Archive for August 2009
* Updated to add this super cool link to another chalkboard at infarrantly creative that blows ours away! don’t miss it! *
Cereal Box Mosaic
- Gather your materials. I used Benjamin Moore chalkboard paint, a roller, paint tray, painters tape, an old picture frame, an old sheet, 4 nails and a hammer.
- Start by deciding where you want the chalkboard. Have your child show you how high they can reach so that it’s all usable space. I’m no good with measuring tape so I just eyeballed it and thumb tacked it to the wall to decide. You may want to measure where on the wall you put it.
- Tape off the area to paint.
- Apply your first coat. Wait 4 hours or more and add a 2nd. Let dry.
- Take off the tape.
- Place your frame on the wall so the painted area is centered, and secure it to the wall. I nailed mine but depending on your walls you’ll want to use the appropriate fashion. I particularly liked using a frame because it creates a ledge for the chalk as well.
- Add chalk and child!
Welcome to the new letter of the week- it’s all lower case from now on! Don’t worry though I will link the uppercase letter at the bottom of each post . I know we just did an apple but I have to practice what I preach and let my child’s interests lead – and the little dude wanted to make an apple a, which I was happy to since it’s a cinch to turn a lowercase a into an apple. I am not starting with a to go in alphabetical order, and in many teaching circles you keep the vowels for last. I am doing them as he shows interests but encourage you to do them however works best for your child.
- Gather your materials. You will need a paper plate, some scrap green paper, a red and brown marker, glue and scissors. If you want to make it easier to display you can also use another piece of paper for a backing. Also I am only using the paper plate because my husband bought a pack large enough to use for 10 years , plain paper would work just fine.
- Start by writing a large lowercase a on the plate.
- Have your child color the straight side brown to make a stem. As we were coloring we talked about how the a is shaped and also the parts of an apple.
- Color the rest red ! A cool perk of the paper plate was that it kept the marker contained even with very very enthusiastic coloring.
- While they color, cut out a leaf from the green paper. If your child is able to do this step have them do it after coloring.
- Cut the a out.
- Glue onto the paper.
- Add the leaf. Let dry.
Books
“The Apple Pie the Papa Baked” by Lauren Thompson had me tricked into thinking that it was a new edition of an old book. The retro look to the illustrations hooked me and I was shocked to see it was only published 2 years ago. The reader is taken through all the elements that go into making a pie, not the recipe though. The story works backwards from pie to the apples, the tree, the roots and more . The message is one of interconnectedness and makes me feel equally important and small all at the same time. I think it’s useful to teach how everything in nature is dependent on other elements and can’t work alone. My son enjoyed the illustrations of the sun with a face and the little girl helping her father at every step.
“Apple Farmer Annie” by Monica Wellington is another instant favorite in our house. My son loves this author and I like how simple but informative this book is. Your little reader will learn about the basics of what happens at an apple orchard , but you can take it further if you want. On many of the pages there are chances to learn more, like the page about sorting and classifying, where there are apples ready to count 1-10, and sorted by colors. I love the last page that says that Annie is so happy to have her own apple farm. I loved that message and think it’s a lot more powerful than some may think, women on farms in most books are “farmer’s wives” and I love that there is no one but Annie doing her own thing.
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Do you ever find a blog and think – more people need to know about this! That blog for me it the domestic NOTEBOOK . Especially wonderful for moms ( she has a great baby puree and hooded towel tutorials) , and others who aren’t quite up to the unrealistic expectations of Martha Stewart. I need to read it before I cook because when I read it after I’ve already eaten I just get hungry all over again. If you want to know why, just look at her post from Friday! This blog is on my “one to watch” list because it’s full of potential and down to earth stylish advice .
Before you run off and drool over the food on the domestic NOTEBOOK, pop over to Project Mommywood and cast your vote for Mommy Blogger Of The Year. I am thrilled to be nominated and the race has been tight between a few of us. I need your vote!
Voting ends August 31st .
A devoted reader and fellow mom asked me to write out my favorite authors for different ages and stages. I hope this list is useful to both her and you! I’ve tested them out in classroom, with children I have nannied and my own son. The pictures of the books link to reviews , click to read. Also It’s hard to divide these authors by age, it’s not definitive, most of these authors have books for all ages so check them all out.Babies
Sandra Boynton
Karen Katz
Bill Martin Jr.
Margaret Wise Brown
Donald Crews
Todd Parr
Monica Wellington
Preschoolers
Robert Munsch
Laura Numeroff
Anne Rockwell
David Shannon
There are so many more authors and books I love and consider must haves, leave a comment if you want to share yours, kids can never have too many books or be read to too much !
When I talk about “free art” what I mean is giving your child the opportunity to play with colors, make what they want and explore. Now I believe in this but am also aware that novelty is a big deal to small people who very easily declare “I don’t know what to paint” and “I’m bored”. Below you will find a long list of fun painting activities that can’t be done wrong, have no long list of materials and use fun tools to paint , like painting with trains and trucks in the picture above. Click on the title below the pictures to be directed to the original post for more pictures and brief descriptions.
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