Smarty Pants

Balderdata

2010-09-17T19:32:00.000-07:00

Play your own version of Balderdash!
On 3- 4 small pieces of paper write a different word that your children have most likely never heard before.

Choose one of the words and read it aloud. Have your children think about what that word might mean, and write it down (so nobody else can see)
If your child is too young to write words, ask them to whisper their answer in your ear, then write it down for them.

Write down a made up answer yourself, and on a separate piece of paper write the correct answer.

Read all of the answers aloud and have each child vote on the definition that they think is the real one.

Give them a point if they guess the one that is actually correct. Also give them a point if somebody else voted for their definition!

When the game is over, review the words and definitions so that they remember their meanings!

Collect some data...

Then have your child graph it!

Any topic will do. Movies, toys, food.....family dynamics...

Try different kinds of graphs and have fun with them.

Read 2 stories about different characters. When you're done with the stories, have your child compare the two main characters, using a 'bubble graph' (which is not it's real name...it's just what I call it. ) How were they alike? How were they different?

(Our book was about two sisters the 'big' sister and the 'little' sister.)

Make a different bubble graph and have your child compare him/herself to a sibling or other relative. How are they similar to their relative, and how are they different?

Shiny Art and Daddy Traps

2010-08-17T11:34:00.000-07:00

Use markers to create a colorful picture on a piece of Aluminum foil.

Explain what the words 'True' and 'False' mean, then create a list of True and False Statements. Read each statement aloud and have your child circle the 'T' if they think it is True, and the 'F' if they think it is false. Share the correct answers at the end!

Set up a room full of booby traps for when Daddy comes home !

(This one spilled water on Daddy's shoes when he picked up the bag of cookies )

These Stuffed Animals (which were tied to the bed) were waiting to be swung at Daddy when he walked by.

The possibilities are endless....

But if you find that you need a little inspiration, just watch Home Alone. :)

Reading, writing, and soap

2010-08-06T13:27:00.001-07:00

Write several words on the back of fun paper cut outs (I got these at the dollar store, but you could easily cut some out yourself)
Have your child choose a cutout and sound out the word on the back.
There's something about the shapes that makes reading really exciting.

With tape, attach several different letters to different food containers and display them around the room. Place all of the vowels on one side of the room, and the consonants on the other.

Have your child crumble a piece of tin foil into a shape of a ball and throw it at a box with consonant attached to it.

Next, have the same child throw the foil ball at a vowel, then again at a consonant. Have them go collect each box they hit, and place them together to spell a word. Allow the child a few seconds to look at the word, and sound it out on their own. After they have read the word correctly, have them put the boxes back in their places, and hand the foil off to the next person.

Hand your child a bar of soap, a vegetable peeler and a spoon, and see what they can make with it!

(Mom did help with this one ;)

Have your kids practice writing capital and lower-case letters in ways they've never tried before. Have them attempt to write a capital G with their left hand....a lower case y with the marker in their mouth, or between their toes. Have them try it backward or with their eyes closed.

They'll love the challenge.

Have fun!

Theme Park

2010-06-21T20:03:00.000-07:00

Pull out those old wooden blocks and create a theme park together. Ask your child what kind of rides and attractions they would like to include in the theme park, and start building!

The theme of our park was movies, and our biggest attractions included:
a delicious chocolate river (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)
Elephant rides (Jungle book)
Flying ride (Peter Pan)
the Truck roll (Goofy movie)
Alice's house (Alice in Wonderland)
The Racer (Cars)
and a Twisty Tornado ride (Wizard of Oz)

See what your child comes up with!

Don't tell Daddy....

2010-06-08T20:13:00.000-07:00

that we borrowed a little bit of his shaving cream today :)

Mush

2010-06-07T18:56:00.000-07:00

Fill a couple of spray bottles with water, and add a few drops of food coloring to each one (different colors)

Choose 2-3 ingredients that are white in color, and place them each in a small bowl.
Have your child spray the ingredients with the colored water and see what happens.

Saltines will swell and grow soggy....flour and water will form dough, sugar will soak it right up...and rice gets sticky.
It's like magic. ;)

Miss Tia wasn't satisfied with the results. She wanted to mix all of the ingredients together and make her own version of a cake.

and one hour later (after a few more trips to the spice cupboard) she was still mixing.
Try it out!

Ice Cake

2010-06-03T19:35:00.000-07:00

Before bed, fill a mixing bowl (any size) with water and put it in the freezer for the night. In the morning it should be completely frozen. Turn the bowl over and let the ice slide out into another bowl or deep pan.

Place the 'ice cake' in front of your child, as well as a spray bottle filled with hot water, a small bowl of salt and some food coloring (if you trust them with it).
Have them experiment with different methods of melting/decorating the ice cake. It's fun to watch the colors spread, and the cake slowly shrink

I was just as entertained by this as she was.

Bake for a cause

2010-06-01T19:12:00.000-07:00

Do you have a Ronald McDonald House in your area?
Check out their website HERE for information on who they are and where they are located.

Often times they are in need of baked goods, so the families who stay at the house are able to have something to snack on. This is a fantastic service opportunity to involve the kids in.

Explain the mission of the charity to your children, so they understand why their services are needed-- Allow them to give some input on what kind of cookies/treats to make....then get to work!
Baking is always fun, but even more so when the children know they're doing it for an important cause.

(The woman I spoke to at the RM house said that it would be appreciated if the baked goods were wrapped/bagged so they could be frozen for later use...)

Writing on the glass

2010-05-26T20:28:00.000-07:00

If you have a sliding glass door or a big window within your child's reach, hand them a few dry erase markers and see what they come up with.

Let them draw what they want....

....or, turn their dry-erase session into an educational experience.
Have your child complete a pattern, or practice writing their letters and numbers. Have them draw a picture from a story you read earlier....or tell them to draw a picture of something that rhymes with ______.

Lots of fun. And it keeps them happily occupied for a nice long time :)

Notes from Mom and Dad

2010-05-19T21:18:00.000-07:00

Here is a simple little activity that will help your kids feel extra special every day.
Have your child help construct and decorate their very own mailbox then stick it on the refrigerator where they can check it each morning for special notes that Mommy and Daddy leave them.

A perfect beginning to the day.

Share the art

2010-05-18T19:55:00.000-07:00

Are you like me and have WAY more art lying around your house than you know what to do with?

(and would they happen to all be images of princesses by chance?)

Well, it may be time to start sharing the love. Have your child help you fold up the pictures and place each one in an envelope. Ask them who they would like to send each of the pictures to (a friend, neighbor, family member, teacher....) Write the appropriate address on each one, and have the child slap a stamp in the corner.
Then off to the mailbox they go.

Talk about how excited everyone is going to be in a few days when they open their mailboxes and see what's in their envelopes!

Let the games begin

2010-05-17T20:43:00.001-07:00

Tonight get the whole family together for a little friendly competition.
Have each person think of a contest for everyone to participate in.

Here are some ideas:
Who can make the funniest face?
Who can spit the seeds the farthest?
Who can think of the most words that rhyme with....
Who has the best dance moves. (We did this one :)
Who can blow the biggest bubble
Who can eat their pudding the fastest
Who can answer the most questions correctly...

etc.

At the end of the competition, conduct an awards ceremony and hand out the prizes.
Our prizes consisted of children's books that I found at Goodwill for 25 cents! But anything will do.

Have fun (but let the kiddos win some of the time too )! ;)

do re me

2010-05-14T19:54:00.000-07:00

Pull out the ol' keyboard or any other musical instrument you have around the house and give your child a basic music lesson. Teach them a simple song to play back to you during their own recital.
Today we learned how to play Mary Had a Little Lamb.

But that's not what this video is all about....

Gotta love Hannah Montana.

Put it on the map

2010-05-12T19:41:00.000-07:00

Talk with your child about the unique characteristics of the United States of America, and discuss why it is such a special country to live in. Show a picture of the American flag......then ask if they would like to create their own country today.

Have them think of a name for their country, then allow them to create their own flag.
Ask them a few of the following questions to help jump start their imaginations:

Who will live in your country?
What kind of plants will your country have?
What are some things in the U.S. that you would not like to be in your country?
What kind of rules will you have there?

Have them draw a picture of their new country and describe it to the rest of the class (or family).

This is "Amomica"

Here, the trees are made of spinach and redvines, the rivers are made of fruit smoothies. The main sources of transportation are Magic carpets and dancing dolphins. In Amomica there are no bugs or spiders....and the volcano grants your weather wishes.

This is Tia Land: A land where everyone plays music, and the lady bugs eat the spiders. To get from here to there you must ride the birds, and if you want a snack, Tia Land is known for it's big juicy strawberries, as well as its delicious coconuts.

This is a fun one for moms too. Give it a try!

Just ducky

2010-05-10T20:26:00.001-07:00

Look what we made.

Kinda freaky looking, but still pretty cool.

Click here for a list of fun crafts made out of pipe cleaners.

They're fun and take little to no skill. My kind of craft :)

Dig it up.

2010-05-07T21:18:00.000-07:00

Pick a letter of the day and collect a bunch of small items that begin with that letter. Also find a few small items that do not begin with the letter.

Pour some flour into a mixing bowl, and bury your items in the flour. Cover them up well, so your child will not see.

Give your child a slotted spoon to dig with. When they dig an item out of the flour, have them say the name of the item and decide whether or not it begins with the letter of the day. Have them put all the items that begin with the designated letter in one bowl, and all others into another bowl.

We chose the letter C and used the following items:
Clip
Chapstick,
Crayon
Candle
Cracker
Raisins,
Button,
Pretzel
and others

Every kid loves to dig! Miss Tia had a great time with this one.

Want to make an easy craft? With a Cereal box? ;)
Draw a picture of a character and glue it to a piece of cardboard from a cereal box.
Cut holes in the torso for your fingers to go through and pose as legs.

My girls got a kick out of the ballet show I put on for them. Make a whole family of them and put on a puppet show.

Family Matters

2010-05-04T21:38:00.000-07:00

If you live far away from family like we do, your children may not know their extended family as well as you would like them to.

This week help your kids get to know their relatives by centering your weeks' activities around them.

Start out by sending a few questions out to your relatives. Ask them things about themselves that you would like to share with your children.
Do they have a favorite food? favorite dessert?
What are their hobbies? What are they afraid of? What kinds of activities did they do with their families when they were younger? Do they have a favorite memory from their childhood?

Compile their answers and dedicate each day of the following week to a certain family member, or a group of family members.

Here's what we did.

Day one was Great Grandma and Grandpa G day.
At breakfast that morning, we read an account that Gma had written about some of her childhood memories. My girls got a kick out of her experiences and found a lot of similarities between their interests and hers. We talked about some of my own memories of my Grandparents, and about the things I loved most about them. That day we ate a few of their favorite foods, played their favorite childhood game (kick the can) and made a craft in honor of Grandpa's profession: Making false teeth.

The next day was Great Gma and Gpa Z.

We started the day talking about Daddy's memories of his grandparents, and I read their answers to my questions aloud. We found out that Gramma Z's fav game growing up was Dodge Ball! So of course we had to play. Then we had a yummy lunch consisting of Grandpa Z's favorite: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with soup. The girls enjoyed learning about their hobbies and fears as well as Granpa's favorite tv shows. Miss Hayley found out that her and her Great Grandpa share a common interest: Fishing!

Grandma and Grandpa S: were next.
We started the day similar to the others, but this time over Pancakes! (Which just so happens to be Gpa's favorite breakfast. We found out that one of his favorite childhood memories was laying in the grass and smelling his Mom's homemade cookies in the breeze. Since baking is a hobby of Grandma's we baked some yummy choc. chip cookies together. That night we played one of Grandma's favorite games: Red Light Green Light.

On Papa's birthday we honored him with his favorite dinner: Tacos, and talked about one of his most embarrassing moments as a child, freezing on stage in the middle of a talent show :) This helped miss Hayley feel better about some of the silly things that she considers to be embarassing moments in her life :). We had fun discussing my memories of him. We plan to finish 'Papa day' this evening with a game of baseball and a round of Big Booty. :)

We have several family members to honor yet, and we are so excited to continue with this activity. My children now know so much more about their Grandparents and have developed an appreciation for, and a special connection with them by experiencing the things they've experienced.
Try it out and let me know what you do!

Join the club

2010-05-03T21:10:00.000-07:00

Start a book club with your kids.
Hang up a piece of paper somewhere in their room where they can keep track of all the books that they read or that are read to them each day.

Set a certain number for them to work toward, and once they've reached their goal, give them a special reward. (We have our goal set at 15)

I used to use toys and treats to motivate my girls, but lately I've been raiding the Goodwill around the corner and buying all the children's books I can get my hands on since they're only 25 cents a piece. I wrap them each in wrapping paper, and each time their goal is met, they get to choose which book they'd like to unwrap.

They treasure these books because they are their very own and they earned them. So far they've earned three books each and are working toward another one.

I highly recommend trying it out with your family!

Carnival

2010-04-30T04:10:00.000-07:00

Set up a carnival in your house!
Have each child come up with two carnival games and create a sign to draw people to them. Allow them to choose what they would like to give out for prizes.
My girls chose to give Stuffed animals, coins, and easter candy.

Here are a few of the games they came up with:

Block Bowling:
Set up a couple of block towers. If they knock down one of the towers with the bowling ball, they get a prize!

Hanger Toss: Stand behind a designated line and try to toss the hangers over the water bottles. If you get one hanger on the bottle you get a small prize. If you get all 4 around the bottles you get a big prize.

Relay race. We had to run around the room 2 times and say a chant to get the prize.

And what's a carnival without food?
Choose a favorite food that you might find at a carnival and let your children help prepare it.
We thought caramel apples would be fun (is that a carnival food? I don't even know)
but we didn't have any caramel. So we melted some butterscotch chips with some milk and dipped our apples in it.
It was incredibly rich and delicious... but unfortunately made one sweet little girl have a tummy ache :(
Popcorn....homemade donuts....nachos....hot dogs.. Ask for their input and have some fun with it.

Roll the dice

2010-04-28T20:06:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun way to practice counting-

Cut out 33 little squares of paper.
Organize the squares into piles of 3 (you should have 11 piles)
On the back of each one write a number from 2-12, so all of the cards in one pile should be labeled #2, the next pile of cards should be labeled with #3's, etc.
On the other side of the paper, write a question, or a task.
For instance:

Jump up and down 8 times.
Tell me the names of 3 States that you've been to.
What kind of things do you find on the beach?
Tell me what you'd wish for if you had 3 wishes
Tell me how to make your favorite kind of sandwhich.
How many vowels are there?
How many syllables does the word 'Thanksgiving' have?
What is your telephone #?
Find 4 things in this room that begin with the letter S.

Fill the cards with any question/command that you can think of.

Place the squares of paper on the floor with the words facing down and the numbers facing up.

To begin:
Have your child roll 2 dice, then count the total number of dots on the dice. Tell them to pick up a piece of paper with the number that corresponds with the number they counted on the dice, and bring it to you. Read the question/command out loud and have them follow what the paper says.

If they roll a particular number more than 3 times, have them roll again until they get a different number.

This provides a good opportunity to ask review questions about whatever topic you may have taught them about recently, as well as a great way to encourage the use of their imaginations......all while getting some great counting practice

Skills

2010-04-27T20:46:00.000-07:00

Teach your kids some new skills today! Anything goes :)

Teaching your child to iron, obviously has it's risks, so if you choose to teach this skill, keep the iron on a low setting and make sure they understand to only touch the handle.

If you're worried at all about this one, I'd suggest teaching them another household chore that might benefit them (and you) in the future. (Folding clothes, mopping, cleaning out the refrigerator, etc) They'll be thrilled to learn anything.

This is Miss Hayley learning the basics of sewing.

And Miss T learning to eat with chopsticks. (A skill that this mom has yet to develop)

Who needs a paintbrush?

2010-04-26T19:35:00.000-07:00

Make an abstract painting with marbles!

Place a piece of paper on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan or any container with raised edges.

Pour small amounts of paint into different bowls. Roll a marble around in the paint
to coat it.

Place the marble on the paper and roll it around to make a beautiful/colorful masterpiece.

Now that is art.

Book Day

2010-04-26T08:02:00.000-07:00

Spread a blanket out on the living room floor and gather some of your favorite books together. Have your children sit by your side as you introduce them to the different parts of a book-

Point out that every book has

a Title: What the book is called
An Author: The person who writes the words in the book
An Illustrator: The person who creates the pictures in the book,
And Characters: The people, or animals that the story is all about.

Talk about some of the books you loved when you were a child, and ask them if they have any favorites.

Read 2 or 3 books to your children and ask them the following questions

What was the title of this book?
Who were the characters?
What do you think of the illustrations?
How do you think he/she made the illustrations? (Painted? Colored? Used cut outs? etc)
Point out that one of the great things about stories is that the author can make anything happen in them, even if it can't happen in real life. Ask if they noticed the characters doing anything in the story, that people/animals probably wouldn't be able to do in real life.

ACTIVITY: BOOK BINGO
Set up 5 rows of children's books (5 books in each row) that the you have read to the children at one time or another.

Use Shoes or anything else around the house as your Bingo markers.

To Play:
Describe a book in one of the rows by talking about the characters, or the story line. For instance: "I'm thinking of a book that has a character who is very mean and tries to kill a princess with a poisenous apple."

Or "This book teaches us to take good care of animals" or "The illustrations in this book were made with playdoh"

Have children take turns putting their marker on the book you are describing.

Tell them when they have laid down 5 markers in a row, they should yell BINGO!!!

Keep on going for a blackout!

Mani/Pedi

2010-04-22T20:04:00.000-07:00

Ok, this one might be just for the girls in the house.

Cut out several tracings of your hand, making sure to draw finger nails on each of them.

Set up a mini nail salon with your finger nail polish and a little table, and let your child go to work.

I would recommend doing it away from carpeted areas. Not that you wouldn't have thought of that on your own.

(Tia treated each hand like a real customer and asked them what colors they would like on their nails today.)
Try this with toes too!

Cut and Style

2010-04-21T19:55:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our hair salon.
We specialize in cuts and styles....and apparently manicures too.

Step 1: Stuff an old sock with plastic grocery bags, or other filler to make a head.
To make the sock stand up, slip it over a vertical paper towel holder, or a cardboard tube.

Step 2: Have your child create a face for your new customer. Draw eyes, a nose and mouth on a piece of paper, then cut them out and glue them to the head (we used hot glue.)

Step 3: Cut SEVERAL pieces of yarn, and attach them with hot glue to the top of the head.

Step 4: Hand your child some scissors and let them cut and style to their heart's desire.

This one was kind of a high maintenance customer and demanded to have her 'nails' painted too.

We also are known for making our customers very comfortable.

And the final result. I think she did a fantastic job.

And look at all that hair!

Girls will go crazy for this activity....but I'd suggest trying it out with the boys too. I imagine any child would jump at the chance to cut hair!

There's a use for lentils after all.

2010-04-20T20:39:00.000-07:00

Time to play! (With our food that is)

Raid your pantry, refrigerator and spice cupboard for items to help your child create a food art masterpiece.
Anything goes, really.

Use a piece of cardboard (side of a cereal box) for the base, and glue the food items on to make a picture.

Who knew that Lettuce, poppy seeds, cake sprinkles, cinnamon, shredded wheat crumbs, spaghetti noodles, peeps :), pepperoni, cheerios, bread, oatmeal, lentils and "mosh-o-mallows" could work so well together?

Don't shoot your eye out!

2010-04-19T20:22:00.000-07:00

Learning about vowels doesn't sound like too much fun....but when you bring guns into the mix, things get a little more interesting. :)

On this particular day we learned about the short and long 'A' sounds. Before you begin the activity, explain to your child that the letter 'A' makes two different sounds. Demonstrate the sounds that the long and short 'A' make and give some examples of each to make sure they understand.

Then you are ready to proceed.

Step 1: Tape several hand-drawn, or cut-out pictures of things that have either the short 'A' or long 'A' sound in them, to the window.

Step 2: Hand child a gun. Preferably one with soft darts.

Step 3: Have them aim and shoot at one of the pictures. If they hit a picture with the dart, have them take the picture off the window and tell you whether the word has a short 'A' sound or a long 'A' sound.

Step 4: Have them put the pictures that have the short 'A' sound in one pile, and those with the long 'A' sound in another pile.

Step 5: Do it all over again, until all pictures have been collected.

Safety goggles are recommended.

Sideways Puzzles

2010-04-18T20:57:00.000-07:00

Horizontal puzzles are all the rage these days, didn't you know?

Step 1: Find a piece of paper any size (I used 12x12 scrap paper) and draw a picture on it.

Step 2: Cut the picture into horizontal strips about 1/2 inch wide.

Step 3: Shuffle the strips so they don't stay in order, then hand them over to your child to put back together.

Make a few, they're easy and fun.

Staying in...

2010-03-05T18:43:00.000-08:00

Here's one way to trick the kids into eating their veggies: Let them create their own signature salad Set the table with every type of topping you can think of and let them go crazy with it. I do believe my girls mixed croutons with chocolate chips and marshmallows. (ew!) And they gobbled their salads proudly.

Then we brought out the old toilet paper tubes and had ourselves an airplane derby:

Attach a straw to the top of the tube, add wings and decorate how you wish. Stick a nickel sized piece of playdoh inside the tube (to make it go faster)
Attach one end of a piece of string to a surface that's high off of the ground, and attach the other end to something that's low to the ground...
Then let the games begin!

We're getting ready to move so we have lots of big boxes at our disposal. The thing is, we've been using them for everything BUT packing. This started out as a slide for their stuffed animals, but quickly turned into a slide for little girls. The box was held to the back of the couch by packing tape. It held up for about a dozen slides :)

** earlier in the day it was used as a car ramp-- so versatile!

And you can't have big boxes around and not make a little play house of your own. We set this up in our living room and made a few additions to make it a little more homey.... Like adding a shelf for decorations and a glade plug-in to the wall.

Have you seen enough cereal boxes on this site yet? Cause here's more comin' at ya: Cereal box dominoes! I think I had more fun with this than my girls. The more boxes the better!

When Miss T got sick last week, she was so sad not to be able to play outside in the snow. So we brought the snow in to her. We filled a bowl with snow and prepared several cups of water mixed with food coloring for her to mix with the snow. I gave her a spoon and she was good to go.

We also spent a significant amount of time this week making glitter pictures.

Everyone loves a new outfit-- so we made some out of butcher paper.

Just tear off a long piece of butcher paper and fold it in half. (our friend gave us a big roll of paper she got for free from the local newspaper printing office)
Cut a semi circle out of the top to fit the head through, then have the kiddos create their own style.

Enjoy!

Sportstastic

2010-02-08T12:41:00.000-08:00

Play 'catch' a new way today!

Step 1: Find a ball and hot glue some pieces of velcro all over it.

Like So:

Step 2: Cut a a rectangular (or circular) shape from an empty cereal box
Step 3: Hot Glue a piece of felt to the cardboard
and Step 4: Create a handle from the same cereal box and hot glue it onto the back of the rectangle (on opposite side of felt)

Step 5: Find a buddy and go play catch!

And another use for the good old trusty cereal box: Vowel GOLF!

Step 1: Cut holes in 5 different empty food boxes and on each one, write a different vowel. Set them up around your living room.

Step 2: Create a golf club using an empty cardboard box and.....a blowgun?
(whatever kind of 'stick' looking thing you have around the house will do.)
To make this one, we just created a little hole through the box and stuck the blowgun through it. We then taped the holes to hold it into place.

Step 3: Have the child pick a word. (in place of word magnets, just write words down on strips of paper.) Say the word aloud and ask your child to tell you what vowel they heard in that word.

If they heard an 'O' in the word, have them putt the ball into whichever hole has the 'O' written on it. Make sure they get a chance to hit the ball into each of the holes.

If vowels are too advanced, you can adjust this golfing game to any other topic or level. (Counting..sounds...shapes...etc)

After your game of golf, head to the kitchen to whip up some Homemade Playdough.
Click HERE for the recipe and instructions.

Super easy and so much fun.
And may I add just one word of wisdom: If you play with this clay and have dry, cracked hands it will burn like the dickens. Put on lotion...then proceed to play.
So there you have it.
Perfect President's day activities....that have nothing to do with Presidents at all.

Rock n' roll counting

2010-01-24T19:11:00.000-08:00

This little girl is a smarty....but I have to admit that sometimes her counting can be a little off....(skipping from the number 6 to the number 11, and such).
So we decided to get a little practice in, while incorporating some rock and roll at the same time.

We used crayons for the counting object and a guitar as the chosen instrument, but anything will work.
I placed a certain number of crayons on the floor, and she would count them out loud.
However many crayons she counted, was how many times she would strum the guitar strings.

I added some crayons, then took some away.....then let her add some and take some away. I'd have her strum fast, then slow...then pluck one string at a time.

A simple activity, but she had a great time with it.

Try it out!

More Magnets

2010-01-09T21:01:00.000-08:00

You can just call me 'magnet lady' since that seems to be the theme of a lot of my posts lately.

Actually, if I have a choice of magnet names to be called, I think I'd prefer : the Magnetizer.

Here's what Miss T and I did yesterday to get us re-focused after a long and wonderful Christmas vacation.

While sitting indian style in our living room, I had T give me one word that corresponded with each letter of the alphabet. I drew a picture of each of those words, then passed her a magnet (with adhesive on the back) to peel and slap onto the back of each picture.

She took them one by one to the fridge and we counted all the letters together. (We ended up with 28 since I made two V's and two S's on accident....but who's counting... (besides us?))

After we counted,I told her to find the letter that sounds like _______. She'd then find the letter and transfer it to our front door (which is also made of metal). Then she'd tell me to find a certain letter. I would test her every once in a while by picking up the wrong letter just to see if she'd catch me. Sneaky, sneaky.

But here was the fun part. My daughter loves to dance like a delicate ballerina, so each time she'd take a letter from the fridge, I told her to dance it to the front door instead of walking. She did twirls and hops and Tandu's and plie's.
And she got a big kick out of watching me do the same.
Try it out and substitute the dancing for different commands- "Hop on one foot"- "Walk backwards," etc.
They'll eat it up.

It's called Making Do With Whatcha Got.

2009-12-03T19:36:00.000-08:00

Who says you can't make turkey crafts after Thanksgiving?

Draw and cut out a body, and use some old scrapping paper for the tail feathers
Assemble it all on a separate piece of paper using tape or glue.

And this, folks, is the candy man. I don't know about you, but we came home from trick or treating with way more candy than we could ever eat....so we decided to put it to good use:

Here's Mom's Dream house.

Presenting T's candy land: a man, a house and even a tootsie roll train.

You can see we made a gigantic mess.

If you have even more candy to sneakily get rid of, make a reindeer, using hand prints for the antlers, and candy for it's clothes. Because we all know reindeer wear clothes.

Here's a funny looking tree we made. And HEREare the instructions for it.

And follow THESE instructions to make this awesome tree topper.

Around here, 'Christmas' means 'Time to make chocolate truffles!'

The recipe is so easy.
2/3 cup whipping cream
One 12 oz pkg of semi sweet choc. chips
and 2 tsp vanilla.

Bring cream to a boil in saucepan, then remove it from heat and add the choc. chips. Stir until melted, then add vanilla.
We pour our mixture into a pie pan and stick it in the freezer (unwrapped) until it gets nice and firm. Once it's set up, spoon some out and drop it onto a cookie sheet covered in wax paper. Put back into freezer for a couple of minutes and once stiff, form them into balls with your fingers. Roll them in crushed crackers or nuts, hot chocolate mix or sprinkles. Let them use their imaginations with the 'toppings'. Put them back into the freezer for a few minutes until firm again.

Too much fun, I tell ya what.

You've never even seen a craft like this...

2009-11-22T19:01:00.000-08:00

Only kidding. But do read on.

This week we went to the zoo and we all agreed that our favorite part was the cool aquarium....

So then we decided to make one of our own...

And whaddya know, it turned out JUST like the ones at the zoo!!

My girls were way too excited about the final product, and made me feel like the coolest and craftiest mom ever. If you too, want to fit into the cool crafty mom category, try it out.

1: Cut out the inside of one paper plate and color the inside of another paper plate blue.

2: Use hot glue to stick a piece of plastic wrap to the inside of the plate with the hole in it.

3: Stick paper cutouts of fish and other sea animals onto the blue plate, then glue the plates together.

4: And Done!!

The coolest. The craftiest.

And here's a good one for the whole family. My husband was definitely the one most amused by this activity. All you need is a little 'Moolah'....and who doesn't have that just lying around? :)

Enjoy.

Just when you thought there was nothing left to do with a cereal box..

2009-11-05T19:51:00.000-08:00

Cardboard Keys won't get you too far....

but they do come in handy when you're playing house and pretending like you're a janitor!

In this case, the side of the cereal box made a great platform for our cotton ball snowman.

All you need is glue, cotton balls and leftover Halloween candy.

And finally, finger puppets made from, yes, you guessed it: a cereal box.

Find an old glove and use hot glue to stick a piece of velcro onto the front of each finger. Also glue a piece of velcro to the back of each monkey or pig face. This is fun to use for fingerplays like "5 little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed", "Old MacDonald", or even "B-I-N-G-O" etc.

Cheap thrills

2009-10-09T11:39:00.000-07:00

Take a field trip to the toy store...and just hang out for a while.

The employees will love you for messing with all their toys and not spending a dime :)

Try a little blind taste testing:

Have them take a bite of different kinds of foods and identify each one.

And of course it wouldn't be fair unless the mama got to try some too.

Check out the goop! (When I left the room it was in the measuring cups, when I came back it was all over the table. Rascals.) Mix 1 cup Cornstarch with a little bit of water until you get a semi thin mixture.

Be fashion designers for the day.

And be sure not to forget the glitter.

Enlist their help in prepackaging their lunches. They're always willing to help when it involves food....am I right?

Remember this old camp skit? They'll go crazy for it.

And it never hurts to end the day with a little prank on Daddy...

(even though it may not always work out as well as you hope :)

Beans, beans....

2009-09-12T19:44:00.000-07:00

My oldest is now in Kindergarten which means it's just me and my sidekick Tia.
We've been bonding over the following crafts:

Bean Art

Use Elmer's glue to make a design and top it with any bean or lentil you please.

Create your own puzzles

Use a picture from a magazine (or draw one of your own,) glue it to a side of a cereal box and cut like a puzzle.

Family Chain

Have your child list everyone in your immediate and extended family and write them down on strips of paper, then staple them together. You'll probably both be surprised at how big your family really is!

Paper Magnet People

Draw several different types of body parts as well as clothing items and cut them out. Stick a magnet to the back of each item and have a party on your refrigerator door!

Warning: This one can get a little messy :)

And, yet another use for a cereal box. A suitcase!

Cut and hot-glue the appropriate pieces together. Use an elastic hair thing and a bottle cap to hold the suitcase shut.

That should keep you busy for the week :)
Have fun!

All play and no work...

2009-08-18T19:50:00.000-07:00

Here is our past week, in a nutshell:

We played:

Auto Repair Shop

Carwash

Airplane Derby

Card Towers

Sponge Stamping

Measuring Cup Math (Learned the sizes of each measuring cup and spoon and got to follow a recipe all on their own)

Paper Snowflakes

And... Homemade Air Hockey!

I would highly recommend......
all of them!
Have fun!

Blast from the past

2009-08-11T11:34:00.000-07:00

Summer time is fabulous...but sometimes it's just too flippin hot to go outside...
Here are a few ways to bring the party indoors.

Remember the 'BEST FRIENDS' necklaces from back in the day? I think I had at least three of them. If you have any girls around the house, this makes a fun,quick craft.

My girls pretended that whenever they put the two pieces of the puzzle together, they would be transported to another world of their choice. (Chocolate world, Giant world, etc.)

Make a homemade basketball hoop out of cardboard boxes. All you need is some cardboard, hot glue (or tape) and a ball.

After shooting a few hoops, my 5 year old said, "This is the best toy you've EVER MADE!"

What about Lincoln Logs? Remember those? Just set out some pretzels, a little bowl of peanut butter and a butter knife and let them build until their supplies run out!

(Check out the sandboxes made of cinnamon sugar! That was Hayley's idea.)

Best part about this one is that you can use it for their afternoon snack :)

Catcheroo

2009-08-06T20:16:00.000-07:00

Play a game of Milk Jug Catcheroo. (At least that's what we call it.)

With scissors, or a knife, cut two empty gallon-sized milk cartons in half. You'll be using the top half for your game (the side with the handle.) You'll also need a small ball for your game.

And here's how it works.
Have one player place the ball in their carton. Without touching the ball with their hands, have them fling the ball into the air to be caught by the other player's milk carton.

And there you have it. Super cool, right?

If you'd like to turn this game into a learning activity, here's how we did it.
Every time one of us tossed the ball to each other we had to say the name of one of the states in the USA. We did this until we named all 50.
Or so I thought.
When my 5 year old woke up from her nap today the first thing she said was: "We forgot one state when we were playing that game. Vermont!"

Not interested in reciting States?
Every time your child tosses a ball into the air have them say a word that rhymes with _____
or a word that begins with the letter ________
Or have them list a favorite food, a friend's name, etc. etc. You get the picture.

Have fun (and give yourself a pat on the back for recycling :)!

Tis the season for Yard Sales

2009-07-31T19:41:00.000-07:00

If you don't mind a little bit of clean up afterward, set up a pretend yard sale in your house!

Have kids go through their dressers and toy boxes and pick out a few items for a pretend yard sale. To give them practice with writing numbers, have them create a price tag for each item (Let them come up with their own prices)
Hang up some yard sale signs...equip them with a calculator...and they'll be all set to go.

Here is what I chose to buy from our yard sale.

And this is the price that I was given.

A possible miscalculation, I wondered...??
I decided since it was going to a good cause, I'd go ahead and pay it without making a fuss.

But I must say, at these prices, I don't know that I'll be out yard sale-ing again anytime soon.

What's in a picture?

2009-07-23T10:47:00.000-07:00

Today we all painted our own pictures..
Then we took turns choosing one, and telling a story about the picture..
One person would start it, then pass the picture on for the next person to add to the story...and then on to the next, until everyone had a turn to add something.

First, we have the story of an angel who lived in this lovely green house. She would walk down the driveway to the candy land across the street. She would visit it every day. After a while a new family moved in to the house and the angel would watch over them...and then she would get the mail (see mailbox next to house)

Then we have the story of a little girl and a magical carrot which, when bitten, would turn the forest into a magical candy forest (we do love our candy). In this forest, there was an ice cream tree, candy bar tree, hershey's kiss tree, licorice tree, gum drop, and gummy worm tree... and she could eat as much as she wanted and it wouldn't make her sick or give her cavities. After a while the magic would go away. Nobody at school believed the girl's stories about the magical forest...until everyone got a little bite of the carrot themselves.

This picture told a story of a queen's magic mirrors that answered questions about the future. She used these mirrors to shrink all of the princesses that would've been queens one day.....and they all worked together (with the help of the magic potion) to 'get' the queen and put her into jail.

And finally the story of the magic beans...and the snake who was looking all over for the fallen star. He looked under a rock and was given the power to see everyone in the world. He saw the good people and the bad people. Then he was given a magic wand to do good things for the good people and make all of the bad people become slaves with no homes.

:)

The End.

Let me know what your kids come up with :)

BYOC (Bring your own costume)

2009-07-22T10:58:00.000-07:00

Change things up tonight and have a COSTUME DINNER. No special food preparation required, just have everyone in your family dress up in their best costumes for a fun evening at the dinner table.

We did this a few days ago and it was hilarious to see what everyone came up with.
(Ever seen a skeleton with a mustache?)

When the bellies are full, play a game of 'costume hide and seek.'
For some reason adding costumes makes an ordinary game seem so much more exciting.

Mom, Tell Me One More Story....

2009-07-21T05:41:00.001-07:00

Today take your kids on a trip down memory lane. Pull out old scrapbooks, home videos, and journals that you kept for them in their younger years. Tell them stories about the funny things they did, the trips your family went on, etc.

When my girls were born I bought these books to help keep track of their growing years.

I'm so glad I did. They have a lot of specific questions that really guided me in my record keeping...things that I never would have thought to write down otherwise.

My girls had a ball listening to stories about their baby days and all the trouble they used to get into.
The little stinkers.

Who needs cable?

2009-07-19T20:06:00.000-07:00

There's no reason to watch tv when you can be on tv.
Cut a square hole from one side of a box and decorate the box like a tv.
Put a few items into a bag and have your child close their eyes and choose an item to do an impromptu commercial with.

Here's what these crazy girls came up with:

I think they might have a future in this :)

Beat the boredom

2009-07-17T09:31:00.000-07:00

Settle the kiddos into a warm bubble bath and let them relax while you entertain them with a few new stories. My girls thought it was pretty cool that they got to have story time in their birthday suits ;)

In fact, they didn't want to get out.

Check out a drawing book from the library and let them sharpen their drawing skills

Dress them up as pirates

or as Kings with their own set of rules!

Set up an ice cream shop in your house. Invite some neighbors over to order a cone with their choice of mix-ins! (Our favorite)

Mad Libs

2009-07-16T12:20:00.000-07:00

Create a few Mad-Lib stories for your kids and let them tell you what to write in the blanks.

You may want to use these to teach older preschoolers what nouns, verbs and adjectives are (I do realize they're only preschoolers, but they really catch on to these things quick!)
For younger kids, "thing" "place" "name" "color" "food" and "feeling" are good words to use for the blanks.

We had a few good laughs after reading these aloud.
Check out these Mad Libs if you need some ideas.

My Daddy is a Pretzel...

2009-07-14T11:57:00.000-07:00

Allow me to introduce our favorite book of the day:

I give it
+5 Points for colorful illustrations
+5 Points for a story that is short and sweet
+5 Points for its promotion of physical activity
+5 Points for broadening our horizons and making us feel at one with the earth....
and,
unfortunately,
-2 points for causing this out of shape Mom to pull a few muscles.

Menus never looked so yummy...

2009-07-13T07:53:00.000-07:00

Anyone else have picky eaters in the house?
Try involving them in the menu planning:

Cut out several pictures of food from old magazines or empty cereal boxes. Be sure to include a variety of foods from each of the 5 food groups.

Glue or tape the magazine cutouts to an old cereal box and cut around the picture. Stick a magnet to the back of the picture and LOOKEE, you have a menu item :)

Cut out strips of paper that you labeled: BREAKFAST, LUNCH, SNACK, and DINNER
Glue them to a piece of cardboard and cut around them. Place magnets on the back of each. Put the magnets into a box!

Allow your children to look through the food magnets in the box and put together 3 well balanced meals for the day. Emphasize the importance of adding fruits and/or vegetables to every meal!

They'll love being a part of the menu planning and will HOPEFULLY be more excited about the well-balanced meals they'll be finding on their plates. It's a win-win really.

Small containers like these are fun to use too. Just hot-glue a few magnets to the back of the container to secure it a little better.

Have fun!

And the stories come alive

2009-07-02T08:17:00.000-07:00

Have your children choose 2 or 3 books for a different kind of story time this morning.

As you read the stories aloud, have the children pay particular attention to the different activities that take place in the story, and have them choose at least one from each book that they would like to try today.

This morning my girls and I read:

Nothing to Do by Liza Alexander

and my girls chose to wash the dishes (of all things)

Then, it was Clifford The Big Red Dog: The Windy Day by Sonali Fry

From this story they chose to make a painting, just like the character Emily Elizabeth!

The last book in our stack was Strawberry Shortcake: Let's Go Apple Picking
by Molly Kempf

so we decided to do a little experimenting with an apple treat....

..which turned out divine.

They really loved being able to use their imaginations and find ways to make the stories come alive for them.
Give it a try!

Sew what!

2009-06-29T13:11:00.000-07:00

Allow me to present yet another use for the good ol' Branflakes box.

1: Cut out the front and back of the box

2: Draw a picture on the side with all the print.

3: Poke holes along the lines of your picture using a pointy screw (or a pen)

4: Find a few old shoe laces or wrap some tape around the end of a piece of yarn and turn it over to your kids to do the sewing.

Hint** If you can get them to pretend like it's their new job and give them an 'office' to work in, they'll take this sewing bit very seriously. \

Allow them to come up with their own ideas of shapes to sew. Let them draw it out, and (with your help) poke some holes around the picture. They'll be so proud.

'Spidies'

2009-06-27T20:31:00.000-07:00

Here's one for all of those 'not really crafty' moms, (like myself), who prefer crafts that are quick, easy, require very few supplies, and have the lowest possible mess making potential....

A spider hat!

And here's how it's done:

Cut out two thick strips of black paper to fit around your child's head and tape them together.

Cut out 8 thin strips of black construction paper and fold each strip in half. Tape the ends of the strips to the inside of the head band (to be the legs). Add eyes and..... DONE!

Turn on some funky music and have your child jump up and down to make the spider's legs dance.

And by the way...if you've been on the search for some great dance music, allow me to share my newly acquired pearls of wisdom on this subject.
Here it is in 3 words: Shark Tale Soundtrack.

Visit a library near you!

Pen Pals

2009-06-25T04:57:00.000-07:00

Have your child choose someone (adult or child) who lives far away. They may choose a friend, relative, or even an acquaintance they don't know much about.

Help them write a letter to this person asking if they would like to be their pen pal! They'll love practicing their writing when they know they'll be getting something in return in the near future. Have them share information about his/herself, and ask questions to get to know their pen pal a little bit better. Allow your child to address the envelope and send it off!

If all goes well, they should get a letter back in a couple of weeks!
(Post cards, pictures, and small surprise packages are fun too!
Aww, the childhood memories :))

Say Cheese

2009-06-23T11:56:00.001-07:00

Usually Mom and Dad are the ones behind the camera, but today give the kids a chance to play the photographers and direct you in a real live photo shoot. Gather different colored bed sheets or table cloths to hang as their backgrounds. Allow them to gather props and chairs or stools for you to pose with.

You can even add a fan for the wind-blown hair effect (I've always wanted to do that :))

Allow them to come up with ideas for various poses. (They may need a few suggestions to get their creative juices flowing)

The only rule is: You must follow their directions because they are in charge! :)

Here are some photo ideas if they're drawing a blank:
Action shots :throwing a ball, doing a cartwheel, dancing etc
Dress up shots: dressed up in funny clothes, fancy clothes etc
Stuffed Animal shots:pics of their favorite stuffed animals doing different poses
Family shots
Emotion shots:pics of happy, sad, surprised and grumpy faces
Nature shots: mushrooms, flowers, rocks, etc

When they've finished their photo shoot, transfer the pictures from the digital camera to your computer so they can see the amazing images they captured.

And of course no photo shoot is complete until the photographer takes a few pictures of herself.

Magnetize...

2009-06-22T04:09:00.000-07:00

You've gotta love a craft that's simple, fun, and useful. Here's one of our favorite things to make.

Picture Magnets!

Here's what you'll need:
clear glass decoration marbles with the flat bottom,
Mod Podge (or crafters glue),
paintbrush,
scissors,
cut-able magazines
and magnets (I like the kind that come in strips and have the adhesive on the back)

1: Place the glass marble on the picture you've chosen, and cut around it.

2: Using a paintbrush, spread a light layer of mod podge on the flat part of the marble

3: Put the picture (face side)on top of the mod podge, and press until air bubbles have disappeared.

4: Cut magnets to fit on the back of the picture. Peel off adhesive sticker (from magnet) and stick it on.

See? Easy!
Use baby, wedding and family photos to give away as gifts (although I must warn that real photos do smear on occasion.)

Have fun!

The possibilities are endless....

2009-06-19T11:19:00.000-07:00

Bubbles are fun, there's no arguing with that, but I say it's time we shake things up a little and bring this favorite past time to a whole new level.

Out with the store-bought, and in with the recyclables.

What other kinds of bubble blowers can your kids find around the house?

Pharmacy fun

2009-06-18T17:55:00.000-07:00

We've pretended to be grocery store clerks and postal carriers, bank tellers, day care providers, teachers and librarians, several times, but today we thought of a new pretend profession:
Pharmacists!

We emptied some of our cheap bubble containers and pill boxes, and gathered ointments, creams, lotions, dried beans (for pills) and all other pharmacy-related objects we could find to set up shop.

We also provided a preparation 'room' where they could mix their medicines for their customers (me).

Give them a table top and toy phone and let em go to work!

Father's Day is coming up...

2009-06-18T12:12:00.000-07:00

Still thinking about something to give Daddy on Sunday?
How 'bout a little something like this?

(My neighbor Angela introduced this craft to us. Brilliant.)

You can either outline Daddy's foot (or shoe, if you want to be really sneaky) or paint his foot to get his footprint. When he's not looking, paint your child's foot and put his/her footprint on top of Daddy's. Use scrapbook paper for the background, and print out this poem to go next to the footprints. Decorate it how ever you like, and fit it to an 11x13 frame. (I got mine for $5.00 at Walmart, but you can get them for even cheaper)

Can't wait to give it to him!

3 cheers for Oatmeal

2009-06-16T18:54:00.001-07:00

Why Oatmeal is the best food on earth:

a: great source of soluble and insoluble fiber which lowers cholesterol, prevents cancer and keeps us regular :).

b: good source of vitamin E, zinc, selenium, copper, iron, manganese and magnesium

c: Can be mixed with berries, cinnamon, apples, vanilla, brown sugar, regular sugar, honey, and pretty much anything else.....AND can be added to any dessert.

But let's talk about REALLY great uses for oatmeal...
or at least their containers:

(This 'Risbee,' as my girls call it, beats the pants off of any frisbee you'll find in the store. Try it out!)

Click on the following links to discover more fantastic uses for these versatile containers.

www.education.com

familycrafts.about.com

Let's play!

2009-06-14T20:09:00.000-07:00

Any scrapbookers out there?? Betcha didn't realize just how versatile your scrapbook paper could be!

Use some spare 12x12 pages to create a few board games. They don't have to be incredibly imaginative (as you'll see below). All you need is some markers, a single die, a game piece for each player (coins, candies, etc) and your own set of rules.

And the best part: When you're done playing, just toss them in the recycle bin!

Dinner and a show

2009-06-12T12:50:00.000-07:00

Ask children if they would like to help plan a big surprise for someone today. Have them choose a person they would like to make a special fancy dinner for.

Sit down with the children and lead them in a brainstorm session on the things needed for this special dinner. Items may include:

Menu
Invitation
Fancy dishes
Decorations
Candles
and Music

Allow children to come up with the entire menu: Main course, Side dish, Drink and Dessert. After the meal has been planned, have them create a fancy looking menu listing each item they will be serving.

If the special guest is not someone living in your home, be sure to create a fancy invitation for them so they know the details of when and where to come and how to dress!

Allow children to play a large part in the meal preparation, and in setting the table. This is a good chance to teach them how to do a proper place setting.

Have children dress in fancy clothes and put on some soothing meal-time music.

When the guest arrives, allow children to be the ones to greet them and show them to their seat. Choose one of the children to be the waiter/waitress and be in charge of writing down orders and delivering the food. Other children may be in charge of entertainment.

While the guest is waiting to be served, fill a few glasses with water (at different levels), and have the children play a song.

Light a candle, turn out the lights and enjoy your meal.

(We did this once with Daddy and another time with a neighbor. The girls loved surprising our dinner guests, and you could tell they felt pretty professional taking orders and entertaining in their fancy outfits. It was a big hit.)

Art Show

2009-06-10T19:19:00.000-07:00

Gather pictures and art projects your children have created over the years and set them on display in your home. Have children give a title to each masterpiece.

Invite friends and neighbors to come view the art exhibit. If your child would like to make some money off of their pieces, explain to your invitees that there will be art for sale at the show (we gave each picture a price of 10 cents).

Plan a few art-related games and some simple snacks for your guests. (We played 'closed-eyes pictionary' and '10 questions about the artists')

At the end of the art show, we had a drawing for the grand prize...a framed drawing by one of my young artists.

My girls were so proud of the art they'd created, and of the money they received from selling their masterpieces.

A very fun day. Try it out!

Relay Day

2009-06-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

I got this fantastic idea from a good friend. It's a perfect way to expend some of that summertime energy!

She invited a group of kids and moms to the park for a day of relay races. Each mom was in charge of planning 2 relays. Click on the following links for some relay ideas:

Relay Races

And more Relay Races

At the end we gave out some cheap/homemade prizes for the participants and had a picnic lunch. Simple and fun. The kids loved it.

Try it out!

Rainy Day Recycling

2009-06-09T03:51:00.000-07:00

Grab an empty water bottle for each child, tear off the labels and fill them 1/2 full with rice (make sure the inside of the bottle is dry). Have children search the house for small objects to put inside their bottles.

Coins, twist-ties, beads, buttons, popcorn kernels, screws, and birthday candles are some ideas of things that work well.

Have each child keep their items a secret from the others, and help them make a list of everything they've gathered. Have children place each of the small objects into their bottles with the rice and shake them up so the items are buried. Don't forget to put the caps back on!

Once the bottles are finished, have children trade and see how many items they can find from the other person's list.

A fun rainy day activity....which in our neck of the woods will come in handy today.

Happy recycling.

It's summer time!

2009-06-08T12:22:00.000-07:00

Who am I kidding? The thought of spending these glorious summer days in front of a computer typing up lesson plans (as fun as they are ;) makes me cringe a little.

I'm officially postponing the posting of lesson plans until school starts again in the fall.

HOWEVER, I will continue to post activity, cooking, and craft ideas on a daily basis, so keep on checkin' in.

I definitely have some fun things up my sleeve for this summer!!

Field Trip #10: Pizza Makin'

2009-06-05T20:33:00.000-07:00

Call a local Pizza place and ask if they'd be willing to give a pizza making demonstration to a small group of preschoolers.

We have yet to take this field trip, but I hear they usually give yummy pizza samples....and who doesn't love a good piece of pizza? I mean really.

This one is a must-do.

Lesson #28: Solids, Liquids and Gases

2009-06-03T12:38:00.001-07:00

Understanding the 3 states of matter and how each of them are used

For this lesson you will need:
Pictures for Rhyming memory (see English)
Rhyming book of choice (ex: Cat in the Hat)
Pretzel sticks
3 paper grocery bags labeled ‘Solids’ ‘Liquids’ and ‘Gases’
Solids (examples: Cotton ball, marshmallow, block, toy, food)
Liquids: (Vinegar, water, oil, syrup food coloring)
2 cups,
2 bowls
Cooking pot
Ice cubes (Whole tray full, if possible)
Water
Balloon (deflated) A small ziploc bag would work as well.
Bread
Margarine
Hot Cocoa
Pitcher

Welcome Song: Today let’s sing it with our eyes closed!
To the tune of “I’m a Little Tea Pot”:

Mornin’ everybody
How are you?
It’s time for us to learn a little something new!

Turn around in circles
shout ‘HOORAY!’
Glad you’re here with us (clap) to (clap) day! (High five!)

Question of the Day: "Let's pretend like you could fill up a swimming pool with anything you wanted, to swim in. What would you choose?" (You may need to give them a few examples to get them thinking: spaghetti noodles, chocolate milk, etc.) Allow each child to share their answer. Share your answer with the children as well.

English: Rhyming words: Explain that today they will be getting some practice with rhyming words. Rhyming words are words that sound the same. Give them a few examples: Bear and Hair, Love and Dove, Hello and Jell-o….
Ask children if they can think of any words that rhyme.

Tell them to listen to you say some words. If the words rhyme, they will stand up. If they don’t rhyme they will stay seated.

Follow the example below and draw several pairs of rhyming pictures
Cut the pictures out to make several squares of roughly the same size and spread them onto the floor picture side down, for a matching game. Allow each child a turn to pick a card, and find the rhyming match to it. (Follow same rules as ‘Memory’)

Story: When all matches have been found, choose a book with rhyming words to read to the children. You won’t have to look too hard at your local library or even your own homes to find one of these.

Math: Remind children that the last number they learned was 27. Ask if they can guess what comes after the number 27. Give them some practice counting to the number 28 by presenting them with a bowl full of pretzel sticks. Have each child take a seat at the kitchen table. Tell them to count out 28 pretzel sticks (each), from the bowl and lay them in a row in front of them.

Ask what would happen to that number if each person ate 5 pretzel sticks?
Have them count out 5 pretzel sticks from their row, and eat them.
Have children recount the row of pretzels to see how many are left.
What will happen to that number if you eat 6 more pretzels?
Have children count 6 pretzels from their rows, and recount the pretzels in the row to see how many are left.

Explain that when you take things away from a number it is called subtracting! We’ll get lots of practice with this later on. Congratulate them on a counting (and munching) job well done. Allow them to make shapes and pictures with their remaining pretzel sticks…before they eat them.

Introduction to Topic: Put two cups,( one with an ice cube in it, and one filled with water), in front of the children. Have children take turns looking inside to observe. Ask them to tell you what is different about the things inside the cups.

Pour the contents of the cups into two separate bowls and have them observe the transfer (one flows while the other plops into the bowl). Allow them to touch the contents and describe the differences in how the two feel. Ask about the shape of each of the contents.

Explain that everything in this world comes in a different form, just like the water and ice come in different forms. They feel different, they look different, they move different and they are used for different things.
Today we’re going to learn about those different forms, which are called SOLIDS, LIQUIDS, and GASES.

Activity: Pull out 3 paper grocery bags: one labeled Solids, one labeled Liquids, and one labeled Gases.
Before preschool, fill the ‘Solids’ bag with various things you find around the house. This could include toys, cd’s, blocks, playdoh, money, marshmallows, etc. (be sure to include some hard and soft items.)

In the ‘Liquids’ bag, place a container of oil, a bottle of vinegar, a bottle of water, and a bottle of syrup.

Leave the ‘Gases’ bag empty.

*** Put the ‘Solids’ bag in your lap and have the children repeat the word ‘Solid’ after you. “Lots of things we see and use every day are solids. A solid is something that has a shape. (Pull out one of the items and discuss it’s shape) A solid is something that can be hard (pull out something hard) or soft,(pull out something soft). A solid can be big or little, thick or thin. You can hold something that is solid in your hands.”

Give children a chance to hold each of the solids you pull from the bag.

Explain that we use solids to play, to work, and often times to eat. Ask what their favorite solid to eat is.

*** Put the ‘Liquids’ bag on your lap and pull out the items one by one.
“These are called liquids. A liquid is something that is runny. It flows when you pour it. (Pour a little bit of water into a bowl to demonstrate) It does not have its own shape like a solid does. A liquid can be thick or thin. Some liquids flow slowly, and some liquids flow quickly. (Demonstrate the slow flowing motion by pouring syrup into the bowl)

We use liquids for cleaning, cooking, bathing, coloring (food coloring), painting and many times for drinking!. We must be careful that we never drink liquids if we don’t know what they are. Many liquids may look like things to drink, but they may be dangerous for our bodies. (Show children a bottle of Windex or other cleaner as an example)

*** Put the ‘Gases’ bag on your lap and say: “There’s one more form that we’re going to talk about. It is in the bag, but you can’t see it! It’s called a gas! The air around us is made up of gases. Can you see the air around you? Even though we can’t see it, we know it’s there. We can feel it when the sun shines on the air and makes it warm. We can feel it when we get near a hot oven or a cold freezer or blow on your hand. You can’t hold a gas in your hand and gases don’t have their own shape like solids do. Gases have the same shape as whatever container they're in"

Demo: Hold up a deflated balloon for everyone to see. Explain that the balloon does not have any gases in it. Blow it up and pinch it shut. Explain that there is gas in the balloon now and it is in the shape of a balloon! “What will happen to the gas when I let it all out of the balloon?” Release the balloon and let it fly around. Explain that the gas left the balloon and now is in the air around us.

Point out that sometimes you can see gases when they are very hot or very cold, and many times you can smell gases. We use gases to heat things and to freeze things. We use gases for breathing and most importantly, to make hot air balloons fly! :)

Science: Ask “Do you want to know a neat secret? Solids, Liquids and Gases can change forms! Something that is solid can become a liquid, and something that is liquid can become a gas. Would you like to see how this is done?”

Empty an ice cube tray full of ice into a bowl. Allow children to feel the ice cubes. Tell them that when water freezes, it becomes a solid. Ask them what they think needs to happen to make it a liquid again.

Heat it in the microwave until ice cubes have melted. Allow children to observe water in its liquid form.

Ask children what they think needs to happen to make it into a gas.

Pour the water into a pan and bring it to a boil as they watch. Ask children if they can see the hot air coming from the pan. This is called steam, and steam is a gas!

Explain that when steam gets cool, it turns back into a liquid. Pour some of the hot water from the pan into a cup and put it in the freezer.

Explain that when the liquid freezes it will turn back into a solid again!
(It should be frozen in about 2 hours)

Activity: Lead children around the kitchen and have them identify several items in your refrigerator and pantry as solids or liquids.

Snack: Toast with margarine-and hot chocolate: As soon as the bread is toasted, spread a thin layer of margarine over the top. Have children observe the transformation of the margarine from a solid to liquid.

Have children watch as you mix cocoa mix (solid) into a cup of hot water. Point out that the solid disappeared in the water and now it is all liquid.

Service: Explain that we can use different solids and liquids to serve others. Set out a pitcher of water and ask children what kind of service they could do with it! Allow them to come up with some of their own ideas then ask if they would like to help you water your plants with it. Do the same for a neighbor! (Other ideas might include, making some lemonade for a friend or neighbor, filling a pet’s water dish, washing windows, etc.)

Physical Activity: Have children jog around outside for 5 minutes without stopping. Be sure to give them plenty of liquids when they’re done!

Goodbye Song: To the tune of Hokey Pokey

Put your right hand in
Put your right hand out
Put your right hand in, and wave it all about
Thanks for joining with us and for all your friendly smiles
We'll see you all in a while! (clap)

Work work work!

2009-06-01T19:16:00.000-07:00

Put your kiddos to work! Give them a rag and a spray bottle and assign them to different areas of the house that need to be cleaned.

Turn up some music and let em dance! (May I recommend the High School Musical soundtrack? :))

They may grumble at first, but after a few minutes they'll realize that work can be fun. So fun in fact, my girls didn't want to stop. I overheard this exchange as I was spying on them cleaning the shower doors.

Hayley: (5 year old): "Tia, is this the best day ever?"
Tia (3 year old): "Yep."

After our cleaning spree, I took them to the dollar store and purchased some items for their very own cleaning kits complete with a duster, mini broom and dustpan, and spray bottle. They were in cleaning heaven all day long.

Check back Wednesday for new lesson plan!

Lookin for another weekend activity??

2009-05-29T19:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a great one to try! Buy a cheap pack of TP and split up into teams. See who can make the best outfit for their 'model.'

Boys will have just as much fun as girls with this one.....and don't worry, the tp is all reusable :)

Field Trip #9: Healthy Eaters

2009-05-28T19:34:00.000-07:00

I just found this on www.fieldtripfactory.com:

"The Healthy Eaters™ field trip is designed to reinforce the nutrition and healthy living curricula taught in schools. At your local Albertsons and Acme or Giant food stores, children will have a fun experience in a real life environment that will help prepare them to make healthy choices each day of their lives.

The FREE Healthy Eaters field trip will help children in grades Pre-K - 6 develop and enhance skills in:

* Healthy living and nutrition
* Good oral healthcare practices
* Physical fitness
* Decision making

Trained tour leaders modify the field trips to be grade appropriate. The field trips are 60-90 minutes in length and are limited to 30 participants per tour – although this number may vary by location.

Trip amenities include:

* Free samples of healthy foods and beverages.
* Free student goodie bags with souvenirs from their trip."

I booked a tour online this morning for my daughters and their preschool aged friends. It's easy to do, just go to www.fieldtripfactory.com and register.
If you try this let us know how it goes!

Lesson 27: Camping

2009-05-26T21:26:00.000-07:00

Learning the basics of camping

For this lesson you will need
Alphabet (capital and lowercase) on piece of paper
Letter squares (see letter of day)
Word strips (see letter of day)
Counting worksheet (see below)
Camping items such as: sleeping bag, lantern, wood, newspaper, flashlight, water and bugspray
Blankets (a few)
Pan
Paper towel tubes
Can of beans (optional)
Bowl and strainer
Stuff for s’mores (NOT optional )
Books: Arthur's Camp-Out - Lillian Hoban
The Berenstein Bears Go Camping - Jan Berenstein

Welcome Song: To the tune of “I’m a Little Tea Pot”

Mornin’ everybody
How are you?
It’s time for us to learn a little something new!

Turn around in circles
shout ‘HOORAY!’
Glad you’re here with us (clap) to(clap)day! (High five!)

Question of the Day: If you were stuck in the woods for a few days and had no food left in your back pack, what would you eat? Allow children to share their answers. Share your answer with the children as well.

Letters:
Before class:
1: Write the entire alphabet (capital and lowercase letters) on a piece of paper.
2: On several small square pieces of paper, write a different letter. Make some of them capital letters, and some of them lower case letters.
3: Cut a piece of paper in half. On one of the pieces write ‘CAPITAL’, and on the other, write ‘lower case.’

Explain to children that they are going to get a lot of practice with capital and lower case letters today. Hold up the piece of paper with the alphabet and point to several of the big letters. Explain that the big letters are called capital letters.

Ask each child to circle a specified capital letter…for example: “Lisa, can you circle the capital letter G?”

Explain that the smaller letters are called lower case letters. Have children take turns circling a specified lower case letter. Point out that we use both capital and lower case words when we read and write.

Place the word strip that says CAPITAL on your right side, and the word strip that says lower case on your left.
Lay all of the letter squares of paper on the ground, letter side down. Have children take turns choosing one letter and deciding whether that letter is a capital or lower case letter. Have them put it under the appropriate word strip. After it has been placed, ask them to tell you the name, sound, and ASL sign for that letter. (This is a great time to review signs and sounds!!)

If you have older children, you may want to explain when it is appropriate to use capital letters (at the beginning of a sentence, when you’re using names of people and places, etc.) and when lower case letters should be used. Allow children to practice using a mixture of capital and lower case letters by having them write their name and the names of some of their friends in their writing notebooks.

Counting: Create a worksheet following the example below.
Have children count the different groups of shapes, then draw a line from the shapes to the corresponding number in the middle.
This will give them practice with counting as well as number recognition. Try to use numbers that the children have a particularly difficult time remembering (For my girls it’s the numbers 12-16.) Practice makes perfect!

Topic: Before Class: Gather some camping items together and hide them under a blanket. Items could include a sleeping bag, lantern, flashlight, matches, water, piece of wood or whatever else you can think of.

Gather the children in a circle on the floor and say “Is everyone looking forward to summer time? One of the very best things about the summer season is that we get to go camping!” Ask children if they’ve ever been camping and allow them to share a story from their experience.

Ask children to think of all the things needed for a successful camping trip, and write the items down as they list them.

Read the list back to the children and as you do so, pull the camping items out from underneath the blanket, one by one. “I think we have everything we need for a camping trip. Shall we go?”

Activity: Lead children to the kitchen table and explain that the first thing we need to do when we find the perfect camp site is to create a shelter (something to cover our heads and keep us safe from wind and rain). What do people usually use as a shelter when they go camping? (A TENT!) Point at the table, and say “ I think we’ve found a perfect place to set up our tent. Drape a few blankets over the table and some chairs to create a tent big enough for everyone to sit in.

“Now that we have our tent up, I’m starting to feel a little hungry. We don’t have a stove or an oven out here in the woods! How are we supposed to cook our food?” (Build a FIRE) “Is it safe for children to build a fire? Fires can be very dangerous if we get too close, so it’s best if we stand back and watch the grownups do it. BUT there are a lot of things we can do to help the grown ups get ready to build a fire. What do you need to start a fire? (Wood, Sticks, Paper,)”

Have children gather some sticks from outside and some old newspapers from around the house and bring it back to the camp site. (You may also use paper towel tubes as ‘logs’. Show children how to place the wood and the paper to make a teepee or log cabin fire (see pictures below) Explain that the wood needs to be placed so that the air can get through the logs and the fire can spread to all of the wood.

If you have them, pour a can of beans into a pan and hold it over the fire like you’re warming it (Obviously this is not proper technique, but considering the lack of real camping resources, I think the kids will understand) Serve up the beans when they’re ‘warmed’ and ready.

Explain that water is probably the most important thing to take with you when you go camping. A person can live without food for a while, but they cannot live without water. If you run out of water that you brought from home, you need to find more!
Ask children where they might find more water when they are camping (streams, rivers, lakes). Explain that the water that comes from each of these sources is great, but it must be cleaned before we can drink it
Demonstrate how this is done. (See below)

Science: Lead the children to the kitchen and fill a bowl with water. Place a few objects in the water such as leaves and sticks and explain that this might be what the water looks like when you first collect it from the stream. The first thing to do would be to get the bigger objects out. Run the water through a strainer (sitting over a pan)

Turn the stove on to high and have the children gather around (making sure to keep their distance from the hot burner) Explain that the water needs to be brought to a boil (Lots of bubbles on top of the water) to kill all the little bugs and bacteria that are too small for us to see, but that could make us sick if we drank them. When camping, this is done over the fire.

Once it has been brought to a boil, it needs to boil for one minute. After a minute, the water should be clean enough to drink or to use for cooking! Pour it into glasses and into the refrigerator for drinking later

Songs: Point out that it’s getting dark…. and when it gets dark campers like to sit around the campfire and sing camp songs. Teach children any camp song you remember from your youth.

Don’t remember any? Here’s one for you to use.

Bear Song
The other day (echo)
I met a bear (echo)
Out in the woods (echo)
A-way out there(echo)

Altogether:
The other day I met a bear
out in the woods a-way out there.

(Continue in a similar manner)

He said to me
“Why don’t you run?
I see you ain’t
Got any gun”

And so I ran
Away from there
But right behind
Me was that bear

Ahead of me
I saw a tree
A great big tree
Oh glory be

The nearest branch
Was 10 feet up
I’d have to jump
And trust my luck

And so I jumped
Into the air
But I missed that branch
Away up there

Now don’t you fret
Now don’t you frown
Cause I caught that branch
On the way back down

The moral of
This story is
Don’t talk to bears
In tennis shoes

That’s all there is
There ain’t no more
So what the heck
You singing for

Reading: Huddle together in the dark tent and use only a flashlight as your light source while you read and discuss the following stories.

Arthur's Camp-Out - Lillian Hoban
The Berenstein Bears Go Camping - Jan Berenstein

You may choose to pass the flashlight around and make up your own ‘ghost’ stories instead.

Snack: Explain that no camping trip is complete without S’mores! Have children place a big marshmallow on a skewer, then watch as you hold the marshmallow over the burner on your stove (turned to medium high). Roast the mallows until golden brown. Place some chocolate on a graham cracker, put the roasted marshmallow on top, then top it with another graham cracker square.

Have a wash cloth handy for messy hands and faces.

Service: Explain that one of the most important things to remember about camping is that you always need to leave the campsite cleaner than you found it. Have children help each other clean up the campsite.

Physical Activity: Teach the children some camp games from your youth.
Capture the Flag
Keep away
Skunk Tag:
Played like regular tag but the only way to stay safe is for the chasee to place the right arm under the right leg and hold the nose. If tagged while not in the position then that person will become ‘it’.

Closing Song: To tune of The Hokey Pokey
Put your right hand in
Put your right hand out
Put your right hand in, and wave it all about
Thanks for joining with us and for all your friendly smiles
We'll see you all in a while! (clap)

Chinny Chin Chins

2009-05-25T20:37:00.000-07:00

Here's something else your kids will love to try!

Don't forget to check back Wednesday for a new lesson plan!

Report on weekend fun..

2009-05-24T19:23:00.000-07:00

The sleepover party went marvelously.
Here's a sample of the "ghost stories" my girls entertained me with Friday night:

And here is a fantastic book I checked out from the library, to educate me on all things 'sleepover-ish'.

We made our own fruity lip gloss from a recipe found in this book.

Lip Gloss
2 Tablespoons of shortening
1 Tablespoon of Fruit drink mix

Mix it up together in a microwave safe bowl and heat it on High in the microwave for about 35 seconds or until it's melted. Stir, and pour into a small plastic container, (water bottle lids work well for this) Refrigerate for 1/2 hour.

I tell ya what, these girls sure know how to party :)

Check back Wednesday for new lesson plan!

Weekend fun..

2009-05-22T20:58:00.000-07:00

Shhh, don't tell, but this is what my girls and I will be doing tomorrow night. I plan to deliver their invitations with breakfast :)

And here is the official 'sleepover' agenda:

1: Blow up air mattress
2: Pillow fight (essential)
3: Read Stories
4: Sneaky bed-time snack (popcorn)
5: Finger animals on the wall
6: Girl talk

I can't wait to see their faces when they get their invitations.
I'll let you know how it all goes!

STORY TIME!

2009-05-21T04:10:00.000-07:00

It's always fun to go to the library for story time, but story time at home can be just as exciting.

Have your child invite a friend over, lay a big blanket on the floor, gather a stack of books and just read. Keep it simple or add props (puppets, stuffed animals, paper cut-outs etc.) to help tell your stories. You may also choose to plan a craft around one of the books you read.

The one rule of story time, however, is that it MUST be followed by a yummy snack!

To spice things up a little bit, invite a friend or neighbor over to be the guest reader. It's always fun to hear from someone new.

***We went to a friend's house for a special story time last week and my girls LOVED it. The combination of the new environment, new books, and someone new reading to them,(not to mention the yummy cake she fed them afterward) made it extra exciting for them. I think they would've let her read to them all day.***

Try it! They'll love it.

Write it Down!

2009-05-20T04:06:00.000-07:00

Help your child develop their writing skills by giving them a journal. It can be store bought or homemade. (My girls love the kinds with the locks.)

At the end of every week (or day) have them write a few words about what they've been up to! This is a great way to have them practice their upper and lower case letters, and to recognize the uses for different types of punctuation! Don't forget to date their entries for them. These journals will be a treasure for us moms forever.

Family "Actibity" (as my girls say)

2009-05-19T03:16:00.000-07:00

72 Hour Kits

Explain to your children the importance of being prepared just in case there's ever an emergency. Ask them to think of things that they might need to keep their families warm, safe and healthy for three days if they ever had to be away from their homes. Write their ideas down and circle the most important items.

List should include:

Food
Water
Candles
Flashlight
Matches
Clothes
Blanket
Batteries
First Aid Kit
(You may also add toys/magazines)

Find a duffel bag and have children work together to gather the items on the list and pack them into the bag. (Let them choose their own food and entertainment items) Explain the important uses for each of the items in the 72 hour kit.

They'll love being involved in the process and will gain a better understanding of the importance of being prepared!

Makin' some changes

2009-05-17T19:23:00.000-07:00

Since we've completed the alphabet, I'm taking this opportunity to change the lesson plans around a little bit.......so this week, no lessons, but there will be a new post every morning so keep on checkin' in!!

Today's idea was inspired by my wonderful father in law... who, in addition to being wonderful is also charming, intelligent, strong and very distinguished (had to add that since I'm sure he checks this blog all the time)

On occasion, when my husband was young, his father would take each of his children aside for a one on one interview. It was a time where he could get an idea of their goals for the future and what was going on in their lives at the time. We loved this idea and have adopted it into our own family.

Every month or so, we announce to the girls that it's time for Daddy-Daughter interviews! He goes into a bedroom and sets it up with a couple of chairs to make it look official. He grabs a notebook and a pen and waits for them to come in.

My job is to be the secretary in the other room. They come to my desk where they 'check in' and are required to fill out some paper work,(name and age) and then I escort one of them to the room where Daddy is waiting. She closes the door behind her to keep things confidential of course :) and then the questioning begins.
(I admit sometimes I put my ear to the door to listen in)

The girls love this one on one time with their daddy...They sit and chat about their day and what they're up to while he's away at work. They tell about their friends and about the fights they had with their sister, and about what kind of things they'd like to do when they're bigger...

When each one is finished, they swing by the secretary's desk again where they make an appointment for their next interview in a month.

Try it! They'll love the attention and the official feel of the interview, and you will learn a lot about them in the process!

Field Trip #9: The ZOO

2009-05-16T05:25:00.000-07:00

Enough talk about zoo animals....
Pack up a lunch and take the kids out to see a real zoo!

Point out the different animals they learned about in preschool and ask them questions to test their memory. "What do tigers eat? Are they carnivores or herbivores? Where do penguins usually live? etc."

Often there will be scheduled feedings for different animals throughout the day, which are always interesting to watch.

Take lots of pictures and allow children to take a few pictures too.
On the ride home, have them talk about their favorite animals and some interesting things they observed.

Lesson 26: Zoo

2009-05-14T20:44:00.000-07:00

Learning the important duties of a zookeeper and about the lifestyles of different animals found in the zoo!

For this lesson you will need:
Pictures for story (see number of the day)
Bottle of lotion
Counting item/counting jar
Letter Z (on piece of paper)
Hat and/or fake mustache
Stuffed Animals or pictures that resemble zoo animals (tiger, chimp, elephant,
snake,penguin)
Cut-outs of: Insect, Plant, Fish, Steak, and Mouse (drawn on piece of paper and cut
out)
Bowl
Cardstock (1 piece per child)
Scissors
Brad
Markers or crayons
Banana
Chocolate chips
Books: The Day Before Zoo Day: by Catherine Ipcizade
Zoo by Gail Gibbons
Never Ever Shout in a Zoo by Karma Wilson

Welcome Song: (To tune of Old MacDonald):

Welcome, welcome everyone
So glad that you are here.
Today we’re gonna have some fun
So let’s give out a cheer
Woo hoo!!
Clap clap clap clap
Slap(legs) slap slap slap
Clap clap clap let’s go! (when you shout “let’s go!”, do a group high five in the center)

Question of the Day: If you could be any animal for a day, what would you choose to be?

Number of the Day ‘26’: Gather 4 pieces of white paper and a bottle of lotion. On 2 pieces of white paper, draw a picture of a girl’s face (big enough to take up most of the page) On one of the faces, draw 26 red dots. Leave the other face as it is. On the third piece of paper, draw 26 balloons and 26 presents. On the fourth piece write the number 26.

Tell the following story:
“Once there was a woman named Dottie (hold up the face without the dots). Dottie was very excited because tomorrow was her birthday. She was going to turn 26! (hold up the number 26) Her family and friends were going to come to her house for a big birthday party. She was so excited for the party, she could barely sleep that night!

In the morning when she got out of bed, she looked in the mirror and realized she was covered in spots! Red spots all over her face!! (Hold up picture of face with spots.) She couldn’t celebrate her birthday looking like this! “The doctor will know what to do,” she thought

She called the doctor right away and told him about the red spots on her face
“Well, Dottie,” the doctor said, “The first thing I need to know is how many spots you have.” So she counted. (Ask children to count aloud with you as you point to each of the spots on Dottie’s face)

“I have 26 spots!” Dottie told the Doctor.
“Twenty Six!! Wow, that’s a big number. Let’s see if I can get some medicine to help you with your spots!”

(Present the bottle of lotion to the children) “ ‘This is a very special kind of medicine called Dottie Spotty Cream!” the doctor said, “Put a little bit of it on each of your 26 spots and they will disappear in no time at all!”

“So Dottie Did.”

Allow each child to dip the tip of their finger in the ‘medicine’ and take turns putting it on Dottie’s spots while counting aloud to 26.

“After Dottie put the Dottie Spotty Cream on, she closed her eyes. (Have children close their eyes.) When she opened her eyes and looked in the mirror, the spots were all gone! (hold up the picture of face without the spots) She was so glad she didn’t have to go to her birthday party with red spots all over her face! She had a wonderful time with her friends and family and had an evening full of music, dancing, laughter, treats and presents!”

(Hold up picture of balloons and presents.)
“Can you count the number of balloons at Dottie’s party?”
“Can you count the number of presents Dottie was given for her birthday?”

For further counting practice have children count 26of a designated item and place it in the counting jar. Hopefully the jar has been filled by now in which case they are due for their reward!!!

Letter of the Day ‘Z’:
Display the letter Z and demonstrate the sound that it makes.

Have each child take turns coming up and saying a word that you whisper into their ear. If they say a word that begins with the letter Z the other children will clap their hands. If they say a word that does not begin with the letter Z, the children will put their thumbs down and say boooooooo (think boo-ing at a football game :)

Here are some Z words you may choose to use: Zinnia (flower), Zebra, Zig-zag, Zucchini, Zipper.

Demonstrate how the letter Z is written and allow them to practice in their writing notebooks. Teach ASL sign for letter Z as well as the signs for Zebra and Zoo!

Introduction to Topic: If you have toys or stuffed animals that resemble zoo animals, place them in different locations around the house. You may also print and use the animal pictures below….
ALSO: on a piece of paper, draw the following : Insect, Plant, fish, steak, mouse
Cut the pictures out and put them in a bowl

Tell children to close their eyes, and proceed to put on a hat (and/or fake mustache) and introduce yourself as _________ the zookeeper.

“Does anyone know what a zookeeper does?”
“A zookeeper has a very important job because they are in charge of all the animals at the zoo! (a zoo is a place where people can come see and learn about many different kinds of animals,) It is the zookeeper’s job to know all about the animals, and what they need to eat to keep healthy! Zookeepers also help to keep the animal homes clean and take care of the animals when they’re sick! Would you like to learn about some of my favorite animals at the zoo?”

Lead children around the house where you have placed each animal. Introduce the animals and give a few facts about each one. Allow them to ask questions, then ask children if they would like to help you feed the animal. Show them the bowl of food
options (paper cut-outs) and have them choose which one would be the best choice for each animal.

Tiger: Largest cat in the world! How many of you would like to have this cat for a pet? It is a carnivore, which means that it eats other animals. This is why they have such sharp teeth and claws. In the zoo, they can’t hunt other animals, so we bring them lots of meat to eat. They come from the forests of Asia.

What kind of food should we give the tiger today?

Chimpanzee: Chimpanzees have short legs and long arms. They eat insects, leaves, fruit, stems, buds, and bark.. They use small sticks to get termites or ants from the ground. They push the stick into the ant or termite nest and the insects climb on to it. The chimps then pick the insect off the twig with their lips. They talk to each other using lots of different sounds. (Demonstrate what a monkey sounds like. Allow children to practice their monkey sounds too!) Lots of times you’ll see chimpanzees picking things out of another chimp’s fur. Since they don’t get to take baths like we do, this is their way of cleaning each other!

Time to feed the chimps! What do you think they would like?

Elephant: Comes from Africa! They eat 200-300 lbs of food (plants) EVERY DAY and drink more than 100 gallons of water. When an animal only eats plants, we call it an ‘herbivore!’ Elephants like to stay in groups, called ‘herds’ (which is kind of like a big family) They love to take dust and mud baths! Can anyone guess what they use their trunks for? (Picking things up, sucking up water to put into their mouths, bathing themselves)

The elephants look hungry! What shall we feed them?

Penguin: They’re birds, but they don’t fly! They don’t walk very fast either, but they are very excellent swimmers. They spend about half of their life on land and half in the oceans. They love to eat small sea animals like krill, fish, and squid. Some penguins come from very cold places and live on the ice. Others come from warmer places. Can you walk like a penguin?

What do you think we should feed them today?

Anacondas: They come in lots of different colors, but all of them have black patches on their backs to help hide them from their enemies. They live in South America and eat fish, reptiles, birds, small animals and even big animals. Their mouth is different than a lot of other animals because it can open VERY wide which lets them fit large animals in their mouths. Show me how wide you can open your mouths! They don’t chew their food like we do, they just swallow! What would happen if we tried that? We’d probably choke! Anacondas have long, very strong bodies. Sometimes they wrap their bodies around other animals and squeeze really hard. This is one way they catch their food!

What should we feed the Anaconda today?

Lead children back to the circle and have them tell you about the different animals they’ve seen at the zoo. You may want to expound on the lifestyle of different animals and explain the difference between mammals and reptiles (There’s obviously too much information to fit into this lesson plan!) Explain that all animals have a different way of living, and all animals are very important. Ask how they think these animals should be treated and how we can do our part to keep them safe.

Stories: Read and discuss the following stories:
The Day Before Zoo Day: by Catherine Ipcizade
Zoo by Gail Gibbons
Never Ever Shout in a Zoo by Karma Wilson

Activity: Play animal charades. Take turns acting out an animal and see if the others can guess which animal you’re trying to be!
OR
Play “I’m thinking of an animal”: Have one person think of an animal while the others ask questions about it to help them guess what it is. “Does it live on land? Does it have four legs?” Etc.

Craft: click herefor snake craft

Snack: Animal crackers or frozen bananas dipped in melted chocolate (you can call it monkey food )

Service: Surprise the birds with a treat today! Make a bird feeder by spreading peanut butter over a pine cone, then rolling the pinecone in bird seed.

Good bye song: To the tune of “If You’re Happy and you Know it”

If you’ve learned a lot today, clap your hands (clap clap)
Here’s the letter of the day (sign the letter Z), clap your hands (clap clap)
Oh, we’ve had a lot of fun,
Now our preschool time is done (tap index finger to wrist)
See you next time (wave) and we’ll do it all again! (Clap clap.)

Cooking Day #9: It's a Fiesta!

2009-05-12T12:23:00.000-07:00

Have children scrub those hands and put on those sombreros! Here’s a fun and colorful Mexican dish for the kids to assemble. (If you have Spanish/Mexican music available, have it playing in the background for extra effect. Food always tastes better when it’s made to a good beat….Wouldn’t you agree?)

Mexican Nachos
4 cups Tortilla chips
2 cups Mexican style shredded cheese, divided
1 cup shredded, cooked chicken
1 cup salsa
1 small tomato, chopped
½ cup sliced black olives
2 green onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chips in bottom of a 9x 13 inch baking pan (or a few small baking dishes if you want each child to assemble their own.) Sprinkle 1 ¾ cups cheese over tortilla chips.

Combine chicken and salsa in separate dish. Spoon mixture over chips and cheese. Top with tomato, black olives and green onions. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cups cheese. Bake for 10-14 minutes until cheese is melted.

Pina Colada
Thanks to gourmetsleuth.com

6 fluid ounces pineapple juice or fresh pineapple chunks
2 fluid ounces Coconut cream
3 to 4 cups of Ice
Cherries (decoration)
Slices of pineapple, orange or lime (decoration)
Paper umbrellas (optional)

In a blender, crush ice while gradually adding the pineapple and the coconut cream. The ice should be thick enough to hold a cherry on top without sinking into the drink. Serve in a tall glass with a straw. Garnish with one cherry and a slice of pineapple. Insert a paper umbrella for that tropical, exotic touch.

After Lunch...
Have children decorate a paper lunch sack, then fill it 1/3 full with candy. Use yarn to tie it to a tree (or in our case, a broom stick) and give everyone a few turns to break the candy free.
Note: There are much more sophisticated ways of making a pinata, but when you don't have the supplies (or the patience) this has proven to be a fun alternative.

And here are a couple of books that will help children gain a better understanding of Mexican culture:

Mexico ABC's: A Book about the People and Places of Mexico by Sarah Heiman
Off we go to Mexico by Laurie Krebs

Lesson 25: Year

2009-05-11T19:09:00.000-07:00

Understanding the unique characteristics of the 12 months that make up a year

For this lesson you will need:
Quarter
25 Pennies
Piggy bank or jar
Counting item/Counting jar
Yarn
Grass
Dandelion
Egg
Bowl
Yogurt
Newspaper or tissue paper
Bag
Paper 12 pieces (with names of months on them) See intro to topic.
Tape
Music (anything goes)
Items that correspond with each month (See ‘Game’ below)
Cookie sheet
Ingredients for yogurt cupcakes or other snack (recipe below)
Birthday Candles
Construction paper (yellow and green)
Egg carton
Scissors
Yellow paint optional (see craft)
Books: Chicken Soup with Rice: A Book of Months by Maurice Sendak
Four Seasons Make a Year by Anne Rockwell and Megan Halsey

Welcome Song: (To tune of Old MacDonald):

Welcome, welcome everyone
So glad that you are here.
Today we’re gonna have some fun
So let’s give out a cheer
Woo hoo!!
Clap clap clap clap
Slap(legs) slap slap slap
Clap clap clap let’s go! (when you shout “let’s go!”, do a group high five in the center)

Question of the Day: Do you remember your last birthday? How old did you turn and what did you like best about that special day?

Number of the Day ‘25’: Display the number 25 on a piece of paper. Hold up a quarter and ask children if they can tell you the name of the coin. Explain that a quarter is worth 25 cents, which means that it is the same as 25 pennies.

Put 25 pennies on the ground and ask them to help you count the number of pennies needed to make up 1 quarter. Have children take turns picking up one penny at a time and placing it in a piggy bank or jar while counting aloud together to 25. Compliment their great counting skills and ask what they think you could by with 25 whole cents!

Have children count 25 of another designated item (for more practice) and place the items in the counting jar. Remind children of the reward they will receive once the jar has been filled.

Letter of the Day ‘Y’: Before Preschool, wrap up a few Y items in tissue/newspaper and place them in a paper bag: Yarn, Yard (grass and a rock), Yellow dandelion, Egg (which you’ll break open in front of them to show the yolk), and a container of Yogurt.

Have child choose a wrapped item and pass it to each of the other children to feel. Give hints about the item to help them guess what it is. For example: “Cats like to play with this, and it’s used to make hats and sweaters” (yarn) or “We play in this during the summer when it’s warm outside. It is where we find flowers and bugs! (yard)”

When they’ve guessed it (or given up), have them unwrap the item and see the Y object inside. When all items have been unwrapped, say the names of each item and emphasize the Y sound at the beginning. Ask what is the same about each of these items. (all begin with Y!!!)

Demonstrate how the letter Yy is written and allow children to practice in their writing notebooks. If they are well practiced in letter writing, have them write 3 words that begin with the letter Y. Teach the ASL sign for the letter Y as well as the signs for Yes and Year.

Introduction to topic: Before class, write the names of each month on 12 separate pieces of paper. Make them colorful and add pictures that go along with each month. For example:

January: Draw party hats, confetti, and a snowman (for New Years Day, and snow!)
February: Hearts
March: Green clover
April: Rain and Easter eggs
May: Flowers and a picture of a mom (for Mother’s Day)
June: Sunshine and picture of a father (for Father’s Day)
July: Flag
August: Sandals/Beach
September: School Bus
October: Pumpkins and brown leaves
November: Turkey
December: Christmas Tree

Pick a room that is not normally used as the preschool room, and hide the months all around it. Tell children they need to work together to find the 12 pieces of paper with writing and pictures on them, and bring them back to the circle.

When they’re back in the circle, say “Today we’re going to talk about different things that happen in a YEAR. Can anyone tell me what a year is? A year is a long amount of time."

You may want to break it down like this:
“This is Monday. Monday is one day. We can get a lot of things done in a day can’t we?

“A month is made up of lots of days like this one! Can anyone guess how many days are in one month? (Around 30)

“A year is made up of lots of months, can anyone guess how many months are in a year? (12!) There are twelve months in a year. A year sounds like a long time doesn’t it?
We’re going to learn about the 12 months that make up a year and what makes each one of them special.”

Hold up each month, one at a time. Introduce it by name and discuss the important events that occur in that month. Talk about seasons, holidays and anything else that might help them remember each one. After each month has been presented have them repeat all 12 of the months after you in the correct order. Stick tape on the back of each one and place them in a big circle on the ground for a game of musical months!

Game: ‘Musical Months.’ Before preschool gather at least 12 items that are each associated with a different month, and place them on a cookie sheet. For example:

Balloons and/or ice cube (January)
Something shaped like a heart (February)
Clovers/Gold pieces/Something Green (March)
Easter candy (April)
Flowers (May)
Neck Tie (June)
Flag/something patriotic (July)
Sandals (August)
School supplies (September)
Dead leaves/pumpkin/Halloween costume (October)
Indian corn/pictures of pilgrims/turkey (November)
Christmas Ornaments/Nativity (December)

Have children walk around the circle as you play some music. When the music stops, have them stand on the month closest to them. Shout out the name of one of the months. Whoever is standing on that month will pick the item from the cookie sheet that best fits that month. Once they’ve picked the correct item to go along with their month, remove that month from the circle, and begin the music again.
Do this for all 12 months.

Stories: Chicken Soup with Rice: A Book of Months by Maurice Sendak
Four Seasons Make a Year by Anne Rockwell and Megan Halsey

Craft: Since now is the time of year for SPRING, click here to view instructions for a fun spring flower craft. Thanks to DLTK.

Snack: Yogurt (B-day) CupCakes Explain that one of the best things that happens every year is your birthday! Ask each child if they know which month their birthday is in. Tell them to close their eyes and think of their birthday wishes, while you go get their surprise snack. Place one candle in each ‘cupcake’ and light them. Have children join you in singing the birthday song then have them blow out their candles.
Over cupcakes, talk about some of the fun things you’ve done this year. Also discuss the things you’d like to do before the year is over!

YOGURT CUPCAKES

2 c. Bisquick
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 c. coconut
8 oz. vanilla yogurt
2 tbsp. salad oil

Mix until moist and bake 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Service: Remind the children that the letter of the day is Y, and that you are going to make someone so happy by giving them a beautiful bouquet of yellow flowers. Let them roam free in the grass to pick all the yellow dandelions they can. Arrange them into a bouquet, tie it together with a ribbon, and deliver it to a neighbor or friend.

Good bye song: To the tune of “If You’re Happy and you Know it”

If you’ve learned a lot today, clap your hands (clap clap)
Here’s the letter of the day (sign the letter Y), clap your hands (clap clap)
Oh, we’ve had a lot of fun,
Now our preschool time is done (tap index finger to wrist)
See you next time (wave) and we’ll do it all again! (Clap clap.)

Field Trip #8: Hiking!

2009-05-07T12:14:00.001-07:00

Pack a picnic and a camera and take the kiddos on a hike. Make a list of things for the kids to collect and/or take pictures of on their hike.

For example:

Things to Collect:
Cool rock
Pine cone
Leaf
Stick

Things to take pictures of:
Black Bird
Blue Bird
stream
footprint
insect
mushrooms
Etc.

You can even assign yourselves new names and pretend that you're explorers (My girls like to be Dora and Boots...and then they assign my husband and I the names 'Swiper' and 'Diego')

Find a nice spot to sit and eat your lunch, and talk about the interesting things you've discovered.

Lesson 24: X-rays (and Doctor Visits)

2009-05-06T13:45:00.000-07:00

Preparing for visits to the doctor's office and understanding the important role x-rays play in keeping our bodies strong and healthy

For this lesson you will need:
Cereal Bowl
Spoon
Flour
Popcorn kernels or dried beans
Counting item/Counting jar
Music
Scrubs or other Doctor-like clothes
Toy Stethescope
Measuring Tape
Bathroom Scale
Notebook/Pen (for recording results)
Flashlight
Tongue Depressor
Pillow
Real X-rays from doctor or dentist office, if possible
Black Construction Paper (1 piece per child)
White Chalk
Cardboard Box (the bigger the better)
Jell-o
Fruit (to go inside Jell-o)

Welcome Song: (To tune of Old MacDonald):

Welcome, welcome everyone
So glad that you are here.
Today we’re gonna have some fun
So let’s give out a cheer
Woo hoo!!
Clap clap clap clap
Slap(legs) slap slap slap
Clap clap clap let’s go! (when you shout “let’s go!”, do a group high five in the center)

Question of the Day ‘24’: Have you ever gotten a really big owie? How did you get it and what did you do to make it feel better?

Number of the day: Before preschool, fill a cereal bowl with flour and place it on top of newspaper or paper towels (for easy clean up). Bury 24 popcorn kernels or dried beans in the flour. When it’s time, have children take turns using a spoon to find a kernel and dig it out. When all kernels have been found, line them up and point to each one as the children count aloud to 24. Display the number 24 so they can see what the number looks like.

Have children work together to count 24 of a designated item and place it in the counting jar. Remind them of the reward they will get once the jar is filled.

Letter of the Day ‘X’: Display the letter X . Tell children you are going to play some music. Whenever the music stops, they must make their bodies into the shape of the letter X. (Demonstrate if necessary, with arms above your head, spread diagonally, and legs spread far apart….Think cheerleader!) Switch it up a bit and say “This time when the music stops, make your fingers into the letter X!” Continue with this, having them also create X’s out of their arms, legs and feet.

Discuss the sound that an X makes and have them repeat a few X words after you just to get the hang of it: Xylophone, and Xerox
Point out that we don’t use too many words that begin with the letter X.
Demonstrate how the capital and lowercase forms of the letter X are written, and allow children to practice in their writing notebooks.

Teach the ASL sign for ‘X’ as well as the signs for Xerox (copy) and X-ray!

Introduction of Topic: Put on scrubs if you have them, or any other clothes that might resemble a doctor’s outfit. Hang a toy stethoscope around your neck and say

“Good Morning Kiddos! My name is Doctor __________ (insert fun fake name here). Have any of you ever been to a Doctor’s office before? What do you remember about it?” Allow children to share their answers.

“Going to the Doctor can be a little bit scary sometimes, especially when we don’t know what’s going to happen! Doctors are people who went to school for many years to learn all about our bodies and how to take care of them and keep them healthy! They also learned all about how to fix our bodies when something goes wrong. What are some things that could go wrong with our bodies?” Stomachaches, headaches, bloody noses, cuts, rashes, sore throats and broken bones.

“Doctors and nurses are here to help us, so we don’t need to be afraid. Let’s talk about what goes on at the doctor’s office.” Have everyone stand up and lead them to another area of the house where you have set it up like a waiting room with chairs, a couple of toys and a few magazines. Explain that when you first walk in to the office, you will see the waiting room, a place where we sit and wait for our turn to go see the doctor. Show them some pieces of paper and explain that Moms and Dads have to fill out some papers when they get there, to help the doctor know if the child is sick or has had any problems with their body. Doctors use these papers to help them figure out what might be wrong, and how they can help.

"When it is our turn to see the doctor, a nurse will call your name out loud. When we hear your name, we follow the nurse to a room where she will ask you questions about how you’ve been feeling and if any thing hurts. The nurse will then measure you to see how tall you’ve gotten, and how much you weigh. They do this to make sure your body is growing well." Lead them to your living room where you have set up a doctor’s bed with a pillow and a chair for you to sit in, along with some medical supplies: tongue depressor, a flashlight, pen (or something else that could look like a shot).

Measure children with a measuring tape and record their heights in your ‘doctor notebook’. If you have a bathroom scale, measure their weight, and record it as well. Give each child a turn to sit on the doctor bed and proceed to check their eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and reflexes with your special tools. Jot some things down in your doctor notebook after each examination. Explain why it is important for a doctor to check each of these things.

You may want to point out that sometimes when they go to the doctor, they will need to be given a shot. A shot is actually a special kind of medicine that doctors give children so they will not get sick. Sometimes it may hurt for a minute, and it's okay to cry when it hurts, but after a minute it will feel much better. Make sure they understand that when shots are given, its not because we want to hurt them, its because we love them and want them to be healthy.

"Sometimes children come to the doctors office when they’re feeling good, just for a check up to make sure their bodies are healthy. Others come in when they are feeling sick….and then there are some that come to the doctor because they’ve been hurt and they need to see if they have any broken bones!

“Doctors can see cuts and rashes because they’re on top of our skin, but they can’t see our bones, because bones are on the inside of our bodies!! How do you think Doctors can know if we have broken bones?” Introduce the X-ray machine. Explain that this machine is a very special type of camera that is able to see through our skin to the inside of our bodies. Doctors use these machines to find out if there’s anything wrong with our bones or other parts of the body.” Ask if any one has been to the dentist. Explain that the dentist will often take x-rays of the teeth to make sure they are healthy and strong and to make sure they don’t have any cavities. Without x-rays, we would never know what is going on inside of our bodies. X-rays are pretty spectacular machines! (Have kids say the word ‘spectacular’ just for kicks)

If you were able to obtain any x-rays from a doctor or dentist office, present them to the children. Ask them how an x-ray picture is different from a regular picture. Point out the different body parts you see in the x-ray and allow them to ask any questions they may have.

Explain what will happen if the doctor looks at an x-ray and sees a broken bone. The doctor will wrap it in a hard cast for a few weeks until the bone can grow back together. (Point out how incredible our bodies are, that they are able to heal themselves.)

Stories: Jessica’s X-ray by Pat Zonta
The Skeleton Inside You by Philip Balestrino
The X-ray Picture Book of Amazing Animals by Gerald Legg

Craft: Help children trace their hands onto a black piece of construction paper, and go over the outline with a white piece of chalk. Have them use the chalk to draw bones inside of their hands, just like an x-ray.
Then…..Use a big box to create an X-ray machine (complete with an ‘on’ button)

Activity: Have the children take turns stepping (or laying) inside of the x-ray machine..push the button, and pretend to examine their bones. After they step out, present them with the x-ray picture they made and tell them about any broken bones you might have found. Bandage them up with a dish towel, then allow children to examine you in the x-ray machine!

Snack: Prepare Jell-o with fruit in it. Explain that this is much like the way an x-ray works, because you can see the fruit even though it’s inside the jell-o, just like an x-ray helps you to see your bones, even though they’re inside your body! (thanks to EverythingPreschool.com for this idea!)

Service: Give someone an X-tra big hug today

Good bye song: To the tune of “If You’re Happy and you Know it”

If you’ve learned a lot today, clap your hands (clap clap)
Here’s the letter of the day (sign the letter X), clap your hands (clap clap)
Oh, we’ve had a lot of fun,
Now our preschool time is done (tap index finger to wrist)
See you next time (wave) and we’ll do it all again! (Clap clap.)

Cooking Day #8: Hot Tortilla Pinwheels....and Lemonade :)

2009-05-04T21:06:00.000-07:00

Try all of the following variations…but if you must choose only one, I would definitely recommend the Cinnamon Roll Pinwheels (A quick and fantastic alternative to real cinnamon rolls) Eat them while they’re hot!!

Ingredients:
Six 8-inch flour tortillas @ room temp.
3 T meatless spaghetti sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese, divided
1 small package sliced pepperoni
4 thin slices of deli ham
¼ c. sugar
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Ingredients for Icing:
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 T margarine, room temp
enough milk for desired consistency (start with a couple teaspoons and add more as you necessary)
2 drops almond extract

Lay out flour tortillas.

Pizza Pinwheels:
Over two tortillas, spread a light layer of meatless spaghetti sauce.
Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Place pepperoni slices side by side on top of cheese to cover tortilla. Roll prepared tortillas in jelly roll fashion, and with a sharp (serrated) knife slice the tortilla cross ways into ½-1 inch slices to form pinwheels. Place a toothpick through each pinwheel to hold it together and transfer to prepared cookie sheet, ½ inch apart.

Classic Hot Ham and Cheese Pinwheels:
Sprinkle two other tortillas with mozzarella (or cheddar) cheese. Place deli ham slices on top of cheese to cover the whole tortilla. Roll in jelly roll fashion and slice the rolled tortilla cross ways into ½-1 inch slices with a sharp or serrated knife. Place toothpick in each pinwheel to hold it together and place on prepared cookie sheet, ½ inch apart.

Cinnamon Roll Pinwheels****favorite****
Cover last two tortillas with a light layer of margarine (room temp) Sprinkle tortillas with cinnamon sugar. Cut tortilla into strips about 1 inch wide. Place a few chocolate chips on each strip and roll it up to look like a pinwheel. Place a toothpick through the pinwheels to hold them together and put them on a prepared cookie sheet side by side.

Spray pinwheels with non-stick cooking spray and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until tortillas are crisp.

After cooked, Mix icing ingredients together (see above) and dribble it over the cinnamon roll pinwheels. Serve all pinwheels warm!

Thirsty?? Have kiddos help you make some yummy lemonade with REAL lemons. They’re sure to have fun with this one!

Ingredients:
6 lemons
1 cup sugar
2 quarts cold water

1. Slice the lemons in half and squeeze each of them into a large measuring cup. This should yield about 1 1/2 cups of juice. Remove any seeds.

2. In a large pitcher or mason jar, combine the juice and the sugar. Stir in 2 quarts of cold water. Serve over ice. (For a nice touch, place mint leaves in the ice cube trays before freezing.) Serves 8 to 10.

Lesson 23: Weather

2009-05-03T20:59:00.000-07:00

Understanding the importance of different types of weather

For this lesson you will need:
Paper or whiteboard
Hand Towel
Counting item/jar
Dried Beans
Bowl
Clothing from your closet: pants, t-shirt, sweater, jacket, hat, mittens, boots,
sandals, tennis shoes, shorts, swimsuit, and sunglasses.
Sunscreen
Portable heater
Pillow
Cotton balls (1 per child)
Bowl of water
Scissors
Card Stock/Construction paper (1 per child)
Markers/Crayons
Glue or tape
Cellophane (optional)
Stories: Kippers Book of Weather by Mick Inkpen
What Will the Weather Be? By Lynda Dewitt and Carolyn Croll
Wild Weather Soup by Caroline Formby
The Wind Blew by Pat Hutchins
Little Cloud by Eric Carle
Rice Cakes
Cream Cheese
Pretzel sticks (mini)

Welcome Song: (To tune of Old MacDonald):

Welcome, welcome everyone
So glad that you are here.
Today we’re gonna have some fun
So let’s give out a cheer
Woo hoo!!
Clap clap clap clap
Slap(legs) slap slap slap
Clap clap clap let’s go! (when you shout “let’s go!”, do a group high five in the center)

Question of the Day: When you’re hot, what are some ways you like to cool off?
Allow each child to share their answer. Share your answer with the children as well.

Number of the Day ‘23’: Display the number 23. Explain that before you start preschool, you need to burn off a little bit of energy! Have children choose an exercise for you to do and do it, while they count a loud to 23. Ask them if they’d like to join you for the next exercise. Choose an exercise (jumping jacks, lifting ‘weights’ etc.) and have children count aloud with you as you perform the exercise together. Pass a hand towel around to wipe off their faces and give everyone a big high five!

Have children work together to count out 23 of the designated counting item (coins, marshmallows, candies, etc) and place them in the counting jar. Remind them of the reward they’ll get when the counting jar has been filled!

Letter of the Day ‘W’: Display the letter W on a piece of paper or whiteboard and demonstrate the sound a W makes. Place a bowl on the floor and gather the children around it. Give everyone a few dried beans and explain the game:

Each person in the circle must think of a word that begins with W. One at a time they will say a word that begins with a W after which they will place one of their beans into the bowl in the center. Go around the circle until someone runs out of beans, or until nobody can think of anymore W words!

Demonstrate how the letter Ww is written and allow children to practice in their writing notebooks. Teach the ASL sign for the letter W as well as the signs for Wind and Weather.

Introduction to Topic: Gather the following items of clothing from your closet and place them in a bag: pants, t-shirt, sweater, jacket, hat, mittens, boots, sandals, tennis shoes, shorts, swimsuit, and sunglasses.

Ask children to look outside to see what the weather is like today. Have children take turns pulling one item of clothing out of the bag. Hold it up and ask children if they think the item of clothing is a good thing to be wearing today. If they say ‘no’, throw it on the ground. If they say ‘yes’ have them watch while you put the item of clothing on yourself. Do this until you are wearing a complete ‘weather’ appropriate outfit and the children are satisfied. Keep the clothes on, for the following discussion about weather.

Discussion: Hold up a piece of paper and ask children to name all the different types of weather they can think of. Draw a picture that represents each type of weather as they list them. (Rain cloud, sun, Snow, etc) Ask which type of weather each of them like the best.

Explain that weather is a funny thing, because one day it could be one way, and the next day it could be totally different! Sometimes we even see sunshine, rain AND snow all in the same day! It sure keeps life interesting. Each type of weather is important for different reasons.

SUNNY: Point to the picture you drew of the sun and ask why sunny days are so important to have. Explain that the sun is necessary for plants to grow in the summer time. Ask if any of them plan to have a garden in the summer. “The seeds that we plant in the ground can’t grow up to be big healthy plants unless they get lots of sunshine. And if we don’t have big healthy vegetable plants to eat, what are we going to feed our hungry bellies?”

Explain that sunny days are also great for playing outside! Ask each child to tell you about their favorite things to do on sunny days. Explain that when we play out in the sun, our bodies are able to make an important vitamin called vitamin D, which helps our bones grow strong. Too much sun will give us a sun burn, which can really hurt, so when we’re going to be outside in the sun for a long time we need to be sure to wear SUNSCREEN! (show bottle of sunscreen, and allow each child to apply a small amount to their arms if they’d like.)

CLOUDY: Cloudy days are nice to have when it’s been really hot outside and you need to cool off. The clouds get in front of the sun, making it so the air feels a little cooler. Demonstrate this by turning on a portable space heater if you have one, and point it towards the children so they feel the heat blowing their way. Then take a pillow and put it between the children and the heater, so they are no longer able to feel the heat. This is how clouds work!

Ask children if they’ve ever wondered what clouds are made of. Allow them to come up with their own ideas of what they’re made of.

“There is lot of water in the air around us, but the water is so small we can’t see it! When sun shines on the air, it makes the air warm, and the tiny droplets of water starts to rise up higher in the air. When the water gets really high, it starts to cool off. When millions of cool water droplets gather together high in the air it makes a cloud.”

Have children look outside for any clouds in the sky. Tell them there are many different types of clouds, and sometimes they even look like animals in the sky. Do you see any animals in the clouds today?

RAINY: Ask if anyone likes to play outside when it’s raining. Discuss some of the fun things to do in the rain.

How is rain made? Explain that if the clouds are big enough and have enough water droplets, the droplets bang together and form even bigger drops. When the drops get heavy, they fall and make us all wet! That’s what we call rain!

Explain that rain is important for helping our plants and trees to grow. Without rain, our plants would be very thirsty and would die. When a place doesn’t get rain for a long time it is called a drought! (have children repeat the word drought) Explain that a desert is a place that doesn’t get any rain and because of this, there are no plants or trees, just hot sand and cactuses.

Demonstration: Have each child hold a cotton ball and explain that it is the cloud. Ask them how it feels (light and fluffy) Have them dip it slowly in the water. As they dip it explain that this is like the tiny water droplets gathering together high in the air to make a cloud. After the cotton ball has been completely submerged, have children hold up the cotton ball and describe how it feels now (wet and heavy). Explain that this is how rain clouds are when they are ready to send rain. Have children squeeze the cotton ball to make rain.

STORMY: Thunder and lightening happen when clouds rub together. When two things rub together it makes something we call electricity. Ask children if they’ve ever been shocked. Have children rub their socks along the carpet and then touch a metal doorknob…it should give a slight shock. Explain that when their feet rubbed against the carpet it made electricity, which made you feel a little shock when you touched something else. That’s what happens when two clouds rub against each other.

Storms are fun to listen to and watch, but when we hear thunder and lightening, we need to make sure we go inside because lightening is very dangerous to be around!

SNOWY: Ask children what they like to do in the snow. Explain that snow is another way that we get water. After snow melts, it waters the ground, and adds water to our streams, lakes and rivers. Streams, lakes and rivers provide homes for many fish and other animals. Snow helps us to have enough water to drink when we’re thirsty.

Explain that snow is formed when tiny drops in the air freeze!

WINDY: What is the wind good for? (KITES!!) Explain that wind happens when the warm air rises up and cool air moves in to where the warm air used to be. Wind is great for cooling us off when we’re hot! Wind can be a light breeze, and it can also be a very strong BLOW. Ask children if they can imitate what sound the wind makes.

“Isn’t it great that we have all types of weather? Life would be kind of boring if we only had one type of weather every single day!”

Explain that there are people called weathermen/women who use neat tools to figure out what the weather will be like the next day, and even the next week! We watch these weather people on tv so that we can know what to wear and what kind of activities to plan for the day.

Stories: Kippers Book of Weather by Mick Inkpen
What Will the Weather Be? By Lynda Dewitt and Carolyn Croll
Wild Weather Soup by Caroline Formby
The Wind Blew by Pat Hutchins
Little Cloud by Eric Carle

Craft: Help children make their own sunglasses. Use one of these templates (add longer handles to the sides to make them fit around child’s ears) Decorate and enjoy!

You will need:
cardstock (1 piece per child)
Stickers, crayons, markers and other decorating items
Scissors
Glue
Cellophane (for eye holes) optional

Thanks to the bestkidsbooksite.com for the templates!

Snack: Rice Cake Suns
Use yellow food coloring to color some cream cheese. Have children spread it on a rice cake and use small pretzel sticks as the sun ‘beams’ sticking out from the sides.

You may also have them use raisins or other objects to create faces on their suns.

Service: Choose one of the following for the children to do, depending on the weather in your area. If it's

Sunny: Invite a neighbor or friend out to play, or volunteer to walk a neighbor’s dog

Cloudy/Rainy: Move toys or other objects from the yard to a safe dry place, offer to share your umbrella with someone who doesn’t have one.

Snowy: Shovel the sidewalk or help brush the snow off the car

Windy: Move outside items to a secure place where they won’t be blown away!

Good bye song: To the tune of “If You’re Happy and you Know it”
If you’ve learned a lot today, clap your hands (clap clap)
Here’s the letter of the day (sign the letter W), clap your hands (clap clap)
Oh, we’ve had a lot of fun,
Now our preschool time is done (tap index finger to wrist)
See you next time (wave) and we’ll do it all again! (Clap clap.)

For those who check back often....

2009-04-28T20:15:00.000-07:00

Thanks for checking in even though I've been Miss Inconsistent lately. I have a few things that have been occupying my time this week... but I promise to get back on schedule next Monday. Promise promise.

But since you're here....
Here are some fun things to try with your kids

Drink to Caramel Corn! (Isn't this cute? 2 little girls dropped this off on our front porch last week...in knock and run fashion.)

(Thanks Steph!)

Make a windchime using a foil pie tin, utensils and some yarn! (Hole punch also required) It really does sound pretty!

Have an Egg Drop Contest! Hard boil some eggs...and make them into characters. Place them in different containers and pad each egg with something different. The ultimate test is to see which egg will survive being dropped (inside its container) from somewhere up high!
Take out a bit of padding each time the egg is dropped. The last one standing (without a crack) is the winner!