Being Savvy: Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers and kids in Saint Louis, MO

Books and Stories

Books that are great christmas gifts

December 04, 2008

This week, I've been fielding calls from family members asking about the kids' Christmas lists. I try to emphasize books as gifts and suggested some of these to add to our collection. We have read these books at pre-school and borrowed them from the library but it is time to give them a place on our home bookshelf! The Olivia series is a favorite with in our house. The books have cute, well  Read more...

Essential St. Louis for kids

November 25, 2008

Whether you or a native St. Louisian or transplanted from another part of the country, there is plenty to learn and teach your kids about the area. Here are some kids' books with local flavor! We live in one of the greatest baseball cities in the country. Many young St. Louisans go to Busch Stadium to watch Cardinals Games and may even get to see Fredbird, the team mascot. The St. Louis  Read more...

Preschooler books we love

November 24, 2008

Thanks for Thanksgiving is good for young kids who don't usually understand that Thanksgiving is about more than turkey and pumpkin pie. This book introduces kids to the meaning of the holiday. Thanks for Thanksgiving is age appropriate for young kids just old enough to ask why everyone is gathering for turkey and talks about what appreciating someone means. The Runaway Bunny I have  Read more...

Rhyming Books

November 21, 2008

The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go. Dr. Seuss, Oh The Places You'll Go Rhymes and rhyming books help teach your child to recognize distinct language sounds. When you read rhyming books to your child, emphasize the rhyming word parts to reinforce similar word sounds. Rhymes help kids recognize word and sound patterns which  Read more...

Books that keep us laughing

November 18, 2008

Part of the enjoyment of reading to my kids is acting as silly as possible- exaggerating voices, making silly faces and reenacting actions. A wonderful benefit of funny books is kids often want to re-read them and don't grow bored with the story. Sometimes, they memorize lines which can help them recognize words the words they have heard in type. The following books are particular favorites that  Read more...

Reading with instead of at your child

November 12, 2008

Reading to your kids is one of the best things you can do for their young minds. Books encourage imagination and curiosity while introducing new language and sentence structures that kids don't hear in everyday conversation. Simply reading out loud to your children is the first step in stimulating their little brains. To encourage participation when reading, don't be afraid to act completely  Read more...

Story Time

November 11, 2008

One of my favorite destinations for our family is the bookstore. I admit it, I'm in love with Barnes and Noble. I became enamored with the B&N down the street from an old workplace where I often spent my lunch breaks. The warm, dark wood, smell of espresso from the cafe and the comfy chairs were a welcome respite from my work day. Later, after having kids, I fell back in love when Barnes  Read more...

Kids and Voting

November 03, 2008

Tomorrow is finally election day and is a great opportunity to teach your kids about the election process. It is important to make an impression on your child that voting is an important process but you don't have to push your opinion of the candidates or political parties. Try to remain positive about who is running for office and the action of voting. Election day presents an opportunity to  Read more...

Halloween Kid's Books

October 29, 2008

When my legs are going numb from sitting on the floor and my voice grows hoarse from reading out loud, I remind myself how lucky I am to have kids that love books. Seasonal books keep them (and me) from getting bored with the same stories and peak their interest in upcoming events. Lately, we've been hitting the library and bookstores and finding books on autumn holidays. Here are some of their  Read more...

More of Our Favorite Activities and Things to Do in saint louis

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Creatures & Critters:
Our Urban Jungle

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Do, Re, Mi! Places to Hear, Sing & Play a Tune

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Room to Run:
Run, Jump & Wiggle Outdoors

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Rainy & Quiet Days:
Cozy & Crazy Indoor Fun

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Splash, Spray, Play! Local Spots to Get Wet

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The Best of... Our Top Can't-Live-Without Spots

The Voice of Being Savvy saint louis:
Kim Lowell

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