Understanding the scriptures

Alicia's tips to understanding the scriptures:
Start with a prayer and a desire to understand.
Accept that you may understand part of it without understanding all of it yet. Remember the bigger picture even if some details don't make sense.
Look words up in the Bible Dictionary or dictionary.
Use the Class Member Study Guide for the chapters you are reading.
Read a chapter from the scripture stories books, then read the chapters in the scriptures that the story came from.
You can also do the same with any other picture book or movie that was based on the scriptures like The Living Scriptures or VeggieTales.

Don't Waste Time

"As if one could kill time without injuring eternity" (Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1971, p8).
"Verily I say men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own freewill, and bring to pass much righteousness;" (D&C 58:27)
"The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth." (D&C 93:36)
"Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.
"And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come." (D&C 130:18-19)

Did you learn something with this time?
Did you accomplish something?
Did you nourish a relationship?
Did you nourish yourself?
Was it time well spent?

Preschoolers and sidewalk chalk

Sidewalk chalk seems like a good way to combine getting outside and art. It helps them learn to draw and write with something really big before trying to master writing small letters on little lines.

The kids like me to write words for them especially their names or initials. Edmund usually requests I draw him a garbage truck. I like to draw decorations pertaining to the next upcoming holiday, too.

They like me to make hopscotch or even just a numbered path to jump along.

What do your kids like to do with sidewalk chalk?

Preschoolers and playdough

     I decided to get the playdough out today for the 3 year old and 5 year old. I've found playdough mats on the internet before. Today I made some shape ones myself. Some people laminate them or I suppose you could put them in page protectors. I just put them under our clear plastic table cloth. (We got tired of Edmund spilling his water and soaking the cloth tablecloth.) They're basically any type of picture that you can interact with with playdough. Some ideas are big block letters they can use as a template to make playdough letters or they could make playdough raindrops to rain on a picture.

         

     I also washed off a lid from a parmesian cheese container. Because of the circle holes on one half and the half circle on the other half, you can push it into the playdough to make shapes in the play dough (like an alien face for example).
     The kids like to make playdough circle pancakes or cookies and play with Edmund's pots and pans. Today we also made snowmen out of the cookie circles and used toothpicks for arms and legs.

What do your kids do with playdough?

Preschooler youtube channels

Youtube channels my 3 yr old likes:
Blippi
The Axel Show
Binkie.tv
Coilbook
Heros of the City
The Little Bus Tayo

Other shows and movies he likes:
Thomas and Friends
Chuggington
WALL-E
VeggieTales
Carebears
Special Agent Oso
Paw Patrol

We find a lot of them at the library.

What do your kids like to watch?

Preschooler chores

What kinds of chores do your preschoolers help with?

Edmund likes to help with unloading the dishwasher, but he can only reach the bottom cupboards and drawers.
He puts his dishes in the sink when he's done eating, but he isn't tall enough to rinse them and put them in the dishwasher.
Sometimes he helps with the laundry, but he can only barely reach the washing machine to just drop the clothes in.
He can put his clothes away in the right drawers, but he doesn't turn things right side out or fold them yet.
He likes to sweep outside with a push broom, but he hasn't mastered a regular indoor broom.
He likes to help me cook, but I worry about him being near knives and hot stoves.

How do you encourage your kids to help out and to finish instead of getting bored half way through?
What do you think about an allowance or reward system?