How much have you done of this summer fun checklist
thank you google images Recently our school district had another shooting threat. Our town went through its own school shooting in 1996 and every now and then we get warnings. Sadly, it’s today’s new normal. On this last call the middle school decided to keep all the kids indoors for the day. I would think the kids had a better chance at not being hit on a playground running to and fro then in a crowded hall or lunchroom of wall to wall kids, but it’s a tough call. No matter what an administrator decides it will be second-guessed if someone is hurt. School playgrounds and playground rules are definitely not what they used to be and that is a sad reflection on us. I have great memories of playground games. Here are ten of my childhood favorites: · tag (in many forms – regular, freeze, TV, etc.) · pom-pom-pull-away · baseball (work up) · jump rope · hopscotch · rollerskating · blister bars · merry-go-round · Helen Keller · Rotten Egg I imagine every school had versions of Helen Keller and Rotten Egg: We played Helen Keller in a small foyer. “Helen Keller” put a coat over her head (if she couldn’t be trusted to keep her eyes closed) and was twirled around while everyone counted to ten. Then she groped her way around the little room until she caught someone and felt who she was. If she guessed correctly Helen Keller joined the game and the one that was caught became the new Helen Keller. (A game like that would never fly today what with political correctness and students touching each other. The real Helen Keller was a favorite heroine for many of us and we thought we were honoring her to play a game in her name.) We played Rotten Egg on the big cement steps. Eight or ten of us sat quietly thinking of a color. Whoever was “it” called out a color (any color) and then one by one rapped her knuckles on our heads. If the color was the color we’d chosen we chirped, “peep, peep, peep.” “It” and a friend swung us back and forth between their arms. If we smiled or laughed everyone chimed “Ewwwww, you’re a rotten egg” and we were out. If you didn’t smile or laugh you went into the good egg pile. The game continued until there were no more rotten eggs. The last (or first depending on the day) good egg got to be “it” the next game. Two of the jump rope rhymes we used were: Spanish Dancer touch the ground Spanish Dancer turn around Spanish Dancer do the high kick Spanish Dancer do the splits Spanish Dancer go upstairs Spanish Dancer say your prayers Spanish Dancer turn around Spanish Dancer get out of town Cinderella dressed in yella Went upstairs to kiss her fella Made a mistake and kissed a snake How many doctors will it take 1…2…3… We also sang these nonsensical songs: So-and-so stole a cookie from the cookie jar. (So-and-so would say) “Who me?” (Everyone would reply) “Yes you.” (So-and-so would say) “Couldn’t be.” (Everyone would respond) Then who?” (Then so-and-so would call out another name and the rhyme would start again.) Miss Lucy had a baby She named him tiny Tim She put him in the bathtub To see if he could swim He drank up all the water He ate up all the soap He tried to eat the bathtub But it wouldn’t go down his throat (I hated it when kids taunted with this next song. It was embarrassing.) Two little lovers sitting in a tree K-i-s-s-i-n-g First comes love Second comes marriage Third comes (names two people) pushing a baby carriage (I guess I shouldn’t have disliked that jingle. It did teach us the proper order of things: love, marriage, and then children which is much better than how some play today: children, marriage, and maybe love thrown in there somewhere. Maybe it had its purpose afterall.) How about you? What did you do on the playground? What were your jump rope rhymes? What games do your kids play on the playground now?
Did you know your baby starts exploring things using its sense in the first stage of development? Read this post to learn more about the sensorimotor stage.
The Ultimate Guide for the Best Spring Activities, Grab your Free Spring Bucket List Printable. Spring Activities for Kids and Adults! Plus, We have the best Spring Activities for Families, Outdoor Activities for Kids, Nature Activities for Springtime, and over 100 more things to do this spring
Elephant toothpaste is such a fun and easy science experiment for kids. This project requires only a handful of supplies and it can be very colorful—a bonus in my book! This reaction experiment does require using some chemicals, so it’s best for children in elementary school or older and requires adult supervision. Elephant toothpaste recipe…
Looking for fun hand clapping games? Awesome hand clapping songs to teach kids, students or camp attendees, with videos and printable lyrics!
Try these fun music and movement songs and activities for preschoolers at home or in the classroom. Fall, Spring and other activities themed to the season
Sensory Table Ideas - HUGE sensory filler list, HUGE sensory tools list (planning ideas too) for preschool, pre-k, or kindergarten classroom.
Family traditions are the foundation to building lifelong childhood memories. See our list of some simple family rituals and traditions you can start today.
Need quick easy activities for toddlers? These 25 easy low-prep activities for toddlers are sure to be a hit!
Balloons are a party staple - we hang them up, hand them out, and if we're feeling especially ambitious, might even spend awhile playing with them. But did you know that balloons also have a variety of other uses, ones that range from crafty to handy to just downright adorable? Below, we've collected 26 balloon ideas from around the Internet - we're thinking #16 might be perfect for your next party.
Laura @inspiremyplay Founder of @inspiremyplay, Early Years teacher for 11 years and mummy to three gorgeous girls. I'm passionate about about the benefits of play in early childhood. Drawing with light and shadow is such a simple, fun activity for kids of all ages and works well at home, outdoors or in the classroom! We created a little set up using some leaves from the back garden which you can read about in this blog. Kids will love creating and recreating shadows on paper with this activity! But there are many ways you can do shadow drawing. All you need is the sun, some paper (or another surface you’re happy to have drawn on!), an object to draw, and something to draw with. So, next time there's a sunny day, grab some chalk or pencils and paper and let the kiddies experiment with shadow art. What is Shadow Art? It's all about using the dark shapes (shadows) created by light shining on objects. Imagine holding up a toy or an object in sunlight, and then drawing around its shadow on the ground. That's basically what shadow drawing is! When kids play with shadows, they can learn how light travels and see how objects block the light to make different shadow shapes. Here's a little insight into how it all works: Light goes in one direction until it meets something; If something stands in the way of light, the light hitting the object is obstructed, while the remaining light continues; The obstructed section forms a shadow on a different surface. Shadow Drawing for Kids Shadow drawing for kids doesn't have to be complicated! You don’t need lots of different materials to get creative. All you need is a source of light and some objects to create shadows to trace around. This offers a great chance for you to make learning captivating for your little one, whilst also sparking their curiosity. You could experiment with different shapes and sizes of objects as well as different locations on the page. You could ask them some simple questions: What happens if you move your object around? Does the shadow of your object appear bigger, the same size, or smaller than the actual object? Does the shadow of your object stay the same at different times of the day? How does the shadow of your object change as the sun moves? What is the Best Time of Day to Make Shadow Art? Shadow art is a fantastic way for little ones to understand how the sun moves during the day. They might see that the shadow of their object moves as the angle of the sun does. If they draw shadows at different times, they'll notice that shadows change, growing long in the morning and evening, and shorter at noon. It can be done at any point in the day when shadows are present. By seeing these changes, they get a hands-on lesson about light and how the Earth moves. Shadow Drawing with Leaves I set this activity up by pegging leaves on some string hung between two chairs. Underneath I rolled out a big piece of paper and we traced around the shadows created by the leaves. As well as being a great conversation starter to talk about shadows, this was also a great fine motor challenge and good for concentration and observational skills. Mine enjoyed colouring them afterwards and adding details to their leaves. Here is how you do it step by step: Step 1: Tie leaves to a long piece of string; Step 2: Tie the string at both ends to something strong enough to keep them suspended in the air (we used 2 chairs); Step 3: Place a piece of paper underneath so that the angle of the sun casts the shadows of the leaves on top of the paper; Step 4: Once the shadow on the paper appears, using a pencil, get them to trace their shadow shapes. Afterwards you can colour in the shapes, or get creative in other ways.
Full disclosure, I’m a ‘90s kid, born and bred. It’s utterly ridiculous how much I miss watching Sunday morning cartoons while eating a huge bowl of cereal and playing with my beloved toys.
4-year-olds are ripe for learning and soaking up the world around them! This post offers dozens of learning activities that will not disappoint! #montessori #parentingtips #preschool #outdooreducation
Welcome to the Oskar's Wooden Ark Colour Lab! Are you looking for fun and simple science activities to enjoy with your kids? We have two experiments for you that have all the WOW factor but are simple to set up.
Save money and have fun with this list of 50 free activities for families as recommended by parents. Includes a printable list too!
In the afternoon my kids have always had quiet time. With our new baby's arrival I've been trying to spend extra time in the afternoon with my 3-year-old while the baby naps. All too often
Learn how to teach children self-control the right way with this collection of fun yet powerful self-regulation strategies and activities for kids!
Things you should be teaching your 2-year-old. Life skills and lessons to teach your two-year-old that they will also enjoy!
If your toddler likes to destroy things, try channelling their destructive energies with these 13 low-prep activities!
