Wacky Wednesday: Birds

Wacky Wednesday:

Birds

• Bird Collage: Magazines, glue, paster board, scissors

1. Cut bird pictures out of magazines.
2. Glue them onto a piece of poster board.

• Feather Bookmarks: Feathers, clear self-adhesive paper, hole puncher, yarn, dish pan, dish soap, absorbent paper

1. Take your children on a nature hike and look for feathers.
2. Wash the feathers by soaking them in dish soap and water in a dish pan.
3. Rinse and lay the feathers on absorbent paper to dry.
4. The next day press each feather between two pieces of clear self-adhesive paper that has been precut to bookmark size.
5. Punch a hole in the top of the bookmark and thread a piece of yarn through the hole to make decorative.

• Bird's Nest: Big piece of cardboard, pillows

1. Place cardboard onto the ground.
2. Place pillows on the outside of the cardboard piece.
3. Kids can then go into the bird's nest and pretend they are baby birds.
4. Someone can pretend to feed the baby birds or feed them nuts.
5. You can make wings by gluing feathers to two pieces of cardboard.
6. Add elastic straps to the pieces of cardboard, so that they can hook around their arms.

• Hatching Baby Birds : Oversized T-shirt per child

1. Have your child put on the t-shirt and tuck their body inside the shirt. (Head inside head hole, arms inside arm holes and knees bend toward stomach so the entire body is encased inside of the shirt.)
2. Slowly poke out head, then arms and legs.
3. Pretend to hatch and fly. 

• Bird Watching: Binoculars, bird book

1. Take a walk and see how many different birds your child can find.
2. See if you can find the birds in their bird book.

• Plastic Spoon Bird: Plastic spoon and fork, glue, construction paper

1. Overlap and glue together the handles of a plastic fork and spoon.
2. The bowl of the spoon is the head, and the fork tines make a tail.
3. Glue a one-piece set of paper wings across the handles.
4. Make a beak and eyes from paper and glue them to the spoon end.

• Cereal Feeder: Circle-shaped cereal, heavy string

1. Thread circle-shaped cereal pieces onto a heavy string, and hang them in a tree.
2. Look for birds feeding from the string.
3. Also try threading cranberries and popped corn onto the string.

• Bird Coloring Pages:

1. http://www.coloring.ws/birds.htm
2. http://www.first-school.ws/theme/animals/cp_birds.htm
3. http://www.birdwatching-bliss.com/bird-coloring-pages.html
4. http://www.50birds.com/CB/CBb.htm

• More Bird activities:

1.  http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/bird-day/
2. http://www.abirdsworld.com/html/games___activities.html
3. http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/kids

Songs/Poems:

Two little dickey birds sitting on a hill

One named Jack and the other named Jill (hold up index finger of each hand)

Fly away Jack.  Fly away Jill. (move fingers behind back)

Come back Jack.  Come back Jill. (bring fingers back)

Substitute dickey birds with other birds

"Little Baby Robin Eggs"  tune of "Puff, the Magic Dragon"

Little baby robin eggs (cup palm of hands together)

Amidst the leaves so still (raise hands up high)

Never will I touch your nest (shake pointer finger)

For it would surely spill. (drop hands to the floor)

I'll listen for your little chirps (point to ear)

As you begin to hatch (close palm, then open)

And watch when you try hard to fly (point to eyes)

Above the garden patch. (wiggle fingers as if to fly)

Little baby robin eggs (cup palm of hands together)

I'll wait to hear you sing (touch lips)

For then I'll know without a doubt (go down low)

The season must be Spring (jump up high)

Books:

• Birds We Know by Margaret Friskey
• Feathers by Dorothy H. Patent
• Birds Eat and Eat and Eat by Roma Gans
• Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr, Suess
• Feathers for Lunch by Lois Ehlert
• What Makes a Bird a Bird? by May Garelick

Wacky Wednesday: Birds

Tuesday Tips!

Tuesday Tips!

5 Storage Containers You

Should Never Throw Away

Sure, it seems as if that stack of plastic containers is about to topple over, but maybe that just means you haven't figured out all the things you can use them for.  Maybe you need even more!  Consider these possibilities.

1. Five-gallon ice cream containers.  Use them to hold dry cereal, flour, and sugar to keep those foods fresh longer.  Also use them to store partial bags of brown sugar, powered sugar, coconut, and nuts.
2. Artificial whipped topping containers.  Use these to solve those medium-size storage problems, such as how to freeze strawberries.  One of these will hole two or three servings of leftovers, depending on your appetite.
3. Glass jars.  Some spaghetti sauces and other prepared foods come in glass jars.  Reuse these to carry soups and sauces to potluck dinners.  They also make great containers for gift foods.
4. Sixteen-ounce cottage cheese containers.  One of these will hold a large serving of vegetable soup or a generous serving of a casserole.
5. Baby food jars.  They'll hold everything from vinaigrette for potluck salads to metal cake decorating tips for your pastry bags.  

Tip was found in the book: Vinegar, Duct Tape, Milk Jugs and More By Earl Proulx 

Tuesday Tips!

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Chick Week: Tuesday!

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Chick Week

Tuesday!

Crafts:

• Chick Mask: Paper plate half, orange construction paper, two 12" lengths of yellow yarn, yellow paint, several small feathers, scissors, hole puncher, glue, paintbrush

1. Paint the paper plate half yellow.  Let the paint dry.
2. To make the mask, cut the rim off the plate to make the 3 bumps on the head.
3. Cut out two eyeholes above the straight edge of the mask.
4. Cut out an orange triangle beak.  Glue the beak and feathers to the mask.  When the glue is dry, fold the beak up so that it points forward.
5. Punch a hole on each of the mask, just slightly above the right and left eye.  
6. Tie a length of yarn to each hole.

• Plastic Eggshell Chick: Plastic egg, yellow paint, cotton balls, plastic bag, construction paper, scissors, glue, index card

1. Place some yellow paint in a plastic bag.  Drop two cotton balls inside the bag.  Shake well.  Remove the two yellow-colored cotton balls.
2. Glue the two cotton balls together to form the body and head of a chick.  Glue the chick inside an empty half of a plastic eggshell, so the chick is just peeking over the eggshell.
3. Cut a tiny beak and eyes from paper, and carefully glue them to the head of the chick.  If the eggshell half does not set up easily, glue it to an index card or a small piece of paper.  

• Crayon-Resist Egg: 9 x 12 inch sheet of manilla paper, crayons, light colored paint

1. From a 9 x 12 inch sheet of manilla paper, cut out a large egg shape.
2. Color designs on the egg with crayons, being sure to press very hard!
3. Then paint the egg with a light color of thinned tempera paint.

Activities:

• Egg-on-a-Spoon Relay: Plastic spoons, plastic eggs, 4 buckets

1. Divide into two or three teams.
2. Place an empty bucket at the finish line.
3. Place a full bucket of plastic eggs for each team at the start line.  
4. Each team get a spoon.
5. On your "Go" the first players run to the finish line with an egg on their spoon to put it into the bucket.  If a player drops their egg, they pick it up and must start over again at the start line. Then they must run back and give their spoon to the next player.  
6. The first team to get rid all the eggs from their start bucket wins!

• Underwater "Eggspert": Fresh egg, deep cereal bowl, hot tap water, yellow food coloring

1. Carefully place the egg in the bottom of the bowl and fill the bowl with hot tap water.  Quickly add a little yellow food coloring.  Watch the egg closely for several minutes.
2. Streams of tiny bubbles rise to the top of the water from the submerged egg.
3. When the air inside the egg is heated by the hot water, the air molecules expand.  Many of the new crowded air molecules push their way out of the egg through some of the almost 7,000 openings, or pores, in the egg's shell.  These heated air molecules exit the egg, usually without cracking the shell, and rise to the water's surface as bubbles.

• Craft Apron and Printables for old lady story at Teaching Heart Website

Snacks:

• Ice cream with easter sprinkles

Music/Rhyme:

Turn Yourself Into Mr. Bunny:

"The Swinging Bunny": Have your children walk around in a circle as you say the following poem to a rap rhythm.

I'm going down the street

Going hippity hop, hippity hop, hippity hop

I'm going down the street

Going hippity hop

Hey there, look at me. (point to self)

" The Cool Bunny": Have your children to be a Cool Bunny (strut and move shoulders up and down with a swinging motion and walk in a circle snapping fingers.

I'm going down the street

Going bippity bop, bippity bop, bippity bop

I'm going down the street

Going bippity bop.

Hey there, look at me. (point to self)

Ask the children to walk in a circle on their tiptoes.

I'm going down the street

Going tippity-top, tippity-top, tippity top(walk on tiptoes)

I'm going down the street

Going Tippity-top

Hey there, look at me.  (point to self)

Ask the children to walk in a circle with their knees bent and shaking their pretend tails.

I'm going down the street

Going dippity dop, dippity dop (bend knees and shake tail)

I'm going down the street

Going dippity dop

Hey there, look at me. (point to self)

Tell the children the last bunny is tired and sits down to rest

Show me your bunny eyes

Show me your ears

Show me your nose

Show me your mouth.

When I say lippity(smile)

When I say lop(frown)

Lippity(smile)

Lop(frown)

Lippty(smile)

Lop(frown)

I'm going down the street

Going lippity lop(smile and frown)

Lippity lop(smile and frown)

Lippity lop(smile and frown)

I'm going down the street

Going lippity lop

Hey there, look at me.(point to self)

Education:

Letters/Words

• Word of the day: Index card, pen

1. by
2. Use this word in sentences, so your child understands the meaning of the word and how to use it.  Example: The candy bar is by the stove.  Dad is by the car.  

• Word Holder:  Envelopes, scissors, glue or stapler, index cards, black marker, poster board

1. Take an envelope, seal it shut and fold it in half.  Cut it in half.  Then take the halves and cut about a half inch more off the top.  Make 26 halves.
2. Take an envelope half and write a letter of the alphabet on each one.  Glue or staple the envelopes to the poster board in alphabetical order.
3. Use this word holder to put in your child's word of the day cards and any other words they may know.  
4. If you want them to have more cards, put more words on index cards but put pictures with words, so they can put the words and pictures together.  You can put the pictures on the back of the index cards if you want.

Numbers

• Egg Carton Number Count: Small items like beans, coins, paper clips, shells, pebbles, cereal, beads, crackers, jelly beans, egg carton, black permanent marker, paper bags

1. Cut the top off the egg carton.
2. Place the items into their own bag. Pennies in one bag, coins in another, etc. 
3. Write the numbers 1-12 on each egg section on the bottom or side.
4. Then have your child start placing the items in the egg section according to the number.  They can put 1 bean in the number one slot, 2 pennies in the number 2 slot, etc. 

Books:

• Home For A Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
• Bunny by Pam Adams
• Bunny Numbers by Dick McCue
• Sunny Bunny Tales(Max and Ruby) by Grosset and Dunlap 
• The Baby Chicks Are Singing by Ashley Wolff

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Chick Week: Tuesday!

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Chick Week: Monday!

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Chick Week:

Monday

Crafts:

• Spring Basket: Cardboard, large paper grocery bag, five 6" x 9" sheets of white construction paper, assorted construction paper, scissors, stapler, glue

1. To make the basket, cut off the top half of the bag set that part aside to use later for the handle.
2. Fold down the top edge of the bag about 1 1/2 inches; then fold it down again.
3. To make a handle, cut the top portion of the bag open and cut a long three-inch-wide strip from it. Fold and glue the strip in thirds(lengthwise) and then in half.
4. When the glue is dry, staple the handle to the bag.
5. To make a fence, make an outline of how you want your picket fence on a piece of cardboard, use this as a tracer.  Fold each sheet of white paper in half twice and outline the tracer; then cut it out.  Do not cut the folded edges.
6. Unfold the fence cutouts; then glue them around the basket. Trim off any excess paper.
7. Cut out stems, leaves, and flowers from construction paper.  Then glue the cutouts to the basket, gluing some stems behind the fence and some in front of it.  
8. If desired, line the basket with shredded paper or Easter grass.

• Marbleized Paper Egg: Large cake pan, water, table knife, colored chalk, pastel construction paper

1. Pour several inches of water into a large cake pan.
2. Using a table knife, scrape some colored chalk over the pan, letting the powder fall into the water.
3. Next, lay a piece of pastel construction paper on the water so it floats.  
4. Quickly pull it out of the water by lifting a corner.  Notice how the chalk has stuck to the paper in colorful patterns!
5. Cut a large egg shape from the paper.  
6. Rinse out pan so it can be used again.

• Bunny Ears Headband: Construction paper, glue

1. Draw and cut out a pair of bunny ears from construction paper.
2. Paste them to a headband made from a strip of paper cut to fit around your child's head.

Activities:

• Edible Bird Nests: Pictures of birds and their nests, stove, mixing spoon, 6-ounce package of chocolate chips, 3-ounce can of chow mein noodles, paper plates, double boiler, oven mitt, 6-ounce package of butterscotch pieces, 1 bag of miniature marshmallows

1. Show your child pictures of birds and their nests.
2. In a double boiler over low heat, melt the chocolate and butterscotch pieces.  Stir in noodles and mix well.  
3. When warm, but not hot, drop three tablespoon portions onto each child's plate.
4. Show your child how to mold the mixture into nest shapes, making a hollow in the center of each nest.
5. When cool the children can then drop three or four miniature marshmallows into the hollow to represent eggs.
6. Allow the nests to become firm before eating the nest for the snack.

• Detecting the Hard-Boiled Egg: 2 raw eggs, 1 hardboiled egg

1. Spin each egg.  Note what happens.  Then touch each egg lightly while it is spinning.
2. Two of the eggs wobble, but one spins.  The spinner is the hard-boiled egg.  When you touch the spinning hard-boiled egg lightly, it stops spinning completely.  The raw eggs move again after you have tried to stop them.
3. The loose yolks and whites in the raw eggs revolve slowly because of inertia, the tendency of an object to continue at rest or in motion.  This causes the raw eggs to wobble and to continue to move even after you tried to stop them.  The solid white and yolk cause the hard-boiled egg to respond more quickly.  

• Great site for learning about chickens, music, worksheets, activities  at Kiddy House

Music/Rhyme:

• Cardboard Tube Blow Horn: Empty cardboard paper towel tube, waxed paper, rubber band, hole puncher

1. Cover one end of an empty cardboard paper towel tube with a piece of waxed paper, holding the paper in place with a rubber band.
2. Poke five small holes in a row along the side of the tube.
3. Hum or blow into the open end of the tube while putting your fingers over the holes.

• Do the Chicken Dance with your child
• Little Hen Rhyme at http://www.rhymes.org.uk/little_hen.htm
• Egg Songs and More at Child Fun Website

Education:

Letters/Words

• Word Of The Day: Index card, pen

1. Had
2. Make sentences with the new word.  For example:  I had a bowl of soup.   I had lots of fun today.

• Shopping For Words: Index cards, black marker, tape, white paper

1. Take all the words your child knows and write each one of them on an index cards.
2. Tape the index cards up around the house.
3. Write each of the words on a piece of white paper, this will be their shopping word list.
4. Hand your child their list and have them shop around the house for their words.  

Numbers

• Great website for printable number activities and crafts at First School  

Books:

• Their Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Chick! by Lucille Colandro
• Horton Hatches The Egg by Dr. Seuss

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Chick Week: Monday!

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Chick Week: Supplies

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Chick Week

Supplies

• Monday: Cardboard, large paper grocery bag, five 6" x 9" sheets of white construction paper, construction paper, scissors, stapler, glue, cake pan, table knife, colored chalk, pastel construction paper, pictures of birds and their nests, stove, mixing spoon, 6-ounce package of chocolate chips, 3-ounce can of chow mein noodles, paper plate, double boiler, oven mitt, 6-ounce of butterscotch pieces, 1 bag of miniature marshmallows,  2 raw eggs, 1 hardboiled egg

• Tuesday: Paper bag half, orange construction paper, two 12" lengths of yellow yarn, yellow tempera paint, several small feathers, hole puncher, glue, yellow paint, cotton balls, plastic bag, gogglie eyes, index card, 9-by-12-inch sheet of manila paper, light colored paint, crayons, plastic eggs, spoons, 4 bowls, fresh egg, deep cereal bowl, hot tap water, yellow food coloring

• Thursday: Pom poms(white-1" two 1/2", two 10mm; Orange- 3/4, 1/2", 10mm; Pink 5mm), Pipe cleaners(hot pink 6mm, pink 6mm, green 6mm, White bump), two 5mm gogglie eyes, pink and yellow fun foam, white paper, black marker, magnet strip, 1/4" hole punch, cottage cheese carton, tissue paper, paper fasteners, cotton balls, bag, yellow paint, construction paper, markers or crayons, egg, 2 drinking straws, water, salt, roll of 2"-wide painter's tape(or masking tape), playground ball(or soft, medium-size ball with a little "give" per child),  laundry basket, large unbreakable mixing bowl, yardstick or masking tape, plastic eggs or ping-pong balls, tape

• Friday: Yellow paper, stapler, glue, yellow pom pom, felt or paper, chocolate eggs or small gift, net, ribbon, cup, zip-zag and ordinary scissors, polystyrene egg, wooden skewer, paint, colored pipe cleaners, elastic, bead, school-sized milk carton, construction paper, eggshells, paper plates, box lids, egg carton lids, paint, cotton swabs, 2 whole raw eggs(in shell), 2 glasses, water, vinegar

• Wednesday: Birds

1. Large cardboard, elastic bands, cardboard pieces, feathers, clear self-adhesive paper, magazines, construction paper, glue, crayons, paint, glue, plastic spoon and fork, circle-shaped cereal, heavy string, cardboard tube, birdseed, yarn, crayons

• Saturday: Bunny Cupcakes and Bunny Cake

1. 1 16.5-oz. roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 2 cups confectioners' sugar, 2 Tbsp, egg-white powder(such as Just Whites), red and green food coloring, 1/2 cup each light and dark pink decorating sugars, large flower decors, 2 cups chopped sweetened flaked coconut, 1 16-oz. can vanilla frosting, 24 cupcakes, any flavor
2. Marshmallows, chocolate kiss, jelly beans 

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Chick Week: Supplies

Congratulations!

Congratulations to SWEETANGL5632@AOL.COM. 

She is the winner of my LPS drawing.  Thank you for entering my drawing.  

Congratulations!

Bake/Cook/Make Day Saturday!

Bake/Cook/Make Day Saturday!

• Deviled Egg Upgrade:  

1 dozen large eggs

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon well-drained sweet pickle relish

Ground paprika for sprinkling

For Instructions and Pictures Check out Family Fun Go Website

• Easter Egg Dye: Food coloring, vinegar, hot water, bowls, crayons, hard-boiled eggs

1. You can make your own Easter Egg dye by mixing 1 teaspoon of food coloring, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, and 1 cup of hot water.  Make a different color for each container available for holding the dyes
2. Spoon dip a hard-boiled egg into the dye to color it the way you want.  Try dipping some eggs into more than one color to see what new colors you get.  Dip other eggs halfway in one color and halfway in another.
3. If you want an egg to have a special design or message, draw or write with crayon on the egg ahead of time.  The crayon will resist the dye and leave your design or message visible on the egg.

• Marbled Eggs: Food coloring, vinegar, hot water, salad oil, bowl

1. Mix 1 teaspoon of food coloring, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, 1 cup of hot water, 1 tablespoon of salad oil.
2. Eggs dyed in this solution will have a marbled coloring.

• Easter Egg Stand: Cardboard tube, scissors

1. Cut off a one-inch-long ring from a cardboard tube.
2. Place the ring on its end to use as a display stand for your dyed eggs.

Bake/Cook/Make Day Saturday!

Easter Week: Friday!

Easter Week!

Friday

Crafts:

• Nesting Hen: Yellow, brown, orange construction paper, 6"paper plate, 2 small black pom-poms, 2 or 3 yellow cotton balls or yellow pom poms, brown tempera paint, scissors, glue, fine-tipped black marker

1. Paint the plate brown and let it dry.
2. Cut a big yellow circle.  Fold lightly in half and unfold.  On one half of the circle cut the circle in half.  Then take the cut parts and fold them over each other to make a cone and glue them together.
3. Make a tail and two wings from construction paper, fringe the ends and glue it to the cone.
4. Glue on the pom-pom eyes and an orange construction paper beak.
5. Cut up pieces of brown paper to make the nest and glue the strips on the plate.
6. Glue the cotton balls (baby chicks) or pom poms in the center of the nest.  Add an orange beak to each chick; then use a fine-tipped black marker to dot on little eyes.
7. Set the hen on the nest so that it covers the chicks.

• Bunny Mask: White, pink construction paper, black marker

1. Cut out a heart large enough to cover your face, using white construction paper.
2. Cut out two eyes out the of the mask, so you child can see out it.
3. Make a small round circle out of pink paper, for the nose, and glue it on.
4. Draw on whiskers with a black marker.
5. Draw on a mouth.
6. Cut out ears out of white construction paper. Draw little pink centers of the ears and glue them on.
7. Glue or staple ears onto face.
8. Fasten a paper band across the back so the mask will fit your child's head.

• Stained Glass Cross: Recycled plastic CD case, DecoArt glass stains(black leading, blue, green, pink, purple), ribbon 23" length, pony beads(assorted colors), Tacky glue, white copy paper, tape, scissors, ruler

1. Wash and dry CD case.  Make your own cross or find a picture you like and place a piece of white paper over the picture and draw the pattern onto the paper.  
2. Tape pattern on back of one side of CD case.
3. Use black leading to trace outline and lines on pattern on CD case.  Let dry.
4. Use blue, green, pink, and purple paint to fill in areas on pattern.  Let dry.  Remove pattern from CD case.
5. Measure and cut three 5" ribbon lengths.  Tie knot on end of 5" ribbon lengths.  Thread pony beads onto each ribbon length.  Glue ribbon lengths along bottom edge of CD case.
6. For hanger, measure and cut 8"ribbon length. Glue ribbon ends on either side of CD case.  Let dry.
7. Hang stained glass in window.

• Paper Bag Bunny Basket: 

1. At the open end of a flattened white paper lunch bag, draw some bunny ears along the outside edges.
2. Fluff open the bag.
3. Cut away the spaces between the ears on the sides as well as on the front and back.  Staple the ears together at the top to from a pair of handles.  
4. Flatten the bag again.  On the front side draw a large bunny face.  
5. Then unfold the bag and the basket is ready to use!

Activities:

• Playacting

1. Have your child pretend they are the Easter bunny.  
2. Act out decorating and delivering the eggs to other children.

• An Easter Story: Crayons, white paper, pen

1. Have your child draw an Easter scene.
2. Then have them tell you a story using their drawing.  
3. You can write down their story if you want.

Snacks:

• Jelly beans
• Bunny Marshmallows 

Education:

Letters/Words

• Word of the Day: Practice this week's words with your child

1. How many words can they remember?
2. Do they remember their other words?

Numbers

• Addition Cards: Index cards, sticker dots, black marker

1. On an index card place one dot and write the number 1 on the card.  Make two of them.
2. Do this for numbers 2-9.  Make two of them.
3. For the number 0, don't put any dot and just write the number 0.  Make two of them.
4. Make a + sign and a = sign.
5. On an index card place 10 dots and write the number 10 on the card. Only make one.
6. Do this for number 11-20 too.  Make only one.
7. Now have your child draw two cards from the 1-9 card pile.  Then add a + sign between the two numbers and an = sign after the second card.  Then have them add the two cards together.  Have them count the dots to help them.  
8. How are they are doing?

Music/Rhyme:

Bunny Hop

Tune("If You're Happy and You Know It Clap Your Hands!"

If you feel like a bunny go hop-hop (hop twice)

If you feel like a bunny go hop-hop (repeat action)

If you feel like a bunny, and you think it's rather funny,

If you feel like a bunny go hop-hop(repeat action)

If your ears are kind of droopy go flap-flap(child places hands by his ears and flaps them up and down)

If your ears are kind of droopy go flap-flap(repeat action)

If your ears are kind of droopy and you're feeling rather loopy,

If your ears are kind of droopy go flap-flap(repeat action)

If your nose is feeling stuffy shake your head(shake head from side to side)

If your nose is feeling stuffy shake your head(repeat action)

If your nose is feeling stuffy and your fur is rather fluffy,

If your nose if feeling stuffy shake your head(repeat action)

If you like to chase your tail, turn around(turn around in a circle)

If you like to chase your tail, turn around(repeat action)

If you tail likes to wiggle and it makes your Mommy giggle, 

If you like to chase your tail, turn around(repeat action)

If your feet are getting sleepy, touch your toes(bend over and touch toes)

If your feet are getting sleepy, touch your toes(repeat action)

If your toes like to wiggle and it makes your Mommy giggle, 

If your feet are getting sleepy, touch your toes(repeat action)

If you feel like a bunny go hop-hop(child hops twice)

If you feel like a bunny go hop-hop(child hops twice)

If you feel like a bunny, and your Mommy calls your honey,

If your feel like a bunny go hop-hop(repeat action)

Books:

• Honey Bunny by Mary Englebreit
• Easter Egg Surprise by Kate Gleeson
• Peter Cottontail and The Easter Egg Hunt by J. R. Brent Ritchie and Rebecca McKillip

Some ideas came from the following books:

• Unplugged Play by Bobbi Conner
• Big Book of Monthly Arts and Crafts by The Mailbox
• The Kids' Encyclopedia Of Things To Make And Do by Richard Michael Rasmussen
• Pack-O-Fun Magazine  www.pack-o-fun.com

Easter Week: Friday!

Easter Week: Thursday!

Easter Week

Thursday!

Crafts:

• "Some Bunny Loves You" Card: Construction paper, markers, pipe cleaners, two craft sticks, small pom pom

1. Fold a piece of construction paper in half.  Write a message inside the folded paper.
2. Cut an oval from a piece of white construction paper, and draw a bunny face.
3. Cut six small pieces of pipe cleaner.
4. Glue the face on the front of the card.  Glue craft-stick ears.  Glue the pipe cleaner pieces on as whiskers and the tiny pompom for the bunny's nose.

• Beautiful Baskets: Craft sticks, plastic-foam tray, glitter, plastic berry basket, cardboard, poster board

Egg Basket: 

1. Paint eight craft sticks and let dry.
2. Cut eight egg shapes form a plastic-foam tray or craft foam.
3. Decorate the eggs with glitter, and let dry.
4. Glue each egg to the end of a craft stick.  Let dry.
5. Weave the craft sticks in and out of the sides of a berry basket.  Add a dab of glue at each cross point to be sure the sticks stay out.

Handle Basket:

1. Cut two squares of cardboard as wide and tall as a craft stick.  
2. Cut tabs 1/4 inch long and the width of a craft stick apart into two sides of each square.
3. Fold back every other tab.  Use a dot of glue to attach one end of a craft stick to each folded tab on one square.  Glue the other end of each stick to the folded tabs on the other square.  
4. Tape a piece of cardboard to fit the bottom.  
5. Add a poster-board handle. 

• Paper Plate Bonnet: Paper plate, glue, hole puncher, ribbon, decorations

1. Turn a paper plate upside down.  Cover the bottom with tissue paper, flowers, ribbons, netting, sequins, glitter, buttons, artificial flowers, feathers, etc. using glue to fasten down the decorations.
2. Attach a long ribbon to each side for a tie.

• Broken Egg With Bunny: Colored construction paper, scissors, metal paper fastener, glue

1. On colored construction paper, draw an egg.  Then cut it out.
2. Next, draw a jagged line down the middle of the egg.  Cut the egg in half along the jagged line.
3. Using white paper, cut out two circles small enough to fit within the egg halves.  Paste them on a sheet of background paper, one above the other, to form a body and head of a bunny.
4. Draw two bunny ears on the top circle and add a face.
5. Poke a hole near the bottom edge of the lower circle.  
6. Also, poke holes in the bottom corner of each egg half.  
7. Pin all the pieces together with a metal paper fastener so you can close the egg and then open it to reveal the bunny inside.  

Activities:

• Easter Collage: Magazines and/or store ads, scissors, glue, poster board.  

1. Cut easter pictures out of the magazines or store ads. 
2. Glue them onto a piece of poster board, shaped like an egg.
3. Your child can add glitter over the pictures if they want too.

• Egg Power: 4 eggshell halves, masking tape, scissors, cans

1. Wrap a piece of masking tape around the midsection of each eggshell half.
2. Then, with your scissors, trip off the excess shell so each one has a straight-edged bottom.
3. Lay out the four eggshells, dome up, so they form a square.
4. Holding a can upright, stand it on the eggshells.  
5. Keep stacking cans on top of that one until the shells crack.

The "fragile" eggshells can support a surprising amount of weight.

The secret of their strength is their shape.  No single point in the dome supports the entire weight of the object on top of it.  The weight is carried down along the curved walls to the wide base.

• Carrot Tops: Carrots with leaves, magnifying lens

1. Look at the carrots carefully.
2. Under the magnifying lens, examine the tops of the carrot roots just below the leaves.  What color are they?

Almost any plant that is exposed to light turns green.  This green is the chlorophyll, which assists in the photosynthesis process.  (See chlorophyll test below.)  Some of the top portion of the carrot roots you looked at might have been green.  This part was green because the top portion of the root was exposed to the sun.  

• Chlorophyll Test:  Sheet of white construction paper, grass

1. Place the sheet of construction paper on the grass.
2. Step on the paper and twist your foot into the grass.
3. Lift the paper and examine it. What do you see on the paper?

You saw green smudges on the paper where the grass rubbed on the paper.  Grass and other plants are green because they contain a pigment called chlorophyll.  Chlorophyll is vital to plants.  Plants cannot move around to get food, so they must make it themselves.  Plants make food from carbon dioxide (found in the air), water, and sunlight through the process of photosynthesis.  Without chlorophyll, this process could not take place.  

Snacks:

• Easter Egg Shaped Brownies from Little Debbie
• Carrots, celery or lettuce
• Hard boiled egg

Education:

Letters/Words:

• Word of the day: Index card, pen

1. OR
2. Ask your children questions about things like: Is this big or small.  Is this green or blue?  Is this tall or short?
3. Then have them ask you questions using the word OR too.

• Storyteller: Index cards, pen, bag

1. Write down words you child knows on index cards.
2. Place index cards in a bag.
3. Then have your child draw out three cards.
4. Have them make up a story using the three words.

Numbers:

• Number Scavenger Hunt: White paper, tape/glue, pen, scissors, items like beans, crayons, money, blocks, buttons, paper clips, etc.

1. With your items glue or tape one of each item onto one sheet of paper.  
2. Above the each item, write down the number of that items is hidden around the room.
3. Your child must then find that number of items.  For example: if you have hidden 10 pennies around the room, then above the taped penny on the paper, write down 10.  
4. Have them count each item until they have found all 10 pennies.  

Music/Rhyme:

• Step By Step Website has some very cute Easter songs in their holiday section.

Books:

• It's Easter Pooh by RH Disney
• Easter Basket by Chuck Murphy
• Where Are Baby's Easter Eggs? by Karen Katz
• Clifford's Happy Easter by Norman Bridwell

Easter Week: Thursday!

Wacky Wednesday: Egg Carton Crafts!

Wacky Wednesday:

Egg Carton Crafts!

• Easter Countdown Craft: Egg carton, glue, tissue paper, trinkets or treats

1. Begin by cutting off a carton's top and side flaps and trimming the center dividers so that they're level with outside edge.
2. Lay the carton facedown on a piece of tissue paper.  Trace it, then cut along the traced line.  Turn the carton right side up again and place a wrapped treat, trinket, or a fun note in each cup.
3. Apply glue around each cup and all around the edges.  Lay the cut tissue-paper  piece over the glue and press it to secure it.
4. For extra wow factor (and to prevent peeking!), cut circles from tissue paper in contrasting colors and affix one circle over each cup with a glue stick.
5. For a picture: Go to Family Fun Website

• Bunny Basket: 2 plastic-foam egg cartons, scissors, glue, pom poms, construction paper, ribbon, black paint

1. Cut the bottoms from two plastic-foam egg cartons.  Cut one in half the long way so you have a row of six cups.  Glue this row, upside down, over half of the other carton bottom, leaving the other half open for your basket.
2. Decorate the row of egg shapes with pom-pom noses and paper whiskers, eyes, and heart shapes for feet.  Make ears from paper and glue one pair to the back of each bunny head.
3. On every other bunny, glue a bow of ribbon.  Cut little hats from a cardboard egg carton's peaks.  Paint them black and glue each to a circle of black paper.  Glue the hats to the remaining bunny heads.  

• Two-Cup Basket: Cardboard egg carton, pipe cleaners, paint

1. Cut a two-cup section from a cardboard egg carton and trim the top edges.  
2. Paint the basket.
3. Poke two small holes on opposite sides of the basket.
4. Twist two 8-inch pieces of pipe cleaner together to form a handle.  Push the ends of the handle into the holes, and twist the ends around the rest of the handle to secure.

• One-Cup Mini Baskets: Cardboard egg carton, paint, construction paper, decorations (sequins, glitter, ribbon)

1. Cut individual cups from a cardboard egg carton and trim the top edges.  
2. Paint the cups.
3. Cut 5-inch strips from construction paper and glue to the inside of the cups for handles.
4. Decorate the cups however you'd like.  You can use sequins and paper cutouts, glitter or ribbon.

• Four-Cup Basket: Plastic-foam egg carton, pipe cleaners

1. Cut a square, four-cup section from a plastic-foam egg carton.
2. Poke two small holes on opposite sides of the basket.
3. Twist two pipe cleaners together to from a handle.  Attach the handle in the same manner as for the Two-Cup Basket.
4. Make a decoration for the handle by cutting petal shapes into two egg cups.  
5. Glue the two cups together, alternating the petals, to make a flower.  Poke two holes in the center of the flower.  Push a small piece of pipe cleaner through the holes, and use it to secure the flower to the handle.

• Egg Carton Characters: egg carton, glue, scissors, yarn, pom-poms, pipe cleaners, paint or markers

1. Cut the lid from the carton; save it to use later.
2. Cut out 12 cups from the egg carton. (You may not need all of them.)
3. Decide on the characters(people, animals, a character from a book.)
4. Design the characters.  Children can stack cups (to make the body) and add bits of carton, material scraps, yarn, pom-poms (noses and tails), pipe cleaners (arms, legs, tails,ears, hair, etc.  to decorate their characters.
5. Use paint or makers to add features.
6. Set all characters on the lid to dry.
7. On each of the 12 days leading up to a holiday, let your child tear open one cup's cover to find a small surprise hiding inside.

• Grow A Grassapillar: Potting soil, grass seed, bowl, spoon, egg carton, permanent marker, plate

1. Begin by mixing 3/4 cup of potting soil and 2 tablespoons of grass seed in a bowl.  Add water to moisten the mixture, then set it aside.
2. Cut away a three-cup section of an egg carton, then trim the section along the longer edges so that your grassapillar will look the same from both sides.  
3. With a permanent marker, draw a face on one end.
4. Gently spoon the seed mixture into the cups.  
5. Set your creation on a dish in a brightly lit spot and keep the soil moist.
6. The grass should sprout in about a week.  
7. For a picture go to Family Fun Website

• Give Action Guys A Ride: 2 cardboard cartons, gray and red paint, scissors, glue dots

1. Start with two cardboard cartons.  
2. On the first one, cut flaps to serve as hatches.  (The inside can be used to carry smaller figurines or equipment), then paint it gray.
3. Use the other carton for parts: snip off the tips of the interior dividers, paint them red to make thrusters and running lights, and attache them to the transport body with glue dots.
4. Place your guys inside and on top, and they're ready to defend the world.
5. For picture go to Family Fun Website

• Egg Carton Recycling: Cardboard egg cartons, water, large buckets

1. Allow egg cartons to stand in water for several days.  When the cardboard is soft remove from the water and drain.
2. Ask your child to tear the egg cartons apart and squeeze the water out of the pieces.
3. Layer the material over inverted plastic bowls.
4. Let dry on newspapers.
5. Add powdered paint to the mixture or paint the material after it has dried.
6. Remove the recycled cardboard from the plastic bowls and use as plant pots or use for decorations. 

• Matching Game: Egg carton, construction paper, glue, scissors

1. Cut the egg carton to make 12 individual cups. 
2. Paint all one color.  Let dry.
3. Glue round pieces of construction paper inside the cups.  You need 2 of each color.
4. Then mix up the cups and place them upside down. 
5. Then have your child turn over 2 cups and see if they found 2 matching colors.  If they didn't they turn them back over and try again and until they find all the matches.
6. You can also put pictures inside the cups, numbers, alphabet, words, etc.

• Great-Shape Necklace: Plastic-foam egg carton, markers, drinking straws, string or yarn, plastic needle

1. Cut shapes from the lid of the egg carton and color them with markers.
2. Cut out small pieces of the drinking straws.
3. Cut a piece of string or yarn long enough to fit over your head.  Thread one end of the string onto the needle.
4. String a shape and then a section of straw onto the string, leaving an inch of string at the bottom.  Continue stringing the shapes and straws until you almost have reached the end of the string .  Tie the two ends of the string together.  

• Egg-Carton Greetings: Egg Carton, paper, ink pads

1. Cut off parts of the egg carton that have unusual shapes or patterns to use as stamps.
2. Cut a piece of paper to the size you'd like and fold it in half.
3. Press your egg carton parts onto ink pads.  Then press them on the front of the card to create a design.  Let your creativity shine!  

Some ideas were found in the following books:

• Look What You Can Make With Dozens of Household Items! by Boyds Mills Press
• Disney Family Fun Magazine; March 2010    www.FamilyFun.com
• The Giant Encyclopedia of Circle Time and Group Activities  by Gryphon House

Wacky Wednesday: Egg Carton Crafts!

Tuesday Tips!

Tuesday Tips!

Get Prepared for Spring's Worst Weather

 The spring weather is upon us and we need to be prepared for bad weather.  Below are some tips to be ready for it.

• The number one thing to buy is an: All Hazards Weather Alert Radio.  They sell for around $30. I have seen them at Hy-Vee, Wal-Mart, Menards. 
•  You set the alert radio for your area. When a weather alert, like any watches or warnings, is around your area, the radio will sound an alarm( you can set the volume on it too).  It goes off before the alert shows up on the tv. It will also tell you when the bad weather will hit your area with a specified time.  Mine has always been right on the money.  
•  It also gives warnings on child abductions too.  
• If you ever want to know what the weather is going to be like that day or the days to come, you can just press a button and they will give you the update.  The alarm may keep going off, if the weather is really bad, keeping you updated at all times. Please do not shut it off.  It will go off at all hours of the day, and you will be able to hear it, if your volume is up high enough.  Make sure to check this out before a storm might hit during the night.  It gives you enough warning for you and your family to make it to a safe place.  
• It has a back-up battery system in it too, so when the lights go out, it will still work.  Make sure to check the batteries from time to time in it.  

• Buy a plastic tote with a lid and store your supplies in it, put things like:

1. Flashlights, a nice lantern one is good for playing games. Kids love their own size lanterns to carry around.  They have the cutest ones with animals on them.
2. Pack of batteries: Make sure to have ones for the flashlights, game systems, book light, radio and cd player. 
3. Cans of food that you can eat when the light go out like: tuna, canned fruit, peanut butter
4. Can opener
5. Bottles of water or water jug
6. Movies you have been meaning to watch (if you have a portable DVD or Laptop Computer with a DVD Player in it.)
7. Toys
8. Board games
9. Children's books
10. Word search
11. Easy Crafts
12. Book light
13. Coloring Books and Crayons 
14. Snacks like fruit snacks, pop tarts, pringles
15. Juice boxes
16. Radio and CD player, CD's 
17. Plastic cups, paper plates, plastic silverware, napkins
18. Anti-bacterial hand sanitizer or baby wipes
19. Candles and Lighter (may sure you watch the candles when you light them if you have small children around.  Don't place them where someone can knock them over too.  You can have battery operated tea lights or candles too.
20. If you have a child in diapers, you may want to put some diapers and wipes in the tote. And an extra pacifier and change of clothes.  

On some of your devices that require batteries, you may not want to have the batteries in them, in case the batteries go bad and start to rust on the inside.  Keep a couple flashlight with batteries in them, but you might just want the batteries placed in a snack-sized bag taped to the flashlight for easy use. 

Put some things in Zip-Loc bags to keep them together and from spilling on something.

Put a piece of masking tape on top of the tote box and write down Storm Tote.  You can even put glow in the dark tape around it, so when the light go out, it will light up.  Keep the tote somewhere handy. You can put a nightlight with a flashlight plugged in near the Storm Tote so you can find it easy.

Make sure to check the tote to replace the food(may come expired) or anything else in the tote.

Put in new movies, games and toys after each lights out, so your kids don't get bored the next time.  

When you find toys and such on clearance it might be a good idea to place them in tote and your child will be surprised to get to play with a new toy and it might make them less afraid of the situation.

If you know a bad storm is coming you can place some cold items in a cooler with cold packs and ice.  Things like: Lunch meat, string cheese, mayo, mustard, fresh vegetables, pudding snack paks, jello snack paks, etc. 

You can pretend you're having a  picnic with your kids and make the situation a little more interesting.

Opening and shutting the refrigerator door when the lights go out is not a good idea, it may spoil the food faster inside there.  

Also, make sure to charge up your devices before the lights may go out.  Things like: cell phones, portable dvd players, game systems(PSP, Nintendo DS, Leapfrog or any other game systems).  Make sure these devices are plugged in when the storm may hit, so they don't ruin the devices.

I have night-lights that come with a small portable flashlight.  When the lights go out the flashlights automatically turn on, so you won't be completely in the dark.  

You can go onto www.weather.com to check up on your local weather.  There is also a sign-up to get alerts on your mobile. This comes in handy when your out of the house shopping or something, you will still know what's going on.  

Being prepared for bad weather is so easy and makes being in the dark fun.  My kids love when the lights go out because of all the fun stuff we do and its in the dark. 

Tuesday Tips!