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Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Activities

January 20, 2013 by Mama Carmody 22 Comments

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Activities





Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is celebrated on the third Monday in January so it falls on or near his birthday, which is January the 15th. The foundation of almost all of my learning activities is books. The book I would like to start with, to aid in learning about Martin Luther King, Jr. is called, “Martin Luther King, JR. Day (Holidays, Festivals, & Celebrations)“ by Trudi Strain Trueit.  The suggested reading level for this book is 5 years old and up so this activity may work for a little bit older child than some of my previous posts.

Because of the way the book is divided, you could either read through the whole thing at once or read one or two sections at a time. The book really isn’t very long so I would probably read through the whole thing first and then go back and reread or simply discuss some of the parts while introducing some of the following activities.

After reading through the book, go back to page 4. It mentions that M.L.’s mother said that some people didn’t realize that beneath the skin everyone was the same. To emphasize this point conduct this simple lesson that I found on Pinterest. The activity came from The First Grade Parade blog.

Here is how Mrs. Carroll suggests doing this activity:

1. Show your child a white egg and a brown egg.

Martin Luther King, Jr. , brown egg and white egg
Martin Luther King, Jr. , brown egg and white egg

2. Have them discuss how the eggs are the same and how they are different.
3. Remove the eggs from the child’s sight and break them open on a plate. Leave the egg shells out of sight.

Martin Luther King, Jr. - egg activity
Martin Luther King, Jr. – egg activity

4. Ask the child if they can tell which egg came out of the white shell and which came out of the brown shell.
5. Conclusion: We may look different on the outside but we are all the same on the inside.

On page 12 of the book, “Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Holidays, Festivals & Celebrations)” by Trudi Strain Trueit, It talks about the famous, “I Have a Dream”, speech. The wonderful thing about the times we live in is that we have easy access to history. Your child can actually see Martin Luther King, Jr. giving his speech. Here is a YouTube clip you can share with your child. It doesn’t take very long and he gives the speech with such passion that it holds your attention.

YouTube Video of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speech:

“I Have a Dream” August 28, 1963

Craft

I found a cute craft on Pinterest that I would like to share with you. It came from the Teach Preschool blog. It goes along with the “I Have a Dream” speech. Another book I would suggest in preparation for this craft is, “Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Ready to Read, Level 1)” by Margaret McNamara. Although, the book doesn’t go into a lot of detail about Martin Luther King, Jr. it does discuss the “I Have a Dream” concept quite a bit. I like using this in preparation for the craft because it gives the child some ideas of the kinds of dreams that Martin Luther King, Jr. might have had; such as dreaming that no one would be poor or that everyone would play together nicely. Giving the children some direction through reading this book may result in more answers that dream about the welfare of others instead of dreams of getting more candy or going to Disney World.

“I Have a Dream” Cloud Craft
from Teach Preschool

Martin Luther King, Jr. "I Have a Dream" craft materials
Martin Luther King, Jr. “I Have a Dream” craft materials

Materials Needed:

White construction paper or poster-board
cotton balls
glue
pen or marker

 

 

Directions:

1. From the white construction paper or poster-board, cut out some cloud shapes.

Martin Luther King, Jr. "I Have a Dream" craft
Martin Luther King, Jr. “I Have a Dream” craft

2. If your child is too young to write then record what their dream would be on the cloud.
3. Put glue around the edge of the cloud and take cotton balls and pull them apart to stretch them and lay them in the glue.

Martin Luther King, Jr Day: "I Have a Dream" craft
Martin Luther King, Jr. “I Have a Dream” craft

4. Now you can hang your child’s dreams around the house and remember what Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamed for this country.

Story Time

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Holiday House Reader) by David A. Adler
Reading Level: Ages 6 and up
Learn about Martin Luther King, Jr. and his dreams. His dreams that all people would be treated the same. Find out how he tried to change laws with peaceful actions. One of my favorite quotes from the books is, “He taught his followers to fight hate with love.” We would all be better off if we could remember that.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day (On My Own Holidays) by Linda Lowery
Reading Level: Ages 7 and up
This is a very interesting and informative book about the struggles that Martin Luther King, Jr. faced during his lifetime. You will read about his hurt and disappointment when he is no longer allowed to play with his best friend; a little white boy. You will read how much Martin Luther King, Jr. loved to learn and was an excellent student. But most importantly, you will get to find out how much he wanted peace and for people to be treated equally, no matter the color of their skin.

Martin Luther King, JR. Day (Holidays, Festivals, & Celebrations) by Trudi Strain Trueit
Reading Level: Ages 5 and up
I love this book. There is a lot of historical information for a picture book. It is well written and not overwhelming. The book is broken down into eight chapters. Six of the chapters cover the story of Martin Luther King, Jr.. The chapters are very short and great for a young listener or reader. The longest chapter is two pages long and consists of nine sentences. The book explains what it was like for Martin Luther King, Jr. when he was a young boy growing up in the south. You will read about the way his family influenced his life. They encouraged him to be proud but peaceful. I plan on using this book as the basis for a lesson for pre-kindergarten and older. I highly recommend it.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Ready-to-Read. Level 1) by Margaret McNamara
Reading Level: Ages 4 and up
I enjoyed this book. It is a fun read but it doesn’t really talk a lot about the great things that Martin Luther King, Jr. accomplished. It mostly talks about him having a dream. It does say that he dreamed the world would be a better place but that is about all the information you get. I have seen a cute activity where kids write down their dreams, for the world, on little clouds. I would use this book to set up that activity but if I was really wanting my children to learn something about Martin Luther King, Jr., I would choose a different book.

Martin Luther King, Jr. and the March on Washington (Penguin Young Readers, L3) by Frances E. Ruffin
Reading Level: Ages 5 and up
This book is specifically about the march on Washington, D.C.. It tells about the events that led up to this peaceful protest. Pick up this book and find out what kind of changes were made in our country because of the march on Washington and why these changes were needed.

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Filed Under: Holidays, Learning Activities Tagged With: fun learning, laugh, learning, learning fun, lessons, love to laugh, love to laugh and learn, love to learn, making learning fun, Martin Luther King, Martin Luther King Jr

Zombie Zapper Brain Boost Smoothie

October 15, 2023 by Mama Carmody Leave a Comment

Zombie Zapper Brain Boost Smoothie

Zombie Zapper Brain Boost Smoothie: A Grandkids’ Creation for Zombie-Proof Brains!

Hey there, fellow smoothie enthusiasts! Today, I have a special treat for you – a delicious concoction that not only tantalizes your taste buds but also promises to fortify your brain against a zombie invasion. Yes, you read that right! Introducing the “Zombie Zapper Brain Boost Smoothie” – a wholesome creation dreamed up by my grandkids and me.

With its vibrant colors and a taste that screams “healthy indulgence,” the Zombie Zapper Brain Boost Smoothie is the perfect way to start your day. Whether you’re a kid or just a kid at heart, this brain-boosting blend will tickle your taste buds and get your mental gears turning.

Our Inspiration

Whipping up this Zombie Zapper Brain Boost Smoothie was an adventure inspired by my grandkids’ homeschool curriculum. Thanks to “Nutrition 101: Choose Life!“* (paid link), a book that taught them the best foods for extra brainpower, we’ve concocted a smoothie that not only nourishes your noggin but also fortifies it against any zombie invasion. Remember, a strong brain is your best defense against the undead – sip up and stay sharp, my friends!

Let’s dive into the secret recipe that will make you zombie-proof!

Click the photo to get a pdf of the Zombie Zapper Brain Boost Smoothie recipe.
Click the photo to get your
pdf copy of the recipe.

Ingredients:

The Green Defender – Spinach (1 cup)

Our first line of defense comes from this leafy green powerhouse. Spinach is packed with essential nutrients, like iron, vitamin K, and folate, which will help you stay sharp and focused.

 Powerful Pineapple – Fresh or Frozen (1 cup)

These sweet chunks are like little bursts of sunshine in your smoothie. They’re your trusty pineapple grenades, exploding with tropical flavor to keep those zombies at bay.

Raw Locally Sourced Energy Boosting Honey (2 tablespoons)

The natural sugars in honey provide a quick energy boost to aid in the defeat of zombies.

Bone Strengthening Vanilla Greek Yogurt (½ cup)

Greek yogurt contains calcium, which is essential for maintaining strong bones and is essential for proper nerve cell communication. This is particularly important when battling zombies.

The Zesty Zing – One Whole Juice Orange

With a citrusy punch, the orange adds a burst of vitamin C to our smoothie. It’s like a shield against the zombie’s toxins! Don’t worry if you get a seed or two, they are nutritious too.

 Lively Lime Juice (1 tablespoon)

The lime juice is your trusty sidekick, adding extra Vitamin C and a dash of zesty zing that’s like a swift kick to the undead taste buds. It’s the secret weapon to keep your smoothie sharp and zesty, just like your survival skills.

Avenging Avocado (¼ of small, soft one)

It’s a must to add this sheath building ingredient to strengthen the protective layer around the nerves in your brain. The avocado provides the smoothie with its creamy texture. It’s the green guardian of your blend, ensuring your smoothie is thick and satisfying, just like your triumph over the zombie menace.

A sprinkle of Zombie-Freezing Ice Cubes (for that chilling effect)

Instructions:

1. Load all the ingredients into a blender.

2. Blend until smooth and creamy, like a super-secret concoction for brainpower.

3. Pour your Zombie Zapper Smoothie into your favorite glass.

4. Sip, savor, and let the brain-boosting magic begin!

Have Fun

This smoothie is not just about its nutrients; it’s about the experience of creating something special with your grandkids. Together, we dreamt up this fantastic concoction, and every sip brings a smile to our faces, knowing we’ve crafted a delicious weapon against the zombie apocalypse.

So, why not give the Zombie Zapper Brain Boost Smoothie a try? Make it a fun family project, sip together, and maybe even create a game of zombie tag in the backyard. Who says staying healthy can’t be an adventure?

Remember, it’s not just about sipping a smoothie; it’s about sharing a bond with your loved ones and preparing for the unexpected, one delicious gulp at a time. Stay safe, stay healthy, and may your brains be forever zombie-proof with the Zombie Zapper Brain Boost Smoothie! 

Zombie Zapper Brain Boost Smoothie, Final Taste Test

*Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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How to Eat a Pumpkin: A Lesson From a 3 Year Old

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Filed Under: Autumn/Fall, Halloween, Holidays, Uncategorized Tagged With: brain boost, brain boost smoothie, brain health, brain nutrition, educational activities, family friendly, family friendly activities, fun learning, Halloween, halloween smoothie, learning fun, love to laugh and learn, Mama Carmody, nutrition, smoothie, zombie

How to Eat a Pumpkin, Part 2

November 5, 2014 by Mama Carmody 17 Comments

How to Eat a Pumpkin, Part 2





In my first post, How to Eat a Pumpkin: A Lesson From a 3 Year Old, you got to hear how my great-nephew was obsessed about eating a pumpkin. I mentioned how we conducted a little taste experiment. You can read more about that in the previous post. Now that Jeremiah had been given his chance to eat some pumpkin, I wanted him to find out how we could also cook with it.

How to Eat a Pumpkin: roasting pumpkin
How to Eat a Pumpkin: roasting pumpkin

Pumpkin Puree

As I mentioned in the previous post, since Jeremiah was so interested in eating his pumpkin I didn’t want to buy canned pumpkin for our recipes. I wanted him to experience actually eating it, so we started out with instructions on making pumpkin puree from The Pioneer Woman. I cut the pumpkin in half and then we cleaned out the seeds and “guts”. Jeremiah helped me cut the pumpkin into pieces using an inferior child’s safety knife I purchased at Dollar Tree. It was safer than giving him a real knife but I’m going to have to look for something better for future use. We placed the pieces on a cookie sheet and I put it in the oven to roast.

After the pumpkin had completely cooled, Jeremiah and I broke it into smaller pieces and placed them in the food processor. I let him run the food processor while I got pictures. He wasn’t particularly impressed with the noise but he did like watching the process.

How to Eat a Pumpkin: puree the pumpkin
How to Eat a Pumpkin: puree the pumpkin

Once we had our puree we could start preparing our recipes.

How to Eat a Pumpkin: pumpkin puree
How to Eat a Pumpkin: pumpkin puree

Pumpkin Dip

The first recipe we tackled was Pumpkin Dip, found on Health.com. I did most of the measuring on this recipe. Jeremiah helped measure the maple syrup by holding the teaspoon while I poured. He helped me count 2 teaspoons. I gave him the opportunity to do the mixing with the electric mixer. He did a great job.

How to Eat a Pumpkin: Using a Mixer
How to Eat a Pumpkin: Using a Mixer
How to Eat a Pumpkin: Pumpkin dip
How to Eat a Pumpkin: Pumpkin dip

If you are going to have a little one help you with the mixing, I recommend getting a mixing bowl with a handle. I didn’t have to worry about fingers getting into the beaters because his “free” hand was busy holding the bowl still. Once it was all mixed well, I transferred the dip to a couple of storage bowls to save for later.

Pumpkin Waffles

The next recipe we tackled was Buttermilk Pumpkin Waffles, from Taste of Home. It was breakfast time and we needed something to eat. I measured the dry ingredients and let Jeremiah dump them in the bowl. He then broke the eggs, into a separate bowl, and measured the pumpkin puree.

How to Eat a Pumpkin: Making Waffles
How to Eat a Pumpkin: Making Waffles

He is a very observant young man. Without any directions from me, other than “fill the measuring cup with pumpkin”, he would put a spoonful in and press it down with the back of the spoon. He had watched me do that with the brown sugar in the previous recipe.

I gave him a small whisk and he mixed the eggs, buttermilk, pumpkin and butter together. We then dumped the mixture in with the dry ingredients and whisked that together.

How to Eat a Pumpkin: making pumpkin waffles
How to Eat a Pumpkin: making pumpkin waffles

Once it was mixed together, I poured the batter onto the waffle iron. The waffles turned out beautifully. I cut the waffle into strips so Jeremiah could dip it into the pumpkin dip. Either he was really hungry or really excited to eat his pumpkin waffles because when he first started he had a waffle strip in each hand. After a couple of bites with the pumpkin dip he decided he would rather have maple syrup. As for me and my husband, we really liked the dip with the waffles.

How to Eat a Pumpkin: Pumpkin Waffles
How to Eat a Pumpkin: Pumpkin Waffles

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Last, but definitely not least, I cleaned up the pumpkin seeds. I then put the seeds in a bowl, covered them with water and added coarse sea salt. I let them soak for about an hour. Then I covered a cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper, drained the water off the seeds and spread them on the parchment paper. I sprinkled a little more salt over the seeds. This time I used a finely ground sea salt. The oven was preheated to 450 degrees. I popped them in the oven for somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes. I could smell them getting toasty and when I saw they were starting to turn brown I took them out of the oven. From directions I had read, I should have sprayed them with some oil but I forgot. They turned out just fine, so I will probably not use oil the next time either.

Cooking with Jeremiah is a lot of fun. His enthusiasm with life is contagious. I may have never tried to eat raw pumpkin if he hadn’t been so insistent. I would still like to find some simple, non-dessert recipes for pumpkin. If you know of any, please share them with me.

And don’t forget, no cooking session is complete until you lick the spatula!

How to Eat a Pumpkin: best part of cooking
How to Eat a Pumpkin: best part of cooking

Related Posts

How to Eat a Pumpkin: A Lesson From a 3 Year Old
Pumpkins are Orange; and Other Learning Concepts

Zombie Zapper Brain Boost Smoothie

Filed Under: Articles, Autumn/Fall Tagged With: cooking, cooking with children, cooking with kids, eat a pumpkin, eat pumpkin, eat pumpkins, learning activities, learning fun, love to laugh and learn, pumpkin, pumpkin dip, pumpkin puree, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin waffles, pumpkins

Thanksgiving Fun with Turkeys

November 23, 2013 by Mama Carmody 7 Comments

Thanksgiving Fun with Turkeys

Let’s have some fun with turkeys. Why is it that the turkey has become a symbol of Thanksgiving? The turkey probably was part of the first Thanksgiving meal along with deer, several types of seafood and many fruits and vegetables. Wild turkeys are found in 49 of the 50 United States. Alaska is the only state where they are not found. The fact that they are so wide spread across our nation is probably why they are a common symbol to our Thanksgiving.

Below are some fun activities to do with turkeys during this Thanksgiving holiday.

Fun Time
Fun with Food
Craft
Story Time
Related Posts

Fun Time

Since it’s almost Thanksgiving, I thought it would be fun to have a turkey themed day with my 2 year old great-nephew. We started out with a movie. The movie was Free Birds. It’s a story of turkeys that travel back in time, to the first Thanksgiving, to try to get turkeys off the menu. Although it is currently in movie theaters (November 2013), it might be on DVD by the time you are reading this. I would recommend watching it. It was a fun addition to our turkey themed day.

Right before naptime we read Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano. I love including books in our fun time. This turkey was also trying to find ways to not be included in the Thanksgiving festivities. I loved some of his disguises. I have more suggestions of fun turkey books below in my Story Time section.

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Fun with Food

You can find all kinds of fun turkey themed bento meals on Pinterest. If you aren’t familiar with Bento meals, they are artistically crafted foods that are popular in Japan. If you are on Pinterest, you can find several fun ideas by clicking here. I was especially inspired by the one I found on Creative Food. I adapted their idea to get this:

Fun with Turkeys: Bento style Turkey Sandwich with colored pepper tail and ranch dip

1. For the body, I made a turkey sandwich and cut it out with a circle cookie cutter.

2. I had purchased a package of 2 oz. portion cups (like the ones you might get butter or single servings of dressing in with your take-out food) at Costco. I used one of those for the head. I put some ranch dip in it.

3. We then cut eyes from a piece of American cheese with a straw. I used edible food markers to make the pupils in the eyes.

4. I cut the beak and feet out of carrot pieces.

5. I used a small piece of red pepper for the snood. (The snood is the fleshy piece that grows from a turkey’s forehead and hangs over it’s beak)

6. For the turkey’s tail feathers I cut thin slices of red, orange and yellow peppers.

The meal was a hit! Everyone gobbled it down (pun intended).

Fun with Turkeys: Turkey Bento Meals

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Craft

When I taught preschool, I would do this craft with my classes. I originally found it on Enchanted Learning. You use the child’s hands and feet to make the turkey. The original instructions say to use colored construction paper for the parts but my daughter inspired me to do something different. Read the instructions below to find out how to make this special Thanksgiving turkey and a fun memory of little hands and feet.

Hands & Feet Turkey

Fun with Turkeys: Materials Needed for Hands and Feet Turkey

Materials Needed:

Markers, crayons or paint
White cardstock
Brown construction paper
Wiggly eyes
Pencil
Glue
Scissors


Instructions:

1. Trace the child’s feet on the brown construction paper. Yes, both feet.

2. Cut out the feet. (I got my great-nephew started on the next part before I cut out the feet so he had something to do.)

3. Trace the child’s hands on the white cardstock. You will need 3 sets of hands (Since my great-nephew’s hands are small I was able to get a set of hands on a half piece of paper.)

4. I chose fall colors for the feathers (the fingers become the feathers). We used orange, red and brown. At first I gave Jeremiah the half sheet of paper, without cutting out his hands, for him to color. Since he is only 2 yrs old, I figured he would scribble more than actually color.

Fun with Turkeys: Hands and Feet Turkey Craft

Then he started coloring real intently on one corner.

Fun with Turkeys: Coloring

I decided to cut the hands out so he didn’t waste time working so hard on a piece that would get cut off and thrown away. Here he is working on one of the fingers.

Fun with Turkeys: Hands and Feet Turkeys

I would give him one color for each set of hands.

Fun with Turkeys: Hands and Feet Turkey Craft

5. Jeremiah helped me glue the feet together to make the body and then we arranged the hands to make the tail feathers.

6. Finally, we glued on the eyes.

7. I would recommend putting the child’s name and date on the back of the turkey. We took ours and had it laminated. I had to take the eyes off so we could laminate it but then we glued them right back on.

Here is Jeremiah and his prize turkey. I would recommend doing this activity every Thanksgiving, while they are little, just to see how much they grow from year to year.

Fun with Turkeys: Hands and Feet Turkey Craft

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Story Time

10 Fat Turkeys by Tony Johnston
Reading Level: 3 to 5 yrs old
This book doesn’t have anything to do with Thanksgiving but since turkeys are closely associated with Thanksgiving I thought this would be a fun book to include. The story starts out with 10 fat turkeys “fooling” on a fence. There are lots of funny words such as, “Gobble, Gobble, Wibble, Wobble” and lot of silly antics out of the turkeys. This will be smiles and giggles to your little one..and a few from you too.

Gus, the Pilgrim Turkey by Teresa Bateman
Reading Level: Ages 4 to 8 yrs old
Gus loved being a turkey and loved living on the farm until one day his friends told him some sad news. Gus was looking forward to playing in the snow and celebrating the New Year until his friends told him that turkeys usually don’t make it to the New Year. When his friends shared with him that turkey is one of the main items to eat for Thanksgiving he decided it was time to leave the farm. He travels far and wide to find a safe place to live. As he finds a new safe place to live he comes to the realization that he is now a Pilgrim. Pick up this fun little book for a light spirited look at Thanksgiving and the deeper definition of a pilgrim.

A Plump And Perky Turkey by Teresa Bateman
Reading Level: Ages 4 to 8 yrs old
The people of Squawk Valley really wanted turkey for their Thanksgiving dinner but they couldn’t find one anywhere. The turkeys around Squawk Valley had become quite smart and learned to hide when Thanksgiving was near. The townspeople decided to trick the turkeys by having a special art event that featured turkeys. They posted signs all over the forest saying they were looking for a plump and perky turkey to be their model for the different art projects. Pete the turkey saw the poster and believed he could help out so he went to model for the special event. So Pete posed while the townsfolk created their turkey art. Everyone was excited because now they were going to be able to catch Pete and have him for their Thanksgiving dinner. Pick up this fun little book to see if the townspeople get to eat turkey for dinner or if Pete gets away.

Run, Turkey, Run! by Diane Mayr
Reading Level: Ages 3 to 7 yrs old
If you aren’t ready for your child to understand that the turkey we eat at Thanksgiving is a live animal, before we get it, then avoid this story. It is not a morbid, overly detailed, story but the fact that the other farm animals keep telling the turkey to run and the farmer is chasing him through the whole story means you will probably have to have the discussion. It’s actually a cute little story. The turkey tries to roll in the mud with the pigs and swim in the lake with the ducks in order to hide from the farmer. In the end, the farmer and his family eat grilled cheese sandwiches with peas and mashed potatoes. Have fun with the story of the turkey who got away.

Too Many Turkeys by Linda White
Reading Level: Ages 5 yrs old and up
This is not a Thanksgiving story but it is a cute turkey story. Fred and Belle have a tiny farm that they take very good care of. One day a baby turkey, which is called a poult, wanders onto their farm. Belle is not very excited about the idea but Fred says he will take care of the little turkey. The turkey ends up being a great benefit to the little farm until too many of his friends show up. Pick up this book and find out how having a turkey on the farm was helpful although a little stressful at times.

A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting
Reading Level: Ages 5 to 8 yrs old
Mr. & Mrs. Moose are getting the table set for Thanksgiving. They are very excited to have all of their friends over but there is one thing that is making Mrs. Moose sad; there is no turkey for Thanksgiving. Mr. Moose wants to do what he can to make this a special Thanksgiving so he heads out to find a turkey. Pick this book up to find out what happens when Mr. Moose finally finds a turkey, it might surprise you.

Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano
Reading Level: Ages 3 to 7 yrs old
If you aren’t ready for your child to learn that the meat on the table comes from live animals, it would probably be best to skip this book. Other than possibly needing to have that conversation, this book is adorable. Turkey is in trouble because Thanksgiving is almost here and he is the main course. He tries several disguises to hide from the farmer. In the end, he comes up with a fantastic substitution for turkey. Pick up this book and share it with your child to find out what the farmer’s family has to eat this Thanksgiving.

  Turkeys on the Family Farm (Animals on the Family Farm) by Chana Stiefel
Reading Level: Ages 5 to 8 yrs old
This is a wonderfully informative book about turkeys. Your child will get to see actual pictures of turkeys. They will learn how turkeys are raised and cared for, on an organic farm. They will learn the different terms used when referring to turkeys such as tom, hen, jake or poult. This is a great book to get some basic information about turkeys.

Turkeys That Fly and Turkeys That Don’t (Rookie Read-About Science) by Allan Fowler
Reading Level: Ages 3 to 7 yrs old
Your child will learn a lot of fun facts about turkeys. Even I found it interesting as to why some turkeys fly and some don’t. There are lots of pictures of wild turkeys and domestic turkeys so your child can see the difference. I enjoyed learning about the similarities and differences between wild and domestic birds, I’m sure your child will too.

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Related Posts

Thanksgiving Learning Activities
Pumpkins are Orange; and Other Learning Concepts

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Filed Under: Holidays, Learning Activities, Thanksgiving Tagged With: educational activities, fun learning, fun with turkeys, holiday, holidays, learn, learning, learning fun, learning opportunities, love to laugh, love to laugh and learn, love to learn, making learning fun, Thanksgiving, turkey, turkeys

Generally Having Fun with Music

February 5, 2014 by Mama Carmody 37 Comments

Generally Having Fun with Music




This post, Generally Having Fun with Music, is written in collaboration with Shannon Wijnker, who used to blog on Mamamusing. Shannon is a music teacher and mother of four.

It has been a lot of fun writing the posts “Fun with Music” in collaboration with Shannon. Our posts have covered the different instrument families. This final post, of the series, is about ways for your children to simply have fun with all kinds of music.

Shannon and I both agree that most learning for young children should come through play and experimentation. So dance around the room with your child, share your favorite songs from childhood or watch a musical together. Just generally have fun with music!

“If the parent values music, and makes it a part of their life, then their children will value music also.” – Shannon Wijnker

Shannon shared:

“Children learn best by constructing their own concepts and ideas, and by trial and error. They will learn how to create a variety of sounds. Some of which they will like and some they will decide they don’t. Your concept of what is acceptable sound may vary from theirs. But be patient and let them explore. Remember that it’s not just about making a beautiful sound, but playing and exploring the concept of sound.”

Contents:

Musical Sensory Bin
Musical Outings
Games Online
Another Resource: The Recorder Classroom
Story Time
Related Posts

Musical Sensory Bin

Shannon mentioned that the dollar store is a good place to pick up inexpensive instruments for the children to experiment with. Recorders are great choice. You can also find tambourines, kazoos, etc. I took Shannon’s advice and headed to the dollar store to pick up some instruments. I decided to create a musical sensory bin. I found several items in the party favor section and some in the toy section. I picked up a recorder and a toy microphone from the $1 bins at Target.

Items in my Musical Sensory Bin:

Beans (I bought at Dollar Tree)
Rice (I bought it at Costco. It was cheaper to get a big bag here rather than smaller ones
at the Dollar Tree.)
Hand Drums
Plastic Musical Clackers
Kazoos
Slide Whistles
Recorder
Microphone
Empty Plastic Containers (of all sizes)
Empty Oatmeal Box
Metal Spoons (I bought at Dollar Tree)
Empty Shoe Box
Rubber Bands
Plastic Easter Eggs

Generally Having Fun with Music: Musical Sensory Bin

Jeremiah put beans and rice into different containers. We talked about the different sounds they made.

Generally Having Fun with Music: Experimenting with Shakers

There were different types of whistles and kazoos for him to play with.

Generally Having Fun with Music
Generally Having Fun with Music

We stretched rubber bands around a box and listened to the different sounds they made when we plucked them.

Generally Having Fun with Music: Musical Sensory Bin

The microphone was a big hit. Don’t forget that your voice is an instrument you take with you wherever you go. (Fun with Music: Voices)

Generally Having Fun with Music: Microphone

Using the spoon to drum on the different containers was also fun.

Generally Having Fun with Music: A Little Drumming

Jeremiah was almost 2 years old when I created this Musical Sensory Box. As you can see, he really enjoyed it. He has played with it on more than one occasion and I’m sure he will play with it many more times. The one thing that I noticed is that some of the whistles didn’t work very well. I will probably replace and add some better quality instruments, as I get the money, but this was a good place to start. As we have made the crafts on the different Fun with Music posts, we have added them to the bin. This was a place to start and as his interests grow and change we can add to or switch out instruments.

Shannon also wants to remind us to help our children explore sound within their own environment:

“You can talk about sounds being high and low. You can talk about the timbre (the quality of sound – how we can tell mom’s voice from dad’s). Encourage your children to explore sounds with their bodies and other toys/things they can find in the house. You don’t have to go out any buy instruments to explore sound and music.”

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Musical Outings

In Indianapolis, you can find many places that give free outdoor concerts during the summer. Maybe you have the same opportunities in your area. Outdoor concerts are a great way to introduce your children to live music because they can sit in their own lawn chair, on a blanket or even get up and dance around a little. Expose your children to many types of music. Take the time to talk about what they are hearing, how it makes them feel and the different instruments they are seeing and hearing.

Shannon from Mamamusing wants you to know: “In London, there are several outdoor concerts and festivals in Victoria Park during the summer. One of the best is Sunfest (beginning of July). You can check out a video of my kids enjoying the multicultural music and dancing by clicking here.”

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Games Online

Now that you have introduced your children to some of the various instrument families
in the orchestra, you may want to visit The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. This
is a website created by Carnegie Hall which is a wonderfully FREE interactive online
game for young children to explore and learn more about the various instruments of the
orchestra. You will need to use a computer, because the game requires Adobe Flash,
which you can download for free (if you don’t already have this utility installed on your
computer).

There is also a wonderful set of books for children ages 4 to 9 years old that helps them learn different musical concepts. Along with the books the author, Sharon Burch, has a website with coloring pages and games for your child to enjoy and enhance their learning experience: Freddie the Frog Games and Coloring Pages.You can find more information about the books below in Story Time.

Another Resource recommended by Shannon from Mamamusing

“If you homeschool your children, a great resource for teaching them music (and how to play the recorder) is a magazine called “The Recorder Classroom”. I believe there are 4 issues printed so far. You can download both the music and accompanying mp3s online. They are fun to play and I find my students are motivated to learn the music, when they have great accompaniments to play along with.”

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Story Time – There were so many books that didn’t fall under any of our other posts so I have included them here. You should really check all of them out. I really enjoyed reading them and I’m sure you and your child will too.


Before John Was a Jazz Giant: A Song of John Coltrane by Carole Boston Weatherford
Reading Level: Ages 5 to 9 yrs old
This is an interesting look at the influences on a great musician. The book shares the many different sounds and experiences that John faced as he was growing up; listening to Daddy play the ukulele or to big bands on the radio. The essence of the story it that John heard and listened to many things that lead him on his path of becoming a Jazz Giant.

Freddie the Frog series by Sharon Burch
Reading Level: Ages 4 – 9 yrs old
This series was recommended by Shannon Wijnker from Mamamusing. She uses this series in her music classes. Shannon says, “A great series to start kids learning music concepts and theory is “Freddie the Frog”. These are cute stories with a hidden agenda. My students love these books and ask for them again and again!”

Through the series of books your child will learn the names of notes; they will learn about rhythm, beat and tempo. Each book comes with a CD that includes the dramatized story and sing-along songs.

Adventure #1 – Freddie the Frog and the Thump in the Night by Sharon Burch
Freddie the Frog lives on the island of Treble Clef, with his parents. Join him in his adventure as he searches the island for the source of the thump.

Adventure #2 – Freddie the Frog and the Bass Clef Monster by Sharon Burch
Freddie the Frog awakes from hibernation to find out that he is no longer at home, on Treble Clef Island.

Adventure #3 – Freddie the Frog and the Mysterious Wahooooo by Sharon Burch
Join Freddie the Frog and his best friend, Eli the Elephant, as they discover tempos, rhythms, and beats on Tempo Island. Your child will enjoy learning to play their percussion instruments to the rhythm and beat along with Eli and Freddie

Adventure #4 – Freddie the Frog and the Secret of Crater Island by Sharon Burch
Freddie and Eli take on a new adventure. They seek to find the secret on Crater Island, along with the Blue Beetle Bugs.

Adventure #5 – Freddie the Frog and the Flying Jazz Kitten by Sharon Burch
Join Freddie the Frog and the Flying Jazz Kitten, on Treble Clef Island, as Freddie becomes a jazz sensation. They will learn how to use an instrument they have with them all the time, their voice. Freddie and the Jazz Kitten help your child learn about scat singing.

Froggy Plays in the Band by Jonathan London
Reading Level: Ages 3 to 6 yrs old
Froggy sees a poster at school about a marching band contest and a big prize. When he asks his music teacher about it, she tells him to form a big band and practice, practice, practice. She helps Froggy and his friends as they work their hardest to become a great marching band. The one important thing the teacher tells them is, “Don’t stop for anything!” This is very good advice especially when they get to the end of the parade. Pick up this book and find out what happens to Froggy and his marching band when they didn’t stop for anything.

Instruments and Music by Daniel Nunn
Reading Level: Ages 4 – 8 yrs old
This book is a great introduction to instruments and music. Your child will get to see pictures of many different instruments; some will be familiar and some will seem strange. There are instruments from many countries. Your child will learn what materials the instruments are made of and how they produce sound. I believe any child interested in music and instruments will enjoy this book.

Jazz Baby by Carole Boston Weatherford
Reading Level: birth to 6 years old
This is simply a fun little book to introduce music and instruments to even the youngest “musician”. The text on each page starts with “Jazz baby, jazz baby” and then describes, in rhyme, some fun aspect of music; such as playing a horn or the drums. Your child will get to see children singing, dancing and playing instruments. I love this book. I think it’s absolutely adorable. I had to buy one for my grandson and one to have at my house.

Listen to My Trumpet! by Mo Willems
Reading Level: Ages 4 to 8 yrs old
Piggie gets a trumpet and wants to show his friend Elephant what he can do on his trumpet. He blows and blows and all kinds of sounds come out of the horn, but is it music? Find out what Elephant has to say about Piggie’s playing and how Piggie responds.

Little Pig Joins the Band by David Hyde Costello
Reading Level: Ages 3 to 6 yrs old
Little Pig wants to play an instrument like the bigger pigs but he is just too small for any of them. He watches as everyone chooses an instrument and marches around. Little Pig watches each of them march in different directions and play different songs all at the same time. Once a big accident occurs, he realizes there is a job for him. Read this adorable book to find out how Little Pig helps out.

Meet the Orchestra by Ann Hayes
Reading Level: Ages 3 to 8 yrs old
This is a fun and well written book that covers many of the instruments that can be found in an orchestra. There are simple explanations of what the instruments look like and how they are alike or different from each other. Your child will receive an explanation of what the instrument sounds like. The illustrations are quite fun. Each musician is an animal, which will appeal to the younger crowd. This book makes a great introduction to instruments and the orchestra.

Music Is by Lloyd Moss
Reading Level: Ages 4 to 8 yrs old
This is an enjoyable book written in rhyme. It talks of all the fun ways music influences our lives. Lloyd Moss captures my feelings about music. It is a happy, important aspect of my life everyday. He talks of music when you wake up and music when you go to bed. Music for your birthday, 4th of July and to ring in the New Year. Music in an elevator and sometimes on a phone. Music fills our lives even when we aren’t paying attention. What would life be like without music?

Our Marching Band by Lloyd Moss
Reading Level: Ages 4 to 8 yrs old
This is a fun little book about a group of kids that loved playing their instruments. The story starts with them getting the instrument that they each wanted. They each practiced and practiced their parts separately and although they sounded a little rough in the beginning the sounds they made together were much different. Read this inspiring tale of how dreams and practice turned them into a marching band.

The Orchestra by Mark Rubin & Alan Daniel
Reading Level: Ages 5 – 8 yrs old
This book is a wonderful introduction to music, instruments, musicians and the orchestra. It describes the different families of instruments in the orchestra: strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion. Your child will even learn different terms related to music such as melody, harmony, rhythm and tempo. The book covers a lot in simple descriptions your child can understand. I highly recommend this book as an outstanding introduction to music.

The Orchestra (Culture in Action) by Liz Miles
Reading Level: Ages 8 and up
This is a children’s book, but as you can tell by the reading level, it is for a little older child. There is a lot of great information about the orchestra, music, musicians and composers. You could still use this with a younger child who has an interest in music because it is broken up into several different sections. Sometimes you will find more than one subheading on a page. The reason this is nice is that you can read a section or two at a time, to a young child, and save some for later. I wouldn’t use this book as an introduction to orchestras for a young child but it has much valuable information for a little older child.

The Philharmonic Gets Dressed by Karla Kuskin
Reading Level: Ages 4 – 8 yrs old
As I first read through this book I was going to discard it as possible reading material for my posts on music but I had second thoughts. It is a silly book. Understand I usually like silly but I was taking my posts on music a little too seriously so I wasn’t going to suggest this book. The book goes through each step the one hundred and five members of the Philharmonic go through in getting ready for their performance that evening. It starts with them bathing and showering and then getting dressed. Oh, and it has every detail of them getting dressed; from putting on their underwear, socks or hose all the way to putting on their tuxedos or dresses. The further I read and the more I thought about it, I changed my mind and decided this would be a good book to include with my posts on music. Although it does it in a silly way, your child will get to see that the musicians are regular people with families and pets. They have to get ready for their job like everyone else. Your child will get so see some of the instruments and the different size cases they get carried in. I believe your child will have fun with this light-hearted book about the Philharmonic.

The Recorder and Other Wind Instruments (Let’s Make Music) by Rita Storey
Reading Level: 6 yrs old and above
This book covers both types of wind instruments; woodwinds and brass. Your child will learn how the instruments are made and how they are played. It gives you examples of skills you will need to build to be able to play a wind instrument, like being able to blow out a long slow breath of air (without puffing out your cheeks). They will learn what it means to buzz your lips and how to do it. The illustrations are pictures of wind instruments and people playing them. Have fun learning about the many different wind instruments.

Saxophone Sam and His Snazzy Jazz Band by Christine M. Schneider
Reading Level: Ages 4 to 8 yrs old
This is simply a “doo dilly dilly” silly book of two children and some sneaky jazz music. The music is calling but from where? Is it coming from the kitchen, the bathroom or from underneath the bed? Follow the children as they search for the music that is overtaking the house. They are having a toe tapping good time. After reading the book, or maybe even while you are reading the book, put on some jazz music and have some fun dancing to the “zoo zoo zing” once “the band is in full swing!”

Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin by Lloyd Moss
Reading Level: Ages 5 to 10 yrs old
This book is not simply about a violin (as I thought), it is actually a musical counting book. Not counting as in tempos but as in the way you count musical group settings; such as a solo, a duet, a trio, etc.. The story is told in a fun rhyming text. Your child will be exposed to many different instruments as well as the varied names for the different sized musical groups. Although the story goes up to a group of ten, they only tell you the correct names up to nine. So if you are curious, a group of ten is called a dectet. Be sure to share this with your child to find out what the special names for all the groupings are.

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Related Posts

Music at an Early Age by Shannon at Mamamusing
Fun with Music: Overview
Fun with Music: Percussion Instruments
Fun with Music: Brass Instruments
Fun with Music: Woodwind Instruments
Fun with Music: Voices
Fun with Music: String Instruments
Fun with Music: Keyboards
Review: Rhythm! Discovery Center
Review: Peanut Butter and Jam Concerts
Bongo Boy Music School Review

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Filed Under: Music Tagged With: children and music, educational activities, family friendly, fun learning, fun with music, learning, learning fun, learning opportunities, love to laugh and learn, music, music fun

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