Theme: Pete the Cat

Pete the Cat

O and E: 4.75 years old

June 10-14, 2013

In our book basket this week:

LANGUAGE ARTS:

We did a lot of writing this week, which I have realized is Owen's least favorite thing to do. I've had to get really creative about how I present the activity. We played Rainbow Roll while writing words from Pete the Cat (Pete, cat, song, love, good, along, what, all, white, etc). Basically anything that turns writing into a game is a winner. We made a sequence strip of Pete's trip down the street and drew pictures for each of the activity. The paper I found on Pinterest didn't seem to have enough boxes though, so we had to consolidate some of the pages. They both picked a color and wrote a story about how Pete's shoes changed colors and then cut and taped together their own Pete's. I love these! They each wrote two pages to go in our own Pete book - Owen's pages turned Pete's shoes Green (from grass) and Pink, Blue, Purple and Green (from gummi bears). Eli's turned wet (from ocean water) and brown and white (from oreos). We practiced writing color sight words and reading number sight words (the color by number page), and telling the difference between real and nonsense words. So much to do!

MATH:

After reading Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons we did a sorting activity based on shape, color and size of our buttons. The boys made up their own color patterns for Pete's shoes too by following the instructions for the type of pattern (AB, ABC, etc)

SCIENCE:
With all this talk about colors, we had a playdough color mixing afternoon. They loved watching the colors turn into a new color. We've done this before with water, but this seemed a little more magical to them. After that I drew venn diagram type circles on their page and they colored the combinations that they had mixed.

I can see why so many people love Pete the Cat! Next week we're starting a two week theme on Dinosaurs!

I Love a Good List

A good list keeps me sane. It keeps me focused. It keeps me on track. Just the act of making the list makes me happy.

Have I mentioned that we're taking THREE vacations with THREE kids under THREE years old?! I haven't? Oh. That's probably because I was in denial until yesterday.

Now that I'm actually acknowledging that these trips are going to happen, I'm choosing not to focus on the insanity ahead of us, but instead on the scores of lists that will need to be made to get us through these trips in one piece.

Here are the categories I have so far:

Clothing

Baby gear

Toddler gear

Toiletries

Car snacks

Car activities

Airplane friendly activities

To do/prep before leaving

To make/buy before leaving

Groceries to bring/meal plans

Electronics

Water gear

The first trip is a family trip to Hot Springs, AR, where we'll stay in a house and need to cook our own meals. The second is a trip to family camp in the Ozark's with nine other families from our church - meals are taken care of, but we're without the luxuries of having a house to ourselves. The third trip I'm taking sans-hubby, and it's on an airplane! Three kids alone, getting through an airport, security and keeping occupied for a 2.5 hour flight while holding an 11 mo old on my lap. Heaven help me. Thankfully, we're flying to my sister's house and once we're there, it'll be just like home - toys, baby gear, minivan - awesome.

I'm looking for items to add to my 'Car Activities' list. Suggestions are greatly appreciated! Keep in mind, the boys are not quite three, so games like the license plate game aren't going to work.

Send me some ideas... I'm starting my lists!!

Gettin' Crafty with the Crayons

I have to admit, I was skeptical of my ability to complete this project. I'm not one to follow online tutorials for projects, and I'm generally not one to use my sewing machine for anything other than a simple square shape BUT a good friend of mine sent me this link and I thought it was too cute not to try it for myself. I showed the finished project to my husband who said 'looks great! the boys are going to love it.' to which I responded... 'this is for me... but I guess they can share it.' : ) Does anyone out there know of any good sewing or craft blogs that have good tutorials? I think I might be hooked!

My Love Affair with Felt

It started with Counting Fish that I first saw on the blog Counting Coconuts. My neighbor and I churned them out in about two nap times. They have buttons on the front and the corresponding numerical value stitched into the back. They also have washers in thier noses so the boys can use a magnetic fishing rod to catch them! Then, with the leftovers, we made some sea creature magnets for the refrigerator (jelly fish, sea horse, starfish, Nemo, angelfish and other tropical fish) and they turned out great! Felt is super easy to work with, even with beginner skills like mine. Here's a sneak peak at my newest project. I'm almost done with the cutting process and just need to work on the time consuming sewing/embellishing process. Can't wait to show you how it turns out!!

Go, Speed Racer, Go!

Are you stuck inside on a cold or rainy day? Do you have sick kids who can't attend playgroups or go to the nursery, keeping you at home and confined? Are your kids tired of their toys and acting out because they are bored? Try this!

Set up stations around the room with different sets of toys. I used three different puzzles, a shape sorter, stacking cups and pull-back cars. Depending on the ages/stages of your kids, you can make things more challenging by mixing all the puzzle pieces together instead of sorting them by puzzle, spreading out the stations or maybe even using blindfolds.

Treat the game like an obstacle course. Time them and see how fast they can complete all of the activities. They can compete against each other if they are close in age or against their own best time. Take turns with the kids setting up the different activities and rules - they might think of ways to use their toys that you wouldn't have. Here are some other ideas for stations:

• Build a block tower X blocks high (varied based on the age of the child)
• Say all the sounds of the Little People farm animals as you hold each one up
• Do a somersault or jumping jacks
• Say the alphabet or count to 20
• Roll a ball towards anything resembling bowling pins (toilet paper/paper towel cores)
• Make a snake out of play-doh

The possibilities are endless... and you can bet that they won't be bored with their toys for much longer!

Making 'the Kid's Table' Memorable

A thought recently occurred to me: in most families, each 'sub-family' is generally asked to bring something to contribute to the family holiday meal. Whether you're in charge of dessert, a side dish or wine, everyone contributes something so no one is burdened with the responsibility of feeding the entire family.

Another thought occurred to me as well: why doesn't someone take charge of the kids' activities this year? There are so many crafts and projects that are simple to organize and will keep the kids busy and entertained so the adults can catch up with each other and enjoy the holiday too. Age appropriateness needs to be taken into consideration, but maybe you could pair up older cousins with younger ones and have a creativity contest that the rest of the family can 'judge'? Everyone can get involved that way - and who doesn't love prizes?!

If you're hosting the party, you could use these projects before the party to have your kids create decorations for the centerpiece, mantle and placesettings. Holidays are more fun for kids when they feel that they are involved and can contribute! (Click on each title for instructions)

Village People

Pilgrim Place Cards

Pilgrim Pal

Make Your Own Hats

Around the World

I love to travel! I think that seeing how others live their lives and experiencing other cultures is one of my very favorite things to do. New foods, new sights, new languages, new stamps in my passport... I love it all! Though travelling with kids can be next to impossible, that doesn't mean you can't foster a love of other cultures in them at an early age. I saw an idea this month that my mind just ran with! You start by making your child his very own passport. You can get as creative as you want with this - use old maps, scrapbook paper, stickers, colored paper, glitter, ribbons - or as basic as you want (white paper and a couple staples and let your child decorate himself). Label the pages with a country name. Look at a globe or map together and let your child choose which countries he would like to learn more about. Has he heard about some on TV or in school that he is curious about? Does he like a particular kind of food from a certain part of the world? Customize it based on his interests! From there, focus on learning - but make it fun! Research the different kinds of food they eat, the music they listen to, the climate, the major languages spoken, major religions, what tourists do when they visit, what continent it's on, how long it would take to get there... and anything else you can think of! As you're learning about it, find some recipes you'd like to try or take out some books from the library about that country. Find online resources that would teach simple words in another language. Label things around the house in that language! Make it a family affair by talking about what you learned at the dinner table. When you feel that you've learned all you can about a country and you're ready to move on to the next one, draw the country's flag in your passport to represent "visiting" that country. There doesn't have to be a deadline on finishing this, so you can keep adding more countries or spend all your time on just a few. Kids love to learn - why not harness that energy and learn something new together!

Sponge Ball Square Arms

I don't know about you, but by middle August I am ready for summer to be over. I am tired of sweating at the park, trips to the pool and reruns on TV. Now that it is September the forecast is, of course, in the 80's all week long and I am staring longingly at my sweatshirts on the top shelf of my closet. So if Indian Summer is threatening your hopes for an early fall... here is a simple craft that will keep you and the kiddies cool.

Supplies:
3 new, plain kitchen sponges
1 long piece of string
Scissors

Use scissors to cut each sponge lengthwise into 5 strips and stack them as shown below.

Loop the piece of string around the center of the stack. Try to get it as close to center as possible as this affects the look of the ball.

Pull the string tightly, double knot and then cut off the excess.

And there you have your sponge ball square arm!

Grab a friend, soak the ball in a bucket of water and have fun throwing it back and forth and getting wet in the process. This also makes a great bath toy as my toddler discovered!

Craft featured in the August 2009 issue of Family Fun magazine.

Trisha is the wife of Luke and mom to Sam (19 months). Sam especially loved this craft and thinking it looks like a "butterfly" has come to call it by that name and takes it everywhere!

Treasure Chest Wipes Container

As my boys were quietly and steathfully pulling all the wipes out of the wipes box, I came up with an idea for toddlers through pre-school aged kids. When the box is empty, fill it with a random assortment of objects you have around the house and have your kids put their hands through the slot to feel the items. If your kids are both able to do it, have them write down what they feel (or draw the items if they can't spell yet). You might want to tell them how many items you put in the box. After they have made their guesses, reveal the items and see who got the most correct.

Try to get creative with textures. Some examples of items you have around the house:

• The cap to a 2-liter bottle or gallon of milk
• A magnetic refrigerator letter
• A clothes pin
• A toy car
• Doll shoes
• Legos
• Feathers
• A beaded necklace
• Cotton balls
• Q-tips
• A binkie
• Chapstick

For Round 2, name an item in the box that you want them to find. Time them to see how long it takes to feel for and produce each specific object.

For Round 3, for older kids, give them a letter of the alphabet and have them feel around until they find an object that starts with that letter. This can be a timed game too.

And keep in mind: prizes always make games more fun!

Lunch Box Challenge

School is starting all over the country, but even if you don't have school-aged kids, that doesn't mean you can't make a fun and creative lunch for your little ones (and yourself!) When I realized that I'm already falling into a rut with my kids' lunches, I thought that this website was a lifesaver. They are going to provide 30 lunch ideas in 30 days (they are on day 15 right now), so bookmark this page and return to it to see what else they have come up with. Sometimes they provide recipes, other times they provide ideas on preparation. Here are two to whet your appetite: Mix n' Match Gorp Gourmet Grilled Cheese On Day 3, there was a link to a website called Funky Lunch. You have to click this link! It's adorable! Nemo, Sponge Bob, giraffes, dinos, lions, pianos... here are a couple works of art to create and devour yourself. Article featured in the August issue of Cookie magazine.

Simple Thrills

Have you ever been to Storybook Forest at Idlewild Park in Ligonier, PA? Did you know that it was named the Second Best Kids' Park in the World by Amusement Today? If you have, then you would have experienced the larger than life representations of all the nursery rhymes from our childhood as well as The Neighborhood of Make Believe, straight out of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. This amusement park doesn't have all the thrill rides that you'll find at Cedar Point, for example, but when you have little ones who can't ride those rides anyway, why not pack up for a day trip to a park that THEY would enjoy? If you're looking for a fun-filled day trip, check out some of these (or click here for even more ideas) Storybook Island This 8-acre family theme park features over 140 live performances of fairytale sets. The sets include themes from old-school nursery rhymes as well as newer additions from modern-day Disney movies. Admission is free! The downside is that this park is in South Dakota, but it's only 45 minutes from Mount Rushmore, which would be a fun way to complete the trip. Holiday World Bringing Santa to Santa Claus, IN for over 60 years, this park's attractions celebrate Halloween, July 4th and Thanksgiving, plus it offers a waterpark with the country's tallest water drop (the Pilgrim's Plunge) and The Wildebeest, the world's longest watercoaster, over 1/3 mile long. Children's Fairyland Amusement Park In Oakland, CA, you can visit Children's Fairyland, America's first storybook themed park. You can visit places like Pinocchio's castle and the Old Lady in the Shoe's shoe. For only $2, you can purchase a 'magic key' to listen to all the stories at each site. And at only $7 admission fee, it's a steal! These parks and others were featured in the August 2009 issue of Cookie Magazine.

Appy Kids

No ladies, that's not a typo. I mean Apps as in for iPhones, which I am not lucky enough to own, but I'm sure some of you are. Here are a couple kid friendly apps that you can pick up for next to nothing - and the peace and quiet they'll provide is priceless! There are tons and tons and tons available, but here are just a few that sounded like homeruns. $2 Each FirstWords: Vehicles or Animals This one is best for older kids. They use their fingers to push the letters into place to spell words, making the graphics come to life once they are spelled correctly.

Balloonimals Great for any age. When you blow into the microphone on your iPhone, a balloon inflates, then shake the phone and watch it twist and turn into a T-Rex, unicorn and other creatures.

Wurdle Ages 5 and up. Great for teaching spelling and phonics. Makes learning new words fun in a fast-paced way.

$1 Each Preschool Adventures Probably best for 3-4 years and up. Choose from six simple activities dealing with ocean colors, space shapes, a monkey body, farm sounds, animal matches and dot-to-dot numbers.

Scribble Great for any age. Draw and erase as much as you want with no mess to clean up afterwards!

iColoringBook Great for any age. This app gives you 30 pages to color, or you can download the Lite version for free (which gives you 10 pages to color). [For $2.99, there is also a Curious George coloring book with 48 monkey pages to color.]

Free!!Free!!Free!! BubbleWrap Just as it sounds. When your kid needs a distraction, let them 'pop' til they drop.

Dress Chica Probably more girl-friendly, but no one's judging : ) Choose hats, scarves and shoes for PBS KIDS Sprouts characters.

Brain Tuner Ages 5 and up. Test your basic math skills against the clock.

Worth the $4.99 Baby Monitor Going on a trip and don't want to pack your bulky monitor? Download this app and simply place the iPhone next to your baby's crib. If noise is detected, the iPhone will call a phone of your choice (like you're cell phone). That's awesome!