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Views From a Step Stool

Open Minds & Messy Hands

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3 Gift Guides for Every Kid on Your List

November 30, 2016 By Katie Chiavarone

I write often about the power of play on my site. It is how kids learn best, by engaging their senses and exploring open-ended, creative and dramatic play. There are many ways in which kids can play without toys, however, we all know how much kids love to play with toys, and how much we love

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Filed Under: Christmas, Holidays, Learn Through Play, Parenting, Preschoolers Tagged With: christmas, gifts, Holidays, kids, moms, play, Toys

Ways for Kids to Give Back to Others

November 28, 2016 By Katie Chiavarone Leave a Comment

We are a part of a community that extends outside of our home, our immediate family and our neighborhood. This is a really hard concept for kids to grasp, to feel for those that we don’t know or that we have never met and to give back. But there are ways that we can help our

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Filed Under: Parenting, Uncategorized

Gift Wrapping Pretend Play and Fine Motor Practice with Recyclables

November 26, 2016 By Katie Chiavarone Leave a Comment

Gift wrapping pretend play is such a fun activity to do with kids around the holidays, and perfect for building fine motor skills. Cutting, measuring, taping and decorating all incorporate math, art, and motor practice through PLAY. We have been collecting recyclables such as cardboard boxes, toilet paper rolls and milk cartons to wrap with some

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Filed Under: Christmas, Elementary, Holidays, Learn Through Play, Preschoolers, Toddlers, Uncategorized Tagged With: christmas, gift wrap, invitation to create, preschool, pretend play, toddlers

12 Days of Blogmas! 12 Days, 12 Blogs, and a HUGE Giveaway!

November 23, 2016 By Katie Chiavarone 1 Comment

The Christmas season is upon us, and we have a lot of fun in store for you! The 12 Days of Blogmas is a really fun way to get excited about the upcoming holiday season, read some awesome articles (discover new blogs) and enter to WIN an amazing prize! Spoiler alert… it includes over $800

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Filed Under: Christmas, Holidays, Parenting, Uncategorized Tagged With: blogger, blogmas, christmas, Giveaway, Holidays, Mommy Blogger, prize, writing prompts

DIY Christmas Sensory Sticks for Kids

November 23, 2016 By Katie Chiavarone Leave a Comment

These Christmas sensory sticks allow for exploration through the senses of smell, touch, hearing and sight, and, they are incredibly simple to put together!    Engaging all the senses is a really fantastic way to promote learning through play. Hands-on play and the ability to really explore materials creates lasting memories and a depth of

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Filed Under: Arts & Crafts, Christmas, Holidays, Learn Through Play, Preschoolers, Toddlers, Uncategorized Tagged With: bells, christmas, craft sticks, diy, homemade toy, sensory play

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Welcome to Views From a Step Stool!

Welcome to Views From a Step Stool!

I am a mom to three little ones and love to create and explore every day with them! We have open minds and messy hands, come join in our adventures!

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What’s New

  • 12 Snowman Crafts for Kids
  • 10 Elf on the Shelf Printables to Download
  • 12 Elf on the Shelf Ideas
  • Candy Corn Sensory Bin
  • Emotions Sensory Bag
  • 10 Thanksgiving Handprint Crafts

What’s New:

  • 12 Snowman Crafts for Kids
  • 10 Elf on the Shelf Printables to Download
  • 12 Elf on the Shelf Ideas
  • Candy Corn Sensory Bin
  • Emotions Sensory Bag
  • 10 Thanksgiving Handprint Crafts
  • Build a Jack-o-Lantern Sensory Craft
  • Breakfast Smoothies for Kids with BlendJet Portable Blender
  • 12 Outdoor Painting Ideas for Kids
  • Educational Sensory Bin Ideas
  • 12 Animal Sensory Bin Ideas for Kids
  • 10 Insect Themed Sensory Bins
  • 12 Bee Crafts for Kids
  • 15 Easter Chick Crafts for Kids
  • 15+ Earth Day Crafts for Kids
  • St. Patrick’s Day Emotion Cut and Paste Printable Activity
  • Valentine’s Day Charades Words
  • Printable Color by Number Valentine’s Day Cards for Kids
  • Valentine’s Day Kindness Countdown Calendar: Free Printable
  • Valentine’s Day Pixel Art Color by Number: Free Printables

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