What are The Mads awards?

The MAD Blog Awards celebrate great British families and their blogs. It’s open to those living in the UK or expats. Last year I was an expat but this year I’m here!

One of the things I love about the Internet is interacting with like-minded fun people all over the world. Being a military family we’ve had our fair share of moving and upheavals so having online friends has really been amazing.

We also a family that lives in more than one culture. Like lots of military families we just get to making friends and we’re off again. Making new friends in a new area is no different from when you were 5 in school.

There are a whole heap of categories to nominate your favourite blogs.( 15 actually)

Since collating 100 playful blogs in one place for the Raising Playful Tots index I’ve had the fun task of looking at 100s of play blogs. During the show I’ve had the opportunity to speak to  a few of these amazing people, listed below, and share their ideas with more people who like them are hungry for quality fun play activities to do with their children.

So here is my entirely subjective list…… there are lots more but I could only choose one for each category.

Here are ones I would love you to check out – because they offer so much in way of inspiration, encouragement, simplicity and the owners are just cool!These should be on your list anyway to read, visit and comment. Drop them a line, if you can.

You can vote for them yourself, like I did in the Mads. I’m sure from wherever you are in the world

Nominate

Nominations

Best MAD Blog for Family Life

Kelly Ireland

Best MAD Baby Blog

Best MAD Craft Blog

Best MAD Blog for Family Fun

@playingbythebook

Best Pre-School Fun MAD Blog

@ImaginationTree

Oh and…..

one last category.

Most Innovative MAD Blog

This award recognises the blog that best encapsulates the spirit of innovation in blogging, whether that’s using video, audio or creating new ways to share and discover great content.

Just click over to the MAD Awards website and nominate http://raisingplayfultots.com in the Most Innovative MAD Blog

Thanks for your support.

Who would you nominate?

The Mads awards- nominations is a post from: Raising Playful Tots- a podcast for mums who want to make the most of playtime

{ taken from review on Raising Playful Tots show 48}

Life of song

Life of Song

Ella Jenkins: Life of song review is a post from: Raising Playful Tots- a podcast for mums who want to make the most of playtime

If you’re looking for the I’m bored activity please click on the image below to go to the post.

To find out more about the Play Activities network and the resources I provide to help with play in the early years please visit my about page

This weeks Early years play podcast is due out today.

Thanks for stopping by and keep in touch via the two different newsletters I send out or the contact me button at the top of this site.

Enjoy the sites!

Stick around, there are a lot of resources and ideas on all the sites. Grab yourself a biscuit  or bookmark.

Thanks Sue for the recommendation.

Want to hear more about Sue’s  Positive Parenting work? Listen to her interview here : Raising Playful Tots show #23 Positive Parenting with Sue Atkins

I’m bored jar is a post from: Raising Playful Tots- a podcast for mums who want to make the most of playtime

In today’s interview Tara talks about her special books and how easily we can use them to raise playful tots.

Listen to the interview below by pressing the triangle button under the photographs. You can download and listen to this interview on your PC and/or MP3 player whenever you choose. For easy of use you can also subscribe to the Raising Playful Tots podcast through iTunes ( link on the sidebar). Each new episode will automatically download.

Follow Tara on Twitter or Send Tara a facebook friend request!

Contact Tara for more information about any of the items we talk about in the show.

Why we liked Tara’s books

• They are easy to use and the children all recognized the photographs.
• They were fascinated by the pictures and what they could see. Just getting them out of the envelope was exciting. Mail is always exciting when it’s not a bill. While I got each one out the boys each ran off with them before I even got a chance to look at them.
• Picture and photo books with great emotion. Do you know how hard it is to find books with recognizable emotion for kids?
• Durable- with three little hands including a baby. Everyone gets to look without fear of tearing.
• This could be your home. Children love looking through albums and this is no different.
• Changes the way they see things and prompts discussion. My boys were pointing out holes for days afterwards.

All Books By Tara:

• Promote awareness, thinking, and language development
• Are 20 pages in length
• Include an introductory poem
• Include 19 pages of 8 X 10 photographs
• Are printed on gloss cover paper
• Are spiral bound (great for isolating pictures)

Contest <<closed>>

Winners: Dana|Janet| Lisa R

Tara sent me copies of her books to review before our interview which we got to keep. I’m recommending them to you because they represent what we talk about here- raising playful tots. These books are ones you would want in your collection because they invite you to talk and share. I have three children under 7 and they all have loved using these books and  keep coming back and looking at them again.

She’s kindly offered 4 books for 4 readers.

How to enter

1. Visit Tara’s site and sign up for the newsletter
2. Come back here and let us know which book you would like to win in the comments.
3. You must sign up for the newsletter and tell us which book to be entered to win.
4. Bonus: Every month there is a free drawing for a book in the newsletter so if you don’t win one of the 4 books at Raising Playful Tots you have a chance in Tara’s newsletter!

Extra entries (Optional)

• Sign up for the Raising Playful Tots newsletter. Leave 2 separate comments
• Tweet  your favourite wordless picture book title to me @playactivities ( 1 comment)
• Follow Tara on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway with @BooksByTara in it. ( 1 comment)
• Display the Raising Playful Tots button on your site ( 1 comment)

Rules

• Open to US residents and Canada.
• Void where prohibited.
• Open today. Contest closes on Wednesday 14th April 2010 Midnight MST.
• Winners chosen at random. ( Those that followed the rules)
• Winners names will be published on this blog Thursday 15th April 2010. I’ll send you an email once you’ve replied.
• Tara will be shipping to the winners.
• Up to 4 books on offer. One prize per household please.

For more books by Tara

About the books

“The books have been created to engage children, to provide an open-ended focus for social connections.  Any child can enjoy them, and they are especially beneficial for working young children and/or older kids who are working on attention and communication skills.  We can talk about using them for group discussions and/or connecting one-on-one with a child who has significant challenges such as autism.  The design is basic and flexible, so they can be adjusted. I have teaching experience with groups as well as tons of one-on-one experience with some very tough customers (tough to engage their attention) especially my son!  The latter is really where the inspiration for the books came, but my experience of knowing what appeals to children is how I choose the “topics” and photos.”

Listen to the show now by clicking on the triangle button in this post.

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Raising Playful Tots show #20 Books by Tara is a post from: Raising Playful Tots- a podcast for mums who want to make the most of playtime

Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, Ph.D.,serves as H. Rodney Sharp Professor in the School of Education at the University of Delaware and has joint appointments in the Departments of Psychology and Linguistics.  Her research focuses on how children learn language as well as on preschool education and the benefits of play. She has published 12 books, written over 100 papers, and presents the findings of her research all over the world.  Dr. Golinkoff is also a spokesperson for research in developmental science, frequently quoted in print and electronic media and is currently an Associate Editor of the journal Child Development.

We talked about:

Play for social and emotional growth

Negotiation

How to have a successful child in school

Best ways to explore books

Recommendations for parents to read: A Mandate for Playful Learning in Preschool | Einstein Never Used Flashcards.

Listen to the show now by clicking on the triangle button in this post.

This show is part of the moms talk radio network

Raising Playful Tots Show #19 How to have a successful child in school is a post from: Raising Playful Tots- a podcast for mums who want to make the most of playtime

Today I have a bumper edition of articles and blogs.

Yes what you see in the picture is what you find in the jar. Find how this picture links to play activities by listening to today’s show.

Listen to today’s show by clicking on the triangle button at the bottom of this post; download the show and listen at your leisure or subscribe via iTunes.

Links mentioned in the show

Baby food giant hails hungry adult market |More weird Italian baby food|Online resource promoting writing focuses on boys |School to offer guidance on adopting Montessori methods
Pretend Play – Mail Set| Home Made Gifts: Sock Animals |
Let’s Talk: Rhythm and Routines When Life Changes – What Works for You? |Egg Word Match-Up| Writing Workshop – Do not be defined by what you can be, rather who you can be |
Wordless Wednesday : Junk
Sock puppet
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Raising Playful Tots Show #18 Articles and blogs is a post from: Raising Playful Tots- a podcast for mums who want to make the most of playtime

Playgroups and gatherings for parents and children have been around for the longest time. What about having an outdoor playgroup? Imagine transferring activities outside and including outdoor activities in a regular club- rain, shine, snow or wind!

Today’s interview is with Kari Svenneby founder of the website activekidsclub.com. Her website provides you with information about everything you need to know about connecting children and adults to nature and play. No matter the weather, she will show you joyful and fun outdoor activities to do in all the four seasons.

Kari is a proud wildcrafter, urban mother, librarian and classically trained chef championing the benefits exposure to nature gives children. Being that Kari is Norwegian, her husband is from Florida and they live in Canada she likes to call three places her home. Norway, Florida and Canada.

Join us on Activekidsclub.com http://www.activekidsclub.com/

activekidsclub.com on twitter http://twitter.com/activekidsclub

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/activekidsclubcom/70001667719

Listen to the interview by clicking the triangle button at the bottom of this post to hear the interview.

Subscribe to Raising Playful Tots by clicking the link on the sidebar ( iTunes)

Links

Play Activities survey |Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood| NYTimes article | Kari’s guest post on starting your own outdoor playgroup

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Raising Playful Tots show #17 Create Outdoor playgroups is a post from: Raising Playful Tots- a podcast for mums who want to make the most of playtime

Today I talk with Tonya Wright about making valuable literacy connections. Tonya Wright has a mission to expose parents and teachers to valuable early childhood activities in the hope of enriching the lives of as many children as she can.

Tonya share lots of ideas on how to make literacy connections with our little ones.

• What would be a few good examples of literacy activities for each stage?
  Boys and writing and some say literacy in general is a difficult thing. Do you find a gender split? How do we encourage reluctant readers and writers whatever their gender? Do we need to follow their gender?
• Computers and the preschooler
• What guidance would you suggest to parents about using computer games and literacy games with their preschoolers?
• How we read books and how much language children hear is so important can you give an example read of what you might do for one of your favourite books.

Tonya Wright has over twenty years of experience in the field of early childhood education

Listen to the show now by clicking on the triangle at the bottom of this post.

You can also download it or subscribe via iTunes ( see sidebar)

Links mentioned in the podcast

Voicethread| The Readaloud handbook

Blogs: Room to grow |@literacycounts

Feed me books Friday|Playing by the book

Memetales video

This show is part of the moms talk radio network

Raising Playful Tots #16 Making literacy connections is a post from: Raising Playful Tots- a podcast for mums who want to make the most of playtime

Meagan Francis, mother of 5 and author of Table for Eight: Raising a Large Family in a Small-Family World shares her experience of managing a large family and play. When you have a large family the way you play may change and the dynamics of play. Meagan shares what’s worked for her family.

We discuss:

What’s your idea of play?

What do you do when getting down on the floor and playing is just not your thing?

How do you adapt games so everyone can play?

Examples of activities to try with a large family.

Play ideas for families with children close in age

www.thehappiestmom.com
www.meaganfrancis.com

www.twitter.com/meaganfrancis

Listen to the show now by clicking on the triangle at the bottom of this post.

You can also download it or subscribe via iTunes ( see sidebar)

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Raising Playful Tots #15 Large family play is a post from: Raising Playful Tots- a podcast for mums who want to make the most of playtime

Photo credit: empirical_percepti on’s photostream

This week we’re talking about music in the Early years.  Nursery rhymes do you love them or hate them? Music groups- would you join one?

Links mentioned:
Telegraph.co.uk : Playing musical instruments can improve a child’s mind

They might be giants: Here come the 123s

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This show is part of the moms talk radio network

Raising Playful Tots # 14 Music in the Early years is a post from: Raising Playful Tots- a podcast for mums who want to make the most of playtime