{Best Blog} What do we do all day

It is another weekly feature of Best Blog!  This week we are talking with Erica of What Do We Do All Day Blog.

Here at Kids Activities Blog, our kids love to read and we have an ever-expanding bookshelf.  One of our go-to places for a book list is Erica over at What do we do all day.

Erica’s blog is one of the blogs I began reading years ago, when we were cramped for space.  Most of the activities she does are simple – love that!  And I love how she encourages children’s literacy through her blog.

Thanks Erica for doing an interview with Kids Activities Blog!

What Do We Do All Day Blog

Rachel:  Why did you begin blogging?

Erica:  I began blogging as a way to record little tips and tricks that I used to “get through the day.”  I wrote about super-easy ways to help keep me and my sons entertained without a lot of fuss. I blogged a lot about indoor activities since we live in a very small apartment with no yard. Quickly, however I also found that I absolutely loved to share the books we read together and a part of my blog’s editorial content each week is devoted to sharing lists of great books with other parents.

It’s a Family Blog

Rachel:  What do you want to tell a mom who is stressed about “activities” and their complications?

Erica:  I want parents to know that spending quality time with their kids can be no fuss activities like playing board games and reading books together. On the flip side, however, I hope to inspire parents to let their kids engage in free play by giving them simple materials and activities to explore on their own, because parents need to be able to sit down with a cup of tea now and then!

Rachel:  Tell us about your favorite kiddos.

Erica: I have 2 sons. The oldest, “Kiddo,” is almost 8 and the youngest, “New Kid”, will be 4 next week. Kiddo loves structure, rules, math and games while New Kid is very mischievous and loves to make everyone laugh!    By far — reading aloud together! My kids will sit for hours (no exaggeration) reading, looking at books, and listening to me read aloud. A book is the greatest panacea for an upset child. Once my oldest son told me the library is one of his favorite places in the world. That made me so happy!  I love that the books we read spark conversations about topics we might not encounter in our daily life.

How to Blog

Rachel:  What do you enjoy the most about your blog, What We Do All Day?

Erica:  I’ve been blogging for five years now and it is interesting to me the way my blog has developed as my family has grown and changed. I never envisioned that I would like blogging so much but I love being able to share what works for our family with other parents. I so enjoy when someone leaves a comment telling me that they had fun with one of our activity suggestions!

Final parenting advice from Erica:

“Let go of any preconceived ideas you have about kid activities because allowing your children to explore the world with simple tools and lots of books will help them develop so much more than making paper plate Santas!”

Want to read more?  Check out her facebook page.  You can also find Erica on G+, Twitter, Pinterest and Sulia.