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Friday, February 26, 2010

Bake/Cook/Make Day Saturday!

Bake/Cook/Make Day Saturday!
Saturdays are set aside to spend some quality, 
fun time in the kitchen with your child.
Mystery Cookies:
  • Your own cookie recipe (ingredients for that recipe), mixing bowl, cookie sheet
  1. Tell your child that you received a cookie recipe in the mail, but without the name of the cookies listed so you don't know what kind of cookies the recipe will make.  All we know are the ingredients listed on the recipe.
  2. Let the children look at all the ingredients and tell them what each one is.
  3. Mix all the ingredients and then have your child smell the dough and see if they can guess what it is yet.
  4. Place the dough on the cookie sheet and bake.
  5. Have your child try one of the cooled cookies and see if they can get it right yet.
  6. How did they do?
Vanilla Popcorn:
  • 3 quarts popped popcorn
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter, cubed
  • 1/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  1. Place popcorn in a large bowl; set aside.  In a saucepan, combine the sugar, butter and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil and stir until mixture is golden, about 2 minutes.
  2. Remove from the heat; stir in baking soda and vanilla.  Pour over popcorn and toss to coat.  Cool slightly; break apart while warm.
  3. Makes 3 quarts.
  4. Recipe found in the Taste Of Home Cookbook: Cooks Who Care Edition
Books:
  • If you give a mouse a cookie by Laura Numeroff 
  • If you take a mouse to the movies by Laura Numeroff
  • Cookies Bite-Size Life Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
  • Cookie's Week by Cindy Ward
  • May I Please Have A Cookie? by Jennifer E. Morris
Movie: Watch a movie with your child and enjoy the popcorn you made together.

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Funny Fridays!!!!!

Funny Fridays!
Pants On The Ground!
This happened to me about 11 years ago! I was younger then and weighed around 110.  My husband, John, my best friend, Paula, and myself were heading into the city for a concert.  We checked into our hotel room and started getting ready for the concert.

I wanted to look good, so I put on my black leather pants and a cute top.  I spent about an hour getting ready to go.  We called for a taxi, when we were ready to go out on the town and headed downstairs.  On the way down to the taxi, I started feeling a cold breeze through my pants. I thought this isn't right and placed my hand on my leg where I felt the breeze.  I found out that I had a start of a hole in my pants.  I gasped and told my husband and friend that I seriously needed to change my pants, and they were like why?  I turned around and showed them the hole and they started laughing .  I ran back up to the room and the hole kept getting bigger and bigger.  

When I reached the room my pant leg fell on the floor.  I started taking the rest of my leather pants off and the whole thing fell apart.  It came apart at all the seams.  Whoever made these leather pants needed a sewing lesson.  I started laughing thinking what would have happened if I had gone to the concert with them on.  I had to settle for a nice pair of black jeans.  

I headed back downstairs and my husband and friend were still laughing. I told them what had happened on the way back to the room and they started laughing uncontrollably.  You know,  I have never worn another pair of leather pants again.  Every-time the song, "Pants On The Ground" comes on the radio, I think how embarrassing it would have been to be at that concert, dancing and my Pants actually falling on the ground.  All I could have done was say,"Thank you, Thank you!" 

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Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Lost in Pizzaland Giveaways!!!

Lost in Pizzaland Giveaways!



My daughter loves when we read books to her.  Books are a great way to spend quality time with your child and to help their love of books grow.  I wanted to give one lucky readers a chance to win the following:
6 books:
The Fat Cat Sat On The Mat by Nurit Kardin
The Show And Tell Surprise (clifford) by Scholastic 
The Jacket I Wear In The Snow by Shirley Netizel
How Do Dinosaurs Learn To Read?  by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague
Hedgie Loves To Read by Jan Brett
Silly Sara by Anna Jane Hays
4 Crafts:
2 Foam Book Marks
1 Foam Book (for kids to write their own story in)
1 Candy Bracelet (your child gets to put together themselves)

1 Coupon:
$1.00 off coupon for Kellogg's Fruit Snacks.  

If you are interested in this drawing, here's how to enter:


NOTE: Beneath this posting is the word "Comments." This is where you'll put your entries.
  1. Leave a comment telling me what your child's favorite book is and/or yours while growing up and why.  Be sure to leave your first name and email/blog address.
  2. For a second entry, write a posting on your blog about the giveaway and link back to the giveaway. If you don't have a blog, you can "tweet" about the giveaway on twitter. Make sure that you leave another comment letting me know that you did this. (Be sure to leave your first name and email/blog address again.)
  3. For a third entry, Follow me on twitter and leave a comment letting me know you did this.  And if you are already following, thank you and make sure to leave another comment letting me know this.
  4. For a fourth entry, become a follower of my page. Make sure that you leave another comment letting me know that you are now a follower of my site.  (Be sure to leave your name and email/blog address again.)
  5. For a fifth entry, join my Facebook and make sure to leave a comment letting me know that you have joined.  If you have already joined my Facebook, again I thank you.
  6. There will be a total of 5 entries per person.
Entry is open to US residents only through 11:59pm CST on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010. I will draw the winner's name on March 4, 2010.  The Winner will be chosen using random.org and contacted by email. If you're the winner, you'll have 48 hours to respond or an alternate will be chosen.

Good luck to all of you who enter!




Remember at all Target stores this Saturday, February, 27 from 9-11 is Reading Across America with Dr. Seuss Book, "Oh! The Places You'll Go!"  There will be a guest reader, free activities and games, plus prizes.  For more information, check out my "Look What I Found!" section. 



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Transportation Week: Friday!

Transportation Week
Friday!
Crafts:
  • Airplane: 2 medium craft sticks, 4 small craft sticks, cool-temperature glue gun, markers
  1. Glue 1 medium stick perpendicularly to the other medium stick to create the wings and body.
  2. Glue 2 small sticks in an X shape to create the propeller.
  3. Glue 1 small stick across the end.
  4. Cut 1 small stick in half and glue the cut end to tail.
  5. Color with markers as desired.
  6. Set planes on dresser, hang together in a mobile, or write the name of someone on the body and give to them as a gift.
  • Bus: 2 veletta cheese type boxes, glue, paint, cardboard, white paper, marker, construction paper, magazine (pictures of people's heads)
  1. Glue 2 boxes together on top of each other.  Let dry.
  2. Glue construction paper around entire box.  Let dry.
  3. Cut 4 wheels out of cardboard. Paint black with small white circles in the middle.  Glue wheels onto bus, when paint dries.
  4. Cut white paper windows to put onto bus, or paint the windows on.
  5. Glue people's heads into windows. Don't forget to put a driver in place.
  6. Paint on lights.
  • One Giant Floor Drawing: Roll of butcher paper, invisible tape, crayons or washable markers, shoebox, toy cars
  1. Cover the entire kitchen floor (or one large area of the floor) with long strips  of butcher paper.  Use invisible tape to adhere the paper to the floor and tape the seams together so you have one giant, sheet of drawing paper.
  2. Give your child a pack of crayons or markers and let them have the pleasure of making a huge drawing of their own town with roads, houses, buildings, stores.
  3. Cut a hole in the side of a shoebox for a garage or building for the cars to go in.  Make sure to have a road going to it.  
Activities:
  • Transportation: Chairs(4), card stock(train tickets), decorating items, luggage

  1. Have the children decorate their train ticket anyway they want using crayons, markers, stickers, glitter, glue, sequins, etc.
  2. Arrange the chairs in a curvy line.
  3. Ask the children to sit in a chair and tell them that the train is about to leave.  Blow a whistle calling, "All aboard!" Train is leaving!  All Aboard!
  4. The children can hand you their train ticket, bring luggage onboard
  5. Chant the following song:
I'm a train, I'm a train.
I'm a choo-choo train.
I ride in the sun.
I ride in the rain.
My wheels go slow.
It depends, it depends
On where I go.
Chugga chugga, chugga (continue going faster and faster)
Choo! Choo!
  • Tell the children that the train is going to deliver food to grocery stores and the train will travel up mountains and down mountains.  Emphasize that there are lots of curvy and bouncy tracks for the train to ride over.  Repeat the song being animated. As the train goes uphill, lean back and chug slowly.  As the train goes downhill, lean forward and chug fast.  On the curvy track, lean left or right, exaggerating the chug-g-g.  On the bouncy track, bounce up and down in the chair and make the chug-g-g-g bounce too.
  • At the end of the train ride tell the children that the train has arrived at a ice-cream shop and they should get off the train and have a snack.  
  • You could read the book: The Caboose Who Got Loose by Bill Peet, while they eat or afterwards.
  • How Did You Get There?

  1. Its like a game of charades.
  2. Have your children act out ways of getting to places and see if you can guess how.
  3. Things like planes, trains, cars, semi-truck, tractor, running, walking, biking, skateboarding, roller skating, boat, hot-air ballon, school-bus, motorcycle, taxi, horse, camel, elephant
Snacks:
  • Ice cream with toppings, sprinkles, nuts, whipped cream
Education:
Letters/Words:
  • Word of the day: Review Words of the Week: It, He, Was

  1. Review all the words learned so far.
  2. Remember to point the words out in books.  
  3. How is your child doing?
  4. Ask your child if there are any words they would love to learn.  They learn these words faster than other words because it interests them.
Numbers:
  • What number is missing?: Index cards, marker

  1. Write numbers 1-10 (if your child knows up to 20 try that), on index cards.  One number on each index cards
  2. Tell your child there are numbers 1-10 on the cards and they have to find out which number is missing.  
  3. Then take out a number card and give them the deck of cards.  
  4. Does your child pick out the number right away?
  5. Try doing a couple times and then take out two cards and see how they do.
  • Counting Hunt: Notebook, pencil

  1. You and your child walk around the house and start counting things around the house. Things like: windows, chairs, pictures, lamps, toothbrushes, candles, shoes, tvs, pillow, etc.
  2. Write each thing down in the notebook. You can have your child do this if they want with little marks for each item.  If you have 3 pictures in one room, make 3 lines down, and 2 pictures in another room write 2 lines down.
  3. At the end of you're counting hunt, sit down with your child and add up the lines.  Write the numbers down by each items.  So if there are 20 lines under windows, write down 20 windows.
  4. Ask your child which item has the most items, least items.  
  5. If you want you can even graph the items, so your child can see it that way too.
Music:
  • Wheels On The Bus: Song and Activity Sheet at kididdles
  • Transportation Song: Tune of "Mary Wore Her Red Dress."
Johnny(child's name) took a blue bike, (mode of transportation)
Blue bike, blue bike
Johnny took a blue bike
To get to school(place) today.

Cindy used her purple shoes
Purple shoes, purple shoes
Cindy used her purple shoes
To get to school today.

Who took a red truck,
Red truck, red truck
Who took a red truck 
To get to school today?
Rhyme:
  • THE BIG SHIP SAILS ON THE ALLY-ALLY-OH: Lyrics, Origins and History on Rhymes
  • Horsey, Horsey: Lyrics, Origins, and History on Rhymes
Books:
  • The Wheels on the Bus by Maryann Kovalski
  • School Bus by Donald Crews
  • Big Book Of Things That Go by DK Publishing
  • Late For School! by Stephanie Calmenson
  • The Caboose Who Got Loose by Bill Peet

Movie:
  • Disney Cars

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Transportation Week: Thursday!



Transportation Week
Thursday!
transportation.jpg

Crafts:
  • Big Box Car: Large corrugated cardboard box, cardboard, paints, construction paper
  1. Cut the bottom from the box.  On the top, glue the two long flaps inside the box. To make the spoiler, fold back one of the short flaps and glue it in place.
  2. To make the hood, tape or glue the other short flap to the sides of the car.  Cut wheels and other details from cardboard, and glue them on.  Paint the car, then add cut-paper details.
  • Whirlybird: Plastic-foam egg carton, ruler, drinking straw, metal paper fasteners, toothpicks, markers
  1. Cut two cups from the egg carton.  Glue them together to form the cockpit.  Let dry, then carefully cut a small hole (slightly smaller than the width of a drinking straw) in the middle of both the cockpit's roof and floor.
  2. From the carton's lid, cut the raised peak and then cut a small V-shaped notch in the top of it.  Make the notch large enough for a drinking straw.  Glue it to the top of the cockpit, lining up the two straw holes.
  3. Cut two 9 1/2-inch strips from the egg carton lid propellers.  Glue these in an X shape.  Cut a 3-inch piece of straw.  Near one end of the straw, cut two small slits across from one another.  Insert a metal paper fasteners through the hole in the propellers and into the piece of straw, putting the legs of the metal fastener through the slits you made in the straw and bending them up to secure.  Then insert the straw through the holes in the cockpit to put the propellers in place.
  4. Cut a 7-inch tailpiece from the side of the egg carton.  Cut a slit in the back of the cockpit and insert the tailpiece.  For tail propellers, cut two short strips from the lid, glue them in an X shape, and attach with a metal paper fastener.
  5. To make landing gear, cut two strips from the side of the carton.  Cut a toothpick in half, and poke one half into each strip, using a bit of glue. Place a 3/4 inch piece of straw on each toothpick.  Using a little glue, stick the ends of the toothpicks into the bottom of the cockpit.
  6. Decorate with markers.  You made need to glue a small piece a small piece of clay in the nose of the helicopter to make it balance.
  • Paper Airplane: Copy paper
  1. Fold the paper in half lengthwise, make a crease, and unfold it.
  2. Holding the paper vertically, fold each top corner in to the center crease, creating two equal-sized triangle flaps.
  3. Fold the right diagonal edge of the plane in to line up with the center crease.  Then fold the left diagonal edge in to line up with the same center crease.
  4. Flip the plane over the fold the new right diagonal edge in to line up with the center crease.  Then fold the new left diagonal edge in to line up with the center crease.  This creates a sturdy nose for your plane.
  5. Flip the plane over, and fold the left edge of the plane over to meet the right (using the original crease from step 1).  
  6. There should be three layers of folds on the left side.  Pinch the middle fold between your thumb and index finger to create the fuselage of the plane.  The other two folds become the wings.
Activities:
  • Magnet Track: Flexible paper plate, crayons, thin cardboard, glue, small magnets, ice-cream stick
  1. Draw an automobile racetrack on the plate.  Make it winding, maze-like road course.  Create a scene by drawing in hills, lakes, boulders and other obstacles.  Cut out a car from thin cardboard.  Decorate it and then glue it to the magnet.
  2. Glue another small magnet to the ice-cream stick. (Be sure to place the two magnets so that they attract, rather than repel, each other.) Hold the stick under the plate and guide your car around the track.  Hold "time trials" to improve your speed.
  • Taxi Driver: Giant cardboard box(taxicab), markers (to draw steering wheel and tires), map, toy phone, walkie-talkie, electronic kitchen timer (taxi meter), poster board, paper, markers to make taxicab signs, cash box with play money and coins, suitcases, briefcase, backpack, shopping bags
  1. Have your child decorate their car(box). Draw on doors.  If you want you can cut doors to open and close. Add lights on the front and back.
  2.  Draw on a steering wheel and tires.  You can also use a paper plate and a metal fastener and attach to box for steering wheel.   And cut out wheels out of construction paper and glue them on the sides.
  3. The passengers could be other children or stuffed animals and/or dolls.
  4. Let your child's imagination run wild.
  • Cars, Boats and Planes: 3 large pieces of cardboard or poster board, construction paper(light blue, white, brown, turquoise), pictures of transportation vehicles, glue, clear self-adhesive paper(optional)
  1. In advance, prepare boards representing air, land, and water settings for children to use in sorting transportation vehicles by air, land, and water.  To make the air setting cover a piece of cardboard with light blue paper and cut clouds out of white paper and glue on the board.  To make the land setting cover a piece of cardboard with brown paper.  To make the water setting cover a piece of cardboard with turquoise paper.
  2. Cut pictures of air, land and water transportation vehicles and mount on poster board.  For durability laminate or cover with clear self-adhsive paper.
  3. Tell the children to choose a picture and place it on the board where it belongs--air, land, or water.
  4. The vehicles can be attached with loops of masking tape on the appropriate board for a permanent display or the vehicles can be placed on the board (not attached) for a sorting game. 
  • Building Fun: Legos, vehicles
  1. Have your child build buildings, stores, ramps and such with legos.
  2. Then, they can pretend to drive their cars through a nice town.
  • Train-tracks: Snow
  1. Shuffle your feet through the snow making train tracks.  This is fun when there is a couple people making tracks or forming a train.  Make sure to make train sounds as you do this.  
Snacks: 

  • Trains:

Soda or Club Crackers
Peanut Butter Cheerios
Various snacks (cheese, pretzel sticks. carrots, goldfish crackers. marshmallows, etc.
Use the cracker to make the train cars, the cheerios for the wheels, and the other items for the cargo for the train. For example: They could have one cracker and have a flat car and stack it full of pretzel sticks for logs. Anything works we even had flying trains.

Found on www.perpetualpreschool.com

Education:
Letters/Words:
  • Word Of The Day: Index card, pen
  1. Was
  2. Have your child make sentences up using their new word.  Can they combine them with their other words they have learned.
  3. Use the flash cards and see how many words they remember.
  4. Test your child throughout the day during bath-time, in the car, etc.
Numbers:
  • Number Train: 5 rectangles (5" x 9") in a variety of colors, 10 black circles, 10 strings, contact paper, hole puncher
  1. Write the numerals 1 to 5 on the rectangles.  Glue two black circles on the bottom on each rectangle for the wheels of the train car.  You can laminate the train cars before attaching the strings.
  2. Each child wears the rectangle as a necklace.
  3. Now have the child line up in the right order.  Now have them say, "We are the number train.  Watch us say our number name." Have each child say their number in the right order.  Each one sounds off their number.  Then, they all can say, "We are the number train. We all know our number name."   
  • Counting With Your Ears: 10 pennies, glass jar or aluminum can
  1. Show your child the pennies and count the pennies by lining them up and counting them.
  2. Tell your child they will learn to count them with their ears.
  3. Ask the children to be very quiet as your drop the pennies one at a time into the jar or can.  Ask your child to count the "plink!" sound as each penny drops and tell your child that is how they can count with their ears.
Music: 
Rhymes:
Books:
  • Boats by Anne Rockwell
  • Boats by Gallimard Jenunesse
  • Cars by Anne Rockwell
  • I Want To Be A Pilot by Teddy Slater
  • Wheels: A Pictorial History by Edwin Tunis
  • Train Song by Diane Siebert

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Wacky Wednesday: Spring Fever!

Wacky Wednesday
Spring Fever!
Crafts:
  • Magical Beans Mosaic: Pencil, canvas boards, small paintbrush, glue, dried beans, ruler
  1. Start by drawing a pattern in pencil on the board.  
  2. "Paint" a thin layer of glue in one area of your pattern, and sprinkle the area with colorful beans.  To keep the look graphic, use a single color in each area.
  3. Use the ruler to tidy up the edges of the beans before moving on the next area.
  4. Repeats Steps 1 through 3 until the board is covered.  Let dry for 1 hour.
  • Crafty pots: Terra-cotta flowerpots, acrylic craft paints (colorful), glue or hot glue, small mosaic tiles, glass stones, beads, sticker, glitter
  1. Paint the pots with the paint and let them dry.
  2. Glue the tiles, stones, beads in a pattern or any design your child chooses for their pots.  Let dry.
  • Tidy Garden Starter: Toothpicks, a dozen eggs, potting soil, flower or vegetable seeds, plastic-foam egg carton, paper, markers
  1. With a toothpick, poke a hole in the end of each egg.  Carefully enlarge the hole and remove the eggs and rinse the shells.  Poke a small drainage hole in bottom of each shell.  Fill each with potting soil.  Plant a seed in each shell.
  2. Cut a bottom half from the egg carton, and place the planted shells into the cups.  Use flags made from toothpicks and paper to label each shell.  Decorate the carton with markers.
  3. When the seeds have sprouted and the weather is warm enough, the entire shell with sprout can be planted outdoors.
  • Plant Projects:  Clean empty milk carton, craft sticks, construction paper or felt, potted plant such as an ivy
To Make A Plant Caddy:
  1. Cut away the top half of a clean milk carton so it's a little shorter than the length of a craft stick.  
  2. Glue craft sticks side by side around the carton.
  3. Decorate with construction paper or felt.  
  4. Place a small plant in the caddy.
To Make The Craft-Stick Trellis:
  1. Glue two craft sticks together, end to end, to form a long stick.  
  2. Center and glue another craft stick across the top of the long stick about 1 inch from the tip.
  3. Center and glue another craft stick across the long stick about 1 1/2 inches down from the first.
  4. Repeat with a third craft stick.  
  5. Glue one craft stick on the left side and one on the right, forming a V shape.  Let dry.
  6. Stick the trellis into the dirt behind a small ivy plant.
  • Custom Containers: Magazines and catalogs, plastic or cardboard containers, ribbon and other trims, glue
  1. Cut out your favorite words or pictures.  
  2. Glue the pictures over the container.
  3. Cover the pictures with a coating of glue to hold down the edges and protect the pictures.
  4. Decorate the top and bottom of the container with ribbon or other trims.
  5. Add soil and some seeds or a plant or fake flower arrangements.
  • Works Of Art: Comic section of newspaper, construction paper, glue, yarn, markers
  1. Cut circles, triangles, and other shapes from the comics section of the newspaper.
  2. Arrange the shapes on construction paper to make a picture like flowers and a sun. 
  3. Glue the shapes to the paper.
  4. Use yarn and markers to add details.
Activities:
  • Pineapple Plant: Whole fresh pineapple, decorated pot with sandy soil
  1. Cut the top off of a fresh pineapple, two inches from the top.  Let this piece dry out for about a week.  
  2. Then put it into a pot filled with damp, sandy soil.  Make sure the soil stays moist.  
  3. Several weeks later, notice how the pineapple piece has sprouted roots!  Then transplant it into a larger pot, give it plenty of light, and keep it watered.  It makes a great indoor plant!
  • Vegetable or Fruit Painting: Any kind of vegetable or fruit, paint, paper
  1. Cut a vegetable/fruit in half or whatever way you wish.  You can cut little designs into them too.  
  2. Have your child dip them into the paint and stamp them onto the paper.
  3. Look at all the cool shapes they make.
  • Vegetable Soup Game: Soup pot, wooden spoon, chef's hat


  1. Print out Let's Read At Home Printable
  2. Read Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert.
  3. Grow Seeds at Home.
  4. Make Vegetable Soup.
  5. Play Game: Children stand in a circle and choose a vegetable they want to be.  
  6. Place a large, empty soup pot and a wooden spoon in the middle of the circle for props.
  7. One child is the cook and pretends to stir the soup.  They can say,"I need more (name of vegetable)."  Children who have chosen to be that vegetable go to the center of the circle,  touch the soup pot and then go back to their place in the circle.
  8. The child stirring the soup tries to run to one of the places left by the children.  
  9. The child left standing without a place in the circle then becomes the cook and the game continues.
  • The Seeds and Flower Dance: 


  1. Ask the children to pretend to be seeds so they can do "The Seeds and Flowers Dance." 
  2. First, ask the children to make their bodies small and round like tiny seeds.  Tap each child on the back and explain that you are planting them in the soil and pressing soil on top of them.
  3. Tell the children that you have the watering can and that you will pretend to water them (walk to each child and tickle the child's back lightly with your fingers as if you are watering them.)
  4. Explain that the seeds need to be in the light for a long time before they will sprout (count to ten very slowly).  Tell the children that after pretending to wait ten days the seeds are beginning to sprout and that when you count to three they should poke one finger out of the soil up toward the sky (1 2 3).
  5. Continue counting and tell the children that when you reach 10 the tiny sprouts will have grown into tall plants(children slowly stand up). 
  6. Walk around the room pretending to water the plants and tell them that as you count to 10 the flowers will begin to bloom (children raise their arms above their heads)
  7. Tell the children to look around the room and see all the beautiful flowers.  There are marigolds, zinnias, pansies, roses, and snapdragons.  What a beautiful garden you've made.
  8. Continue the role play by telling the children that there is a gentle wind (children move their arms slowly, swaying in the wind).  Explain the wind is blowing harder (make the whoosh-whoosh sound of the wind with your voice).
  9. Tell the children to keep their roots(feet) planted in the soil and move their body from side to side. Explain that sometimes the wind carries seeds from the flowers to different parts of the garden and they will pretend that the wind will gently scatter these seeds to different spots in the garden (count to 3 and tell the children to gently blow(move) to another place and land gently on the ground!
  10. Tell the children that they just danced "The Seeds and Flowers Dance."
  • Rainbow Garden: Variety of seed packets, 3" x 5" index cards, construction paper (variety of colors), tape, glue, scissors, Book: Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert


  1. Read the book.
  2. Compare the different type of bulbs, seeds, and flowers, especially note the shapes and colors of the flowers.
  3. Show your child the index cards (with seed packet and sample seeds taped to each card) so that your child can compare the seeds and the pictures of the flowers and seeds will become when planted.
  4. Plant the seeds.
  5. Then trace your child's hands on construction paper.  Add a stem and leaves to the hand tracing so it will look like a flower.   Glue the flower onto another piece of paper.
  6. You can learn play a matching game with two identical sets of empty seed packets taped to index cards.
  • Seed Art: Seeds(pumpkins, sunflower, variety), glue, construction paper, pencil


  1. Design a simple picture with a pencil.
  2. Glue a variety of seeds onto the drawing.
  3. Can use construction paper to add details to the picture.
  • Spongy Garden: Sponge, birdseed or grass seed, clean spray bottle, water, empty container.
  1. Place sponge in container
  2. Sprinkle the upper surface of the sponge with seeds.  
  3. Water it and watch it grow.
  • Ups and Downs of Plants: 6 beans,(the kind sold for growing, not for eating), soil (potting compost is best), a pot or bowl, a plastic bottle, black paper, a rubber band, scissors
  1. Fill the bowl or pot with earth or compost.  Press it down with your fingers.  Fill the bowl with water and wait until it has sunk into the earth.
  2. Press the beans or peas into the earth.  Put the bowl in a warm, light place and wait for the seeds to sprout.  They will take about a week to split and grow.
  3. When the seeds have sprouted, cut the top and bottom off a small plastic bottle. It should be big enough to slip a bean or pea in easily with room to spare.
  4. Push one bean or pea into the bottle.  Push damp earth in at each end. Pack it well round the seed. Drip on a little water at each end.
  5. Wrap a bit of black paper round the bottle, leaving the ends open.  Keep it in place with a rubber band. Put the bottle in a warm, light place.  Look at it every day.
  6. When two shoots come out of the bottle, one grows up and has tiny green leaves.  The other, the white root, grows down.  Turn bottle over for a day and a night.  The shoots will grow the other way.  
  7. Whichever way you plant seeds, the stems will always grow up to the light.  The roots always grow down into the earth for water and food.
  • Waterways of Plants: A stick of fresh celery, a table knife, food coloring, glass or jar, water
  1. Slice a bit off the end of the stick of celery.  Put the stick in a jar or glass with a little water.  Add food coloring to the jar or glass.  Stand the jar in a warm, light place for a day.
  2. Wash the end of the celery stick in clean water.  Slice the stem about every 3 cm.  Look at each cut.  You can see dots where the stem has taken up the colored water.
Snacks/Foods:
  • Any Fruits or Vegetables or Seeds(Pumpkin, Sunflower), Nuts, Vegetable Soup, Spring Ritz Crackers and Spring Oreo Cookies, Blueberry Muffins or Pancakes, Fruit or Vegetable Juice, Carrot Cake
Books:
  • The Boy Who Didn't Believe in Spring by Lucille Clifton
  • Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
  • The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
  • Eat the Fruit, Plant the Seed by Millicent Selsam
  • Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert

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Tuesday Tips!

Tuesday Tips!
Tips you love to share with your friends over a hot cup of coffee
COFFEEE.jpg
What Is A Serving?
Fruits: 
  • 1 medium banana, apple, or oranges
  • 1/2 cup cut-up fresh, frozen, or canned fruit or berries
  • 1/4 cup dried fruit
  • 3/4 cup fruit juice
Vegetables: 
  • 1/2 cup cut-up raw or cooked vegetables
  • 1 cup raw leafy vegetables
  • 3/4 cup vegetable juice
Grains: 
  • (1-ounce equivalents)
  • 1 slice bread
  • 1 cup dry cereal
  • 1/2 cup cooked rice, pasta, or cereal
Meat, poultry, and fish: 
  • 3 ounces
Beans and nuts:
  • 3/4 cup cooked beans
  • 3 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 1 1/2 ounces nuts or seeds
Dairy products:
  • 1 cup milk or yogurt
  • 1 1/2 ounces low-fat or fat-free natural cheese
  • 2 ounces low-fat or fat-free processed cheese

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Transportation Week: Tuesday!

Transportation Week
Tuesday
transportation.jpg
Crafts:
  • Hot Air Egg Balloon: 1 Plastic Egg, 1 plastic bottle cap that measures 1/2 wide and 1/2 inch deep (caps of choice are found on hair care products, dentures cremes, and toothpaste), 4 pipe cleaners, 1 skien of metallic bead cord, a dishwashing liquid push-pull top, glue, low melt glue gun
  1. Place a 1/2 inch line of glue around the circumference of the egg.
  2. Pick up metallic bead cord and begin rotating it around the egg creating rows to cover the seam surface. Snip with a scissors in place with glue.
  3. Apply a second line of glue vertically across the egg covering the cord already in place.  Wrap metallic cord around the circumference of the shell covering the cord already in place.
  4. Cut 4 pipe cleaners in half.  Embellish your stems by wrapping cord or ribbon around each one.  Secure in place with glue at the end.
  5. Place 4 dabs of glue on top of the vertical cord spacing each at 2 cm intervals.  Press a pipe cleaner into each dab and hold in place until set.  Repeat the same procedure on the opposite side of the egg with the remaining stems.
  6. Gather the first 4 stems into a point and glue to the middle of the bottle cap.
  7. Repeat this procedure on the opposite side.
  8. Use the glue gun to glue the top portion of a dishwashing liquid top to the tip of the balloon on top of the cord.
  • Truck: Rectangular box, smaller box, cardboard, paint, straw, foam paper, construction paper, glue
  1. Glue together a rectangular box and a smaller box.  Smaller box is the cab of the truck.
  2. Cut 8 wheels from cardboard.  Paint them, and glue them on the truck. 6 in the back and two up front.
  3. Paint a straw, and glue it between the boxes.
  4. Cut details from foam paper and construction paper, and glue them on.
  • Airplane: Paper towel tube, paint, construction paper, white paper, marker, foam paper, glue
  1. Make a basic body. You can over tube with paint or paper.  Draw little windows on white paper and cut them out and glue them onto the tube.
  2. Make a short cone for the nose of the place and decorate before attaching.
  3. Cut wings and triangular tail sections from foam paper.  Attach with lots of glue. 
Activities:
  • Cars: Toy car, Fill it up book by Gail Gibbons, Magazines, state road map, scissors, glue
  1. Read fill it up book and discuss the story.
  2. Show your child a road map and talk about how to use a map when they are traveling in a car.
  3. Provide magazines for your child to cut out small pictures of cars.
  4. Display the map on a table and ask your child to locate the places on the map where they want to glue their cars.  Ask them why they would want to go there and maybe do some research on that place with your child.
  • Story-Time Stomp:  Children's book with a familiar word repeated throughout.
  1. Give the children a quick but inviting introduction about this activity.  For example, "I'm going to read a story that might have the word____ in it.  I'm not sure where this word is or exactly how many times I might read it, but it's a special word in this story. Now, here's a special assignment for you:  Every-time I say the word(______) you need to jump up and stomp your feet. Then, sit back down so I can continue reading the story!"  (You may ask the children one quick time before you start reading, "So what's the magic word that will make you jump and stomp your  feet?" Begin reading the story and pause appropriately each time the magic word is said to allow time for the children. 
  •  Some Suggested Books:
  1. Down by the Station by Will Hillenbrand
  2. I went walking by Sue Williams
Snack/Food:
  • Peanuts, Vehicle Gummies, Macaroni Wheels
  • Marshmallow Trains: Use Pretzel sticks to hook the "cars" together and use peanut butter to attach Cherrios to the marshmallows.
Education:
Letter/Words:
  • Word of the Day: Index card, Pen
  1. He
  2. Have your child make sentences with the word He.  Write a funny story using this word and the other words they know.
  3. Use their flash cards and practice the words.
  4. Have them write out the words.
  • Which One?  Magazines or Store Ads
  1. Sit down with your child and look at a store ad.  Ask your child to find things that start with the letter A and so on.  Apple, Bread, Carrots, etc.
  2. How many can your child get.
  • Opposites: Magazines, Scissors, glue, paper
  1. Ahead of time find things that are opposites in a magazine, ads or draw them.  Cut them out and glue them on opposite sides of a piece of paper.  For example:  Left hand-Right hand, Short-Tall, Small-Large, Black-White, Day-Night, Awake-Asleep, Up-Down, Under-Over, etc.
  2. Then have your child match the two opposites.
  3. You can cover the paper with contact paper and have your child use dry erase markers, so that you can use them over an over again.
Numbers:
  • Number Puzzle: Index cards, marker
  1. Write the numbers 1-10 on the index cards.  One number on each index cards.
  2. Ten cut the cards in half in different shapes.  Make sure part of the number is on each half.
  3. Then have your child try to put the number cards together.
  • Grocery Ad Numeral Game: Grocery ad, crayon
  1. Place a grocery ad on the floor and sit by it with your child.
  2. Give your child a crayon and ask them to find the number 1 and have them circle all the ones.
  3. Repeat this with numbers 2-9.  
  4. Ask your child how much something is and work with them.  For example: if something costs .79 cents have them say the seven and nine and then ask them to put it together.
Music:
  • The Airplane Song:  Tune "The Wheels of the Bus."
The pilot on the airplane says fasten your belts(fasten seat belts)
Fasten your belts, fasten your belts.
The pilot on the airplane says fasten your belts
When flying through the sky.

Additional verses:
The children on the airplane go bumpity bump...(move up an down)
The babies on the airplane go waa, waa, waa...(rub eyes and pretend to cry)
The signs on the airplane go ding, ding, ding.... (point to signs)
The drinks on the airplane go splish, splish, splish.....(pretend to hold a glass and move it.)
The luggage on the plane goes up and down.....(pretend to be luggage going up and down.)

At the end of the song, say, "We have reached our destination.  You may now unbuckle your seat-belts!"
Maybe you and your child can write additional lines.

Nursery Rhymes: 
Books:
  • Richard Scarry's Cars by Richard Scarry
  • Truck by Donald Crews
  • Wheel Away! by Dayle A. Dodds
  • How many Trucks Can a Tow Truck Tow? by Charlotte Pomerantz
  • Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh
  • One Cow Moo Moo by David Bennett
  • One, Two, Three by Tana Hoban
  • Hot Air Henry by Mary Calhoun

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Monday, February 22, 2010

Look What I Found!

Look What I Found!
  • Hidden Valley Dips
  1. Garden Green Onion
  2. Harvest Dill
These two dips were found in with the salad dressing packets.  You just add one package per 16 oz. of sour cream tubs.  I tried both of these and they tasted great!  I will be using these at my daughter's birthday party and any other party or get together.

  • Jane's Mixed Up Salt
I have tried this salt for years and I love it.  I thought I would share it with the rest of you. There is also a mixed up pepper one too.
  • Quaker True Delights Multigran Fiber Crisps Wild Blueberry
I just had to try these. When I did I will be sure to buy these again.  They have a great flavor. 17 g whole grain, fiber, 13 pieces for only 110 calories, 1.5 grams of fat.  There is even blueberry oatmeal too. 
$1 off coupon for the oatmeal.
  • Nestle Coffee-Mate Honey-Vanilla Creme
I absolutely love this flavor. I used this in my hot tea and it tasted very well.  So, it's not just for coffee anymore.

Sign up for their newsletter and receive coupons for 75 cents off.  There is also a special limited edition Susan G. Komen for the Cure ceramic coffee mug for $12.95.
  • Easy Mac Animal Shapes 6 Snack Packets
They are cute little zoo animal shapes like giraffes, elephants, kangaroos, monkeys  
  • BigElow Green Tea With Pomegrante
Green tea is so great for you and now with a great flavor of pomegranate 
  • Icy Hot Medicated No Mess Applicator (roll-on)
This is for those who hate the smell of icy hot on their hands.  And it's easier to apply.
They also have a new Icy Hot Medicated Spray and Icy Hot Power Gel
They added 6 different spices all in their own section.  The one I saw was Rosemary Roasted Chicken with Potatoes.  They give you the recipe and tell you what to add and when.  Spices for your whole meal.  There are five other ones too like:  Quesadilla Casserole; Garlic Lime Fajitas; Spanish Chicken Skillet; Shrimp and Pasta Primavera; Apple and Sage Pork Chops.  You will have to search under their website under mccormick inspirations search. There are also other great recipes on their site.

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Sunday, February 21, 2010

Transportation: Monday!

Transportation:
Monday
transportation.jpg

Crafts:
  • Boxcar Train Set: Ruler, boxes of all sizes, cardboard, paints, construction paper, plastic drinking straws, old magazines, small paper cup, pom poms, pipe cleaners
  • Tunnel: If using a tissue box, glue cardboard over the hole in the top before you paint it.  Cut out arch-shaped holes on opposite sides of the box.  Cut trees from paper.  Glue them to the sides of the tunnel.
  • Buildings: Paint window, doors, and other details on the boxes.  Design a roof, cut it from cardboard, and glue it on.  A corner cut from a larger box can be used as a roof.
  • Bridge: Cut the top three inches from a cereal box.  Cut two strips of cardboard as wide as the top of the box.  Tape them at each end of the top of the box.  Cut an arch in the front and back of the bridge.  Paint on details like train tracks.
  • Water Tower: Remove the lid from an oatmeal container, and turn it upside down.  To make the support poles, cut four rectangles from the open end of the container, leaving about an inch between them.  To make the roof, cut a half-circle from paper, bend it into a cone shape, and glue it to the top.  Glue on a drainage pipe cut from a straw.
  • Train: Add windows with passengers by cutting out faces from magazines or drawing your own. Glue them on. Cut wheels from cardboard, and paint them.  Glue two straw pieces to the bottom of each car, then glue the wheels onto the straw ends.  Add details, such as a paper-cup smokestack and a cardboard-and-pompom headlight on the locomotive.  Connect the cars with pipe cleaners taped or glued in place.
  • Helicopter: TP Tubes, pipe cleaners, glue, foam paper, metal fasteners, hole punchers
  1. Make the body. Punch four holes the tube and insert landing gear made from pipe cleaners.
  2. Next, cut a 1" section from another tube and trim away two small arcs from its bottom so it will fit neatly on the tube body.  Decorate.  Cover the open top with a foam circle and set aside.
  3. For the tall section make a long, thin, cone.  
  4. Next, make propellers of two different sizes from foam paper and attach with the metal fasteners.  
  5. Attach the top section to the tube, slide the cone onto the back, and secure with glue or tape.  
  • Cruise Ship Egg-carton: 3 Plastic-foam egg-cartons, toothpick, tape, permanent markers
  1. To make the bottom level of the ship, turn an egg carton over so the cup section is facing up.  
  2. To from the bottom level, cut the lid from another egg carton in half and turn it upside down.  
  3. Cut flat pieces from another lid and glue them across the top and back of the half-lid to enclose it. 
  4. Glue the second level to the bottom level.
  5. Next, cut a section of four cups from the end of a carton and glue that on top of the second level.  
  6. Glue on a smokestack made from the raised peak in a carton's lid.  
  7. Make a flag by cutting a triangle from a carton and taping it to a toothpick.
  8. Color the ship with permanent markers.
Activities:
  • Peekaboo Pictures: Pictures of transportation vehicles, construction paper, scissors, glue
  1. Have your child cut of pictures of vehicles out of magazines and glue the picture on the bottom half of a piece of construction paper.
  2. Fold the top half of the construction paper over the picture.
  3. Cut a hole in the top flap of the construction paper to reveal a portion of the picture.
  • Transportation Time: Large sheet of white paper, pictures or patterns (train, airplane, school bus and truck), tape
  1. Attach a large sheet of white paper to a wall and place the pictures (cut from magazines or drawings) of transportation on a table nearby.
  2. Each morning read a book about transportation.  Talk about the kinds of transportation in the story and ask the child to choose pictures of vehicles in the story and tape them to the mural paper.
  • On The Road Again! Masking tape, toy cars and trucks, scissors
  1. Tell your children that they will make a road to drive their cars and trucks on.
  2. Cut pieces of masking tape and ask the children to help you place them on the floor joining them at angles to make turns in the road.
  • Canoeing: Chairs, environmental sound cd(optional)
  1. In the middle of the room, set up a pretend canoe by putting chairs in a line, four chairs per canoe.
  2. Each child will sit on the chair and pretend to hold a paddle by making a fist with both hands, putting their fists together and make a paddle motion with their fists.  You could also take a long dowel stick and tape a cardboard piece like an oar to the bottom of the dowel.
  3. Act out paddling motions while listening to the cd or singing the following song:
"A Canoeing We Will Go" (Tune: A Hunting We Will Go")

A Canoeing we will go
A canoeing we will go
We'll dip our paddles in the water
And down the river we'll go
  • Airplane Play: Suitcases, briefcases, large rug or bedsheet for plane, walkie-talkies, pretend microphone, cardboard box and crayons to create cockpit gear, chairs for passengers and pilots, magazines, toys, clothing to create costumes 
  1. Set up your child's airplane and let them play away.  
  2. Have your child rotate positions.
  3. If there is a lot of children, their could be passengers, pilot, co-pilot, flight attendants
Snack/Food:
  • Edible Sailboats: Rice krispy treats, fruit roll-ups, popsicle stick or pretzel rod
  1. Place a stick or rod onto the rice krispy treat.
  2. Make a flag out of the fruit roll-up and wrap it around the stick or rod.
Other great snack ideas can be found at perpetual preschool

Education:
Letters/Words
  • Word of the day: index card, pen
  1. It
  2. How many words does your child know now?
  3. Have your child write all their words today.
  • Musical ABC's: Scissors, blank index cards, markers, small gift box, music
  1. Setup: Cut several index cards in half or quarters so that each piece will fit inside the small gift box. 
  2. Write one letter of the alphabet on each piece, then turn all the pieces facedown in a pile. 
  3. Have the children sit in a circle around the pile of cards on the floor.
  4. Play: Select one card and, without letting the children see it, place it inside the gift box and shut the lid.  
  5. When you start the music, the children rush to pass the box to one another around the circle.  After just a short time, stop the music.  The child holding the box opens it, takes out the card, and identifies the letter (the others can help if necessary).  Once the letter is identified correctly, the child holding the box discards the card.  She picks another card from the pile(no peeking), places it inside the box, and puts the lid on.  That's your cue to turn on the music and their cue to begin passing the box again.
Numbers
  • The Number Game: Large number cards 1-10
  1. Each child gets a number card.
  2. Sing the following song and ask the children who are holding the cards with the numbers identified to the song to follow the song's directions.
  • "Number Song" (Tune: "Hokey Pokey")
The one steps in.
The one steps out.
The one holds up his number
And waves it all about.
The one brings me his number
Then goes to wash his hands, (or goes to another activity)(or goes sits down)
Where is the two?
The two steps in
The two steps out...

Sing the numbers in order and repeat until all the children have a turn.
  • Give your child a sheet of paper that has a number written on it and ask your child to draw or glue that number of items on a sheet.  Compile the sheets to make a number book.
Music:
  • Maraca: Cardboard mailing tube with end caps or paper towel tube with cardboard cut to fit ends, 1/2 cup dried rice, 2 wooden craft sticks, glue, markers, paper, stickers
  1. Glue the top half of one craft stick inside the cardboard tube, making sure the bottom half remains outside the tube.
  2. Glue the top half of the second craft stick to the outside of the cardboard tube, making sure it is lined up with the first stick.
  3. Glue the ends of the sticks that are outside the tube firmly together and allow to dry.This will be your maraca handle.
  4. Insert one end cap and glue into place.  If you do not have end caps, you can make them by cutting two cardboard discs to the circumference of the tube.
  5. Pour the rice into the tube, then glue the second end cap into place.  Note: The craft stick on the inside of the tube might make this a tighter fit than the first end cap.
  6. Decorate the outside of the tube as desired.
  • To the Tune of Wheels on the Bus
The train on the track goes chug, chug, chug, Chug, chug, chug, Chug, chug, chug, The train on the track goes chug, chug, chug all through the day
Other verses:
The boat on the water goes toot
The car on the road goes beep
The race car on the track goes zoom
The airplane in the sky goes way up high
  • Little Airplane
    (Tune: Frere Jacques)

    Little airplane, little airplane,
    In the sky, in the sky,
    I can see you soaring,
    I can see you soaring,
    Up so high,
    Up so high.
Nursery Rhymes:

Here's a fun rhyme: Good for work on direction and sound contrasts.
This is a choo-choo train
(bend arm at elbow)
Puffing down the track.
(rotate arms in rhythm)
Now it's going forward,
Now it's going back.
(push arms in appropriate directions; continue rotating motion) Now the bell is ringing, (pull bell cord) Now the whistle blows (make sound) What a lot of noise it makes Everywhere it goes!

Books:
  • Seven Little Rabbits by John Becker
  • I Can Count by Dick Bruna
  • Ten Apples Up on Top by Theo LeSieg
  • Ten In The Bed by Penny Dale
  • Look! Look! Look! by Tana Hoban
  • Flying by Donald Crews
  • Fright Train by Donald Crews

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