Week Seven - Travel - Science

Today is the day for air, water, and road experiments.

Air: You will need a balloon (get a couple, accidents happen and you wouldn't want the fun to end early because of a popped balloon), string, tape, and items of different weight. Blow up the balloon and attach the string. Have your child place the objects you gathered from around the house in order of lightest to heaviest. Attach the lightest one to the sting and see if the balloon caries it to the ceiling. Continue with each item and see if they were right about the weight. If you want, add another balloon to see how much more it can hold or see which item weighs more in a head to head.

Water: Will it float? You will need a large container for water (preferably outside - this gets wet) (a kiddie pool works well), waterproof items (or items you don't mind tossing after you play) and a record sheet for their hypothesis and actual outcome. Create the record sheet with your child - you draw the grid lines (I would suggest 5 - 7 rows, 3 columns [object, hypothesis, outcome]), then have them come up with the objects. Depending on time you can have them draw the object in the object column or you can write them in. This is a great time to work on beginning sounds and corresponding letters. Then have them guess if the object will sink or float. Record their guess and head outside to see the outcome. While they are placing the object in the water you record the outcome and talk about why that happened. This is a great time to talk about how boats stay afloat.

Roads: You will need objects that can be made into ramps (anything will do as long as it makes it easier  for cars to roll down hill - even a steep driveway), toy cars of all types (different wheels are best) and objects/textures found around the house (examples: towels, pencils, paper clips, cardboard, etc). Take the items to your ramp and start by rolling the chosen cars down the ramp without any items on it. Then add the items. Talk about how the speed and successful completion of the ramp changed based on what you added. Ask them if they would rather ride on a bumpy or smooth road. Talk about all the textures that real cars drive over.

This is sure to be a fun one, enjoy!

Week Seven - Travel - Songs and Movement

Time to move and sing!

Lyrics

Little Airplane

Tune: Frere Jacques

Little airplane, little airplane,

In the sky, in the sky,

I can see you soaring,

I can see you soaring,

Up so high,

Up so high.

Lyrics

Twinkle Twinkle Traffic Light

Tune: Twinkle Twinkle

Twinkle Twinkle Traffic Light 

Open and close hands

Standing on the Corner Bright 

Point with finger

Green means GO, we all know 

Roll arms

Yellow means WAIT, even if you're late 

Check watch

Red means STOP...... 

Hold hand up in Stop gesture

Twinkle Twinkle Traffic Light, 

Open and close hands

Standing on the Corner bright

Point with fingers

Lyrics

Transportation

Tune: Old Macdonald

Pete the Pilot has a plane. 

Zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom.

Hold arms out like a plane 

And on that plane there are some wings. 

Use arms like wings

Zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom. 

Hold arms out like a plane 

With a zoom, zoom, here......a zoom zoom there, here a zoom, there a zoom, everywhere a zoom zoom

Pete the Pilot had a plan - zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom

(other options for airplane - there is a propeller (turn fingers around))

Dan the driver has car

beep, beep, beep, beep, beep

Pretend to drive a car

On that car there is a horn

Beep the horn

Beep, beep, beep, beep beep...

(other options for car - a wheel (drive car wheel), tires (roll arms), door (shut door) etc) 

The engineer has a train

Chug, chug, chug, chug, chug

Chug your arms

And on that train there is a smokestack

Make hands poof like smoke

chug chug chug chug chug...

(other options for train - a whistle (pull down on the whistle), a caboose (get in line and pretend to be a train) etc)

Lyrics

Train Fingerplay

Have fun!

Week Seven - Travel - Craft Time

Today we are going to have fun with some car art, juice box boats, a straw car, and (for the intense at heart) an actual rolling car (plus bonus links to build your own paper planes).

For the "car art" all you will need is the toy cars found in your home (if it is anything like mine - found EVERYWHERE in my home), some washable paint, markers, paper and masking tape. You will want to do this in an easily cleanable place (outside is best). Put the washable paint into a paper plate, ride the cars through the paint and make tire track art. You can also tape markers to the back of cars and roll them across the paper. Use different surfaces under the paper for different results.

Inchmark has step by step instructions for juice box boats. You will need an empty juice box with tape over the straw hole, a small wooden skewer, and a water resistant paper (or paper covered in tape - you can decorate the paper and then cover it with clear packing tape for a pretty and waterproof solution).

No Time for Flash Cards has a great fine motor truck craft. You will need straws, paper, marker (for the outline) and glue. You can make this easier (and last less time) if you just cover the outline with straws instead of the whole truck.

The very adventurous will want to try the Marvelous Motor-Car. Brought to you by the folks at SolidWasteDistrict.com (what??!! Seriously, when I first saw this I was stumped as to what was going on over in Indiana - but it is all about recycling and they apparently reprinted a craft found in Creating by Recycling). This car actually rolls - but is probably above the attention span of a pre-schooler. It might be a great option for a dad/kid project.

Last, but not least paper airplanes. Here is a resource that has step-by-step instruction of literally 50 different paper airplane models. Alex's Paper Airplanes has videos on paper airplanes and helicopters.

Week Seven - Travel - Read!

This week we return to the summer over-arching theme with travel or things that go. We will discuss all things that move, planes, trains, cars, boats - you name it.

Topics to get the week started: what is your favorite way to "go"? How would you get across the country, over the ocean, to the store, etc? What do you think moves the fastest a car or a train, a plane or a boat? There are different words for the people who are in control of vehicles - a car has a driver a boat has a captain, plane- pilot, train - engineer, etc. When you grow up you will learn to drive a car, is there another type of vehicle you would like to drive/pilot/captain?

The books this week are: On the Road by Susan Steggall, Along a Long Road by Frank Viva, Jonathan and the Big Blue Boat by Phillip Stead, The Last Train by Gordon Titcomb, The Trucker by Barbara Samuels, My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann, Going Places by Todd Parr


The sight words for the week: go, where, away, jump, can, ran, ride, there, with, went


Here is the sight word book for this week:

Go

Enjoy!

Week Six - Dinosaurs - Movies and Shows

This has been a really fun week in our house. I love introducing new things to Little Man but there is such joy in sharing something he is always interested in exploring.

There are so many great choices for movies and shows about dinosaurs. Enjoy your weekend!

Movies:

Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaur: The first in the Ice Age franchise to talk about dinosaurs. Big appeal for the little ones, but it is a more intense look from the Ice Age folks. I love these movies because they look at unconventional families (herds) and encouraging the characters to be themselves and play to their own strengths.

We're Back! A Dinosaur Story: Talking, non-violent dinosaurs in this cute offering. A cute piece of fluff that will delight the dinosaur obsessed.

The Land Before Time: This is a wonderful movie that Little Man can't get enough of (stick with the original - believe me I have seen all of the sequels and they do not compare to the innocence and beauty of the first). Be prepared the the main dinosaur baby looses his Momma in the beginning of the movie and there are some scary moments with "Sharp Teeth".

Shows:

Dinosaur Train: I know I have talked about this all week, but I really can't say enough. This is a sweet, cute show that combines two of Little Man's favorites. It is educational and so well done. The music, and frank way they deal with the realities of dinosaurs in a fantasy setting is wonderful. You need to watch this if you haven't yet seen it. You can catch it on PBS. Check out the site for cute (free) online games.

Wonder Pets: Save a Baby Dinosaur: This offering from Nick Jr. is all about team work between the three main characters.

Sesame Street: Dinosaurs!: This covers healthy eating, the alphabet, taking turns and all that Sesame Street has to offer.

Games:

Caillou Dinosaur Game

Dinosaur Dash

Dinosphere

Week Six - Dinosaurs - Science Time

This will be a short post because one of the links I will provide is such a wealth of options that anything else I would provide would be superfluous.

First, keep it simple. Break out the play doh (recipe for make your own) and the dinosaur toys (other bone shaped objects optional) and make your own fossils. In my house this is often an explosion of imagination. Talk about how long it takes to make a fossil in play doh vs how long it takes in real life, what makes a fossil, and how heavy do they think are (info here).

Second, dig your own dinosaurs using ice. You need bowls of different shapes (balloons, ice trays, anything that will hold water and freeze without damage), dinosaur toys or other plastic items to freeze, water, tools to liberate the toys once frozen (rocks will do), a place to set ice and pound on it, and a freezer. Working together fill your containers with water. Then place the toys in the containers. Freeze the containers (about two hours). Remove your ice from containers and get to work "digging up" your fossils. Talk about what dinosaurs they are finding and how hard it is to get the dinosaurs out of the ice. Ask them to imagine digging out real fossils from layers of rock. Talk about the differences between your "digging" and actually digging for fossils.

Last (and I apologize in advance - if your child is as interested in dinosaurs as Little Man you will be here forever) the Dinosaur Train parent site. The have detailed instructions on over twenty different activities grouped by games, arts crafts and cooking, investigating nature, and hands on. As a Jim Henson company product these activities bring in dinosaurs to other core learning for the preschool set including; colors, senses, movement, etc.

They also have a great program called Nature Trackers Club that has a monthly science challenge, activities, and printable pages. This is all about getting kids involved in nature and the environment. Fun and nice to have someone else come up with the ideas once a month!

On a side note - is your child asking more questions about dinosaurs? here is a link with lots of facts on all types of dinosaurs. Amaze your child with all the things you know about their new obsession!

Week Six - Dinosaurs - Sing and Move

So many great choices today, that I had to edit myself (and still probably gave you too many options). Enjoy!

Lyrics

All Around the Swamp

Tune:"The Wheels on the Bus"

The Pteranodon's wings went flap, flap, flap,

Flap, flap, flap, flap, flap, flap,The Pteranodon's wings went flap, flap, flap,

All around the swamp.

Flap hands like you are flying

The Tyrannosaurus Rex went grr, grr, grr,

Grr, grr, grr, grr, grr, grr,The Tyrannosaurus Rex went grr, grr, grr,

All around the swamp.

Stomp feet and hold hands like claws and walk around

The Triceratops' horns went poke, poke, poke,

Poke, poke, poke, poke, poke, poke,The Triceratops' horns went poke, poke, poke,

All around the swamp.

Put pointer fingers up on the head to make horns

Additional Verses:

The brontosaurus went munch, munch, munch.

Pretend to eat

The stegosaurs' tail went spike, spike, spike.

Swing hips like you are wagging a tail

The dinosurs went zzz, zzz, zzz,

Zzz, zzz, zzz, zzz, zzz, zzz,The dinosurs went zzz, zzz, zzz,

All around the swamp.Shhhhhhhh.

Pretend to sleep and then put finger to lips and say shhh

Lyrics

Dino-Pokey

Tune: "The Hokey Pokey"

You put your claws in,

You take your claws out,You put your claws in,

And you scratch 'em all about.You do the dino pokey,

And you turn yourself around.That's what it's all about!

Additional Verses:

feet in
feet out

and stomp them all about

teeth in

teeth out
chomp them all about

tail in

tail out
wag it all about

Lyrics

T. Rex
Tune: Do Wah Ditty
Here he comes just a stomping with his feet singing,
"Dino ditty, ditty dum, ditty do."
Searching all round for something good to eat singing,
"Dino ditty, ditty dum ditty do."
He's huge, (He's huge), He's strong, (He's strong.)
He's huge, he's strong, won't be hungry very long.
"Dino ditty, ditty dum , ditty do."
"Dino ditty, ditty dum, ditty do."

Lyrics

I'm a Mean Old Dinosaur 
(Tune:  I'm A Little Teapot)

I'm a mean old dinosaur (Make a mean frown)
Big and tall.  (Stretch arms high and wide)
Here is my tail,  (Point to imaginary tail)
And here is my claw. (Curl fingers on one hand)
When I get all hungry,  (Rub tummy)
I just growl. (Growl the word "growl" with hands round mouth)
Look out kids . . . (Reach out arms)
I'm on the prowl. (Lunge left and right)