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For nearly a decade, Craig Melvin was on TV every morning delivering the headlines But, a little less than three months ago, Melvin officially stepped back from his 11 a.m. time slot on MSNBC. He’s still a regular fixture on the small screen, co-hosting the Today show, but it’s a markedly different work-life balance. Melvin, who is a father to an 8-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter, and who wrote a book about his strained relationship with his own dad, says part of the reason why he left the job was because of something he learned through the pandemic and the...

Host an Ocean Themed Playdate for your kids and their friends. Choose a location such as your living room, backyard, park or even a rented space in your library.   Pick a time of day and invite your friends.   Prepare the activities ahead of time and set in different areas of the room. When the children come – play, learn, craft, and connect! Disclosure: Affiliate links to products Ocean Themed Playdate for Kids We’re sharing 4 simple ideas that you can do at your next playdate. Fun and easy hands on ideas all about the ocean.  These ideas are...

If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life, you doubt, as far as possible, all things. ~Rene Descartes I've seen the photos popping up on my social media feeds this week featuring kids on the verge of graduation, pictures of joy, anticipation and accomplishment. Of course, I'm delighted by those moving on to kindergarten or first grade, but I have especially enjoyed seeing the older kids, those heading off to middle and high school, and even college. I still occasionally see one or two of them in real life,...

Step 1: Think BIG with gross motor skills! Pre-writing and handwriting skills are one of the most frequent activities I get questions about as a school based occupational therapist. It makes sense! In school, students spend a lot of their time engaging in paper and pencil tasks to not only learn new content, but to also demonstrate their knowledge. However, children cannot simply “jump in” to writing their names or the alphabet. Nor are they ready to pick up a pencil until many underlying, prerequisite skills are established. The task of writing is very complex. Therefore, we need to break...

Looking for a Play-Based Pre-K Curriculum created by a teacher who currently uses these lessons in her classroom?  Sometimes it can be hard to find a curriculum that will fit your needs - so many choices. I get that! The expense and learning curve to implementing a new preschool curriculum makes the decision even harder! So, that is why I wanted to lay out exactly what is inside the Lovely Commotion Play-Based Pre-K Curriculum.  As we walk through each component of the lesson plan, look for a link below each photo to read even more about that component.  But, first...