COLOR CHANGING FLOWERS & HIBERNATING BEARS
today's activity idea
Magical Colored Flowers
I bet many of you may remember doing this activity when you were younger... You take white flowers (carnations or similar work well), add food coloring to the water, and watch as they "magically" change color. This is the perfect activity to teach young children about what a flower's stem is for. It's definitely science in action.
First part, cut stems off flowers and add food color to some jars/glasses of water:
(Feel free to try different types of flowers.)
Place the stems in the water, and leave them for a few days:
(The color will typically become more obvious with time.)
Enjoy your beautiful rainbow flowers!
Be sure to help kids understand that the flower was drinking up the colored water from the glass through tiny tubes in it's stem. As water evaporates out of the petals and leaves, more water is drawn up into the flower over time. This is a super fun experiment that even moms and dads will enjoy.
Here are some online supply resources to take your plant studies even further:
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Enjoy the beautiful rainbow flowers for a table decoration!
Learning Activities
HANDWRITING
We have the children practice name writing each day. Young ones should trace, older ones can try on their own when they are ready :)
SAMPLE NAME PRACTICE HERE
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CIRCLE (MAIN LEARNING)
See Our Current Daily Songs Here:
See Our Current Daily Songs Here:
Math Concept - Time: Learning to tell time on the hour (review day)
This week we continue to practice how to tell the time on the hour for a clock.
Spanish: We are reviewing our "Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes" song
Numbers: practicing the "tricky teens" with spring shapes
(cut out fun shapes or go to the Dollar Store and write numbers on them, have your child put them in order, fill in the missing spots, etc)
Sight words "We were______."
You can just write the words on a paper, then have your child think of ways to end the sentence and "read" it to you.
Today's word family:
"op" words: hop, mop, cop, top, pop
At home, you can easily write the letters on paper squares (feel free to use your child's favorite color!), put them together to sound out each word. If you want to make them more sturdy, use card stock or laminate them (clear packing tape can work like laminating in a pinch).
Word Matching Practice:
Today we will be practicing matching words that begin with "g" and "h" to the right letter, and matching the word with the picture. At home, you can make your own or purchase the Sunshine Learn to Read Program to get a complete set already made to download. It's fun to play matching games to practice beginning reading!
What else can you find around the house that starts with g or h?
Review letter names/sounds
(We do this every day with a different twist in class so the kids don't forget them!)
SCIENCE Activity
All About Bears
How does a cozy lesson with a teddy bear sound? Then...throw in a homemade cave with blankets/sheets (we use a colorful parachute in class) for some extra fun! One of my most favorite science lessons ever.
Grab a favorite toy bear friend, and enjoy :)
Materials:
Toy bear (stuffed is best)
Sheets or similar to make a cave
Enjoy a sample of our lesson below:
Here is just the Bear Snores On Story, too:
The best part of this lesson is making a cave to pretend to hibernate in. If you are doing this at home, it can be a whole afternoon of fun! Grab those chairs, sheets, blankets and pillows :)
Here are some hibernating bear supplies:
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story, finger play, music & movement
STORY: "We're Going on a Bear Hunt"
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Music: "We're Going on a Bear Hunt"
We use shaky eggs and do lots of moving around the room. Have fun!
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Finger Play: "Here is a Flower"
Nursery Rhyme: Little Boy Blue
The MOST important part of teaching preschoolers is...
KEEP IT FUN!
Be sure to try to get your kids outside each day as much as possible, too!
Stomp in some puddles.
Find some worms.
Watch the clouds.
Go for a walk.
Look for animals.
Search for acorns, leaves, & pinecones.
FRESH AIR AND SUNSHINE ARE GOOD FOR THE SOUL!
And movement helps children develop and grow.
xoxo, Jennifer
