ISD 622

 Summer Fun!Over the summer it is important to continue learning so your child won’t forget all the wonderful knowledge and skills they are developing in preschool. The summer is a great opportunity to play, laugh and learn! Attached are some fun ideas to try out:Counting. Count the rocks, (or dandelions, or shells at the beach) on your walk. Collect the rocks and make a graph. Sort the rocks and decide how to graph them (big, medium, little). Estimation jar. You could practice estimating while out to eat at a restaurant. Estimate how many sugar packets are sitting on the table. Everyone can make a guess, then count. You could even create an estimation jar at home with a clear jar. Or buy a container of fresh fruit (like strawberries or blueberries). Have the entire family make a guess!Practice shapes. Look around and notice shapes. In a journal, your child could take a picture of the different shapes all around the area. Record the shapes in a notebook. Spice it up and give the job title a great name: Scientist, Mathematician, Explorer, or have your child make up what their job is. Sink or Float. Take everyday objects and see if they sink or float. While at the pool or in a clear tub, you could encourage your child to find objects that are okay to drop in the water and experiment. First make a prediction, then drop it in and find out. Record the answer on a piece of paper.Practice measuring. Measure how many steps it takes to get somewhere. Measure how long it takes to get somewhere. Measure how far it is to drive or walk somewhere. Measure how much time it takes to do something. Give your child a watch or the ability to look at a clock or timer to understand time. Measure using measuring cups and have your child help cook with simple tasks. Measuring can be fun! Use standard measuring tools like a ruler or tape measurer, and try measuring with non-standard tools like Q-tips, Popsicle sticks, pens, spaghetti noodles, or any household item that is the same size.Letters. Continue practicing letters, letter sounds and writing the alphabet by writing postcards to family and friends. Writing to convey meaning is so important. If your child wants to write a letter to his/her grandparents, they can first tell an adult what to write. Then turn that sentence into a very simplified sentence and encourage writing. Your child can draw a picture of their adventure and attach words or an explanation to the picture. Numbers. Grab the sidewalk chalk and write letters and numbers. Work on simple addition and subtraction with the chalk. Introduce your child to a calculator. Try a simple addition problem using your fingers, and then check your answer by using a calculator!Read, Read, Read!! Read a few bedtime stories every night. Children are gaining valuable skills needed to be successful in school through books. So, pick up a good book and encourage reading! Stop by the public library for new books to keep it interesting. I love children’s books! Please, ask me if you need any recommendations on a good kid’s book! Epossumondas, Andrew’s Loose Tooth and Knuffle Bunny are a few of my favorite picks.Free Children’s Activities in the Twin CitiesMall of America Grab your kids and head out to Toddler Tuesdays for a morning of fun! Every Tuesday, the mall has specials and events for toddlers, preschoolers and their caregivers. These events are from 10 am until 12 pm, open to the public, and are free to participate. Visit MOA website for more details. eat free* every Tuesday at participating Mall of America restaurantsTODDLER TUESDAYS RIDE SPECIAL-Look online for specific details and pricingFree Kids Workshops at Lowes and Home DepotThe twenty?Home Depot?stores in the metro area hold free kid's workshops featuring tools to learn how to use and projects to create. Workshops are every Saturday morning and are suitable for children aged 5-12.Lowe's stores run a Build and Grow program that also offers free Saturday classes for 6-11 year old children to build a project. Pre Registration for the workshops is required at .Wee Wednesdays at the Midtown Global MarketThe?Midtown Global Market?has a special program for its youngest customers on Wednesday mornings. Art projects, music, cooking demonstrations or dancing are common themes for the morning activities. Wee Wednesday events start at 10.30 a.m., until lunchtime. And, if you stay for lunch, you can get a free kids meal (for 5 or under) with purchase of an adult meal at several Midtown Global Market restaurants.Free Museums and Attractions with the Museum Adventure PassVisit any metro library, and get a pass for two free admissions to local museums and attractions. Destinations vary, but always include many children's favorites. Current and past attractions have included the?Children's Museum?in downtown St. Paul, the?Minnesota Zoo, the?Bell Museum of Natural History?and the?Works Science and Technology museum. Como Park and Como Zoo, St. PaulComo Park,?Como Zoo, the?Marjorie McNeely Conservatory, and the gardens in St. Paul are free to visit. Special events like story times, watching the animals being fed, and enrichment programs are held on a regular basis. During the summer, check out the Sparky the Sea lion show - held daily at 11.30 a.m. on weekdays, 3 p.m. at the weekends. Como Zoo and Conservatory request a small donation, but it's optional.Free Activities at Children's StoresLocal toy stores are great places to visit with children, and not just for shopping for toys. Stores like?Creative Kids Stuff, which has several metro locations, have frequent free art projects and in-store entertainment. Wild Rumpus?in south Minneapolis has fanciful decor, animals to visit, and free story times. Choo Choo Bob's?train store in St. Paul, delights little engineers with several train layouts in the rear of the store that are free to play with.Free Family Concerts from the Minnesota Orchestra, and Minnesota SinfoniaTarget and the Minnesota Orchestra have frequent free family concerts. Tickets are in high demand, so are distributed by random drawing. Sign up at the?Minnesota Orchestra's website?for email notifications of when the next concert will be.The?Minnesota Sinfonia, a professional chamber orchestra, plays regular free concerts at venues all over the Twin Cities metro area, with lively music aimed at children and families.Tot Time and Open Gym at Rec CentersThis is a great way for small children to burn off energy in the winter months. North Dale Rec Center in St. Paul, holds twice-weekly open gym sessions for toddlers on Monday and Wednesday mornings. Plenty of large toys, balls, slides, tricycles and other toys are set out to encourage movement and activity for toddlers and preschoolers. Many rec centers in the Twin Cities metro area run similar free programs, usually on weekdays during the school year.Free Childish Films at the Minneapolis Central LibraryOn selected Saturday mornings, Minneapolis Central Library in downtown Minneapolis screens short films for children, provides a free art project and free snacks and drinks too.The library is a great source for free entertainment - you know that you can get books and movies from the library, but did you know the 100 public libraries in the metro area have hundreds of free events, many for kids??Find what's happening at your local library.Free Children's Music, Movies and Entertainment in the ParksParks in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and across the metro area run summer programs with free screening of children's movies, children's musicians and bands, and entertainment. Centennial Lakes Park?in Edina has the most family-friendly events with concerts and entertainment during the day and early evening.Free Storytimes at Libraries and BookstoresAlmost every library in the Twin Cities holds story times. There is usually a baby story time, a toddler story time, and one for preschoolers. Libraries are also great resources for other kinds of free entertainment, such as science classes, visiting with pets and other animals, and art projects. Local bookstores have story times too. The chain bookstores have them, but independent stores like?Wild Rumpus?in Minneapolis and the?Red Balloon in St. Paul have the best story times.Indoor Play Areas at MallsFree indoor play areas suitable for toddlers and small children are located in?shopping malls?across the metro area. The?Midtown Global Market?has a play area,?Maplewood Mall?and?Rosedale Mall?in Roseville both have popular play areas,?Eden Prairie Center has a Minnesota-themed play area, and the?Mall of America's?Lego store has lots of bricks and blocks to play with.?Parade Schedules:Check your local city for parade information. Most of the cities have a fun festival over a weekend that includes a parade. You’ll see ISD622 Preschool and Early Learning Team in the Oakdale Parade June 25, 2020!2333630Extra Ideas for Extra Fun2333630Kids in the Kitchen13810Veggie Bagel Face:Allow your child to spread cream cheese on the bagel with a safe butter knife or plastic knife (under adult supervision) and decorate with fresh veggies. Eat!4762628575Squirt gun painting:Take the Art Easel outside and add a little tempera paint (or food coloring) to the water to make fun colors. Let the fun begin!Fireworks Painting: Use empty paper towel cardboard tubes to make painting fun! 9810751317051152400-57149161925Make a Bird feeder: Use an empty cardboard tube. Hole punch the top and attach a string. Spread peanut butter on an empty cardboard tube. Roll the tube in bird seed. Hang the bird feeder in a tree near a window so you can watch the birds eat the seed. Shaving Cream Sensory Activity: Use a tray and play with shaving cream. Add toy cars and make it a car wash. Add food coloring and mix fun colors!-1523990Kool-Aid Playdough19051114300Ingredients1 Envelope unsweetened Kool Aid2 C Water2 C Flour2 tsp Cream of Tartar1/2 C Salt2 tsp OilDirectionsPut 2 C water in pan.Add Kool Aid and stir.Cook on medium heat stirring constantly while adding remaining ingredients.Playdough is ready when it comes together in a ball and the color deepens.Let cool and then store in an airtight container.*I have successfully made double batches of this. I wouldn't go larger than a double batch since it would get difficult to stir.1304925238125How can I make play dough activities fun and educational?Alphabet and Number Play Dough: This fun activity helps kids learn their alphabet letters and numbers while building their fine motor skills at the same time.?This activity involves using play dough to create letters or numbers, using the FREE Printable Play Dough Mats as a guide.Find more ideas here: list-of-play-dough-activities/1304925238125Shape Hopscotch1514475295275Shape Hopscotch is a simple indoor rainy day game that will also practice gross motor skills (large muscles). It can also be a sidewalk game, just use sidewalk chalk!Shape Hopscotch Game:Cut 6 different easily recognizable paper shapes ~ Orange stars, yellow circles, red squares, green ovals, purple squares, and blue triangles.Tape the colored shapes to the floor with painters tape.The object of the simple game is to move and learn while having lots of fun. ?Encourage the kids jump, wiggle, twirl and hop through the shapes. Here are a few ways to make it through the shape maze:Hop from one side to the other only touching one color/shape.Have one kid call out colors or shapes that the other kid raced to find.Jump across the shapes following directions like…”jump 2 shapes to the side, jump 2 shapes in front, jump 3 shapes behind” (Use positional words: beside, above, under, behind, front, inside, on top of, between)15144752952755041900528320050419005283200Ice Cube Tray Sorting and PatterningHere’s another way to mix math, art, and fine motor skills. You’ll need an ice cube tray, egg container or muffin tin, plus small items to play with, such as various dried beans, buttons, coins or marbles. Your child can sort the items (by color, size, pattern or any way they like), make patterns with them, or invent their own game. There are tons of possibilities and no right answers; this type of play blends logical thinking and mathematical reasoning with creativity. For extra fun and challenge, use tweezers or clothespins to pick up the items. (Using tweezers or clothes pins adds a fine motor challenge, working on those little muscles) Build an Ice Castle Fit for a Queen2314575419100Encourage preschoolers to build (especially girls who might not gravitate toward the block area) by using sugar cubes or marshmallows create an elegant castle. Here’s why it’s important to encourage block play. They are practicing:Hand eye-coordinationSpatial reasoningCreativityLanguage developmentDivergent thinkingMathematical conceptsCooperative playScience conceptsSequencingStorytelling2314575419100-5587995626100Alphabet Match4 ways to play:Match upper case letters to upper case lettersMatch lower case letters to lower case lettersMatch upper case letters to lower case lettersStart with easy word cards and match the clips to the word card. Bee, Ant, We, Can, Yes, NoCreate alphabet on card stock paper. Write one letter on each card. Write one letter on each clipTip: Put upper case on one side and lower case on the other side.Materials:-26 Clothes pins- Construction paper, card stock or index cardsChildren must match the card with the clip. Clip the clothes pin to the card and practice those fine motor skills as you squeeze the clip open!Extra Incentive: Take a picture playing this game and show Miss Julie for an extra effort prize!-55879956261009715500Absorbing Artwork97155001943100400050Instructions:1. Set the card stock on the baking sheet and have your child use the glue to draw a design on the paper. Encourage writing Letters and Numbers for an educational activity. Adults can help write letters and numbers with glue if this is tricky for your child.2. Sprinkle the wet glue with salt until it's completely covered, then tap off any excess.3. Have your child use the eyedropper to drip colored water, one drop at a time, onto the salt. As the salt absorbs the liquid, the water will move along the glue lines, resulting in a wonderful web of color. Be sure to watch what happens when the color reaches intersecting lines.Here’s a fun way to practice the Alphabet, Numbers and Shapes!19431004000501238252762250276225400050Materials:White glueSaltEyedropperCard Stock PaperColored WaterRimmed baking sheet27622540005012382541719501238254171950 ................
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