Fun+at+home!

These activities are optional, of course! They are just ideas of things you could do for fun with your kids at home.


 * THESE ARE FROM LAST YEAR! BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO DELETE! GREAT IDEAS!**

We have been learning that y sometimes acts like a vowel. Set your child on your lap with a magazine and search for words that have a y acting like a vowel. There is no need to cut them out. You may be amazed to discover what your child knows about this. He/she will know to always look at the end of the word. Y will sound like a long e if it is at the end of a "many clap" word (a word with more than one syllable). Y will sound like a long i if it's just a "one clap" word (only one syllable). We discovered that these kinds of words are so easily found! Can you and your child find 10 words like this in 10 minutes? It could be fun to try! :)
 * //__Magazines__//**

During our discussion of Thanksgiving and its origin, we discussed the busy lifestyle of the Pilgrims. We discussed chores that Pilgrim children had to do. We compared chores from 400 years ago to chores today. The kids might not agree with me for putting this on the Fun at Home tab, but I think they would enjoy having a list of chores to do at home! I think it would be especially meaningful if you sat down with your child and had him/her help decide what chores he/she could do around the house. If you choose to give some sort of reward for completed chores, I would suggest waiting until an established "pay day". We adults don't get paid as soon as we complete a task at work. We have to keep working and wait for what we have earned. The "instant gratification" for your child would be completing chores that benefit your family's home!
 * //__Family Chores__//**

The children recently put candy wrappers in ABC order at one of our literacy stations. This was quite a challenge! To help your child with alphabetizing, you could pull ten items from your cupboard and have your child set them out on the counter in ABC order. The kids will enjoy choosing the items to alphabetize. I might choose, almonds, beef jerkey,corn, green beans, Life, milk, spaghetti, Trix, and yogurt to put in ABC on my counter. I'm guessing the ten items you choose wouldn't be the same ten as mine!
 * //__ABC Order__//**

We can't make these at school because of peanut allergies, but I think you could have fun making them at home! They are simple to make, too! All you do is dip Nutter Butter cookies in melted almond bark and add chocolate chip eyes. Easy, fun, and delicious!
 * //__Ghost Cookies__//**

We are learning about blends in class (two consonants that are seen and heard together). Can you find ten things that begin with blends within ten minutes in your house? Here are a few examples: plate, spoon, plant, clock, or frame. I will give a small reward to any child who brings in his/her list from this hunt. Happy hunting! Helpful information....anything beginning with th, sh, ch, ph, or wh is not a blend. It's only a blend if each consonant actually makes its own sound. These others are called digraphs....two consonants come together and make a brand new sound. Hope this helps!
 * //__Initial Blends Hunt__//**

After reading the book __The Little House on the Prairie__ and watching the movie I became aware of how interested the children are in history! If they are interested in the history of the family portrayed in the book, imagine how interested they would be to learn about the history of their own family! I think that sharing old family photographs would be a thrill to your child. Maybe you could find photos that would give them a glimpse of the past and have valuable conversations about how things have changed over the years!
 * __//Old Photographs//__**

Do you think you can find something in your house to represent every letter of the alphabet? It could be fun to try! You wouldn't even have to gather all of those things together. You could just make an A to Z list of what you find!
 * __//Alphabet Hunt!//__**

Recipe for **//__Homemade Playdough__//**__!__

I was never a huge fan of playdough for my own kids when they were little, but this recipe is the BEST! It doesn't crumble and it's not messy. The best part is that it is easy to make! Playdough offers a great opportunity for kids to be creative. It can also be used to help practice spelling words. While manipulating the playdough, children can improve fine motor skills. One of the best things I think playdough has to offer is that it is fun for the kids and it does not include the television or computer. It's good, old-fashioned FUN! Enjoy!

2 cups flour 2 cups water 1 Tbs oil 1 tsp cream of tartar 1 cup salt food coloring

Mix all ingredients in pan and stir over medium high heat until it thickens and sticks together. Take out of pan and knead (I put wax paper on counter). Store in air tight container.