Week One - Summer - Movies, Shows and Games

We have reached the end of week one - time for a treat for kids and grown-ups alike. Here is a list of movies and shows that review the ideas of summer and seasons and that kids can enjoy. As a note - not all TV/movies are appropriate for all children. You decide what you want to show your child. My little man is very sensitive to scary images so I will provide a note if he has had a negative reaction to anything to help with your decision, but I would do a quick internet review if you are concerned.

Movies:

 Up by Disney/Pixar - the ultimate summer vacation movie. Lots of adventure and fun. There are some mean dogs that some children (mine included) can find scary. I love this movie, the love story, the cutest little boy ever...to me this is a win when it is picked over say, any of the millions of Land Before Times.

Lilo & Stitch by Disney - a sweet movie about the importance of family. It takes place in Hawaii so the whole movie is in the sun and on the beach. There is a cute alien and some larger loud aliens, but this does not bother my little man. One of the themes of this movie is the loss of parents, so if you child is especially sensitive to emotional drama you may want to talk about it before viewing.

Madagascar by Dreamworks - Follow some humorous animals as they get stranded in the wild. This is a funny movie that has a lot of things that preschoolers find funny. There are some lion type predators and one of the main characters has trouble overcoming his natural predator tendencies. A few scary scenes. My little man needs to have someone with him to view this movie for the scary parts, but I would suggest watching these with your child either way - they are all parents friendly :)

Shows:

Peep and the Big Wide World (found for me on Sprout) - this is a great show that explores pre science and math. Enjoy the simply drawn show that explains things about the world in such a masterful way that you don't even realize you are getting information about science and math. This show takes place outside in the sun. There is a new adventure every day. Bonus - it is narrated by Joan Cusack. Extra bonus - the website is awesome, they have a list of children's books that reinforce every episode, science ideas for families, and coloring pages. Specific summer themed shows: Go West Young Peep, House of Sand and Frog, Peep Prints (just like bubble prints)

Word World (found on PBS) - Pre-reading mania! All of the characters in this world are made of the letters that spell their name. This is all about understanding that letters and words make the things around us. The stories are super cute (although some of the voices are a bit grating) and they have some catchy songs (I dare you to stop singing the OO song after you hear it). Specific summer episodes: Dog Wants to Play Ball, Dog's Camping Adventure, Castles in the Sea, Play Ball

Some other things to do over the weekend:

Sight word flash cards (choose the pre-primer version). This is a simple flash card that includes the words and a colorful border. A nice quick reminder. I like to use these to create a word wall. Once your child knows the word use some tacky putty (the blue stuff that you can reuse, what is the name of that??) and stick it to the wall. My little man gets a huge kick out of adding words to his wall and it is a nice way to acknowledge the accomplishment of reading.

Free online sight word memory game from Dolchword.net

More games to encourage reading on Starfall.com

Next week we start on the night sky and space. I really enjoyed this week - and survived it, so two gold stars for me. Gold stars for you as well. See you on Monday, and remember feel free to leave a comment if you have any other suggestions. Enjoy the weekend!