Summer

Give them Options: Boosting Self-Esteem Through Lunch

11/6/2013

Children like creating things! Pizza is a great way to give them a choice while enticing them to try new foods! Quick bases for pizzas could be bagels, tortillas, or pitas. Sauces could be ranch, pesto, BBQ, spaghetti, or Alfredo. I would suggest having a healthy portion size already measured out to avoid over flow! Offer Colorful toppings such as mozzarella, cheddar, spinach, cucumber, onion, red green and yellow peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, green onions, baked potato bits, bacon, chicken, turkey, pepperoni, salami, or ham.

Creating something gives a child a sense of achievement and boost their self esteem. This self esteem will help them develop socially as well as help them value their work/projects. Who thought lunch could be so rewarding!?! Plus you get to see them choose to eat healthy veggies and proteins. Soon you will be boosting your child's self esteem with something as simple as lunch!

Paper Mache Globe

11/6/2013

Here is what you need: 4 Sheets of tissue paper, glue, water, balloon, and scissors.

1. Blow up the balloon
2. Cut tissue paper into approx 4x4 squares.
3. Mix 1/3 cup glue with 1 cup of water and place into a bowl.
4. Place the tissue papers (one at a time) into the glue mixture and let it get soaked through.
5. Place all over the balloon. Do 3 layers of tissue paper.
6. Leave a space at the bottom of the balloon where the tie is.
7. Let dry. This may take a day or two.
8. When totally dry, pop the balloon and remove. Now you have a paper mache globe!

Popsicle Stick Science

11/6/2013

These flying popsicle sticks display a Class 1 Lever. Click here to see a Class 1 lever in action. Pretty cool right!? The popsicle sticks are putting force on each other and the only thing holding them all together is the pressure of your finger.

Weave the popsicle sticks together under and over, parallel to each other. The weaving pattern will create pressure and a lever effect similar to the See-Saw act we saw in the link above.

Take your finger off the last Popsicle stick and you have a chain reaction.

It is suggested that this project be completed by school age children. Adults can complete the task to show younger children. Discuss what caused the popsicle sticks to jump? Why did they stay together until you let the last one go?

Shadows

11/6/2013

My Shadow
BY ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON
I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,
And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.
He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;
And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.

The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow--
Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow;
For he sometimes shoots up taller like an india-rubber ball,
And he sometimes gets so little that there's none of him at all.

He hasn't got a notion of how children ought to play,
And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way.
He stays so close beside me, he's a coward you can see;
I'd think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me!

One morning, very early, before the sun was up,
I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;
But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head,
Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.

Ask the children what a shadow is? Can they find a shadow? Does their shadow copy them? Go outside and have a scavenger hunt for different types of shadows; long, short, round, skinny etc. You may want to watch Peter Pan and discuss the role that his shadow played. Did it copy him?

Shadow games
1. Have the children get into pairs. One child will mirror the other.
2. Simon Says- Have the children copy Simon just like their shadow copies them!

Back Up Plan... My Pen Has a Face

11/6/2013

Sometimes things don't go as planned, and that's not always a bad thing.

According to "The Kitchen Project", the potato chip was invented when a cook, George Crum, got angry at a customer who kept sending back "soggy and thick" French fries. He fried up some thin crunchy fries, creating potato chips. The customer loved them. All of America loves them. Crum's little burst of anger led to a great invention.

Now you might be wondering what this has to do with the face on my pen. The last couple days my main plan for the blog post has failed miserably. I have been trying to create a weaving project to promote fine motor skills along with a little culture lesson. One little problem; I am really horrible at weaving. I am certain every child who tried to complete this project would have done 100,000 times better than me!

So, as I tinkered with what was supposed to be a woven coaster, trying to make it lay flat and to make the hole in the center a little less conspicuous, I decided it looked like a skirt. On my pen it went, and I can’t have a little ballerina pen - without a face.

Don't get discouraged when plans don't work out. You might have something fun planned for outside and the sun decides to turn into a storm. Let the children suggest indoor activities, or prompt them to create a game.

Another activity you can do is look at abstract art, to see what the children think it is. This can also be done with classical music, asking the children to narrate a story that goes along with the music. You hear or see one thing, but someone else may see or hear a different story.

Look at things differently and allow the children to lead. They might just teach you something.

Recycling: Stamps

11/5/2013

Working with children you find yourself saving a lot of recyclables such as water bottles, cardboard, and all sorts of packaging. Here is a new one for you to start collecting, cheese wax. Its the red stuff on the outside of the Babybel mini cheese rounds, as well as other various cheese, and comes in several colors. It is great for creating stamps and as play dough.

The cheese wax can be melted or softened and molded. If you plan on melting it completely to pour into a container I would suggest using a double boiler. It not you can soften it in the microwave and shape it with your hands. We used to popsicle sticks to flatten the sides making our rectangle. After it has hardened use a toothpick, or a different child friendly device, to carve a design into the stamp. Then add a little paint or an ink pad and enjoy.

Paper Plate Masks

11/5/2013

Bunny Mask

Lion Mask

Super Heros

11/5/2013

What kind of super hero will you be? Children look up to super heroes. From Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, there may even be a few who look up to Aqua-Man and Atom Ant.

Discuss with children what super heroes do. The common answer will be they help people. Super heroes are a great tool to teach children about kindness and compassion. Ask the children what it means to be kind or helpful. How does it make them feel when someone does something nice for them? Or when they do some thing nice for someone else?

To help the children get into the part create your very own super hero masks or capes. I used construction paper, gift tissue, as well as recycled packaging from a double pack of lemon juice.

Beaded Snake

11/5/2013

Encourage children to string beads onto a pipe cleaner. Provide construction paper, safety scissors, glue, and googly eyes for each child to make their own beaded snake.

Bookmark Craft

11/5/2013

Provide children with markers, glue, Pom Poms, and googly eyes for them to make their own bookmarks. Self-made bookmarks may encourage children to look at and/or read books.

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