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I Needed to Entertain My Toddler
Lisa Forsythe Author Interview
Simple Activities For Toddlers provides parents with lots of fun and educational ideas that will keep their kids engaged. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Last year (2020) was challenging for many families. In March Spain, along with many other countries, went into lockdown. We were confined to our apartment with an almost 2-year-old. Suddenly, I needed to entertain my toddler all day long whilst making sure I offered a variety of activities and physical exercise while cooped up in an apartment. I drew on my experience as a primary school teacher to create play-based activities to engage my son whilst ensuring he was developing holistically. I started an Instagram page, @simpletoddleractivities, to share some of the activities we were doing with friends and family to offer activity ideas if they needed them. Then, it became something to keep me sane during that challenging time.
Throughout this journey, I realized parents wanted some inspiration for play-based activities to keep their toddlers busy whilst giving them the best start in life. Being a primary school teacher and parent, I wanted to use my teaching expertise to create simple activity ideas that are attainable for other parents and yet achievable for their toddlers. I try to use resources that are easily accessible, like recyclables, household items and common craft supplies. Furthermore, I want to help reduce overconsumption that plagues many families and in turn, has negative impacts for the environment.
The activities were so fun and easy to follow. What is your favorite activity from the book?
Modern art. The activity allows kids to enjoy the process of creation as opposed to creating a finished product. Creating a space where children can freely experiment with colour mixing, different brushes, lines, and materials encourages the use of the child’s imagination and ‘out of the box’ thinking. It is a type of art that they can be totally involved in and requires little assistance.
What advice would you give to parents who are struggling to engage their kids in different activities?
Start with something simple that is based on your child’s interests. For example, if they are into dinosaurs, choose a dinosaur related activity. As a parent it is important that we are playful and get down to their level. Remember your child wants your time, your undivided attention – YOU are enough. The activity does not have to be what you would consider amazing, your presence and engagement is sufficient.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am currently working on another book for slightly older children. As we are not in lockdown, I would love to write a book that incorporates more outdoor learning.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
The activities in this book are of high educational quality that maximizes the best use of your time, resources, and space. These play-based activities help your child thrive and ensures that they get a head start in life. All the activities have been ´toddler approved´ or field tested by Thomas.
Lisa Forsythe has over 15 years of experience as a teacher across Australia, NZ & UK. Since becoming a mother to Thomas she has focused her time on developing simple activities that develop foundational skills toddlers need to learn before engaging with more complex concepts and understandings. This is a practical guide for parents that creates opportunities to bond with your child and make beautiful life-long memories.
The activities predominately require things like recyclables, household items and common craft supplies; so, saving you money whilst being kind to the environment. There are a range of activities from sensory play, imaginative play, STEAM, crafts and games. They spark curiosity, enjoyment, motivation, deep learning, and creativity. The hard work of planning and ensuring that your toddler is equipped with the foundational skills they need for life has been done for you.
Simple Activities For Toddlers
It can be difficult to find activities to please a moody toddler and even more challenging to find something to do with only what you have on hand at home. In addition, if activities are too involved, require oddball materials, or take too long to complete, things can go downhill for a frantic parent very quickly. Fortunately, Lisa Forsythe offers parents, caregivers, and teachers of children ages 2-5 a fantastic how-to guide on quick and easy activities that hold interest and provide important lessons at the same time.
Simple Activities for Toddlers: A Practical Play-at-Home Handbook for Parents, by Lisa Forsythe, is a real lifesaver for families as well as teachers and caregivers. Cover to cover, the author has filled this handy book with step-by-step instructions for engaging projects and quick activities to keep toddlers’ little hands busy in a constructive and not-so-scary-for-parents manner!
This book is a gold mine for things to do on weekends and rainy days. I was especially taken with the format of the activities. Forsythe leaves no parent guessing–she lays out every activity in very simple terms, includes easy-to-access materials, and shows it all in lovely photographs that further excite kids as well as adults. I think my favorite activity is the Sea Creature Craft–so easy and just classically cute.
As a teacher, I can’t say enough about Forsythe’s attention to detail with reading, math, and writing skills. The more parents and caregivers can do at home with toddlers, the better off their children will be once they start kindergarten. These activities are rich with opportunities for little ones to practice those skills side by side with their parents–and none of it will feel like work to the toddlers.
Simple Activities for Toddlers: A Practical Play-at-Home Handbook for Parents, by Lisa Forsythe was written with 2-5 year olds in mind. I can see many of these activities fitting smoothly into elementary classrooms as part of thematic units. From cardboard boxes to noodles and muffin tins, the author keeps it simple and stress-free. Forsythe has given parents and teachers a true treasure!
Pages: 158 | ASIN: B08YS62P5Q
Delilah & Samson Adventures World – Book Trailer
This fictional story following the adventures of Delilah and her dog companion Samson, their adventures start out when Delilah is a child till the time she is in her teenage years. With heroic elements, Delilah is a voice and force to be reckoned with when it comes to saving the lives of innocent animals. Before each story, there is a short introduction about different animals,, teaching children basic facts and providing entertainment as well.
About the Author:
Miz Marta was born in Puerto Rico. She comes from a large family and has always had the desire to write and become an author. She is happily married to her husband Jaime and resides in Orlando, Florida.
A Sibling’s Guide To Autism
A Sibling’s Guide To Autism is an educational children’s book written in the form of an essay, or journal entry of sorts, where the author is explaining to her younger sibling what it is like to have an older sibling with autism. I don’t live with anyone that has autism so I, like her younger sibling, am learning about these things for the first time through this wonderfully illustrated book. This picture book is informative as well as enlightening and serves as a wonderful educational resource on the subject.
Author Irene Kim shares her experiences living with a sibling with autism. It sounds tough, but she also makes a point to say that it is rewarding in the end. The book uses a beautiful modern expressionist art style throughout the book to support the ideas presented on each page. Each piece of art and page is focused on an idea that takes on a different and more powerful meaning when you are living with someone with autism, like: pace, volume, people, and attachment. The section about ‘Attachment’ was the most impactful to me. I come to realize that living with someone with autism makes you mature and grow in ways that takes other people decades.
A Sibling’s Guide To Autism is a poignant children’s book that illuminates the up and downs that come with raising a child with autism. This is a fantastic picture book for teachers, parents, and children that are about to have someone with autism in their lives. This will be helpful in understanding that, while it will be difficult, it will also be rewarding, and author Irene Kim captures that in a brilliant way.
Pages: 17 | ASIN: B094HB7338
Ellibot and Aunt Maple
![Ellibot and Aunt Maple by [Sharon CassanoLochman, Lucy Belle]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51bFTX7a+oL.jpg)
Ellibot and Aunt Maple follows a young boy who is supposed to spend the day with his aunt, but dreads the inevitable boredom of it. He hatches a plan to construct a makeshift robot that will take his place with his aunt so that he can go play in his room. But he realizes that the fun he seeks cannot be found alone in his room.
This is a charming and imaginative children’s book that speaks to the boredom some kids feel when spending time with their aunts and uncles. But it also shows that, while it can be boring sometimes, our aunts and uncles also take care of us and can be fun as well. The art in this book has a wonderful sketch art style that keeps the focus on the action with vivid colors. Ellibot is a hilariously constructed ‘robot’ that takes on its own personality throughout the story. I loved that the story also shows the aunt being sad, as this provides an opportunity to learn that adults have emotions too, and that we need to be mindful of that.
Ellibot and Aunt Maple is a delightful picture book that teaches a valuable life lesson in a short but amusing story. Children will love seeing Ellibot in different situations throughout the story and will be able to relate to Elliot as well.
Pages: 16 | ASIN: B08CY73D5Q
Hugo Deani Runs Late
![Hugo Deani Runs Late by [Sharon CassanoLochman, Pearly Lim]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51XmII0bRkS.jpg)
Hugo Deani Runs Late is a charming children’s story about a boy who is given a task by his grandmother to get some cake and flowers and hurry home. But along the way he gets distracted by all the fun things happening around him.
This is a fun and relatable children’s book that really builds a sense of urgency. After he’s told by nearly everyone he meets that he must hurry home Hugo, l like any child, just wants to have fun, and has plenty of opportunity to do so. This is a fantastic children’s book that teaches kids to stay on task and not get distracted. The words in the story are simple, in context, and repeat so new readers will have an easy time reading the story and build their vocabulary in the process. The wonderful graphic art has a spray-painted feel with lots of depth that really catches your eye.
Although Hugo often gets distracted he knows he must hurry and his race to both have fun and get home gets the interest of those he encounters along the way and I loved that they all followed him home, creating a parade of characters near the surprise ending.
Hugo Deani Runs Late is a fun kid’s picture book that is reminiscent of classic children’s literature. This is a great book for parents and teachers that want to educate their young readers to stay on task in a fun way.
Pages: 33 | ASIN: B095J4M7R1
The Joyous Adventures of Whizzojack
![The Joyous Adventures of Whizzojack by [David Bush, Jack Zarb Adami]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51UFHSt3HVS.jpg)
The Joyous Adventures of Whizzojack by Jack Zarb Adami and David Bush, is a collection of short stories containing thirty-five unique characters. Each story reflects difficult situations the main characters are caught up in where Whizzojack comes to the rescue and ends up saving the day as best he can, while at the same time helping his town flourish. As stated in the foreword, the characters are meant to represent immigrants trying to find their place in a town, and does this well.
The imagination behind these stories is fantastic and the authors have done wonders in how they divide and tell each story. Written in easy to follow terms, you get a real sense of the creative mind that created this world, and the way the situations are described throughout which were added by the authors, add to the overall appeal and charm of how each story is told.
Immigration is a sensitive theme to have running throughout the short chapters, and I think in the majority of the stories this has been handled well howeveris some stories such as ‘Stiltman’ or ‘The Can Man’ they are portrayed as the villains because they are different. The characterization of the town, which is overall very engaging, is also shown to have corruption as suggested in a few stories such as ‘The Lineman’.
I enjoyed the aspect of recurring secondary characters like ‘Ma Mollie’ who I felt kept tying each story together. Furthermore, the illustrations created to accompany the plots in each chapter were wonderful and really help the reader to visualize the story. I think these stories would do well as a series of children’s books, especially due to the underlying educational tone of how people should be treated, even if they are different.
The Joyous Adventures of Whizzojack is a charming children’s story that teaches life lessons while also using some unique creativity to keep things consistently fun throughout this adventurous collection of entertaining kids stories.
Pages: 169 | ASIN: B09514222J
Stay on Track!
![Stay on Track! (What I Tell Myself) by [Michael A Brown]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51uWyheMcYS._SX260_.jpg)
Stay on Track! Is a colorful, and lyrical, children’s book that follows a train, and an engineer, as they shuttle passengers to Oakton Park station, learning a valuable life lesson along the way. Will Eddie the Engineer know what to do when the train takes a wrong turn? Luckily Travis the Train is there to support his friend and provide sagely advice to get them back on track.
Author Michael A. Brown adds another beautiful book to his What I Tell Myself series that helps kids understand that mistakes are normal and, while it’s okay to aspire to be like others, everyone is different and take different paths in life. The art in this book, like in many of Michael Brown’s books, is vivid, cute, and emotive. This story is reminiscent of Thomas The Train, but readers will enjoy the modern suburban feel in this story.
Kids’ books rarely surprise me. I knew that something was going to happen to challenge our character, like many stories do, but I didn’t see this one coming. I was like Eddie the Engineer, distracted by the fun time and Oscar the other Train Engineer, that by the time the turn came and Eddie missed it, I was just as shocked.
The story is easy to read, with rhymes throughout, ensuring that new readers will easily be able to follow along and build their vocabulary. Stay on Track! is a fun children’s picture book that conveys a valuable life lesson.
Pages: 31 | ASIN: B094HLM5DG
LITERARY TITAN 