FAMILY BUZZ
STORY TIME "THE BUTTON BOX"
STORY TIME - "THE BUTTON BOX" BY MARGARETTE S. REID
READ BY MS. BECKY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65xBKNwkUbk&feature=youtu.be
Activity ideas from Ms. Becky:
Sort beads, buttons or other small objects in a muffin pan, ice cube tray or egg carton. Take turns making patterns by number, color or shape.
Hide buttons or other small objects in play dough and then try to dig them out again. Kids like to pretend they are wrapping a gift or making a cake with a secret filling! If your child likes to put objects in her mouth they will need closer supervision with small objects. You can also have fun poking different objects into the play dough such as a drinking straw or a golf tee.
Tell your child a story about what you played with as a child with your grandparent or special someone.
STORY TIME "ALL ARE WELCOME" BY ALEXANDRA PENFOLD
STORY TIME - "ALL ARE WELCOME" BY ALEXANDRA PENFOLD READ BY MS. ANN
Activity ideas:
Talk with your child about how s/he is feeling about not seeing friends or loved ones right now.
Draw a picture and mail, text or email it to a friend or neighbor.
If you need another copy of the preschool directory let me know and I'll email it to you!
Face Time or call someone that you are missing.
Get outside - draw with sidewalk chalk. Leave an encouraging message to neighbors who walk by.
Story Time "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle
STORY TIME - "THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR" BY ERIC CARLE READ BY MS. ANN
Activity ideas:
Count fruit - Ask questions to extend the learning… How many do you have? Which is more/less? Make a chart showing how many of each you have.
Look at the colors of the various fruits. Go on a scavenger hunt throughout your house or out on a walk and look for those colors.
Create a color collage with various items - cuttings from magazines, colored paper, bottle caps, container lids, etc.
Fun & Learning at Home! Large Muscle Activities for Indoors from Ms. Tarah
Did you know that Ladybug teacher, Ms. Tarah is a former middle school gym teacher? She has lots of great ideas to keep you moving!
YOGA
Cosmic kids yoga adventures- Squish the Fish Adventure (connects to our current unit!!). 15 minutes of yoga. They have many other adventures too.
DANCE
Any music collection works-turn on your favorite music and turn your living room (or dining room or bedroom) into a dance club!!
Some online song ideas:
Specific songs kids in our classroom love to dance to:
Brain Breaks:
Laurie Berkner songs (my favorite-I spent many hours dancing and singing with my kids when they were little)
My all time favorite
OTHER IDEAS...
Throw balled up socks into the laundry basket
Put slider pads (or a towel) under the basket to it can slide, tie a rope (or a necktie) on as a way to pull-have child pull toys/stuffed animals/etc in basket (and get a pull from an older sibling/caregiver)
Build a fort with chairs/blankets/cushions from couch
If comfortable: Use couch as a trampoline (take off cushions and place on floor next to couch (supervise!!) or put a mattress on the floor and jump!!
Create an obstacle course to test balance, agility, etc. For example: Have a starting line then go under the dining room table, around a chair 3 times, back under the dining room table, walk on a line taped to the floor (or a piece of string or yarn), go over the footstool, under the coffee table, hop on one or two feet to the finish line. This is also a good way for kids to learn positional words like over & under.
Using a soft ball (or ball of tape), play a little indoor soccer with laundry basket as goal
Play hide and seek, one person is the seeker and everyone else hides or sardines, one person hides and everyone else looks for the hider. When someone finds the hider, that person join him/her. Each seeker joins the hider until everyone is there together.
More indoor large muscle activities!
RESOURCES FOR FREE FOOD
Information about food for children 18 yrs & younger from the Minneapolis Public Schools
Hope Academy will be providing youth ages 1-18 with grab and go bagged meals while schools are closed due to the COVID-19 virus. A Hope Academy Bus will be parked in the Visitor Lot on 24th and Chicago Ave S in Minneapolis. Meal pickup services begin Thursday, March 19 and continue Mondays through Fridays from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. No meals will be served March 27-April 3 due to Hope Academy's scheduled Spring Break.
If you find yourself in a tough spot, please let us know. We have WWP families and supporters who have told me that they want to help WWP families affected by the closures.
Fun & Learning at Home! DAILY ROUTINES
We are into our new reality of spending most of our time at home with our family. The WWP staff want to encourage and support you during this time. We are intending to send out daily emails (Mon - Fri) with activity ideas.
Today we are talking about daily routines! Children thrive on routine it helps them to know what to expect and gives great comfort. At preschool we have a pictorial schedule showing the children what is happening that day.
Here's a pictorial schedule that you can print out. You can cut out the sections and rearrange them as you like. Thanks to our board member, Sarah Bates, who is a Berry Patch teacher, who shared this schedule with me to adapt for you.
Here are the basics:
Breakfast
Story time - Share a book or 2 or more! It may inspire creations or activities for the day.
Let's Create! What will you create with today? Art supplies, found materials/junk, playdough, legos, blocks, cardboard boxes... be creative!
Snack
Outside Time - Go for a walk, "What do you see?" Go on a scavenger hunt for colors, numbers, shapes, nature items, birds, animals, etc, play in the yard, explore nature
Lunch - Let your child help to make lunch and/or set the table
Reading/Puzzles/Room Time - A little quiet alone time is good for everyone! Play quiet music or an audio book.
Games/Free Choice/Indoor Scavenger Hunts, Hide and Seek, etc.
Snack
Large Muscle/Outside Play
Family Chores - Children can help with many chores - setting the table, matching socks, dusting, picking up their toys. Make it fun!
Movie/Screen Time - limit screen time
I pray that you and your family learn new things about one another, find great peace and joy during this time together!
Love, Ms. Ann