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Learning numbers and values for toddlers

 What you need:

1. Foam sheets ($1 dollar tree)
2. glass beads ($1 dollar tree)
3. sharpie /marker (available for $1)
4. Basket ($1 Dollar Tree)

 What you Do:

1. Write the number and number word on the foam cards 
2. Draw circles for the amount coinciding with the number (draw circles to coincide with dice or with Montessori by having 5 in a row, down 5 on left side)

Store in a container for beads and basket to hold the set. This teaches the sequencing of the card numbers and learning the amount per number. Learning the number word, the number symbol, and the amount that equates to those words and symbols.

Fine Motor Skills Manipulative

 A basket of popsicle sticks. Baskets at Dollar Tree $1.

 To be put in a jar with a Parmesean container lid (which fits most jars, but not all perfectly, doesn't have to be)

 Get the sticks in the wide mouth or the three hole slots, the popsicles fit in both sides.

 Afterwards try to organize the colors of the popsicle sticks (at dollar tree $1) before you put them in.

This was later used as a musical instrument, one of their favorite sounds.

Conners A-Maize-Ing Acres (in pictures)

Make a Book from your Nature Outing

 Go to a forest or the park and take pictures of insects, flowers, trees, the sun, water, etc.

 Make a spiral bound notebook from Walgreens for under $10 here.

 Add captions to your pictures at the level for your child, I used captions like "purple flower", "tree bark", "ants".  I used all lowercase letters.

 The photobook has three shipping options ranging from $1.99 to $10.99.

Make sure you have a title for your cover page. I used, "What Do You See?" The title must be under 27 characters.

You can make the book longer or shorter and use it on several trips. The price is cheaper than museum trips for a day and you have a book you can keep. This is a real life application way of teaching that can develop language and an interest in spelling and writing.  Children getting to see themselves in a book is always exciting.

Introducing a New Gerbil to an Older One, and Toddlers holding Gerbils

 When introducing a new gerbil to our beloved gerbil Anna, I never expected what would happen. I bought another gerbil so that on cold nights they could cuddle and groom each other. What I quickly learned was that Gerbils do not become friends immediately. I made sure I bought the same sex and only one more because three females can be angry.I didn't expect two to be angry, but... They have to state dominance, and since Anna was the older Gerbil with ownership of the cage, she did indeed state her dominance.

 Anna bit Emmy's tail in three places. I was heartbroken. I started searching online more deeply. I saw that there was a separate cage system idea online but I didn't have a separate cage.

 I remembered that I kept glass jars and put two in the cage. That solved all problems. Anna was able to hide when she was tired and annoyed from the baby,and Emmy was able to hide if threatened.

 They loved those hiding places so much, they slept there, rested there, and even groomed each other from the front of there jars. If they didn't want company, they would say no at the entrance of the jar. The other always understood.

 Since Emmy is young, she acts much like a baby. Even though she was bit and bled a lot, she adored Anna. Last night she slept on the top of her jar just to be close to her.

 When the toddlers wanted to see the gerbils it was easy to just grab a jar. That was now both gerbils' comfort zone and they were able to hold the gerbil without a her running around the house. (although sometimes we let them run around for exercise and adventure). They love people and their cages... and behind the dryer. Remember always to vacuum after a free gerbil run, they poop often. but now we had these jars and the toddlers could hold them, without them running off.

 The gerbils would stay in the jars and not run out because that was their bed, in fact they fell asleep most times being held. We only had a few peeping shows.

 When I put the two jars together, it was as if they had missed each other terribly, and so excited to see each other again. I am glad I got Emmy for Anna.

 They love to groom and kiss and cuddle, Emmy, the new gerbil, is especially clingy, even to people, she is a lover.

 I saw they needed time together again and put them back into the cage. This process of acquainting Gerbils is much faster than the two cage system which can take days or weeks. (This was only 12 hours) I hope it works well for you also.