Preschool Science - My Body Unit (Lesson 2)

We are learning about healthy foods in the "My Body" preschool science unit. In our very first lesson, we painted and cut our body outline on art paper. So for the next lesson, we focused on a healthy body image. Teaching my child to eat healthy and then reflecting on those options regularly is very important to me. I have also been using this lesson to talk about why we must eat our veggies or proteins. I have been talking about what is healthy versus unhealthy for our body. We have been discussing, identifying and learning about new objects at the supermarket. Overall, this is a good unit that reinforces a healthy body image and teaches about good/bad food choices.

Brainstorming Discussion: we looked at the Food guide to discuss, identify and compare food objects. I let my preschooler ask questions about the food guide and its contents.

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Prep: I pre-made a rainbow chart that represented the colors of the food guide (green, yellow, blue and red). I labelled each paper with their corresponding names. For example, the color red represented 'Meats & Alternatives'.

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Activity #1: We collected all the spare grocery store flyers at our home. We talked about all the items that we might need and got to work by cutting out grocery items. I also let my preschooler help me with the cutting. We collected all grocery item pictures in a ziploc baggie for the next activity.

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Activity # 2: Next, I placed the chart and the ziploc bag on a table and demonstrated by finding and placing a picture on the right colored chart paper. I told him that he had to place the objects in their category and leave out the ones he didn't understand. Then I let my preschooler sort and name objects aloud as he placed them on the right colored chart paper. 

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Informal Assessment: When he was done, we checked for errors and discussed why certain objects belong in a category even if they dont resemble meat or grain. For example, nuts are an excellent source of protein and will fit in the meats category even though it is not a meat product. We also talked about objects he didn't know or recognize.

Overall, this project is going well. For the next few lessons, we will explore healthy versus unhealthy food items through food graphing/counting, treasure hunts, designing a healthy/unhealthy meal plan and plate, and identifying/matching food items.

Thanks for reading! Do you have any suggestions or comments about this project? Let me know....

Annie

5 Time-Filler Games

Ever wondered what to do when you have finished all types of play and have free time while you are waiting for hubby or guests to arrive? Or you simply want to keep your kids technology free if boredom strikes! You can play these games with kids of any age but you have to set up the area so that it is safe for moving around and is a clutter-free zone (ideally an open space like a family room or a basement).

1. Act-out and Sing-a-long Poems - this is my best arsenal during a tough or stressful day as it helps me unwind as well and have fun with the kids. The best selection includes, but is not limited to the following; "Itsy Bitsy Spider", "Wheels on the Bus", "Pat-a-Cake", "Heads and Shoulders, Knees and Toes", "I'm a Little Teapot", "Old McDonalds had a Farm", "One, Two, Buckle my Shoe", "Ring-around-the-Rosy", "Five Little Monkeys", "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", "Row, Row, Row Your Boat", "Humpty Dumpty", and "Hickory Dickory Dock". We sing and act out all the verbs in this song to build our vocabulary skills.
2. "Simon Says" or Follow the Leader Games - this is a favorite game of both my toddler and preschooler. I make this game into a physical activity drill. Focusing on the following physical drills: "Simon says jump up and down", run x number of times, hop like a bunny, twist side to side, stretch up/down, climb the step stool, roll on the floor, follow me while I ride a car/motorbike/train, jumping jacks, skip, etc. You can include actions or facial/behavioral expressions to this game to make it interesting. 
3. "I Spy" - this is another one of our favorites at the house. I use this game as a learning/teaching opportunity about new concepts or details related to everyday household objects. Common themes include colors, patterns, textures, shapes, number of objects, types of objects, names, or descriptive details/adjectives.  Through this game I can test my children's knowledge of a specific topic or put their learned skills into practice. By incorporating this game in our learning activities, I have successfully helped my preschooler master some of the above mentioned topics.
4. Hide and Seek - best game of all times and suitable for all ages. We have so much fun when we play this game as a whole family. Usually, an adult guides a toddler/baby and stays with them/hides together.
5. Tag/Chasing Games - Ideally you will need lots of open space for this (a backyard or a field/park is perfect). There is the usual 'Cat & Mouse' game where one person catches and the others run. Another fun tag game is called "Sly Fox" where everyone stands far away facing one person whose back is turned facing the wall. Then, when the referee says "Go!", the people will start walking towards the person whose back is turned, in a sneaky/quiet way. The person whose back is turned can turn around at any time and the people walking have to freeze because if they are seen moving then they get to stand facing away from everyone to restart the game. There are many variations of Tag games like "Ball Tag" or "Team Tag" that can be played with or without equipment and as a team or in partners.

Overall, the above games work great for our family given that we use a clutter-free area to avoid any accidents when kids get over-excited! Do you have any fun time-filler games that you play with your family and friends?

Annie

Preschool Science - My Body Unit

This month in Preschool Science, we are learning about the theme of healthy foods, healthy bodies and healthy eating/lifestyle habits. For this unit of study, I will be updating and adding projects as we learn and practice new things.

Whole Body Art

We started of by tracing our body on recycled paper. I had my preschooler lay on a large piece of paper that was just a little bit taller than him. I asked him to lay out his hands, and feet flat on the paper, as I traced an outline around his body using a dark colored marker.

After tracing with marker, we did a whole group painting project. All of us (including my nice husband), painted different parts of the whole body outline, using colors of choice. We used watercolor paints and sponge brushes for this painting project.

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After painting, I left the project to air dry.

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Once it dried thoroughly, me and my preschooler cut along the traced line that I had done previously of my preschooler's body. This was the end result:

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I realize that the body outline does not look perfect and it is intended to look like that. For a more child-centered approach, we focus on original art projects and choices made during those projects. I intend on using the front and back of the whole body art, to do some exciting health projects.

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Overall, it was a fun family event. I will be hanging it up on a wall for our next project. Check back for updates, thanks!

Annie

Toddler Tantrums

So my toddler is going through his transitory phase...he used to be a very content baby but lately he has been acting up. How so, you may ask? He doesn't sleep well through the night, has excessive amounts of energy (all of the awake hours) and doesn't eat healthy (I have to be very sneaky with the food to make sure he gets all his nutrients). This has been going on since he turned 6 months. So basically, I'm sleep deprived and drained every single day. Most moms are in the same boat!

I am always looking for research, tips and ideas for good parenting. I mean the kind when you feel like you have accomplished a lot during the day and when you see your children learning and growing into healthy individuals (mentally, spiritually, and physically). It's tough and some nights I just want to give up and run away, but I AlWAYS wake up with a new set of mind; ready to face the battleground. I love my kids with all my heart and keep going everyday for them. I want to help and teach them everything (in my power), so that they never ever struggle in life.  Anyhow, I had to get that out of my system. I would like to share some strategies that help me raise my toddler and preschooler:

• Daily Schedule: I keep things consistent by following a schedule. When I was working after I had my first, I found my oldest to be very subdued and relaxed during the weekdays. However, on the weekends his behavior was out of control. So for that reason, I had to come up with creative ways of keeping that negative energy at bay. I started doing a lot of child-led play activities such as play dough, dinosaurs, cars, bath-time, cooking, sports, building blocks, etc. I always tried my best to interact; Bye bye social life! I have successfully integrated my toddler into a similar routine.
• Nap time & Night Sleep: my preschooler does not take a nap since he turned 3 years old. If he does then it's very hard for him to fall asleep at night. My toddler only naps between 12 and 2pm, if he wants to sleep at night. However, for the past year, my toddler always wakes through the night and needs comforting to fall back asleep. This can get very tiring for me and him, as you know interrupted sleep at night can be very exhausting on the mind and body. Also, it is very important for kids to fall asleep that they are well nourished/fed, bathed, and relaxed (Life saver tip).
• Food: it is very hard for me to remember all the nutrients they need for eating healthy. I have a handy magnetic notepad on my fridge where I write all of the fruits and veggies, dairy, proteins, and grain products they need (according to their age). This helps me prepare our meal according to everyone's daily food intake. For example, a 3 & 4 year old needs 2 servings of dairy daily so I make sure that if they are not drinking milk, I give them a grilled cheese sandwich or a milkshake. Usually, the kids eat what the adults eat at the dinner table (sans the spice). On special occasions like birthdays or celebrations, I will make kid-friendly food items. 
• Education/learning: this part of the day is very important for me because I value education and would like my kids to grow up to be well-educated individuals. Education during the day can be anything (i.e. following the preschool schedule or practicing our table manners). Throughout the day, we focus on math, literacy, social, science, art, life skills, manners, cooking, cleaning/organizing, and religion. With the toddler I focus on child-led play.

Overall, I have tried all these strategies with both my kids. Each child is different so keep in mind that some of these strategies may need modifications to suit your child's needs. The pressure of good Parenting can take a toll on one's health but if you find the joy in little things, you can survive. 

That smile or laugh on your child's face when they are having a good time with you is priceless.

Annie

Making Sensory Rice

I have heard so much about Sensory play and we decided to make sensory rice for our tactile/sensory play activities. I only had really good quality rice in the house so I ended up using Orzo (Italian barley; shaped like a grain of rice) for the Sensory table. Here is what we did...

Materials

• Vinegar (I have a bottle set aside for science experiments or crafts)
• An assortment of Liquid food colors
• Orzo or rice
• A Jar with a lid (use plastic if your kids are mixing)
• A tray
• Wax Paper

NOTE: This recipe uses vinegar and food color and instead of rice I used Orzo. The only problem I had with the Orzo was that it was very sticky. So after my kids had mixed the Orzo in a jar with a closed lid, I had to use my gloved hands to mix the colors well and separate the pasta on the tray. I left one set of colors to dry by themselves just to test the results and they were all stuck together. Then I had to break them up with my hands.

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The Process
We put a cup of Orzo in a jar and then added 1 tbsp of Vinegar and a few drops of food color (depends on how dark/light you want your sensory materials to be; more color=brighter result). We repeated the process for all colors, making sure to clean the jar of any residue.  We ended up using a jar with a lid, instead of the cups. My preschooler helped me with all of the mixing process.  After mixing, I used gloved hands to separate the Orzo and then I laid them out on a tray with wax paper, to dry. It dried in a few hours as it's very dry in our city but I would leave it overnight, if your area is humid.  The end result was purposeful!

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The Final Result
Some of the Orzo did break but they served the purpose of making useful sensory materials. Below is a picture of the final result and my kids playing with the Sensory Orzo!

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