FAMILY BUZZ
Fun & Learning at Home! Giving/Kindness
STORY TIME - with Ms. Becky
The Giving Tree
The tree loved the boy very much. What did the tree give to the boy?
How can you be GIVING and show your love to others?
Here are a few ideas...
Create a card to send to our friends at Signe Burkhardt Manor
Attn: Tammy 2533 1st Ave. S. Minneapolis MN 55404
This is the senior living center where the Caterpillars and Butterflies have gone on field trips for Halloween and Valentine's Day. Be sure to let them know that you are a friend from Whittier Wildflowers Preschool!
Connect with a friend - send a card/ creation in the mail or drop it off at their house, text a picture, FaceTime or Zoom. Let me know if you need a WWP family directory.
Create a Giving/Kindness Jar - brainstorm ways that you can be kind at your house. Write them down on pieces of paper and put them in a jar. Pick them out a few times a day to share kindness with one another. Some examples:
Give a hug
Let someone else go first
Say something nice to someone
Create a picture for someone
Clean up without being asked
I've heard about people creating Kindness rocks and leaving them around the neighborhood to give encouragement to others.
Fun & Learning at Home - Robins
STORY TIME - with Ms. Ann
From Egg to Robin
My son, Fletcher is studying to be a science teacher. Right now he is studying ORNITHOLOGY - BIRDS! We have been looking at lots of birds on our walks in the park by our house. He makes a list of every bird we see... ducks, robins, geese, hawk, sparrows, chickadees, even a bald eagle!
What birds do you see in your neighborhood?
Here are some fun bird activities for you to try at home....
Make binoculars with toilet paper tubes taped together. Add a string/yarn to hang it around your neck. Go bird watching out your window or outside!
Create a bird nest with a paper plate, or a circle of paper. Glue on sticks and pieces of grocery bag that you have torn or cut. This is great for strengthening finger muscles.
Another way to make a bird nest is with a paper bag, a lunch bag or takeout bag is a good size. Roll down the bag to make the sides of the nest. Add grass, sticks, yarn, or cut up paper. Add a plastic egg. Perhaps you want to create a bird for your nest.
Create a bird feeder! Spread peanut butter or sunbutter on a toilet paper tube. Roll it in bird seed, which can be found at Aldi or other grocery stores. Hang it in a tree.
Fun & Learning at Home! The Three Billy Goats Gruff
STORY TIME - with Ms. Ann
The Three Billy Goats Gruff
This is a fun story with lots of great vocabulary comparing size (tiny/little/small, medium, large/big/heavy), and positional words (over, under, up, below, first, second, third). I encourage you to consciously use these words with your preschooler.
Here's a fun game to play with positional words.
Retell the story of The Three Billy Goats, people or stuffed animals can be the characters. Here they used playdough to make the troll and popsicle sticks to build a bridge. Use your imagination!
It's a great story to talk about the sequence of the story, for example, "Who went over the bridge first, second, third?". This is an important skill to practice reading comprehension.
STEM activity.... build a bridge! What can you use that you have around the house? Will it hold something light? Will it hold something heavy?
Go on a small/medium/large scavenger hunt in your house. How many different things can you find?
Fun & Learning at Home! Feelings
STORY TIME - with Ms. Becky
The Way I Feel
And here's a SILLY song!
Feelings Activities -
because there are just SO MANY FEELINGS right now! And it helps to talk about them.
Feelings or emotions are not "good" or "bad". It's all about what we do with those feelings. Let's help our little ones to name and express their feelings and to know how to respond to them.
It's ok to be angry at your sister for knocking over your block tower, but it's not ok to push her. Show her your angry face and tell her that you didn't like that!
Create emotions eggs to help your child to recognize and name emotions.
The same can be done with rocks - not to mention that there is something so soothing about nature materials.
Create faces with cut outs from magazines and found materials. Perhaps write a story about the character.... What is s/he feeling? Why? What happen? What did s/he do about it?
Create feelings faces with your snack. Try orange slices, green beans, kiwi slices, circle crackers.... what else?
Fun & Learning at Home! Storytelling
STORY TIME - with Ms. Tarah
Let's Pretend - Dramatic Play - Storytelling!
What's your child's favorite story? What story do they ask to be read over and over again? Spend some time recreating that story! I'll use Ms. Tarah's story "Don't Let Pigeon Drive the Bus" as an example...
Create costumes (perhaps a hat for Pigeon)
Create props (like a bus made from a cardboard box). This picture is quite complex, but it can be very simple. Your child can color it yellow and add wheels. A paper plate makes a great steering wheel.
One person can be the narrator and other members of the family (or stuffed animals or dolls) can be the other characters in the story. Take turns being the different characters. Enjoy!
