Perfect activity for emerging readers, practicing spelling words and makes a great center for classrooms.  This is so simple and easy to organize. Choose the words your child or students need to practice. Then, write or print the words on a list. Then print the words again large and cut the letters apart as in the picture shown.  I used sentence strips, I just love them!  Place everything into a bag or plastic container. The list of words can be taped to the front of the container or bag.

If you plan on keeping these, I would organize by color or some other system so you can easily pull out the words you will need. For example, colors could be a code for easy to difficult, or grade levels or the week of the spelling list.  Use what makes sense to you. Happy spelling!

This fun and easy lesson demonstrates that the stars are always shining!

You will need:

paper hole punch, index card,white letter envelope and a flashlight

Procedure:

Punch about eight holes in the card

stars lesson

Place the index card into the envelope

Hold the envelope in front of you with the flashlight about two inches from the front of of the envelope and over the index card (Do this in a well lit room.)

Do you see the holes?

(The holes in the index card are not seen when the light shines on the front side, away from you.)

Now, move the flashlight behind the envelope, holding the flashlight about two inches from the back of the envelope.

(The holes are now seen when the light comes from behind the envelope and towards you.)

Explanation:

Light passes through the holes no matter where the flashlight is directed, but only when the surrounding area is darker than the light coming through the holes can they be seen. This is true of stars. They shine during the daylight hours, but the sky is bright from the sun’s light so the stars just blend in.  That is why stars are most visible on dark nights and away from city lights.

As I try to instill art and culture into our home, I find it is hard to find the time. So, I am  looking for simple and fun activities to do with my children before they grow up on me!  It can be challenging to squeeze in these art lessons now that both children are in school and the days zzzzoom on by. So, this year I am going to have an artist wall for about a month. On this wall we will add facts, quotes and pieces of art found online, in magazines or on postcards.  Although we have been to the art museum, I am hoping to visit this summer with fresh new artist eyes!

I will post on our experiences and include our art projects as we go.

TO PREPARE

First, get  a large binder. This will become the artist binder. As your family studies an artist you can put the information into this binder. If you have a bulletin or wall you can place into the binder after displaying for the week/month. Try to keep the facts and art work 8×10 size, so it will fit into the binder. They do have larger scrapbook sized books that would also be nice and then you could have larger sizes of artwork from the children.

Next, give each child an art journal. This can be a binder or notebook. I got my children a sketch book that has no lines.

*Tip: limited on wall space, use a science bulletin board that folds into thirds. You can display and easily put in the closet when company comes over.

Deciding your artist could come directly from the children or look into what artists you have at your closest art museum. As for me, I am starting with Gauguin because I just taught about him at my son’s school for art masterpiece and I already have a book. So, whatever your method, get started!

First session with your children or class:

Give them art journals and decorate front, include name.

Introduce artist name.

Ask what they know about artist? Make a list.

Ask what they want to know? Write responses.

Leave a blank paper labeled “What we Learned about ……”

*Write as group on large paper/poster board or dry erase board OR have each child write in their own art journal.

This could end first session or you could read book on artist or show some of the artwork and discuss what they think of the shown pieces.  All of this can be found at library or on-line.

Looking forward to sharing about our first session and artist, Gauguin.

Did you know that there is a day just to celebrate Pooh Bear?  The day is in honor of the English author, A.A. Milne.

Choose a story and read aloud as you munch on some Pooh Bear Treats!

Pooh Bear Sandwiches

Children can cut their own bread with a bear shaped cookie cutter. Mix peanut butter and “hunny” and have children spread on their bear shaped bread. Yum.  we toasted our bread first, and then cut out. I have heard you can freeze the bread before cutting.

Pooh Bear Tasty Treats

Ingredients:

1/4 cup crushed wheat flake cereal
3 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk solids
Non-stick cooking spray

Reserve two tablespoons crushed cereal. Mix honey and peanut butter. Gradually add nonfat milk, mixing well. Spray hands with non-stick cooking spray (or butter)and shape into 1/2 inch balls. Roll in reserved cereal. Chill until firm, about 1 hour. Store in refrigerator. Adult help may be needed and makes about 24 treats.

A yummy in the tummy way to practice letters for the little ones!  Using your favorite pancake recipe, look at mine below, make the letter of the day or the child’s initials on the griddle.   Or, as a class focuses on the letter “P” have a pancake snack and serve up letter P pancakes. Yum!

In the younger grades it is fun to read “If You give A Pig A Pancake” and have pancake snacks that day, as well as other literature activities. If you are in a school, please check your policies. As when I taught, we brought the griddle in the class.

One way is to write a letter on the pan let it cook until you see bubbles. Then pour batter over letter to make a “normal” pancake.  The image is in the pancake. Have fun with this, you can make smiley faces etc.  Also, note that you will need to write the mirror image for letters like “L”  or they will be backwards!

Or, just write a large letter to be the pancake itself. A turkey baster works well, but I just used a spoon for mine.

The whole family agrees that this recipe is the best so far.   Hope you and your family or class have a yummy in the tummy pancake experience!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, stirred or sifted before measuring
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Preparation:

Sift together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and 1 1/2 cups of milk; add to flour mixture, stirring only until smooth. Blend in melted butter. If the batter seems too thick to pour, add a little more milk. Cook on a hot, greased griddle, using about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. Cook until bubbly, a little dry around the edges, and lightly browned on the bottom; turn and brown the other side. Recipe for pancakes serves 4.

After reading aloud “It Looked Like Spilt Milk” have the children take torn paper or cotton balls and glue to paper. Have then write “Sometimes it looked like…..” Then, place all the pages together to bind and make a book or place on wall or bulletin board.  I always have the child present and read their finished page to class or family to build speaking skills.

Class Book

The beginning of the school year is the perfect time for children to discuss and write about what friendship “looks” like.  This is a great writing activity and a way for classroom teachers to start creating the community of friends and learners they desire for the rest of the year. In a classroom, these pages could be collected and copied into a recipe book for each to take home or just to keep in the class library. The same thing could be done for a family, small group organization such as Girl Scouts etc.

How is water affected by different objects?

Young Ones:

Use a bath tub crayon or some sort of marker and fill tub with water midway. Have each child enter tub and mark where the water line is after the slushing of the water calms down.  With bathing suits on have the adults participate to really see the difference of the water levels.

Fill a tub or bucket of water outside and have different objects for child to play with using the same skill of watching the water level. Discuss and ask lots of questions and have fun.

First Grade and Up:

You will Need:

Bucket, Glass jar with lid, Water

Fill bucket about three quarters full.

Place empty jar with lid on into the water. Do not push down yet. What happens?

Slowly push to bottom of bucket. Looking at sides of bucket and water line ask, does the water rise, fall or stay the same?

NOW, fill the jar with water and repeat.

Older:

Look into the ancient mathematician/philosopher Archimedes. He discovered the law that the volume of water displaced equals the volume of the object placed in the water.

Each year, the first Sunday after Labor Day is the official day to celebrate Grandparent’s Day. There is nothing wrong with celebrating every day (as my mom would say) but this official day has the purpose of honoring grandparents,  giving grandparents an opportunity to show love for their grandchildren and helping children become aware of the strength, information and guidance older people can offer.  If your children do not have grandparents, there are many elderly people that have no family around that would love to be a foster grandparent!

Many books can be found about grandparents. A few of our favorite picture books are Grandpa’s Teeth, The Song and Dance Man, Grandpa, Grandpa and The Gifts of Being Grand.

A writing and literature activity that can be done at home or school is to read a book and then design your own story using the same theme. We read Grandpa, Grandpa in my multi-age classroom and then each child made there own page. We then put the pages together to make our own class book. At home these pages could be used as a gift for grandmas and grandpas.

Cover Design for Class Book

First Grade Writing

First Grade Illustration

Second Grade Page

Second Grade Writing

Second Grade Illustration

Both of my children have this fond memory of their grandma and grandpa giving them rock candy.  So, we are attempting to make this week and I found an easy step by step guide on About.com.  It looks like you need to plan a week and can make into a learning experience. I always love science when it involves sugar.

Wish us sweet and sticky luck!

http://candy.about.com/od/phototutorials/ss/sbs_rock_candy.htm