Construction MATH

Calling all preschoolers! It's time for math ~ constructions style!! Dump out the blocks and grab all the diggers, and while you play give them some simple problems to work out. 

"The workers have to clear out a space to build a new playground. Can you help them move 3 blocks out of the construction zone?" (10-3=7) 

"Help the workers build a neighborhood! They need 5 squares and 5 triangles."

FOR THE BIG KIDS:

"What is 1/2 of 12 blocks? What is 1/3?"

Letter Turkey for Preschoolers

My preschooler has been making turkeys one after another this year and we are teaching him letters and simple sight words. Combine letter and word recognition with this classic thanksgiving craft and VOILA! You've got your self a game!! 

SUPPLIES:

Paper bag

Construction paper

Scissors

Markers 

Google eyes (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cut out a beak and 'gobble' for your turkey. Have your child glue them on and draw eyes. 

2. Meanwhile, cut out feathers and write the letters of the alphabet on each one. You could also do common letter combinations like -sh, -th, and -ch. Make sure you have all the letters for your child's name and doubles of the vowels and more popular letters like R S T L N E.

 

3. Have fun with your letters. Make words, have them find words you've written for them, have them write words they've made, practice rhyming, make silly words with mixed up letters. 

Simple Earth Day Craft for Preschoolers

Here is a quick and easy Earth Day craft for you and your child today!!

SUPPLIES:
Heavy white paper
Green crayon or pastels
Blue water color
Cotton balls
Glue

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Draw a large circle for your child. Have them draw and color large odd shaped circles and ovals inside the circle for the land of the earth.
2. Have your child paint the entire circle and white space with the blue water colors.
3. Pull apart cotton balls into thin wisps to make clouds. Once the paint has dried glue the cotton wisps to the Earth.

How To Host a Busy Bag Swap

I asked a friend for advice on how to keep my kids entertained during "the witching hour" at our house and she suggested busy bags. Well if you know me when I get an idea I run with it and I am super excited to say that now a group that was started on a whim is in our fifth consecutive month of swapping these amazing educational bags for our kiddos! Below you will find my advice on how to host your own swap and tips that we have learned along the way. HAPPY SWAPPING!!

1. Pick a date & location
We meet in a conference room at the local library but you also enjoy meeting at the park when it is warm or make a playdate out of it and meet at someone's house.

2. Set a deadline to sign up

Set your deadline for people to sign up with an activity at least one week prior to the swap date to give everyone time to assemble their bags to swap.

3. Set some guidelines/age limits
Some things that we have found helpful are

• Our group is most popular for toddlers (1-3) and preschoolers (3-5). We also have tried swapping for babies (0-1) and elementary (5-8) though these haven't been as popular
• Allow people the freedom to choose their own activities to encourage all levels of creativity (Pintrest is the number one place I use to find ideas, but you can also search on google)
• Keep track of what activities are being done so you don't get doubles
• Limit the number who can sign up. Our limit is 10/age category. This provides us with a large variety of activities without getting too expensive
• Set a budget range. Let people know ahead of time that they should expect to spend between $10-$25 (or whatever amout you decide) per set of activities they make. This encourages them to choose quality materials but not overspend.

4. Advertise
Word of mouth is always best, but some other ideas to help you find people to sign up would be to leave a flyer at your local library, church or play area, or create a facebook event for people to join and invite others.


TIPS for swapping on a regular basis

• Keep track of what has been done in the past and set a guideline for the frequency an activty may be repeated. For example, once lacing cards have been done they may not be done again for 2 or 3 months. Consider exceptions that are group favorites or may wear out more quickly.
• Vary the activities you receive and encourage group crativity by providing monthly themes! Some that we have done in the past are...Eric Carle, Travel/Road Trip Activities, Springtime and Dinosaurs. One theme that we are excited to do this summer is "Just Add Water: Activites for outdoor play or in the tub"
• Share ideas, websites and resources! Once you have found your activity, share where you got it from. Plus there may be some that don't get done that you might want to come back to!!

ABC Scavenger Hunt

Here is a fun and easy activity to help your preschooler learn their letters. Mark bins or boxes with letters and send your child to find things that start with that letter. Make it harder by adding more letters or changing from upper to lower case letters.

This activity teaches:
-Letter recognition
-Letter sounds
-Patience and focus
-Sorting and categorizing
-Problem solving
-Creative thinking

{Springtime} Busy Bag Ideas

Here are a few GREAT ideas to keep your kiddos entertained and learning while they play! Each month I suggest a new theme to the moms in the group I swap with to help spur their creativity and also to help avoid getting the same activities every time. It has been a long winter and I am super anxious for warmer weather -- so this month's theme was {Springtime}.

 

If you haven't heard of a {Busy Bag} here is what they are in a nut shell... busy bags are reusable activities for kids that are fun & entertaining yet educational at the same time! Meant assist with independent quiet play and are perfect for the toddler or preschool who is just giving up naptime or for any mom who could use a few minutes of peace during her crazy day.

 

{Egg Shakers}
Babies 6-12 months old

 

Supplies
Regular sized Easter Eggs
Lentils, popping corn, or other small bean
Hot Glue

Directions
Fill each egg with 1 tsp of beans/corn. Place a very small dot of hot glue on the inside edge of the egg (where the two halves snap together) at several different places. Close the egg and allow the glue to cool and harden before scratching off any excess that is on the outside of the egg. Allow your baby to shake the eggs as you listen to music.

{Pretend Flower Pot}
Toddlers 1-3 years old

Supplies
Small flower pot or tin can
Fabric flowers
Wire cutters
Brown playdough (I used "Heidi's Chocolate Playdough" recipe found below)

Directions
Trim the stems of the flowers to the desired length. (OPTIONAL: You may wish to cover any sharp ends with floral tape, and glue the leafs and flowers into place on the stem so that your child cannot remove them as easily.) Show your child how to mash and mold the playdough into the bottom of the flower pot, then how to poke the flowers into the dough to make them stand up. (NOTE: If your child still puts everything into their mouth, you may want to provide an edible alternative to playdough such as the second recipe below.)

TODDLER FRIENDLY CRAFT OPTION: Make your own flowers using pipe cleaners and foam. Glue multi-colored petals onto a two-inch circle of foam. Glue foam leafs to a pipe cleaner, then glue the stem to the back of the foam flower.

{Fruits & Veggies - Where Do I Grow?}
Preschool 3-5 years old

 

 Supplies:
1/3 yd (45" wide) of blue, green & brown flannel per 2 children
20 x 12 inch piece of firm sew-in (non-fusible) interfacing (aka "Pellon") per 2 children
Hot glue
Images of fruits & veggies to trace (optional)
Fine-tip Sharpie
1 box washable markers per child

Directions:
THE BACKGROUND (sky, dirt, tree & bush):
Cut a 12 x 12 inch square of blue flannel to serve as the background for your activity. Cut a 4 x 12 inch strip of brown flannel for the "dirt" or garden area in your activity. Cut out the leafs for a tree, and a bush from the green flannel. Also, cut a tree trunk from the brown flannel and attach it to the tree leaves with hot glue. You may wish to sew the dirt, tree and bush to the background, but I left mine free so that my preschooler could place them where he wanted. *If you do sew the dirt onto the background, leave the top open (like a pocket) so that they can place veggies like carrots, potatoes, or onions "underground".

THE FRUITS & VEGGIES:
With a fine-tipped Sharpie, sketch or trace fruits and veggies onto the smooth side of the Pellon (the fuzzy side will adhere better to the flannel). Allow your child to color the fruits and veggies with their markers, then help them cut them out. Teach your child where things grow --- on a tree, under ground/on top of the ground, or on a bush as they play!

{Playdough Recipes}

 

{Heidi's Chocolate Playdough}
2 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 Tbsp cream of tarter
3 Tbsp oil
3 cups water

In a large pots, sift together dry ingredients. Add oil and water. Stir frequently over medium heat until a firm dough ball forms. Knead on a flat surface, adding flour as necessary until cool and no longer sticky. Store in an airtight container. Makes 5 cups or ten 1/2 cup portions.

{Edible Playdough}
1 box white cake mix
1/2 cup cocoa powder (or 3 oz packet of jello or scent/flavor)
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened
3 tsp water

Combine ingredients, kneading well and adding water a teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator. Bring dough to room temperature before using.

{March Busy Bag Swap} Details

{March Basic Swap -- SPRINGTIME}

 

Swap Date & Time: March 9th, 10:00-10:30am *ALL AGE-GROUPS, PLEASE ARRIVE AT 10. Thank you!

Location: Laramie County Library (Willow Room, 2nd Floor)

NOTE: I will be collecting additional bags for Safe Haven again - bring an EXTRA activity bag if you would like to help out.

Baby Busy Bag Swap (6-18 months old) ---- 4 sets

1. Rebecca H - egg shakers
2. Sarah S - taggie toy
3. Denisea - spring flowers
4. Laura G - black & white pattern cards

Toddler Busy Bag Swap (18 months - 2 years old) - 10 sets

1. Yana H - fishing activity
2. Sherry S - sponge tower
3. Sherry S - pipe cleaner activity
4. Karen S - pom pom sorting with tongs
5. Lisa T - number wheel
6. Rebecca H - pretend flower garden
7. Brittany N - Popsicle matching
8. Sarah S - bird puzzle
9. Meghan L - water play with a mini-baster
10. Megan H - simple-edible color sorting

Preschool Busy Bag Swap (3-4 years old) - 9 sets

1. Yana H - sewing activity
2. Lisa T - alphabet eggs
3. Karen S - felt marble maze
4. Rebecca H - fruits & veggies: Where do I grow?
5. Kylee H - snip & cut
6. Mandy E - pipe cleaner color matching
7. Sarah S - felt butterfly symmetry
8. Sharon H - DVD case mini art kit
9. Laura G - velcro popsicle sticks (shapes)

Eric Carle Animal Homes Flip Book {PreK Busy Bag}

This is a fun activity for your preschooler to do to learn about animal homes that goes along with Eric Carle's book, Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See? The animal names are printed on the top in the same color as the animal then down below is their home. You child will have fun flipping through the sections to mix and match the pages. Don't forget to laugh with them when the show you the will blue sheep that likes in the tree. Because they laugh, they know something isn't right and they think it's silly -- learning can be fun! :)

Eric Carle Puzzle Blocks {PreK Busy Bag}

These Eric Carle themed puzzle blocks are fun for your preschooler to play with --- my 4 year old was quietly entertained for at least 30 minutes yesterday! Simply purchase wooden blocks from the craft store and print animal photos onto sticker paper. (I used 1" cubes, but they had several sizes to choose from) Trim and apply to the sides of the blocks. For more of a challenge try a 9 block square or smaller blocks. :)

Heart Themed Number Matching Busy Bag

I made these for my son's Preschool class this Valentine's Day! I know the kids will love having something to play with when they get home, and the parents will be relieved its not more candy! I love this PreK busy bag because it covers a wide range of ages and skill levels. If your child is just learning colors you can igore the numbers and just match colors. If they are onto counting and number recognition, match the number on the clothes pin to the correct number of dots (colors match). If they are learning to read, have them match the number to the correct number word and then check if they are right by counting the dots on the back --- they match. FUN!! To make it more Valentine's Themed I punched the numbers out with a heart shaped punch.

~ HERE'S HOW TO DO IT ~

 

Supplies: (Make 15 Busy Bags/Valentine's)

2 sheets each of 5 colors of 8.5x11 cardstock - 10 sheets total for all 15 bags!!!

150 clothespins (10/bag)

Heart shaped paper punch

Hot glue

Marker

 

Instructions:

 

1. Cut out 2 inch squares from each of the colors to make 10 per child.

2. Punch out 10 hearts per child, write the numbers 1-10 on them and glue to the pinching tip of the clothes pin.

 

 

3. Write the words 'one' through 'ten' on the square cards. Then on the reverse, draw the corresponding number of dots. *NOTE: When I used a sharpie it bled through, so I would suggest raiding your child's washables. ;)

 

4. Place everything in a ziplock baggie along with your valentine or printed note.

 

Nuts & Bolts Valentine's

Here is a sugar-free alternative for your elementary school child to give to their classmates this year for Valentine's Day!! Enclose a bolt and some nuts with the alphabet written on them for a fun new way for the kids to practice their spelling words!! A set of 105 steel 1/4" nuts and 15 matching 2" bolts cost lest than $10 for me today at Lowes. That is less than $1 a piece for an activity that will last them for a long time.

 

Write 3-4 sets of the alphabet on the nuts using a permanent marker, then enclose in a snack sized ziplock bag and attach your valentine or cheesy printed message.

 

"I'm NUTS about you - have fun spelling!"

{February} Busy Bag Details

Thank you to everyone who signed up for the Eric Carle themed busy bag swap this month!! We will meet at the Laramie County Library to exchange activities on Saturday, February 9th at 2pm. I am hoping to have the large meeting room on the second floor again - please watch the Facebook page for final details on the classroom. You will find the list of activities we have to look forward to below as well as the number of activity bags you will need to bring.

Also, please keep in mind that we will be collecting any additional bags you would like to bring to donate to Safe Harbor - a local organization that bring hope and healing to abused kids in Cheyenne.

Sign-ups for the {March Busy Bag Swap} will begin tomorrow.

{February Swap Details}

Baby Group (6 sets)
Rebecca H - Brown Bear Fabric Pull
Abby O - Color Squish Bag
Chanda S - "Little Cloud" Felt Board
Chanda S - "Busy Spider" Magnet Pages
Sarah S - Very Busy Spider Clank Can
Denisea A - Brown Bear Face Play

Toddler Group (9 sets)
Brittany N - Eric Carle I-Spy bags
Rebecca H - Brown Bear Animal Puzzle Cubes
Sherry S - Hungry Caterpillar Feed Me Can
Sherry S - Brown Bear Animal Matching Cards
Yana H - Ladybug Pom Poms
Sarah S - (Lonely Firefly) Puppets
Ashley K - (Ten Little Rubber Ducks) Counting Activity
Riley P - (Papa please get the moon for me) - Trace the Shape
Riley P - (Very Hungry Caterpillar) Pasta Caterpillars

Preschool Group (8 sets)
Rebecca H - Animal Homes Flip Book (Brown Bear, Brown Bear)
Karen S - Caterpillar Bead Spell-A-Word
Sharon H - Ladybug Clock
Mandi E - Color Matching Activity
Kylee H - Caterpillar Pattern Game
Yana H - Brown Bear Lacing Cards
Sarah S - Mathing Animals (Does a Kangaroo have a Mother)
Riley P - Popsicle Stick Book Cover Puzzles

Busy Bag Swap Coming Up

Deadline to sign-up: January 5th

Swap Date : January 12th *Please bring completed activities ready to trade (More details below)

 

Cheyenne Busy Bag Swap Group

* Free to Join * Local Moms * Fun & Educational

What is a busy bag? A "busy bag" is a ziplock bag that contains all the materials your child would need to complete a given activity. These quality age-based activities are intended to enourage fun while learning as well as keep them entertained for a period of time to give mom a break. These are especially helpful for older siblings when a new baby comes home during the adjustment phase. I will say thy are most successful when only available to the child during special occations, such as during daily quiet time, when mommy is nursing or during a long car ride.

How does a swap work? Some busy bag swap groups charge an entrace fee to participate --- The swaps hosted here are limited to local participants and because of that are FREE TO JOIN! You only pay for the materials it cost to create your activity for the swap!! Join a group - make multiples of the activity your chose - trade with other moms at the swap event...You end up with 10 different activities for your child and hours of quiet entertainment!!  

1. Select the age category you wish to swap within & find an activity that would be appropriate for that age. There are hundreds of good ideas online by searching: "infant busy bag -OR- toddler busy bag -OR- preschool busy bag."
2. Reserve your spot by posting your name (or initials) and chosen activity below with the link if you have it. **You may participate in more than one group at a time, but please note that you will need to put together up to 10 bags for each age category that you select**
3. Put together up to 10 of the same activity with instructions to bring to the swap event (time and location will vary) -- The number of participants and how many bags you will need to make for your age category will be announced here on the day after the reservation deadline. Cost to create each activity will range from $5-$20. Please bring a laundry basket, tote or some other way of carrying your new busy bags home.