Valentine's Day Week: Week 21: Saturday!

Valentine's Day Week: Saturday!

Crafts:

• Valentine's Animals: Different colored craft foam, Glue, Scissors, Pencil

1. Cut out a variety of different-sized hearts.  
2. Glue them together in unusual ways to make cute or funny valentine animals.
3. For example:  A Bunny: You could take a big heart place it upside down.  Then glue a smaller heart on top of the bigger heart for the head. For the arms and feet use smaller hearts and glue they on.  Then for the nose and eyes, cut out very small hearts and glue them on.  Cut out bunny ears and you will have a cute little bunny.

• Valentine's Bookmark:  Craft Foam, Glue, Glitter, Sequins, Foam marker, Hole Puncher, Ribbon

1. Cut out a long rectangle for the bookmark.  Fridge the ends of the bookmark.
2. Punch a hole in the upper corner and add a ribbon. Glue a heart on the end of the ribbon.  Make 2 hearts and glue the ribbon in-between them.  Write a message on both sides of the heart.
3. Write a message on the bookmark to your child's Valentine.
4. Have your child make hearts out of the craft foam and glue them onto the bookmark. 
5. Add glitter and sequins to the bookmark.

• Heart Photo Frame: Craft Foam(Red, Pink, Purple, White), Glue, Glitter, Foam Marker, Magnet

1. Cut out a 7 1/2" x 5 1/4" red piece.  Cut out a rectangle out of the middle for the picture.  Remember not to make the middle as big your picture because it will fall out.
2. Cut out different colored hearts.  Then right sayings on the front of the hearts.  Like: I Love You, Be Mine, Kiss Me, Hug Me.
3. Then glue the hearts all over the frame.  You can glue them on top of each other on sides and just layer them around.  Let dry. 
4. Place magnet on the back.  
5. Tape your photo on the back and hang up.

• Tissue Paper Heart: Red Sticky Back Foam Craft., Red and White Tissue Paper,  Ribbon or Magnet, Scissors, Pencil with eraser

1. Cut out little Squares, about 1" a piece, from the red and white tissue paper.
2. Make a heart out of the foam craft, the size you want. Peel off paper off the heart, lay sticky-size up. 
3. Have your child wrap a square around the pencil end and stick it to the heart.  Start with the red tissue paper and fill the middle of the heart in a heart shape.  Leave the sides of the heart for a border of white tissue paper. 
4. Glue a ribbon on the back for hanging or put a magnet on the back for hanging.

• Family Heart Mobile: Scissors, construction paper, photos of family, glue, hole puncher, string or yarn, wire coat hanger

1. Cut out hearts from colored construction paper, one for each family member.  Vary the color and sizes, but make sure each heart is large enough to glue a photo on.  
2. Take the photographs and cut out heart-shaped photos of each member of the family; if you want us use group photos, cut them to fit on one bigger paper heart.  
3. Glue one photo to each colored paper heart.  
4. Decorate the hearts with markers or write the names of each family member along the edges of the paper hearts.
5. Punch single holes in the center of the hearts. Thread various lengths of yarn through the holes and tie knots.  Tie the hearts to a wire clothes hanger at varying lengths to create a mobile.

Activities: 

• Valentine Puzzle:  6 Wide Craft Sticks, Markers, Masking Tape, Ribbon

1. Tape the craft sticks together to create a panel.  
2. Turn the panel over.  Use markers to draw a valentine picture and/or write a special message on the panel. 
3. Remove the tape from the back of the panel to separate the stick.
4. Stack the sticks in random order; then tie a ribbon around them.
5. To use: unwrap the sticks; then put them together to display the picture and/or greeting.

Snacks: 

• Check out Bake/Cook/Make Day Saturday for Snack

Education:

Letters/Words: 

• Word of the Day: Review the Words of the Week: The, Of, And, To
• Practice the four words of the week with your child. 
• Do does your child remember how to spell any of them?

Numbers: 

• Clay Numbers: Saucepan, 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup salt, 1 cup water, a few drops of food coloring, 1 tablespoon, vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons cream of tarter. 

Homemade Clay:

1. Combine the above ingredients into a saucepan. 
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until a ball is formed.
3. Let cool completely.  
4. Now you knead the clay until it is smooth and not sticky.  
5. This clay will last about one week when stored in an airtight plastic container or bag.

Clay Numbers:

1. Roll the clay back and forth with both hands making 3 snakes.
2. Bend and curl the clay snakes to form numbers 1, 2, and 3 in order.
3. See if you can identify each number with your eyes closed by feeling its shape.

• Use 2 lumps of clay to make impressions from 2 different objects in the room; then have someone guess where in the room your impression came from.
• Here's a little saying for your kids to say: " I love to roll and pat the clay.  It's so much fun to do all day. 

Nursery Rhyme: 

Pat-A-Cake, Pat-A-Cake, Baker's Man

• For words, origins, game, popular culture: Wikipedia

Reading:

The mitten by Jan Brett

• Tissue Paper Mitten: Tissue Paper(Different colors), Sticky Back Foam Craft, Glue, Scissors, Pencil

1. Trace your child's hand on the foam craft to form a mitten.  Make sure your child keeps their fingers closed and thumb out.
2. Cut or tear the tissue paper into pieces.  
3. Take the back off the mitten.  
4. Place pieces of tissue paper onto the mitten.  If you want to overlap the paper, you can use glue to make them stick.

Music: 

Snowflakes and Cupcakes     (Tune: Raindrops and Lemon Drops)  If all the snowflakes were chocolate covered cupcakes  Oh, what a snow it would be!  I'd go outside with my mouth open wide (open mouth and stick out tongue)  Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah  If all of the snowflakes were chocolate covered cupcakes  Oh, what a snow it would be!

• Song Found on Preschool Rainbow

Some ideas were found in the following books: 

• Unplugged Play by Bobbi Conner
• Big Book of Monthly Arts & Crafts by The Mailbox
• Math Play by Diane McGowan and Mark Schrooten

Valentine's Day Week: Week 21: Saturday!

Valentine's Day Week: Week 21: Friday!

Valentine's Day Week: Friday!

Crafts:

• Bottle-cap Picture: 30 Plastic Bottle-caps, Red Paint, Thin Cardboard, Construction Paper, Glue, Pencil

1. Glue a piece of construction paper onto a piece of cardboard.  Let dry.
2. Draw a heart onto the paper.
3. Glue bottle-caps faced down onto the paper.
4. Write or decorate it anyway your child wants.

• Gelatin-Colored Heart Creation: Glue, Powered Gelatin, Paper, Pencil, Newspaper 

1. Lay newspaper onto the table.
2. Place paper onto the newspaper and draw a heart onto the paper.
3. Then spread glue over the drawn heart.
4. Sprinkle gelatin onto glue and shake off excess.  Let dry.
5. Have your child finish decorating their project.

• Heart-Shaped  Sun-catcher: 2 Large sheets of Red construction paper, 12" x 15" piece of clear con-tact paper, tissue paper hearts in assorted colors and sizes, clear glitter, pencil, scissors, glue, thin cardboard

1. Make a heart tracer out of the cardboard.  To make a heart tracer, draw a large heart.  Then, starting and ending on the straight edge, cut 1 1/2 inches inside the curve of the shape.  
2. To make heart rings, fold each sheet of red construction paper in half.  Place the straight edge of the heart tracer on the fold of each sheet; then trace the outer and inner edges of it.  Cut out the shape on both lines.  Do not cut on the fold.
3. Fold the con-tact covering in half.  Place the straight edge of the heart tracer on the fold.  Trace only the outer edge of the tracer with a pencil; then cut out the shape.
4. Remove the backing from the con-tact covering.  Randomly place tissue paper hearts on the sticky side of the covering.
5. Sprinkle glitter onto the remaining sticky areas of the covering.
6. Glue the decorated covering between the two heart rings.

• "Love Bug" Puppet: Red, Pink, White and Purple Construction Paper, Glue, Markers, Paper Lunch Bag

1. Cut out a heart and draw a cute face on it with a felt-tip marker.  
2. Attach some accordion-pleated strips to the top of the heart for feelers.  Glue a small heart to the top of each feeler.
3. Glue the heart head on the bottom of a paper lunch bag.  
4. Decorate the rest of the bag with heart-shaped "spots." 
5. Place your hand in the bag and work the fold near the bottom with your fingers and thumb to make the bug "talk."

Activities:

• 1, 2, 3 Launch!Game: 16" Cardboard Square, Clean 2-Liter Plastic Bottle, Markers, Scissors, Stapler, Construction Paper, Round Self-Adhesive Labels, Plastic Lid, Paper Clips

1. For the board: cut 16-inch Cardboard square.
2. With an adult's help, cut the top from a Clean 2-Liter Plastic Bottle, and discard it.  Cut eight evenly spaced slits from the rim of the bottle to 1 1/2 inches from the bottom.  Place the bottle in the middle of the board.  Pull down the tabs, and mark the board where the tabs end. 
3. At each mark, draw a rectangle, and write Launch! on it.  Draw four squares to connect each rectangle to another.  So in-between launch word are 4 squares.  With Markers, color the squares in four colors, like launch: then red, blue, green, purple. Then decorate the middle of the board.  Staple the tab ends onto the rectangles.
4. For cards: use Construction Paper matching the four colors of the squares.  Cut four 2-inch-by-3-inch cards from each color.  Cut four more cards from another color, and write the Launch! on them.
5. For chips: stick four Round self-adhesive labels on a plastic lid and cut around them.  Use markers to color each circle differently.
6. To PLAY: Shuffle the cards.  Choose a starting point for everyone to use.  Each player taken a chip and, in turn, picks a card, then places his or her chip on the first space that matches that card.  If it lands on a Launch! space, the player tries to launch his or her chip into the middle by pressing on one end of the chip with a paper clip. If the chip does go in, the player can pick a new card.  The first player to make it around the board wins. 

• Ballon Heart Bat Game: Large Paper Plate, Paint, Crayons, and/or Markers, Colored Glue, Glue, Jumbo Craft Sticks or Tongue Depressors, Balloon

1. Decorate a plate with whatever materials you like.  We made a big heart in the middle, with several smaller hearts surround it and in it with colored glue.
2. Glue one stick to the middle of the back of the plate.  For a larger handle, glue another stick to the first stick with about a 1" overlap.
3. Blow up a balloon to about a softball size and see how many times your child can bounce the balloon off the bat.
4. Make two bats and play pretend tennis with a friend.
5. You can even cut the plate into a heart shape and decorate that way.  You could punch holes around the plate, and thread yarn in and out of the holes too.

Snacks:

• Heart-Shaped Brownies from Little Debbie
• Valentine's Cookies:

1. Nestle Toll House: Valentine Hearts with different hear messages and icing included
2. Nestle Toll House: Valentine Swirled Chocolate Chip Cookies 
3. I found mine at Wal-Mart in the refrigerator section for around $2 

Education: 

Letters/Words:

• Word of the Day: Index Card, Pen

1. To
2. Write this word onto an index card and use as a flash card.  Place the card in an index card holder box, so that your child can practice it.
3. Practice this word with your child all day.  
4. Make sure to ask them throughout the day how to spell it.
5. Point the word out in stories that you read to your child.

• Rhyming Words: Index cards, Pen

1. Start with the word Cat.  Think of words that rhyme with Cat like: Bat, Fat, Hat, Mat, Pat, Sat
2. Point out to your child how they rhyme.  
3. Show them that the only difference between all the words is the first letter.
4. Write ______ AT on an index card. Make sure to write a line before the at.  
5. Then cut out small squares out of index cards, with the first letters of each word like: B, C, F, H, M, P, S
6. Next, have your child place a square letter on the line and ask them what it says.
7. Have your child make up sentences with the words like: The Fat Cat Sat on the Mat.  Can also work in their daily words to the sentences too.
8. Have them right each word out and make sure they know how easy it is to just replace the first letter to get another word.

Numbers:

1. Sing the song Three Blind Mice
2. Now substitute the following words to the same tune.  Hold up the right number of fingers as you sing one, two, three.

One, Two, Three

One, Two, Three

See How I Count

See How I Count

I Count one, two, three, and I start with one.

I count, one, two, three, it's a lot of fun!

I count one, two, three, and now that I'm done, 

I can count to three,

I can count to three.

• Make up other songs with one, two, three. Sing the numbers to a tune you already know or make up an entirely new song yourself! Here's one to sing The Farmer in the Dell:

I love to count to three,

I love to count to three,

I start with one, my work is done,

When I say one, two, three

Music: 

• Have your child play their Kazoo

I Love The Color Red! Song:

Oh, I love the color red, R E D

Oh, I love the color red, R E D

Oh, I love the color red, like the jam spread on my bread,

Oh, I love the color red, R E D

Reading:

The Mitten by Jan Brett

• Handprint Mitten Keepsake: Big Piece of Red Craft Foam, Blue and Green Craft Foam, White Finger Paint, Blue Ribbon, Glue, Foam Marker 

1. Cut out a big red foam heart.
2. Trace your hands on the blue craft, keep fingers closed, to make the mittens.
3. Cut out 2 strips to glue on top of the mittens for fur on the mittens.
4. Have your child place their hands into the white finger paint and place their hands onto the mittens, make sure they put their hands onto the right mittens.
5. Glue hands onto the heart.
6. Then write a simple sentence at the bottom of the heart like: Cold Hands, Warm Heart!

Nursery Rhyme: 

"Georgie Porgie"

Georgie Porgie pudding and pie,
Kissed the girls and made them cry
When the boys came out to play,
Georgie Porgie ran away.

Georgie Porgie Rhyme: origins and history

Some Ideas Were Found In The Following Books: 

• Big Monthly Arts and Crafts by The Mailbox
• The Kids' Encyclopedia Of Things To Make And Do by Richard Michael Rasmussen/Ronda Lee Rasmussen
• Highlights: The Holidays 2009 Magazine
• Look What You Can Make With Dozens of Household Items! by Boyds Mills Press
• Math Play! by Diane McGowen & Mark Schrooten

Valentine's Day Week: Week 21: Friday!

Valentine's Day Week: Week 21: Thursday!

Valentine's Day Week

Thursday!

Crafts:

• Woven Heart Pocket: White and red poster board, seasonal ribbons, scissors, decorative edging scissors, glue, pencil, thin cardboard

1. Make a large heart template and a slightly smaller one from a piece of thin cardboard.
2. Trace the larger heart onto white poster board.
3. Trace the smaller heart onto red poster board; then cut it out.
4. Fold the red heart in half.  Cut slits in the heart, about a 1/2" to the edge, spacing them one-half inch apart.
5. Unfold the heart and then weave lengths of ribbon through the slits in an alternating pattern.  Trim the excess ribbon.
6. Glue the edges of the red heart to the white heart, leaving the top open to create a pocket.
7. You can use their heart pocket to collect valentines.  Or have him fill it with an edible treat to give to a loved one.

• Bouquet of Love: Thin cardboard, laundry detergent bottle lid, pipe cleaners(cut about 1" longer than the lid height), polystyrene foam block cut to fit inside the lid, craft foam(pink, white, red), pencil or pen, heart confetti or punch-outs, scissors, craft glue

1. Make tracers: Draw a few different heart and flower sizes onto cardboard; then cut them out. 
2. To make a vase, decorate the lid with the ribbon and heart confetti.
3. Trace several hearts and/or flowers on the craft foam; then cut out each shape.  Use a pencil to make a pilot hole in each.
4. Gently poke one end of a pipe cleaner into each cutout.
5. Use a pencil to poke one hole(per flower) into the foam block.  Then insert the free end of each pipe cleaner into the foam block.
6. Press the foam block firmly into the bottom of the vase.
7. Spread out, bend, and turn the hearts and/or blooms to arrange.
8. You can have your child decorate the hearts and flowers with glitter, sequins, and seasonal confetti before putting them in the foam block.

• Candy Kiss: Thin cardboard pieces, white construction paper, 12" square of aluminum foil, permanent markers, scissors, glue, tape

1. Draw a candy kiss onto a piece of cardboard.  Kind of like a heart-shape without the indention of the heart, like the top section was cut off.
2. Trace the candy kiss onto another piece of cardboard.  Cut out.
3. Then gently wrap the foil, shiny side up, around the kiss.  Glue the edges of the foil to the back.
4. Cut out a ribbon shape from white construction paper.  Tape the ribbon to the back of the kiss.
5. Use markers to write your child's name or another name on the ribbon and draw a face on the candy.

• Oracle of Love(Magic 8-Ball): 1-inch diameter styrofoam ball, scissors, white craft foam, permanent marker, hot glue gun; small, clean glass jar with lid(like a baby food jar), teflon tape(if needed), crayola model magic clay

1. Gently form the styrofoam ball into a cube by pressing it against a table with your thumb.
2. Cut six hearts from the craft foam and write an answer with permanent marker on each one, such as "Yes," "No," or "You bet."  Attach these hearts to the cube with hot glue.
3. Place the answer cube in the jar and fill the jar with water right to the top.  Close the lid tightly and test for leaks.  If your jar isn't watertight, wrap Teflon tape around the jar's threads before closing the lid.
4. Cover the jar with Model Magic clay, leaving the bottom of the jar clear. Roll small pieces of Model Magic into snakes, and use them to decorate the outside of your oracle with hearts.
5. To use your oracle, keep it lid-side as you ask your question, then turn it over to learn the answer.
6. Model Magic is recommended for this project because it stays slightly flexible after it dries.  Other clays can crack.
7. Craft was found at www.FamilyFun.com or in the February 2010 edition of Disney Family Fun Magazine.

Activities:

• Hearts and Spades: 2 Decks of Cards

Setup: 

• Remove all the hearts and all the spades from each deck of cards.  You will use only 26 cards from each deck (52 total). Keep the cards from the two decks separate.

Play:

• Shuffle each of these small decks of cards.  Place one deck facedown in the middle of the table.  Using the second deck (dealer's deck), deal four cards face-up in front of each player.
• Players take turns turning over a card from the deck on the table and matching the cards in their hand.  When a match is made, the player puts these two cards facedown on the table and is dealt one more card from the dealer's deck so that each player has a hand of four cards at all times. (If no match is made, the child may place this matchless card facedown at the bottom of the dealer's deck and take another card.) The game continues until all the cards (in both players' hands) have been matched.
• Use a full deck of cards for older children, who are skilled at discerning the difference between spades and clubs or hearts and diamonds. 

• Jigsaw Plate: Sturdy dinner-sized paper plates, Pencil, Markers or Crayons, Scissors

1. Decorate the plate with heart, flowers, etc.  
2. Carefully cut the plate apart into puzzle-shaped pieces.  You might want to lightly sketch outlines of the pieces before you begin cutting.
3. Use a second plate as a base on which to reassemble the puzzle. You may want to draw the shapes  of the pieces on the base plate if it is going to be for younger children.  Store your puzzle in a plastic bag.
4. Could also cut the puzzle pieces into geometric shapes.  Or write a message on the puzzle and give it to a secret pal to put together. 

Snack/Food:

• Mini Grilled Cheese Hearts and Tomato Soup: 

1. Make grilled cheese sandwiches and then use a heart-shaped cookie cutter and cut out mini sandwiches. 
2. Make tomato soup to go with your heart shaped sandwiches.
3. Serve with crackers.
4. For a great creamy tomato soup recipe from all you magazine

Education: 

Letters/Words:

• Word of the Day: Index Cards, Pen

1. And
2. Practice this word with your child. Have them practice spelling it.
3. Write the word on an index card and store it in an index box holder.
4. When reading a story have your child say the word.  

• Rhyme Puzzles: Thin Cardboards, Construction Paper or Writing Paper, Glue, Markers

1. Glue paper onto thin pieces of cardboard.  Let dry.
2. Divide each cardboard into 4 or 5 sections, going down, about 2 inches wide.
3. Down the middle of each section, draw a line, then a shape like a triangle, square, rectangle, then another line. So that each section has a shape dividing it in half.
4. Then on each section, write one word on one half and a rhyming word on the other half.  like Cat on one side and Mat on the other side.  
5. Then cut out each section and cut the halves too.
6. Have your child try to match the puzzles pieces with the rhyming words and the shapes.

• Word Coloring Pages: Coloring pages, pencils, crayons, piece of paper

1. Write rhyming words down on a piece of paper like: cat, bat, hat, mat, pat, fat, nat add color key-codes to each word. Like cat=blue; bat=red; hat=purple, etc.
2. Then have your child color their page according to the color key-code.

Numbers: 

• Magic Wand Fun: Paper towel tube, different colored ribbons or yarn, glue, glitter or confetti

1. Wrap the tube roll with different colored ribbon or yarn.  Draw designs with glue around the wand; then sprinkle on glitter or confetti for a magical sparkling look.
2. Have your child pretend that you are a magician who changes objects with the touch of your magic wand.  Then, look around the room and gently tap 2 things your child sees that are red. Saying one, two, three-presto! What would your child change those 2 red things into?
3. Now have your child move into another room and use their wand to tap 2 things that are blue.
4. Tap 2 things that are round; then 2 things that are square. 

• Three Party: 3 small plastic cups, 3 finger foods(raisins, chocolate chips, peanuts), 2 stuffed animals or dolls

1. Arrange your child's stuffed animals on their bed or table or blanket on the floor near them.
2. Put 1 cup in front of each of their stuffed animals and 1 in front of your child.
3. Have your child count how many cups there are; then have your child place one of each different kind of food in each of the cups, counting each one as they place in cup.  
4. Spill out the treats from each cup, one at a time, counting and eating each piece of food as you go.  Be sure to help the animals eat their treats, too!

• Sort out the remaining foods so that only 1 food is in each cup.  They may want to sort all the raisins in 1 cup and all the peanuts in another.  What other ways can you sort your foods? By color? By shape? Rough or smooth? Salty or sweet? Don't forget to eat your treat!
• Add other types of small foods to the mix; then sort the foods into muffin tins. 

• Writing Numbers: Index cards, Pen, Writing Tablets

1. On the blank side of the 3 index card write the number 1-2-3 on its own index card.  On the other side write the word one-two-three
2. Practice with your child on reading the numbers and words.
3. On three pieces of writing paper, write the numbers one-two-three on its on piece.  Then, have your child practice writing each number word.  

Music: 

• Have your child play their Kazoo they made yesterday and sing Valentine's song.  List on Monday's post.
Reading:
The mitten by Jan Brett
• Glove Puppets: Gray Mittens; Felt(Gray and Pink); 2 small black pom-poms; Pink Pipe Cleaner; Glue; 1 pink pom pom, black string, black permanent marker or black squeeze paint.

1. Cut 2 round gray circles for the mouse's ears.  Cut two pink smaller circles for the inner ear.  Glue together.  Glue onto mittens, one by pinky finger and one by the pointer finger.  
2. Glue a couple pieces of string onto the middle of the mitten for whiskers.
3. Glue a pink pom pom into the middle of the sting. 
4. Glue the eyeballs(2 small black pom poms)
5. Draw a mouth on with a black permanent marker or black squeeze paint.
6. Glue a piece of pipe cleaner onto the side of the mitten for the tail.

Lots of Mitten songs on perpetual preschool

Nursery Rhyme: 
 My Valentine Sing this song to the tune of "The Muffin Man Oh, will you be my valentine? My valentine?  My valentine? Oh, will you be my valentine? And love me every day? Oh, yes, I'll be your valentine, Your valentine, your valentine. Oh, yes, I'll be your valentine, And love you every day. Found on preschool rainbow website
Some ideas were found in the following books:
Big Book of Monthly Arts & Crafts by The Mailbox
Family Fun Magazine
Look What You Can Make With Dozens of Household Items! by Boyds Mill Press
Math Play! by Diane McGowen & Mark Schrooten
Unplugged Play by Bobbi Conner

Valentine's Day Week: Week 21: Thursday!

Valentine's Day Week: Week 21: Tuesday

Valentine's Day Week

Tuesday

Crafts:

• Valentine's Box: Covered cube-shaped tissue box, paints, seasonal confetti, stickers and assorted heart cutouts, 2 1/2" length of pipe cleaner, craft knife, permanent marker, glue, hole puncher

1. In advance, cover the sides of the box with a 5 1/2"x18" piece of red pink or white contact covering.  Use the craft knife to cut along one side of box to make a flap. Go down only 3/4 way. Then cut out a heart-shaped flap with scissors.
2. Paint the top of the tissue box.  Let the paint dry.
3. Use the marker to write your child's name on the flap.
4. Decorate the box with valentine confetti, stickers, and heart cutouts.
5. Punch a hole in the box top and another in the flap.
6. Thread one end of the pipe cleaner through the hole in the flap; then twist it to secure it.
7. Shape the other end of the pipe cleaner into a hook. Insert it into the hole in the box top.
8. To use, deposit valentine cards(and small treats) in the top opening of the box.  Then unhook and open the flap to remove the goodies.

• Heart Jester: Two craft sticks, construction paper, gogglie eyes, cardboard box scraps, paints, glue

1. Glue two craft sticks together to make an X shape.
2. Cut two construction paper hearts to form the body.  Glue them together with the X sandwiched in between.
3. Cut a smaller paper heart for the head.  Glue a gogglie eye and a paper smile on the face. Add small paper hearts, if you like.
4. Cut four 1/2-inch hearts from cardboard-box scraps.  Cut small slits into, but not through, the center of the hearts.  Paint them, if you wish, and let dry.  Press the craft-stick ends into the slits.  Glue to secure.

• Stick-with-a-Heart Bouquet: Construction paper, craft stick, ribbon

1. Cut four hearts-two pin and two red--about 2 1/2 inches wide by 2 1/2 inches high.
2. Cut two 1-inch hearts from green paper.  Cut a slightly smaller heart from purple paper.
3. Arrange the four large hearts to make a heart bouquet at one end of the craft stick, and glue in place.  Add the two green hearts to make heart-shaped leaves.  Add the small purple heart in the middle of the craft stick.
4. Add a small ribbon bow.  Write a message on the center large heart, if you wish.

• Magazine Valentine: Pencil, thin cardboard, construction paper, magazines, white paper, ribbon and other trims

1. Sketch a small heart on the in cardboard. Cut the heart out to use as a pattern.
2. Make a folded card from construction paper that is slightly larger than the heart pattern.
3. Use the pattern to trace a heart on the front of the card.  Cut the traced heart out.
4. From a magazine, cut an area of red or pink color that is slightly larger than the heart.  Glue the magazine picture inside the card so that the color shows through the cutout heart.  Cut a liner from the white paper.  Glue the liner inside the card.
5. Add some ribbon or trim to the front. 

• Handprint Heart Keepsake Hanger: Craft foam(Red, purple, white, pink), glue, red string, red finger paint

1. Cut out a white heart big enough for both your child's hands.  Have your child place the hands into the paint and place their hands on the heart.  Palm side is at the top of the heart.
2. Cut out a purple rectangle for your heart to fit into and for a border around the hands too.  Glue heart into center of the rectangle.
3. Cut out squares out of the pink, red and white craft foam.  This will be used for the border.  Glue the squares around the rectangle.  
4. Cut out 4 purple hearts and glue them into the corners.
5. Cut out 2 signs to glue on top and bottom and write Happy Valentine's Day and the bottom have your child's name and year. 
6. Glue string onto the back of the picture for hanging.

 Activity:

• Heart-Shaped Art: Heart-shaped cookie cutter, paints, paper

1. Dip the cookie cutter into the paints and make heart-shaped art work.

• Homemade Paper: Sponge, scraps of paper, blender, water, piece of window screen, foam meat tray, scissors, duct tray, plastic dishpan and a board

1. Make a dipping screen: Cut the center out of a clean foam meat tray. Cut a piece of window screen to fit the hole and tape it to the tray.  
2. Tear stationery, computer paper, business cards, index cards, and envelopes into small pieces.  Don't use newspaper, paper towels, or tissues.
3. Fill the blender 3/4 full of water.  Turn it on low and slowly add a handful of paper pieces.  Use lots of water and not much paper, or you'll ruin the blender.
4. Grind the paper into a soupy mash (called pulp). Pour the water and pulp into the dishpan half full of water.  The pulp will float! Do this 5 to 6 times. 
5. Slip your dipping screen into the water under the floating pulp.  Lift it straight up, catching a thin layer of pulp on the screen.
6. Gently flip the screen over onto a damp towel. Pat the back of the screen with a wet sponge to release the layer of pulp. 
7. Lift off the screen and fold the towel over on top of the pulp.  Repeat this process until you have several layers of pulp between layers of towel or cloth.
8. Place the stack of towels and paper on the basement floor or outside on the sidewalk.  Put the board on top and stand on it to squeeze out the water.
9. Peel back the towel and very gently work your fingers under the paper and lift it off.  Do this for each piece of paper, and put them on a flat surface to dry overnight.
10. You can also decorate homemade paper after you flip it off the screen on to the towel. Pat any small, flat object into it.  Try dried flowers, strips of ribbon, or tiny stars, and sequins.  Then press the paper and let it dry.
11. Now your child can make a personalized Valentine's Day Card.

Snack:

• Eat Your Heart Out!: 3 (3-ounce) packages of red flavored gelatin, 1 (14-ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk, 2 (1/4-ounce) envelopes of unflavored gelatin

1. Dissolve one package of flavored gelatin in 3/4 cup boiling water.  Add 3/4 cup cold water, then pour the mixture into a 9-by 13-inch glass pan and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Stir together 1/2 cup boiling water and the condensed milk.  In a separate bowl, dissolve all the unflavored gelatin in 1/2 cup cold water for 1 to 2 minutes.  Throughly mix in 3/4 cup boiling water, then combine this mixture with the milk and let it cool.  Add half the mixture to the pan of red gelatin, pouring it over a spatula to slow the stream, and refrigerate for 20 minutes. 
3. Continue alternating layers--gelatin mix, the remaining milk mix, the final gelatin mix-chilling each for 20 to 30 minutes to set it.  Create individual servings with a heart-shaped cookie cutter.
4. Found at FamilyFun.com.

Education:

Letters/Words:

• Alphabet Practice: Paper, Permanent Marker, Contact Paper, Dry Erase Marker

1. On a 16 pieces of paper divide it into 12 squares. Each alphabet gets their own paper.
2. In each square write an alphabet letter like A or a on the left hand side by itself.  On the right side write 3 letters make sure on is an A or a.  The other letters can be any alphabet they want, like m or T.  
3. Have your child try to find the matching letters. Circle the correct ones with dry erase markers.
4.  You don't have to cover them in contact paper if you don't want, I did so my child can redo them over and over again.
5. You can do this with words too.  Helps them recognize the words more and help them to read.

• Missing "A" Letter: Paper, Pencil, Pictures of things with the letter A like Apple, Ant, Man, Cat,  Map

1. Divide the paper into 6-8 squares.  
2. In each square glue the picture.  Then below each picture right the word, expect leave out the letter A or a.  
3. Then, have your child say what the picture is, then write the missing letter in each square, and finally have them say the word again.  Repetition is good for learning how to read.
4. You can laminate these papers too, if you wish.

• Word For The day: Index card, Pen

1. Of
2. Practice the word with your child, through-out the day.  
3. Write the word on an index card and store in box.  
4. When reading a story point out the word, and have them say it and spell it.

Numbers:

• Noisy Animals and Things: 

1. Count to 3 and say the name of an animal or bird, like a duck.
2. Imitate the sound of a loud duck 3 times--quack! quack! quack!
3. Take turns or do it together.
4. Now name 3 things that are noisy around home or neighborhood and imitate the sound 3 times. Like: vacuum cleaner, a clock, purring cat, a car, a train, fire engine, etc.

• 3 Animals:

1. Think of 3 animals that you would find on a farm and count them on your fingers as you say their names out loud.
2. Now count and name 3 animals you could see at the park.
3. What 3 animals might you see at the ocean.

Music:

• Have your child play their Kazoo they made yesterday and sing Valentine's song.  List on Monday's post.

Reading:

The Mitten by Jan Brett

• The Mitten: 2 white stretchy knee socks, scissors, needles and thread, items to represent animals in the story.

1. In advance, cut the two knee socks down the middle, open them flat and sew the edges together to make a long stretchy mitten.
2. Fill the mitten with the animals.
3. Let your child tell the story of The Mitten rather than reading it.
4. When finished telling the story, hold up the stuffed mitten and say, " Here is Nikki's mitten.  Let's see what animal crawled inside to get warm!"
5. Ask your child to reach inside the mitten and retrieve an animal.

Science:  Place one of animals inside the mitten.  Ask your child to feel the outside of the mitten (or inside the mitten) and guess what animal is inside.

Nursery Rhyme: 

• Colorful mittens song
• Printable: Jan Brett: "The Mitten": Coloring Pages, Iron-Ons, Activities

Some ideas found in the following books:

• Big book of monthly arts and crafts by the mailbox books.  www.themailbox.com
• Look what you can make with dozens of household items! by Boyds Mills Press
• Make Gifts! by Kim Solga
• The giant encyclopedia of circle time and group activities by gryphon house
• Math Play by Diane McGowan & Mark Schrooten

Valentine's Day Week: Week 21: Tuesday

Valentine's Day Week: Week 21: Monday

Valentine's Day Week

MONDAY

Crafts:

• Valentine's Mailbox: Box(shoes), foam paper, cardboard, craft stick, metal paper fastener

1. Cut the box to have rounded ends.  Cut a rounded door inside on end. Don't cut the bottom off, leave it like a flap, like on a real mailbox.
2. Glue foam paper over it so that it forms a round top.  Cover the front and back of the mailbox, too.  Glue a foam-paper handle and a sign on the door.
3. Make a flag and a holder from cardboard and a craft stick.  Put a paper fastener through the holder, the bottom of the flag, and the mailbox.  Put the flag up when you have mail.

• Valentine's Photo Card: Paper bags, scissors, glue and tape, photo, colored pencils, paints

1. Fold a section cut from a paper bag into the size you want your greeting card.
2. On the front of the card, cut out a shape that is slightly smaller than the photo.  Tape the photo behind the shape.  
3. Paint hearts around the photo.  Add details with colored pencils.
4. Write a greeting inside the card.

• "Bee" Mine, Valentine!: Egg Carton, brown yarn, chenille sticks, waxed paper, cardboard, construction paper, markers

1. Cut one cup from the egg carton. Cover it with glue. Wind brown yarn around the cup to make it look like a hive.
2. Wrap a yellow chenille stick around your finger or a pencil to make a bee shape.  Wrap a black chenille stick around the yellow bee to make stripes.  Glue the bee to the hive.  Cut wings from waxed paper, and glue then in place.  Glue on paper eyes.
3. Cut a large heart from cardboard and cover it with paper.  Glue the hive to the center of the heart.  Write a Valentine greeting.

• Flower Sucker Valentines: Scrap-booking paper or card stock, lollipop, tape

1. Cut three heart-shaped petals, two leaves and two flower centers from scrap-booking paper or card stock.  
2. Poke a small hole in each, crease the petals, and slide the pieces onto a lollipop stem.
3. Tape the bottom to secure.

Activity:

• Toss-n-Scoop Game: Plate, a small paper cup, cardboard tube, paint or markers, glue or tape, foam or yarn ball

1. Begin by decorating a plate, a small paper cup, and a cardboard tube with paint or makers.  When dry, make your dome and glue or tape the bottom of the cup to its top center.
2. To make a dome: Put the plate face up and draw a 2" circle in the center. Lightly folding the plate into 4 equal sections will help you find the center. Tracing around a small cup or other circular-shaped object is the easiest way to draw a circle.
3. Cut from the edge of the plate toward the center, stopping when you get to the outside of the circle you just drew.  Make another cut, in the same way, about 1/8" from the first cut.  After you stop at the edge of the circle, cut back to your first line.  Throw away the tiny cutout piece.
4. Repeat this procedure so that when you have completed this step the plate has 4 equal sections with a circle in the center.  Overlap the sections and staple the edges .  You should have a dome shape with 4 thin triangular slits.
5. After the cup is secure, tape the tube into the base of the cup.  Now just turn it over and your scoop is ready for action!  Using a foam or yarn ball, toss the ball into the air and catch it in your scoop.
6. Have a friend make a scoop and play "toss and scoop" together like a game of catch.

• Loved-Up T-Shirt: Paper, pencil, scissors, t-shirt, iron, sticky tape, stencil paint, brush

1. Draw a half a heart on a folded piece of paper and cutting it out with scissors.
2. Iron the t-shirt flat.  Place a piece a paper inside the t-shirt(to protect the back).  Position the heart stencil on the front of the t-shirt and tape it down.  Paint on the stencil paint gently with short dabs.
3. Remove the stencil when the paint is dry (if it dries flat you can use the stencil again).  Iron to fix the paint, following the manufacturer's instructions.

Snack:

• Pudding Cones: Box of instant pudding, quart-sized ziplock bag, 2 cups milk, ice-cream cones, sprinkles

1. Empty a box of your favorite pudding mix into a quart-size ziplock bag and pour in 2 cups of cold milk.  Seal the bag, then squeeze, kneed, and shake vigorously for 8 to 10 minutes or until the contents are thickened.
2. Place the bag in the refrigerator to set.  To serve, cut off one corner of the bag and squeeze the pudding into ice-cream cones.  Don't forget to top with sprinkles.

Education:

Letters/Words:

• Things That Rhyme: Index cards, pictures of things that rhyme, glue, marker

1. Glue a picture onto each index card. Things that rhyme: Cat, hat, bat, mat, fox, box, goat, boat, top, mop, fish, dish, sled, frog
2. Have your child try to find the things that rhyme.  

• Letter Matching: Paper, Pen/Pencil

1. On a piece of paper write down about 10 alphabet letters down the page.  Make sure to put down the big and small alphabet letters like Dd, Jj, etc.
2. Next to each letter, write four words across, for example: Dd:   see   go   sit  Dad.
3. Then have your child pick which word goes with the letters.  Dd = Dad.

• Word For The Day: Index card, Pen

1. The
2. Practice this word with your child. Have them practice spelling it.
3. Write the word on an index card and store it in an index box holder.
4. When reading a story have your child say the word.  

Numbers:

• Number Fun: 

1. Count to three with your child.  
2. Then count to three again and say a word like jump, clap, hug, giggle, sneeze, spin, smile, roll, or yawn, right after.
3. Do what the other person says 3 times.
4. Switch places. Now it's your turn to count to 3 out loud and say "jump" or "clap."

• Other things you can do such as roll under the table, run around the yard, or jump over your teddy bear.
• Ask a friend to roll 2 dice.  Then, count the number of dots, and call out something to do that many times: somersaults, jumping jacks, sit-ups, etc.
• Make a rhyme by counting to 3 and calling out an action that rhymes with the last number you called out.  Then, do that thing 3 times: One, two, three-- touch my knee!; One, two, three---drink some tea!; One, two, three--buzz like a bee!

Music: 

• Valentine's Songs: Click Here
• Kazoo: Toliet paper tube, rubber band, wax paper, paint

1. Paint tube. Let dry.
2. Place a piece of wax paper over the end of a toilet paper tube.  
3. Hold the wax paper in place with a rubber band.
4. Children blow into the wax paper and make a humming sound.

Reading:

The Mitten By Jan Brett

• Mittens: Construction Paper, Scissors, Pencils

1. Trace around your hands, just don't add the spaces in between the fingers.  Make sure to make 2 of each color and size.
2. Cut out the mittens.
3. Hide the mittens around the house.  Now have your child try to find the matching mittens.  They can only find one pair at a time.

Nursery Rhyme:

• Three Little Kittens: Click Here for Rhyme and history.

Valentine's Day Week: Week 21: Monday