Make this Halloween unforgettable for your little ones with our collection of spooky and fun-filled children’s books. From interactive tales like Don’t Push the Button! A Halloween Treat to magical adventures in How to Catch a Witch, these titles offer something for every young reader. Whether it’s a story about catching witches or joining the Sesame Street gang for some pumpkin fun, these books are sure to enchant and entertain. Perfect for sparking imagination and getting into the Halloween spirit!

Books Featured:

1. Don’t Push the Button! A Halloween Treat
   • https://amzn.to/4gM2UnH
2. Five Little Pumpkins on Sesame Street
   • https://amzn.to/4duuyCU
3. Halloween Is Coming!
   • https://amzn.to/3Y5l2BF
4. How to Catch a Monster
   • https://amzn.to/47QjxdH
5. How to Catch a Witch
   • https://amzn.to/47OKaQc
6. The Halloween Tree
   • https://amzn.to/4gIcOqx
7. The Science Spell Book
   • https://amzn.to/3ZO2181

I work in the software industry. During Covid, much of this industry transitioned to working from home. For me it was a dream come true. I love being in the other room and I can pop-out of the office at regular intervals to give my spouse a kiss and do little chores to help with meals, get materials off of the high shelves, and any other thing that I could help with.

Well, life has a way of throwing curve balls at you! My son separated from his wife and moved back into our home with a toddler that we have every other week. I didn’t understand how much harder it could be trying to juggle work and a toddler at the same time. But we learned a lot very quickly. The most important thing that my wife and I learned is that communication is key. We let each other know that we can count on each other to take over when things get too out of control and that neither of us is the primary care taker, we take turns.

Here are some general rules that just make things run smoother:

1. Set expectations: let your children (the ones that are old enough to understand) know when you can’t be interrupted. Our toddler grandson couldn’t care less what our expectations are, but my spouse understands and knows the door has to close for certain meetings and before certain deadlines. A planner can do wonders for that kind of communication! https://amzn.to/3tllX0B

2. Work as a partnership. Set hours that you can trade off with your spouse to get that uninterrupted time. Or find some selective hours to hire a baby sitter. Trading babysitting with a neighbor can have benefits here. I appreciate that

3. Fit in work-time at small increments. Nap time, quiet time, or even bath time can be small increments of time that I can type out a quick message on my phone and still keep the work plate spinning. I plan to do some of the back-and-forth email or text when I’m not at the desk. There are things that I can do when our toddler is playing in the back yard and I can look between his activities and the phone without dropping either of those things.

4. Map out your days. It is a really good thing to keep nap time, physical activity time, and even some quiet or calming down time on a schedule. Your child will begin to expect certain things to happen during specific times. That helps to prevent unnecessary stress from them not knowing what to expect.

5. Strategically use technology. We have a learning time where our grandson watches “Songs for Littles”. This program is found on YouTube and can be streamed on our television or on a computer screen.

I have streamed Pandora with children’s songs, or got Alexa to play a children’s song channel in the background and set my personal pictures playing in a slide show.

These methods can get a 20 minute or so time slice to do some work.

6. Take time out to do some real activities with your children. Giving them some undivided attention at strategically placed time helps the children feel that you really do love and cherish them and the things that they do.

Here is a great list of things to do:

1. Arts and crafts: draw, color, or work with paper. I like cutting up old magazines and making collages. We have a couple of origami books and a paper air-plane book. We have made frogs that jump, cranes whose wings move, and lots of air-planes that my grandson never tires of throwing again and again.

2. Walk around the block. Bundle up if it cold. From a month before Halloween until about New-Year’s Day, the decorations on porches in in yards tend to change. My grandson loves to point out the pumpkins, the turkeys, and the Santa Clauses that pop-up and are taken down.

3. Visit a park. The swings and the slides are a favorite around here. There are public parks and neighborhood green spaces. We will bring a ball or a frisbee and change up what we do from day to day.

4. Visit the mall. The mall has play-places and my grandson loves to climb on every little piece of equipment in the play-place.

5. Take a trip to McDonalds or a fast-food restaurant to play. You might just order some fries or an ice-cream cone. Spend some quality time with your little one as they run around.

6. Bake cookies or dip strawberries in chocolate. You can find recipes on the back of your chocolate chip bag for cookies, or use an old and trusted recipe. You could make no-bake cookies to keep the younger kids from the oven. Or find some melters on the party isle at the grocery store or a party store. The melters come in several flavors and colors which can make dipping lots of things in the melted candy that will harden and be lots of fun when you eat them with the kids.

7. Make a holiday paper chain. Or just see how long the chain gets before you get off of the call or video meeting.

8. Read books! We used to checkout more than 30 books every few weeks when we had five kids at home. The library has so many that can be borrowed. You can borrow eBooks from Amazon with Kindle Unlimited.

I’m throwing in a personal plug here: You can read some great children’s books written by Dean and Brenda Giles, right here– http://austinsgift.com/books-by-dean-and-brenda-giles/ If you buy a book on Amazon written by us, just send us the digital receipt (email) and we will send you a printable pdf coloring book. Email us at dgiles63@gmail.com.  

9. Sidewalk Chalk! Step out of the door. The kids will enjoy using the chalk on the sidewalk. It is a blank slate waiting for some kind of decoration.

10. Put together puzzles. There are puzzles designed for every age. Older children can benefit from some hours of puzzle building. Our toddler loves wooden puzzles like these ones:  https://amzn.to/3UspRRi

11. Bubbles, bubbles everywhere! Kids of all ages love bubbles. Older children can still enjoy bubbles if you get a large bubble launcher: https://amzn.to/3A4CMAA

12. Make something with Playdough. You can often pick up an inexpensive set at the Dollar Store, or for a few dollars at Walmart or Target!

There are a dozen activities to break up the working hours and let the kids know that you really are there for them. Working from home can be a real blessing and can make more time together!

When I get done with work, it seems that I am sometimes met by my son, on the couch, with the computer in his lap, a mouse in his hand, headphones on one ear, and the TV blaring. If I go turn off the TV, he complains that he was watching that. “Then what are you doing with the computer?” I’ll ask. He responds that he is playing an online game and can’t get off because he is in the middle of a tournament.

It was moments like this that had me reflecting on my own childhood. We had a little field by our house. We played kickball there. We climbed trees. We made lean-to forts. We rode bikes. We flew kites. We played lots of games. We didn’t need many things; it was all out of our imagination and our ability to find fun things to do with just about anything. Over the years, when our children were young, and we had a few around the house, we went to the park often or we just went for walks around the block. There is just a different perspective when you get out of the house. I love exploring the river trail and visiting the lake. There is so much to do. Well, that gave my wife and I the basis for a children’s book that we wrote and illustrated.

Let Us Help!

From Dean R. and Brenda Giles, Amazon New Release Bestselling authors comes a book about the wonderful things a child can do, if they will just get off of the couch, off their devices and go do them!

There are really a TON of things that you can do. The secret is to put down devices, turn off the TV, and prepare yourself for some REAL fun!

The book features colorful illustrations and a great rhyming verse that make is so children want to read it again and again. See what people have to say about it.

Editorial Review

“I enjoyed reading “Oh, The Wonderful Things That You Can Do!” by Dean and Brenda Giles which is an excellent book to encourage and show children there is an amazing world outside of screen activities. I know The American Pediatric Association recommends children need a balance between screen time and other healthy activities and this book clearly motivates children to explore healthy activities outside of devices like TV, digital games, etc.I thought the illustrations were exceptionally very well done and very colorful.  I loved the syncopated rhythm and rhyme to the happy content in that, in my view, makes this an excellent and entertaining book for kids. For example,”Put devices away let your mind have a look, imagination is king while reading a book Or, “Life’s an adventure every day is such fun, when you are active and out on the run.” Dr. Mary Gavin a spokesperson for the American Pediatric Association recommends kids getting active and have fun, “Laughing together is a way to connect, and a good sense of humor also can make kids smarter, healthier, and better able to cope with challenges.” – Dr. Mary L. Gavin, M.D.All in all, this book is very well done and highly recommended since it shows a way of creating a healthy and happier life for children.”

Bruce Miller

Get you copy here: https://amzn.to/3Jh5VeC

One way to save money and improve the quality of your life is to have a garden and grow some of your own fruits and vegetables. The problem is that plants can be expensive and it takes a little time and effort.

My son and his wife have been doing it since they were married. They have some great tips and tricks for gardening on a budget. I loved their advice. For what it’s worth, just take a few minutes, see what they have to say, and let me know what you think!

Or you can see it here: https://youtu.be/uEZN_fADfac .

It is St. Patrick’s Day. A day for parades and wearing green. There is little wonder that the bestselling Amazon Children’s Book is “How to Catch a Leprechaun” by Adam Wallace and illustrated by Andy Ellerton.

This delightful book showcases the Irish folklore of a mischievous little elf or fairy with a sly sense of humor. Each child has set some kind of trap to catch the Leprechaun and each two-page image shows the failed trap and often the leprechaun running away. The legend has it that if you catch the leprechaun he will give you gold, however, the book leads you to believe if you try to catch him, but fail, he will leave you a mess to clean up.

The illustrations show that he wreaks havoc on the house and plays pranks on the children trying to catch him. The naughty leprechaun always escapes. The ensuing catastrophes are hilarious and children love to see them again and again.  You can pick up this book at https://amzn.to/3CPFcTP .

Along the same holiday vein is a sweet book you might also think about. The Snow Birthday is about a girl who doesn’t like the cold, but really likes the snow and what she can do on a winter’s day. Her fun story shows children every where the joys of a birthday in the winter and how she tried to share those with friends and family.

The story is about inclusion and reaching out to others and is about family and the bonds that can be enjoyed with the family while celebrating a birthday. You can pick up the book here: https://amzn.to/3JVQuZ3 .

These two books will make an awesome addition to your personal library. Enjoy St. Patrick’s Day and try to get the most out of the last vestiges of winter before the newness of spring ushers in a whole new world!

Grab your fee copy of “A Kiss From Heaven.” A beautiful children’s book that portrays the fun stages of life from a baby to a toddler.

“You need this kind of cute on your bookshelf!”

https://amzn.to/2IrJPeM

The world needs a super hero like you. You may not know it, but deep within you have super powers that could change someone’s life.

Children love to make believe. They can imagine themselves with amazing super powers, but what if they discovered that they had super powers already, they simply had to put them to use.

“If I Had a Super Power,” explores the super power that each of us have with in us to be kind and do good things. This book encourages kindness and willingness to help others. It is truly the remedy that our nation and our world need right now!

If you are looking for great children’s books with good values, you have come to the right place. The following books would help you and your family become kinder and appreciate other members of the family more.

The Snow Birthday

Little Baby

Summertime is Family time

What are your summertime activities? Do you visit the park? Do you swim in the pool? Do you boat on the lake? How do you keep cool? Summer can be an enchanting time of year. The great outdoors can call your name, or you might find amusement parks and fairs more to your liking. Well, when you find a lull in the summer activities you might reach for a book to read with your child. You might even reach for a book that features families and/or summertime activities. Here are a few of my favorites!

Arthur’s Family Vacation

Tag along with Arthur as he embarks on a wild Family Vacation. I think that I relate to the book a little because of all of the misadventures. But in spite of the ups and downs. Arthur finally prevails and finds the joy in the vacation. I think you’ll love the story as you get into it.

Duck and Goose Go to the Beach

This priceless treasure is aimed at the younger crowd but has been one of my favorites. I have enjoyed the various times we have made it to the beach. The beach never grows old for me. So, the antics and the discover of the wonders of the beach shine through to me.

Mouse’s First Summer

This is also a book for younger children. It focuses on the colors and the new experiences of Summer. It has short sentences on every page and is perfect for short attention spans.

Creeking, Summertime Fun

A book aimed at the simple pleasures of floating on an innertube down a creek. Summer brings lots of opportunities. A simple creek can be lots of fun!

If you are looking for more adventure, you might try:

Going on a Bear Hunt

This charming children’s book takes you on a fast-paced journey on an imaginary bear hunt. It is lots of fun and reminds me of those camping stories.

Or Bears in the Night

The Berenstain Bears’ humorous adventure of sneaking out at night, making it to the top of spook hill, then hurrying back to bed.

Sometimes you need a Family Activity. You might try the Would You Rather book.

We would play lots of word games on the road, here is a little twist to imagination games while traveling.

Or If there is a little too much family competition:

Why my brother is the Perfect Teammate is a great book to remind everyone of why siblings are the best people to play with.

Sometimes the know-it-all comes out in a child. Aiden McGee gets a Case of the Actuallys is book that I would definitely recommend.

If you are just looking for something for that little Superhero of yours. If I Had a Superpower is a powerful book that will make them think.

Summertime is a great time for activities, but is also a great time to settle down to a little reading. Reading will make the biggest difference in your child’s life. Finding fun adventures in reading should be an ongoing activity for every parent.