Fun with Mommy & Me

When you work full-time (or even part-time), it can be very difficult to incorporate activities that are both fun and educational into your main job—parenting. Sure, you might do a puzzle together while the pasta boils, or doodle together while you’re waiting on the phone with customer service, but planning really creative adventures can sometimes fall by the wayside.

Enter Fun with Mommy & Me. OK, I will be the first to admit that the title is a turnoff. Even though Mommy & Me is a nationally recognized program, this activity book is also great for dads—so fathers of the world, don’t write this one off! Though published eight years ago, this book is choc full of simple but creative, fun and educational activities for busy parents and their kids. I stumbled on it at the library and had to get a copy; there are many used, super cheap ones available.

The book says it’s for birth to age 5, but if your child is already 4 don’t cross it off your reading list because you think it will be irrelevant. The first half of the book is dedicated to babies and toddlers (conveniently grouped by age), and the second half is for older toddlers and preschoolers, arranged by month. This is what I love—a year of seasonal activities!

In the baby/toddler section, each chapter is prefaced by those monthly milestones that some of us took in stride and some of us… well, lost a lot of sleep over (as if we could spare it!). The beauty of their inclusion, however, is that they correspond to that chapter’s activities, so you can see how each activity could help your child. In the toddler/preschooler section, every chapter starts with a color and shape of the month (which is a nice, gentle way of learning these concepts rather than rushing them a week at a time), as well as key concepts to learn that month (such as the colors of the flag and the different parts of a boat, for example, in the upcoming July section).

Each activity includes a list of materials needed as well as a breakdown of what your child can learn from the activity. Every chapter contains quotes, songs to sing, stories to go along with lessons, a “Mommy Memo” including a fun fact, and safety tips. At the end of each chapter, there is a “Moms Only” section full of tips and advice about everything from safety to child raising to stress relief.

An excellent book of activities, songs and themes, Fun with Mommy and Me is especially great because you can take what you want from it. You can pick and choose the activities you like, or try them all. If you have extra time, you can go through some of the additional activities suggested that go along with the main ones—and if not, no worries. It really is a great addition to any parenting bookshelf.