Archive for May 2009
Milk and Sugar
This was a spur of the moment activity that turned out so well that we played again after daddy got home. You don’t have to have props like we made today but I find it helps support younger children and keeps the activity going. Pretend play offers young children a chance to practice skills within their own frame work and rules , so let them set the boundaries, make suggestions if they need it but follow them, not the other way around.
- Gather your materials. Grab whatever you have that you think might work for a coffee shop. We grabbed some cups, an apron, play coins, and some foam to be made into coffee. We also used a magna doodle for a menu board and our play kitchen.
- To make the foam coffee I just cut up some brown foam sheets into small squares, you could also do this with paper . If your child is one who still puts everything in their mouths I would used something edible like cheerios, the foam and even paper could pose a chocking hazard so be careful.
- Set up your coffee shop – first up a menu. I asked my son what was on the menu and how much each cost. Careful our cupcakes will break your bank.
- Get your aprons on and start playing – first up, was my tall rice milk cappuccino !
- Just keep it going by really being into it with them, you will both have a blast!
Additional Activity !
Click on the picture below to see what we did
with coffee grinds a few weeks ago !
Moonscape !
I used to do cloud paintings with this easy mix yourself puffy paint, but it struck me while reading one of the books below that it would make a great moon surface! The paint dries puffy and looks like the uneven surface of the moon. All of that though is secondary to how much fun my son had, I was planning on posting this next week but couldn’t wait!
- Gather your materials. You will need some strong paper ( I am using craft paper but a cereal box or paper grocery bag would do), shaving cream, white glue, a marker and scissors. My son asked for crayons to color his moon first so I obliged.
- Start by drawing a “Big round moon” or any phase your child wants.
- If you want start by coloring it with crayons.
- Time to mix the paint. You will need 1/2 cup of glue
and 1 1/2 cups of shaving cream.
- Mix !
- Now explore. My son kept saying “Goopy mama, goopy hands!”
- Spread and explore it more on the paper.
- Let dry- I let it dry for 4 hours and the thicker parts were still goopy in the middle. I’d let it dry overnight to make sure.
- Cut out your moon !
“Night Goes By” by Kate Spohn is a book that explains how the sun goes down and the moon comes out and the cycle continues. The sun , moon and a star are all very cheery and enjoy their lots in life. The star and moon play all night! The book is simple and while I wasn’t too into it, my son really liked it. I would suggest it for toddlers and young preschoolers.
” The Moon” by Robert Louis Stevenson and illustrated by Tracy Campbell Pearson is a beautiful book. The poem was written in the 19th century but my two year old loved it paired with these stunning and warm illustrations of a family’s adventures at night. I really am so impressed with how well the words were put to life by the pictures, and my son loved it. It’s inspired me to find more classical literature and poetry to share with my son.
Moon Rock
Pick Up !
When choosing activities for older kids I try to link it to fine art where I can. Exposing children to art appreciation doesn’t have to be on a field trip to a museum, although I recommend that too. This would make a beautiful gift for a mom or grandma for Mother’s Day, especially if you made a group of 3 or 4 and put it in a nice box.
- Gather your materials. You will need glass beads, magnets, rubber cement, a pencil, pictures of your choice and scissors. * I just want to say that I am not ruining a perfectly good book, I was gifted a duplicate and have been saving it for art projects.
- Start by choosing your pictures, if you are using an art book this will give your child a chance to look through many choices, and gives you a chance to ask them what they like and why, or why not.
- Trace your bead over the picture with a pencil.
- Cut out
- Cover the bottom of the bead with rubber cement, not too thick but it should have a nice layer of it.
- Add your picture
- Glue your magnet on and let dry.
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We had so much fun making this necklace, I really thought my son would lace a few shapes and proclaim he was done but he did every single one ! I helped him get the hang of lacing but in true 2 year old fashion he wanted no help after a few times. This can and should be made into a patterning lesson for children ready for that challenge.Fine motor skills , shape recognition and hand eye coordination all get a great workout while your little one makes something for someone special.
- Gather your materials. You will need some foam sheets, scissors, a hole punch, and a large shoe lace. Shoe laces have a nice hard tip which makes lacing possible. Smaller shoe laces will work but the beads will pool at the bottom so don’t forget to tie a knot.
- Cut out different shapes from the foam. I asked my son which shapes he wanted and cut a handful of each.
- Time to punch holes.
I did this but let my son explore with the hole punch and try before moving on to the next step. He was trying so hard I never got a still shot.
- Start lacing! With this over sized lace you don’t need a know at the end, but skinny laces will.
- Celebrate when they get a shape on, ask what shape and color it is.
- Tie a bow
- Wear it proudly moms!
“Hair for Mama” by Kelly A. Tinkham is beautiful. The story is about a little boy who is desperate to find some hair for his mama who has lost hers to chemotherapy. Marcus wants mama to be in the family photo but she doesn’t want to be the way she looks. His mission comes to a climax when he shaves off all his own hair hoping to give it to his mama. When the barber sweeps it up with the other hair on the floor Marcus is heart broken and goes home in tears. I was sobbing reading this, I knew it was a story about a mom having cancer but the way the author wrote it , it was magical. The complex emotions this little boy felt for his mom and she for him, jumped off the page and you can’t help but cry. I wasn’t sad ,I was touched by the love and desire to fix his mom and make everything better, and his parents tenderness to his feelings. I can’t recommend this book more highly. I should note that this is not a book for toddlers, I would probably wait until a child is 4-5 before reading them this gem.
“My Mama Says There Aren’t Any Zombies, Ghosts, Vampires, Creatures, Demons, Monsters, Fiends, Goblins or Things.” by Judith Viorst is a lovely , touching but not saccharine book about how moms makes mistakes too. The litter boy narrating the book, continues to insist that there are monsters and such despite his mom saying there isn’t. He used the fact that he often catches his mom making little mistakes to prove that she must be wrong when she says those horrible creatures don’t exist. In the end though mama keeps him safe and is right after all.
” Piglet and Mama” by Margaret Wild is the only book in this list I would suggest for the under 3 crowd. My son loved it. Piglet is searching for his mom and even though all the other animal mommies offer for him to join them and their babies he wants his mom! The illustrations by Stephen Michael King capture the warmth between a mama and her baby beautifully . My son has the “Mama” scream perfected and quite enjoyed seeing the little piglet do the same thing for her mama. We had a nice chat after reading this about separation, something we have been struggling with for a while. Before nap today I reminded my son that just like piglet his mama will come get him when he wakes up. Even if separation anxiety isn’t something you are dealing with at your house this is a sweet book.
