Sidewalk Chalk

Want to make your own sidewalk chalk?

What you'll need:
Aluminum foil if you are using a toilet paper tube (or petroleum jelly if you're using an ice cube tray)
Disposable plastic container
Plaster of Paris
Toilet tissue tube (or an ice cube tray to create smaller chunks for younger hands)
Duct tape
Liquid tempera paint
Water
Spoon

How to make it:
Cover one end of the toilet paper tube with duct tape. Loosely roll an 8- by-41/2-inch piece of aluminum foil and slip it into the tube so that it lines the inside, fitting snugly. (Or coat the inside of the ice cube tray with petroleum jelly.)
Set tube upright (duct tape side down) on protected surface.
In a disposable plastic container, help your child mix 1 cup plaster of Paris with 1/2 cup water. Stir slowly and thoroughly until plaster is dissolved, about 1 minute.
Immediately add 2 tablespoons paint (or more for brighter chalk color, but be careful it can stain). Mix thoroughly.
Spoon into the tube (or ice cube tray). Tap gently so mixture settles to the bottom.
Let dry overnight before using.

Nature Scavenger Hunt

Who doesn't love a scavenger hunt? Get your kids outdoors this summer and "scavenging" for treasures in nature.

Things to See

•Insects, such as a butterfly, dragonfly, grasshopper, and beetle.
•A spider web.
•Leaves.
•Frogs, toads, and lizards.
•Wildflowers.
•Mushrooms.
•Find feathers or abandoned birds' nests.

Things to Collect

•Pinecones, dandelions, seeds.
•Encourage identification skills by having the kids find different types of leaves or flowers native to your area. (Look for regional field guides in your local library or on enature.com, or do an internet search for the "native plants" of your area.)
•Collect ferns, moss, pinecones, seeds, thorns, and other botanical specimens.
•Catch butterflies, capture a ladybug, dragonfly, or other insects, find a cocoon or chrysalis.
•Look for fossils, colored rocks, quartz, or flat skipping stones.
•Find a temporary "pet," such as a frog, snail, or grasshopper. (You should let them go after you've observed them.)
•Look carefully for something "camouflaged," such as a walking stick insect or a moth that blends in with its surroundings.

Things to Do

•Go wading, swim in a lake, climb a tree, go on a picnic.
•Draw a flower, make a dandelion chain, make a leaf rubbing.
•Get up early to watch the sun rise, write a description of a sunset.
•Go hiking, build a shelter, find your way with a compass.
•Look at pond water, go stargazing with binoculars or a telescope.
•Record a birdsong or other animal sounds.
•Find a chrysalis and watch a butterfly emerge from it.
•Go to the zoo and have each child find a fact about their favorite animal.
•Keep a nature journal for writing descriptions of activities and drawing pictures.

Things to Photograph

•Birds at a bird bath, birdfeeder, or bird house.
•Squirrels or other small animals.
•Animal tracks (if you have time, you can also make a plaster cast).
•Sunset or sunrise.
•Waterfall, mountain, boulder, lake, or swamp (with someone in the picture!)
•A sibling or friend doing one of the activities listed under "things to do."
•Unusual sights like a tree root curled around a rock.
•The discovery (plant, animal, landscape) that amazed you the most.

Make a Display

Encourage kids to keep a nature notebook with a record of everything they saw on their nature explorations. Their notebook can include pressed flowers and leaves, pictures they took with a disposable camera, written descriptions, drawings, and more. Let them display three-dimensional objects in a display case or keep them in their own decorated cardboard nature box. Items such as rocks can make an attractive decoration in a glass jar. Insects can be pinned and labeled to be kept either on a piece of corrugated cardboard, or in a more permanent and attractive exhibit case. After hunting all summer, they should have quite a collection!

Nature Tools

Before setting out on a nature expedition, gather a few important tools from around the house:
•Plastic bags - bring home specimens without making a mess.
•Camera - take pictures of what can't be collected with a digital or disposable camera.
•Notebook and pens or colored pencils - make notes and drawings so you can remember what you see.
•Jars - transport insects and other small critters, or use to display rocks and shells
•Snack - hunting can work up an appetite!
•Sunscreen - don't get burned.
•Baby wipes or hand sanitizer - clean up when you get grimy.
•Insect net - catch butterflies and other flying insects.
•Binoculars - observe birds and squirrels up close.
•Magnifying glass - see the intricate details on insects, flowers, leaves, and more.
•Field guides - get help identifying trees, flowers, rocks, birds, etc.
•Backpack - carry all your exploration tools conveniently.

Summer Learning (click here)

Summer is a great time to help your children get a head start on learning for the next school year, or just to help them continue learning with their favorite teacher, Mom.

I just found a great website with free curriculum for all elementary age children.

Just in case my link doesn't work it is www.theheadoftheclass.com

A Delicious Slice of Summer

We love watermelon and yesterday we bought some, they were only $2.

We had a picnic outside with our watermelon and we also made some picnic punch to go with our picnic. Here is the recipe for the punch.

Ingredients:
6 oz. can orange juice
1 cup sugar
1 pkg. unsweetened strawberry-flavored drink mix
4 cups lemmon-lime soda pop

Mix the orange juice according to directions. Add one cup of sugar and the pkg. of strawberry-flavored drink mix to the orange juice. Add the soda to the punch and mix well. Pour the punch into plastic baggies. Insert a straw and wrap a robber band around the top. Stand the bags in a cake pan or container. Refrigerate until ready to serve or sometimes I even put it in the freezer until it's mushy. Cut out a paper watermelon and make two horizontal slits in it. Slip a straw through it. Enjoy!

Now if you don't have any watermelon around you can still make a refreshing treat. We made ice cream watermelon wedges last week. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:
dark brown M&M's (15-20)
2 T. melted butter
green food coloring
1 7 oz. pkg. coconut
1/2 gallon strawberry ice cream (or any flavor that is pink)

Combine butter and food coloring in a large bowl. Toss in 2 c. coconut, stirring until uniformly colored. Line 10 inch baking pan with foil. Press green coconut around edges of pan about 1 inch up. Spoon the ice cream into the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the remaining coconut around the outside edge. Press the M&M's into the ice cream for watermelon seeds. cover and freeeze until firm. To serve, lift from pan by foil; cut into wedges.

Summer Fun!

I love summertime! I also love spending time with my children. In the summer we join the local library's reading program and make reading everyday a priority. I also read to the children everyday after lunch. Some of our favorites have been;

A Single Shard By, Linda Sue Park
Fablehaven By, Brandon Mull
The City of Ember By, Jeanne Duprau
Castle in the Attic By, Elizabeth Winthrop
The Princess Academy By, Shannon Hale
Fairest By, Gail Carson Levine
The Wide Awake Princess By, E.D. Baker
Ranger's Apprentice By, John Flanagan
The Beyonders By, Brandon Mull

We also devote each day of the week to doing something semi-educational together.

Mondays we do arts and crafts. Some great ideas are at www.familyfun.go.com (I don't know how to do links, yet).

Tuesdays we cook something fun together. Some ideas are: pita pizzas (just pizza sauce and your favorite toppings on a pita, super yummy!), chocolate cake in a mug, indoor s'mores or outdoor s'mores using our fire pit, no bake cookies, granola, trail mix, peanut butter balls, smoothies, snow cones, homemade ice cream, different kinds of popcorn, and homemade lemonade.

Wednesdays we write in our journals. We can either write whatever we want or we can pick an idea from our journal jar that is filled with tons of writing prompts.

Thursdays we do some service. In the past we have made hygiene kits, recorded videos for grandparents of all our musical talents (I use the phrase loosely), weeded for elderly friends, or drop of a care package to someone in need, or just leave something exciting on someone's doorstep.

Fridays we go on a "field trip". Mostly we end up going on a hike, but sometimes we'll go to a museum, roller skating, or to the movies.

I find that my kiddos love the structure and look forward to the fun activities. Like I said, I love summertime!!

Pre-K Graduation

We finished up the school year with preschool graduation. Each child received a medal, diploma, and of course they were wearing their cute graduation hats. We also had a DVD to watch and yummy cupcakes. Graduation would not be complete without the kiddos singing some of their favorite songs ("A Peanut Sat on a Railroad Track", "You are My Sunshine", "Make New Friends", and a few others).

We had a great year!!!

May

In the month of May we celebrated Earth Day, learned about farm animals and zoo animals, had a fun Mother's Day Brunch/Tea with our moms and went on a field trip to the zoo.

We are working on an end of the year project and finishing up our science unit on frogs.

I have enjoyed these preschoolers so much! I love my job!!