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Three Top Games for Preschoolers

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We love board games for preschoolers. Not only do they teach basic concepts, they teach social and game skills such as taking turns, rolling dice, drawing a card for play, and so much more. Game time is perfect for family fun, making memories, and bonding too.

If you are shopping for your preschoolers, here are some favorite games for kids under five years. The images below are clickable affiliate links to Amazon for easy shopping.

The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel
This highly rated games is not only cute, it is packed full of fun and skill.

Skills: Matching, fine motor, problem solving, and social skills

Hoot Owl Hoot
Hoot Owl Hoot is an award winning cooperative game. Everyone who plays has the common goal of getting the baby owls back to their nest

Skills: Matching, strategy, turn-taking, no reading is required

Count Your Chickens
Count Your Chickens is another award winning game that utilizes cooperative play. Players work together to help Mother Hen gather her chicks.

Skills: Counting, turn-taking, no reading is required

Rice Play – Simple Play

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Simple sensory play with rice

Playing in rice. Sometimes it is the simplest play that is the most intriguing to our kids. We needed a different activity at our house one afternoon.  I threw about 4 cups of rice into a 13X9 inch pan, grabbed a couple of measuring cups, a measuring spoon, and a scoop took it outside on a cheap quilt where Ruby played and played. It was just simple, wonderful play.

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Creative Connections for Kids ~ An Upgrade!

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We are in the process of a redesign and upgrade. When WordPress last updated it took out my header. Rather then recode it, I have decided to have a complete redesign. I am working with the ever creative Bethany Barkey to totally change the look of the site. She has made some major changes and there are more to come. It is a work in progress. Come back soon to see our progress!

Kristi

The Best Posts of 2011 are…

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A great group of blogging friends and I are celebrating the Best of 2011 by hosting a Blog Hop of our best posts of the year!

The most viewed post of CCK, is one of my favorites as well.

It is:  Cutting Up! Fine Motor Activities to Help Develop Scissor Skills

Children love to cut and play with scissors; and parents usually want to support their efforts, but are afraid of the impromptu hair cut that might occur. We’ve also had teddy bears receive a close cut cropping of their fur as well! 🙂

These activities are simple, support developing scissor skills, don’t require scissors, and are just plain fun.

That is why it is one of my favorite posts and a favorite of readers!

The following wonderful bloggers are participating and hosting this link-up:

AngeliqueFelix.com, The Golden Gleam, hands on : as we grow,Toddler Approved, Red Ted Art, The Iowa Farmer’s Wife, The Outlaw Mom Blog, Let Kids Create,  Come Together Kids, Creative With Kids,  Science sparks, Mama Smiles,  Rainy Day Mum, teach mama, Kitchen Counter Chronicles, The Imagination Tree, JDaniel Fours Mom, Teach Preschool, De tout et de rien: Activités pour le Préscolaire, Tinkerlab, Mama Pea Pod, Crayon Freckles, Sun Hats & Wellie Boots, From Tantrums To Treasure Hunts, My Creative Family, Classified: Mom, Puddles and Gumboots, Art For Little Hands, Creative Connections for Kids, At home with Ali, Nurturestore, The Chocolate Muffin Tree, Critters and Crayons, The Mommies Made Me Do It

If you are a blogger we would love for you to share your favorite post of 2011! Just click the link below and follow the instructions.

Readers, these are the best of the best activities in the early childhood blogging community. Visit the links, pin them on Pinterest, share them with friends, and most importantly, use them to connect with your kids!

Have fun!

The Winner of the Giveaway is…

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…Cathy!

Congratulations!  I will be sending you an email shortly.

Cathy stated:

“My most treasured piece of jewelry is a silver butterfly necklace I wear to honor my best friend’s memory. Thanks for this awesome giveaway! I love all the beautiful stamped designs :)”

Thank you to all who commented; I enjoyed reading your touching stories.

Thank you to JJewelry for sponsoring this giveaway!

Kristi

A Giveaway to say “Thank You”

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Thank you for reading Creative Connections for Kids!  To show my appreciation we are having sponsored giveaway by JJewelry.

So thank you to our 970 Facebook ‘likers’, 427 Pinterest followers, 283 Feedburner subscribers, and 90 Tweeters.  Thank you for being a part of CCK!

This giveaway is for a $32.00 gift certificate to JJewelry!!!!!

This is the piece from JJewelry that I am giving to my daughter for Christmas.

She became engaged under a huge oak tree. For her wedding day she drew an oak tree and the guests signed the branches.

She used the A + B motif for her wedding publications:

When I saw the necklace with the Tree of Life and found that it could be personalized, I knew Bethany would love it to commemorate her wedding day!

Joanne has been wonderful, and has provided excellent service!

Here are just a few of the pieces you can find at JJewelry.

Many can be personalized for mothers and grandmothers.

You can add words of inspiration. Or you can commemorate special days.

There are pieces for the athlete, sweetheart, and your furry friend:

This is a sponsored giveaway from JJewelry.

Do visit Joanne’s Etsy store to see her beautiful, unique, and affordable hand-stamped pieces!

To enter answer this question in a comment below:

What is your most sentimental piece of jewelry? Or you can just say ‘hi’. 🙂

General Giveaway Terms

  • It is open to residents of the USA
  • One entry per person
  • Winner will be selected by “And the Winner Is…”
  • The giveaway will close on Saturday, November 26th 10:00 pm ET.
  • The winner will be selected Sunday, November 27 and an email will be sent.
  • The winner must respond to the email in 24 hours, if there is not a response another winner will be selected.
  • By entering you are giving Creative Connection for Kids permission to share your email address with JJewelry; and you understand and agree that JJewelry will contact you to send you the gift certificate.
  • Order placement and shipping arrangements are not the responsibility of Creative Connections for Kids.
  • Detailed rules to giveaways are here.

Again….Thank you for reading Creative Connections for Kids!!!!

Welcome to the Himalayas!!!

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This is my first official blizzard and it feels like the Himalayas! We are expecting 10 to 20 inches of snow, including thundersnow, wind, and frigid temperatures. Since I have unexpected time at home I have decided to learn how to do a Linky and you are invited!!

My first ever linky is…(drum roll):

Abominable Blizzard Activities

1) Please link any activity that your children love to do on a snowy, blizzardy day…only lemon flavored snow allowed 🙂

2) Please put a text link back to this webpage on the webpage of your activity, something like “This activity is being featured at Creative Connections for Kids”.

I don’t have a cute linky button. I decided to do this on the spur of the moment and will work on a button for the future. I have so much to learn!

3) Please visit and comment on 3 of the links below.

4) Please pass the word about this meme/linky.

5) Thank you for sharing your wonderful ideas!

Let’s play, learn, and have fun in this lousy winter weather! 🙂

Learning to create a connection with the cyber world

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The purpose of this blog is to share early childhood educational activities for preschoolers. I want parents to play with and connect with their kids. However, first I must learn how to develop and create this blog. I am learning a new language, new content, new skills. I am a toddler to the blogging world. For example, this post is being written so that I can establish a feedburner. There are problems with ‘validity’ but I am really not sure what that means. Trudging on…