River Treasure

We took the boys to the river and let them explore. Our best find was amongst the little pebbles on the shore. The boys came home with pockets full of everything from agates to crawdad claws. I let those little fingers dig and explore in the tiny pebbles for obscure "treasures" and was sure to empty pockets before wash day.

Ice Cream Sundae Potluck

For your next celebration, how about an Ice Cream Sundae Potluck? Have each friend bring a unique ice cream flavor and a topping, while you provide plenty of bowls, sprinkles, and whipped cream for all.

Yeah, there's no nutritional value on this one, but factor in the "cool" points you'll get!

Tasty Toasty

You will need: Bread, milk, food coloring, q-tips, 4 paper cups or small dishes, toaster

Put a small amount of milk in each cup. Add two drops of food color to each cup. Using the q-tip (or a new/cleaned paintbrush) "paint" a design onto the bread with the colored milk. Toast and eat your masterpiece.

*Variation: Paint on a message before serving toast with a meal.

Reading Role Model

I found a new quote that I wholeheartedly agree with!

"Parents who read have kids who learn to read."

Think about how many times a day you read something to yourself. Is it something you can read out loud to your child? Books, magazines, newspapers, letters, signs, lists. Words are everywhere we look. Point out print and its purpose. Talk about what you are reading. Be a reading role model!

Foil Prints

Crumple a piece of foil slightly then unfold. Paint directly onto the foil and press a paper over the design to capture a print.

P.S. That is glitter paint.

P.P.S. The kids may want to keep the shiny painted foil too. Bonus: Two pieces of art in one!

*Variation: What happens if you try crumpled saran wrap or waxed paper?

Galloping

Back in my kindy days, I remember the teacher asking me to perform developmental tasks and making check marks in little boxes on the page. One of these was galloping. Have you taught your cowgirls and cowboys to gallop gallantly?

Gallop: An exaggerated slide step composed of a step and a leap.

Cues:
*Take a big step forward
*Keep one foot in front of the body at all times

Galloping Chant

(Preschoolers gallop quickly at first then slow their ponies down)

Galloping, galloping, galloping.

How fast my pony can go?

When he's tired we'll come home.

Slow, slow, slow.

*Variations: Challenge children to gallop forward and backward, in different pathways, and at different speeds.

18-Way PB&J

End of summer nears. School looms. Regular ol' PB&Js bore. Check out these variations on a classic.

The Great PB&J Makeover, courtesy Welch's

Dance a Part

Switch on the music and listen to the rhythm. Tell children to dance to the music using one body part at a time. Finger, hand, knee, face, shoulder, leg, toe and so on! This will help sync your preschoolers thoughts and actions, providing for more control over body movement.

Generating Rhyming Words - Down by the Bay

"The ability to recognize and generate rhyming words will eventually help children to use known words to decode new words." Literacy and the Youngest Learner by V. Susan Bennett-Armistead

A catchy little song that provides opportunity for generating rhymes is
"Down by the Bay":

Down by the bay

Where the watermelons grow

Back to my home

I dare not go

For if I do

My mother will say

Have you ever seen _____ wearing _____

Down by the bay


Have children help you fill in the blanks! Silly huh? Give these a go:

Have you ever seen a _____ eating a _____
Have you ever seen a _____ walk with a _____

The popular song is also available in book form. Thanks Raffi!
Down by the Bay (Raffi Songs to Read)

Body Pretzels

Print out a set of body part flash cards at ESL-Kids.com. Or make your own! An experience to see just how flexible the human body is. Can it twist like a pretzel?

Parent
1. Divide the cards into two piles. Upper body and lower body.
2. Shuffle each pile and turn face down.

Child

3. Draw one card from each pile.
4. GUESS...can I touch those two body parts together? Make a prediction.
5. Test your guess. Was your guess correct?

*Extension: Serve pretzels for snack.

Developmental Checklist: 4-5 Years

Fisher-Price provides a general developmental checklist in the areas of physical, intellectual, social and emotional, and language development. When it comes to child development, what is "normal" is influenced by a wide variety of genetic, cognitive, physical, family, cultural, nutritional, educational, and environmental factors.

Your 4-5 Year old is probably in some stage of each skill whether it be newly introduced and developing, or showing great progess!

Developmental Checklist: 4-5 Years

Exploring Sunflowers

The sunflowers are starting to droop and I decided to let C do a little sunflower dissection. They really are pretty interesting. Once you remove the little yellow buds, a whole sea of seeds lies underneath. He spent a good fifteen minutes removing the seeds one by one with tweezers!

5 Essential Rules for Stranger Safety

I ran across this article in Parents magazine January 2009 issue but now is a good time to review it. Many of us are sending preschool graduates out into the big wide world this school year! If you don't know exactly what to say when it comes to strangers, this is a must-read.

Security Check: 5 Rules for Stranger Safety

Simple Banana Smoothie

Whip up a smoothie in no time, as a cool summer treat or a healthy snack. Super easy and you can mix and match until you get the drink your child adores.

Combine in a blender:

1 frozen banana

1 c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

A dash of sugar

A pinch of cinnamon

*Variations: Other varieties of fruit (C suggests his favorite, blueberries!), frozen yogurt, Splenda instead of sugar, 1 Tbsp. flaxseed oil or 1 Tbsp. brown rice protein

Happy UN-birthday!

You're invited! If it's been awhile since you've had a party, plan an UN-birthday. If it's not your birthday, then by golly it's your UN-birthday. It's like an excuse to have cake! Take a page from Alice's book. Ask your preschooler to help you plan the celebration from cake to decoration and enjoy a party just because. Pull out some mismatched party decor from parties past, bake and frost cupcakes, put up the balloons your child got for being a good kid while you waited in line at the bank, invite neighbor Nelly. You get the idea. Pretty much anything goes and your little party planner will be sure to love the special and unexpected day.

Cover a Sneeze!

Use a squirt bottle and pretend to "sneeze," spraying your captive audience. Whoever got wet now has your germs! Next demonstrate a "sneeze" into the crook of your arm or covered with your hand. Did your child get your germs that time? Nope, you've trapped them.

Bless you!

Visual Addition

This little contraption is a hardware store purchase. It's a PVC plumbing elbow with a drain and screw-on drain cap. The idea is to show children that combining sets of objects creates a new set. For example, in one hand you have 3 red beads and in the other 2 blue beads. If you drop them in either side at the same time, they combine to make a new set of 5. Remove from the cup and count. Practice with different objects and amounts to show that computation doesn't have to be frustration! Great for visual learners.

*Variation: Edible math, Cheerios and Kix for example...guess the number and you get to eat it.

Exploring Corn

There's nothing like eating fresh corn on the cob. But before the yum-fest happens, let it be explored. Spend some time examining the ears of corn in their husks.

What does the husk feel like?

How can we find out what's inside?

What does the silk feel like?

Why do you think the corn is inside the husk and silk?

How does your family prepare corn?

Where do we get corn on the cob?

Have you eaten corn other ways?

Shuck the corn. Prepare the corn. Eat (and enjoy!) the corn.

Buried Treasure

Ahead of time: Adult spray several rocks with gold paint and let dry. Bury in the sand for later discovery!

*Variation: Seashells or coins

Astronaut Puddin'

You'll need: pudding mix, zip top bag, milk

Directions: Put one Tbsp. pudding mix into a zip top bag. Add 1/4 c. milk. Seal. Mush and squish until it is pudding consistency. Snip off a tiny corner of the bag and eat your pudding like the astronauts do in space- without utensils!

Piquing Interest in Healthy Food

Sometimes HOW you serve the food up can stir up enough interest that the food gets eaten, even if it's HEALTHY! How you ask? Mommy's muffin tin special. A muffin tray with 6 sections and something healthy in each of the sections. It's all in the presentation momma!

*Variation: Ice cube tray, school lunch tray, divided container (such as Lock & Lock), an ancient piece of Tupperware from the depths of the cupboard, big brother's lunch box in preparation for back to school...you get the idea.

*Variation: Theme Lunch Ideas

Preschool Portion Control

Some handy tips from Gerber for keeping your preschooler's portions in check. To help children understand their bodies, use phrases like "Is your belly telling you that you're full?", "Has your tummy had enough?" or "Is your belly still making its hungry growling noise?"

Preschool Portion Control

Making Homemade Applesauce

When I think of fall and back to school, I think of apples! Making your own applesauce is a very simple process and one you can easily involve your preschooler in. Make a real trip of it and pick your own apples in the orchard or support your local farmer's market. A plastic knife or butter knife can further chop down apple slices.

We use this recipe from AllRecipes.com Note: The type of apple you use might affect how much sugar the recipe needs. We recommend "Pink Lady" apples, and use a little less sugar than the recipe calls for.

Sarah's Applesauce

Sensational Scarves

A scarf is a simple prop that encourages movement. Scarves are available for purchase on a number of children's stores. I suggest checking your local thrift store. They are light and showy. They flow with ease through the air as the mover prances and dances. It encourages crossing the midline. So many play possibilities!

Abracadabra! Scarf Magic!

Making Colored Noodles

Materials: Noodles, zip top baggies, food coloring, rubbing alcohol

1. Decide on what kind of noodles you want to use. To make noodle jewelry, find pasta with a hole in the center.

2. Use as many zip top bags as colors you want.

3. Place the desired amount of noodles into each bag.

4. Pour just enough rubbing alcohol in the bag so all the noodles are covered.

5. Add a generous amount of food coloring to each baggie of noodles.

6. Put the bags of noodles aside and let them sit until they are the desired color-- the longer they sit, the brighter the colors.

7. Remove from the baggies and spread in a single layer on paper towels to dry.

8. Craft away!

DO NOT EAT. It may take hours for coloring and up to 24 hours to dry. Store in an airtight container for future use.

*Variation: Colorations® Liquid Watercolors work to dye noodles as well.

School Supply Shopping

There's generally a list involved, and to me that means an opportunity for language and literacy. I let C hold our list and once we found the Kleenex I showed him the print on the box. He then found it on the list and crossed it off. He "matched" the words. Finding purpose in print! He was thrilled to do his part, and I could see this made him even more excited for back to school.

Fisher-Price Play and Learn Family Activities

Passing on some great ideas from Fisher-Price, organized by age group. The good news is they target multiple areas of child development.

Play and Learn Family Activities 5-6 Years