Pipe Cleaner Fireworks!

Fireworks!
This week's activities are reposts from last year!

Day 3 of our Week - Our theme this week is the 4th of July! Our letter of the week is the letter A, and the number of the week is the number 10.

Lauren and Connor with their Fireworks!

Making the fireworks

Project - Pipe Cleaner Fireworks. I found this project in the July 2009 issue of Parents Magazine. First, I cut the pipe cleaner or chenille stems in half. You will need five or six whole stems of the same color to make one firework. Then I dumped, red, blue, and silver glitter into separate bowls, and I squeezed white craft glue into a shallow, small container. Connor and Lauren then dipped the ends (about a 1/2 inch) of the pipe cleaners into the glue, and then dipped the glue covered ends into the glitter color of their choice. I set the finished pipe cleaners on a thick box ( I just happened to have an empty resealable bags box handy, the magazine calls for a thick sponge). After the glittered pipe cleaners were dry, I gathered all of the pipe cleaners together except for one and twisted the remaining pipe cleaner around the others. Then, Connor and Lauren bent and twisted the pipe cleaners to form a firework! Then I tied fishing line on to make the firework a hanging craft!!

Materials Needed - Red, white or blue pipe cleaners (chenille stems), scissors, craft or Elmers glue, Red, silver and blue glitter, shallow bowls for the glitter and glue, thick box or sponge, clear thread, or fishing line (optional)

The glittered pipe cleaners, drying

The finished Fireworks!!

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart).
Today's activities
1. The numbers 9 and 10 - counting objects, following directions 2. The concepts big and small. Color identification with big and small
3. The letter A, a - Identifying the letter A, a, recognizing objects that begin with the A sound. 4. Shape - Squares - Identifying and recognizing squares I always do letter/number reviews and they always write their names.

Stars and Stripes Necklace and Letter Go Fish!

Stars and Stripes Necklace

This week's activities are reposts from last year!

Day 2 of our Week - Our theme this week is the 4th of July! Our letter of the week is the letter A, and the number of the week is the number 10.

Connor and Lauren with their Stars and Stripes Necklace

Project - Stars and Stripes Necklace. I found the idea for this project out of the July 2006 issue of Parents Magazine. I traced star a star onto red, blue and white foam (2 stars for each color for a total of 6 stars) Then I measure out yarn (I used multi-color red, white, blue) to fit Connor and Lauren. Then I cut a striped red, white and blue straw into 1-inch pieces. Connor and Lauren then alternated stringing stars and straw pieces onto the yarn. When they were finished, I tied the ends of the yarn necklace together. Lauren loved her necklace. Connor is giving his to his Grandma - because "boys don't wear these, Mom!" Oh well, at least he liked making it! :) Materials Needed - red, white, blue craft foam, straws (1 per child), yarn, scissors.

Lauren and Connor making their Stars and Stripes Necklaces'

Letter Go Fish!
Learning Activity/Project - I have been collecting soup can lids for a couple of months now. My Mother-in-law has been too - Thanks Carolyn! After, I collected 26 lids, I wrote each letter of the alphabet on the lids with permanent marker. Then I found Connor's two magnetic fishing poles (one was from a puzzle the other from an outside fishing game). I had Connor and Lauren take turns drawing cards from an alphabet card game. They had to say the letter name then "fish" for the letter. They had fun "fishing" for letters. It kept them busy for a long time and it was a great way to review their letters. They want to make a set with numbers too! :) Materials Needed - soup can lids, permanent marker, magnetic fishing poles

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

Today's activities

1. Shape - Squares. Tracing, recognizing, coloring

2. The number 10 - writing the number, recognizing the number counting objects . . .

3. The concepts big and small. Color identification with big and small

4. The letter A, a. Writing/tracing the letter A,a

I always do letter/number reviews and they always write their names.

Glitter Fireworks!

Glitter Fireworks!

This week's activities are reposts from last year!!
Day 1 of our Week - Our theme this week is the 4th of July! Our letter of the week is the letter A, and the number of the week is the number 10.

Connor and Lauren coloring their muffin papers

Project - Glitter Fireworks - I found the idea for this project on the blog http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/

Connor and Lauren colored the muffin papers with markers. I folded the muffin papers and cut slits into them. Next, they squeezed glue all over the black paper and pressed their colored muffin papers onto the paper. Then they squeezed more glue on the black paper and colored muffin papers. Finally, Connor and Lauren sprinkled glitter all over their paper. The finished product looks like fireworks in the night sky. The glitter adds a wonderful effect - even though it is messy! Materials Needed - Black construction paper, muffin papers (we used 3/child), markers, glue, glitter, scissors

The finished product!

Learning Activities - I have been using the workbook Everything for Early Learning Preschool workbook. (I purchased it at Wal-Mart).
Today's activities
1. Shape - Squares. Tracing, recognizing
2. The number 10 - writing the number, counting objects . . .3. The concept big. Circling the big objects.
4. The letter A, a. Writing/tracing the letter A,a
I always do letter/number reviews and they always write their names.

Patriotic Ice Cream Cones!

Day 2 of the week - The theme for this week is Independence Day/4th of July!

Project - Patriotic Ice Cream Cones - Mix equal parts shaving cream and glue in 3 separate bowls. Tint one red and one blue. Glue brown ice cream cone cut out onto paper. Spoon each mixture above the cone cut out, spreading to resemble 3 scoop cone. Materials Needed: paper, brown paper, scissors, glue, shaving cream, spoons, bowls, red and blue food coloring.

Patriotic Mosaic!

Day 1 of the week - The theme this week is Independence Day/4th of July!!

Project - Patriotic Mosaic - Cut red, white and blue paint samples into squares. Coat a piece of card stock with glue. Place the red, white and blue squares on the card stock to make a patriotic mosaic. My niece Caitlyn did this project with Connor. Connor made a flag on one side of his mosaic and then filled in the rest of the card stock. Materials Needed - card stock, red, white and blue paint samples, scissors, glue

Hand print Family Tree!

Day 2 of the week - The theme this week is Father's Day and Family!

Project - Hand print Family Tree! Paint a tree on large white paper with brown paint. Paint any other items on the paper too. Trace hands and cut out. Write family member's names on hand prints along with birth dates. Glue to tree when the paint is dry.

Materials Needed: large white paper, brown paint, paintbrush, construction paper, scissors, pencil, marker, glue stick

Father's Day Sticker Cards!

Day 1 of the week - The theme this week is Father's Day and Family!

Project: Father's Day Sticker Cards - Connor and my niece Caitlyn drew pictures of "Just" Grandpa, Caitlyn of her dad, and Addie just drew with crayons. Then they cut their pictures out and spread a jello -water mixture on the back to create stickers. When the jello-water mixture was dry they licked the back of their drawings and stuck them onto paper cards. They are going to decorate their cards a little more later. Here are the directions on how to make lick-and-stick paper stickers. Directions: pour 2 Tbs. boiling water over 1 Tbs. Jell-O Powder. Gently stir until powder is completely dissolved. Let cool. Brush Jell-O mixture onto precut pieces of artwork. Let dry until gelatin sets (about 1 hour). Lick the stickers and attach them to cards or anything else. Source: Family Fun Magazine September 2006. Materials Needed: crayons, white paper, scissors, small bowls, flavored Jell-O powder, boiling water, spoon, paintbrush

Caitlyn and Connor spreading the gelatin on their artwork

Lava Lamp!

Day 2 of the week - The theme this week is Kitchen Concoctions!

Project - Lava Lamp. I saw this idea in the April 2010 issue of Family Fun Magazine. Directions: Fill a clear plastic bottle just over halfway with vegetable oil, then add water, to an inch from the top. Add 1o drops of food coloring. Place the bottle on the pie pan to catch potential spills. Cut or break and effervescent antacid tablet in quarters and drop one quarter into the bottle. When the bubbling slows, add another quarter-tablet to get it started again. To store the lamp, let the bottle sit until all the bubbles have completely dispersed. This prevents the buildup of gas in the bottle. Cap it and put it in a safe place to prevent spills. Materials Needed: Clear plastic bottle, vegetable oil, water, food coloring, pie pan, effervescent antacid tablets (Alka-Seltzer)

Light Catchers

Day 1 of the week - The theme this week is Kitchen Concoctions!

Project - Light Catchers. I saw this idea in the April 2010 issue of Family Fun Magazine. Connor made a star, flower and ghost light catcher and my niece Caitlyn made a heart and a star light catcher. Directions: Boil 3 tablespoons of water and pour it into a measuring cup. Add 1 envelope of gelatin and a few drops of food coloring. Stir the mixture slowly until it's combined. Let it sit for about a minute, then stir it again to minimize air bubbles. Pour the mixture onto a plastic plate. Sprinkle glitter on top of the gelatin and/or add 1-2 drops of food coloring an d swirl with a toothpick to make a marbled pattern. Let the gelatins dry until hardened, at least overnight. Peel them off the plates, then cut them into shapes with scissors. Using a hole punch, make holes at the top of them. Suspend each from string, or fishing line and hang in a sunny window. Materials Needed: small saucepan, water, measuring cup, unflavored gelatin, food coloring, plastic plates (9-inch), glitter, scissors, hole punch, string/fishing line

** We used pie tins - 9-inch plastic plates would probably work better. Do not use a lot of glitter it just ends up clumping together - just sprinkle a little bit on each plate. We should have let our gelatin set longer - the edges were ready but the middle was still rubbery!

Paper Plate Volcano!

Day 3 of our week. The theme this week is Hot Stuff!

Project- Volcano. Directions: Cut a slit down the middle of a paper plate a cut a circle in the middle of the plate. Bend and staple the the plate to make a volcano shape. Brush thinned white glue over the volcano and press brown tissue paper squares over the wet glue. (We used brown craft paper torn into pieces). Twist pieces of red, yellow and orange tissue paper and push them into the opening to resemble erupting lava. Source: The Mailbox Magazine Feb/March 2009

Materials Needed - paper plate, scissors, stapler, brown, orange, red, yellow tissue paper, white glue

Learning Activities

Today's Activities:

Math Readiness: 0, zero, writing, recognition, counting
Reading Readiness: making pairs
Transition Math: coloring certain amounts

Sun Rocks!

Day 2 of the week. The theme this week is Hot Stuff!!

Project - Sun Rocks. We are temporarily without a house for about a month, so the kids and I are staying at my parents while my husband works on remodeling our new house - in our new town! So, today Connor did this project with his cousin Caitlyn and his Aunt Kinsey! Caitlyn painted 3 rocks - she seemed to really have fun creating different suns. Directions: Find flat smooth rocks. Use orange and yellow paint to paint the sun on each rock. Materials Needed - flat, smooth rocks, paint brushes, yellow and orange paint

Learning Activities

Today's Activities:

Alphabet: L, writing and beginning sound

Numbers 1-10: 2 writing the number and word

Math Readiness: 1, 2, 3, 4 - writing and counting

Reading Readiness: making pairs

Kindergarten Skills: Story order

Fabulous Fire!

Day 1 of the week. The theme this week is Hot Stuff!
Project - Tear brown paper into medium strips, shades of orange, red and yellow paper into pieces and glue onto black paper - to form a campfire. Draw fireflies on the black paper with a glitter pen or sparkly crayon. (Source: The Mailbox Magazine June/July 2008)
Materials Needed - black, brown red, yellow, orange construction paper, glitter glue, glue stick

Learning Activities
Today's Activities:
Alphabet: K, writing, beginning sound
Numbers 1-10: one, number recognition, writing
Reading Readiness: What belongs In It
Transition Math: finding hidden numbers
Kindergarten Skills: counting coins - pennies