Spin Art
As a child I loved to watch spin art at the local agricultural fair every summer. For a while my colleagues and I attempted to replicate the experience using and old record player. This produced a rather interesting splattering of paint everywhere, which was a different kind of fun! One day I saw instructions on making spin art with a salad spinner. My life as a spin “artist” came alive. Now every summer the teachers at preschool dig out our collection of salad spinners and let the children create their own fair inspired spin art!
Here’s how. Measure and cut circles of paper to fit in your salad spinner. 
Tape a paper into the bottom of your spinner. Fill some squeeze bottles with slightly watered down tempera paint. Squeeze the paint onto the paper adding lots of colors and designs (or not as the child chooses).
Put on the top and turn the crank! Young children love to be in control of the spinning. Try different speeds.
Take your masterpiece out and hang it to dry!
Beautiful!
Valentine Box
This Valentine’s Day let’s use a recycled cereal box to make a Valentine box for cards and treats.
This is a fun inexpensive interactive Valentine’s Day project for young children.
You will need an empty cereal box for each child, some wrapping paper (or paint) and stickers or cut out hearts.
Procedure:
Tape the box closed.
We opted to wrap each child’s box as painting took several layers to eliminate show through. It is possible for an adult to spray paint the boxes first.
Our children enjoyed the process of wrapping the boxes in festive Valentine wrapping paper.
Next we laid the wrapped box down and cut a slit in our Valentine Box for cards and goodies from our friends.
We labeled one Valentine box for each child. Finally, the children decorated with cut outs and glue. Some children added stickers. Our Valentine Box is complete.
Time to deliver the Valentine cards and treats!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
How Fun Can a Box Be?
Have you ever heard the statement “they like the box more than what is inside”, when referring to young children? Really, how much fun can a box be?
This week we received some supplies at Friendship Garden Nursery School in a big square box. At first this box was doomed for the recycle pile but at the last minute it was saved from being crushed, at least by my hands. After explaining “recycling” and “reusing” (Science and Language Arts) instead of just putting the box down for the children to discover, I placed in on a drop cloth and gave the children paint and paint brushes. In time the box was covered in pretty colors. (Creative Arts) After the box dried it was time to put it out to play with.
First everyone had a turn to sit in the box, after that they attempted to figure out how many children could fit in the box. (Math) Later we counted how many objects were put in the box. We will do some formal and informal measuring in the coming weeks.
We have spent a lot of time filling and emptying our box using our big muscles. (Motor skills) Young children enjoy.
The box has been a train, a truck, a “jack in the box”, a cuddle spot, a table, a hiding spot and I’m quite sure it will be much more! (Dramatic Play) Unstructured play with a box inspires creativity, resourcefulness and imagination.
Did you know the cardboard box is in the National Toy Hall of Fame?
What can you do with a box?
Spring Activities for Children
Kendyl Brooks, student intern from Upper Cape Cod Technical School will be adding her thoughts on this blog, here is her first post!
Spring has finally sprung here in Falmouth, MA and we sure are excited about it! Things as simple as riding bikes, sidewalk chalk, or just passing a ball back and forth can get the whole family outdoors moving around. Spring is a great time to have picnics and enjoy time outdoors with your child. Young children love to go on bug hunts, and collect things like rocks (save them for a rainy day and paint them with watercolors!). Then you can use these collections to create your own Fairy Houses!
Fairy Houses at FGNS
Something that may require warmer weather and a lot of patience is a homemade slip and slide! Put a painters’ tarp on the lawn, and run the hose from the top of it; kids will be entertained for hours! A nice walk on the beach to collect shells and rocks (maybe even sea glass!) is a great way to get exercise and spend time together as a family. Bike washes and toy car washes are tons of fun, along with washing an actual car. If you have a garden kids love to help planting things, or pulling weeds. Even if you don’t have a garden, kids will enjoy hours of fun just digging and playing in the mud.
A little imagination can go a long way for those rainy days where you are stuck inside. Although kids love to watch “Frozen” on repeat all day, hearing “Let It Go” for the thousandth time might just be getting old. Something my mother did for my brother and I when we were children was to get a huge cardboard box, and a big tub of crayons. For hours we would lay in the box and just color. It’s a non-messy, creative and inexpensive project. Imagine what the box could be, a truck a boat, a chariot! Another fun rainy day project is making a blanket fort! Children of almost any age enjoy stretching blankets out over the couches, and spending the day in their newly made forts.
Board games are great for sharpening their fine motor and problem solving skills. Getting children to be active inside is as easy as blowing up a few balloons and playing “Don’t Let It Touch the Ground.” A game of indoor hopscotch using painters tape on the floor, and a stuffed toy or beanbag for the pebble is a great way to get the kids up and moving around.
Spring is a great time to enjoy the company of your family both indoors and out. These ideas highlight some simple ways to spend time together.
Happy Spring,
Kendyl
Bunny Treat Bags
What is a fun way to carry your Easter treats home from preschool? How about a bunny bag!
Supplies
A white or brown paper lunch bag (one for each child)
Scissors and construction paper for the following:
Eyes
Nose
Whiskers
Ear (inside)
Glue
Stapler
You will need to cut the paper bag into a bunny shape, use the photograph below as a guide.
Have your child glue on the pieces mentioned in the list above, use the photo as a guide.
Staple the ears to create a handle. Fill with treats.
Enjoy the holiday weekend!
Teaching and Learning Math in Pre-School
I participated in a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) training at the Cape Cod Children’s Museum capecodchildrensmuseum.org. This series of blogs focused on one aspect of STEM at a time, this is the last blog of the STEM series.
How do children learn and use arithmetic in pre-school?
Math is a way of measuring.
First what is math for the pre-school aged child? Hands on is simply the best way for a young child to learn math. Try to use real concrete objects when working through math problems. In the math center activities should be fun yet challenging. For example, as a child is sorting buttons, ask him/her to count them. Next ask how many buttons would be in each pile if you added one or subtracted two etc. You can say, “I wonder how many red buttons there would be if I subtracted two from this pile”. Let the child manipulate the materials to find the answer.
Bigger, smaller, half and zero are just a few mathematical concepts you could introduce while sorting buttons (or socks!) Children need opportunity to think about their solutions rather than knowing if the answer is “right”. Some open ended discovery will be necessary as they learn the concepts. There is no need to correct your child, rather pose some further questions for the child. For instance, if there is a pink button in the red pile you might ask, “I wonder if this button is the same color as this button”. Allow your child original reasoning and to develop problem solving reasoning skills. Your young child might have a logical answer as to why the button is in the pile. Perhaps it has just two holes and “matches” the two holed red buttons. There are many different attributes to sort by. Give your child the chance to explain and/or correct.
Let’s continue to look at math around the nursery school classroom.
In the dramatic play center you might see a child setting the table, counting and then placing one plate and one cup in front of each chair. Watch as the preschooler negotiates for materials based on how many are available in the area. A child might be informally measuring to see if an outfit will fit them or if it will fit a doll.
Math in the writing center could be making number books, it could also be numbering the pages of a story your child has written. Children may be drawing and naming shapes.
There is opportunity for math is every story you pick up to read. There are numbered pages. First, middle and last are mathematical concepts. Sequential retelling of a story has mathematical roots. Look for shapes (geometry) in the art work on the pages. Remember to incorporate new mathematical vocabulary and ideas as you speak.
Continue to explore and discover math at home. Play board games and build puzzles. Supply empty and clean, egg cartons, small boxes and/or ice cube trays and materials for sorting. Some materials you could use include bottle top/lids, colored paper clips or my personal favorite, a “party mix” of snack foods, “eat your math”! Young children enjoy inventing their own games. Supply them with paper, crayons, and dice, along with some objects to use as player pieces. A ruler, a tape measure, and other items can be used for measuring size and distance.
Math is all around us.
Teaching Technology and Engineering in Pre-School
This is the second blog of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) series by Robin Jones.
How do we teach technology in nursery school?
Technology is a way of doing.
When we hear the word technology most of us think of computers and the information highway. While it is the case that children are using tablets and computers in preschools, what else is technology? Let’s start with what it should NOT be. Technology is not meant to replace experiences but to expand the range of tools with which the young child can seek information. Technology is using tools to get a job done. Technology is being inventive, identifying problems and making things work. Technology is thinking and problem solving giving equal opportunities to boys and girls.
Technology in language arts might include a listening center with books and tapes/CD’s, a player and headphones. There are many games that encourage letter recognition, pre-reading and pre-writing skills.
In the dramatic play center, when children are playing grocery store they might “scan” items to get “prices”, this shows a knowledge of how to use tools. Old phones, calculators, click counters and keyboards allow children to understand the function of these tools as well.
In the area of social development technology is talking, doing, cooperating, and helping. It might be trying out a computer game with a friend, sharing and playing cooperatively. There are many types of timers that can be used to encourage child turn taking.
Engineering is a way of doing.
Engineering is solving problems, using a variety of materials, designing and creating, building and testing until things work. The engineering process is circular: define, plan, build, test, share and begin again. Preschoolers are natural engineers because of their innate curiosity and love of hands on activities. Young children can see the game of building and testing again and again. The most prominent example I can think of is in the block area. Preschoolers will build and rebuild until they are met with success. This is usually accomplished with great joy and laughter as they solve the problems of falling blocks. Explore and use simple machines such as ramps, gears, pulleys and levers throughout the block play experience to add to the creativity.
In the art area invent and construct simple objects or structures using common tools and materials. Talk about what does and does not work. Ask why certain materials are used for the purposes that they are used. For example, why is a chair made out of plastic and not paper?
In the area of science engineering can be the study of how animals use parts of their bodies to accomplish various tasks.
While cooking discuss the function of common machines, such as a cheese grater, food mill, mixer and/or blender. Ask how they work and explain how these tools make the job of preparing food easier.
The proper use and safety of all tools is a part of the preschool engineering curriculum.
During story time look for examples of engineering when the story time characters are faced with a problem that they try to solve. The Three Little Pigs is a great example. Many titles in Curious George series of stories can be used to talk about the engineering process. Can you think of any other titles? Please share.
Technology and Engineering are just “fancy” words to describe what children do naturally on a daily basis. Let’s get busy.
Rainbow Jello for Saint Patrick’s Day
I am excited to share with you a fun St. Patrick’s Day snack.
First a disclaimer, you have to really like having fun with young children on Saint Patrick’s Day as this is a time consuming snack, you will need several days to complete this.
Supplies
One box each of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple jello
Water
Small clear cups
Start by making the purple jello according to the directions. Pour about a ½ inch worth of purple jello into your pre-counted cups. Make sure that the children watch this process. This is the only step that they should see, so that they are surprised at the end when their jello has turned rainbow!
Next make the blue jello according to instruction and pour a layer on top of the purple jello layer. Continue with green, yellow, orange and last add a layer of red!
On Saint Patrick’s Day surprise your young child with rainbow jello!
If you are into leprechaun tricks, here are a few favorites at preschool.
Turn the milk green. Turn the toilet water green. Turn anything green!
Build a leprechaun trap. During the night leave a glitter trail leading to a lost piece of gold.
Hide gold coins.
Leave a trail of small handprints/footprints leading up to a small tea party.
Leave a tuft of leprechaun hair and a piece of clothing on the window sill as if a leprechaun left in a hurry.
Turn a select few things upside down.
Leave a message from a leprechaun.
Have fun, happy Saint Patrick’s Day!
Runny Noses, Coughs & Colds
Can you believe that the simple act of hand washing can keep your child healthier this winter? I was reading an article by Dr. Marz of Bass River Pediatrics where he says that young children entering preschool for the first time will spend the next 18 months or so experiencing the entire inventory of cough, cold, runny noses and viruses in the area. If you relocate the pattern continues with “new” local bugs. In fact this is a normal pattern. Your child’s immune system is not sub optimal.
Many of us take hand washing for granted as a way of staying healthy and perhaps focus on good food, sleep and exercise which are all important to our good health. Pair this with hand washing and your child’s health might improve.
What is proper hand washing? Soap and water are integral to good hand washing. Using soap and running water, hands should be rubbed vigorously together for 10 seconds, be sure to include the back of the hand, wrists, between the fingers and under the fingernails. Dry thoroughly with a paper towel and repeat as necessary throughout the day!
Great news, young children love washing their hands. Here is a fun poem to wash to!
Little fingers like to play
In mud and paint and sand all day.
To get those fingers squeaky clean,
Wash the fronts and backs
And in between!
We used finger paint and made our handprints on a separate piece of paper and then sprinkled on a bit of corn meal “dirt” and then recited this poem. It is now hanging on the wall to remind us to wash often.
We also have fun with this poem, as we teach the children to put their coughs or sneezes into their “wings” or elbows.
If you need to cough or sneeze,
Put it in your elbow please.
Throw your tissue in the can,
Now it’s time to wash your hands!!
May these little tidbits keep you healthier this winter!
Penguins, Snow & Ice, Outside Science Explorations!!
As we take a break from the series of blogs about areas in the classroom, we’ll have some fun with penguins, snow and ice.
Since returning to school in January, we have seen some very warm days and some very cold days! This week I’ll share some ideas that help us love the cold!
Young children learn best with hands on activities. This time of year in the Northeast is a great time for outside science explorations.
Who loves an ice hunt? We do. Young children love stumbling upon interesting or puzzling frozen things. Water that has frozen is like a treasure! They delight in a pinecone or other object frozen in an ice chunk. You can seed these discoveries by putting some water out in containers and adding some leaves or pine cones for your preschooler to discover at recess time. Catch snowflakes on a dark piece of paper and observe them with a magnifying glass. Will you find two that look alike?
If it is not cold enough outside, use the freezer to compliment your ice studies inside. We froze some water in ice cube trays and bowls for our penguin habitat play. If you have access to snow, bring it inside in a tub. Preschoolers delight in both water and ice studies, you can have both as the ice melts! Let them discover the properties of water and ice through their own exploration and discovery. If you are worried about cold hands, provide a few sets of mittens.
Have fun with language arts by using arctic vocabulary. There are many ways to say “cold”. When talking about arctic animals, don’t forget to use words like habitat, blubber (layer of fat), paddle, rookeries (big noisy group), chick, predator, hibernate and molt as a few key words. Write and tell stories about animals living in a cold environment.
Social studies may include an introduction to the life style of families that live in igloos and have sled dogs and how they cope with very cold regions.
Match little toy penguins with ice cubes, (real or paper) to practice rote counting and one to one correspondence. These types of math activities make learning fun!
There are many arts and craft activities that revolve around penguins, ice and cold. I will list a few that are fun for young children as a jumping off point for you. Polar bear or penguin paper bag puppets, toilet paper roll penguins, frozen birdseed or cranberries molds to hang out for the birds, cotton ball, sugar cube or mini marshmallow igloos, and frozen paint cube paintings are all fun and easy to do!
Large motor activity can include waddle and belly slide (toboggan) like a penguin or fish and jump from ice flow to ice flow like a polar bear.
Stay warm, next week we will explore the science area in the nursery school setting.
Soon we will post Friendship Garden Nursery School fun and educational activities on Pinterest. You can start following us now at http://www.pinterest.com/funwithfgns/