Monthly Archives: September 2011
Kolcraft Remembers America’s Heroes
Kolcraft joins our nation in remembering and honoring the victims and heroes of 9-11.
Celebrating Grandparents Day Craft
Sunday, September 11th is Grandparent’s Day. What better to show grandma or grandpa just how much they mean to us than by given them a personalized, homemade gift? Today’s picture frame craft is easy and fun for kids of all ages and will only cost you around $1 to make! Enjoy this Grandparents Day Craft!
What you will need:
- Wooden picture frame (can be purchased at most craft stores for around $1)
- Old magazines or newspapers
- Non-Toxic glue
- Scissors (adult use only unless child can safely use them)
How to make picture frame craft:
- Cut or tear out fun pictures, words, and patterns from old magazines and newspapers.
- Glue magazine or newspaper clippings onto a wooden picture frame. Don’t forget to cover the edges of the picture frame as well!
- Cut or tear out letters to spell out G-R-A-N-D-M-A or G-R-A-N-D-P-A and glue this onto the top of the frame.
This is a fun and inexpensive craft not only for Grandparent’s Day, but can be used on other holidays and to decorate your child’s room, as well!
Meeting a Kolcraft Mom and Grandmother
This Sunday we celebrate Grandparents day. Grandparents are those wonderful people who help children learn and love in a very special way. Today we meet Corinne, one of Kolcraft’s friendliest faces and a member of the Accounting department. Corinne is the grandmother to 3 year old Aiden and 1 year old Nicky.
What is your favorite part of being a grandma?
When I come over to visit, Aiden is so excited to see me. Having him on my lap, and he gives me hugs and kisses, is so special. He tells me he loves me and I just melt. Nicky is just learning to give little “hugs”. That is special also.
Has anything surprised you about being a grandma?
My time with my grandsons is one-on-one. I don’t have to worry about cooking and cleaning and giving baths and bedtime. I don’t think about “then they just go back home.” I love when Aiden spends the night and can’t wait until Nicky will join him. Now so many special memories of my children growing up come back to me so I get to relive those times. It helps me to appreciate what my own children have become.
What is your favorite thing to do with your grandchildren?
I just love being with them. They make each other laugh and giggle. Aiden and I love sharing popcorn in the evening when he is visiting me. Visiting at my house is special for both of us.
Quick Qs
What is the one thing that never gets checked off your “to do list”?
Balancing my checkbook
What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas. If we could only capture the love and spirit and spread it out over the whole year.
If you had a “free day” with no commitments or obligations, what would you do with it?
I would take a long, hot bath, and just relax and not think about anything.
What is your favorite book?
I have no favorite, but I love mysteries and especially books written by Mary Higgins Clark.
September Is Baby Safety Month
September is Baby Safety Month and while safety of our children is a 24/7 job, we think it’s important that there is a special month dedicated to it. JPMA initiated Baby Safety Month to educate parents and caregivers on the importance of the safe use and selection of juvenile products. If you have been putting off taking care of those “little” safety items around the house, now is the time to take care of them.
Important things to check:
- Is your car seat properly installed? Has it been a while since you have checked to make sure it is still as secure as it should be?
- Is your baby gear in proper working condition? If not, check to see if it is under warranty and call the manufacturer or if it is not under warranty and is not safe, be sure to get a new product. Your baby’s safety is worth it!
- Are your smoke alarms and carbon dioxide detectors working?
- Do your children know what to do if there is a fire?
- Are your child’s toys broken or falling apart? If so, they need to be fixed or discarded.
- Are hazardous materials and cleaning supplies out of your children’s reach?
- Does an adult in your home know CPR for children and infants?
Check out the Safe Kids USA site for great ideas on how to keep your children safe.
How Reading Helps Your Child Develop
As you may have realized, here at Kolcraft we are huge proponents of reading to your children because it is critical for your child’s development. We thought that on National Read A Book day it’s only fitting to look at why it’s so important to take the time to read to your children.
A few ways reading helps your child develop:
- Builds a stronger relationship between you & your child. Snuggling up with a book allows you to have close contact with your child which will continue past toddler years.
- Academic excellence. One of the primary benefits of reading to children as early as infancy is a higher aptitude for learning in general.
- Basic speech skills. From the start your child is learning critical language and enunciation skills. By listening to you read the basic sounds that form language, words are being reinforced for your child.
- Learning how to read a book. Reading from left to right and distinguishing between words and pictures happens while you are reading to them and modeling how to read.
- Better communication skills. By hearing and seeing the interactions between the characters in the books you read, as well as close contact with you during story time, your child is gaining valuable communication skills.
- Logical thinking skills. Reading helps children grasp abstract concepts, apply logic in various scenarios, recognize cause and effect, and utilize good judgment. As your child grows he will be able to apply these scenarios to his life.
- Enhanced concentration and discipline. Along with reading comprehension comes a stronger self-discipline, longer attention span, and better memory retention, all of which will serve your child well when she enters school.
Tips on reading to your child:
- Anything that contains words is valuable-anything. If you are tired of reading the same book 10 times a day, pick up a catalog, the newspaper, a magazine and read to your child from that.
- Model good reading. Your children, including babies, need to see YOU enjoying reading. Turn off the TV and have family reading time at least once a week.
- Show baby that basic book skills are important by explaining that you are turning pages, by using your finger to show print goes from left to right, etc.
- Phonemic awareness–chunking/manipulating sounds–is the BIGGEST predictor of reading success later in life. This skill is easily practiced through Dr. Seuss books–cat, hat, mat, etc.
What is your favorite book to read to your child?
Happy Labor Day!
Whether you are excited that summer is coming to a close or wishing you had 3 more months of summer, we hope that this Labor Day is time of rest and enjoyment with your family.
Happy Labor Day!
Fun and Easy Popsicle Puzzle Craft
Today’s Fun Friday craft is a Popsicle Puzzle that is sure to be fun and easy for kids of all ages!
What you need:
- Popsicle Sticks
- Tape
- Non-toxic Crayons, Markers or Paint
What to do:
- Line up the Popsicle sticks in a row and tape them together. We used six Popsicle sticks, but older children can use more for a more advanced puzzle.
- Turn the Popsicle sticks over and use the crayons, markers or paint to decorate them, creating whatever image, animal, or pattern you’d like.
- Remove the tape from the back of the Popsicle sticks.
After you are done making today’s craft, mix up the Popsicle sticks and see if you can put them back together!
Kolcraft and JPMA Celebrate Baby Safety Month
The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) annually sponsors September as Baby Safety Month. Kolcraft is a proud founding member of JPMA and all of our products comply with the JPMA requirements for testing. JPMA wants all parents to be confident the juvenile products they purchase are designed and built with baby safety in mind.
Kolcraft will celebrate Baby Safety Month by continuing to provide tips, resources, and information to parents. Also, Kolcraft is a sponsor at the Babies R Us “Great Trade-In” event to help parents get the updated and safest products that they need.
Do you have any tips as a parent to help promote Baby Safety Month?
