Yellow Ribbon
You can help me show how proud I am of my deployed parent by helping me to make a yellow ribbon. Yellow ribbons have come to be recognized as a symbol that someone you love is away serving their country.…
Busy Hands
I love to touch things and see what happens. I want to turn knobs, push buttons, open boxes, and turn pages. Find ways for me to get busy with my hands. You may want to buy some toddler-safe finger paint…
Cozy Corner
A cozy corner is a great place for me to go when I feel like I need some quiet time, when I want some cuddle time, or when I am feeling overwhelmed by my emotions. I can go to my…
Kissing Hand
In the book The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn, the Mamma Raccoon reassures her young child that her kiss in the palm of his hand can help him when he starts to miss her; all he has to do is…
Kitchen Band
A fun thing for me to do when you are in the kitchen is to play with my kitchen band! What is that? It is a collection of pots and pans you don’t mind that I play with, rubber storage…
Activity Bag
I am so little, I don’t have patience! You can help me by taking an activity bag wherever we go. It doesn’t have to be big; in fact, you might be able to fit it in my diaper bag! Pick…
Scent of You
I am comforted just by your smell. If you have to leave me for any length of time, like a deployment, why not leave me with something that smells like you! Perhaps it can be one of your t-shirts you…
Act it Out
I love when I get to imagine and be creative in my play! Keep a box of old clothes and items for props that I can play pretend with. You can include things like scarves, hats, backpacks, and containers, even…
Activity Bag
It is so hard for me to wait, I don’t have the ability to sit still and be patient! You can help me by bringing an activity bag wherever we go. It doesn’t have to be big; in fact, it…
Planes, Trains, and Other Toys
I love to play with you! When you are away, I can see you when we use the computer to talk. That helps, yet how much can we talk about when I am so little? So, why not play with…
Quiet Play
Sometimes, I need to be quiet and slow down my activity. What can we do when I need to be quiet? How about looking at books, listening to recorded stories, or drawing pictures? I can grow my imagination and develop…
Activity Bag
I am getting to be so big! Sometimes you might be fooled into thinking I am all grown up! But I still don’t have the ability to sit still for long periods of time. An activity bag is just the…
I Know You
When we get to talk on the phone, or talk over the computer, I feel like you don’t always know what to say to me. I am so little, and I don’t have many words to share with you yet.…
What Can We Do with This?
Let’s be creative! Let’s take recyclable items and see what we can do with them! Old yogurt cups can become building blocks for a tower or a place for us to plant seeds I can watch grow. Water bottles can…
Hand in Hand
Make a great keepsake, and help me to remember my parent who is getting ready to deploy! You can use either white Crayola Model Magic Clay™ or other moldable materials such as plaster of Paris, available at most craft stores.…
