We Are Thankful . . .

Emma and Lauren brought their teachers 2 dozen decorated sugar cookies as a thank you this Thanksgiving!  It's lots of icing, but so adorable!

Da' Bears

The girls were clad in their Bears wear this fall, but it was a short season for our team.  Lauren is a mover and a shaker, so this is the only pic where she is still . . . for the moment.

Festival of Trees

Emma's preschool class performed at the Festival of Trees this November.  They sang 5 Christmas song.  Some included motions or instruments.  It was her first time on a stage giving a performance.  She loved it!  Can you find her in the front row?

Fall Art and Games - Part 2

 

Coffee Filter Pumpkins:  Coffee filters can be used for any season to make something fun!  We used Do-A-Dot markers and a spray bottle.  Watch the orange blend into the white spaces as the water is absorbed.  When it dries, add a construction paper stem and small pipe cleaner for a curly vine.

Fall-owing Directions Math and Literacy:  These laminated worksheets helped Emma practice following directions to add and decode a mystery message.  We also worked on number and letter formation.  These came from www.allkidsnetwork.com.

Jack-o-Lantern Funny Faces:  These 1/2 pieces can be arranged in any fashion.  After creating one, choose a follow-up activity.  Ask your child to point to the ones that are happy, have circle eyes, do not have a nose, etc.  Or ask if he/she can make a jack-o-lantern with certain characteristics.  You can also discuss emotions and model character development by speaking as the jack-o-lantern in a unique voice.  Then ask your child, "How is this jack-o-lantern feeling?  How would he talk?  What would he say?"

Jack-o-Lantern Memory:  As with the previous matching game, you could also discuss shapes and emotions with these cards.  Ask your child, "What happened to make this jack-o-lantern be so upset?  Why is this one laughing?"

More Fall Books:  We are developing quite a home library with many seasonal books.  Most of these had a Thanksgiving theme.

Fall Art and Games - Part 1

Paper Bag Jack-o-Lantern:  Emma stuffed a paper bag with old paper, tied a green pipe cleaner around the top, and painted it with orange and brown tempera paint.  After it dried, she cut her own shapes out of yellow to create the lit face.

Acorn Counting:  After rolling the die, Emma added pom pons to the acorn picture.  For round two, she took them away.  It gave her practice reading the dots on the die, rather than counting them each time.

Knuckle Print Pumpkin Patch:  So cute!  Make a fist.  Dip the top section (the part that you use to fist bump) into orange paint and press on paper.  When it dries, use green and brown markers to add leaves, stems, and vines.

Books:  We read so many great books about fall and Halloween!  Emma's favorites were Let It Fall, Hello Kitty's Fun Fall Day, 10 Trick or Treaters, and I Love Pumpkins.

Holy Homemade Costumes!

Superheros unite!  Each year we like to coordinate our Halloween attire with Emma's costume.  This year she chose Batgirl.  Her Grandma Connie spent many hours lovingly creating this amazing superwear!  We bought Lauren's Robin costume from Amazon, and I picked up black cat ears and a tail to become Catwoman.  Scott looked around his closet and found a few things to transform into Commissioner Gordon.  It was a cold night, and Lauren was ready for dinner and bed at 5:00, the start time for trick-or-treating.  So, we quickly made our way to a few neighbors' homes before I took her home and Scott continued escorting Batgirl.

Witch's Cauldron

Materials: 2 cups, baking soda, vinegar, green food coloring, tray

Procedure:  Pour vinegar into first cup and add a few drops of green food coloring.  Mix solution.  Pour baking soda into the second cup.  Place it on a tray to catch the overflow.  Add vinegar mix to baking soda cup and be amazed!

Results:  The chemical reaction causes the release of carbon dioxide--fizzing!

Emotions of a Four Year Old:  excitement, surprise, joy