Shaving Cream Sensory

Good clean fun! All you need is a can of shaving cream (sensitive skin formula recommended) and a child ready to create. First cover the table with a vinyl tablecloth or squirt a dollop of shaving cream directly on the table, whichever you prefer. Tip: If you're not worried about your table, it will actually do a nice job cleaning it.

You can lead them to draw letters in the shaving cream if you'd like to go somewhere educational with this one, but I'm going to bet that if your kids haven't done this one yet that the first time they do, it will be hard to pull them away! C spelled WoWWW.

Clean up is easy- a wet towel. Some teachers use this in the schools because it cleans desks right up and smells good too.

*Variation: Let children run their toy cars through the shaving cream and check out the tracks they leave.

*Variation: If you think this looks to tasty to resist, try Cool Whip.

*Variation: The "no-mess" version is hair gel into a Ziploc baggie. Perhaps add glitter. Press to seal and also use clear packing tape to ensure that nothing is coming back out. Lay the bag on a flat surface and press on it to draw.

Go Beyond a Book Today

It's raining. It's pouring.
Staying inside can be boring.
Picked out a book.
About a cook.
Now the kitchen we are touring!

Today I challenge you to go beyond a book. Read one of your favorites and then choose an activity to do that goes with it. We read Jake Baked the Cake by B.G. Hennessy today, and now we're going to make paper chefs hats and I think I'll even let my little chef join me in making dinner tonight. It's easy to extend the learning beyond a book. Read a book about construction workers and build a tower of blocks or paper cups. Read about bugs and go find some to observe. Read about fish then make your way to the pet store. See how easy this is?

Come back and share what you did here so we can bounce ideas off of each other!

Breathing & Relaxing

Face it, we all have moments where we lose our cool. Sometimes with kids the fit becomes a bigger deal than whatever actually sparked the fit in the first place! You've probably all heard "Just take a deep breath!" at some point. Did that fire you up? Were you able to calm down and reassess the situation? Deep breathing refocuses us and calms our physiological response to a situation. Give this yoga pose a go.

Boat Pose

Let's start by finding our tails. Let's sit on our tails.
Let's bring our feet out in front of our bodies.
Let's hold on behind our legs and we can
Start to lift our feet up off the floor.
Try to stay up on your tail!
Lift just one foot if that's easier. Or we can lift both.

Let's try to sing Row, Row, Row Your Boat
While we hold our boat pose.
(Move arms in a circular rowing motion at sides.)

*Variation: Row with a Partner
1. Assign partners. (Similar sizes paired together helps.)
2. Sit opposite your partner.
3. Your feet should be on the floor.
4. Reach across and hold your partner's hands.
5. Row by leaning back and forth together.

Cheers!

I think it's important that we say "Good job" to children in many different ways. It can grow old to hear the same thing many times over! For example, when someone asks "How are you?" and you respond "I'm fine." You're probably so used to hearing that question it gets the generic response. Lame, right? Try responding with how you REALLY feel and you might get a whole different response. Next time you see positive behavior, reward it with a new cheer. Do it together. Invoke a whole new response and sense of pride for a job well done!

The following cards are printable and portable. You might find other ways to use them as well, for example, when you are waiting with your child for something unpleasant like a dentist appointment.

http://www.drjean.org/html/monthly_act/act_2004/06_june/06_2004_pdf.html

P.S. C loves "Firecracker" and "Hip - Hip - Hooray!"

Beginning Letter Scavenger Hunt

Beginning readers and writers take lots of pride in their names! It's often one of the first words a child will learn to write. Face it, when you are new to a school setting, seeing and hearing your VERY OWN name is generally a pretty cool thing. MY cubby. MY desk. MY school supplies. MY NAME!

Begin by having your child write their name on a paper bag. You may or may not need to assist. Provide plenty of supplies to decorate the bag. Explain that you are going on a scavenger hunt to find objects that also start with the same letter of their name. You might let them circle the letter to reinforce its significance. Say the sound several times as you search through the house.

Set a goal by years in age, for example, if the child is 3, finding 3 items is a good goal to search for. Help as much as needed or until interest turns elsewhere.

*Variation: Circle another letter in your child's name and find things that start with that letter.

*Variation: Find the letter in printed words or pictures from a magazine. Cut out and glue to the bag.

*Variation: Read a book and look for their letter throughout.

A Firefighter Fingerplay

Our recent preschool field trip to the firestation sparked an interest in C in all things firefighter. Here's a fingerplay for you to learn together. Try to remember, even after thirty-somethingth time performing, repetition is a positive thing! Fingerplays use fine motor development and hearing and discerning the sounds of language, as well as rhyming which kindergarten teachers like our kiddos to come prepared with.

A Firefighter

This brave fireman is going to bed

hold up right thumb

Down on the pillow he lays his head

right thumb on left palm

Wraps himself in his blanket tight

curl fingers around thumb

And plans to sleep this way all night

close eyes

But the fire alarm rings! He opens his eyes!

open eyes

Quickly he's dressed and down the pole he slides

right hand slides down left arm

in a grip from elbow to wrist

Then he climbs on the truck to go, go, go!

hands manipulate imaginary steering wheel

Bubble Wrap Art

Try this idea for printmaking. Tape down some bubble wrap, bubbles up. Paint on the bubbles. We used tempera paint. Press a paper on it, pulling away to reveal a unique dotted pattern! A sponge and water wipes the slate clean to start anew.

*Variation: Glittery tempera.

*Variation: Bubble wrap with larger bubbles.

*Variation: Other textured materials to try lifting prints from- burlap scrap, plywood scrap, grass, gravel path, muffin tin, aluminum foil, welcome mat, wire screen...

*Variation: Glue items to cardboard and then lift prints. Try buttons, bingo markers, bottle caps, masking tape, leather strips, band-aids, yarn, string...

Pom Pom Sort

80 ct. assorted Pom Poms, $1 @ Dollar Tree

Collapsible Storage Box, $1 @ Dollar Tree

Another color sorting activity requires crafting pom poms and a divided container of some sort. I found this one with 8 sections at Dollar Tree, but you could use cups, dishes, plastic lids, 6-pack rings, dessert cups, pinch bowls, recycled clean plastic fruit cups...just about anything that makes for clear visual "dividers" so children can easily see groupings.

I just poured the pom poms onto the ground and let C decide how he was going to sort them. It was tricky because a few of the shades were visually hard for him to discriminate (white, pink) and he had to decide what shades could be put together (green, neon green).

*Variation: Buy a package with different sizes and colors of pom poms and challenge children to find new ways to sort them.

*Variation: For younger children, choose basic colors and remove some of the shades. Give them a jump start by placing one pom pom of each color into the groupings you are looking for.

Clothespin Color Sort

This is a hit with the younger preschool crowd.

Plastic Tumblers set x 6, $1 @ Dollar Tree
Plastic Clothespins set x 15, $1 @ Dollar Tree

Opportunity for color sorting and fine motor development, priceless! Pile the clothespins and your child can pinch them open to attach to the right color of cup. Fine motor development helps your child strengthen finger and hand muscles, useful for learning to hold and manipulate writing utensils.

*Variation: Younger children can drop them into the cups.

*Variation: Go on a search around the house for items of each color that fit in the cup.

*Variation: Color with marker on wooden clothespins to match the color of cups you already have available. The more colors and cups you have, the more challenging it will be!

Nature Walk Bracelet

An easy addition to your next walk is a roll of sticky tape. Just form a roll of tape around the wrist sticky side out. Let children gather nature's little treasures and trinkets for their bracelet displays. (My sample pictured above is artificial flowers.) This activity is especially nice in the spring when things are blooming and growing and in the fall when colors are changing.

*Variation: Use craft materials such as foam letters and buttons to decorate your bracelets.

*Variation: Nature Found It Bags- Children put findings in a Ziploc or paper bag to bring home and get a closer look at. A magnifying glass adds to the teachable moments!

*Variation: Try leaf rubbings or sandwiching flat leaves or flowers between clear contact paper for placemats.

Standby Tried and True Playdough Recipe

Never made playdough at home? Try this easy stove top version. Children can measure and pour ingredients while an adult supervises near the stove.

Playdough

1 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Salt
1 Tablespoon Cream of Tartar
1 Cup Water
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1 Teaspoon Food Coloring

Cook over medium heat 2-3 minutes or until you can't stir anymore. Knead on floured surface until smooth. Store in air-tight container when not in use. We use Ziploc freezer bags.

Ready for the fancy version? Add scents or glitter! Any extract works. We recommend lemon or peppermint. Our last batch the boys chose to make olive green with silver glitter.

Cinnamon Playdough

2 Cups Flour
2 Cups Water
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
2 Cups Salt
4 Tablespoons Cinnamon
4 Tablespoons Cream of Tartar
2 Tablespoons Vanilla
(Glitter, optional)

Cook over medium heat 2-3 minutes or until you can't stir anymore. Knead on floured surface until smooth. Store in air-tight container when not in use.

*Extension: Playdough is wonderful for children's fine motor development. Set out the dough and various cookie cutters and kitchen gadgets. Try child safety scissors for scissoring practice and hand-eye coordination.

*Extension: When playdough is starting to get a little funky or dry, have the child make a handprint in it and you can fill with Plaster of Paris to have a keepsake.

This Blog Serves a Purpose

Through my education and experiences in the field of early childhood education, I've gathered so many ideas that I wished I would've known about sooner, as a parent, to implement with my own children during that crucial period of early childhood education. Many were so simple and fun that it would have taken no more than a few minutes of my time as a stay-at-home-mom to put together a meaningful learning experience for my child.

I don't lay claim to the ideas given here as being my own original ideas, rather borrowed from here and there and often adapted to fit the developmental needs of young children.

Occasionally, I might link to an article or website that parents might find helpful or interesting. I'll try to hit each curriculum area- specifically Art, Literacy, Math & Science (also called Discovery), Sand & Water (also called Sensory), Music & Movement, Dramatic Play, and Cooking.

And as teachers out there know, education never stops. I want to continue my learning so if you have any tips or treasured ideas, I love feedback and comments!

My Philosophy of Early Childhood Education

“Play to Know, Play to Grow”


After birth, brain cells are making connections all the time. Connections are made when a child has experiences that make the child think. The connections get stronger the more the child uses them and they become a basis for how the child thinks. My role as a teacher is to provide plenty of real-life; hands-on experiences so growing brains make a multitude of connections!

Children should get to freely explore and engage the environment and materials that surround them, therefore learning at their own pace and about the subject matter that interests them, making learning more relevant and meaningful.

Play is necessary for growing healthy brains and bodies.

I look at what children already know about the world around them and then provide every child gentle guidance as needed to assist them in getting to the next level of learning.

I use everyday experiences to teach so that children are learning without even realizing they are “being taught” because they are having FUN!

I recognize that getting ready for kindergarten is important to future academic success so I teach and then practice the fundamental skills in a positive learning environment.

My message to parents is that we are both teachers of children, traveling different paths, but searching for the same things….

we both want what is best for your child!
It is my pleasure to share in that journey with you.