Birds in the Air!

On Tuesday, January 31, 2012 we will:

• Read "Seven Hungry Babies" by Candace Fleming
• Read "Owl Babies" by Martin Waddell
• Play "Birds Are Sleeping"
• Make bird nests and baby owls
• Review Shel Silverstein poem "Early Bird"

Oh, if you're a bird, be an early bird

And catch the worm for your breakfast plate.

If you're a bird, be an early bird-

But if you're a worm, sleep late.

Ideas for Home:

• Identify birds you have seen in your own yard. Check out http://www.birding.com/wheretobird/newhampshire.asp
• Each time we see a new bird, we print out its picture and hang it by the window where we view the bird feeder.
• Bird Seed Collage
  Use bird seeds to create a collage.
• Feather Painting
  Use different feathers as a paint brush
• Make a bird matching game from computer printouts.
• Print out bird pictures and hide them around the house. Have children find the birds and return them to their nest (a box, paper plate, whatever you have). Preschoolers love hide and seek games!

"Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things that escape those who dream only at night."
           Edgar Allan Poe


Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_imagination3.html#ixzz1ktwTsLBZ

Ooey, Gooey, Messy Fun

On Tuesday, January 24, 2012 we will make Flubber!!
Idea and recipe from http://momto2poshlildivas.blogspot.com/2012/01/flubber-gak-fun.html#comment-form
Once we finish mixing, we will have have fun exploring the flubber's textures and discovering what we can make with it! When children are through exploring they can move on to free play.


Ideas for at home:

• To make Flubber at home use the link above for the recipe and what to do.
• Kids love to mix and pour. For this activity you need a cookie sheet, plastic tub or other, to contain the spills. Spills will happen and that's okay! In the cookie sheet put small containers of colored water with spoons, mixing sticks, and droppers (I  have saved droppers from baby Tylenol). I keep a bag of these supplies in our "toy closet." When ever we need a quiet, hands on activity, the mix 'n pour supplies are ready!
• For more science activities check out: http://scienceforpreschoolers.com/
• Go out into the snow and look for animal tracks. Check out this blog for animal track ideas: http://the-learning-lab.blogspot.com/2012/01/winter-wonderland.html

Have fun exploring, let your little ones be your guide!

"Every great advance in science has issued from a new audacity of imagination." John Dewey

Get Some Wiggles Out!!

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

At Discovery Hour we will:

• Get our muscles ready for play by doing some gentle stretching
• Play musical hula hoops
• Scarf dancing
• Animal Play

Ideas for home:

• You need a large sheet of newspaper print to cover a table, and any music. Allow the children to walk around the table with marker or crayon in hand, making movements on the paper to the beat of the music. Vary types of music, or play a stop and go "freeze" game. Combines art, music and movement together. Ask children to draw what the music sounds like!
• Bean Bag or stuffed animal balance: Have children follow your directions to carry thier bag/animal a certain way (on their heads, back or feet); throw the bag/animal with their feet, elbows, head; jump with the bag/animal balanced on head, shoulders, back.
• Create an obstacle course using pillows, furniture, toys, stuffed animals and take turns being the leader through the course.
• Pretend to be different animals and sing the following song to the tune of London Bridges:We are hopping, hopping frogs,
  Hopping frogs, hopping frogs.
  We are hopping, hopping frogs,
  Let children choose what animals to be, maybe galloping horses, jumping kangaroos, flying birds, swimming fish...     

Have fun playing and moving with your children! 

"Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." ~Berthold Auerbach                

After the "Holidaze"

At next weeks Discovery Hour (Tuesday, January 10th) we will:

• Learn the animal signs for bear, rabbit, bird, mouse and sleep.
• Read "Bear Snores On" by Karma Wilson, while practicing signs and acting out animals.
• Play "Bears are Sleeping."
• Play "Where are the shapes" game.
• Make paper bears.

 Ideas for Home:

• Play “Who Stole the Honey From the sleeping Bear?” sung to the tune of “Who Stole the Cookie?”
• Hide a honey pot or other bear foods (printed from your computer) around the house and go hunting.
• Use a stuffed bear to practice position words. Have children place their bear on their head, on their shoulder, under their arm, beside their face, behind their back, in their hand and so on.
• Puffy Paint Bear Pictures: Make homemade puffy paint by adding the desired watercolor paint color to shaving cream and glue. We have not tried this yet, but love the idea!
• Sing Bears Are Sleeping (to the tune of Brother John)

Bears are sleeping, bears are sleeping,

In their lairs, in their lairs,

Springtime will be here soon, springtime will be here soon,

Wake up bears, wake up bears!

            We like to pretend we are sleeping with blankets and pillows and then jump up at the end of the song!

• Teddy Bear Hide-n-Seek: hide stuffed bears (or any animal) around the house and have children find them. Children could use binoculars (real or homemade with a paper towel roll) to help them “look for bears.”
• Have a Teddy Bear Picnic. Use a blanket, stuffed bears, plates, cups and basket with real or fake food.
• Make a cave with blankets and pillows. Bring a flashlight into the cave and read stories.
• Counting Bears: Mark paper plates with the numbers 1 thru 10 and have children count out the correct number of bears on each plate. If you don’t have counting bears, you could print out small bear pictures and make bear cards to count.
• Beginning Sound Game: Use food picture cards (made from grocery fliers or print from computer) Ask child to find a food that begins with the ___ sound…

Enjoy playing and pretending at home, let your little ones be your guide!!