Typically Family Friday is a day to encourage families to play and learn together. However, this year is a little different. It has been Family Friday for four weeks. You have been encouraging and engaging your children on a daily basis. Little Rams Preschool would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our families for participating in this week and sharing your photos with us. It has truly warmed our hearts. We miss your children more than you can imagine and we are so grateful that you trust us to be your partner. This year for Family Friday we salute you. All of you who are staying home balancing work, life and now your child’s education. Never hesitate to reach out to us. We are in this together, you on the front lines, and us in a very unfamiliar place, behind the scenes.
Remember you have been, and will always be your child’s most important teacher.
Time Capsule: Make a time capsule of your favorite things. Have each family member write down, or draw a picture of their favorite, food, toy, movie, TV show, activity, place, etc. Place these in a box, envelope or container and save them until this time next year. Have your children draw a picture of your family to add to the capsule.
Today is Artsy Thursday! It is time to get those crayons, markers and paints out to create a masterpiece. We can’t wait to see your creations!
Art Possibilities markers/crayons/colored pencils Plain paper, not coloring books Scissors Glue, tape Paint with a variety of utensils; brushes, tooth brush, potato masher Play dough or clay Recycled items; toilet paper rolls, magazines, newspapers, Natural items; leaves, grass, flowers Tissue paper, ribbon, old wrapping paper, cotton balls, corks boxes
Painting Ideas Marble Painting: Place a sheet of paper in a box or cake pan. Add paint, toss in a few marbles and make a beautiful painting. Salad Spinner Painting: Place a sheet of paper in a salad spinner, add some paint and spin! Straw Blowing Paint: Liquid watercolors/paint, paper, straws. Drip paint onto a piece of paper (waxed paper would be fun) and blow! String Paint: Put some paint (homemade finger paint above) on a piece of paper and drag string or ribbon through it. Foil Paint: Paint on foil instead of paper.
Sparkle Art Ingredients: 1 cup flour 1 cup salt 1 cup water food coloring Mix together water, salt, flour and a squirt of your favorite food coloring in a bowl. Allow children to paint with the mixture on thick paper, or cardboard. When they dry the sparkl
Week of the Young Child’s Work Together Wednesday
Work Together Wednesday is all about cooperation and teamwork! Young children around the world have fun playing and building together to explore math, science, and literacy as a team.
Try these fun activities that require teamwork!
Parachute Game: Use a sheet, or blanket to create a parachute. Have everyone stand in a circle and hold on to the outside of the “parachute”. Place a soft object such as a stuffed animal in the middle and move the parachute up and down. Try not to let your object fall on the ground.
Balloon Game: Blow up one or two balloons. Everyone works together to keep the balloons in the air.
Build a Tower: See how high you can build a tower. If you don’t have blocks try canned goods, old boxes, plastic cups or bowls.
Puzzle: Complete a puzzle together. Don’t have one? Take a picture and make your own puzzle.
Make Butter: If you have access to heavy whipping cream pour some into a jar with a tight fitting lid. Everyone takes turns shaking it until it turns into butter.
Organize the playroom or closet together: Have your children help you sort and organize their toys.
Sort Laundry: Dirty clothes get clean much faster with some teamwork. Have your children bring their dirty clothes and sort them. Socks in one pile, jeans in another etc. (This is also good math practice)
Art: Create a family mural together.
Newsletter: During this time of social distancing write a family letter to a grandparent or friend.
Scavenger Hunt: Take a walk outside and have everyone search for alphabet letters or numbers. Can you find A-Z on license plates and road signs? How about the numbers 1-10?
Current Update: Do you want to build a snowman?!
Week of the Young Child’s Tasty Tuesday! It’s a great day to make a special treat with your child. Here are some fun recipes and ideas to turn food into a learning opportunity!
Fun with Words: Have fun with food words while you eat. For example, if you serve potatoes, chicken, and peas for dinner, talk about which of the foods begin with the same /p/ sound. Look for other items on the table that begin with /p/ sounds, like plate or pepper. You can also take turns coming up with words that rhyme with something you or your child is eating. For example, cheese rhymes with peas.
Eat the Alphabet: Can you eat a food that begins with every letter of the alphabet? Keep a list, or make a food alphabet book.
Painted Toast White bread Food coloring/milk Add food coloring to ½ cup of milk. Using a clean paint brush children paint pictures on their bread. Toast in the toaster for a creative breakfast or snack.
Carrot Fries 1 pound of carrots Cooking spray Salt and pepper to taste Preheat the oven to 400ºF (204ºC). Peel the carrots and cut them into strips about in ¼-inch thick and a few inches long. Coat a baking pan with cooking spray and spread the carrots onto it. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 15 minutes. Flip them over and coat them with a bit more cooking spray, salt and pepper; bake another 15 minutes until lightly browned.
Music Monday Today is a great day for music and learning.
Freeze Dance: Turn on your favorite music and DANCE! When the music stops, everyone freezes. Make it more challenging by choosing one person to be the leader. When the music stops, everyone must freeze in the same position as the leader. Freeze dancing is a great way to practice self-control and body awareness.
Musical Instruments: To make a simple shaker, put dried beans between two paper plates and staple the plates together. Find rhythm sticks outdoors or use wooden spoons. Pan lids can become cymbals and plastic bowls with spoons drums. March around the house. Try a slow march first, then a faster one.
Rap the Alphabet: Create raps for each letter of the alphabet: “C is for cat / She sleeps on the hat.” Encourage children to explore the rhymes and rhythms in raps: “Sat, bat, hat, cat, I like to dance on my mat.”
Check out these children’s artists on YouTube Dr. Jean Laurie Berkner Band The Learning Station Koo Koo Kangaroo Jack Hartman GoNoodle
