Peter’s Cookies

Posted on December 11, 2019December 11, 2019 by S. J. Little

Peter’s Cookies

Preschool story by S. J. Little

Entered in Susanna Hill’s 9th Annual Holiday Contest

Contest: “Write a children’s holiday story about A Holiday TREAT!”

Word count max: 250

Peter’s Cookies word count: 247

Cold snow tickled Peter’s nose as Mother hurried him along.

Suddenly, he pointed at a shop window.

“Look Mommy! Giant star cookies! Can I have one?”

Mother shook her head. “I’m sorry, Peter. Those beautiful cookies are too expensive for us.”

Peter sighed. The cookie would’ve been a yummy treat.

When they got home, Mother scurried around the house getting everything ready for when Grandpa would arrive for Christmas.

“Mommy, can you make cookies for Grandpa? He loves cookies!”

“I’m sorry, Peter, I don’t have time. I have to clean and make dinner.”

Peter frowned. Then he had an idea.

“Can I make cookies for Grandpa?”

Mother looked at him, and smiled.

“That’s a fine idea.”

Peter washed his hands and found the mixing bowl. He could do this!

One, two, three, he counted the scoops of flour.

One, two, three, he measured the spoons of sugar.

Mother cracked the eggs.

Peter stirred and mixed and stirred some more.

Then he scooped and scraped and rolled.

He cut star cookies as big as the ones in the shop.

Mother put the pan in the hot oven.

Peter put everything away.

Then he waited.

Beep, beep! The timer sounded.

Mother pulled the pan of golden cookies from the oven.

Peter added red, green, and white icing. He even put sprinkles on top.

Ding, dong! The doorbell rang.

“Grandpa!”

“Do I smell Christmas cookies?” asked Grandpa.

Peter grabbed his hand. “Come see!”

“These are beautiful! What a tasty treat!”

My Favourite Preschool Christmas Song

Posted on December 5, 2019December 19, 2023 by S. J. Little

Preschool Christmas Song - Christmas tree

“We Wish You a Merry Christmas” has been my favourite preschool Christmas song to teach my class for several years. Why? There are many reasons.

The words and tune are simple and repetitive, enabling children to catch on faster.
Children aged 2-4 years old enjoy this song.
The actions are full-body motions to get kids moving.
The simple actions enable younger children and children with developmental delays to join in.
It is a good song for giving the children bells to ring.

Another reason this song is a go-to for me is that it can be used in Christian or secular programs. When I worked in a Christian preschool, we sang this song along with songs about baby Jesus. It fit well. At the same time, in some Lite Bright Christmas Tree secular programs, this song is acceptable. It does not teach about Jesus or Santa Claus, leaving parents the freedom to choose what they teach their children about Christmas. In secular settings, I sing this song alongside Jingle Bells, which is another song traditionally sung around Christmas time, but without any mention of Jesus or Santa.

I wish you a wonderful Christmas, filled with deep joy that leaves you singing a cheery song like this one!

We Wish You a Merry Christmas (Let’s All Do A Little Clapping)

By: Unknown

We wish you a merry Christmas,

And a happy New Year!

Let’s all do a little clapping,

To bring Christmas cheer!

Let’s all do a little stomping,

To bring Christmas cheer!

Additional verses:

Let’s all do a little jumping…

Let’s all do a little turning…

Let’s all do a little dancing…

What is your favourite preschool Christmas song?

Looking for other fun Christmas songs for your preschooler? I recommend:

Baby Jesus, Welcome Lord

Shine Shine Christmas Lights

Gingerbread Man Song

I’m a Little Christmas Tree

Tantrum – Not Wanting to Trust the Lord

Posted on November 23, 2019December 17, 2019 by S. J. Little

Disgruntled boy - Not wanting to trust the Lord - S. J. Little

Have you ever seen a child having a temper tantrum? As a preschool teacher, I’ve seen countless. Thankfully, the children in my class typically learn quickly that a tantrum won’t get them what they want. Have I learned that having a tantrum against God doesn’t help?

Child crying. Tantrum or meltdown

Did you know? While they may look the same, there’s a difference between tantrums and meltdowns? A meltdown is when a child is overwhelmed or over-exhausted to the point of breaking down in tears and frustration. A tantrum, on the other hand, is a controllable action. It is a decision (though potentially subconscious) to behave a certain way in hopes of getting something.

Not too long ago, little Tommy, a 2 year old, had a tantrum.

He had just arrived in class, and wanted something he wasn’t allowed to have. Upon being informed that he couldn’t have it, he started crying and declared even louder that he wanted it. Pretty soon he was lying on the floor screaming.

I tried to talk him out of it (without giving him the forbidden object), but he wouldn’t quiet. I tried distracting him with exciting toys, but he cried harder.

Therefore, I moved to another part of the room, though still watching him out of the corner of my eye. I gave him space to scream it out while I went about my morning with the other children.

Finally, after a considerable length of his crying on the floor, I noticed his tantrum beginning to lessen. As his crying decreased, I came alongside him. I gave him a toy and reminded him that we’d soon be cleaning up for our next activity.

It took him a few more minutes with a teacher by his side, but soon he got to his feet and joined the other children with the toys.

He yawned a few times and, indeed, appeared rather sleepy. That tantrum had taken a lot of energy. He was mellow, though happy now and engaged with the activities.

His tantrum left him tired and didn’t get him the thing he wanted.

Not long after that day, I happened to be reading Proverbs chapter three in my morning devotional time.

Prov. 3:5-6 is a beautiful passage that I’ve been encouraged and challenged by many times in the past. In fact, in my post “My Cat is Bad at Following” I use these verses. In case you need a refresher, Prov. 3:5-6 NKJV says:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

I continued reading. At verse 8, the image of Tommy on the floor crying, then being so tired after, came to mind.

Prov. 3:8 NIV says:

“This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”

Because of a health issue I deal with, anything saying it will give health catches my attention. I want to know more.

What is the “this” that will increase my health? I had to look back to find it.

At verse five, which I quoted above, a new paragraph starts. Verses five and six talk about trusting God rather than my own understanding. Verse seven is straightforward. It says, “Don’t be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.”

Trusting the Lord and not being wise in my own eyes sounds like the opposite of a tantrum. Tommy wasn’t trusting that I knew best. He wanted what he thought was best and wouldn’t listen to my reasoning. Girl feeling unhappy - Not wanting to trust the Lord - S. J. Little

Sometimes I’m like Tommy.

Sometimes God says no, but I still want that thing. Sometimes God says move, but I want to stay. Sometimes God says wait, but I want it now.

In the past few years, I’ve gone through seasons of having a form of tantrum against God. Times when I am frustrated because He hasn’t taken away my health issues. Times when I remind God of all the serving opportunities I’d be thrilled to be involved in, but have had to turn down because my health isn’t good enough. Wouldn’t it be better if God took away my health issues so I could serve more?

Yet whenever I get into that mindset, I am not trusting God. It steals my contentment. I find myself frustrated and joy-less.

After seeing how clearly Tommy was exhausted after his tantrum, and after reading Prov. 3:8, I realize that these seasons of tantrum in my life only burn me out, rather than convincing God to change His mind.

While it doesn’t take away my health issues, being content to trust the Lord’s understanding rather than my own does make a noticeable improvement for my physical health, and even more so for the health of my soul.

Oh, that I would learn to always trust the Lord rather than tantrum against Him.

*Note: details of this allegory have been altered to preserve confidentiality

Why I Give Preschoolers Stickers

Posted on November 9, 2019February 23, 2021 by S. J. Little

Why do I sometimes give preschoolers stickers for craft time? Am I being lazy? No. When used intentionally, stickers provide multiple benefits for preschoolers.

Benefits of giving preschoolers stickers

Before they can effectively hold a pencil, a child needs to strengthen their fine motor muscles and hand-eye coordination.
- Simply put, fine motor muscles are the small muscles in the hands. These muscles are used to do fine detail tasks such as holding a pencil, picking up a spoon, and putting beads on a string, among countless other tasks. When a child strengthens these muscles in their pre-writing years, they have an advantage when it comes time to learn to write. Peeling stickers and putting them on paper, exercises those fine motor muscles.
- Hand-eye coordination is another super valuable skill for preschoolers to develop. In basic terms, it is getting one’s hand to go where one wants it to go. Activities such as feeding oneself with a spoon, writing letters, and giving high fives require good hand-eye coordination. Coordinating hands to peel the stickers and then placing the stickers where they want on the paper, are great ways to practice using hand-eye coordination.
In our fast-paced world, teaching a child to sit down and focus on one task for a length of time can be challenging. Stickers, I have found, can bring surprising results in this regard. Some children, though not all, are willing to sit down and work hard on peeling those stickers for longer than they would typically sit. Please don’t get me wrong with this one. Yes, we want children to be up and moving, engaged in active play, but it is also important for them to be developing their attention span. Having a longer attention span can enable them to get deeper into play rather than bouncing from one toy to the next.
Most children enjoy stickers. As a teacher, I have a few children who do not enjoy craft time. Stickers might grab the interest of a child who typically dislikes crafts and help them begin to realize that sitting down to do crafts can be fun.

Tips for a smoother sticker time

Cut the sheet of stickers into strips
- Rather than handing a full sheet of stickers to a child, cut the sheet into strips. For really small stickers I find 6 or 7 stickers per strip is a good number as the paper is then big enough for the child to hold. For bigger stickers, I often cut them into groups of two or three. Giving the child only one of these strips of stickers at a time helps keep them focused and motivated as it isn’t an overwhelming number of stickers and there are fewer stickers to choose from at a time.
Remove sticker blank areas
- I recently discovered that removing the blank areas around the actual stickers makes it far easier for little hands to peel the stickers. (See picture.)
Teach children to bend the paper
- Some children need me to teach them how to get the stickers. I show them that bending the paper causes the sticker to lift up for easy removal. (See picture.)
Avoid “thin papery” stickers
- Beware of thin papery stickers as they may rip easily when being peeled from the paper, making the activity difficult and discouraging for children.
Mess-free craft
- This is an excellent craft for picture day. When all my children are dressed in their finest outfits, and feeling fidgety due to the special day, stickers are my go-to. They won’t stain fancy clothes and the children are excited to use them.

What are your tips for giving preschoolers stickers for craft time? Do you see other benefits of using them?

Looking for more engaging craft ideas for your preschooler? Check out Beyond the Paint Brush

Melting the Ice in Me

Posted on October 22, 2019 by S. J. Little

River with ice melting along the banks. God is working to melt the ice in me. S. J. Little

Autumn, my favourite season of the year. The leaves turn colours, the air is crisp, and the first snow coats the ground.

I was recently blessed to be able to spend a few days in the Rocky Mountain foothills. I enjoyed the opportunity for quiet morning walks and time to reflect and press deeper into my relationship with Jesus.

Although it had snowed a couple of days before I arrived, the temperatures during my stay reached above freezing.

As I strolled through the forest on my second morning, I followed my footsteps from the previous day to a rocky beach along a nearby river where I’d sat the day before.

I looked up at a sound, not quite sure what it was. River with melting ice After watching and listening for a time, I concluded that the sound came from the ice on the river as it melted. Indeed, the ice lining the edges of the river was far smaller on this second day than it had been the day before. No longer was the ice threatening to span across the river.

As I ran my gaze over the melting ice, my mind wandered back to the things I’d been pondering and praying about at this beach the morning before. They were painful thoughts rather than pleasant. Thoughts of some challenges I’ve been facing in my life recently. Thoughts which, at times, inspire tears.

Looking at the river, I recalled a common allegory. It pictures me, a Christian, as a channel through which God’s love can flow. The love doesn’t come from me. Rather, God is working through me.

Sometimes, however, things in my life hinder the flow of God’s work through me. In the same way, the ice on this river hampered its flow. Indeed, the ice had constricted the river to a mere half of its typical width. Yet now, as the ice continued to melt, the river flowed more freely and fully. Cracked ice on a river - S. J. Little

Using this allegory, God reminded me of a different perspective on the challenges I’ve been facing. God is using them for good.

In my life, I have areas, just like the ice, constraining the flow of God’s work through me. In order to melt that ice inside of me, God is allowing these challenges. They hurt and throb, perhaps like fingers thawing after a snowball fight. Yet, somehow, the end result will be good, as I lean into God during this time of challenge.

These challenges are melting those troublesome areas of ice within me, that I may more fully be available for God to work through me.

Is this an easy thing to remember? No, but what a burden it lifts when I do remember.

Indeed, I write this post as a reminder to myself to keep my eyes on the end result, rather than the current challenges which threaten to overwhelm me.

Romans 6:3-5 is a good reminder for me along these lines.

“We also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts…” Rom. 6:3b-5a CSB

In reflecting on these things, I have found A. W. Tozer’s words to be true.

“When I understand that everything happening to me is to make me more Christlike, it resolves a great deal of anxiety.” – A. W. Tozer

Oh, that I would remember that God is working in me when challenges come.