Learning Activities for the Color Green

Posted on March 11, 2012 by kcarmody
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Spring is almost here and Saint Patrick’s Day is just around the corner so it’s time to pull out the green clothing. What a great time for learning activities with the color green.

Content:

Clothing
Toys
Crafts:
Shimmery Shamrock
Caterpillar
Snacks
Story Time
Related Posts


Clothing

What green clothing do you and your child have? Do you have any shirts with shamrocks or clover on them? Does your child have some bright green socks? Pull them out and put them on today.

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Toys

What kind of green toys can your child find? Do they have any green stuffed toys, like a frog or a dinosaur? Have your child dig into the bottom of their toy box for any little green toys or cars that might be hiding down there. Get out some green play dough and make some snakes and bushes. I’m not very artistic so that’s about all I can create with play dough. (Oh yes, I can make pancakes and pizza too!)

You can make your own color sorter with mini M&M containers. I made these and used them with my children and in my preschool classes. Collect several different color containers.

Sorting Buttons

Gather any loose buttons you have around the house. I was able to purchase a big tub of buttons at Wal-Mart several years ago, when they had a better craft section. You may still be able to find something like that at a craft and hobby store. Remove the label and glue a button that is the same color as the container to the lid. Let your child sort through the buttons and put them in the appropriate container. Just be sure to use this sorter with children that are old enough that they won’t be putting the buttons in their mouths.

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Craft

Shimmery Shamrocks

These shimmery shamrocks are a great craft for Saint Patrick’s Day as well as a learning activity for the color green. It is also a good activity for discussing shapes because the shamrock is made up of a rectangle and four hearts. This craft works well for children as young as 2 years old as well as for older children. For younger children, you can cut out the shapes and simply let them spread glue and sprinkle glitter. Older children will be able to cut the shapes out themselves. You could also vary this craft by letting your child color or paint the craft sheet rather than using it as a template to cut the shapes from construction paper.

Materials Needed:
Shamrock craft sheet
Green construction paper
Glue
Foam applicator
Plate for glue
Green glitter

Shamrock Supplies

1) Print off the Shamrock craft sheet

Shamrock Craft Sheet

2) Cut hearts and rectangle stem out of green construction paper.
3) Pour glue out onto a plate.
4) Use a sponge applicator to spread the glue on the heart shapes.
5) Sprinkle green glitter all over the heart shapes.
6) Glue the tips of the hearts together and let dry.
7) Glue stem to back of hearts.
8) Now you have a beautiful shimmery shamrock to decorate with.

Shimmery Shamrock Craft

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Caterpillar

Here is a green craft, just in case you are working on the color green and it’s not Saint Patrick’s Day. This would be a great springtime craft or when learning about caterpillars and butterflies. A big plus to this craft is that it is very easy. Even a very young child will be able to create this cute caterpillar.

Materials Needed:

Green pompoms – two sizes (I used a 1 inch pom for the head and four .75 inch
poms for the body)
Wiggly eyes
Green pipe cleaner
Glue
Optional: magnet or spring-type wooden clothespin

Materials needed for Green Caterpillar

1) Glue the small pompoms together.

Gluing together Green Caterpillar

2) Cut the pipe cleaner in half then bend it into a U shape. Put glue on both sides of the bottom of the U.
3) Add glue to the larger pompom and press the head onto the caterpillar’s body securing the antennas between the head and the body. Let the caterpillar set for at least an hour to let the glue dry.
4) Then add wiggly eyes and there you have it, an adorable caterpillar.

Completed Green Caterpillar

Here I added the caterpillar to the Daffodil craft from Learning Activities for the Color Yellow:

Green Caterpillar used with yellow craft activity.

Here I added a spring-loaded clothes pin and a magnet to make a memo holder for the refrigerator:

Green Caterpillar as a memo holder.

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Green Foods for snack or meal time

Green apples, kiwi, broccoli, green grapes, lettuce, guacamole, green beans, celery, peas, green peppers

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Story Time

“Good Luck! A St. Patrick’s Day Story” by Joan Holub
Reading Level: Ages 2 to 7
This is an adorable little book for a young child or an early reader. There are a lot of rhyming words which are fun to listen to and easier for beginning readers: bike – Mike, hat – Matt, ant – Grant It’s a story of a town of ants that are trying to catch the green ant for good luck. A fun adventure and a special prize at the end of the rainbow.

“The Big Green Pocketbook” by Candice Ransom
Reading Level: Ages 4 to 8
A wonderful story about a little girl, her big green pocketbook and a good deed. A little girl takes her empty pocketbook with her on a trip to town with her mother. She collects all kinds of interesting things along the way. She puts her treasures in her big green pocketbook but what happens when she forgets and leaves it on the bus. Read this adorable book and find out.

“The Yippy Yappy Yorkie In the Green Doggy Sweater” by Debbie Macomber &
Mary Lou Carney
Reading Level: Ages 4 and up
The story of a young girl, named Ellen, and her Yorkie puppy. Her family has to move to a new town. Ellen doesn’t think she is going to like this move but her mother assures her that it will be fine. Follow Ellen as she and her mother walk through their new town in search of her yippy yappy yorkie that escaped through a hole in the fence. She finds that the new town isn’t as different from her home town as she thought. She also makes a new friend in the process.

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Related Posts

The Lessons – Overview
Colors – Overview
Learning Activities for the Color Red
Learning Activities for the Color Blue
Learning Activities for the Color Yellow
A is for Apple: You Can Learn More Than Your ABC’s from Apples
Pumpkins are Orange; and Other Learning Concepts

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Learning Activities for the Color Yellow

Posted on March 10, 2012 by kcarmody
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Following are some fun learning activities for the color yellow. Find your yellow shirt, put on a big smile and have fun helping your child learn about the color yellow.


Content:

Clothing
Toys
Craft
Finger Play
Snacks
Story Time
Related Posts

Clothing

So by now you know where I’m going, right? Help your child find their yellow pieces of clothing and let them help you find your yellow clothing. Get dressed up and ready for Yellow Day.

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Toys

Your child is probably getting the idea of what to do on a special color day. Have them help you go through their toys and find the yellow ones to play with. What can you find?…a yellow truck, Big Bird from Sesame Street, a yellow ball?

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Craft Time

Yellow Daffodil

Materials Needed:

Daffodil Craft Page – click on thumbnail to access the printable craft page
Yellow crayons, markers or paint*
Green crayons, markers or paint
Yellow mini muffin liner
Glue or glue stick
       * You can make your own watercolors by mixing a a couple of drops of food coloring with a little water.             (This is what I did for my sample.)

This is a fairly simple craft activity but it is so cute. It is a great project for the spring or to give as a homemade Mother’s Day gift.

Pin It

Just print the picture, color or paint it and then glue the mini muffin cup to the center of the flower. Presto Chango! You have a beautiful spring flower.

Daffodil Craft

Pin It

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Finger Play

Five Little Daffodils

One little daffodil had nothing much to do,
(hold up on finger)
Out popped another one, then there were two.
(hold up two fingers)
Two little daffodils were smiling at a bee,
(point to mouth and smile)
Out popped another one, then there were three.
(hold up three fingers)
Three little daffodils were growing by the door,
(slowly raise arms up above head like growing toward the sun)
Out popped another one, then there were four.
(hold up four fingers)
Four little daffodils were glad to be alive,
(clap hands and smile)
Out popped another one, then there were five.
(hold up five fingers)
Five little daffodils were wearing golden crowns,
(act like putting crown on head)
They danced in the breeze in green satin gowns.
(sway and dance around)

                                                                              – Author Unknown

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Yellow Foods for snack or meal time

Bananas, yellow pears, cornbread, yellow peppers, yellow tomatoes, corn,
lemons, lemonade, the yolk out of a hard boiled egg

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Story Time

In My New Yellow Shirt by Eileen Spinelli
Reading Level: Ages 2 and up
What seems like a plain yellow shirt leads to a lot of fun use of a little boy’s imagination. He becomes a duck, a taxi, a lazy caterpillar and several other things. This book inspired the two crafts that I listed in this lesson. Have fun enjoying the book together and then take time to make a craft.

The Yellow Tutu by Kirsten Bramsen
Reading Level: Ages 3 and up
Here is another adorable child with a big imagination. Margo decides to wear her new yellow tutu in a different way. It makes her so happy as she pretends to be many things…that is, she is happy until she reaches school where she isn’t treated very well by the other children. But her friend, Pearl, comes to the rescue; as friends often do.

The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger
Reading Level: Ages 3 and up
This makes a great story to read, in the fall, as the leaves start falling down. The one little yellow leaf isn’t ready to let go of the tree even though it’s the only leaf left around…or is it?

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Related Posts

The Lessons – Overview
Colors – Overview
Learning Activities for the Color Red
Learning Activities for the Color Blue
A is for Apple: You Can Learn More Than Your ABC’s from Apples
Pumpkins are Orange; and Other Learning Concepts

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March Family Friendly Events

Posted on March 2, 2012 by kcarmody
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Here are the last few March family friendly events. Be sure to check back in and see what interesting activities are going on in and near Indianapolis during April.

March 30
Friday

Dora the Explorer, Live! Dora’s Pirate Adventure
Beef and Boards
Does your child love Dora the Explorer? Well, head to Beef and Boards for a special children’s show. It’s only an hour long with juice and a snack included. A fun way to introduce your child to the theater.
Beef and Boards
9301 N Michigan Rd
Indianapolis, IN 46268
Tickets: $14
10:00 a.m.

March 31
Saturday

Opening Weekend at Conner Prairie Interactive History Park
It’s that time of year! Spring is here and the outdoor adventures at Conner Prairie begin. Be sure to stop in this weekend to join in on the fun. Some adventures to look forward to on your visit are The Amazing Race Through Time (the first 50 people to finish Saturday and Sunday will win a treat) and the new Barker Brothers’ Pottery Shop.
I’ve heard some people voice a concern that their children were too young for Conner Prairie. Be sure to check out my review of Conner Prairie with a 2 year old (and that was during the winter months when very few activities were going on outside). Now think about how much your young child loves animals. Well then, pack them in the “wagon” and head over to enjoy Animal Encounters. Hopefully the weather will be nice enough that you can take a trip into the sky on the 1859 Balloon Voyage. Just be sure to get out and have some fun together!
13400 Allisonville Road
Fishers, IN 46038
$14 adults/$9 youth
Free for members and youth under 2
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Dora the Explorer, Live! Dora’s Pirate Adventure
Beef and Boards
Does your child love Dora the Explorer? Well, head to Beef and Boards for a special children’s show. It’s only an hour long with juice and a snack included. A fun way to introduce your child to the theater.
Beef and Boards
9301 N Michigan Rd
Indianapolis, IN 46268
Tickets: $14
10:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m.

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Learning Should Be Fun

Posted on October 7, 2011 by kcarmody
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“A joyful heart is good medicine…”  -Proverbs 17:22

I love exposing children to new learning opportunities. I believe that learning should be fun and hands-on.

Children’s learning activities should be enjoyable and interesting. Repetition of a concept will help secure it in the mind of the learner. I do not suggest repetition as in using flash cards over and over in some sort of old school torture. I mean using the same concepts in several different learning environments.

I want to share, through this blog, many fun learning opportunities that you can experience with the children in your life. I am planning on sharing detailed ideas as well as general concepts that you can mix and match in different learning situations.

At first most of my concepts will be for younger children.  Although, I did teach 4th, 5th and 6th graders for a couple of summers, most of my expertise comes with young children.

I have so many ideas of things that I want to cover in this blog that I am having a hard time putting it into words. Along with the different learning concepts, I want to research and post different attractions with family friendly activities that are going on in our community.  At first these activities will be centered around Indianapolis because that is where I currently reside but my dream is to expand the resources well past Indiana.  Although I will be posting specific activities that are going on in the Indianapolis area, I will also suggest general activities that make good learning opportunities that you can look for in your area.

My real vision for this blog is that it can help families have fun learning together but there will be information that will be interesting to teachers too. I am so excited about having this opportunity to share with you.

Most Sincerely,

Mama Carmody

Related Posts:

When Do Children Start Learning
December Family Friendly Events

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When Do Children Start Learning

Posted on October 11, 2011 by kcarmody
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Before I start sharing some of my learning activities, I thought it might be a good idea to cover the topic of “when do children start learning”.

In my opinion, coupled with the experience I had with my children, I believe that learning starts even before a child is born. But since you probably won’t put a lot of stock in what I believe, I searched the Internet and found some studies that have come to the same conclusions that I have about children and when they start learning.

I’m not going to spend a lot of time going over all of the research I have found. I do think it is important to share a couple of links with you so that you can see what studies have found. Once we understand when learning begins it will help us understand when we can start the educational process with our children.

Research

In an analysis done by Stephen M. Maret, Ph.D., he states that prenatal bonding done through increased verbal communication from the mother to the fetus, results in earlier talking, independence and better concentration post-natally.

Another good article that refers to several studies done with fetuses is “A Peek into Fetal Memory: Learning in Utero” by Mark Earley.

Now that we see that science says children start learning when they are still in the womb, it helps us understand that it is never too soon to start exposing them to learning activities.

The earlier we start exposing children to different learning activities, the less pressure and the more fun we can have with them. If you start reading to an infant and talking about colors or numbers (or whatever concept you are working on) you can simply have fun with it and don’t need to put pressure on them because they are too young to expect them to master the concept.

But My Child Is Older

Don’t worry, if your child isn’t an infant. Children are like sponges. Take advantage of their natural curiosities and turn them into fun learning experiences. Not sure how to do that? I’m here to help you with that.

Experiences With My Children

As I said earlier, I believed that children started learning in the womb so I started a certain “learning” activity even before they were born.  I wanted my children to be able to recognize their father’s voice. Since he worked all day and he wasn’t the one carrying the child around inside him, I wanted some way for him to connect with his unborn child. I had him read a children’s storybook onto a tape recorder. Then when I would sit down or lie down to rest, I would put a headset against my stomach and run the tape.  We had a very interesting experience at the birth of our oldest daughter that made me believe that this technique had helped.  She had just been born and the nurses had taken her aside to clean her up and get her vitals.  She was upset and screaming at the top of her lungs. My husband couldn’t get to her to touch her because the nurses were working on her but he walked near her and simply said, in a sweet, new daddy voice, “What’s wrong honey?”  At the sound of his voice she immediately quit screaming. I was surprised and pleased.

I took little board books with me to the hospital and started reading to my children right away. If I remember correctly the books were about colors and shapes. I always wanted to stay ahead of what they SHOULD know so I could keep it light and fun. I wanted my children to feel successful once they got into school. I didn’t want them to feel pressured or like they were always struggling to keep up.

At the same time, I wanted them to enjoy their childhood and not feel like they were in school even when they were at home. I wanted to make learning fun for my children and I want to help you do the same for yours.

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Review: Conner Prairie on President’s Day (with a 2 yr old)

Posted on February 20, 2012 by kcarmody
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It has been years since I have made a trip to Conner Prairie. I have always loved that place but since our finances have been tight over the last few years I just haven’t been able to go.

Today was President’s Day and Conner Prairie was offering free admission. I had two objectives in going today; first of all, I wondered how crowded and crazy it would be on a free admission day and secondly to see what kind of activities they had for the very young child.

So on the first objective:

How Crazy Was It On A Free Admission Day

There were definitely a lot of people taking advantage of the free admission but we didn’t really have any trouble getting around. The Science Lab was way too crowded for us to get into and, from what I have seen on Conner Prairie’s website, I thought it might be a little advanced for a two year old so we didn’t attempt getting in there. We were able to get into the Discovery Station. It was a little crowded in there so we didn’t let the two year old out of the stroller. There were so many interesting things for him to do though. We decided we would have to go back on a regular day when it might not be as crowded so he could get down and run around. One of the things in the Discovery Station was a General Store that children could play inside.

Conner Prairie: General Store

There were several tables set up with toys on them such as a barn and legos. All the tables were full so we moved on to another room…but we will be back.

Several activities were going on out in the hallway. There were craft tables with children making Abraham Lincoln masks and hats. There was a work table with several kinds of tools on it but we didn’t make it around to there. It was pretty well surrounded by children. There was a great dress up area with clothes for all ages. I saw kids and moms dressing up and everyone was having fun.

Conner Prairie: Dress-up

We were told that there were more activities going on upstairs so we climbed the stairs (unaware that there was an elevator) and found it wasn’t as crowded upstairs. There was a room with all kinds of old time toys and games set up. Since it wasn’t as crowded up there we let the two year old out of the stroller to run around. I will give more details on the things going on upstairs in a little bit when I cover what kind of activities were available for really young children.

After playing upstairs for a while we decided to go outside to see what was happening out there. First we headed to the Featherston Barn to join the birthday party for George Washington. We received a hot chocolate and enjoyed some fiddle playing and dancing.

Conner Prairie: Fiddler

 

Conner Prairie: Barn Dancing

All ages were having fun dancing.

After George Washington’s Birthday party we headed over to the Lenape Indian Camp. I believe this was one of the 2 year old’s favorite areas….more details coming up.

So in conclusion to this segment, some areas were a little crowded but not so crowded that I wouldn’t go back on another one of their free admission days. Everywhere we went was well staffed and everyone was very cheerful and helpful.

Now the second objective:

Activities for the Very Young

As stated above, the Discovery Station had several things that a young child would enjoy but the room was really full today. We definitely want to go back on a day that will be less crowded so the two year old can run around and play with all of the interesting things in that area.

All ages were enjoying the craft table that was in the hallway. Although the very young ones weren’t making the Abraham Lincoln craft they were enjoying coloring and drawing. There was an adorable little girl having fun at the dress-up area.

Conner Prairie: Little girl in dress-up area

As I stated earlier, it was less crowded upstairs so we let the 2 year old out of the stroller to play. He enjoyed playing bean bag toss…

Conner Prairie: Bean Bag Toss

…or should I say, 2 year old stuff the bean bag.

Conner Prairie: 2 yr old version of Bean Bag Toss

That kept him occupied for several minutes. We then went over to a table that had slate boards (chalkboards) and soapstones. Soapstones were what they used to write on the slate boards. We decided we liked the soapstones so much better than the modern chalk that children use today. The soapstones don’t leave that big chalky mess. The 2 year old really enjoyed drawing and we liked the fact that he didn’t have white chalk dust all over himself once he finished.

I believe the 2 year old had the most fun outside. He was able to walk through the basket on the bottom of the large balloon. It wasn’t going up during the time we were there but he didn’t seem to mind. He ran around the basket several times. There was a cute little imitation balloon that he, his brother and mother had their picture taken it. It was a little dark but really cute.

Conner Prairie: Pretend Balloon Ride

After the balloon we headed out to the Featherston Barn for the birthday party. The 2 year old loved the music and the dancing. The pictures are a little blurry because he kept dancing around in circles.

Conner Prairie: Dancing to the Fiddler

Conner Prairie: Dancing in Barn

Conner Prairie: Dancing in Barn (2)

After he was done dancing we headed out to the Lenape Camp. On the way we got to stop and look at a goat. The two year old wanted to kiss the goat but thank goodness the slats in the fence were too small.

Conner Prairie: Goat

There were several cabins at the Lenape Camp. A couple of them were open but they were totally full of people. We were able to step into the doorway of one but we didn’t stay long. One of the cabins was closed up so we had a little fun with the two year old. His mom encouraged him to walk up the steps so she could get a cute picture of him.

Conner Prairie: Cabin

She then encouraged him to knock on the door and say, “Is anybody home?”

Conner Prairie: Is anybody home?

No one was home….

Conner Prairie: Nobody's Home

…or so we thought…

Ooops...Someone was Home

…I guess we were wrong…somebody came out…

Conner Prairie: He Left

…but then he left. We were able to go watch him shoot his rifle after that.

I believe the two year old had the most fun in the Lenape Indian Hut. He spent a lot of time running in and out of there and climbing on the benches.

Conner Prairie: Lenape Indian Hut

Conner Prairie: Lenape Indian Hut (2)

Conner Prairie: Lenape Indian Hut (3)

We had a hard time getting him out of there. Every time we would ask him if he was ready to go he would turn around and run back inside.

I would have to conclude that there are plenty of fun things for very young children to enjoy. A two year old may be a little young to explain the history of what Conner Prairie is about but the idea of it being a simpler time; a time with no television, no video games, a time when children had to use their imagination and make games out of every day items, is right up a two year old’s alley.

Conner Prairie: Just Having Fun

When all was said and done, we had a wonderful day! Lots of laughs and fun getting to run around in the sunshine on a not-so-horribly cold February day in Indiana.

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Learning Activities for the Color Blue

Posted on January 23, 2012 by kcarmody
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Let’s laugh and learn about the color blue today. There are so many wonderful blue things around us; the sky, blueberries, your comfy pair of blue sweatpants or blue jeans. Here are some fun learning activities for the color blue.

Content:

Clothing
Toys
Craft
Snacks
Story Time
Related Posts

Clothing

Dress you child in something blue; a blue shirt (I have a Thomas the Tank Engine Shirt…remember, I taught preschool), a pair of blue jeans etc. Be sure to join your child and wear something blue too.

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Toys

Go through your child’s toys and pick out the blue ones to play with; Thomas the Train, Cookie Monster from Sesame Street, blue legos or duplos, blue wooden blocks etc. Use these toys for playtime today.

I used sensory bags in my classroom, which the children enjoyed a lot. Take gallon sized ziplock bags and fill each one with something different. Put blue jello or jelly in one bag. There used to be a version of oatmeal that turned blue when you mixed it up; I would use that in one of the bags. If the blue oatmeal isn’t available you could add blue food coloring to regular oatmeal.

Sensory Bags

I would run a bead of glue along the “zipper” and let it dry before I let the children play with the bags to help discourage them from opening the bags and making a mess. They can then squish the bags in their hands or lay them on the table and use a finger to “write” and draw; kind of like finger painting without the mess.

B is for blue and bowl

Pin It

Another addition to the sensory experience would be to let them play with the oatmeal bags while the oatmeal was still warm. Discuss the differences between the feel of the bag with the oatmeal and the bag with the Jello.

Blue Oatmeal Sensory Bag

Put the bags in the refrigerator when you are done so you can bring them out and play with them again another day. They should last a week or more before you need to toss them. Please share any other ideas, that you might have, of things to put in your sensory bags.

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Craft

Blueberry Pie

(At the time of this post, I am having trouble getting a print button to work with the coloring page I created to go with this craft. I am seeking help from others that know more than I do. Hopefully, I will get this fixed very soon.)

Supplies Needed:
Piece of Pie Coloring Page
Blue paint
Pencil with eraser or Q-tip
Small paper plate

Pin It

1) Print Piece of Pie Coloring Page (with the current print button I have, you are able to delete most of the text on the page)
2) Put a small amount of blue paint on the paper plate.
3) Use the Q-tip like a stamp. Dip it in the paint and make “blueberry” dots on your piece of pie.

Pin It

I used one of those really large pencils with a big eraser for the above piece of pie. I found the pencil at a Dollar Tree Store. You could also use a regular sized pencil.

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Blue Foods for snack or meal time

Blueberries, blue Jello, blue tortilla chips

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Story Time

Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
Reading Level: Ages 5 and up
This is a cute story that I always read to my preschool classes when we were learning the color blue. The story is about a little girl and a little bear cub that follow their mothers to the blueberry patch. Read this adorable book with your child to find out about the funny mix-up that happens at the patch.

Blue’s Clues books by several different authors
I love Blue’s Clues because it gives your child opportunities to think and reason. There are several wonderful titles to choose from.

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss
Reading Level: Ages 4 and up
I love Dr. Seuss rhyming books. This book works for the colors blue and red as well as numbers.

Blue Hat, Green Hat by Sandra Boynton
Reading Level: Birth to 4 yrs old
This is a simple little book but so much fun. It covers several colors and has a very silly turkey that will make your child giggle. You can also encourage observation skills as you discuss with your child the problems that the turkey is having.

Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle
Reading Level: 3 yrs old and up
Ok, I am a sucker for a rhyming book but this one is doubly cute because not only does it rhyme but you get to make a lot of fun sounds while reading it to your child. You will also find out how it pays to be nice to your friends. You may need their help some day.

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Related Posts:

The Lessons – Overview
Colors – Overview
Learning Activities for the Color Red
A is for Apple: You Can Learn More Than Your ABC’s from Apples
Pumpkins are Orange; and Other Learning Concepts

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February Family Friendly Events

Posted on February 1, 2012 by kcarmody
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Well, it’s February and there are a lot of great Family Friendly Events to look forward to this month. We have another holiday – President’s Day. There will be quite a few free activities to enjoy with your children that day. Remember to check back often because I am always adding new activities. Please be sure to check out my facebook page, Love to Laugh and Learn, and leave pictures and comments of the activities you enjoyed with your children.

 

February 20
Monday

Free Day at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
The Children’s Museum always has such exciting things going on there. Although it is usually kind of crowded on their free days, if you have a hard time coming up with their regular admission price today would be the day to check them out.
3000 N. Meridian St.
Indianapolis, IN 46208-4716
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Free Admission to Conner Prairie Interactive History Park
In honor of President’s Day there will be special activities both indoors and out and for free! I want to visit Dr. and Mrs. Campbell, at the Featherston Barn, for hot chocolate, music and dancing. Stop in and enjoy.
13400 Allisonville Road
Fishers, IN 46038
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

February 22
Wednesday

Magic School House Live!
The Climate Challenge
Hop on the Magic School Bus with Ms. Frizzle and Liz as they travel from the Arctic to the Equator in search of signs of climate change. They will also show how recycling, conservation, and alternative energy can make a difference.
Clowes Memorial Hall of Butler University
4602 Sunset Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46208
Adults $13
Children $8
10:00 a.m.

February 24
Friday

Dora the Explorer, Live! Dora’s Pirate Adventure
Beef and Boards
Does your child love Dora the Explorer? Well, head to Beef and Boards for a special children’s show. It’s only an hour long with juice and a snack included. A fun way to introduce your child to the theater.
Beef and Boards
9301 N Michigan Rd
Indianapolis, IN 46268
Tickets: $14
10:00 a.m.

February 25
Saturday

Lowe’s Free Craft Clinic for Kids
Rumblin’ Race Car
Did you know that Lowe’s has free clinics for kids? Take your kids to Lowe’s Saturday and they can build a race car. Sounds like fun to me. Hop in the car and race over to Lowe’s for some fun. (but don’t break the speed limit, you could get a ticket) Click on the link above to sign up.

Dora the Explorer, Live! Dora’s Pirate Adventure
Beef and Boards
Does your child love Dora the Explorer? Well, head to Beef and Boards for a special children’s show. It’s only an hour long with juice and a snack included. A fun way to introduce your child to the theater.
Beef and Boards
9301 N Michigan Rd
Indianapolis, IN 46268
Tickets: $14
10:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m.

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The Lessons – Overview

Posted on November 4, 2011 by kcarmody
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As I stated in my very first post, some of the first learning concepts I will be sharing will be geared more to younger children. I have taught 3 & 4 year old classes and pre-kindergarten classes so these initial concepts come from the lesson plans that I used at that time.

My Child Is Younger Than 3 yrs old

Even if your child isn’t within the above mentioned age ranges, be sure to read through the lesson because there may be parts of it that you can use. If your child is younger (birth – 2 yrs old); you can just read them the books that are being used in that lesson. It is never too early to start reading to your child.

Depending on the child, they may be ready to do the craft, even if they are under 3 years old.

My Child Is In Grade School

Still read through the lesson. Maybe your child likes arts and crafts and would enjoy the craft associated with a particular lesson. Possibly reading through the lesson gives you an idea of another activity you could do with your child to reinforce the concept.

Please Share

If you have any ideas that you would like to share, please do. You can use the comments at the bottom of the blog or share an idea on the Love to Laugh and Learn Facebook page. I look forward to hearing from you and chatting with you.

Related Posts

Colors – Overview
A is for Apple: You Can Learn More Than Your ABC’s from Apple
Pumpkins are Orange; and Other Learning Concepts
Learning Activities for the Color Red

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Colors – Overview

Posted on November 6, 2011 by kcarmody
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Learning colors is a concept that can start at birth. Just by talking with your child you are teaching them. As you get them dressed you say things like, “Let’s get this red shirt over your head.”

A lot of the teaching of concepts to young children does not have to be in a formal setting. That is one of the things I love so much about teaching preschool. The learning comes through playing and it should be the same way in your home. Don’t stress about teaching formal lessons, just have fun playing and talking with your child. You will find out that they are learning through your playtime together.

A suggestion for a fun time with your child would be to have a special color day. Use part of the day or the whole day and dedicate it to one of the colors. I start with the primary colors. Although I didn’t teach the term “primary colors” until they were in pre-kindergarten, I like to start with the basics so I begin with red, blue and yellow. By the way, always be watching for signals that your child is ready for the next learning concept. For instance your child may ask, “How do you get the color green.” That is your clue that you can introduce the learning concepts of primary and secondary colors.

In the subsequent posts I will give different ideas of activities you can do for each of the colors. Use all of them in one day or use the different activities over several days. Just enjoy the time with your child and the learning will follow.

Related Posts:

The Lessons – Overview
A is for Apple: You Can Learn More Than Your ABC’s from Apple
Pumpkins are Orange; and Other Learning Concepts
Learning Activities for the Color Red

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