Random Preschool Ideas

This post is really random.  But it was on my mind, so I thought I'd catch that while I still can!

I've mentioned this before, I bought a preschool curriculum when my second oldest child was in preschool.  I   have always loved the preschool age and I get a huge boost from teaching and doing hands on activities with my little ones (my mom has a degree in early childhood education, think that has something to do with it?  she inspired me).  Sometimes it's hard to think of ideas out of the blue, so I enjoyed that the curriculum came with a lesson manual and crafts ready-to-make.  But, as you see below, there is nothing fancy or rocket-science-ish about what we learn!  Now you get the picture, you can make up your own, right?  And you can find free coloring pages online.  I love the hands-on learning at this age and think it is just as important as learning numbers and letters and the other things we typically think of when we think of preschool.   And I love that we can learn about random things because there is no pressure just yet to know it all and kids this age are such clean slates and eager (though short attention span) learners.

Since we had some pretty crappy weather from January to mid-April this year, we have used our preschool materials a lot!  I have found that I have enjoyed using some various materials, including the Internet (this usually after a lesson is over), as tools.  Nothing fancy, I'll just google whatever it is we learned about and voila!  Someone, somewhere in the world has made a video or a song or a book about it.

We've found that we like to have a short lesson (5-10 mins?)(see below for some of the topics we've covered, most inspired by the preschool curriculum or time of year), we have a very short review of letters/colors, sing a song (or dance around, sometimes like a crazy person, they love that), play a game, go for a walk, or make a craft.  My kids really enjoy it and I do too!

Here are a few topics/resources we have enjoyed together.

Eskimo Olympics. I had never even heard of this before we learned about it!  But it was very interesting!  We liked the four man carry, ear pull, toe kicks, and greased pole (link to videos on top of the website linked to).

Sheepdog trials and sheep shearing.  We also learned Baa, Baa Black Sheep and version below, to the same tune (learned in England, I can hardly sing this one without a British accent, at least in my head, ha):

Baa, baa white sheep
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir,
Three bags full.
One to knit a jumper
And one to make a frock,
And one to mend a hole in the little boy's sock.

Baa, Baa white sheep
Look Over there
See all the nanny goats going to the fair
With white shoes and white socks and white curly hair
See all the nanny goats going to the fair.

Irish dancing. (if you don't want to watch the whole thing go to 4:44)

Polar Bears (photos).

Kids Around the World.  Living in Europe for two years was such a rich cultural experience for me.  I loved being exposed to such a variety of food, customs, architecture, and dress within a small geographic region.  I want my kids to experience it, too, but we can't exactly run off to Europe!  So sometimes we'll look at photos of other countries on the computer (including our own) or rarely we'll have a dinner from the region (Swiss Cheese Fondue a favorite).  This blogger has done many "international nights" and it is fun to see her photos.  I'm just not quite there yet. :)
 
(we did a Spain dinner with Iberico chorizo and Manchego cheese I found at the local grocery store)

Again, another favorite song by Raffi, on a favorite album here (the song is Like Me and You).  I also love De Colores if you want to sing in Spanish (and it is all about the colors of the world in the spring!)!  Or...learn The Itsy Bitsy Spider in Spanish (La Arana Penquenita here, at :43).

Martin Luther King Day - a great opportunity to talk about treating everyone the same regardless of how we look.  And to talk about standing up for people who are bullied or otherwise mistreated.

I enjoy the book Henry's Freedom Box.

Things that Fly - This is a favorite Raffi song (Raffi is probably my favorite kids songster of all time), Flying in an Airplane.  It was fun for my little one to try to figure out all of the things that fly and then she wanted to color/hang up a drawing of a hot air balloon.

Dr. Seuss (Feb) - Great excuse to read some fun Dr. Seuss or to watch Horton Hears a Who.

Healthy Eating/Kids in the Kitchen - this was a fun opportunity to enjoy some different snacks as we learn about how different foods help our body (carrots for eyes, for example, just to bring your mothers voice to mind), and later I involved the kids a little more heavily than normal with some baking tasks (messy but worth it, and it has helped me relax a little more).

Hibernation.  This was one of our all time most successful "preschool" activities.  We "hid" some nuts, then went to "sleep" in our "den" under a blanket.  Then we'd wake up, unearth a nut (under a dish towel), eat it, and go back to sleep.  Because I just happened to have an assorted pile of nuts (bought by my husband), we also got to try a whole bunch of different kinds of nuts.  My kids liked most of the nuts we tried (and cracking some open), and they wanted to play this game over and over for about 30 minutes.

Spring - I love to go for walks in the spring and show them the new leaves and the buds on the trees and fresh flowers starting to push their way out of the soil.  The nice thing about this one is that it can be a simple walk around the block!  Or to go for a drive and try to spot any new baby animals.

Teeth  - we set up a "dentist chair" -- with toothbrushes, floss, etc, and pretended to clean each other's teeth.  Having an unpredictable four year-old energetically working on your teeth while semi-prone with mouth open has to be one of the more vulnerable but funny positions I've ever been in-- a lotta faith, I tell you, a lotta faith.

Oh yes, and when we dance for the fun of it, sometimes I find that is a good time to introduce them to different styles of music (hello, Pandora, I love you).  I love this CD for introducing classical music to little kids, we have really enjoyed it, especially Catch a Saber Tooth Tiger.  I have a few simple instruments like shakers, bells, sticks, a triangle, tambourine, and streamers that we will also use sometimes as we dance or sing.

These are just a few of the things we learned about this year, maybe I need to link to this next fall?

Hobby Photo Shoot

A family called me last week and asked if I would take their photo.  I am still mortally afraid that someone will not like the work I do-- still an amateur, you know!   It was such great fun to get to practice on this cute family.   And the weather was gorgeous.

I warned them that I am not a poser!  Ha.  So they needed to come with some poses in mind.  (in the end, I had a few ideas I got from the internet, but they were well prepared, so these are their ideas with help from a friend who lives next door!).  So fun.

And I have to admit, even though I love the family, I was ready to take the truck and the baby home as payment when we were done. :)

 
 (this one was unposed)

How was your weekend?  Do you like old trucks and babies, too?

April Goals Update

I haven't updated about goals this month because, welllll.....this month's goals have been very spotty at best, non-existent at other times.  I have a few days left to pull something from somewhere, right? 

I did notice on the days I drank more water and restricted myself to fruits/vegetables for snacks that I felt really good!  It is so easy to use busyness as an excuse not to do some things that are important, like eating healthily.  One thing I did do, since we have eaten out like crazy this month (ug), is spend a couple of days turning my kitchen into a tornado while attempting to make something edible for freezing and eating later.  Soccer season is in full swing and that is one reason it is hard to eat healthy dinners!  I have never been much of a freezer dinner person (I wasn't even sure if I was supposed to pre-cook the stuff before I froze it?), but now is as good a time as any to start, right? 

I did chat with the kids about an after school routine, but we haven't implemented yet.  And I just keep weakening when it comes to helping littlest boy sleep through the night, even though I really need it (and need to start getting up early again!  makes my whole day go better).  I love holding that little soft hand and feeling his warm breath in my face and watching those little eyelashes rest on his downy white cheeks.  I have been having a little anxiety about letting my baby grow up, and about being done with babies in general.  You'd think after five I would be having no trouble, but alas.  I wrote a whole blubbery long post yesterday and decided it would be best to sit on it a minute before publishing, you know.  Maybe next week.

Have an absolutely wonderful, fantastic, happy weekend.  Miss you already!

Birthday Boy

Hm. Never a Dull Moment Around Here.

We've just been in for some neck X-rays for my oldest son, who fell seven feet from the monkey bars today straight on his head.  Ouch.  Heads/necks stress me out, always have.  But it looks like he will be okay, at least there is nothing broken (could have been so much worse!). Whew!  And now I get to enjoy his sparkling company (not joking!  he is a fun kid to be around) a little extra today.

Did I forget to mention this is our third visit in three days to the same doc (for well checks, why did I schedule them on different days?).   At least we know the doc isn't wearing the same shirt to work every day.  Really important to know.  We have also now seen almost the entire Night at the Museum 2.  Now we're going to have to rent it.  It was making my daughter (yesterday) and I laugh really hard.

So glad he is ok.  Sure makes me appreciate lots of things.

Park Thoughts on Spring Break

You know, I have sure enjoyed planning out and executing some cultural events this year.  But when it comes right down to it, for me, the unscheduled times are just as refreshing and oh so needed sometimes.

We enjoyed a day visiting my mom over spring break, and I lugged my camera along to an impromptu park visit.  I love that my kids love to play and be together.  Trust me, we still have our moments, but I have been pleasantly surprised as a mother at how well my kids get along.  I love that they were all choosing to play together in some of these shots.  And yes, I would love to know what is going on in their minds, especially as I look back on some of these photos.  :)

Maybe that is just it...we all need time to wonder.  I love that at one point someone in each one of these photos is in his/her own little world, just wondering about something!  When do we lose that?  One of the beauties of childhood is discovery, and I've decided that discovery is aided times a million when one is outside.  (Agree or not?)

So glad my kids haven't outgrown parks yet.  I sure haven't.

 Um, like this girl's thoughts ^^.  I am often wondering.

 This slide was so super fast!  But fun.

Oh yeah, and just to keep it real?  These photos don't capture how I had to ditch my shoes to sprint down the hill after my four year old, who suddenly decided to book it back to Grandma's (that girl can run!) while I called, shouted, shouted louder, shouted frantically louder for her to STOP!  I thought she couldn't hear me. A lovey-dovey couple in the park were staring at me as if I were possessed.  But I did catch her right before she crossed a busy road, whew!  And it turns out she heard me all along, she just wanted to go to Grandma's.  :)  Maybe she thought if she got within Grandma's radius she would be protected from all foul happenings, including her mother's.

If you enjoyed this, check out this beautiful family under some gorgeous magnolia trees in Central Park.  Ah. So weird, but I'm tempted to print a couple of these off and frame them they are so beautiful.

How about you?  Formal activities or informal ones?  Or both in different ways?

Science Friday and Other Assorted Goings On

(this photo from our Lord of the Dance night...)

So sorry!  I was going to blog on Friday, but I was absent.  Just know it was for a good cause. :)

We (as in my husband and I, and the eldest two kiddos) attended a taping of NPR's Science Friday.  SO exciting!  It was really, really good.  Unlike our rather disappointing experience of a few weeks before when we attended Lord of the Dance (not nearly as good as Riverdance in my opinion, and there was a part that really embarrassed my kids, and made my father-in-law loudly exclaim-- "Now that's what I like to see!"  when a group of dancers summarily removed most of their clothing, lol).   If you tune in on Friday (broadcast times can be found on the link posted above), probably about 20 minutes toward the end of the two hour show, you can hear my son ask Ira Flatow a question (his question was regarding the James Webb satellite under construction, and whether it will also look to places the universe is expanding).  Wahoo!