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Teaching children to tell time with an analog clock takes practice and patience. Time is best learned when it can be taught in relation to something the child understands…in the context of their small worlds. When my oldest child started nursery school, she was upset to be left so I told her I’d be back at 10:00 when she had snack time. Of course she didn’t understand that, so I told her I’d be back at snack time. That she understood. When her class settled down for snack, there I was. Then I told her I’d be back at lunch …

Halloween presents a wonderful opportunity for grandchildren of all ages to be very creative, not only in designing their homemade Halloween costumes but also in making cheap homemade Halloween decorations. By making cheap Halloween decorations from items you have around the house, they become more meaningful because they are original works of grandchildren art. The following cheap Halloween decorations are practically free. If you can’t find the Halloween decoration supplies at home, you can find cheap ones at a dollar or craft store. Feel free to substitute other supplies for …

Halloween is such a fun holiday for children. It can also be a great opportunity to increase your grandchildren’s interest in reading. Halloween books always have a few surprises waiting at the turn of a page…and you never know what might be happening at the end! Instead of candy, why not treat your grandchildren to special Halloween stories this year? They’ll get enough candy from the neighbors! Let your treat be something extra special. Here are 10 five star Halloween book finds from Nana…
Queen of Halloween by Mary Engelbreit
             Mary Englebreit’s newest book with a paperdoll: Ann …

Halloween is approaching quickly and you still don’t have your children’s, grandchildren’s, or your Halloween costume? If you purchase costumes from a Halloween store online or near your home, they can be very expensive! Putting together a homemade Halloween costume from things you have around the house can be a lesson in creativity and fun, too, for both you and your children or grandchildren.
Here are a few homemade Halloween costume ideas that might help you…
Scarecrow 
What you need:

flannel shirt
old jeans or overalls
floppy straw hat or baseball cap
stuffed bird(s)
boots, old shoes or sneakers
Halloween makeup
scraps …

We all need to find ways to save with the way the economy has been going…it affects us all in some way. One of the first places we can save is at the grocery store. Nana Finds has collected some of the best online sites that offer coupons and tips on how to save at the grocery store with and without coupons. If you find a site not listed here, please post a comment so that others can find the site, too. We all need to help each other find ways to make ends meet, …

“Home work” can be fun! Here are several fun Math in the Home games and activities that you can do with your grandchildren that they’ll enjoy so much they won’t know they’re learning! Everything you need can be found in your home.

A-Weigh We Go!
Kindergarten-Grade 1
Using simple bathroom and kitchen scales at home prepares children for using equipment in school to weigh and measure.
Observing, estimating, weighing and comparing are all essential mathematics skills.
What You Need

Bathroom or kitchen scales
Objects to weigh, such bags of sugar, flour, potatoes or onions; boxes of detergent …

Your home is full of opportunities to explore math with your grandchild and, at the same time, build his or her self-confidence and understanding of mathematical ideas. This is a chance for you and your grandchild to “talk math” that is, to communicate about math while discovering relationships between numbers. Being able to describe mathematical patterns and relationships, such as those between “addition and subtraction” or “odd and even numbers,” is important to later success in math.
The activities in this section are intended to be enjoyable and inviting and use …