<A HREF=”http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fquirmomm-20%2F8003%2Fc039a513-0348-43fc-ae7f-7a1ebead846b&Operation=NoScript” mce_HREF=”http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fquirmomm-20%2F8003%2Fc039a513-0348-43fc-ae7f-7a1ebead846b&Operation=NoScript”>Amazon.com Widgets</A>Thanks Dana, of Toddler Brian, for coming up with this great list!
Books included:

Baby Einstein: Baby da Vinci, My Body
Here Are My Hands by Bill Martin Jr.
Eyes, Nose, Fingers, and Toes: A First Book All About You by Judy Hindley
Some Parts are Not for Sharing by Julie K. Federico
My First Body Board Book by DK Publishing

Vacuum cleaners, balloons, tissue paper, straw & a balloon powered car help preschoolers learn about suction and blowing.

So trying to find and bookmark good children’s internet educational sites or activities is very time-consuming. I heard from a friend about Zoodles, a kid-friendly, parent-friendly web browser that already did all the work. It took no time to download and learn. I can control much of what my son has to choose from (for example we don’t watch certain shows on TV so those shows and their activities I chose to block on his zoodle). It already includes the starfall games and activities, as well as the pbs stuff …

We are planning on homeschooling pre-school this year. By that I mean that I am intending to make a conscious effort to do something “educational” with my kids each day during the school year. Hopefully, you, my blog world, can help keep me accountable in my endeavor!
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To begin I have accumulated a stash of school supplies:

Construction paper
Cardstock paperpack – white
Cardstock paper- colored, textured
Glue
Scissors
Popsicle Sticks
Magnet pieces
Glitter Glue
ink pads
Crayons
Markers
Dry Erase Markers
Glitter glue
labels
Balloons
Shaving cream
Tempera …

I dread going on long trips with kids in tow.  We have driven across the country at least once a year for some time now and while we never look forward to our treks, here are some tips that we have learned to make our road trips easier, to keep a bit of my sanity.  Do you have any ideas to add?  I’d love to hear about them in the comments!
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Activities to entertain your kids in the car:

Get a bunch of cheap toys (stickers, figurines/dolls, trinkets, magnifying glass, noise makers, …

Play dough is the perfect rainy day activity!  Now you can make it yourself.
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The secret to brilliant colors is using gel food coloring – we found ours in cake decorating sections of craft/hobby stores. Have fun making play dough with your kids!
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Ingredients:

3 cups of flour
1 tablespoon of cream of tartar
1/3 cup of salt
2 cups of warm water
2 teaspoons of oil
extracts/oils (optional)

And… Coloring (Ex: koolaid packets, gel food color, tempera paint, etc.)
Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Mix till everything is wet. Turn your stovetop onto …

My kids have had a blast making and finger painting our fence with paintable chalk.   Note: It washes right off concrete, but we have to scrub a bit on our fence to get it out of the grooves of the wood.
Ingredients:

Cornstarch
Water
Food Colors (liquid is okay, but the gels are more vibrant)
Dish soap

Mix about a cup of cornstarch to 2/3 cup of water.   It can be difficult to mix until all the cornstarch is dissolved.  Add a teaspoon of soap and food coloring.  Paint away!
If you want the paint …