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Mama Smiles

Joyful Parenting

MaryAnne at Mama Smiles Welcome to my blog! I'm MaryAnne, and I write about building a rewarding family life through mindful parenting, hands-on learning, and creative family activities. Learn more.

first grade

Square Panda Multisensory Literacy Program Review

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Do you have a child who is learning to read or working on spelling? Check out the Square Panda Literacy program for multisensory personalized learning. Sponsored post. Square Panda Multisensory Literacy Program Review My kids spend most of their time unplugged, but every once in a while an educational program comes along that justifies screen use for my kids. Square Panda is … [Read more...] about Square Panda Multisensory Literacy Program Review

A New Way to Learn to Read: Reading Kingdom Review

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Reading Kingdom review. This is a great program to check out if you are looking to teach a child to read. It teaches sequencing, writing, sounds, meaning, grammar, and comprehension. The program adapts to the child playing. There's an awful lot that goes into learning to read! Beyond basic phonics, children need to develop a vocabulary, comprehend a plot, learn grammar, … [Read more...] about A New Way to Learn to Read: Reading Kingdom Review

Kid Quotes: Just Like Mine

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Being silly with Grandpa. One of my favorite things about being a mom is listening in on my kids' conversations! Here are some kid quotes that made me smile recently: Putting on a fleece hooded sweatshirt with hearts on it: Lily (3 years old): E [a boy at school] has a shirt just like this one! Me: Oh yeah? Lily: Yeah. But it doesn’t have hearts on it. Me: Is it soft like … [Read more...] about Kid Quotes: Just Like Mine

Raising Creative Kids: Mixed Media Play

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Mixing play dough with rocks, googly eyes, marbles, pattern blocks, and other items is a fairly common occurrence in my house. I love raising creative kids, and letting them combine unusual materials is a great way to encourage creativity. Still, I don’t know that I would have allowed them to combine play dough with Kleenex if it hadn’t been for this particular play dough … [Read more...] about Raising Creative Kids: Mixed Media Play

Orange-flavored Applesauce

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  My kids love making applesauce with their dad! This time they got fancy, with orange-flavored applesauce! This was three-year-old Lily’s first time slicing the apples (with a butter knife) – and she thought that was amazing! Making applesauce is very simple: peel the apples, slice them into chunks, and bring them to a boil in a pot with a little juice. Then let … [Read more...] about Orange-flavored Applesauce