Whole Child Development
Father’s Day is upon us! Don’t worry if you’re a procrastinator like I am, one hour photo was invented with us in mind! You really can’t go wrong with pictures as gifts. It’s easy to incorporate children into the project and really let it be from them. Plus, what dad or grandpa couldn’t use an updated photo for his office, den, or bedroom?
Father’s Day is upon us! Don’t worry if you’re a procrastinator like I am, one hour photo was invented with us in mind! You really can’t go wrong with pictures as gifts. It’s easy to incorporate children into the project and really let it be from them. Plus, what dad or grandpa couldn’t use an updated photo for his office, den, or bedroom?
Spiders and insects are often lumped together, but there are some significant differences that even young children can begin to recognize. Noting the difference between insects and spiders isn’t just important for discerning between the two “in the wild”, but the act of comparing and classifying is perfect for practicing logic, reasoning, and science skills.
Eric Carle’s The Very Busy Spider will always be one of my favorites because it was one of the first books I regularly read to my first son. It’s a simple story of a spider slowly building a perfect web as the barnyard animals come one by one to invite her to play. By the end of the story, the web is finished, the pesky fly has been caught, and the spider is ready for a good night’s sleep. The patterned text is great for reading with young children – invite them to join in with you!
If you ask anyone to make list of favorite children’s authors, Eric Carle would almost certainly be on that list. His work is both prolific and magnificent. His simple text is brought to life by colorful texture and hands-on appeal. I love talking to children about Eric Carle as we do our bug unit, because he has so many fabulous books featuring bugs!
Start off your author study by showing a picture of Eric Carle and introducing him as an author and illustrator. Explain what those words mean, and point out that the children can be authors and illustrators too. Show a wide array of Eric Carle’s books and have the children talk about what the books have in common. You could list these features on a chart paper to reinforce what has been said, as well as the concepts of print. Throughout the unit, refer back to those distinguishing features again each time you pull out an Eric Carle book to share with the children. Stock your bookshelf with a variety of Eric Carle books- not just the bug ones- and let them explore!
When exploring seeds, plants, and gardens, it’s great to mix in some seeds with this classic finger-paint recipe. Here, I used culinary seeds, since I had them on hand. I used fennel seed in the green, sesame seed in the yellow, and poppy seed in the blue. (As a side note, it’s fun to use two primary colors and the secondary color they create as a trio of paints for an activity. The mixing and blending is exciting!)
Planting a Rainbow is one of my many favorites by Lois Ehlert. Her illustrations are striking and her text is simplistic yet descriptive. Planting a Rainbow follows the story of a mother and child as they plant a rainbow of colors in their garden. It follows the process of planting bulbs, seeds, and seedlings, and tending them as they grow, and grow, and grow. Finally they can gather a rainbow bouquet, knowing they can grow another rainbow the following year!
I have a penchant for books that are just plain silly, both in premise and in the delivery (rhymes, alliterations, and made-up words – all great for phonemic awareness). Moosetache by Margie Palatini is that kind of book. In this story, a moose is tormented by his unruly and prolific mustache. His problems are finally solved when he meets the moose of his dreams and she introduces him to a special pot of glue she uses to tame her own crazy locks.
If you’re looking for an Easter activity to do with your children this weekend, here are a few quick ideas.
I love doing collages with children! They are always so excited to exercise their independence and decide just exactly what goes where. It’s a great exercise in creativity and small motor skills. I’m sure you all have your favorite ways to do collages. Well, here’s another approach to those fantastic creations!
Often, I see young children piling objects onto their papers without applying glue. They’re so involved in the sticking process, they forget the sticking agent! It’s loads of fun until they pick up their papers and watch their work fall down to the art tray. Well, one fun way to do collages, and to avoid the missing glue problem, is to use Contact Paper! [Read more…]
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