Although there is a time and a place for paper and pencil activities, I implore you to open yourself up to other options. Kids can practice their writing skills using their fingers in sand, shaving cream, and (as pictured here) hair gel. Thinking outside the box allows your children to view academic activities as fun. More importantly, they simply see an opportunity to play. As both a parent and a…
In case anyone was wondering what we did with the extra pieces of tissue paper from our snowflake ❄️ activity earlier today (see previous post), here it is. ✂️ Use what you have and try never to miss a learning opportunity. Cutting through different textures and thicknesses gives kids a whole lot of fine motor skills practice while exploring and having fun. If you have leftover scraps laying around, you may just…
I know you all know exactly what I’m talking about. You give a preschooler a bottle of glue and if you don’t watch them VERY carefully, there will soon be glue EVERYWHERE (and not necessary where you had hoped). Teaching your child HOW to use glue is actually a “thing” and you should thank an early childhood teacher if your little one does a great job with it…
This morning we read Sky Tree by Candace Christiansen and Thomas Locker, which has gorgeous illustrations. To bridge the gap between literacy and math, we were supposed to collect leaves from outside for our @experiencecurriculum lesson…but it was pouring rain ☔️, so I improvised. H and I made a tree trunk, branches, and leaves 🍃 , and put them together to make an Autumn/Fall tree. We discussed how trees and their…
Clouds are made up of water, so to simulate rain and make the whole experience more visual, we recreated a STEAM station suggested by @experiencecurriculum. @donnavroberts then added a related classic song whose lyrics I couldn’t remember in its entirety, and the result was focused children having fun. 🤗 Also, in case you’ve never used a pipette/eye dropper with your child, be prepared for the fine motor challenge…
Sometimes I’ll fill a spot in our day with a familiar but educational activity that the kids haven’t yet mastered. Patterns are hard for them (completely normal for 3-year-olds), so I like to increase their exposure and opportunities. I pulled out the buttons and pattern mats, and B stared lacing in the most intricate way I have EVER seen her try AND be successful at it…