Tips for Healthy Cooking with Kids…

I believe that an excellent way to teach children about healthy eating is by having them help in the kitchen from a young age. The Healthy Cookbook could serve as a helpful tool for teaching your child how to read and follow instructions from age 9 and up. The cookbook includes a simple explanation of the food groups and how many servings of each we should eat every day. Basic cooking/food preparation tips are also included in this cookbook that could easily be a staple of any kitchen. The cookbook features lots of illustrations and steps described with super-simple wording to make it child’s play (with adult supervision as needed). Most of the recipes include possible variations which is useful since many children are picky eaters. The pages lay out flat thanks to the spiral binding format.

Another idea for teaching your children to prepare (and eat) healthy foods is the set of 30 Healthy Things to Cook and Eat. Each of the cards is made out of extra sturdy cardboard (think baby board books) which are made to last. I love love all the ideas for healthy foods and the reading level is a little bit lower than the Healthy Eating Cookbook so your children who are 6-9 years old can read it with less help from mom or dad.

I hope you will invite one or both of these kid-friendly cooking guides into your family today! Your tummies will thank you

 

Stickers Make Math More Exciting!

Wow!  This combined volume is super-handy for teaching children aged 5 to 7 the essential math skills they need to succeed in math!  I love the lively illustrations and the tons of fun stickers this book contains.  There is a handy index to show parents the specific pages that cover each basic math skill.  I think this book is ideal for parents who homeschool or for parents who want to give their children extra practice on math at home without making it a drudgery.  The book has 152 pages, not counting the beaucoup of stickers in the middle of the book.  The stickers are labeled with the specific pages with which they are designed to be used. 

 

The Shape of Fun!

This cute new book, Shapes Jigsaw Book,  is terrific for preschoolers, preferably those 3-5 in age.  The book has 5 doublespread pages (so 10 total) which feature built-in shape-related puzzle pieces.   There are pictures hidden under each jigsaw shape.    In addition to being a great tool for teaching children about shapes, the book is written in a way to encourage counting.  For example, one page asks, “How many corners does a triangle have?  Can you find two cats wearting hats?”  The book is a sturdy board book and has loads of colorful illustrations, some of which are printed so they are especially glossy.  This is definitely a book that parents will want to read with their children.  Because of all the puzzle pieces, I do not recommend it as a book for a preschooler to look at on his/her own. 

 

New Book on Inventions!

Here’s a bright idea for children 8 years old and up:  give them The Story of Inventions (better yet, read it along with them) and prepare yourself to be wowed by all the tidbits of information they learn about famous inventors and the lesser known stories behind many common-day items.  One of my students in the classroom saw it on my desk and he started reaching for it without asking because it is that inviting looking!  The cover is brightly illustrated with comic book like drawings of people using different inventions.  The background of the cover looks like graph paper–the kind on which an inventor might sketch his latest idea.

 

Opening the book, you find it is chock-full of stories and the same style of inventions.  The book is arranged so that readers get just-right bites of information without being overwhelmed.  The information is divided into sections such as communication and food.  There’s a helpful glossary, index, and timeline at the end of the book.  Like other Usborne books, this one has internet links which you can access through the Usborne Books website.  These are pre-screened (parent approved) web sites which feature additional information on inventions.

Well, I’d better end this book review…I just heard my microwave timer went off (thanks to Percy Spencer for inventing the microwave oven!)