Summer science Thursdays!

I've done it!
Have you?
3 weeks down, and many more to go!!

Here are some pictures from our Thursday fun:

 Hydrating water beads (found mine at dollar tree, but also at hobby lobby)

Vinegar and baking soda balloon experiment

Shaving cream and corn starch

ps... I'm doing this from my phone because my Mac crashed... so I apologize for the lack of organization in this post!

Suzie

6 Sensory Table Ideas

     As parents and grandparents, we are always on the prowl for a safe activity that will engage our child either by himself or with a friend  that they can experience independently.   We want an activity that will not only allow them to be creative, but will also let them use their senses and develop their fine motor skills.  (The time will come too quickly where they will be asked to use a pencil and paper.)    One of my favorite and easiest forms of play is the sand and water table.  Now, there is no need to go out and purchase a sensory table but there are several reasonably priced ones at Walmart, Target and Toys R Us.  One of my favorite and easy sensory bin to store is a simple storage bin with a lid.  You can store the play material in the bin, take the lid off and “dwella”  it’s playtime.  You can also have several bins ready to go with different material stacked in your garage for a beautiful day outside or a fun activity on a rainy day on your porch or kitchen table.  LET THE FUN BEGIN!!!!!

                  Water with/without bubbles is always a favorite.  This one just happens to have plastic butterflies hiding in the bubbles just waiting to be scooped up with nets or little fingers.  Note:  The fine motor development with the scooping and picking up the slippery butterflies with fingers.

                  Here is a fun and easy activity.  It is a large block of ice which was frozen in a pan with small plastic toys, sparkly gems and sequins.  You put the frozen block of ice in the tub and give the children different tools to try to remove them.  This little girl had a small rolling pin.  You can also supply small rubber mallets with golf tees,  eye droppers with warm water to help melt the ice, spoons, etc.  Use your imagination.  This is fun to do on a hot day outside as well as an activity to keep little hands busy while Mom cooks dinner.  They love it!   More fine motor development! 

                  Here is a bin of dried corn feed.  You can also use dried beans of all types for a clean, easy bin of play.  We have added forms of transportation  to this table but simple spoons, laundry scoops, plastic cups of assorted sizes are just as entertaining and the learning is just as valuable. 

                  Sand and cornmeal is always a favorite.  Sifting, measuring, weighing, scooping and transferring are math, science and fine motor skills all rolled in one fun activity.   Add some coffee beans for the aroma and texture along with assorted sizes of scoops, spoons, cups, scales, etc. and let them go!!!!!

                  Below is a bin of potting soil with worms.  UGH!!!!  No worries, these are small rubber worms.  Gardening spades, shovels, small cups, tongs, cups and buckets are added for the experience.

                  Last but not least is clean snow dough.  This sweet smelling dough not only is delightful to smell but to touch.  You can make it as follows:

• One small bottle of baby oil
• One 5 lb. sack of flour
• Mix together and pour into your bin. 

                  These are just a few fun, independent learning activities you can provide for your children. 

ENJOY and make memories!

Corn Starch Sensory Table

An impromptu rainstorm turned into an impromptu Sensory activity! 

By the way, we are so happy that all of our stuff has arrived in Canada!  

Including our Sensory Table!

We had THIS in our cupboard!

We added some mini pumpkins, tupperware, tongs, 

homemade milk funnels/scoops, and spoons.

Cornstarch is so soft!  He had so much fun scooping it up, "just like a truck."  

He's obsessed with trucks at the moment.

This is messy work, no doubt.  He was covered in it, BUT totally worth it!  

He was engaged and hard working so intently for a good 30 minutes on this!  So sweet!

P.S.  This was impromptu, remember?  We didn't have a drop cloth....so used dry-cleaning wrappers!

~Sarah (& Carter 20 months)

Repurpose a Milk Jug

On a Coffee-High during Carter's nap, I was on a productive rage through the house!  This isn't normal behavior but I'm pretty sure the next few post from me will have taken place on this day.

(Bad iPhone picture.)

Do you always seem to have milk cartons in the recycle bin too??

In a bind for funnels, I cut them in half with a Big 'Ol Knife.

Then, trimmed them up with the scissors.  

Voila!  Funnels or Scoops (if keeping the lid on!)

Teacher Tip:

Bath toy!!  Think, daily, majorly fun, full body Sensory Tub! :)

Bring them to the playground for digging in some dirt!

Recycle Bin when the "repurposing" is old news!

~Sarah

Kitchen Sink Sensory Play!

This isn't outrageous or original.

But the coolest thing (for me) was that this was totally his idea!

I'm always blown away watching their little minds work.

When an activity is child-led, it is always most successful. Beats anything the teacher or parent will come up with! :(

This activity proved it once again!

P.S. Don't you love the new background? AKA: our new home in Canada!!! Much easier on the eyes than our home in China! Ha!

Rice, Rice, Baby

When you live in China, rice is the easiest thing to come by!

I've been putting it off until C wasn't as obsessed with putting everything in his mouth. Don't get me wrong, some pieces made it in there. :{

He enjoys sticking ANYTHING that is in our table into the holes on the corners.

He was happy with this for about 5 whole minutes.

Then we had to spice things up with beach toys and dinosaurs! And another 5 minutes, we had!

I dyed a bit of rice last night while he slept using the same way-too-easy recipe as the pasta.

This is what is waiting for him when he wakes up!!

Lesson Learned: Us a tarp under the rice bin. Bow Tie Pasta was easy to pick up rice...not so much.

Back Yard Fun - Part 1

Well, summer is almost here and it is time to get ready for those hot, humid days. Absolutely nothing is better than a backyard, a blow up wading pool, a sprinkler and children splashing and laughing all day long in their swimsuits.

The summer months brings with them a carefree, more relaxed atmosphere to the day. Children may linger a little longer in their PJ’s or may stay up a little later with the late sunset. Whether you are home during the day or coming home after a day at work and child care for your children, there is still time for some fun outdoor play and learning.

The next few posts by me will have some simple ideas for fun outdoor activities and a chance to make some wonderful summertime memories with your family.

My first lesson is BE PREPARED!!!!

This week, before everyone is out of school for the summer, take a trip to your local Dollar Store.

Purchase one or two large plastic tubs or laundry baskets.

Fill the tub with:

• Spray bottles
• Large paint brushes
• Small paint brushes
• Buckets with handles
• Water color paints
• Sidewalk chalk
• Bubbles and bubble wands (fly swatter , plastic strawberry carton, pipe cleaners twisted in shapes) These all make fun wands for bubbles but you can purchase a large assortment of them at the dollar store.
• Shaving cream
• Towels
• Shower curtain
• Play dough
• Soap and shampoo for outside bath time
• Small shovels

-If a Sand and Water Table is not available, use a large storage bin for water play and another one for sand or dirt play.

-Small plastic or rubber dog/cat squeak toys

Take your time browsing through the store and look for items that will use all of their senses;

1. Seeing
2. Touching
3. Smelling
4. Tasting
5. Hearing

Organize it in the bin or a couple of bins and hide everything until your summer officially begins.

When school is out pull out the baskets and LET THE FUN BEGIN!!!!!!!

Stay tuned for some ideas to use these items and let Summertime Backyard Fun Begin!

Linked at ABC & 123 and Childhood 101

Clean Mud

You never know what to expect when you discover something like this:

"Caaarr-ter!! Are you hungry? Time for lun...???? Carter?"

"Busted!"

He bolted!

This was the beginning of his new love for toilet paper. So, let's play with toilet paper! We made some Clean Mud!

Can also be used as "snow".

I know that I love this way more than Carter does. It feels wonderful! You can mold it, smash it, and throw it ;) just like mud!

Here is the recipe:

Make sure and lotion up after playing with this concoction it can really dry out your skin.

Sand and Water Table- the 411

Sensory table, Water table, Sand table, store bought or homemade.... you can call it whatever you want, but the benefits are all the same.

One of the greatest benefits of a sensory table is that it stimulates the sense of touch.

Some children may need to be encouraged to touch things they may not want to, while others just jump right in. Sensory tables are a great way to let children play independently and make up their own rules.  Try to avoid asking questions to your child while they are engaged at the sensory table. Just let them discover on their own and see what they make up. 

Think about all the benefits:
Fine motor skills, social skills, creativity in play, discovery in beginning science skills, cause and effect, the list could go on forever.

Sarah posted pictures of her sensory table that had cereal and ice in it. I was at ELP last week, and their sensory table had red and pink shredded paper in it, and the children were pretending they were at a party throwing it in the air. And not one teacher said stop, you are making a mess.
I think the messier the sensory table the better!

 However, I did have to jump in and tell him not to throw sand. (You can imagine how unhappy that made him.)

Our sand and water table comes with a lid, and an umbrella. (It was on sale at our Sam's Club last week for $39.99.) But if you don't want to buy one, you could always just use your tupperware, or an under the bed box!

More Fun in the Sensory Table: Cheerios!

The latest fun in the sensory table is edible!! Needless to say, it has been a hit!

This was Carter first thing in the morning. He is NOT happy to see the lid on. Can you tell?

And he's off!! I added spoons and the toys with handles and scoops. I'm going to try and keep these on hand for daily practice. We're gearing up for self-spoon feeding.

Hard @ Work!

His work area.

Tasty!

You do not need a sensory table (sand and water table) to do this! Tupperware works just as well!

Check out the skills involved in this fun:

Sensory

1. Smell, check!
2. See, check!
3. Taste, check!
4. Touch, check!
5. Hear, check!

Fine Motor:

They use their pincer grasp to grab the tiny Cheerios AND use their fine motor skills to grab the tools.

Self Help:

This is another Early Childhood skill that the little ones are developing at the moment. Carter's trough-o-Cheerios is defiantly letting him practice "self help." However, we may be practicing Childhood Obesity Skills too....he LOVES going into his room and grabbing some Cheerios! Ha ha!