Slim Snowman!

Day 2 of the week - The theme this week is Snowmen. The letters of the week are E and F the number of the week is 1.
Project - Slim Snowman- Connor and Lauren painted both sides of large craft sticks white - leaving 3/4 inch on one end unpainted. Once the paint was dry they painted the unpainted end black on both sides. I cut a hat brim out of black foam and Connor and Lauren glued it to the craft stick where the white and black paint met. I helped them wrap a 3 inch long strip of green felt about 3/4 in. below the hat brim and we secured it with craft glue. Connor and Lauren glued 3 buttons below the felt scarf. Next they added eyes and a mouth with black permanent marker and a nose with orange marker. Materials Needed - large craft sticks, white and black paint, buttons, felt, black foam, paint brushes, black marker, scissors, craft glue, orange marker
Learning Activities:
Today's Activities:Handwriting - Staying in the lines on curvy, zig-zag paths
Numbers- the number 1, writing, counting
Reading Readiness - The SameShapes - Circles
Writing Letters - Uppercase F

Sponge Painted Snowmen!

Day 1 of the week - The theme this week is Snowmen. The letters of the week are E and F the number of the week is 1.

Project - Sponge Painted Snowmen - Connor and Lauren dipped large, medium and small circle shaped sponges into white paint to create their snowmen. I cut the the large, medium and small circles out of my cleaning sponges along with a hat shape. Next they stamped the hat shape sponge and pressed it on top of their snowmen. They added buttons for eyes, noses and buttons on their snowmen. They used a small sliver of a sponge dipped in white paint to make snowflakes. Materials Needed - blue construction paper, sponges cut into small, medium, large and a hat shape, white and black paint, buttons, black marker

Learning Activities:

Today's Activities:

Handwriting - Staying in the lines on curvy, zig-zag paths

Numbers- the number 1, writing, counting

Reading Readiness - The Same

Shapes - Circles

Writing Letters - Uppercase E

Lace Up Stocking!

Day 2 of the week - The theme this week is Christmas. The letter of the week is Z, z.
Project -Lace Up Stocking- I traced a stocking shape onto folded pieces of felt and cut out the shape, so I had pairs of stockings for each child. I cut slits along the sides of the stockings. I helped Connor and Lauren thread their ribbon through the slits on their stockings.

Materials Needed - felt, scissors, ribbon, glue

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)
Today's Activities:

The letter Z, z- writing, recognition, following directions, fine motor skills

Jingle Bell Wreath Ornaments!

Day 1 of the week - The theme this week is Christmas. The letter of the week is Z, z.

Project -Jingle Bell Wreath Ornament - Connor and Lauren strung jingle bells onto chenille stems. I twisted the ends to form a wreath shape and a hook. I tied red ribbons and hot glued them onto the jingle bell wreaths. Materials Needed - jingle bells, chenille stems, red ribbon, hot glue gun.

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)

Today's Activities:
The letter Z, z- writing, recognition, following directions, fine motor skills

Hand and Foot print Reindeer!

Day 4 of the week - The theme this week is Reindeer. The letter of the week is Y, y.

Project - Hand and Foot Print Reindeer - Connor and Lauren painted one of each of their feet and pressed their feet onto pieces of white card stock. Next, they painted their hands with brown paint and pressed their hands on the top part of their heel on their foot print. The foot is the head of the reindeer and the hands are antlers. They glued on googly eyes and sprinkled red glitter for the reindeer's nose. Materials Needed - brown paint, paint brush, white card stock, googly eyes, red glitter, and glue.

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)

Today's Activities:
The letter Y, y - recognition and beginning sound

Number Review - counting, following directions, matching

Foam Hand print Reindeer!

Day 3 of the week

Project - Foam Hand print Reindeer - I traced Connor and Lauren's hands onto brown foam and cut out. Connor and Lauren added a pom pom nose, googly eyes and chenille stem antlers. I punched a hole and strung red ribbon through the hole. Materials Needed - brown foam, scissors, red ribbon, chenille stems, pom poms, googly yes, hole punch

Cut and Paste Reindeer!

Day 2 of the week - The theme this week is Reindeer. The letter of the week is Y, y.
Project - Cut and Paste Reindeer - I traced a reindeer head pattern onto light brown and dark brown construction paper. Connor and Lauren cut the head, ears and antlers out and glued the pieces onto large pieces of colored construction paper. They also glued a red pom pom nose and googly eyes. Lauren added a mouth! I found the reindeer template on the website, http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/ Materials Needed - reindeer templates, pencil, scissors, glue, dark and light brown construction paper, any colored large sheets of construction paper, googly eyes, red pom poms, markers

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)
Today's Activities:

The letter Y, y - writing, recognition
Number Review - counting, following directions, ordering, writing

Craft Stick Reindeer!

Day 1 of the week - The theme this week is Reindeer. The letter of the week is Y, y.

Project - Craft Stick Reindeer - Connor glued 6 large craft sticks side-by-side onto cardstock. I drew and cut out ears, antlers, hair, nose and mouth out of light and dark brown foam, red and black foam. Connor glued the pieces onto the craft sticks and added googly eyes.

Materials Needed - 6 large craft sticks, dark and light brown, red and black foam, googly eyes, craft glue

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)

Today's Activities: The letter Y, y - writing, recognition

Number Review - counting, following directions, ordering, writing

Sponge Painted Candy Cane!

Day 3 of the week - The theme this week is Christmas Sweets. The letter of the week is X, x. Project - Sponge Painted Candy Cane - I found a candy cane coloring page and printed it out. Connor and Lauren used red and white paint to sponge paint the candy cane. After the paint was dry, they cut out their candy cane and glued it on green paper. Then they wrote candy cane on the top of the green paper. Materials Needed - candy cane template, red and white paint, sponges, scissors, green paper, marker

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)
Today's Activities:
The letter X, x- recognition, following directions, cutting and pasting
Number Review - counting, following directions, ordering, cutting and pasting

Gingerbread Number Game - counting, recognition, taking turns

Model Magic Gingerbread Men!

Day 2 of the week - The theme this week is Christmas Sweets. The letter of the week is X, x.

Project - Model Magic Gingerbread Men - Connor and Lauren rolled out 1 package of Crayola's Model Magic and pressed a gingerbread cookie cutter into the it. I helped Connor and Lauren remove the cookie cutter from the Model Magic. We let the gingerbread cutouts dry overnight. The next day, Connor and Lauren painted their gingerbread men brown and added buttons and sequins to complete their gingerbread men. Materials Needed - 1 package of Crayola's Model Magic, gingerbread man cookie cutter, rolling pin, brown paint, paint brush, buttons, sequins, beads, ribbon, googly eyes.

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)

Today's Activities:

The letter X,x - writing, recognition, beginning sound

Number Review - counting, following directions,

Foam Button Christmas Tree!

Day 3 of the week - The theme this week is Christmas Trees. The letter of the week is W, w. Project - Foam Button Christmas Tree - I traced a Christmas tree cookie cutter onto green foam and cut the tree out. Connor and Lauren glued different colored buttons onto the foam tree. I punched a hole into the top of the tree and strung ribbon through the hole to act as a hanger for the tree ornament. Materials Needed - tree cookie cutter, green foam, scissors, buttons, craft glue, hole puncher and ribbon

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)

Today's Activities:

The letter W, w - recognition, beginning sound, cutting and pasting

Number Review - counting, following directions, ordering, cutting and pasting

Felt Christmas Tree Ornaments!

Day 1 of the week - The theme this week is Christmas Trees. The letter of the week is W,w.

Project - Felt Christmas Tree Ornaments - I traced a Christmas tree cookie cutter onto green felt and cut the shape out. Connor and Lauren glued tri-beads onto the felt Christmas trees. I punched a hole on the top and strung red ribbon through the hole. Materials Needed - green felt, scissors, Christmas Tree cookie cutter, tri-beads (or any other type of bead), ribbon, hole punch

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)

Today's Activities:

The letter W, w - writing, recognition,

Number Review - counting, following directions, ordering, writing

Toilet Paper Roll Pilgrim Hat!

Day 2 of the week - The theme this week is Thanksgiving. The letter of the week is V, v and the number of the week is 20.

Project - Toilet Paper Roll Pilgrim Hat - I don't remember where I saw this project, but I remember it looked simple, cute and fun! Directions: (Me)-Cut a 3-inch section from a cardboard toilet paper or paper towel roll. (Kids)-Paint the 3-inch section of cardboard toilet paper roll black (inside and out). (Me) -Cut a brim out of black craft foam, about 1 inch longer than the end of the toilet paper roll. (Kids) - Glue the brim to the bottom of the painted toilet tissue roll. (Me)-Cut a small buckle out of yellow craft foam. (Kids)-Glue the buckle to the hat. (Me)-Use the scissors to cut 2 slits in the top of the hat, directly across from each other(optional). Finally, slide a place card into the slits you cut. (optional)

Materials Needed - toilet paper or paper towel roll, scissors, black paint, paint brush, black and yellow foam, glue.

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)

Today's Activities:
The letter V, v- writing, recognition, following directions, cutting and pasting

The number 20- recognition, writing, counting

Number Review - turkey game!

Cut and Paste Pilgrim!

Day 1 of the week - The theme this week is Thanksgiving. The letter of the week is V, v and the number of the week is 20.

Project - Cut and Paste Pilgrim (Pilgrim Paper Craft)- I found this project on the website http://www.dltk-holidays.com/thanksgiving/crafts.html under Pilgrim Crafts. I printed out the templates and traced the hat, buckle and vest onto black construction paper, the hat band onto white construction paper and the head onto tan construction paper. I cut out the traced pieces. Connor and Lauren glued the head, hat, vest, buckle and hat band onto colored construction paper to form a pilgrim. They drew eyes, nose, mouth and cheeks (Lauren used googly eyes). Lauren drew a body for her pilgrim too. They also wrote the word Pilgrim on the paper. Materials Needed - white, tan, black construction paper, pilgrim template, full sheet of construction paper, googly eyes, scissors, glue, crayons and or markers.

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)
Today's Activities:
The letter V, v- writing, recognition, beginning sound
The number 20- recognition, writing, counting
Number Review - counting, following directions, cutting and pasting

Craft Stick Scarecrow!

Day 1 of the week - The theme this week is Thanksgiving. The letter of the week is U, u and the number of the week is 19.

Project - Craft Stick Scarecrow - I saw this project in Oriental Trading Company magazine. I glued 7 large craft sticks to a cereal box (0r piece of cardboard). Next, I glued on 6 small, yellow craft sticks for hair. I cut a hat shape out of light brown foam, a strip for the hat out of blue foam, a triangle nose out of orange foam, two flower shapes out of yellow and orange foam, a circle for the inside of the flower out of light brown foam and a mouth out of dark brown foam. After the sticks were dry, I cut around the cereal box to remove the excess. Connor glued on all of the pieces to the scarecrow, plus two googly eyes. Materials Needed - 7 large craft sticks, 6 small, yellow craft sticks, dark brown, light brown, yellow, orange, blue foam, googly eyes, scissors, cereal box (cardboard), craft glue.

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)

Today's Activities:

The letter U, u- writing, recognition

The number 19- recognition, writing, counting

Number Review - counting, following directions

Clothespin Turkey!

Day 2 of the week - The theme this week is Turkeys. The letter of the week is T, t and the number of the week is 18.

Project - Clothespin Turkey - Connor and Lauren painted a small paper plate brown. They painted 4 clothespins 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 orange and 1 blue. I drew feet onto orange card stock - Connor and Lauren cut the feet out. I used orange card stock for the beaks and red card stock for the beard of the turkey. When the plates and clothespins were dry Connor and Lauren assembled their turkeys. They also added googly eyes. Materials Needed - small paper plate, brown, orange, red, yellow and blue paint, scissors, 4 clothespins, orange and red card stock, googly eyes, glue

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)

Today's Activities:
The letter T, t- writing, recognition, following directions

The number 18- recognition, writing, counting

Number Review - recognition, counting, following directions, writing

Stick Turkey!

Day 1 of the week - The theme this week is Turkeys. The letter of the week is T, t and the number of the week is 18.

Project - Stick Turkey - I drew a turkey shaped body onto the back of a cereal box and cut it out. I cut out feet, a beak and the turkey's beard out of the same cereal box. Connor and Lauren painted the feet and beak orange and the beard red. After the paint dried, Connor and Lauren glued the feet, beak and beard onto the turkey body. They also glued on googly eyes. Then, they used 12 colored craft sticks and glued them to the back of the turkey body for feathers. I asked Connor and Lauren to make a pattern with their craft sticks and to lay them out in front of them in the pattern they chose. Materials Needed - cereal box, or cardboard, orange and red paint, scissors, googly eyes, 12 colored craft sticks, craft glue

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)
Today's Activities:
The letter T, t- writing, recognition
The number 18- recognition, writing, counting
Number Review - recognition, counting, following directions

Turkey Wreath!

Day 2 of the week - The theme this week is Turkeys. The letter of the week is S,s and the number of the week is 17.

Project - Turkey Wreath - I found the idea for the Turkey Wreath on the website http://www.dltk-holidays.com/thanksgiving/crafts.html click on Turkey Crafts and then Turkey Wreath. Directions: Trace a small plate and a large plate onto a piece of cardboard ( I used and empty cereal box). Cut strips of red, yellow and orange construction paper (about 1 1/2 inches by 4 inches). Glue the strips into rolls. Glue the rolls of construction paper onto the wreath. I let Connor decide on a pattern and he did all of the gluing. Draw a beak onto orange paper and a wobble onto red paper and cut out. Trace your child's foot onto orange construction paper and cut out (fold the construction paper in half and trace the foot and then cut to get two identical feet). Connor traced his own foot. Draw a footprint shaped body onto brown construction paper and cut out. Connor cut out the body shape by himself. Glue the body, 2 feet, beak and wobbler onto the turkey and add 2 googly eyes. Connor glued all of the parts by himself. Materials Needed - cardboard (cereal box), large plate, small plate, red, yellow, orange, brown construction paper, googly eyes, scissors, glue, pencil

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)
Today's Activities:
The letter S, s - writing, recognition, following directions
The number 17 - recognition, writing, counting
Number Review - recognition, counting, following directions, writing

Paper Plate Turkey!

Day 1 of the week - The theme this week is Turkeys The letter of the week is S, s and the number of the week is 17.

Project - Paper Plate Turkey - I found the idea for this project on the website http://www.dltk-holidays.com/thanksgiving/crafts.html click on Turkey Crafts and then Paper Plate Turkey Craft. Directions: Connor used red, brown and orange markers to draw lines coming out from the middle of paper plate. I printed off the turkey templates and traced them onto brown, red and orange paper. Connor cut out the turkey shape body and I cut out the rest. He glued the body, feet, beak, beard and googly eyes to the turkey/plate. Then, he dipped his thumb into brown paint and made thumbprints on the plate around the turkey. Lastly, he dipped his index finger into red paint and made finger prints on top of the brown thumbprints.

Materials Needed - paper plate, red, brown, orange markers, turkey template, scissors, glue, brown, red, orange construction paper, brown and red paint

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)

Today's Activities:

The letter S, s - writing, recognition

The number 17- recognition, writing, counting

Number Review - recognition, counting, following directions

Hand Print Pumpkins!

Project - Hand Print Pumpkins - I drew a pumpkin on orange paper and cut it out. I traced Connor's and Addie's hands on black paper and cut them out. I used two hand prints for eyes and two hand prints for the mouth. I cut out a triangle shape for the nose. I glued the hand prints and triangle onto the pumpkin to create the face. I did this project with Connor when he was 7 months old, back in 2005 and I just did it with Addie this year - when she was 14 months old. Materials Needed - orange paper, black paper, scissors, marker, glue

Marshmallow Witch!

Day 3 of the week - The theme this week is Halloween. The letter of the week is R, r and the number of the week is 16.

Project/Treat - Marshmallow Witches -My sister e-mailed me the the link to this recipe. She thought it would make a cute Halloween treat - and she was right. Connor and Lauren had a blast making these tasty witches - and they were easy too! Here is the link to the detailed recipe/directions. I changed the recipe by using Halloween Oreo Cookies (the orange and black ones) for the bottom part of the witches hat. We only used Hershey kisses for the top part of the hat(we eliminated the miniature peanut butter cup). They turned out great! I let Lauren and Connor assemble the whole treat all by themselves! They had a good amount of frosting on their hands and faces, but it was worth it. http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Marshmallow-Witches Materials Needed - 1/2 cup vanilla frosting, 36 miniature semisweet chocolate chips,12 large marshmallows, 1 drop green food coloring, 1/4 cup flaked coconut, 12 Halloween Oreo cookies, 12 milk chocolate kisses

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)
Today's Activities:
The letter R,r - recognition, and beginning sound
The number 16 - recognition and writing
Number Review - recognition, counting, following directions, cutting and pasting

Paper Plate Witch!

Day 2 of the week - The theme this week is Halloween. The letter of the week is R, r and the number of the week is 16.

Project - Paper Plate Witch - The kids painted a paper plate green (you could use a green paper plate too) I drew and cut out a witches hat, eyes, and mouth out of black foam, a nose, and eye lids out of green foam, a tooth and eyes out of white foam, and a strip of orange for a stripe on the witches hat out of orange foam. After the plates were dry, Connor and Lauren glued the hat, eyes, mouth and nose onto the paper plate. I punched three holes on each side of the witches head (near the hat). We twisted orange chenille stems (cut in half) and attached them into the holes for hair! Materials needed - paper plate, green paint, paint brush, black, orange, green and white foam, scissors and glue.

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)

Today's Activities:

The letter R, r - writing, recognition, following directions

The number 16- recognition, writing, counting

Number Review - recognition, counting, following directions, writing

Frankenstein - The Monster!

Day 1 of the week - The theme this week is Halloween. The letter of the week is R, r and the number of the week is 16.

Project - Frankenstein - The Monster! I saw this project in the Oriental Trading Company Magazine. I adapted it and created my own project!! First - I glued 6 large craft sticks to a cereal box (you can use card stock or tag board) Second - Connor and Lauren painted the craft sticks green. Third - After the sticks were dry I cut around the sticks to remove the extra cereal box. Fourth - Connor and Lauren glued the foam, hair, cheeks, nose, mouth, stitches, shirt and googly eyes onto the craft sticks. Fifth - I added a piece of ribbon for a hanger to Lauren's Monster!! ***I created and cut out the hair, mouth, and stitches from black foam, the nose from purple foam, the cheeks from pink foam, and the shirt piece from orange foam. Materials Needed - heavy piece of paper - cereal box, or tag board or card stock, 6 large craft sticks, green paint, glue, paint brush, black, orange, pink purple foam, googly eyes, ribbon (optional)

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)
Today's Activities:
The letter R, r - writing, recognition
The number 16- recognition, writing, counting
Number Review - recognition, counting, following directions

Ghost Scene!

Project - Ghost Scene! I traced ghost cookie cutters onto white paper and cut them out. Connor and Lauren glued 2-3 ghosts onto black paper. They used gold and silver stars to decorate the paper along with a moon shape that I cut out of yellow paper.

Materials Needed - black paper, white paper, yellow paper, gold stars, silver stars, glue

Foam Footprint Ghost!

Project - Foam Footprint Ghost - I traced Connor's foot onto white foam and cut it out. Then, I drew a wing pattern onto white foam and cut it out. I glued the wing on the back of the footprint. Connor glued on googly eyes and pink foam circles for cheeks. I used black permanent marker to draw a mouth. I attached a magnet to the back of the ghost, so it can be used as a frig magnet.

Materials Needed - white foam, scissors, googly eyes, pink foam, black permanent marker, magnet, craft glue

Ghost Door Hanger!

Day 3 of the week - The theme this week is Ghosts. The letter of the week is Q, q and the number of the week is 15.

Project - Ghost Door Hanger - I made a ghost cut out of black paper (I used a cookie cutter). Connor and Lauren placed their ghost in an old oatmeal canister with one teaspoon of white paint and marbles (we used 10-12 marbles). Then they put the cover on and shook the container. The final result was a really cute ghost. They added googly eyes and foam mouth. After the ghosts had dried, they glued their ghost onto a foam door hanger, and spelled the word BOO with foam letters! Materials Needed: Oatmeal Container, black paper, white paint, marble, glue, black foam, googly eyes, foam door hanger, foam letters.

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)

Today's Activities:

The letter Q, q - recognition, and beginning sound

The number 15 - recognition

Number Review - recognition, counting, following directions, cutting and pasting

Footprint Ghost!

Project - Footprint Ghost! I did this project with both of my children for their 1st Halloween. Connor was 7 months old and Addie was only 2 1/2 months old, when I painted their feet white and pressed them on black paper. After, the paint was dry, I drew a face on each foot print with black permanent marker. This is a cute project that also acts as a nice keepsake.

Materials Needed - white paint, paint brush, black paper, black permanent marker

Cut-Out Ghost!

Day 2 of the week - The theme this week is Ghosts. The letter of the week is Q, q and the number of the week is 15.
Project - Cut-Out Ghost! I drew 2 ghosts on white pieces of paper. Connor and Lauren cut their ghost out, drew a face, wrote the word BOO, and decorated their ghosts' with marker. This project allowed Connor and Lauren to practice their cutting and writing along with drawing!
Materials Needed - white paper, pencil, scissors, marker

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)
Today's Activities:
The letter Q, q - writing, recognition
The number 15 - recognition, writing, counting
Number Review - recognition, counting, following directions

Ghostly Necklace!

Day 1 of the week - The theme this week is ghosts. The letter of the week is Q, q and the number of the week is 15.
Project - Ghostly Necklace. I found this craft on the website http://www.kidscraftmagazine.com/ - under Ghostly Necklace. I printed off the ghost pattern, cut it out and traced it onto white foam and cut out again. I used the point of my scissors to make holes in the center of the hands as the template shows. I used permanent marker to draw a face on the ghost. Then I tied a small bow with orange ribbon and glued onto the ghost. Connor and Lauren used orange,white and letter beads to spell out their names - and strung the beads onto the ribbon. I threaded the end of the ribbon through the hands of the ghost, and tied the two ends of the cord into a knot to make a necklace. Materials Needed - white foam, ghost template, pencil, scissors, permanent marker, orange ribbon, string or cord, beads (multi-color, letter beads), glue

The Ghostly Necklaces'

Connor and Lauren modeling their creations!

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)

Today's Activities:

The letter Q, q - writing, recognition

The number 15 - recognition, writing, counting

Number Review - recognition, counting, following directions

One-eyed mask!

Day 3 of the week - The theme this week is Halloween Creatures! The letter of the week is P, p and the number of the week is 14.
Project - One-eyed mask - Originally this mask was supposed to be green with antennae, or spiky hair, but Connor insisted on a "black creature mask, with no hair or antennae." These are his words and ideas - so we went with it. I used one of his animal masks as a template and traced the mask onto black foam. I cut 2 eye holes and Connor added foam circles to the mask, for a polka-dot look. I cut out a large white circle and a smaller black circle to create the "one-eyed monster" look. The I punched holes on each side of the mask and used the stretchy string from an old party hat to finish of the mask. Connor loves his "monster mask." It looks more like a Mardi Gras mask to me but, oh well, it is his project and that is all that matters. He is being creative and having fun, that is all I can ask for!! Materials Needed - any color foam, scissors, foam circles (or any other shapes), hole punch, stretchy string

Connor's Mask

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)
Today's Activities:
The letter P, p - beginning sound
The number 14 - recognition, writing, counting
Tracing Lines - fine motor skills, following directions
Number Review - recognition, counting, following directions

Paper Plate Spider!

Day 2 of the week - The theme this week is Halloween Creatures!. The letter of the week is P, p and the number of the week is 14.
Project - Paper Plate Spider - Connor and Lauren painted a paper plate black. I cut 8 strips out of black paper/child and accordion folded them. Connor and Lauren glued the folded strips onto the spider as legs. Next, they glued googly eyes onto 2 small folded rectangle strips for stand-up eyes and I poked a small hole in the middle of the plate and threaded orange ribbon through it. Materials Needed - paper plate, black paint, paint brush, black construction paper, scissors, googly eyes, glue, ribbon or string

The Spider

Connor and his Spider!

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)
Today's Activities:
The letter P, p - writing, recognition, following directions, cutting and pasting,
The number 14 - recognition, writing, counting
Tracing Lines - fine motor skills, following directions
Number Review - recognition, counting, following directions

Origami Bat

The Origami Bats

Day 1 of the week - The theme this week is Halloween Creatures!. The letter of the week is P, p and the number of the week is 14.
Project - Origami Bats - I found this project in the October 2007 issue of Family Fun Magazine. http://www.familyfun.go.com/ First fold a 8 x 8 inch square of black paper into a triangle, fold down the top 2 inches of the triangles, fold each side flap in a long the inner lines (shown on the picture on the website) to form dimensional wings, use scissors to cut a notch along the top, between the wings, to create ears, then flip the bat over and add eyes - we used white and silver crayons. All of the directions along with pictures are on the Family Fun website under Origami Bats. Materials Needed - black construction paper, scissors, white or silver crayon, directions and picture from Family Fun website.

Lauren and Connor with their bats'

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)

Today's Activities:

The letter P, p - writing, recognition, following directions

The number 14 - recognition, writing, counting

Tracing Lines - fine motor skills, following directions

Number Review - recognition, counting, following directions

5 Little Pumpkins!

Day 3 of the week - The theme this week is pumpkins. The letter of the week is O, o and the number of the week is 13.
Project - 5 Little Pumpkins - Connor traced a pumpkin cookie cutter 5 times. Then, he colored each pumpkin orange and drew faces on each pumpkin. We based this project off of the song and book Five Little Pumpkins Illustrated by Dan Yaccarino. We sang the song and Connor decided what kind of face each of the five pumpkins would have. As a finishing touch he drew a witch over the top of the third pumpkin, wrote the numbers 1-5 underneath each pumpkin and wrote the title 5 Little Pumpkins at the top of the paper. Materials Needed - white paper, pumpkin cookie cutter, orange, green and black markers.

5 Little Pumpkins

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)
Today's Activities:
The letter O, o - beginning sounds, following directions
The number 13 - recognition, writing, counting
Tracing Lines - fine motor skills, following directions

Cut out Jack-O-Lantern

Day 2 of the week - The theme this week is pumpkins. The letter of the week is O, o and the number of the week is 13.
Project - Cut out Jack-o-lantern- I traced a large pumpkin shape onto an orange piece of construction paper. I cut out out 3 triangles, for eyes and nose, out of black construction paper along with a mouth for the jack-o-lantern. Connor cut the pumpkin shape out and glued the eyes, nose and mouth onto the pumpkin to make a jack-0-lantern. This craft emphasized cutting. Materials Needed - orange construction paper, black construction paper, scissors, pencil, glue stick Connor's Jack-O-Lantern

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)
Today's Activities:
The letter O, o - writing, recognition, following directions
The number 13 - recognition, writing, counting
Tracing Lines - fine motor skills, following directions
Number Review - recognition, counting, matching, following directions

Hanging Jack-O-Lantern

Day 1 of the week - The theme this week is pumpkins. The letter of the week is O, o and the number of the week is 13.
Project - Hanging Jack-O-Lantern. I glued six large craft sticks, side-by-side and vertical, to a cereal box (or a piece of cardboard). Connor and Lauren painted the craft sticks orange. We let the sticks dry. Then, I cut around the sticks to remove the excess cereal box. Connor and Lauren glued the jack-o-lantern's eyes, nose, mouth and stem onto the craft sticks, using craft glue. Then I attached a piece of orange ribbon with hot glue - for a hanger. We used black craft foam for the face, and green foam for the stem. I drew the shapes for the eyes, mouth and stem on paper, then I traced the templates onto the craft foam to be cut out. Materials Needed - 6 large craft sticks, orange paint, black foam, green foam, cardboard/cereal box, craft glue, hot glue, ribbon, scissors **you can use orange craft sticks instead of painted craft sticks**

Jack-o-lantern

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)
Today's Activities:
The letter O, o - writing, recognition, following directions
The number 13 - recognition, writing, counting
Tracing Lines - fine motor skills, following directions
Number Review - recognition, counting, cutting and pasting, following directions

Aut-yum Leaves!

Day 3 of the week - The theme this week is Fall! The letter of the week is N, n and the number of the week is 12.
Project/Treat - Aut-yum Leaves - I found the recipe for this treat in the November 2008 issue of Family Fun Magazine. http://www.familyfun.go.com/ under Aut-yum Leaves. Directions - Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Whisk one egg with a tsp of water and set aside. On a floured surface, roll out a prepared pie crust. Use a large leaf-shaped cookie cutter to make as many dough leaf pairs as possible. (we made 3 pairs). For each pocket, spread about 4 tsp of chocolate peanut butter chips on a leaf, leaving a 1/2 - inch margin at the edge. Brush egg wash onto the edge, place a 2nd leaf on top, and press the edges to seal. Brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle it with sugar. Bake the leaves on a parchment-covered cookie sheet until their edges are just beginning to brown, about 12-14 minutes. We used a little leaf cookie cutter to make cinnamon sugar leaves out of the scraps. Ingredients/Materials - store-bought pie crust dough, chocolate peanut butter chips, flour, egg, water, sugar, basting brush

The chocolate-peanut butter filled leaves

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)
Today's Activities:
The letter N, n - beginning sounds, following directions
The number 12 - recognition, writing, counting, following directions
Tracing Lines - fine motor skills, following directions

Glitter Pine cone!

Day 2 of the week - The theme this week is Fall! The letter of the week is N, n and the number of the week is 12.

Project - Glitter Pine cone - I took two pine cones and coated each one with craft glue. Then Connor and Lauren sprinkled each pine cone with glitter. We set each pine cone in a bowl, so they wouldn't make a huge mess. Materials Needed - pine cones, glitter, craft glue, bowl

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)
Today's Activities:

• The letter N, n - writing, recognition, following directions
• The number 12 - recognition, counting, writing
• Tracing lines - fine motor skills, following directions
• The concept Left - following directions, cutting, pasting, recognition

Fall Painting!

Day 1 of the week - The theme this week is Fall! The letter of the week is N, n and the number of the week is 12.
Project - Fall Painting. Connor and Lauren painted a trunk of a tree on blue construction paper. Then they used leaf, ghost, bat, pumpkin shape cookie cutter to make a fall scene. They also used star and moon shape sponges to make decorate their paper. Connor made his own leaves with his paint brush!! They had fun creating a fall/Halloween scene.
Materials Needed - blue construction paper, paint, cookie cutters, sponge shapes, paint brushes Connor and Lauren's paintings'

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)

Today's Activities:

• The letter N, n - writing, recognition
• The number 12 - recognition, counting, writing
• The concept Right - recognition, following directions, cutting and pasting
• Tracing lines - fine motor skills, following directions

Scarecrow Cookies!

Day 3 of the week - The theme this week if Fall! The letter of the week is M, m and the number of the week is 11.
Project/Treat - Scarecrow Cookies - I saw these treats in the October 2005 issue of Family Fun magazine and I have been wanting to make them, but I wanted the kids to be able to actively participate in the treat making. Here are the directions. 1. Frost the top of each cookie 2. Cut a wafer cookie in half. Add a dollop of frosting to the top edge of the round cookie and stick a wafer half to it for a hat top. 3. Place a whole wafer cookie just below the hat top for a brim. 4. Press chocolate sprinkles into the frosting for hair - around the hat. 5. For the face, press on a candy corn nose, mini-M&M eyes, and a chocolate sprinkles stitched mouth. You can find the step-by-step instructions on the http://www.familyfun.go.com/ - search for Sweet Scarecrows. Ingredients - round cookies, white frosting, assorted sugar wafers, candy corn, mini M&M's, chocolate sprinkles. (I substituted ingredients - the original ingredients used mini chocolate chips - for the eyes and Bran cereal - for the hair)

One of Lauren's Cookies'

Connor and Lauren decorating the cookies

One of Connor's Cookies'

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart)
Today's Activities:
The letter M, m - beginning sound
The number 11 - counting, recognition, writing, following directions
Rhyming - following directions, recognition
The concept between - recognition, following directions, cutting and pasting