attended, but I could tell the audience was mixed about whether or not they would join the effort and support this program.  In fact, I overheard one community leader whisper to the person sitting next to him, “This will never make it in this community.”  Well as often happens in the world of education, the State pulled the grant before making any awards.  As we looked toward spring, I consulted with my superintendent about what to do as we did not have the start-up funds.  He said, “Let’s do it anyway.”  So we did, and then he proceeded to retire at the end of June of that year!

Yes, it was stressful and intimidating to start a brand new program that I knew some members of the community probably would not understand and then support.  Since that time, I have made countless presentations, written articles and provided different kinds of community messaging to create awareness about the program.  Over the past seven years, the ISD has cultivated relationships with many community partners, individuals and groups that have supported the program. Michigan One Community Credit Union, United Way and PCMI have become corporate sponsors of the program; an annual quilt raffle has been developed by community volunteers; and a March fund-raising initiative in conjunction with McDonald’s restaurants is now three years strong.

As 2015 marks the beginning of our eighth year of distributing books to homes in Ionia County, there are some things I would like everyone to know about the program.

1. There ARE homes in Ionia County in which there are no age appropriate books.  This is one of the biggest areas that I often receive questions about.  To some the whole premise is not believable---how could there be homes in Ionia County that do not have books?  Well there are!  Workers from home visiting programs attest to this fact. In fact, 66% of the respondents to our annual survey tell us that if it were not for the community donations they would not be able to participate and that they do not have the disposable income to buy books for their children. As a community, we fully grasp the concept of food insecurities for young children, so doesn’t it seem logical that if there is no money for food there is most likely no money for items such as books?  There IS a need right here in our own backyard.

2. Yes parents really do read the books to their children.   The next most common question I get asked is, “Do parents really read the books to their children?”  The answer is, Yes they do!  Again the survey indicated that 94% of children in the program are bringing books to their caregiver and requesting to be read to.  That same percentage of children is spending time alone looking at books.  A total of 84% of respondent parents indicated they are reading to their child MORE as a result of participating in the program.  This includes parents who already were reading to their children on a daily basis. This is one of the phenomena of the program: even if you have books in your home already and you participate in the program---YOU READ MORE TO YOUR CHILDREN.  The difference is that when children receive a book each month it the mail for THEM, they take a leadership role in initiating being read to; access to books in the home increases the likelihood that children will be read to.  In fact, many parents shared that when the book comes, they stop what they are doing to read the new story to their child.

3. We will never be finished raising money for the program.   This is the kind of program that is never finished.  As a funder you cannot sit back and look at what you helped to build or support.  It is not a one-time contribution.  For each new baby that is born, there will be a need to raise more money, and there are approximately 800 children born in the county every year. We need to continue to have funders that understand and are committed to the big picture and the long haul.  We have to rely on what the research says about access to books - being read to prior to going to kindergarten is one of the best ways for parents to prepare their child for success in school.  When you look at the investment of a maximum of $135.00 for each child, that is an amazing value for a school readiness initiative.

4. We must continue to be vigilant and passionate about the program and not let apathy set in.   You have something special here in Ionia County as this program is not available to everyone! You must have a champion to lead the effort and many people and organizations to support it.  The first year we sent out the survey, we had almost a 75% return rate and people were so appreciative and excited about the program.  They could not BELIEVE they were getting free books sent to their children in the mail.  Currently, I rarely go anywhere that people do not know about the program and how to sign up children, which is fantastic.  It tells us that people are familiar with the program and that it has become a normal part of the community. This year, the return rate for the survey was only about 22%, which may also suggests that DPIL is an expected part of our community and therefore, people don’t feel the need to share their thoughts to continue to support the program.  However, many of our funders still want to know the impact our program has on families in the community.  This is really the only tool we have to provide feedback to our funders.  You can be a leader by sharing your passion and support for the program in a variety of ways: tell others about it; visit our website at ioniaisd.org/dpil  ”like” the Ionia Imagination Library Facebook page and share the info with your friends; make a donation to sponsor your child or another child in the program; connect us with a business or organization that may want to give a financial gift to the program; participate in the fund-raisers; complete the surveys; and tell us your family stories about how the program is impacting the reading habits in your home.

If you have not heard, we are planning a Storybook Character Night at the Ionia Moose Lodge on Saturday January 17th from 4:00 to 7:00 to raise funds for the program.  This is an opportunity for your child to dress up in a character of his/her choice for an evening of fun.  Tickets for the event are $8.00 for those 13 and up and $4.00 for those 6 to 12.  Children 5 and under are free.  There will be music, a baked goods auction and quilts for sale.  This is an all age event and the Moose is preparing a wonderful home cooked meal of Swiss steak, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, vegetable, hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, and cake.   Hope to see you there!!

Of all my job responsibilities this one causes me some of the greatest stress as the yearly cost for the program has reached close to $40,000.  It is also a responsibility that gives me some of the greatest joy as I understand this program is a universal access school readiness initiative that is having a great impact on children and families in Ionia County.

The first book that Dolly picked for children to receive in the program is The Little Engine that Could.   She specifically selected this book to give a message to children that there are many possibilities out in the world and if you think positively and work hard, you can achieve them.  I continue to be proud and amazed by the generosity in Ionia County.  I know that we are the “THE LITTLE COUNTY THAT CAN” and we will continue to provide books to children through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library of Ionia County for years to come.

Healthy Resolutions for the Whole Family

It has arrived, as it does every year at this time a brand new year!!  With the dawn of a new year it is very natural for people to reflect on the year past and the year ahead. To ponder what they want to keep and what they want to change at the promise of a fresh start in a new year.  There is no reason that we cannot do this at other times during the year because we can, and many do reassess different aspects of their life throughout the year.  However, there are very few that escape  a little inner voice prompting them to  think  about what 2015  will bring and how can they improve their lives in some way.  One of the most common areas in our life that we access at this time of year is our health, what we eat and how much we do or don’t exercise.  As adults, we often forget that what we do directly sets a pattern of behavior for our children.  So to help you craft your path in this area for 2015, consider some advice from SPARK regarding 10 Healthy New Year’s Resolutions for the Whole Family and best of luck!

http://www.sparkpe.org/blog/10-healthy-new-years-resolutions-for-the-family/