Activity for Mothers Day

One way to encourage parent involvement is to have a special event at your center.  With Mother’s Day coming up, one idea is to have a special breakfast for the moms or tea and cookies.  Children can make a special place mat for their mother, grandmother, aunt or other special person in their life.  This creative activity will be fun for the children, they will get excited knowing they are making it for someone, and they have a gift when they are done.  Remember while they are having fun, the children are learning too.  The place mat can be displayed at the center and taken home.  Clear adhesive plastic is one way to protect it.

Place Mat for Mother’s Day

1.  Provide two large white paper doilies and have children decorate them with their colorful artwork.
2. Prove a sheet of 12″ x 18″ colored construction paper.  Have a variety on hand so children can choose the color they prefer for their project.  Glue the doilies to the paper.
3. It is always a great idea to include a picture of the child on the project to make it more personalized, plus mothers enjoy pictures of their children.
4. The place mat can be used for your special event in your center or they can take home.

ryleigh

Grow Little Turnip, Grow Big – Activity

This activity is an extension of my last blog.  I have done this activity with child care providers many times to provide ideas for their classroom.  Children enjoy this hands-on activity where they can be involved.  This is just one example of how you can make a book come alive. Choose your own book and let your imagination run to come up with your own activities.  Remember to link your classroom together with themes for learning.

Read the book several times before you conduct the activity.  This will allow time for your children to become familiar with the story,

Has anyone eaten a turnip root?  What about turnip greens?  Our story is about a big turnip.  Grow Little Turnip, Grow Big is written by Harriet Ziefert and illustrated by Laura Rader.  What do you think this book is about?  Has anyone seen a big turnip root?

This book, is about an old man, an old woman, a little girl, a big dog, a cat and a tiny mouse.  (prepare pictures for each for the children to hold, I suggest laminating each so you can use them multiple times).  Ask for six volunteers to help with the story.  As the children come up give them a picture to hold (or punch two holes at the top of the card and use yarn to thread through so the child can wear the picture around their neck, this is my preference to leave their hands free).  Move all the children to the side, except for the old man.  You can have a pot with a plastic turnip planted in a pot covered by moss that you hold. (see example at the bottom of the page, you can make your own)

As you read the book, ask your volunteers to help act out the story.  As you talk about the characters from the book pulling up the turnip, each one tries to pull up the turnip individually, then they try to help the person in front of them pull.  At the end they all work as a team and are successful.

To involve the entire class in the story, make the following change:

Page 20 They pulled and pulled and pulled.  Line up the children and stress that they are only going to pretend to pull on the person in front on them.  On the count of three we are going to pull up the turnip. 1-2-3.  Pull it up!  Pull it up!  Pull it up!  Yeah!  The turnip did come up.  Now the old woman can cook the turnip for supper.

Suggested questions for end of book discussion:

• What color is the turnip root?
• What color are the leaves of the turnip?
• Where do turnips grow?
• Has someone eaten the white turnip root or the green leaves of the turnip?
• What other foods did you eat with the turnips?
• Can someone name other types of “greens”? (mustard, kale, spinach, collards)
• Why were we finally successful in pulling up the large turnip? (everyone worked together to pull up the turnip)

Learning Math Skills through Food

Math is more than numbers.  Adding math into everyday activities can make it fun and more interesting for you and your children.  Food is something everyone can relate to and there are many math skills that can be taught through food experiences.  Children who enjoy themselves through discovery and experimentation are more likely to listen and retain information.  Food can be a fun way for children to learn and the possibilities are limitless.  Here are a few concepts to get you started:

• Counting
• Measuring
• Sequencing of Events
• An Understanding of Time
• Spatial Concepts
• Numbers
• Fractions
• Sorting
• Classifying
• Estimation
• Probability
• Statistics

Do you use food experiences in your classroom? Please share any additional ways you teach math concepts.  I like to use books to go along with any concepts I am teaching.  Visit your local library to find these or other books related to counting.

March is National Nutrition Month (R)

“Put Your Best Fork Forward” is the theme for this year’s National Nutrition Month (R). This campaign is created annually by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and focuses on making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.  Making small changes add up to improving health now and in the future. The earlier we start working with children and nutrition, the more likely they are to continue their knowledge into adulthood.  Nutrition can be associated with every area of your center.

This month all posts will be nutrition related.  Please feel free to share your ideas too.

http://www.eatright.org/resources/national-nutrition-month

 

Gingerbread in a Cup – English & Spanish Recipe

Here’s a great activity to do in your center.  It is good to strengthen both science and math skills, plus gingerbread is always good around the holiday season.

Gingerbread in a Cup    

First Step:  Wash Hands/ Primer Paso:  Lavarse Las Manos

Supplies & Equipment  

• Wash basin sink or water filled spray bottle
• Soap
• Towels

Suggested Learning

• First step in sequence
• Always was hands before handling food.
• Wash well with soap and water to prevent the spread of germs, colds, and other illness.

Material y Equipo                                                           

• Lavabo a botella con agua
• Jabón
• Toallas

Puntos de aprendizaje     

• Primer paso en secuencia
• Siempre recordar lavarse las manos antes de preparar los alimentos
• Usar jabón y agua para prevenir el  desarrollo de bacteria, resfrios y otras  enfermedades

Second Step

Put mix in paper cup                                                       3 Tablespoons Ginger Bread Mix

TERCER PASO

3 cucharas de la mezcla de jengibre (polvo) poner en una taza de papel

 Supplies & Equipment                                               

• Bowl of gingerbread mix
• 3 measuring tablespoons
• Name-labeled 5 oz.paper cup for each child
• all above items on one tray with chart

 Suggested Learning

• three: numeral amount
• meaning of level
•  measuring
•  tablespoon
•  observe  color, feel, taste & smell

3 cucharadas de Jengibre

Material y equipo                                                          

• hoya con mezcla de jengibre
• 3 cucharas de medir
• nombre la taza de papel para cada niño

Sugerencias de aprendizaje       

• el numero tres
• significado de nivel
•    medir
•    Observar color, tacto, sabor & olfato

Third Step                     TERCER PASO

 1 Tablespoon                CUCHARADA

Water                               AGUA

Add to Cup                      AGREGUE  A LA TAZA        

Supplies & Equipment                                                        

• 1 measuring tablespoon with handle bent at right angle to the bowl of the spoon.
• This simplifies dipping up a spoonful of liquid.
• Small bowl of water.
• All above items on tray with recipe chart.

Suggested Learning

•  Vocabulary: liquid
• Observe, liquid levels itself.Material y equipo                                                               Sugerencias de aprendizaje
• Science:DO NOT TELL THE CHILDREN LET THEM DISCOVER THE SCIENTIFIC                                 PRINCIPLES THEMSELVES!
• Ask open ended questions to help them think about this                                           “Characteristic of liquids.”

Material y equipo

• 1 cucharada doblada en forma de cucharón. Esto hará más fácil agarrar el agua.
• Plato hondo con agua.

Sugerencias de aprendizaje              

• Vocabulario: liquido
• Ciencia:
• Observar, niveles de líquido.

NO LE SDIGA A LOS NINOS. DEJEN QUE ELLOS DESCUBRAN EL PRICIPIO SCIENTIFICO         ELLOS MISMOS!  Pregunte preguntas abiertas para ayúdales a Pensar sobre las características de los líquidos.

Fourth step                                                      Cuarto paso

Stir Well                                                           MESCLE  BIEN

BAKE: 400 15 MIN. OR ‘TILL DONE          AL  HORNO: 400 15 MIN. O HASTA QUE ESTE

 Supplies and Equipment                                                    

• Teaspoons for stirring
• Electric skillet
• As soon as the gingerbrread is well mixed the teacher places sup in preheated dry electric skillet.  Cover.  Teacher checks for doneness- When done springs back from touch.

Suggested Learning   

• Stir; mix(rising in cup)
• Observe:   color, feel , taste, smell
• As lid is removed during baking,  note Change in size  (rising in cup)

Material y Equipo                                                       Sugerencias de aprendizaje

• Cuchara para mezclar                                                   mezclar, menear
• Sartén eléctrico                                                               Observar:

Encuanto el jingebre este bien mezclado                                   Cambio en: color                                El adulto pondrá el vaso en el sartén pre-calentado                                      textura                   Cubra. El adulto tiene que chequear si esta listo.                                           sabor                              esta listo cuando oprima suavemente y se regresa.                                       olor                                                                                                                                          Cuando quite la tapadera                                                                                                                                  observe el cambio  En tamaño en                                                                                                                   la taza

                                                                                

Refrigerator Power Outages – Keep or Toss

When it comes to serving food to children proper food safety is crucial.  Some of you may have experienced the recent Hurricane Matthew.  If not this time, there is some time that a national disaster may hit your area.  This could have a influence on your food, especially when there is a loss of power.  It is always best to have a chart on hand with some guidelines if you experience this.  In Savannah, we had to discard all of our refrigerator and frozen goods due to power loss and not being able to get in our building.  This cost up front may seem like a lot, but in the future much less expensive than an outbreak of food borne illness to do spoiled food.  This will provide guidelines for a power loss.  One way to keep our children safe is through safe food practices.  For more information contact your local County Extension in Georgia: 1.800.ASK-UGA1

food-in-fridge-keep-or-toss

 

Preschoolers – Learning to Get Along with Others

The social skills children learn today will will be used throughout their life.  Making and keeping friends is an important challenge for preschoolers.  As providers and parents we play an important role in encouraging and teaching children how to get along with others.

Typically, preschoolers prefer to play with other children, rather than alone.  You can encourage cooperative play by allowing children lots of chances to choose playmates and decide how they will play.  It is more fun to play doctor if you have a patient.  With the teacher’s help, they have to figure out how to find everyone a turn and a fair share.

When conflicts come up, we encourage children to come up with solutions.  You might say, “Hmm, there is only one green crayon and tow children who want to use it.  What can we do?”  Let them help in making decisions as problem solving will an important skill they learn while young.

Try to engage children in cooperative games more than competitive ones.  They are much too young to worry about winning and losing, so play games in which everyone contributes.

We encourage children to identify the feelings of others by pointing out how they have hurt another child and how they might fix things to make them better.  A teacher might say, “Katie said she’s very angry.  Remember when Darius broke your toy? What do you think you can do to help Katie rebuild the tower you knocked over?”  Helping children learn empathy gives them the opportunity to right the wrong.

There are many ways you can encourage children to help others.  They might make cards for a sick teacher or child, take water to the workers outside, or help with a task.  It is important for children to experience how good it feels to just be a friend!

 

A Special Thanks To Teachers

September is National Food Safety Edcuation Month

For the past twenty years, September as been recognized as National Food Safety Education Month.  The theme for this year is “Notorious Virus”.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),  Norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illnesses, with about 20 million people getting sick each year.  The most common source for norovirus is ready-to-eat foods and shellfish from contaminated water.  Once a person is sick it is easily spread to others.

Of course, the best way to prevent the spread of norovirus is simply washing your hands correctly. Other tips include:  avoid bare-hand contact; purchase food from approved suppliers; encourage employees to stay home when sick; clean up spills properly; and clena and sanitize food-contact surfaces.  Handwashing is the number one way to prevent infectious disease so from the children in your care, to the providers and food handlers this is something to put great emphasis on.

To learn more about Food Safety Education or to find activities for children visit:

https://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/features-month/september/national-food-safety-education-month

 

Labor Day Activities for Children

Did you know the first Labor Day was celebrated in New York City?  10,000 workers took an unpaid holiday to march in the first Labor Day parade. The holiday was founded when many in America worked 16 hour days in harsh work environments.  It was considered a day to recognize the challenges and the rights of workers.  The first Labor Day was really a rally for the adoption of eight hour work days and other suitable work conditions.

Labor Day the last big holiday of the summer months and first holiday of Sept.  It is a special day to honor people who work.  Labor Day is a time to pay tribute to the workers who have made America what it is today.  Since work is children’s play how can you help them learn about this holiday?

There are various sites that can provide some great activities to help children learn about Labor Day.  I decided to include one link for your review and hope you will be able to use some of the activities with your children.  These are geared toward preschool, but may be modified to work with other ages too.

Celebration Station – Preschool

Labor Day Art

• Thank You Cards
• Community Helper Mural
• Worker Collage
• Classroom Worker Badges

Labor Day Games

• Hats off to Workers
• Tool Match Up
• Dramatic Play
• Movement Fun
• Guess the Worker

Labor Day Language

• Alphabet Jobs
• Thank You Notes
• Occupation Books

Labor Day Social Studies

• Community Field Trips
• Worker Visits
• About the Holiday

Labor Day Snacks

• Workers Lunches
• Snacktime Helper

Labor Day Songs & Rhymes

• Occupation Rap
• Oh, The Workers Go to Work
• When I ‘m Grown Up
• Workers on Parade

http://www.preschoolexpress.com/celebration-station09/labor-day.shtml

(C) Jean Warren http://www.preschoolexpress.com