I was lucky enough to have Allie of No Time For Flash Cards do an interview with me! If you’ve never visited her site you are sure missing something special.
Allie is the guru of crafting with kids. Her site shows how trouble-free doing educational and fun projects with your little ones can be with everyday supplies like paper plates, glue, crayons and recycled household things. She even has a supply list on her site and I’m proud to say I have almost everything she recommends. NTFFC isn’t just about crafts though, Allie has this wonderful gift for singing. I’m telling you all, she is a talented mama. My daughter loves to watch her video clips of familiar tunes and hand movements and dramatic expressions. As a super bonus, Allie’s handsome son has the starring role on NTFFC. At just 2 years old he shows off his creations with pride and joy. Readers you are also encouraged to submit your child’s artwork to the site.
With a wide-ranging background in Early Childhood Education, Allie has a passion for anything kid related. She has an extensive book collection, stocked craft bins and broad knowledge about children’s health and developmental growth. She is often the go-to girl on Babytalkbio.com when there is a question of what to do for a particular situation. Babytalkbio.com is where Allie and I and many other mamas have joined forces to create a supportive and creative online community. This is where Allie share’s her wealth of knowledge of all things kid along with NTFFC and now she can be found at Blissful Kids and Educatall.com as a contributor.
Now here is our interview.
When did you start documenting your crafty times with your son? What made you start documenting them online?
It all started because I missed teaching but wasn’t ready to leave my little man to go back to work. I needed an outlet and wanted to share it with other moms, teachers and care givers. I missed helping them at work too, so No Time For Flash Cards was born!Has there been any craft idea that was great in your head but the outcome wasn’t as expected?
Of course! My son does most projects with me so it’s always a surprise what they will look like. One that comes to mind though was a touch and feel duck, my son hated the feathers and refused to touch them!
What prized pieces have you kept?
In all honesty I don’t keep much; I keep everything with hand prints and any holiday decor we made.
Does your husband ever get involved in project time?
Only once so far!
Is he a creative type?
Yeah Jason is creative, but in a more logical way, he is very musical and great at building things.
What are your top 3 book recommendations for baby (ages 0-2)
Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
Chicka Chicka ABC by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
Brown Bear Brown Bear by Eric Carle
preschool (ages 3-5)
Gilbert de la Frogponde : A Swamp Story by Jennifer Rae
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Something from Nothing by Phoebe Gilman
School age (ages 6-9)
The Westing Game – Ellen Raskin
Owls in The Family – Farley Mowat
Anne of Green Gables – Lucy Maude Montgomery
Name 1 book you read yesterday to your son.
“Din Dan Don” by Janina Domanska
Have you ever written a children’s book?
When I did my degree in Elem. Ed I focused my studies on early literacy and for that we had to write one. Mine sucked. It did, it was a terrible horrible knock off of “Alexander and The Terrible Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” by Judith Viorst.
Has it been published?
Oh no no no no. I’m surprised I got a passing grade on it.
What adult crafty things do you do?
I used to make cards, but now NTFFC takes up all my free time.
What advice can you give to parents who don’t have a creative bone in their body that want to do more with their children?
You don’t have to be creative to enrich your child’s learning at home. Grab some basic materials, like crayons, paper and glue and let them at it. I also know of a great website with tons of free ideas!
Seriously though it doesn’t matter what things look like, it matters that children are being read to, being creative and drawing – which is a basic building block for early literacy! If doing fun crafts adds some interest and novelty to keep them interested that’s awesome , and I like doing that but it’s just a wonderful bonus to those other basics.
Some other achievements Allie has tucked under her belt are winning Best Website Award on HillbillyHousewife.com, having a craft (#11)featured in Cookie Magazine and having a write-up on Shine from Yahoo. Allie should be very proud of all that she has done. She’s a warm, genuine person and I am honored to call her my friend.
