Fireman Fun

We've had a great time these past few days enjoying some time away.  Unfortunately I did an absolutely horrible job taking pictures.  I guess I got a little too relaxed.

Our four-year-old absolutely adores firemen.  He has fireman dress-up clothes that he wears all the time and is always saying he wants to be a fireman when he grows up.  When we came across this firehouse museum we knew we had to take him to see it. 

This was a victorian-era firehouse that had been restored.  The firefighters were anybody and everybody who heard the alarm.  Every house was mandated to have their own fire buckets, and the men would grab them and run to the fire house.  The horses stayed in stables in the back of the fire house, and they were trained to walk to the front of the fire wagon and wait when they heard an alarm.  Pulleys above the horses would lower their harnesses onto them, and the firemen could be out the door within 45 seconds.  The alarms rang in code telling the men at which house number there was a fire.  It would repeat itself over and over because someone might miss the beginning of it.  There was also a big church-type bell in the very top that they would ring so that the whole town could hear it. 

In the back of the museum were all sorts of vintage fire trucks, and there were other displays of old uniforms and other paraphernalia.  I expected Little Bear to love seeing all the firetrucks, but I actually found the museum to be quite fascinating myself.

If the Lord wants him to be a fireman when he grows up, I'll be happy with that.  I'll be even more happy if he gives his life telling others how they can be saved from the fires of hell.  Who knows what will be in store for this little guy? 

Easy Alphabet Activity for Preschoolers

I had a spur of the moment idea today for making learning fun.  The kids were playing with this huge alphabet puzzle they got at a yard sale last week, but I wanted them to actually be thinking about the letters that were on it.  I wanted their educational toy to be, you know, educational.  They also had out a play flashlight, and that's when I got my idea.  I would call out a letter and have them shine the flashlight on the correct letter.  Playing with flashlights is fun, having something specific to shine their flashlight on is even more fun.  And the bonus for mom was that they were learning and didn't even know it.

  

You could do this game with alphabet flashcards, number flashcards, colors, anything really.  Kids will love playing with a flashlight, and it will be a great way to reinforce various concepts.


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10 Things Small Children Can Do in the Kitchen

My children are always begging to help me in the kitchen, but sometimes I have a hard time thinking of things that they can do.  I did a little brainstorming and compiled a list of 10 things that children as young as age 2 can do in the kitchen.

1.Dump ingredients into a bowl.  You measure it and then allow them to dump it into the bowl.

2. Stir.  Since they will probably not stir it as well as it needs to be done, you can tell them that you will start and they can finish.

3. Put toppings on pizza.  Lay out the toppings and let them have fun spreading them on the pizza. 

4. Put forks, napkins, and condiments on the table.  Of course you're not going to let a very small child put the breakable dishes on the table, but they can set the forks and napkins around and help you put small items on the table like ketchup or salad dressing. 

5. Sweep the floor.  A child is not going to be able to get the floor completely swept, but they will feel like such a big boy or girl using the broom.  It will probably keep them occupied for a while.  You can also teach them how to hold the dustpan for you while you sweep the dirt into it.

6. Tear up salad greens.  If salad is on the menu, you can keep children occupied tearing the lettuce.  They may even do a better job at it than you!

7. Wash dishes.  Give them a chair, a sink full of soapy water, and some unbreakable dishes, and let them have at it!  They may end up a little bit wet, and you will most likely have to re-do the dishes, but they will have fun!  They will also be developing the skills they need to wash them them right way when they get a little older.

8. Dry dishes.  If you're not in the mood for a wet kitchen, you could wash and let them dry.

9. Chop Vegetables with an enclosed chopper.  If you have a hand chopper that is enclosed, they could take a turn at chopping. 

10. Help you unload the dishwasher.  Kids as young as age 1 love to help unload the silverware from the dishwasher.  They can hand you one piece of silverware at a time while you put them away. 


Children will probably not do everything perfectly in the kitchen, and you may get frustrated when they use the spoon more often as a bat than as a stirring utensil. But when you allow them to help, they will develop skills that will allow them to really be a help in the future.  You are also spending valuable time with them, and they will know by the time you spend how much you love them.

 What did I miss?  I'm sure there are more things that kids can do in the kitchen that I didn't think to put on this list.  I'd love for you to leave a comment and give some more ideas!

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