Earth Day Cartoon Videos for Kids

While looking up a Berenstain Bears video to link to my last post (More Earth Day Books for Kids), I decided to search and find a few more fun videos that I can show my girls as we prepare for Earth Day. I uncovered some gems! I really love YouTube. :)

Here you go - Earth Day cartoons for you to enjoy with your kids!

The Berenstain Bears Don't Pollute (Anymore)     Schoolhouse Rock! Save the Ocean  

Bouba and Zaza Protect the Earth

The Magic School Bus Goes To Seed

  The Lorax      Betsy's Kindergarten Adventures: Happy Earth Day
 

And here is an audio story of "The Carrot Seed" by Ruth Krauss.
(click on the link and scroll down. You can listen to the story online)

Simple St. Patrick's Day fun

 

We celebrated St. Patrick's Day a day late this year, but it seemed a shame to let the holiday go by without commemoration!

We listened to Irish and Irish/Newfoundland music all day, and learned about the history of St. Patrick's Day through this cartoon on YouTube (Oh, how I love YouTube).


  We ate green snacks: leftover sugar cookies from the freezer, spread with icing and topped with green sprinkles, and green Jell-o later in the day.

We had a colour hunt, which C waned to do again. I think we'll try this another time with a different colour! I hid (in plain sight) a few green items to get her started, and we walked around the house collecting more items and putting them inside a green canvas bag. Afterward, we took an inventory!

Later in the day, we did some very simple artwork using different shades of green.

I hope you all had a fun day!

It's a rainy day

Here's a Sesame Street flashback for you (and for me to learn the rest of the words - C has been asking me to sing it). Because it's been raining for the better part of 2 weeks (sigh)...

Flashback Fun

C does this in the bathtub:

Movin' and Groovin' to Raffi

C loves Raffi, and I'll confess, I do too! I had his records when I was a child, and we have most of them now; there is almost always one in the CD player in the living room and in the car. C wasn't a great traveler when she was little, and Raffi was the only thing that would calm her down in the car. I love his soothing voice, his mix of meaningful, traditional and classic songs, and the fact that he doesn't use gimmicks or talk down to children; he treats them with respect. I read his autobiography recently, which was very interesting (you can also download it for free on his website).

Claire has never shown much interest in TV, but she recently discovered a Raffi DVD, and she's in heaven! She loves to move and groove around the basement, dancing and playing with her music box of instruments. After every song, she claps and says "Thank you Raffi! Thank you for the song!" We limit her viewing time, but it's great to see her enjoying it so much! This weekend she asked to watch the DVD, and said "Just wanna dance!" So in honour of my footloose and fancy free gal, here is her current favourite song from Raffi in Concert with the Rise and Shine Band: Shake My Sillies Out. Enjoy!



Click here for a PDF of the words and musical arrangement, and visit Raffi's website for the lyrics and arrangements for many of his other songs - perfect for use in schools and at home!

Audio nostalgia

Those of you planning long car trips in the summer (or who have children who love audio stories anytime) should head on over to Kiddie Records Weekly. I'm a big kid, and I'll admit I've been visiting this site since 2005 or 2006 - before I my daughter was born!

The idea of the site is to provide free audio downloads of forgotten treasures from the golden age of children's records. The site has fantastic titles, and many of the records include narration or music from silver screen stars of the 40s and 50s. Many book and movie adaptations are available.

We've been listening to Madeline in the car lately.


I've never actually read The Carrot Seed, but now that spring is here, I've seen a few blog postings about it, so you folks might enjoy it!


C is really enjoying her Little Red Riding Hood book these days, so I think I'll put this version on the next Car CD I make for her.


Thanks to Sarah Jane Studios for posting about the site recently. I thought KRW ended the project in 2007, but after a year's hiatus, they're back for a final year in 2009! There is a story for every week in 2005-2007, plus for each week so far in 2009. Enjoy!

The Business of Being Born

There will be a screening of The Business of Being Born in my city later this month, followed by a panel of women and medical professionals discussing the role midwidery could play in our province. Currently, midwifery is only regulated or funded in a few Canadian provinces, but the New Brunswick government is moving in that direction. It should be an interesting evening!

Check out the trailer:



For anyone in Fredericton who is interested, the screening is on March 31st at 7:00pm at Tilley Hall 102 on the UNB campus. Free admission - babies welcome!