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Spring means warm temperatures… and barnyard babies!

Spring has finally settled over the land in New England. Mud season is gone, the temperatures are generally pleasant enough to spend long periods outside, and the sun is (mostly) shining! I can feel the seasonal depression leaving my body.

Much like people think “beach” when they hear Virginia, or NYC when discussing New York, people also think “Massholes,” and frigid temperatures when they think about New England. Although everything from Worcester to Boston has a general vibe, the rest of New England is filled with some truly amazing spots. For example….

Along my morning commute to work, there was this quintessential New England farm. Massive red barn, rock walls – the whole shebang. Everyday, I’d crest a blind hill and see a field filled with cows out to pasture. Then suddenly, without warning, I’d come over that hill one unsuspecting morning and all those cows would have calves by their side. It was as if they gave birth overnight in unison, and it never failed to bring tears to my eyes. I’m a softy like that – but nobody knows it but me. Queue Babyface.

As a result of my softy-vibes, we always plan a trip to visit the sweet barnyard babies in May. For this reason, I stock our library shelves with a smattering of farm books, games, and puzzles. It helps build the excitement, and gives us an opportunity to learn a few new things!

Games

Count Your Chickens – This is such a cute little cooperative game. Best for kids below 5, the idea is to get all the chicks into the coop before the end of the game. If someone spins a fox, one chick gets removed from the coop and heads back out to the field. Worried about all the little pieces getting lost? Yeah, I was too. But because it’s made by Mindware, you can request free replacement parts for your game at any time. They have amazing customer service.

Stack Your Chickens – A fun spin on Count Your Chickens. In this one, you have different shaped barnyard critters. There are cards with pictures on them that the players have to match the stacking order. It’s a bit like Jenga in reverse, and it’s more challenging than you’d think. Great for ages 4+, but our “two-half” year old plays it with her sisters, as well.

Puzzles

Melissa & Doug Busy Barn Shaped Jumbo Puzzle – Two of my kids adore floor puzzles. My oldest isn’t a puzzle girl, but she’ll jump in when bigger pieces are involved. This is perfect for a lazy Sunday morning with the whole family.

Melissa & Doug 4-in-1 Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle (Farm) – Great for the 3-5 range (or kids that aren’t big into puzzles), this puzzle set includes a cow, horse, hen and pig. Each puzzle is only 12 pieces, and each piece is labeled on the back with a shape to prevent mix-ups.

Books

BIRTH – 2

Moo! Baa! La! La! La! – Sandra Boynton is fantastic, isn’t she? This one is such a cute little book about animals and all the sounds they make (and the ones they don’t).

Are You a Cow? – Another adorable one by Sandra Boynton. “Are You a Cow” is a great book for toddlers who’ve just learned the word “no.”

Barnyard Dance – Barnyard Dance is both a book and a song. Both are equally delightful. You’ll want to record the dancing.

Good Morning, Good Night – A touch and feel book for little hands. We loved this book so much, we’ve had to tape it back together a few times. This book takes little one through the day from the perspective of some busy little animals.

Duck & Goose: Goose Needs a Hug – It’s never too early to teach little people about their feelings. “Name it to Tame it.” The sooner they can express them, the sooner the tantrums end. This book is a cute little tale about a Goose who is feeling down and needs something. His friends keep trying to help, but aren’t patient enough to listen for him to communicate his needs.

Don’t Tickle the Pig – This is one of my favorite Usborne series for little people.

Say Hello to the Animals – With a sweet rhyming tone, toddlers can touch their way through the barnyard and learn about what those critters are up to.

3-5 YEAR OLDS

The Very Hungry Caterpillar – What a classic. Can you even do spring without reading this one? I think not. Pro tip: buy the board book. It holds up better to little ones that may still be struggling with “gentle hands.”

The Little Blue Truck – A sweet tale about the power of teamwork. Sometimes the littlest player on the team makes the biggest difference!

The Little Blue Truck Leads the Way – In this sequel to The Little Blue Truck, our truck friend is stuck in city traffic. Everyone thinks they are the most important, but Little Blue steps up to get things running smoothly. If only this happened in Boston….

Leo and Melody at the Farm – The Lovevery Books are a delight. My youngest two have adored them. Leo and Melody is a multisensory book (touch/smell) about a trip to the farm.

Carrot Soup – A great story about the importance of community and working together.

Poppy and Sam First Word Book – This fun book is a look and find brought to you by Usborne. Fair warning: you’ll probably want to rotate after a few reads. Look and finds are my nemesis. Maybe they’re just a good reminder that I need to slow down and be patient.

The Good Egg – A book that’s great for the perfectionist in your life. The Good Egg discusses what it’s like to be under the pressure of being “good” all the time. Eventually, cracks appear in his shell, and he needs to reevaluate his priorities.

I Know an Old Lady – Both a song and a book, this is a silly tale that all my children have adored. Yes, the old lady “dies” in the end, but even my 4-year-old empath doesn’t seem to have any feelings about it at all.

Are You My Mother? – A little bird cracks out of its egg while its mother is out finding food. It asks many animals (including barnyard critters) if they are its mother. Finally, it asks a large tractor. You’ll have to read it for yourself to see how it turns out.

Tap the Magic Tree – If you enjoy the Hervé Tullet books, you’ll L-O-V-E “Tap the Magic Tree.” Children are invited to perform actions on each page to make things happen to the tree as if they had “magic hands.”

Betty Bunny Loves Chocolate Cake – “Betty bunny was a handful….” We love love love Betty bunny and all her shenanigans. It reminds me of a sweeter, picture book version of Junie B. Whether you have a picky eater, a kiddo who is a bit stubborn, or just want a good laugh, this book is for you.

Wordy Birdy – Wordy Birdy talks a lot but never listens. Sounds like my husband. Zing! Even though her friends try to warn her, Wordy Birdy stumbles right into a bear den. Do her friends leave her behind? Of course not, this is a children’s book.

Duck on a Bike – In this book, a duck steals a bike from a boy. At first, all the barnyard animals have a lot of opinions about a duck riding a bike. Before you know it, all the barnyard critters are in on the action. A great story to remind us that just because we’re seeing or hearing something for the first time, doesn’t mean we should immediately dismiss it.

Peep & Ducky Rainy Day – Peep and Ducky is a sweet story about two little friends who have a playdate on a rainy day. This book reinforces the idea that having people you love is one of the best gifts a person can have.

5-7 YEAR OLDS

Gary Goose and His Gas on the Loose – My four-year-old did not enjoy books until we introduced the farting series. Even my typically very-serious parents howled at these books. In this one, Gary Goose learns about how to politely let his gas loose.

Mercy Watson – This is a great series for the 4-7 range. It’s a transition book between picture and chapter books. There are full-color pictures on every page. Mercy Watson is owned by Mr. & Mrs. Watson, who dote on Mercy like their child. She even sleeps in bed! We’ve loved all the Mercy Watson series so far, and I’m sure you will, too.

Charlotte’s Web – This is our read aloud for May this year. I’ve found that I can read higher level books if I do it over lunch when their little mouths are otherwise… occupied. My mom read Charlotte’s Web to her 3rd grade class every year until she retired.

Trendsetter-Tips for Saving Money on Books!

The cost of books can run you a small fortune. Ask me how I know. I love having a small library of my own, then bolstering our bookshelves with library books. But creating your own personal library does come with a cost and inflation is real. To save money on stocking your library, consider these options:

The Library

The first, and potentially most obvious way to save money is to visit your local library! I’m not a big fan of going to the library, mostly because our library is a well-known petri dish. I do; however, love checking them out online and picking them up. If you decide to go this route, use keywords in their search feature, and then filter by desired age and genre.

Additionally, consider researching other libraries in your area. Even though they may not be in your town, you may be eligible for a card. For example, because my husband is an employee in a nearby city, we are eligible for a library card to a much larger library than the one available in our town.

ThriftBooks

We’ve been using ThriftBooks for a few years. ThriftBooks sells both new and used books. While I enjoy utilizing them where I can, I find that often the shipping is sluggish, or I can buy the same thing on Amazon brand new for a similar price or even less. It’s worth checking them out and comparing. If you need new books within a few days, I wouldn’t rely on ThriftBooks as your primary shopping source.

That said, ThriftBooks offers ReadingRewards where you can earn free books. They also offer special discounts for educators (this includes homeschool families), and that is a service that definitely isn’t offered via Amazon. You win some and lose some.

Keep reading to your kids.

Study after study has shown that the most powerful predictor of future success is reading with your children. It doesn’t matter where you get your books, or what subjects your kiddo is interested in, just read. That’s all, folks.