Sunday May 31st/ Let's Play Ball / Practice Golf Balls
15 small balls for under $2.00
Plastic Container (already in your cupboard)
Hours of fun -priceless!Toddler and Preschooler
Toddler's favorite activity
Put all the balls into one large container
Have the child yell, "Go!"
Pour bucket over childs head
Collect all the balls into the bucket
Repeat 100X
I did not believe the kids would love picking them up too, but they do
- - -
Put balls in container
Empty them out down a hallway with wood / linoleum floors
Watch them bounce and roll the like crazy
collect balls
count balls
repeat 100X
- - -
Fill tub for bath
Remove all other toys except for a container or two
Put children in tub
Pour all the balls into the tub
Watch them float
Try to sink them
Put them under watch and watch them "pop" up
Pour them
FUN
- - -
Try to toss these balls into a container
they bounce all over!
Monday June 1st /Sensory Table
watch video above
Toddler and Preschooler:
I have debated about adding this one, because it is not something everyone has at home. I decided to add it because it is hours and hours of fun and it is easy.
You need:
1 large plastic container
1 small plastic container (see pictures)
or a "real" sensory table
white rice
cornmeal/baby oatmeal
scoops, funnels, strainer
Watch Video
I started out with the plastic set up before my preschooler grew way to tall for it. Then a relative made the wooden one you see. They are also avaiable from Lakeshore Learning(no profit for me in this advertisement) or any teacher store.
Bins:
#1.The first bin has colored white rice. You can color rice by adding rubbing alcohol and food color in a plastic bag or large bowl. Stir it up and let it dry. It has a strong odor as you make it but that does not remain. You do not have to color the rice. This is not edible. I woud suggest bin #2 for small toddler who still puts everything in their mouths.
#2. The second bin has baby oatmeal and cornmeal. We started using cornmeal and oatmeal because our toddler would still put things in her mouth and I didn't want her eating uncooked rice. If she happened to put this in her mouth, icky but no real worries. It has a great texture to it except that it clings to hands and is a little messy.
#3. Shredded paper. I took bright colored paper and ran it through our paper shredder, crumpled it a little and put it in the bin. The I added fireman and knights (the size of army men) and mixed it all up. My sisters boy came over (5years old) and intently dug through until he found all the little men and lined them up on the outside. I was surprised this was still appealing to that age group.
#4. This is a mismatched bin of foam letters, foam colored cubes, and plastic unifix cubes. We buld and chat about colors and letters when we playin this one.
#5 & 6 This is an adapted game from Montessori. These are real glass bowls with rice, and beans and noodles. The kids use metal spoons of different sizes and scoop from a large bowl into the smaller bowls. It takes coordination to do and the sounds of metal on glass are interesting. They have to learn to be careful when dealing with breakable things.
I change the bins frequently. Myhusband was surprised after we got this because "They will play with ANYTHING you put in there!!" Yep, they will. I have other bins in the closet ready to come out and switch it up!
Tuesday June 2nd / Fine Motor and Money / Number Sense
Todddler and Preschooler
You need:
Piggy Bank
Coins
No piggy bank? Use a small box with a slit
Toddler:
You can not leave them unattended with small coins! Show your toddler how to hold the coin with a pincher grasp and put it into the piggy bank. It makes a wonderful sound! It is a great fine motor activity as well.
Have your own coins to drop in as well. Name the coins as you drop them.
Preschooler:
Show them how to drop them in. Help them examine each coin. Who is on it? How much is it? What is the name of this coin? They will love the noise too!
If / When they are tired of dropping the coins in, dazzle them by showing them how to SPIN them like tops!
Tip: Have a lot of coins ready, they will enjoy this longer than you think.
Wednesday June 3rd Poster Power/ Artsy Fartsy
You need:
Chart paper, Large paper
old magazines
crayons or markers
color sheet print outs?
glue
scissors
Toddler:
My friends daughter actually did this activity with (and for) the kids. She took all the old baby magazines we had in the house and cut out babies. They found tons and tons of babies! Then they glued the babies on a poster. We took it to Kinko's and laminated it. We hung it very low to the ground and they LOVE it! Other babies who come over are very attracted to this poster as well!
Preschooler:
Project #1
Is your preschool really "into" something? What is their favorite animal? My son talked about whales non-stop after seeing them on a Reading Rainbow video. We got tons of books and other whale things. Then we found that the local library gets rid of their old magazine once a year. We got all the National Geographic Kids, what a score! We found numerous whale pictures to cut out and we typed up some fun facts about whales, and glued this all on our own poster. My son shows his poster to all guests! There are aslo coloring sheets for your childs favorite Tv shows or movie characters. Label your pictures with words and fun facts!
Project #2
We read Brown Bear Brown Bear all the time. Then I found a website (I will add the link if I can find it again) with print outs for all the animals. It took us a few days to color all the animals the right color. and then we made another poster about our favorite book! Look up your childs favorite book and see if you can find coloring sheets for it.
Have friends over? Match up by twos and everybody roll!
Thursday June 4th / Snail Mail
Toddler or Preschooler:
You need:
Paper
Envelopes
Stamps
Write letters today!
Fold a piece of paper in half.
Decorate the front with any crafty materials you have.
Inside show your child how a letter is written.
Have them add pictures, letters, and/or words.
Ask the person in your letter to please write back and/ or call you when they receive the letter!
Language:
Ask you child what they want to say and write it as they tell you. Read it back to them.
Put the letter in the mail box together or go to the post office.
Try to explain to your preschooler how long it will take to get there.
Send out several letters and see how long it takes to get one back.
You might want to call whoever you are writing to and ask them to respond as soon as they get the letter!!
Care Giver Info / Six Pre-Reading Skills
What you do helps your child get ready to Read!
Narrative Skills
-Being able to describe things and events and tell stories
Print Motivation
-Being intrested in books
Vocabulary
-Knowing the names of things
Print Awareness
-Notice print, knowing how to handle a book and knowing how to follow the words on a page.
Letter Knowledge
-Knowing letters are different from each other, knowing their names and sounds and recognizing letters everywhere.
Phological Awareness
-Being able to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words
Friday June 5th Let's Play Ball / BOWLING
Toddler and Preschooler
You need:
Something that rolls
Things that can be knocked down!
If you are looking for a super simple game. This is it!
Grab empty bottles from your recycling bin.
Line them up.
Grab a ball.
Roll it and knock down the bottles.
Repeat!
Get plastic cups and make them into a small pyramid
Roll a ball and knock them over
Repeat!
My son likes to line up the small baby dolls
Roll a large beach ball and kock them over
Repeat only if baby sister is not around!
The possibilities are endless.
Send us a picture of your version of bowling
and I will post it here!
Saturday June 6th Nature Watch / Ants
Preschoolers
You need: a sugar packet and an anthill
Magnifying glass
Teach your child to observe nature. Teach them to slow down and WATCH.
Take a walk or look around the backyard or even the front sidewalk.
Find an anthill
Pour a little of your sugar packet around the opening
Find several anthills and pour sugar around a few of them
Go and play for a few minutes
Come back and sit quietly to watch as the ants come out, pick up the sugar, and carry it back into the anthill.
Explain that when ants find food they go and tell each other.
Soon there should be many ants coming in and out of the anthill.
Tell your child the ants are bringing it back into a tunnel for other ants and the ant babies.(eggs and larvae)
Watch the ants with your magnifying glass, don't start them on fire!!
Can you see that ants have six legs?
You can get books from the library and read about ants now that you have watched them work.
Saturday June 6th / Music
Toddler Action Song
Ring Around the Rosey
(join hands and walk / dance around in a circle)
Ring around the rosey
A pocket full of posies
ashes ashes
we all fall down (fall down)
You can sing the second verse when they are on the ground
the cows are in the meadow
huddled all together (hug your neighbor)
Thunder, Lightning (pound on floor, wave your arms)
We all stand up (stand up)
BONUS Activity!!
Another Free and FUN Field Trip Idea
Bring your toddler or older baby to the fabric store. Let them feel all the fabrics.
Rules
1. Wash your hands first.
2. No eating.
3. Bring hand wipes.
4. Feel ALL the fabrics, be ready for tactile overload!
Talk to your child the whole time about textures, colors, designs, and what it feels like.
We have taken this field trips NUMEROUS times.
Remember to READ 15 minutes a day to your child!
"Necessity may be the mother of invention, but play is certainly the father."-Roger von Oech
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