If you're the parent of a three- to six-year-old, you're probably already hearing, "How many days left until Christmas?" Help shorten the wait for your preschooler with these Christmas crafts from "The Preschooler's Busy Book" (Meadowbrook Press) by Trish Kuffner.

CHRISTMAS PLACEMATS

Cut up old greeting cards, glue the artwork onto a piece of construction paper or light cardboard, and cover it with clear contact paper. You can also have your child cut his or her gift wishes from a catalog or magazine and glue them onto paper to make a wish-list place mat.

GLITTER BALLS

Pour glitter into a shallow dish. Spread glue evenly over a Styrofoam ball and roll it in glitter. Let the ball dry and attach a thread for hanging it on the Christmas tree.

CHRISTMAS TREE PICTURE

Cut out a Christmas tree from green construction paper. Use a paper hole punch to punch out dots from various colors of construction paper. Glue the dots to the tree for decoration and add sequins or glitter and a star at the top.

PAPER PLATE WREATH

Cut a hole in the center of a green paper plate. Cut or tear red and green tissue paper into small pieces. Have your child twist or crumple the paper into small balls and glue them onto the plate. Add a ribbon bow.

"The Preschooler's Busy Book" contains 365 activities for three- to six-year-olds, using things found around the home. It shows parents and day-care providers how to prevent boredom and keep preschoolers occupied. It can be found in bookstores everywhere or ordered online at www.MeadowbrookPress.com.

When It's Too Cool for Your Pre-Schooler to Play Outside

All children love frolicking in the snow. But there comes a time when the temperature makes such excursions unpleasant, even dangerous. "Staying inside on brutal winter days is not only advisable but necessary," says Trish Kuffner, author of "The Preschooler's Busy Book: 365 Creative Games and Activities to Keep Your 3- to 6-Year-Old Busy" (Meadowbrook Press).

"But you don't have to feel trapped at home with your preschooler," Kuffner says." By using a little creativity, you can make the time inside more than just tolerable. It
can be fun." From "The Preschooler's Busy Book" and "The Wiggle & Giggle Busy Book," Kuffner offers these unique games for adults to play with their preschoolers on those bitterly frigid days.

INDOOR SANDBOX

It may be a blizzard outside, but your preschooler will think that it's a day at the beach. Create an indoor sandbox by filling a cardboard box or plastic baby bath
with puffed wheat or rice cereal. Uncooked rice can be inexpensive when bought in bulk, and it makes an interesting road surface for wheeled toys. Use buckets,
shovels, measuring cups, spoons or bowls for toys.

LIVING ROOM PICNIC

Brighten the day by making it summer inside. Spread a tablecloth on the floor of your living room. Use paper plates to serve your preschooler a picnic lunch. Dress in shorts or bathing suits. And don't forget your sunglasses.

SUPER SUDS

Put a few drops of liquid detergent into a bowl and fill it halfway with water. Use an eggbeater to whip up some suds in the soapy water, or use a straw to blow some really big bubbles. This also works well at the kitchen sink. Fill the sink with soapy water and pull up a chair for your child to stand on as he plays.

As a variation, fill the sink with warm soapy water. Give your child spoons, a whisk and plastic dishes. Let her have fun with the water.

MEMORY

This game not only entertains your preschooler, it will sharpen her memory. Create two identical sets of index cards with letters, colors, shapes or numbers. Start out with only a few cards. Place all the cards facedown on the table. Have your child turn over one card, then put it back facedown on the table. Then have your child pick the corresponding matching card.

At first, your child may only guess, but it won't take long for her to get the idea. Add more cards as your child gets better. You can also determine the number of tries allowed. Or make a game of this between two or more children.

INDOOR SNOWBALL FIGHT!

This activity is great for four or more children.

Crumple up several sheets of paper to make snowballs. Before play begins, create a safe zone to which the children may run. Have one player hide behind a couch or chair with the snowballs, while the other players pretend to ice-skate, ski, or play in the snow. With a shout of "Snowball fight!" the hidden player begins to throw snowballs at the players, who must run to the safe zone before a snowball hits them. If the snowball thrower doesn't hit a player with a snowball, he must return to his hiding place, and play resumes. If a player is hit, he becomes the hidden player.

Trish Kuffner's "The Preschooler's Busy Book" and "The Wiggle & Giggle Busy Book" both contain 356 fun, physical activities to help their children develop an active lifestyle at an early age. Copies of this book and the other titles in her Busy Book series are available at bookstores everywhere or by ordering online at www.MeadowbrookPress.com.

Here’s the straight poop on potty training for parents facing the biggest bowl challenge of their parenting careers (so far):

* Potty training requires patience – the kind that would qualify you for canonization. Setbacks, challenges, back-sliding and accidents are all normal, even for children who do “potty train in one day,” Crane says. Losing patience with your child or the process will only further frustrate you and upset your child, possibly to the point of rejecting the potty altogether.

* Recognize the signs that your child is ready to be potty trained. If she dances, jumps up and down or grabs her private parts when she has to go, or pulls at her diaper when she’s soiled it, she may be ready to start training. She’ll also need to be able to stay clean and dry for three to five hours at a time. If she doesn’t show the signs, don’t push it. Waiting until the child is ready means better chances of success.

* Making it fun can make your child more successful. Toddlers love to play and imagine, so turning the process into a game – one that involves incentives and rewards – can help, Crane says. Toddlers are less likely to resist if they enjoy the process, which is why the author’s “Potty Party” concept has proved popular with many parents and kids. Follow up the fun strategy with strong doses of positive reinforcement in the form of praise and rewards.

* Be sure the potty fits the child. Most toddlers are too small to safely use adult toilets and it’s not unusual for them to be afraid to even try. Training potties to the rescue. Sure they’re conspicuous in your powder room and cleaning them can be worse than cleaning an adult toilet. But the scaled-down size of a training potty enhances the child’s safety and suits their sense of self better than an intimidating adult toilet.

Crane favors the Boon Potty Bench. “At just 7 inches high, it’s the perfect height for a toddler’s comfort level and the two enclosed side storage spaces come in handy for organizing potty training supplies,” she says. “It’s also easy to clean. The bowl part is a drawer that slides out quickly and easily. Dump it, clean it and slide it back into place.” The bench is available at Babies “R” Us and other retailers nationwide. Check out www.booninc.com to find a seller near you.

“Parents should remember not to stress themselves or their child over potty training,” Crane advises. “Your child will learn to use the potty at his own pace and in his own way.”

And when he does, don’t be embarrassed if you find yourself a little choked up as your child leaves his diapers – and babyhood – behind.

Courtesy of ARAcontent