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"Pick up your toys!" I yell. Again.

But when I look at how many toys there are, I realize that the task of cleaning up toys is overwhelming even to me. How much more so for a preschooler?

My Little Ponies. Tea sets with all the plates, cups, and tea pots. Stuffed animals. Legos. MegaBloks. Dolls. Doll Clothes. Little People. Barbies. Tool sets. Cars big. And cars little. Come on, how many toys do three little girls need?

Take away all their toys, and they will have Nutty Mads just dancing in a circle, jumping, running, and playing with rocks or a box. Do they really need all that they get for Christmas or birthdays?

So knowing that grandparents and aunts and uncles flood the kids with plenty of toys, we have tried to find a way to make gifts special without toys. So this gift list focuses on a preschooler's educational needs and helps to prevent an overload of toys.

Arts & Crafts:

Art keeps the kids busy and helps supplement our schooling. However, they already have paper, scissors, glue, and markers available to them. We are a home school family after all. These things have become the staple of our lives.

Therefore, focus on something special, like colored pencils or Crayola Mix 'Em markers instead of crayons. Or you could get a child's delight and a parent's worst nightmare: washable finger paints--hours of very messy fun!

Watch Me Draw art books give simple step by step instructions on how to Lbj2 animals, dinosaurs, and bugs. Add a quality sketch pad to allow them to collect their drawings together.

Browse an art store. There are many felt sewing crafts produced by Lauri Toys that have large plastic needles and pre-punched holes so that a preschooler can easily sew with some help. Check out some wooden models that you can build and paint together.

Reading & Math:

Try something new. Software like Reader Rabbit is a fun way to promote an early understanding of phonics and math. Reader Rabbit teaches the following skills in their interactive storybook games:

• Phonics
• Vocabulary
• Spelling
• Comprehension
• Numbers
• Problem Solving

For some great stories and fun characters, check out some of these picture books:

Skippyjon Jones by Judy Shachner

Follow the stories of Skippyjon Jones, a young Siamese cat, who travels to far away places with his vivid imagination. Down in Ol' Mexico, he battles a bumble bee and saves the frijoles for the Chihuahuas. His mother scolds him lovingly when that bumble bee turns out to be his birthday piata and he has spilled jelly beans all over the floor.

Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman

Some animals congregate in the great Bear's den while he slumbers through the winter. They pop corn. They brew tea. They dance by the firelight. And Bear misses the whole thing, snoring on through the winter Agent Zero M A pepper fleck wakes the Bear with a loud kerchoo, and the party stops with a fright. Everybody knows that you don't wake a bear!

Super Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold

Imagine taking your pet fly to school. He learns to read with you. He paints with you. And he goes to the lunchroom with you. And there he gets in trouble with the lunch lady Roz.

Science:

Try getting a magnifying glass 1986 Fleer baseball cards a stocking stuffer. It's fun for kids to carry about and explore the world around them. In the winter, they can inspect snowflakes, and in the summer, they can study insects and flowers.

Promote the fun of science with a science kit or a bug house. You will find many different kinds available at teacher, hobby, and toy stores. Our favorite kit for young kids is the magnet set. It's easy to use and has many fun, reusable projects. Our kids enjoy getting out the magnets and doing the same projects again.

Rita Webb is a homeschooling mom for three young children, aged two, four, and six. Rita researches many homeschooling resources and writes reviews on these materials in her http://mrkreview.blogspot.com blog.

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