Tie-Dye Fun!

Day 2 of the week. The theme this week is Things to Wear!
Project - Tie-Dye Fun! We started this project on Tuesday,but our first batch of shirts were a bust, so we tried again. The second round we were more patient with and made sure to follow the directions completely. All of the shirts turned out great. I should know by now to always follow directions and be patient!! My sister Kinsey helped me with this project. She loves to Tie-dye! The kids love their shirts and we do too. :) Directions: Buy Rit Dye in a variety of colors and follow the directions on the box. We used Tie-dye design directions from the August 2008 issue of Family Fun Magazine. http://www.familyfun.com/ We did the bull's eye, diagonal stripe, rosette, swirl and crinkle designs. Materials Needed - white shirts, rubber bands, 5 gallon buckets, hot water, stir sticks, rubber bands, Rit Dye, detergent, salt

The shirts all ready to be dyed

Caitlyn and Connor dyeing their shirts

The shirts dyed and all wrapped up

2 more of the finished shirts

Button Barrettes!

Day 1 of the week. The theme this week is Things to Wear.

Project - Button Barrettes. I found some old barrettes/clips. Caitlyn and I applied a thin layer of craft glue to the top of each barrette. Caitlyn chose colorful buttons and glued the buttons to the top of the barrettes. The colorful barrette is Caitlyn's and the pink barrette is Addie's. Materials Needed - barrettes, craft glue, buttons

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