Let’s sing together our song “Rise and Shine – Welcome to School Today” by Dr. Jean https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyAD2OoFuoY and our greeting song “Hello to all the children of the world”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nYjGy_ZUG8
My favorite Closing Song sung on “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” tune with movement:
Twinkle, twinkle little stars! Time is over and we say goodbye. (Open and close hands)
We had fun with all our friends. Let’s come back and do it again! (Arm moved up and back)
Twinkle, twinkle, little stars! What a wonderful bunch you are! (Blow kisses)
For the writing/reading process, have your child trace or copy (advanced skill) daily his/her name on paper/dry eraser board/ mini blackboard (kindergarten handwriting page) starting at the top of each letter (you could draw an emoji 🙂) either in all uppercase letters or just first letter in capital/uppercase and the rest in lowercase. If your child is starting to write on paper, you can write your child’s name with a highlighter and your child can use a crayon to trace it.
For the question of the day, tell your child your are going on a hunt! Give your child a pencil and a clipboard with a sheet of paper. Draw 4 columns labeled with big red, blue, yellow, and green dots for young learners or words for advanced learners. Ask your child to put a tally mark for each object found in your home that is either red, blue, yellow or green color for a couple of minutes. Show your child how to do it before letting him/her do on his/her own, or accompany your child.
Making Letter P and Number 1 (1 big line) shape:
- 2 big lines, 1 big curve for capital P/1 big line and 1 little curve for Lowercase p. Your child use a finger to trace the letter starting at the top, going down and jump back up. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBfJ31ZtsvY) In order to start learning letters, your child will need a set of big curves, little curves, big lines and little lines in wood. You can purchase them at https://www.lwtears.com or make them your self. Here is a picture: http://cdn.lwtears.com/images/uploads/1_787_large.png)
- Wet-Dry-Try on small chalkboard (Handwriting Without Tears) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6p4LUEGbwM
- Play dough with small chalkboard (recipe: https://www.thebestideasforkids.com/playdough-recipe/) or you can purchase the Roll-A-Dough Set from Handwriting without Tears https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spjVLDXDixI
If you have My First School Book from Handwriting Without Tears methodology https://www.lwtears.com/hwt. Have your child complete page 77 for number 1.
A whole week activity:
For the phonetic part, have a big yogurt container with a lid filled with small objects or pictures that start with the letter P (paint, paper, parcel, park, party, pass, paw, pen, pencil, pet, picture, pig, pink, play, please, pond, pony, present, pretty, puddle, pull, puppy, purple, put.) You might want to add a picture of a dog, so that your child can say Dog that does not start with P! Here is a book of P word pictures: https://twistynoodle.com/my-letter-p-minibook/ Also, you can add new objects/pictures starting with the letter P every day and let your child explore the container all through the week.
Science
Everybody experiences ice cubes melting and children love to play with ice cubes. A shallow plastic tub filled with ice cubes and cups with water, which are colored with drops of food coloring, is a delight for children. Your child can pick up colored water with an eye-dropper/pipette/turkey baster and color ice cubes in the tub. Another fun activity is using an Hawaiian Ice Machine. I love it! Just fill it up with ice cubes and let your child turn the knob to make Hawaiian ice that you can color with various syrup to eat or not.
On the tune of “Oh, my Darling Clementine”, we can sing: what’s the weather, what’s the weather, what’s the weather like today? Is it cloudy, is it rainy, is it sunny, is it cold? (You can also change the weather words).
Let your child check the weather and tell you about it. You might want to ask your child to do a weather drawing that you can label. Some activities will be repetitive to create a routine that brings comfort to your child.
Language Arts
Snowflake Literature:
1. I Am Snow by Jean Marzollo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBt3qO0mr_w
2. Snow by Roy McKie and P.D. Eastman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDtLY5CzSNo (advanced-Dr. Seuss style)
3. Pete the Cat: Snow Daze by James Dean https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AjiLaQ8EzU
4. Ten Ways to Hear Snow by Cathy Camper https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYQ-8XhqhsA
After viewing a book, help your child sequence the story: what happened first, next,… at the end. The major theme is snow. Brainstorm with your child what you and your child can do in or with snow.
Here is a fun activity: snowflake generator https://viviariums.com/projects/snowflake/interactive/#0.5,0,0.6,0.85,20,1,0.03,12,0.1,0.3,10,0.08,1,0.5,4,0.5,TGlnaHQ=
“Snow is falling All Around” Song (“Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” tune) and Movement
Snow is falling all around,
Falling, falling to the ground. (Twirl around)
Let’s catch snowflakes on our tongues, (Stick out tongue)
Building snow balls flying around.
Snow is falling all around, (Twirl around)
Falling, falling to the ground.
Five Little Snowflakes Fingerplay
Five little snowflakes dancing in the air.
One little snowflake landing on a chair.
And four little snowflakes looking everywhere!
Four little snowflakes dancing in the air.
One little snowflake landing in your hair,
And three little snowflakes looking everywhere!
(Repeat changing number)
Zero little snowflakes , not one to be found.
Five little snowflakes had fallen without a sound.
Snowflakes Song (“Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear Turn Around” tune).
Snowflakes, snowflakes, turn around.
Snowflakes, snowflakes, touch the ground.
Snowflakes, snowflakes reach my nose.
Snowflakes, snowflakes freeze my toes.
Snowflakes, snowflakes, in the air.
Snowflakes, snowflakes everywhere!
Math
Let’s count backwards with the book Ten on a Sled by Kim Norman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j42SIL_uugM.
As a special math activity, you need (1) five or ten (advanced – 20) milk caps/cotton balls (more advanced) and (2) marker. First, write number 1-5 (early learner), 1-10 on caps (or 1-20 for advanced) and arrange them in a line from 1-5, 1-10 or 1-20. Second, take cap no. 5, 10, or 20 away and ask your child how many are left. Your child will say 4, 9, or 19 depending on the original number. Repeat the exercise until there is no caps left. For more advanced practice, line up cotton balls 1-5, 1-10, or 1-20, take one away and ask your child how many are left. This activity will show if your child understand the value behind the number word.
January is here now! The calendar is a daily activity to do with your child that develop number and pattern recognition. Here is the link to print a calendar to update daily with your child. The set has a weather component, if you like.
https://www.themailbox.com/magazines/january-calendar-set/january-calendar-set-2 Daily counting of tally marks and show your child a number card or write the number down to show your child. The numbers of the tallies will be different every day. Extend the concept by comparing numbers: which has more? Which has fewer? Which are the same? How many more (count with fingers)?
Art
For the Popsicle Snowflake Art Project, you need (1) 3 or 4 popsicle sticks, (2) hot glue gun (adult only), (3) piece of yarn, (5) blue tempera paint and small sponge, (6) glue, (7) glitter/white sand and (8) little plastic beads/decorations.
Directions:
1. Hot glue popsicle sticks together in a shape of Xs and let cool. You can use strips of paper as well.
2. Paint the snowflake with blue tempera paint and sponge.
4. Sprinkle glitter or sand on snowflake.
3. Once dry, glue beads and other decorations.
4. Attach with piece of yarn for hanging.
Make the Snowflake Coloring Page https://twistynoodle.com/make-a-snowflake-2-coloring-page/
For the Bottle Bottom Snowflake Art Project, you need (1) white construction paper, (2) white tempera paint, (3) paper plate, (4) watercolor with brush, (5) 1 cup of water, (6) 1 small soda bottle.
Directions:
1. Take sheet of white construction paper and cover it with blue, purple, pink watercolor using brush and cup of water.
2. Pour white tempera paint in paper plate.
3. Dip the bottom of small soda bottle in white paint and print it on painted sheet of construction paper. These are your snowflakes!
With white pipe cleaners and blue/white beads, you can build a snowflake too!
Small Motor Skills
Trace the Snowflake https://twistynoodle.com/trace-the-snowflake-coloring-page/
Snowflake Dot Painting https://twistynoodle.com/snowflake-dot-painting-coloring-page/
Find the Snowflake https://twistynoodle.com/find-the-snowflake-2-coloring-page/
Gross Motor Skills
Outside time with climbing, jumping, bicycling, running, walking are great ways to develop the whole child.
Snowflake Fitness – PE Games – Virtual Winter Workout! Go wit Yoyo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2UwiuwmWO8