Raising Playful Tots show #20 Books by Tara
I’m excited to welcome Tara McClintick of Books by Tara.com She’s an author, Early Childhood Special Education teacher and mother to two boys. Tara is “…passionate about all children, and I have total respect for the miraculous development process and the challenges today’s kids face in our fast-moving, stimulus-bombarding world”.
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
- Visit Tara’s site and sign up for the newsletter
- Come back here and let us know which book you would like to win in the comments.
- You must sign up for the newsletter and tell us which book to be entered to win.
- 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.
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 # 13 Outdoor play and contest
Part two of the interview with Caro Webster @salisburydowns about Outdoor play
We talk today about Outdoor play activities by balancing indoor and outdoor play.
Imaginary play outside?
Listen to the podcast by clicking the triangle play button located at the bottom of this post
I was very much encouraged to go and play outside. I remember the scuff marks on my shoes because I used my feet to stop and not my brakes. I remember being outside a lot growing up. I did the bulk of my growing up in a small village then small town so we were never far away from being in farmland. The boys have grown up firstly in a very small village and right now in a city suburb. I know I have felt out of my depth with outdoor activities. Whether you have moved or are looking for interesting things to do outside. I know how easy it might be for us to be outside but sometimes it’s hard to motivate the little ones to stay out for long periods of time. Some can and some need a little help.
The photographs in Caroline’s book, Small Fry Outdoors really bring the ideas to light. After listening to both interviews you’ll get a sense of the type of activities to expect in this book.
I’ve really enjoyed our copy as a coffee table book and as an ideas book.
Contest
*********** This contest is now closed and winner notified***********
Two books on offer today. Both books were kindly sent by Caro from Australia for two winners.
- Send an email to info AT raising playful tots DOT com telling us a new outdoor activity you would like to try or a successful outdoor experience.
For an additional entry
- Tweet your favourite outdoor activity: @playactivities
This contest is open to those with US or Canadian addresses.
Void where prohibited.
Contest is open today, Wednesday 15 February and closes Midnight Tuesday 23rd February 2010 MST.
Winner is chosen by random.org.
Winner is contacted via email.
Winner must reply with postal address within 48hrs otherwise a new winner will be chosen.
Looking forward to your entries……………………..
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Raising Playful Tots Podcast #3: Puzzles, Planning Queen and Play
This week I talk about one of our favourite open ended independent play activities- Puzzles:)
If you’re looking for new puzzles then try the large selection at Fat Brain Toys.
Posts mentioned:
- balancing life and online activities
- Managing homework with little children around
- things to do in the school holidays when it rains
- 3 yr old birthday party ideas
How do you get independent play activities going?
You know the ones where they play and you can read a magazine nearby.
Leave a message on the listener line at 214 615 6506 ext 3998 or leave a comment here.
****Don’t forget the contest to win Too many Toys************
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RPT: 2 Mara Kaplan 50 toys in 50 days
Mara Kaplan is the driving force behind Let Kids Play, a consulting firm working to ensure that all children have excellent play opportunities. She is an educator, a parent of a child with disabilities and a season advocate for inclusive play. She founded an indoor playspace for children with and without disabilities and was its executive director for over 13 years. Mara has an elementary education degree Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. She received her MBA, with a concentration in nonprofit management, from Boston University.
Today Mara shared her passion for toys. Not just any old toys but toys that we should seek out to help raise our playful tots.
Especially at this time of year we hear a lot about toys through advertising. We take a step back and evaluate toys and find ones that create value- our kids will want to use them over again.
Mara talks about many things including,
What do I look for when choosing a toy?
I look for toys that are open ended, children can play with them in multiple different ways. Also toys that grow with the child. So that it’s not something I’m just going to play with today or the next month………..Listen to the show to find out Mara’s examples.
Links, transcript and downloads
Letkidsplay.com for the email newsletter
Links mentioned in the podcast download the transcript
Download Alternative Play Activities Holiday Gift Guide
Contest
*Mandatory entry*
- Listen to this podcast for the mystery word. You can download the podcast below and play it in that player
Or subscribe to Raising Playful Tots though iTunes. Click here to do this if you have iTunes installed.
- Enter it along with your name and email address in the form below ( or via email) for a chance to win Too many toys by David Shannon. We love this book and reviewed it earlier this year.
That’s it!
Additional entries in the same form
- Tweet about this contest and podcast. Substitute the mystery word for your twitter username or tweet URL so I can find you.
- Blog for an additional 4 points talking about the podcast and contest. Substitute the mystery word for your URL link to the post.
Winner will be picked by Random.org.
Winner will be announced in the Newsletter so be sure to sign up. Winner will need to send contact information, when notified, as the book will ship directly to you.
Winner must make contact within 48 hours otherwise prize will be forfeited and a new winner chosen.
Deadline Tuesday 15 December 2009 MST 11:59.
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