Sunday May 10th Young (Mad?) Scientist / Water Play
Today we will learn about Sink and Float
Toddler:
Give them a group of bath toys and drop (plop) them in the water one by one. Be very animated as you announce wither each items "sinks" or "floats".
Preschooler:
Ask your preschooler to help you fill a small basket with household objects that you don't mind getting wet. Ask them to guess if they will sink or float in water. Explain that floating means they stay at the top of the water and sinking means they will stay at the bottom of the tub (bucket, pool, container etc) After you have gathered objects bring them into the tub.
Experiment by dropping them one by one in the water. Ask them if it sinks or floats. Do they notice anything? Do you??
Advanced: After their bath, have your child draw a line down the middle of the paper and make a list or pictures under the headings :SINK FLOAT
Monday May 11th Let's Play Ball! / Balloons Style
Toddler:
Blow up one balloon. Try to keep in in the air for as long as possible. It is good practice just for your toddler to try and hit it while it is in the air! Play catch! Our toddler could do this for awhile and then she ended up just running around holding it, yelling, "balloon"!
Preschooler:
You can count how many times you hit it before it touches the ground. You can play catch. You can set up a string and play balloon volleyball over the string.
Tuesday May 12th Artsy Fartsy
You need: Dishsoap, white paper, large bowl, food color is optional.
Add bubbles to bowl and water. Make sure bubbles reach the top or higher of the container sides. Lay your paper on top of the bubbles and then lift up. You are left with a bubble print. Let this dry. You can draw a picture on top or leave your bubble print. Display.
If you use food coloring you will have different colors. You can also use more than one bowl and create multiple colors on one page.
Wednesday May 13th Music / What Made That Sound?
You need instruments and a way to "hide" them like a box or curtain.
Toddler and Preschooler:
Gather up musical instruments that you have for your child. If you do not own any instruments, anything that makes sound will do...but musical toys are "better". Show your child each one, name it, and show them what sound it makes. For toddlers you can use only two at a time. Then put it inside a box, behind your back, or behind a curtain. Make the sound and have them guess which instrument it is. Work your way up with a preschooler. Move to three - ten instruments and have them guess what made that sound.
Preschoolers: Turn the tables and see if they can copy what you did and now you guess the instrument!
Thursday May 14th All is FAIR in Love and War? / Number Sense
Today divide up EVERYTHING!
Having a snack? Eat some goldfish, teddy grahams, marshmallows, raisins, etc. Start with a BIG pile and divide them between everyone. One for you and one for me! Any left over? Put them back in the bag, add enough to make it equal, or work it out another way...
Now count how many each person has.
Playing with cars? Little people? Barbies? Divide them up! Same game and you can play it all day with everything!
Create your own little counting wizard!
Friday May 15th Nature Walks / Colors
It is getting nice outside so take your kids for a walk.
Tell them today we are going on a colors walk. They need to find all the colors.
For your toddler just point out colors that you see. It can be very casual. There are green leaves, a red house, blue sky etc. You can try to use the colors of the rainbow a few times through out your walk. Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple (Yes, I know it is indigo and violet...)
Preschooler: For your preschooler make it a hunt. Start with a color like red and see who can find something red. Then move on to the next color.
You can take your camera along and take pictures to make into a "color book". Just print or develop your pictures and put them into a 99cent photo album.
EXTEND: Did they love it? GREAT! Tomorrow do the same thing but use numbers or letters.
Saturday May 16th Terrific Toddlers / Stacking
Toddler:
Toddlers love to stack, unstack, stack, unstack. You may own the toy that has multiple cups that fit inside one another? Here is the same concept but with everyday items. This idea came from both my children (at various ages) doing this over and over again.
Give your toddler a stack of plastic cups. The kind you would use at a birthday party for drinks. They will spend a long time taking them apart (and hopefully putting them together). They may need help and direction on the putting it back together! If they like it change it up and hand them a stack of paper bowls, plastic bowls and cups, anything in your cupboard that fits inside each other and is not breakable.
Saturday May 16th / Preschool DRAMA
Imagination? Preschoolers are filled with it! The same cups that the toddlers like to stack your preschooler can use to pretend to cook dinner. Even if you have a miniature kitchen with all the accessories..they will be delighted with you handing them REAL kitchen plastic bowls, spoons, spatulas, pots etc to pretend to cook dinner while you are. Tell them to add water when you do it, or stir the food, take it off the stove etc. They will get a kick out of playing along. Let's Get Messy?Ok, I read this one. I haven't done it yet...Do you ever throw out leftovers? Try giving your preschooler all the leftovers to "cook" in your sink. They can mix them, stir them, smash them, and do all sorts of lovely creations! (Let me know how it goes for you!!)
BONUS Activity!!
CHORES
Yep chores! You and I may hate chores but your kids haven't had the time to build up that kind of feeling. It is all new to them. Sit down and think of all the chores your children can help out with. I tell my kids they are their jobs and they love it! These are just a start to the endless ways to have your child help out!
Toddler:
Pet:
Feeds the cat three scoops of food.
Eating:
Helps to set the table by bringing the plates, bowls, spoons, cups to the table (not normally in the right place but closer than the cupboard!)
Helps clean under the table after we eat with the dust buster.
Sidenote: The dust buster is one of the best inventions EVER!!
After we eat she brings plastic empty plates, bowls and puts them in the sink.
She can throw wrappers in trash, cans or bottles into the recycling.
She will forever try to put spoons into the right place in the dishwasher, I put in the forks and knives right before I close the dishwasher and lock it.
Diapers:
She can get a new diaper and bring it to me, then throw the other one away after I wrap
Preschooler:
He can do all the same chores as my toddler but we add some more...
He can open and close the refrigerator, so he is in charge of bringing condiments to the table.
He can scrap food into the garbage before he puts the plate or bowl into the sink.
He loves to fold the wash cloths while I fold laundry.
He likes to match up socks in the laundry as well.
The possibilities are endless...
Remember to READ 15 minutes a day to your child!
“If animals play, this is because play is useful in the struggle for survival; because play practices and so perfects the skills needed in adult life”
-Susanna Miller quotes
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