Easy Pirate Sword for Preschoolers

We made these fun pirate swords as part of our Letter P Day!

Pirate Swords make excellent props for pretend play and creating them is a great fine muscle motor exercise!  Once everyone had made one, four of the six children announced, "I am Jake!" (from Jake and the Neverland Pirates), one girl declared, "I am Izzy!" and one little boy observed, "No one is Cubby!"  Then we all joined forces to make a map and find our treasure that had been hidden by the nefarious Captain Hook!  "P" is for "Pirate!"

You can make your own easy pirate swords too!

Simple Supplies:

• cardboard cut in the shape of a sword (I used an old diaper box.)
• aluminum foil, torn in pieces about the size of a piece of paper

Easy How-to:

1.  Give each child a sword and several pieces of aluminum foil.
2.  Let them wrap their sword to make it nice and shiny!!  They may need help poking a hole in and wrapping the handle.  I didn't even use tape, though it is certainly an option!


Come back soon for our other "Letter P" activities!!



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Conceptualizing 100 With Building Blocks

The 100th Day of school is almost upon us, and I am joining with 19 other bloggers to bring you the Celebrate the 100th Day! series, full of resources and ideas to celebrate 100 days of school!

Today I'm sharing an activity that is perfect for helping young children see and feel just how much 100 is.  It can also be adapted to helping younger children conceptualize 10 and older children visualize 1000 and more.  Additionally, it strengthens fine motor skills, exercises analytic reasoning, and adds a multi-sensory aspect to math!  And it can easily be adapted to fit a small home daycare (like mine!), a homeschooling family, or a classroom!  *Also, I am including a history extension that I prepared for my 6-year old!*

So, let's get started!

You will need at least 100 interlocking blocks.  We used mega blocks like those below, but you may need more than one package (affiliate link):

If you are expanding the lesson for older children, you will want 10 pieces of paper also.

Easy How-to:

1.  Let each child build a stack with 10 blocks.

2.  Count by tens to 100.  Place each stack on the same piece of paper as you count.
  Older children:  Throw in a few math problems at this point, like 100-30 or 70-20 or 40-10.

3.  Discuss!  Is 100 a lot or a little?  What can you buy with $100?  Has it taken long to get to 100 days of school?

Did you know...
* a person who is 100 years old is called a centenarian?
* there are 100 yards in an American football field?
* tigers are pregnant for about 100 days?
* wolves can run over 100 miles in one day?
* a "googol" is the number 1 followed by 100 zeros?

4.  Extension:  What if we had 10 papers and each paper had 100 blocks on it?  Line up 10 papers and count, by hundreds, to 1000.  Discuss!  Is 1000 a lot or a little?  What can you buy with $1000?  How many years would 1000 days be?

5.  Timeline Extension:  Let's imagine each block represents a year.  How long ago were you born?  100 years ago was 1914.  The first airplane flew out of sight of land from Scotland to Norway and WWI began.  Most people did not own cars and no one had ever heard of a cell phone!  Move to the next paper representing 100 years.  200 years ago was 1714.  Beethoven was alive and writing music, Napoleon was defeated, and the war of 1812 ended.  1000 years ago was 1014.  The United States of America did not even exist!  Highlight dates you and your children find interesting along the timeline!

This series is organized by the amazing Becky at This Reading Mama--be sure to click on over there to see all 20 posts full of ideas, freebies, and teaching techniques for the 100th day!!

Be sure to check out all the participating bloggers below and the collaborative 100th Day of School Pinterest board! 

This Reading Mama | No Doubt Learning | B-Inspired Mama | Mama Smiles – Joyful Parenting | Living Montessori Now | Creative World of Varya | Lemon Lime Adventures | Edventures with Kids | The Educators’ Spin On It | Frugal Fun for Boys |Memetales Blog | Preschool Powol Packets | Teach Beside Me | Playdough to Plato |Afterschool for Smarty Pants | To the Moon and Back | Inspiring Two New Hampshire Children | Growing Book by Book | My Little 3 and Me | Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tail | Frugal Homeschool Family | WriteBonnieRose.com

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Mythological Creatures & Poppins Book Nook

Mythological Creatures are fun for preschoolers to play with in so many ways!

As the last Monday in January, today is Poppins Book Nook, and the theme is Greek Mythology.  At Preschool Powol Packets, we focused on Mythological Creatures.  

Here is a short primer on Mythological Creatures:

Centaur:  head and torso of a man, body and legs of a horse

Charybdis:  a sea monster that can make deadly whirlpools when he breathes in

Gorgons:  three sisters with snakes for hair.  Medusa was famous for turning people to stone if they looked at her.

Griffon/Gryphon:  body of a lion with head and wings of an eagle

Hippocampi:  sea creatures that had fronts like a horse and backs like a fish tail

Hydra:  a snake with many heads (actually destroyed by Hercules)

Manticore:  a monster with the body of a lion, a head of a man, and a spike-shooting tail

Phoenix:  a red bird that bursts into flames when it dies and is re-born of the ashes

Satyrs (and satyresses):  human head and torso, goat legs and horns

Sphinx:  body and legs of a lion, head of a woman, and giant wings

Unicorn:  beautiful magical animal that looks like a horse with a horn

Wood Nymphs:  beautiful women who lived in plants

What can you do with mythological creatures in preschool?  

* Paint pictures of their favorite creature!

* Make up stories starring their favorite creature!

* Dramatize stories they made up!

* Use imaginary play to meet some of the fabulous mythological creatures!

* Or, you could find the story of Hercules defeating the Hydra in this fabulous pop up book (affiliate link):

This post is part of the Poppins Book Nook Club!   Be sure to pop over to Enchanted Homeschooling Mom for a Greek mythology book giveaway!!

Be sure to check out these other participating blogs:

Enchanted Homeschooling Mom - 3 Dinosaurs - Monsters Ed - Chestnut Grove Academy - Growing in God's Grace - Life with Moore Babies - Teach Beside Me - The Usual Mayhem - Kathys Cluttered Mind - Adventures in Mommydom - Edventures with Kids - Learning & Growing the Piwi way - A Gluten Free Journey - Preschool Powol Packets - To The Moon and Back - Our Craft ~N~ Things - Fresh Farm Adventures - Are We There Yet? - Afterschool for Smarty Pants - Hopkins Homeschool

Do you have a Greek Mythology post you want to share?  Link it up here!

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The Best Ever Preschooler Behavior Management Tip

Preschooler Behavior Management can take on so many faces that I could devote an entire blog just to that subject.  I could give you tips for communicating with preschoolers, tips for preventing bad behaviors, tips for encouraging good behaviors, how to deal with melt downs, and more.  (Actually, towards the end of each month this year I will have a behavior management post!)  

Today, though, I am sharing one easy tip you can implement any time you need it and see immediate results.  It is simply this:  Go outside.

Take your child (or children) and walk out the door.  Hand him a shovel and let him dig.  Hand him a hose and let him spray.  Or let him search for a stick.  Or even just let him breathe in fresh air while he screams and runs in circles!  You can create fun play stations or let your children create their own!  Your preschooler behavior management just got much easier!

Research actually shows that outdoor activities help your child regulate emotions and develop cognitively! The Royal Horticultural Society explains that "Much research is available that indicates that being and playing outside is vital for children’s physical health and development, emotional well-being and promotes cognitive development and achievement." (1)   

During the last 20 years I have watched upset, high-strung, stressed out children get control of themselves and relax as they got outside and engaged the natural world.  This effect can last for hours!  Additionally,  children tend to be more physically active outside.  This exercise creates hormones that help children (and adults!) manage stress. (2)   As your preschoolers manage their own stress better, you will need to manage their behavior less.

We all know preschoolers who are flexible, easy-going, and forgiving one minute and then fired up and upset the next.  If you notice your preschooler's stress is building or that conflicts are happening more frequently, stop what you're doing and go outside!  It makes a huge difference!

References:

(1) http://apps.rhs.org.uk/schoolgardening/uploads/documents/Norfolk%20Outdoor%20learning%20Early%20Years%20TOol%20kit_1299.pdf

(2) Hormones, exercise, and stress articles:

http://eurpub.oxfordjournals.org/content/16/2/179.full

http://www.stress.org.uk/Exercise.aspx

(3) Excellent list of outdoor learning research:

http://www.englishoutdoorcouncil.org/research.in.outdoor.learning.html

 

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Love Potions Valentine Science Experiment for Preschoolers

Love is in the air!!  Science projects, pipettes, explosions, reactions, and colors are super popular around here, so we had a love-potion-mixing Valentine Science Experiment Day!  

My preschoolers loved mixing the different potions, and once they discovered which combinations made which reactions, they repeated their favorites over and over and over! 

The scooping, pouring, and using spoons and pipettes are excellent fine-motor practice.  The experimenting and analyzing help develop cause and effect concepts.  And the fizzing, foaming color is just fun for everyone!!  

You can also have a Love Potions Valentine Science Experiment Day with your preschoolers...or older kids! Everyone loves a little love explosion!  Here's what you need:

Simple Supplies:

• little cups to hold all the potions
• fancy cups for your Valentine brew (we used candle holders)
• pans, buckets, or a sink to catch the explosions
• red Kool-Aid
• green Kool-Aid
• vinegar
• dish soap
• red food coloring
• baking soda
• pipettes
• spoons

Easy How-to:

1.  In advance, set up the experiment table.  Place small amounts of red Kool-aid, red vinegar (vinegar and red food coloring), clear vinegar, dish soap, and baking powder in the small cups.  Place your love potion mixing bowls in a pan at each child station.  Place pipettes and spoons at each child station.  Invite your little scientists to the Love Potion Valentine Science Experiment table!

2.  We love fizzing science experiments, vinegar, and baking powder, so my kiddos have lots of practice with pipettes and were excited to get started!  If this is something new for your children, show them how to use the pipettes and explain that some of the cups have things in them that will react and make awesome love potions (or Valentine's Potions, if you prefer).  Let the kids explore their own science experiment!

Some will start out carefully:

Some will get a little more enthusiastic:

But everyone will love their Love Potion results!

If your kiddos love science projects, be sure to check out my collection of  more than 150 preschool science experiments and preschool science activities!

Have you started doing Valentine activities?  Be sure to check out these Valentine posts:

Rainbow Heart Crayons

Valentines Sponge Painting

Ladybug Valentine Heart Cards

{FREE} Decorate a Heart Cookie Game

{FREE} Valentine Shadow Matching page

Pop Up Valentine Cards

{FREE} Valentine Math (Decomposing 10) Activity!  

Mixed Media Valentines Art

{FREE} Word Puzzle Hearts

And if you like fizzing science, here are some of our top science experiments:

Elephant Toothpaste

Sparkly Explosion

Fizzing Dinosaur Eggs

Alka Seltzer Eruption

Diet Coke & Mentos Geyser

Happy Educating, Carla

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Peek-a-Boo Penguin Craft & Fun Penguin Facts

My preschoolers loved putting these Peek-a-Boo Penguins together, and the fact that they used recycled materials was an extra bonus!

The truth is I rarely throw away egg cartons, and I have enough right now that we could do an egg-carton craft a day for weeks!  Since we've been talking a lot about penguins during the last week or two, I thought this craft would be a hit...and it was!

First, let's give credit where credit is due!  Originally, I was going to glue two egg carton cups together with the flat parts touching, but my 6-year old thought they would look better like this.  She was right!  Plus, you can hide goodies inside, like these fruit snacks (peek-a-boo!):

Making these Peek-a-Boo Penguins is so easy, you'll want to build a whole rookery! 

More Preschool Penguin Crafts

Simple Supplies:

• egg carton cups
• foam sheets or construction paper
• wiggly eyes
• black & white paint
• glue & paint brushes

Easy How To:

1.  Prepare the pieces:  for each penguin, cut out 2 egg carton cups, 2 feet, 1 diamond shaped beak, and a strip of paper to connect the cups together.  Staple the egg cartons together as shown.  You may need to re-tape or staple these after the cups get painted, depending on how wet your kiddos get the paper.  :) 

2.  Introduce your kiddos to the variety of penguins (see the Penguin Notes below these instructions), and let them create their penguins!  You can use school glue to attach the feet, beak, and eyes, but we used a "cool" hot glue gun.  Even my 3-year old loves pulling the trigger and watching the glue come out!  

Enjoy your penguins!!  My kids suggested I hide a treat in them during nap time!  They also quickly created some "penguin games" to play with them.  I, of course, insisted they all stop by my "studio" for pictures!

We had the penguins based on real-life penguins:

The "alien penguins:"

And a group picture:

Don't you just want to make a Peek-a-Boo Penguin your pet and keep it forever?!! My kids did!!

And, because the science teacher in me can't resist, here are some fun penguin facts:

* The Little Blue Penguin (aka the Fairy Penguin) is the smallest penguin in the world.  It is 16 inches tall.

* The Emperor Penguin is the tallest penguin in the world.  It can be more than 3 1/2 feet tall!

* The fastest penguin is the Gentoo.  It can swim 22 miles per hour!

* Penguins are birds that cannot fly, but they swim very well.

* Penguins have a "catastrophic molt" every year.  It takes about 2-3 weeks to lose all their feathers and re-grow them.  They cannot swim and fish without those feathers!  In order to survive the molt, they have to eat extra food before they lose their feathers.

* Scientists argue over which penguins are different species.  Some think there are 17 different species while others think there are 20!

Do you love penguins too?  Be sure to check out our Craft Stick Penguins and {FREE} Penguin Easy Reader! 

Happy Educating, Carla

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20+ Snow Themed Books for Preschoolers

Even though we have gorgeous temperatures outside today, I still love to talk about snow in January and February!  These books are all fabulous for preschoolers and go wonderfully with snow crafts, discussions, and experiments.

I have a bookshelf in our playroom that could easily hold 200 books, but I only put out about 20 at a time.  I like to rotate them every week or two.  This makes it easier for children to access the books, re-read them, and become familiar with them.  Reading the same book to your children more than once lets them become familiar enough with the story line that they can re-tell and analyze the events in it.  Even young preschoolers like to "read" books to themselves and others.  You can also discuss different aspects of the story, characters, events, and illustrations on each read-through.  We will be putting out winter and snow books this week!

Here are 20+ snow themed books for preschoolers!  Each picture is an Amazon affiliate link that will take you to Amazon, where you can learn more about the book.  You will never pay more for clicking through affiliate links to Amazon, but I do get a small commission for referring you.

At the end of this list I also have links to {FREE} winter printables too!

20+ Snow Themed Books for Preschoolers:

Snow Bear (a soft to touch book)

by Fernleigh Books

 

Dream Snow 

 by Eric Carle

The Mitten 

by Jan Brett

 

The Snowman

by Raymond Briggs

Animals in Winter

by Henrietta Bancroft

The Story of Snow

by Mark Cassino

Snowflake Bentley

by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

Snow Comes to the Farm

by Nathaniel Tripp

Bear Snores On

by Karma Wilson

There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow! 

by Lucille Colandro

The Snowy Day

by Ezra Jack Keats

Snowballs

by Lois Ehlert

The Jacket I Wear in the Snow

by Shirley Neitzel

Hello, Snow!

by Hope Vestergaard

The Biggest Snowman Ever

by Steven Kroll

This Place in the Snow

by Rebecca Bond

Owl Moon

by Jane Yolen

Sneezy the Snowman

by Maureen Wright

Let it Snow

by Maryann Cocca-Leffler

All You Need for a Snowman

by Alice Schertle

Snowflakes (a pop up book)

by Jennifer Preston Chushcoff

 Snow 

 by Uri Shulvitz 

 

{FREE} Winter Printables:

{FREE} Mini Book Easy Reader:  Penguin Party

{FREE} Hibernation Printables

{FREE} Arctic Animals Preschool Packet

Snow & Winter Pinterest Board (with freebies on it!)

Penguins Pinterest Board

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Lantern Preschool Craft

I just love these lanterns that my preschoolers designed themselves today!

We started this morning out playing with lights and shadows, and then the kiddos continued to play with their little lights on and off throughout the day.  Late in the morning they took the lights to the craft table and started to create these lanterns.  

You may have to pick up the little lights, but the rest of the supplies can vary and are most likely something you have sitting in a drawer!  Go on...let your kids make some light!  When you're done you can march them about in a parade, practice standing on one foot while you hold them, talk about shadows (Groundhog Day is in a few weeks) or just let your children take them into dark rooms and make their own light!

Simple Supplies:

• battery operated "tea lights" (you can get these at the dollar store or from Amazon)
• paper towel tubes, cut in half
• "scratch" paper
• stickers
• tape

Easy How-to:

1.  Stuff some paper into the tube to make a base for the light.

2.  Turn the light on and drop it onto the paper (inside the tube).

3.  Use tape or a sticker to secure the light so it doesn't fall out when it's upside down.

4.  Decorate the tube with paper, stickers, or whatever else you want!

Alternatively, provide your kiddos with all the supplies and let them figure out how to design their own lanterns!!

Amazon affiliate links for your convenience:

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