Every new year welcomes many new year’s resolutions and for this year, mine was to start a blog!  For several years I have been asked to share some of my creative ideas for lessons and crafts geared towards young children but for one reason or the other I could never find the time to sit down and do this. Okay, the real reason is that I am severely technology challenged and in order to figure out how to actually create a blog, I had to wait until my kids reached the teen years so that they could show me how. This is somewhat of an embarrassment to me as I do hold a Master’s degree in education! Well, now that I have come clean, on with the good stuff!

January is a great time to connect with your children. Christmas is over and life’s basic routines start up again. Begin the new year by making a goal journal with your children.  Have them write down goals that they would like to accomplish during the year. Make sure that they are realistic so that the child will not get discouraged.  Some of the goals my kids have chosen included ; learning how to jump rope,  reaching the next level in a video game, writing in cursive, and so on. Whenever they reach the goal, write the date and any information pertaining to the goal achievement in the journal along with a photo or drawing of the event.  Keeping these journals fosters self esteem and pride at a young age as well as develops life long skills that carry way into adult hood!  This is also a great activity for a classroom and even for those of us who are already grown up! There are always new things to accomplish and learn no matter how old we are are.