Playing with Playdough

Moms, it is so easy to make playdough!  The recipe below took no more that 15 minutes to make and now we have HOURS of playdough fun!  (FYI - double the recipe if you have enough ingredients.)

My son enjoys "cutting" the playdough with his plastic knife.  I took out random length straws and he stuck them in all over.  This particular creation is a cake with candles that need to be blown out and it includes a straw to drink juice.  It looks like our dog is taking a sip. 

COOKED PLAY DOUGH
1 cup flour
1 cup water
1Tbsp. Oil
½ cup salt
1 tsp. Cream of Tartar
Food coloring, colors for cake icing and scents added as desired.
Add the colors and scents to the water.

Mix all ingredients together in a sauce pan.  Cook over medium heat until mixture
pulls away from sides of the pan and becomes play dough consistency.

Kneed until cool.  Store in an air-tight container.
*thank you Luciana for this easy recipe!*

Last Minute Review

School starts in a few days and parents are afraid their children have forgotten EVERYTHING over the summer!  No fear, check out these easy, fun ways to review.

ABC Match:
Write the alphabet in CAPITAL letters on a large piece of construction paper.  Write the lower case letters on post-it notes.  Place the lower case letters out of order on the wall.  Have your child put the lower case letters on top of the CAPITAL letters.

Stick Writing:
Kids love using colored popsicle craft sticks to practice making letters, sight words, name, or creating fun designs.

Do-A-Dot Art Markers:
Another great way to practice name writing or sight words.  Kids can "dot" out words, names, numbers, etc...

Countdown to School!

Here are a few fun ideas you can do at home to prepare for that first day of school!

1.  Make a "Countdown" road to school with your child.  Find out how many days are left before school starts.  You can write or print out numbers and have your child glue them in order from the biggest number down to number one.  Draw a line to connect the numbers to make your path.  At the end of the "path" have your child draw a picture of their school.  Take a post-it note and put in on the biggest number.  Each day, have your child move the post-it note one number until you reach the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!

 

Here are some things MOMS can do to prepare for your child's first day:
*adjust their body clock to fit their new school schedule
*talk about healthy choices for lunch/snack
*make sure your child's name is on their backpack and lunch box
*check supply list
*find classroom and playground
*have your child say their new teacher's name 3 times (when you find out)
*discuss drop-off and pick-up procedures
*don't forget to take a first day of school picture

*SMILE and have a great day!

It will be a great year! 

Confetti Fish

I love all the fun ways you can decorate fish.  We read A Fishy Shape Story by Joanne & David Wylie, which teaches all the shapes.  Each fish in the book is made from a different shape.  The last page is a picture of a "confetti" fish which is made up of all the shapes.

I cut out a shape of a fish (you can let your child cut out if age-appropriate).  I had a pile of small shapes cut out from different colors of construction paper. The kids glued the shapes on the fish.  When they were done we added stripes of tissue paper on the tail. 
The kids had fun "swimming" their colorful confetti fish around the room.  The kids acted out the adorable story Ten Little Fish by Audrey Wood as I read it aloud.  This is a great story for rhyming, counting and great illustrations!

When you hang the confetti fish up in your house it is a great way to continue to review the names of shapes.  Have your child point out a circle or triangle on the fish.  Ask them, "Do you have more squares or stars on your fish?" etc...
It is a fun, simple, and educational way to have fun with art!
Unfortunately I was unable to find, A Fishy Shape Story on Amazon.  It must be out of print!  Thanks mom for holding onto this book all these years!

Ease Those First Day Jitters

Excitement and anxiety are only a few emotions that are present when you and your child prepare for their FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!
I will be offering a two hour workshop for children entering Kindergarten and First Grade to help ease those first day jitters!

Kindergarten Countdown:  August 24, 9:00-11:00
We will be reading stories, like Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten, playing games that encourage name recognition, letters, sounds, and numbers.  We will be discussing what to expect and get excited about starting their first day of Kindergarten and learning!

First Grade Countdown: August 24, 1:00-3:00
We will be playing games to review Kindergarten skills such as sight words, letters, sounds, numbers and basic addition and subtraction.  We will be talking about what to expect and reading stories to get them excited about their FIRST day of First Grade!

*Location: Talega Swim and Athletic Club
*Cost: $30

*Registration forms can be picked up at the Talega Swim and Athletic Club or emailed to you directly at dcodaniels@gmail.com

Rainbow Fish

 

We have been reading and enjoying the many Rainbow Fish and Friends stories by Marcus Pfister.  Today my boys decorated their own rainbow fish.  I cut out a fish shape and they used Do-A-Dot Art markers to color the fish.  If you have not used these markers, they are fun and easy to use.   I got them at Lakeshore Teaching Supply or can be ordered online.  These markers are perfect for children to "dot" out letters, numbers or shapes.  It is a great way to practice pre-writing skills.