February Arts And Crafts

We have already been super busy creating Valentine Crafts. Ava and Lucy have enjoyed making each project while we discussed the topics of love and showing kindness to those around us.

Heart Beaded Pipe Cleaners

You'll need pipe cleaners (preferably red, pink, or purple) and beads (pink, light pink and white are the colors we chose). This was a great opportunity for Ava to practice making patterns and for Lucy to use her hand-eye coordination, pincer grasp and develop her concentration.



Heart Water Colors 

So for this work I didn't have the proper tape which is painters tape or masking tape. I had to settle for electrical tape. Don't Judge Me! haha I'm sure with the proper tape it'll come off much easier than ours did. You'll need tape, paper, watercolors, and paint brushes. I made the best tape heart I could with the type of tape I had haha I then let the girls paint the hearts as they wished with the water colors. We let them dry and then I took the tape off. A beautiful water color painting to frame!

Tissue Paper Heart

Lucy has been so excited to use the new glue sticks we bought for Ava. Typically I would have a little jar with glue in it and a paintbrush for Lucy to use. Lucy HAD to use the glue stick so this is what we did with it. I found a heart template on google images, cut pink and purple tissue paper into little squares and gave her the glue stick. I demonstrated how to carefully open the glue stick and apply a small dot inside the heart. I then chose one piece of tissue paper and stuck it on the glue. Then I offered for Lucy to have a turn. 

February Use Of A Funnel

Lucy enjoyed working with water this week. Red water to be exact. You'll need a tray, small pitcher with colored water (food coloring), I found this heart container at the Dollar Tree, funnel, and sponge for spills.




To give you a visual I found this great tutorial on youtube.

Pouring Water With A Funnel

February Heart Transfer

This particular work is perfect for a small toddler. I found these adorable hearts at AC Moore. They are sparkly with red glitter which will catch your child's attention. (observe carefully that they don't put hearts in their mouth) The heart bowls are from Target. You'll need a tray to place the bowls on.

To demonstrate this work have them sit beside you on the left side if they are right-handed (right side if they are left-handed). Pinch your fingers together several times to demonstrate how to pick up hearts. Take one heart at a time and transfer the hearts to the 2nd bowl. Once all the hearts are in the 2nd bowl, transfer them back to the first. Invite your child to have a turn. Once your child is finished, have them return the tray to the shelf.

February Gem Scooping

For this work you'll need a tray, 2 different size bowls, gems (I found these heart gems at Michael's), a wire strainer, and a sponge for spills.

1. To begin, have the gems in the smaller bowl without water.
2. Take one gem at a time and place it the larger bowl with water.
3. Pick up the strainer and scoop one gem up.
4. Keep the strainer over the bowl with water and allow all the water to strain.
5. I usually give the strainer on the sponge a tap tap to make sure all the water is extracted.
6. I then move the strainer over the smaller bowl without water and gently place the gem into the bowl.
7. Once all the gems are in the smaller bowl without water,  I ask the child if they'd like a turn.
8. After they've completed their turn, have them return the tray to the shelf.

February Use Of Tongs

 The use of tongs develops fine motor skills that lays the basis for pincer grip used in writing. I found these bamboo tongs at Montessori Services. You'll need a tray, 2 bowls or containers, and I used pom poms (red and pink for Valentine's). Hope you enjoy!

1. To present this work to your child, have them sitting on the left hand side of you if your child is right-handed (on the right if they are left-handed).
2. Pick up the tongs and show the child how to properly hold the tongs. I usually squeeze slowly a few times to demonstrate what the tongs do.
3. Demonstrate how to pick up one pom pom at a time and transfer it carefully from one bowl to the next.
4. Once all the pom poms are in the 2nd bowl, transfer them one by one back to the first bowl.
5. Ask your child if they would like to have a turn.
6. Once the child has completed their turn, have them return the work to the shelf.

Pom Pom Match

Lucy has really got the hang of her colors and matching objects. I decided to put the two activities into one with this Pom Pom Match.

The containers are actually our no spill paint cups we purchased for our art works. I placed them on a tray and used coordinating pom pom colors for Lucy to match. I would say the name of each color as I used pincer grasp to pick the pom poms up. I gave Lucy a turn and she enjoyed dropping each one into the right container.

Pumpkin Grasping

I have put a few fall practical life activities out this month. I'd like to share this pumpkin grasping work.

I picked these pumpkins up at Michael's and they are darling. I used a paint tray that I found at the Dollar Tree to place the pumpkins in. Make sure to demonstrate the pincer grasp as you pick up each pumpkin. I always start at the top hole and go towards my right when placing the pumpkins in. Do the same as you collect each one to place back in the bowl.

Pom Pom Drop

I created this work a few years ago when Ava was a toddler and decided to put it together again for Lucy. It's a great grasping work, it allows for repetitiveness of putting in and dumping back out and open and close. (every toddler loves to do that!)

I took an empty parmesan bottle but you could use any bottle/container that allows the child to open and close and to see the objects being put in and taken out. I used an assortment of pom poms and put them in a basket. Place the bottle and basket of pom poms on a tray and there you have it.

It's important that while demonstrating you show your child the pincer grasp before picking up the pom poms. Slowly take each one and place it in the bottle. Once all the pom poms are in the bottle take both hands and gently dump them back into the basket. Enjoy!!

Pumpkin Rice Tub

This work is super easy to whip together to give your little one endless sensory play. You need 2 bowls. 1 needs to be larger and deeper. The other bowl should be smaller than the first. You need rice and the objects I chose were small plastic pumpkins I bought at A.C. Moore. You can make this work stationary or put it on a tray like I did.  Put the objects in, then add the rice. Mix and there you have it. 

You could use it all year long changing the objects out and/or the rice to beans. If you have a child who's funny about getting things on their hands you can also use a small strainer to sift the object out. 

P.s. Be prepared to clean up lots of rice/beans. If it becomes too messy just put it away and say "we will try again tomorrow." 

Use Of A Crumber

Showing your child how to use a crumber is a great way to show them how to independently clean up after themselves when they have finished eating. This work will allow your child some practice before actually using it to clean up crumbs. 

When I was teaching I usually had 2 of these or the smallest dustpan and brush set labeled "table" and "floor." You could easily have a set positioned somewhere in your house where your child could find it when they are finished eating. 

For the practical life work...you'll need a tray, painters tape, a container, some beads or other easy to sweep object (i.e. beans or rice), and a crumb set.

You take the crumber off the tray...take the basket in both hands and gently pour the beads onto the tray scattering them neatly.

Then you take the brush and sweep them gently into the square....

After you've got the objects into the square you take the crumber in one hand and the brush in the other and sweep them gently onto the crumber...

You put the brush down and then with both hands pick up the crumber and pour the beads back into the basket...

Repeat these steps until the tray is clear. 

Button Flowers

I was on Pinterest and saw the cutest work that could easily fit into practical life or sensorial. The Kavanaugh Report made the cutest and most simple work using popsicle sticks, buttons, felt and a hold glue gun. I adore these button flowers. Ava could easily match the colors but the work gave her some great practice with buttons.

First Day Of Kindergarten

Be still my heart! I can't believe my oldest started kindergarten last month. I mean seriously, where does the time go? Ava woke up that morning ready to conquer the world. She got dressed, ate breakfast, put her backpack on, grabbed her lunchbox and was ready to hit the road.
 I on the other hand was having a much different experience. I held it together all morning. I took deep breaths and smiled a smile that only a proud mother has. As scary as it is to let your little one grow and spread their wings there is a peace in knowing you've done your part and you're allowed to be on this journey "with" them.
Ava waited in line eagerly awaiting the doors opening. We walked into her classroom and found her cubby. She hung her backpack and lunchbox up properly. We found her seat and she sat with such confidence as if to say, "I've got this mom and dad." It was at this point that both Chris and my eyes watered up. We took our pictures, gave our hugs and kisses, and reluctantly left the room. The clock never moved so slow. Looooonngest day EVER! haha Finally 3:00 rolled around and our sweet girl came out all smiles. Here are a few pictures before we left the house.

Color Wheel

I have been working with Lucy and her colors for quite some time now. She is catching on rather quickly. We started her off using the color box I. We have moved on adding more colors. She can identify red, yellow, orange, purple, blue, green and occasionally gets red. (sometimes she says pink.) I wanted to do other works that included matching colors. I found this color wheel on Natural Beach Living's site and had to make it. My mom is much craftier than I so I enlisted her haha

I got the felt at Michael's and mom cut them into triangles. She used a piece of cardboard and elmer's glue spray adhesive. I took blocks I had from a lacing work. I used 2 of each color but you can do as many as you want and different objects as well. Lucy loves this work and can successfully match them.
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Ocean Unit

To conclude our summer session of school we covered the ocean. I managed to take some photos of a few of the works we did. The rest I'll just try to provide links that I found on Pinterest.

I can't seem to find the link I found this work from. We used it as a matching work.




I found this starfish at the Dollar Tree and we put it in water to watch it expand. I didn't get a photo of the final growth that it did but here is a picture from it expanding a bit.

I was in the dollar aisle at Target and came across this number sequence puzzle. Ava really enjoyed practicing the numbers 1-20 to see the final product.














I brought out the life cycle of a sea turtle again. It had been a while since Ava worked with this so it was like new. She was able to repeat what the cards said this time and explain in her own words the life cycle of a sea turtle.



I used memorizing the moments ocean vocabulary cards and ocean toob to complete this work.



We also used The Helpful Gardens parts of a fish printable and Ava made her own booklet. We used natural beach livings shark printable to cover the different types of sharks. I brought back out our seashell counting work from last summer and added more numbers. Great work for a child to learn their numbers and quantities.

We got to visit the The Aquarium at Pine Knolls one last time before the summer was over. It's always nice to see what you've been discussing in real life. Our girls had so much fun!