Sharla Kostelyk

Silk Flowers Sensory Bins

These silk flowers sensory bins were made easily using silk flowers and flower petals. These are a very easy sensory bin filler. I find most of mine at the dollar store.

Spring is coming! After a winter that seemed longer (or maybe just colder) than most, I am very ready to welcome it. As part of my plan to welcome spring a bit early, I made two Spring themed sensory bins. The first one I made very simply with two colours of silk flower petals, soap flower petals (I knew that my sensory sensitive kids would NOT be fans of the smell of the regular rose scented ones so I bought softer grapefruit smelling ones), and little chicks. It was a very simple bin but had a good contrast of textures between the coarser soap petals and the silk petals and then the fuzzy chicks. With the presence of the little chicks, this bin could also double as an Easter sensory experience.

The other bin is one that I love because it is full of bright and cheerful colours! For me, Spring is all about colour. This bin was so pretty.

For this sensory bin, I used a purple silk flower lei, many different silk flowers in an assortment of colours, silk leaves, a large daisy hairclip, and really bright pompoms. The kids really enjoyed this bin. Granola Girl enjoyed grouping the flowers and pompoms according to colour while some of the other kids just wanted to dig their hands in and play in a more random way.

Silk flowers and flower petals are a very easy bin filler because they add colour, a nice soft texture and they hold up well to play and even do well if they get wet. You can easily float them in water.

If you have any sensory bins that you silk flowers or flower petals, please link them up so that others can find more ideas for incorporating this easy sensory bin filler into their sensory play as well.

If you are looking for information on making sensory bins, you may be interested in my book.

African American Heroes for Kids

By Sharla Kostelyk

As the white mom of three black children, I feel an extra burden to ensure that they know about African American heroes they can look up to. I want them to know that there are no heights that they cannot reach.

I make sure that the house has many books and movies about African American heroes and that we study people that they can aspire to emulate in one way or another.

I make sure that my children know that all of these heroes are human and not perfect but they each have character qualities that are admirable and many of them paved the way for those who would come behind them.

African American Heroes for Kids

These are just some of the many African American heroes that you can study with your children. Below, I have listed some movies and books that may help you in teaching your children and lead you and them to even further study of the heroes who possess character qualities they can aspire to achieve.

Martin Luther King, Jr. – Martin Luther King Jr. was an activist, pastor, husband, father, and leader of the civil rights movement. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. He gave his life for freedom.

Barack Obama – In 2009, Barack Obama became the first African American President of the United States.

Condaleeza Rice – Condaleeze Rice served as the 66th United States Secretary of State. She was also the first woman to serve as a National Security Advisor.

Rosa Parks – Rosa Parks is often called the “first lady of civil rights”.

Denzel Washington – Denzel Washington is obviously an accomplished actor but he is also a family man, Christian and positive role model.

Matthew Hensen – This man was the first African American Arctic explorer and is credited by many as having been the first person ever to reach the North Pole.

Oprah – There is no denying the impact Oprah has had on the entertainment industry and the doors that she opened for those who came behind her.

Harriet Tubman – It is difficult to sum up a true hero in a few sentences. Harriet Tubman was born into slavery, born black and born a woman. Those things did not stop her from freeing over 300 slaves through the Underground Railroad and fighting for justice to the end of her days.

Percy Jullian – Percy Jullian was a scientist who made huge strides in the world of chemistry.

Thurgood Mashall – Thurgood Marshall became the first black justice of the United States Supreme Court in 1967.

Jackie Robinson – Jackie Robinson was the first black major league baseball player. Number 42 will always be known as his.

Colonel Guion F. Bluford – Astronaut Colonel Bluford was the first African American in space.

Dr. Ben Carson – Dr. Ben Carson made medical advances as a pediatric neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He is best known as being the first surgeon to separate twins conjoined at the head.

Gifted Hands, Revised Kids Edition: The Ben Carson Story (ZonderKidz Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story Gifted Hands A Picture Book of Sojourner Truth (Picture Book Biography)When Harriet Met Sojourner Sojourner Truth’s Step-Stomp Stride A Picture Book of Harriet Tubman (Picture Book Biography)Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom (Caldecott Who Was Harriet Tubman?Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman (Picture Puffin)A Picture Book of Frederick Douglass (Picture Book Biography)Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass: The Story Behind an American Ruby Bridges Through My Eyes The Story Of Ruby Bridges: Special Anniversary Edition Selma Lord Selma A Picture Book of Thurgood Marshall (Picture Book Biography)42 Who Was Jackie Robinson?Stealing Home: The Story of Jackie Robinson Jackie Robinson and the Story of All Black Baseball (Step A Picture Book of Jackie Robinson (Picture Book Biography)Dream Big: Michael Jordan and the Pursuit of Olympic Gold Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Who Is Michelle Obama? (Who Was?)Meet President Barack Obama (Scholastic News Nonfiction Readers)Barack Obama: Out of Many, One (Step into Reading)Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope The Rosa Parks Story A Picture Book of Rosa Parks (Picture Book Biography)Rosa Rosa’s Bus: The Ride to Civil Rights If A Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks Who Was Rosa Parks?I Am Rosa Parks (Penguin Young Readers, Level 4)Back of the Bus I Have a Dream (Book & CD)A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Picture Book If You Lived At The Time of Martin Luther King Martin Luther King Jr.: A Celebration for Children Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King,Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.?Martin Luther King, Jr. – Biography for Kids (Just the Book of Black Heroes from A to Z: An Introduction A Kid’s Guide to African American History: More than 70 The Civil Rights Movement for Kids: A History with 21 If You Were a Kid During the Civil Rights Movement Black Pioneers of Science and Invention 100 African-Americans Who Shaped American History (100 Series)Black Stars: African American Women Scientists and Inventors Black Firsts: 4,000 Ground-Breaking and Pioneering Historical Events American Educational African-American Scientists and Inventors Historical Poster Great African Americans Coloring Book (Dover History Coloring Book)

How to Rely on God When Your Child is Sick

By Sharla Kostelyk

How to Rely on God When Your Child is Sick

I make the drive on autopilot, having made this trip hundreds of times now. I never bother to look for empty spots as I snake my way down the parkade to “our” parking stall, the one in the corner of the lowest level. “Our” parking spot is near the stairs. Some days as we run up the six flights to the top floor, I pause to exhale a prayer of thanks. Taking the stairs is a victory for my daughter.

The first time I drove to this building, we had been discharged from the hospital, my daughter still struggling to breathe. I had begged the doctors there not to send us away, had known in my mommy gut that their assessment was wrong, that something was so terribly wrong with my baby girl.

In the hospital parking lot, I cried out to God for a miracle and He whispered a name. I called that friend and left a sobbing message on her machine. As I drove further away from the hospital, feeling more desperate with each block, I helplessly watched my daughter labour for breath in the back seat. My mind raced.

The cell phone rang. It was the friend whose name had come to mind when I had asked God for a miracle. I heard only snippets of what she was saying “best pediatric pulmonary doc…staying open past closing for you…follow my exact directions to get there…go now”.

When we arrived, her lips were again blue. The doctor was incensed but not surprised that the hospital had discharged her. He began to treat her right there in his office. He was able to accurately diagnose her and take over her future care. Some might say the doctor saved her. I know of course that it was God who saved her, God who has plans for her, God who has blessed me with her for this time.

Having a daughter with a chronic illness has caused me to rely on and trust God in ways that I never thought I could. Through it all, my daughter has taught me the power of compassion and positivity and shown me the true meaning of bravery.

Learning to rely on God in the midst of our daughter’s illness did not come easily for me. It is something that at times I still have to work on. These are the things that helped me:

Accepting that I couldn’t change the situation.

My daughter’s health was something I could not control no matter how much I wanted to or tried. Understanding that worrying constantly or being in a state of near panic did not help to bring her healing helped me to release that burden of worry over to God.

Reading His word.

The Bible talks an awful lot about fear. Reading those verses helps me not only to relinquish that fear but also to realize that for God to provide us with so many verses about it, He must understand how difficult fear is for us.

“For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”
Isaiah 41:13 (NIV)

Believing in the power of prayer.

I read books and listened to sermons and researched prayer. Then of course, I prayed. I asked others to pray. I continue to pray for a complete and miraculous healing for our daughter.

Knowing that God is the ultimate Healer.

Read verses such as Psalm 103:1-3, Matthew 14:14 and Exodus 23:25-26. Put your trust in Him.

Easy Science for Kids – Gravity Defying Beads

By Sharla Kostelyk

Science can be fun and it doesn’t have to be complicated. This simple experiment allowed me to introduce several new science concepts to the kids.

Simple Science for Kids - Gravity Defying Beads

For this experiment, you only need 2 items: a container (we tried using a glass container and a tall plastic cup and we preferred the glass container as it made more noise which contributed to the fun factor!) and a long string of plastic beads or a beaded garland. You can achieve this by using beaded necklaces (I bought mine at the dollar store) and cutting them once to form a single strand and then tying them together to create a long strand.

Put a piece of tape on each end of your beads. I used clear packing tape but I’m sure that any type of tape would be fine.

gravity defying bead experiement

The experiment is so simple. Place the strand of beads into the container, ensuring that it doesn’t get tangled, hold it up and give the end of the strand a slight tug, causing the strand to begin falling. Before long, instead of falling straight down, you will see the beads begin to arch upwards. It is so cool!

Gravity Defying Beads

This experiment depicts Newton’s law of inertia (Newton’s first law) which is basically that objects at rest have a tendency to stay at rest while objects in motion have a tendency to stay in motion.

I also used this experiment to talk to my kids about momentum. To give a further demonstration of momentum, I had them begin running and then suddenly told them to stop so that they could see that their body continued to propel forward. They found this to be quite a fun demonstration as well!

This video shows our gravity defying bead experiment. First, Snuggle Puppy is holding the container and then Granola Girl (who has a really funny reaction to watching the beads go higher and higher!). I’ve also put Granola Girl’s in slow motion to better show how it works.

If you are interested in other easy hands-on science activities, you may want to follow my Simple Science board on Pinterest or check out our other simple science for kids ideas.

Easy Science for Kids – Chromatography

By Sharla Kostelyk

Science is not my favourite subject to teach. To be honest, it’s hard to even wrap my brain around some of the more advanced concepts so other than nature studies and Science Fair projects, we do very little science in our homeschooling. Last weekend, our girls were invited to a birthday party with a science theme. The birthday girl’s dad is a friend of mine who is a high school Physics teacher and he is PASSIONATE about SCIENCE! I stayed and watched and I have to admit that his enthusiasm was infectious and by the end of the party, I began to believe that maybe science could be fun and that maybe I could be capable of teaching it.

Simple Science for Kids: Chromatography

One of the hands-on activities he had the kids do was a lesson in chromatography and it was one that I later repeated with all my kids at home. This easy science demonstration can be done with materials you likely have in your home already.

All that you need for this experiment is filter paper, markers, droppers, and water. It does works best on filter paper but you can also use coffee filters or paper towels. We tried with each of these and they all work well enough to demonstrate the principle, although filter paper did give the most clear results. For the water, we used droppers, a spray bottle and a paintbrush and all of them worked equally well for distribution of water.

Have the kids colour an area on the filter paper and then add a few drops of water to that area. Have them observe what happens to the colour. They will be able to see that not only does the colour spread, it separates into the colours that make up that particular colour. Be sure to have them try using a black marker as it separates into several colours.

easy science for kids Chromatography is the separation of mixtures so this simple experiment is an easy introduction for kids to that concept and also gives further study into colours and shades.

If you are looking for more easy science ideas, you may want to follow my Simple Science board on Pinterest.

Children’s Books About Emotions

By Sharla Kostelyk

For some children, learning about emotions comes fairly naturally but for others, feelings are a bit of a mystery. There are many great children’s books about emotions that are available to help teach children not only what emotions are, but how to manage them.

Whether your child struggles with learning about feelings due to autism/Aspergers, boundary issues, attachment issues (or full blown RAD), learning disabilities, or just their young age, these resources are a non-threatening and often fun way to improve their emotional IQ skills in the home or the classroom. They can also help them learn to express their feelings effectively and give them more confidence.

One of our sons has Aspergers (a form of autism), so identifying and understanding emotions is a challenge for him. We have worked with him extensively on this including using books and things such as emotion cards.

Two of our kids have attachment issues which also lead to difficulty understanding appropriate emotions and trouble managing their feelings, boundaries and behaviours. I find with them that certain books have been excellent in allowing them to express where they are at emotionally that day or even in helping them to find new strategies to deal with their emotions.

Books can be a great way to help children learn to not only be able to identify and talk about different emotions, but even give them ideas of how to better manage their emotions. We use books for teaching tools on a regular basis and particularly those that facilitate discussions about feelings.

I often expand the books into discussions, crafts and activities. For the book Today I Feel Silly, we did a craft and I printed out emotion cards for us to do exercises with.

The book How Do Dinosaurs Say I’m Mad has recently become a favourite of ours because it has been a tool for helping our kids to identify how they (inappropriately) manage their anger and give them new skills for managing their anger more appropriately in the future.

It plays out many different ways that “a dinosaur” might say that they are mad such as slamming doors, ignoring their parents, or pretending they don’t care. These scenarios are an easy way for me to ask my kids which one of those pages is most like the way they behave when they are feeling angry.

They have actually been able to identify themselves quickly and have even laughed about how accurately the book describes how they react. The book ends by showing more appropriate ways the dinosaur could show his feelings or make amends for his poor reactions.

We then talk about this and they identify how they would really like to react next time they are struggling with anger. I have even given them some role play scenarios to act out and practise their responses.

Sometimes I’m Bombaloo (Scholastic Bookshelf)The Way I Feel Wilma Jean the Worry Machine The Way I Act The Grouchies The Feelings Book My Many Colored Days Today I Feel Silly: And Other Moods That Make My I Feel Orange Today (Reprint)[ I FEEL ORANGE TODAY (REPRINT)Angry Octopus: An Anger Management Story introducing active progressive muscular Glad Monster, Sad Monster On Monday When It Rained Feelings to Share from A to Z Lots of Feelings (Shelley Rotner’s Early Childhood Library) (Shelley Rotner’s How Do Dinosaurs Say I’M MAD?When My Worries Get Too Big!Calm-Down Time (Toddler Tools)My Mouth Is a Volcano!Zach Gets Frustrated (Zach Rules Series)A Volcano in My Tummy: Helping Children to Handle Anger The Chocolate-Covered-Cookie Tantrum What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid’s What to Do When You Grumble Too Much: A Kid’s What to Do When Your Temper Flares: A Kid’s Guide

There are other tools available for teaching children about feelings, from charts and reminders to games. As mentioned above, we regularly use the emotion cards to help our son Einstein to identify feelings and to become more at ease with talking about them.

We also use the scenario cards they contain with him and with our daughter who suffers from PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) to prepare them for upcoming events or things they may encounter.

We like many of the other resources here as well including the posters and feelings mood magnet (it is easier for my son Snuggle Puppy to move the magnet to show me how he is feeling than to tell me in words). The visual cues help kids identify their feelings.

As a family, we also find specific board games are a good way to work on this skill without singling out the kids that most need work in this area and making the learning fun.

I’ve put together a complete resource kit full of printable games and activities for parents to teach their kids about emotions and how to manage them.The most effective thing we have found to date for managing high emotions such as anxiety is the anti-anxiety kit we created for our daughter. It is very easy to make your own and I have included printable relaxation prompts with the ability to personalize for what works best for your child.

Our “calm down kit” continues to be extremely effective at not only diffusing meltdowns, but at helping Dancing Queen to learn to better manage these episodes on her own.

Another way that we teach about emotions in our home is through our Feelings Jenga game. You can easily create your own and there are several methods of play that encourage both understanding feelings and being able to go deeper with them. The Feelings Jenga Game is also included in the Teaching Emotions Toolkit.