Spring Has Sprung - Classes Start April 8th!

I am excited to announce that I will be starting a Parent and Me class starting April 8 at the Lamorinda Theatre Academy in Lafayette, CA!  http://www.lamorindatheatreacademy.com/ 

Sample Art Project

Each week we will have fun exploring Spring themes...sun, rain, bugs, butterflies, and more.  Classes begin with a simple craft and at the end of the eight weeks you will have a collection of art and memories to fit into a scrap book.  Be prepared to move, dance, and laugh together with your little ones.  The songs and poems can be easily learned to continue to do at home.  Skills include socialization, colors, numbers, gross motor skills and building self-confidence in a fun, safe environment!

Who:  18 months - 3.5 years old and an adult
When:  Mondays, 10:00-10:50 April 8 - June 10 (8 weeks, no class  April 22 and May 27)
Where:  Lamorinda Theatre Academy, Lafayette, CA
Why:  To create special memories together and while having fun learning basic skills
Cost: $150, materials included

REGISTER online http://www.lamorindatheatreacademy.com/ 

Miss Diana's Bio:
Over 11 years of experience teaching kindergarten in the Capistrano Unified School District in Orange County, Diana O'Daniels is currently enjoying being a mom of two young boys and teaching Mommy and Me and Kindergarten Readiness Classes.  She enjoys giving parents the tools and confidence needed to prepare their children for a successful start in school.  Her classes for children are always fun and engaging as she teaches skills necessary for kids to start school.

Here is what some parents are saying about Diana O'Daniels and her classes:
With my oldest child I took several popular "music" classes and Paint, Paste and Pour classes and I would by far say that Diana’s class was head and shoulders above these classes.  I enjoyed the format she used for her class, which consisted of a 50 minute class which had a daily theme broken up into a simple, yet creative and fun art project, followed by music, discussion, and story, all tied into the theme, then followed by time for the kids to get up, march around and dance, play with instruments, scarves, or balls… needless to say it was a packed 50 minutes, which was perfect for the attention span of a toddler.  I LOVED the fact that I was getting a little bit of everything in her class: art, music, movement, and on top of that, there was education tied in.  Some of the topics that we covered were rain, rainbows, frogs, worms, trains, butterflies… and there was a small informational lesson about each topic, tied into introductions to letters, colors and numbers.  The cherry on top of all this was Miss Diana.  She is kind, patient, fun and engaging.  I found some other teachers in the other classes I took to be significantly lacking in many of these areas, particularly personality.  I stopped taking Music Together because I found the instructor to be abrasive.  Diana has a fun and appealing class to match her personality which kept me coming back.  - Anne Larandie - mother of 2

If you haven't heard of this class...and you haven't heard of Mrs. O'Daniels...then you HAVE TO CHECK IT/HER out!!!  Marcos took her class in the fall at the Talega Swim and Athletic Club and it was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I can't sing enough praise for Mrs. O'Daniels.  She is smiley, loving, energetic, smart, and super enthusiastic.  One of the best teathers I have EVER seen.  Marcos LOVED it and learned a lot.  Check it out!!  You won't be disappointed.  We love it so much, we are doing it again!!! - Alicia Duzman, mother of 4

We can't thank you enough for what you did with Thomas.  He was not super excited about me leaving him...and after just one week he LOVED your class (he actually prefers your class to his preschool!)  If you decide to put together another class in the future, please let us know.  You are so smiley, animated, and loving toward the children.  Thank you!! - Diann Alexander,  mother of 3

Spiral Rainbow Cookies

I saw this idea on Pinterest and loved it.  I made them for my son's class in honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday (March 2).  However, after making these, I realized they would be perfect for any occasion.  You could pick the colors you need for Christmas, 4th of July, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, or even the colors of your soccer team,...

The best part was that this activity is VERY kid friendly.  My five year old son and 10 year old neighbor helped to make these colorful and delicious cookies!  They were busy forming the dough into grape size balls, rolling, and dipping into the sprinkles.  They loved seeing the colors mix.  Each cookie is different!

I have attached the link to the sugar cookie recipe and directions for the rainbow spirals.  I hope you and your kids have fun making these yummy treats!

The sugar cookie recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-sugar-cookies/ 

Rainbow Pinwheel Cookie recipe:  http://www.soudersstudios.com/recipes/rainbow-pinwheel-cookies.php

The only thing we did differently was that we only had 4 colors of the food coloring.

finished product

rolling and making spiral

Valentine's Day LOVE Hunt

We are always up for a "hunt" and Valentine's Day is  a perfect excuse to go on a "LOVE" hunt.  There are a few ways to do it, depending on the age of your children or spouse.

Very young at HEART:  Cut up hearts in various colors and sizes and scatter them along a train that your child must follow.  At the end of the "love" trail have a small surprise for them.

Young at Heart: Come up with rhyming clues and have your child go on a hunt from one heart clue to the next.  For example:  Leave a clue on the front door so when they come home from school they can begin their heart hunt.  Some clues might be:  "You have to use your BRAIN, go look where you keep your ______."  Leave a clue on a toy train.  OR  "For a better LOOK, go find your favorite ______."  Leave a clue on a book.  Find things around your house that you can make up a rhyme for and leave the written clues on hearts.  At the end have a special surprise.

Fun at Heart:  Leave "love" notes around the house written on hearts.  Write reasons why you love that person.  For example, on the bathroom mirror, coffee pot, tv remote...

I AM Loved!

Hope your day is filled with fun, LOVE and simple surprises!



SAMPLE CLUES:
Heart #1  place on floor with these words

You will have to use your "smarts"
And follow the clues on these valentines day hearts. 
Look at this heart upon the floor
For your fist clue go look on your ___ (tape next clue on door)

Now you have to use your brain
Look where you keep Thomas the ____(put next clue on train)

This is where you rest your head
Go look underneath your _____ (put next clue under bed)

 This is where you go to eat
A clue is on a yummy ____ (put clue on a treat in kitchen)

For your next clue, please don't bump
This is where we love to _____( put clue on trampoline)