Toddler library certificate? Not for us, thank you.

We have a great programme in Scotland which encourages bringing children and their families into libraries with songs, stories and activities.  Each child is given books as a baby, toddler and preschooler. A child can have their own library card from birth and most of our libraries are welcoming with children areas which can include toys.  The librarians often let the children date stamp their books. I fully support these initiates.  What I do feel unsure about is certificates for 0-4 year olds for taking books out of the library.

I understand that for a few households and for some children, particularly once they start reading, the certificates may help but why can’t the books themselves for the majority of children be the reward?   Our daughter already loves books and I just don’t get why she needs a reward card stamped each time she visits to borrow a book.  Once there are so many stamps the child can select a certificate.
 
Twice now I have been pushed towards starting my daughter working towards a library certificate.  Both times I have said I am waiting until it means something to her – I know my daughter would already grasp the concept but it is an easy opt out reply.  The most recent time I was made to feel I was denying my daughter.  We are a pro reading household.  My husband and I were both book worms as children and really did devour book after book.  We still do when we get the chance. We were reading to Luath prebirth and from almost as soon as she was born, and she has always had access to reading materials.  Surely that is more important than a piece of paper to say we have borrowed books but not necessarily  looked at them.

I don’t think there were any certificates or awards to work towards when I was a toddler.  If there were I don’t remember and my parent’s didn’t keep them.  I do remember ones from school for swimming distances, passing gymnastic stages and Burns poetry recital.  Somewhere I have some of these along with my degree certificate.  It is difficult to truly remember as a child if it was getting the certificate or  the actual accomplishment that was the goal.  I do have vivid memories of the joy of being able to do certain gymnastic skills to achieve one of the awards. As a teenager I had an armful (two actually) of girl guide badges, and I know I liked the badges, but I loved learning new things and that always was my catalyst.  I hope that we can show Luath that it isn’t the certificate that is important, it is what you learnt and experienced on the way.

If in the future the library certificate is something Luath wishes to do, then I will be happy to support her but for now we will continue to avoid the reward card, but enjoy the books we borrow.
(Luath is 27 months)
Shared with the Sunday Parenting Party

Outdoors everyday – week 15

Still winter clothes on this week.  Here are some of the things we did while outdoors:
Looked under a log for beasties (we found a worm, beetles and slugs).  Banged sticks together trying to imitate a woodpecker we were listening to.  Smell a freshly cut tree.  Went on an adventurous walk, over logs, around tree roots, under and over wires.  Watched a sail boat.

(Luath is 26 months)

Book of the week – A new home for a Pirate by Ronda Armitage

Luath loves pirate stories, singing pirate songs and being a pirate. A New Home for a Pirate has been an enjoyable new read for us all this week.  Jed has had enough of being a pirate and leaves his family boat to look for a new home.  His family help him pack all the essentials – a rope, clean underpants, great granddad’s old wooden peg leg. Along the way looking for a house on a hill he helps some animals using something from his essentials kit. Each animal then joins him in is search.
(Luath is 26 months)

Toddler Craft – Using Ring binder hole stickers

I thought Luath and I might make some ladybirds together.  Initially I thought we could punch out holes from sticky address labels but I changed this to use ring binder hole stickers when I spied them in the drawer.  I set Luath up with some milk bottle tops, stickers and colouring items.  I added some different objects later.
    
Luath was able to remove the stickers herself which she loved.  She was very engaged in this activity. We made a ladybird together.
 
She made what she called a butterfly.
 
And a few others.

After she had finished with the stickers she started the ladybird and butterfly talking to each other. A very simple activity but which was long lasting and enjoyable.
(Luath is 26 months)
Shared with Tuesday tots via Rainy Day mum

Indoor Play – Who is it?

We were reading Chocolate Mousse For Greedy Goose by Julia Donaldson and were on possibly the third read through.  It is a great book but to lengthen the story slightly I pointed to the illustrations in the book.  On the edge of each double page there is a glimpse of who is coming next in the story.
   
I would ask Luath, who is this?  We then progressed to placing one of Luath’s guys (soft toys) behind the book and having a little of them pop out.  Luath would then tell me who it was.  She immediately knew them all no matter how little I showed.
 
“It was me” as Luath says

A few weeks later on a very sunny morning we played a similar game.  This time I had Luath look at the wall and I would hold up a toy and she had to guess who it was from the shadow.  Luath found it a bit difficult not to peep while I was picking up a toy, but she had fun.

(Luath is 26 months)
Shared with Tuesday tots via Rainy Day mum
and with Read.Explore.Learn at JDaniel4’s Mom

Outdoors Everyday – week 14

Blue skies and sunshine but cold.  We spent a lot of time outdoors this week.  Some of the things we did were:
Collecting eggs.  Put sticks on a pile.  Walked along a wall.  Bounced a ball against a wall.  Made stone towers (and knocked down).  Saw a red sun and a wildfire.  Hide in the rushes feeling sad.  Tried different rocks as seats.  Throw stones in the loch, got wet gloves, so had to wear mummy’s gloves.  Watched a lamb.  Ran down a slope.  Got a small cut on head.

(Luath is 26 months)

Book of the week – Three Billy Goats Fluff by Rachel Mortimer

Luath loves the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff.  Mainly due to the troll as she also enjoys The Troll by Julia Donaldson.  There is a bridge in our local woods that we call the troll’s bridge.  Luath also has some bridges with her train set and these always have to be included in any layout, often with a troll underneath.

Therefore when I saw Three Billy Goats Fluff in the library I was sure she would love it and she has.  It is the traditional tale with a slight twist.  A troll has moved to a new bridge but he didn’t realise it was so noisy.  It is the only bridge between the mountain and the pasture.  Everyday the goats trip trap over the bridge to eat some grass to make their coats fluffy so Mother goat can use the fine fleece for her knitting.  The troll has had enough, he is tried and grumpy from no sleep so tells the goats no more trip trapping or he will eat them.  Mother goat finally comes up with an idea to solve the problem.
(Luath is 26 months)

Craft – a quick bunny’s tail

Luath and I made a quick bunny’s tail together.
I squashed a toilet paper roll lengthwise.  Cut two notches to make into a H shape.

We wound some wool around the tube.   I had cut a length of wool to make it easier to handle.

I then threaded the wool under the winded wool and tied this.  I cut though the wool on the oppostie side to the knot.  I then did quite a bit of trimming to make it into a tail shape.

Luath decided she would prefer to wind the wool from the big ball around the doll’s house.

(Luath is 26 months)

Easter Bunny visit

We have been having lots of fun hiding wooden eggs around the house this week.  The Easter bunny paid us a visit on Easter Sunday.  He popped into the doll’s house.

Luath and the dolls had fun hunting the eggs (cut from a cereal box).

He also hopped past the window.  Even though we only saw the ears, Luath said to daddy “that was you being the Easter bunny”

She enjoyed collecting what he left in the garden.
 
Finishing with her basket.

(Luath is 26 months)

100 days of play blog hop starts today

Take the 100 Day Challenge of committing to 100 days of play with your children.

This challenge is hosted by Sun Scholars and Life at the Zoo which aims to encourage mums to make time to PLAY with their children each day.  100 different bloggers will be sharing their simple ideas. The blog hop starts today 1st April and runs until 9th July.  I have a post which will feature on 17th June.     For more information see the  Main blog hop page .  This will have a thumbnail link to all 100 posts.  More about 100 Days of Play  short video  Pinterest Board where all posts will be shared and any ideas/photos submitted by non-bloggers.   I am looking forward to seeing all the ideas and sharing these with Luath.