On my beach there are many pebbles / by Leo Lionni

Have you ever been fascinated by a rock?  I have!  In fact, I have saved rocks that are amazing and have some sort of special meaning to me.  During preschool outdoor play time, we have gathered MANY rocks.  Some of my kids were so interested in rocks they encouraged me to build a week long lesson plan strictly about rocks!

Through the next couple of days, I will share a few of those activities with you.  Today I am sharing an activity I derived from the book On my beach there are many pebbles written by Leo Lionni.

This book is so cool because it's illustrated in black and white.  Most of the pages are without words, but, full of illustrations to gaze at.  It seems to intrigue the imagination!

ACTIVITY:

*Read "On my beach there are many pebbles" and take time to soak in the illustrations and all the different and amazing rocks.  Discuss rocks…their shapes, colors, sizes and locations.  

*Go outside (or travel to a local beach or river bed) and take a walk.  Gather some of the interesting rocks you find into a basket.

*When you arrive home, find a safe place to dump out your collection of gathered rocks.  Have the children pick through their piles and find a couple of their favorite rocks.

*Decorate the favorite rocks with paint, markers or whatever you want!

SUPPLIES:

a rock (…or 5!)

paints and/or permanent markers

basket - for collecting rocks

Sit back and admire all the special rocks!  Discuss why the rocks chosen and decorated are so unique.  Ask the children to "show and tell" a little bit about their rock.  Encourage imagination and creative thinking during this time with your child.

I look forward to sharing our next "Rock" books and activities with you!  Stay tuned!

Peace always

Miss Lisa

Pig Kahuna / by Jennifer Sattler

In our little corner, of this great big earth, the weather is getting a little bit warmer.  It's spring time!

This time of year ALWAYS inspires us to get outside, take a walk and go on ADVENTURES!   We seem to start our adventures on already familiar paths, and usually we are able to discover things we have seen before…and this is a lot of fun!  BUT, do you ever take a different turn on your walk, or walk a little further than normal?  Do you sometimes notice things like bugs, flowers or maybe even rocks that you had never noticed before?  If you answered "yes" to these questions then you were absolutely on an adventure!

In "Pig Kahuna", Fergus, takes a familiar walk with his little brother to find interesting items to add to their treasure collection.  What Fergus doesn't know is that he will be taking a bigger adventure than he ever expected!  Ask your child the above (highlighted) questions…but, don't read the book yet!

PIG KAHUNA

by Jennifer Sattler

Items you'll need:
small bag
Play dough (my 'go to' play dough recipe is posted below) / or *paper plate and glue
various items from your nature stroll (small stones, twigs, shells, leaves….etc.)

Kool Aid makes it smell delicious!

First: Take a short nature stroll and collect cool and interesting items you find (keep items in a small bag until you start the art activity).

Second: When you are back at home, find a comfy spot and NOW read "Pig Kahuna".

Third: Ask your child to find a spot at the craft table, with their bag of collected 'treasure'.  As they are getting settled, give them a baseball size glob of play dough (or paper plate) and ask some questions "What was the biggest treasure Fergus collected?"  "Why didn't Fergus want to put the surf board into the water?"  What fear did Fergus overcome from his unexpected adventure?"

Fourth: Have your child roll the play dough into a ball.  Then, with their hands, have them flatten the ball into a circle…about the size of a small plate.

Fifth: The child can now dump out their bag of treasure, sort through it and start squishing items into the play dough (or glueing them onto paper plate).  When the project is complete, place it somewhere it can safely dry and harden.  When it's done, your child can display his/her collection on a side table for everyone to see and enjoy! (this makes a GREAT conversation starter for when Grandma comes to visit!)

The finished product!
*(not quite dry)*
We had to use treasures we found inside
…spring brought us an unexpected & chilly storm.
But, the idea is the same!

Play dough color will fade as it dries…boys be warned, red turns to pink!  This project also looks awesome in colorless play dough, especially with outdoor treasure!

*what the project looks like glued onto a paper plate*

As you can see, this project can look completely different, according to what your treasure is and how you display it!

Either way this is a fun activity your kids can brag about for some time to come!









"Be brave.  Even if you're not, pretend to be.  No one can tell the difference."  ...anonymous

Peace, Sunshine and Happy Adventures!
Lisa

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day to everyone every where!

What is your favorite thing about the earth?  Is it the lakes or the oceans?  Maybe it's the animals or the plants?  Whatever it is, it's special!

Did you know the earth gives us gifts?  Can you think of a 'gift' that earth has given you?

I love to wander around and find what the earth has given me!  I can explore in my own back yard!  Sometimes I find little potato bugs crawling across my driveway and I watch them as they go on their merry way.  Other times I see a birds nest in one of my trees with tiny little blue and brown eggs tucked inside ready to hatch.  When I look up into the sky I see birds of many different kinds flying in the breeze.  I also spot fluffy clouds that look like a dragon or a snowman.  All of these different things we see, while we are exploring, are gifts from the earth!

When I was young, I used to climb up into my Aunt Karen's peach tree.  My cousins and I would sit in it's branches and eat a peach and watch the world around us.  It seemed to us that we were hidden from the world, up there in that tree!  Do you have a tree you can climb?  Do you have a hill you can climb?  Or maybe you live in an apartment and have a window that looks out over the city?  Where ever you are able to see the world from, it's a fantastic view!

poem by Rose Fyleman

When I was "googling" today, I came upon this coloring page and poem at bltk-kids.com.  I love it!  It is very similar to what I would do if I had a huge tree in my front yard.  What would you do if you have a very big tree of your very own?  If you have soil and a pot, you can plant a tree!  Small or big, it doesn't matter…it will be your tree.  When your tree starts to grow up you can plant it in your yard or share it with others by planting it in a park!  Tree's help us breathe, give us shelter, provide fruit to eat and wood for building.  There are so many things tree's do!

Read The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein…it's another one of our very favorites!

Whatever your favorite thing on the earth is...love it, cherish it and take care of it.  Remember, all of earths creations are gifts to us.  Let's make sure we tell earth, "Thanks!"

I love sharing with all of you, my internet friends, and hope you have fun with all my activities!  Life is to be enjoyed, not endured!  I'm just trying to do my part to help the children (& adults) ENJOY!

Peace and beauty

Lisa

Popcorn Popping! by Miss Nina

There is popcorn popping on my neighbors tree!

A closer look reveals little clusters of blossoms!  Not popcorn at all!

Have you ever sung the song "Popcorn Popping"?

Click on the link below.  Miss Nina will help you learn the tune, words and actions!

Then follow along…it's FUN!  

http://youtu.be/B8ABJD8d010

the lyrics:

I looked out the window and what did I see

Popcorn popping on the apricot tree!

Spring has brought me such a nice surprise

Blossoms popping right before my eyes!

I can take an armful and make a treat

a popcorn ball that would smell so sweet!

It wasn't really so….

But it seemed to me…

Popcorn popping on the apricot tree!

(Prepare a popcorn snack to eat later.  Set aside.)

Outdoors:

Go outside…take a walk around the neighborhood.  What do you see?  Any trees with "popping" blossoms?  Observe, gently touch and smell the blossoms on the tree.  Some trees have white blossoms, some have pink and some even have purple blossoms!  Take time to breathe it all in and enjoy the warm sun and soft breeze.  

Activity:

supplies you need:

1. popcorn popper

2. popcorn kernels

3. small cups

*Gather your children, have them sit in a large circle.  

*Place a popcorn popper in the middle of the circle.  Measure the correct amount of popcorn kernels (instructions with the popper will tell you how much) and pour into the popper.  

*Turn on the popper WITHOUT the lid on!  Remind the kids that the popper can get very hot…so, NO touching!

*Let the popper do it's thing!  The children will get a kick out of watching the popcorn fly into the air!
(hint: sing "Popcorn Popping" while waiting for the popcorn to pop!)
*When the popping is complete, have the children fill a small cup full of popcorn. 

Art:

supplies you need:

1. blue construction paper 

2. glue

3. markers and/or crayons

4. small cup full of popcorn (the one filled during the activity) 

Don't give any instructions…just pass out the supplies and tell the kids to create a picture of the tree they observed outside.  Here are a couple of our finished projects…..

I am a big fan of being outside and observing nature!  Any opportunity I have to share the joy of nature with a child…I DO IT!  I hope you will too.  There's so much leaning and adventure to be had in the world around us!

Peace and happiness!

Lisa

The Five Chinese Brothers / by Claire Huchet Bishop and Kurt Wiese

"The first chinese brother swallowed the sea."

The Five Chinese Brothers
by Claire Huchet Bishop and Kurt Wiese

Another favorite book of mine, and highly approved by 7 of my preschool boys!  The 'powers' these 5 chinese brothers possess save them from certain death!  The activities, I will share in this blog, are so much fun to participate in WHILE reading the story!  I will walk you through it…but it's pretty easy to figure out!

Supplies needed:

water balloons 

thick stick (hard to break)

measuring tape or ruler

tea or votive candle

small glass jar

marshmallow's (I recommend the big ones)

Sit down in a circle, so you can see everyones face.  Ask a couple questions…."If you had a special power, what would it be and why?" "What special abilities do you use each and every day that make you unique?" Begin to read the story.  

Read until you arrive at page 15.

Have your child pick a water balloon.  Attach it to the end of the kitchen faucet or outside hose and fill it full of water until it bursts!   (This activity can obviously be messy…you have been warned!)  Ask your child, "How big did your balloon get before it exploded?" "Why did it explode?"  Discuss that the similarities between the balloon and the First Chinese Brother.

Read on….to page 26 and stop there.

  

Have the children grab their heavy sticks.  Ask them to break it in half.  Can they do it?  Some might and some might not, that's OK.   Ask some obvious questions, "Was it hard to break the strong stick?" "How hard did you work your muscles to break that stick?" Explain that iron is a strong material that doesn't break (or cut)!

Read on…to page 32.

Tell the children to lay on the ground and stretch!  Remind them to feel the stretching from the tips of their fingers to the end of their little toes!  Measure how long each child can stretch…reveal the "longest" stretcher and ask all, "How long did your stretch measure?" "What is something you are taller than?" (*great little math activity*)

Read on…stop on page 36.

Perform the little science experiment below…I provided a video for this one, just so you can see how it works!  Then ask, "How long did it take for the flame to go out?" "What are the rules about playing with fire?"

Read through page 41.

OK, you will need to get out your bag of marshmallows.  Stuff your mouth full of marshmallows.  "How many did you fit in there?" "Could you hold those in your mouth until tomorrow morning?" Of coarse not!  That's a super power only Chinese Brother number Five has!

Go ahead and finish the story…while munching on marshmallows and M&M's, pretzels or crackers (whatever you have in the pantry).  "What did you think about this Chinese tale?" "Which brother had the very best 'power', do you think?" This story creates a lot of discussion.  So go ahead and dig into all those curious little thoughts and questions.  

**When I have used this book for activities, in both preschool and book club, I have made sure to emphasize the importance of knowing the difference between "REAL" and "PRETEND".  Stories, like this one, are derived from old ancient tales, these are called Fable's (explain what a fable is).  Focus more on the moral of this story so that the children understand the meaning of it**

Peace as always!

Lisa

Are You Ready to Play Outside? / Mo Williams

I'll tell you right now that Mo Williams is one of my most favorite children's authors!  I recommend you visit his website www.mowilliams.com.  He has written a few series of children's books that are so adorable, humorous and simply illustrated;  Elephant and Piggie series, Pigeon! series and Knuffle Bunny series.   There are many more books written by this fabulously talented author!  All equally as great as the next.

Here in my little spot of the Salt Lake Valley, it has been cold and raining for days.  Since I'm a sunshine kind of girl, I have been desiring to see the sun and feel the warmth of it on my face.  I WANT TO PLAY OUTSIDE!  So, it only seemed natural to pick a book (for today's book review) that seemed completely understandable to me!  A selfish move…but it's been made, so bear with me.  Have fun reading "Are You Ready to Play Outside" by Mo Williams….after all it's a Theodore Seuss Geisel Award winner, that's the best award (in my opinion) that could ever be given!

"It's raining."  "It's pouring."  "…it's really pouring!"

First: Prepare a snack!  Hot chocolate and warm muffins, maybe?  Nothing helps lighten the mood on a dark day more than some 'comfort food'!

Second: Read the book while feasting on your warm treats!  Discuss Elephant and Piggies situation.  "Why didn't play time work out the way Elephant and Pig wanted it to?"  "What kind of feelings did the friends have when it started to rain?"  "Who helped them see that playing in the rain can be fun?" 

Third: Activities (i'm posting a few…you make the choice!)

Art: make a rainbow…"You can't have a rainbow without a little rain." 

Simple!  All you need is scratch paper, a set of (*cheap*) watercolors & water!
Painting with watercolors has be proven (for real!!!) to calm the spirit and open the mind!

Easy!  You only need scratch paper!
Find white and all sorts of other colors, then grab some scissors and glue!
We have also done this with ribbon, pattern paper and yarn.
Be creative!

Indoor play: hopscotch inside (obstacle course, dance competition or Twister! …anything to get the wiggles out!)  A hopscotch can be made by outlining the shape and squares, on the floor with, masking/painting tape!

We made it fun by holding a competition!
Make it exciting…
1. count out loud, how long doest it take?
2. who threw the bean bag on the highest number?
3. who's hit the lowest number?
etc….winner choses next activity or gets first in line!

Science: (this one can be done outside if it's actually raining!)

This activity comes from the book 365 Science Experiments (Hinkler Books), again, and I do not have photo's to give you the visual.  I apologize.  However, the paper looks so beautiful when it's all dry, so many watercolors to gaze at.  Trust me on this one!

Outdoor play: Why don't you do what Elephant and Piggie did?  Make the most of the rain!  Take a nature walk, look at how bright the colors of the grass, flowers and even rocks are when it rains.  Splash in puddles, catch drops in your mouth….play!

Little Miss A and Miss K drawn to the colors of the flowers!
Each yard we passed involved a 'new' search for  even brighter flowers!

rocks are pretty!!!!  who knew???

Enjoying time with our kids is the greatest thing and a treasured blessing.  Memories don't take outstanding moments or great amounts of time…they just take a second.  Make those seconds good ones!!  Read, play, laugh and hug!

Peace and Rain!

Lisa

Kite Day / by Will Hillenbrand

"Come on!" Bear waved to Mole, "Kite day is here!"

Present your child with the book "Kite Day" and have them take a look at the front cover.  Then ask

"What kind of day is a 'kite day'?"  "Do Bear and Mole look excited to fly their kite?"  "Who would you ask to help you make a kite?"   

For this precarious activity, you will need to visit pinkstripeysocks.com.  There, you will find all supplies, instructions and photo's you need (all items can be found around the home) to make your own kites.  I take NO credit for this idea, except that I found it on Pinterest.  It was so cute and simple…I had to give it a test run!

Pink Stripey Socks

Go outside and engage your child and yourself in the fascination of kite flying!  Spend some time with this one….it's good to breathe the clean, fresh, spring air!  This activity could include a visit to the park with a friend or as a play date.

After the kite flying frenzy, sit down on the grass with your child, a cold drink and the book Kite Day.  Start a simple discussion about the story of Bear and Mole and the hurdles they faced when flying their kite.  You might start the discussion by asking "What items did Bear and Mole use to make their kite?" and "Where did Bear and Mole find their kite after the dark, heavy clouds carried it away?" and "Who did the fallen kite help?"

Keep it simple and enjoy!

Peace!
Lisa

p.s. Thank You Pink Stripey Socks!!!

Cloudette / by Tom Lichtenheld

Spring is here (in my neck of the woods), so it's time to celebrate warmer weather, budding trees and sprouting flowers!  During spring we start to see billowing clouds, which sometimes bring with them thunder, lightning and rain.  Mother Earth NEEDS rain storms to water her plants, fill her ponds and clean her air.  So, don't be afraid of dark clouds and thunder, they're just a warning that a big drink of water is on it's way!  Let's learn a little more….

"Cloudette could see them in the distance, doing all sorts of important cloud things.

This made her want to do big and important things too."

Cloudette  by Tom Lichtenheld

Casually discuss the idea of thunderstorms.  Maybe ask a couple questions about clouds?  "Why do thunderstorms seem so scary?"  "How is a cloud made?"  "What kinds of shapes have you seen a cloud make?"  Now let's read the story about a little cloud and her adventures….

For this fun little adventure you will need:
1.  Big glass bowl
2.  Small glass jar with lid
3.  Food coloring
4.  Blue construction paper
5.  White cotton balls
6.  Glue

This activity includes a science project as well as an art project.  You may choose to do both or just one of them.  Or, maybe you will be inspired to do a project of your own creativity!?  This activity (doing both projects) will only take 20 minutes total!  The science project has the potential to be a little messy, you may want to have gloves and art aprons near by.

Science Project:  (adult supervision required!)

Follow the instruction in this photo!
Taken from "365 Science Experiments"

I learned to LOVE science when I began volunteering in the PTA program at my daughters elementary school.  My love for it grew when I began running children's learning groups out of my home.  By the time I started teaching preschool, science was my favorite subject to play around with (I mean 'teach'…he he)!
This book "365 Science Experiments" by Hinkler Books was tested and approved by teachers.  I use it all the time and have enjoyed every experiment I have tried.  Remember, it's science…sometimes we have to give it a couple tries before we get our desired results.  However, that's the fun of it (and it teaches great patience!).  I am NOT selling this book, only approving it!  I encourage 'frugal' projects!  So please visit your library and your junk drawer before purchasing the supplies I list!

the beginning of the experiment...

 the discovery!
the food coloring should rise to the top
resulting in a colored underwater cloud!
it took me 3 try's…so be patient

Take a moment for learning and explain how clouds are made due to high and low pressure created by hot or cold air.  Just like the experiment showed!

Art Project:
This project is easy squeezey and only takes a minute!  But, it is art…so if your child chooses to take his/her time THAT IS OK because this project does not need much adult supervision.  Don't ever rush an art project.  If time runs out, put it away until more time becomes available to finish it.  Art projects should be a rewarding thing, an expression of sight, feeling and personality.

Upon going outside to actually see the clouds up in the sky we found there were not any!!!  The sky was completely blue.  So we did our science project first, walked outside a little later and noticed some very fine and thin clouds up by the mountains.  These are called Cirrus Clouds!

for my project, I decided to create exactly how I viewed the cirrus clouds in the sky...

Cumulous Clouds are the big fluffy ones, that create fun and interesting shapes!  If cumulous clouds are floating around in your sky, lay down on the grass and gaze for a moment.  Pick out the most interesting clouds and what shape they seem to be making.  My 18 year old daughter and I still do this often!  It's relaxing and amazing to gaze upon.

Cumulous clouds seemed more fun for some of the 'littles' to create!
So, a rabbit in the sky it is!  

If CUMULONIMBUS clouds are up in the sky…beware!  Those are lightning and thunder clouds and can be dangerous to be outside in.  This has happened to my group of preschoolers before, we stayed inside and looked through the windows.  We took out some gray and black ink pads, patted our cotton balls on to them a couple times and then glued them on to our paper.  And, as usual, our art projects turned out awesome!

"Cloudette" has been tested and APPROVED by children ages 4 - 8!

Questions?  Feel free to ask!

Suggestions?  Feel free to suggest!

Peace!

Lisa