Celebrating 100 Days!

 

How many ways can you celebrate 100?  This is our 4th year celebrating the 100th day of the year.  Every time we have our "party" I try to think up ways for the kids to learn while they think they are playing.

This year the kids are another year older and we were able to add a spanish twist and counted in spanish, since they can already count in english by 1's, 5's, 10's, etc.  I used the foam letters (above) for a visual for Kay.  She always does better if she has something to touch.  I know part of that is her age, and part of it is just her :)

This year, I got started a little early with this book for Kay.  I didn't know how hard it would be for her to work through 100 words.  But it was a fun goal.  The book was too long for her to read in one sitting, but we used it over a week for reading time and she got all 100 words!

Kay is a preschooler, but she likes to read.  And the fun thing about this book is that the dog's words are red and the man's words are black (or maybe the other way around).  So I read one color of word and she looked for "her words" in the other color.  That helped keep her interest in it.

Jay is in kindergarten and LOVES math.  He's been working through his times tables (which I have a bunch of projects to share about sometime...) and so we decided to see how close we could get to 100 with multiplying 4's, 7's, 8's, and 9's.  The legos really helped keep his interest with {this little project}.

Kay and Jay each took a side of this lego plate and used the "4" lego bricks to see how many it took to made 100.   The legos let you "touch" each number, which was good for Kay.



We used the "6" lego brick with the "1" for the 7's.

One thing that Jay noticed from this activity was that it was hard to land right on 100.  Not everything divides evenly.

Then I got out some of our dice to play some games with.

The Roll to 100 is an adding game.

Jay wrote down each roll and added it to the roll before.  The goal was to land right on 100 and not go over.  This is much easier said, than done!

He played it over and over, determined to get it.  And he finally did!



I gave the dice to Kay too to play with.  She's not into adding double digits yet, but she wrote down each roll and practiced her handwriting and knowing what each number was.

For the Roll to $1.00 Game, I got out our coin dice that I made (from a previous little math project).  Again, Jay wrote down each roll and added it to the one before.  The goal: try to get to $1.00 without going over.

Again, easier said than done!  But we turned it into an adding and subtracting game after we changed the rules so that if you went over you could do one more roll and subtract it to see if you landed on 100 cents.

Jay really enjoyed both math dice games and played them again and again.

And you have to have some party food right?

Here is our centipede snack:

 

He doesn't quite have 100 legs, but... close enough.

We made him with a sliced banana, craisins for eyes, and halved cheerios for legs.  I would have used pretzels for the legs but we ran out.

The kids dipped him in yogurt and thought it was a great snack (whew!)

Now we're looking forward to celebrating 100 next year!

If you have any fun ideas, please share!

And with all this 100 fun, be sure to enter the PrintRunner Giveaway for 100 free full-color postcards!  Go here to enter!

Cinco de Mayo and Mexico Learning

Originally shared at abcand123learning.com as part of the Music and Movement Series.

One of the things that I love about being a musician and a dancer is that it brings me full circle in what I am learning about. It's one thing to read about a place in a book. But if you really want to get to know a people you've got to listen to their music and language and watch (and try!) the movements of their people's dance. That's where you will find a true reflection of a people's traditions and culture.

I hope that you will enjoy traveling around the world-in the comfort of your own home-to learn about cultures as well as the joy of music and movement and dance with your children and students!

To celebrate Cinco de Mayo, today we will be learning about the music and movement in MEXICO!

Mexican dance is done in character shoes (shoe with a heel) for girls, and a cowboy boot for boys.

To get started, watch this video that shoes some of the different styles of Mexican Dance:

In this clip you will learn about the costume that the women wear when they dance.  You can also see the character shoes:

This lets you see some of the dancing up close!  The dance is "percussive" which means that the shoes are not just for dancing in.  They are also to make sounds with.

  You might like to try making sounds with your feet too!

Mariachi music is the style of music that we often think of when we hear Mexican music.

The word mariachi refers to the musicians now commonly seen in restaurants or strolling the streets, dressed in silver studded charro outfits with wide brimmed hats playing a variety of instruments which include violins, guitars, basses, vihuelas (a 5 string guitar) and trumpets.

This is a song we often hear in Spanish, the language spoken in much of Mexico with the mariachi style of music.

Mariachi songs speak about machismo, love, betrayal, death, politics, revolutionary heroes and even animals (one particularly famous song is "La Cucaracha").

Mexican dance is also for boys!

Now YOU Try!

Some things you really have to try to appreciate or understand them.

These activities will help you do that!

La Cucaracha song with the words in Spanish.  Try singing along!

Here is a child dancing with her skirt.  Try dancing like her!

Have you heard of the Mexican Hat Dance?  Try dancing it along with these children!

Make your own maracas 

out of your left over plastic eggs from Easter with the instructions: HERE

Link to Mexican flag coloring page: HERE

Link to coloring page of mariachi players: HERE

Try making music with

  Mexican musical instruments with the game HERE

Now you will be all ready for Cinco de Mayo!

Spring Birds-they hatched!

I shared the links last week for the live webcams of the two bird nests we've been watching.  

Well, all the eggs have hatched and the {little} baby birds are darling!

You have to go see them!

Here's the link for the Great Blue Heron nest.
 

And Here's the link for the Red-tailed Hawk nest camera.



Have fun!

Spring Birds!

I've been meaning to share a {little project} we've been enjoying with birds for the past 2 weeks.  We've been watching LIVE bird cams that stream live video of a Great Blue Heron and it's egg in it's nest!ANDa Red-tailed Hawk and the eggs in it's nest!
My kids love watching the birds talk care of their nest and trying for a peek at their eggs.  You see different kinds of behavior watching at different times of the day.
Here's the link for the Great Blue Heron nest. And Here's the link for the Red-tailed Hawk nest camera. 

To go along with our bird learning, we've been enjoying 

this bird book en español.  (via spanish playground.)

 As well as some of these other {little} birds projects: birdie Baby toya fun art project  bird nest cookies (great for using up left over Easter candy :) baby birds and their nesttheir nests are easy to make with yarn!    Edible bird's nestanother good one for using up peeps and candy.  Enjoy!
 

He Is Risen and More Bible Videos

Our family is looking forward to witnessing my sweet {little} niece's baby blessing on Easter Sunday.
This Easter has been a little different for us.  We're usually at home, not in a hotel room at Easter time.
But even on the road, in our family scripture time we've been able to talk with our kids about Easter and what it really means.As Jay told me yesterday, "It isn't anything about eggs and bunnies.  It's about Jesus!"

Tonight we watched He Is Risen online with our kids about what Easter is all about right in our hotel room.  And it didn't matter that we are here instead of home.  
The powerful message that He is Risen is true everywhere.

I'm always amazed at how the {littlest} among us know.
For instance, here is Ellie's (2-year-old) narration during the short He Is Risen movie:
At the start: "Mommy!  Daddy!  Happy!  Jesus!"
During the Last Supper: "Light!"
While Jesus is being whipped: "Oh no!"
When the crown of thorns is placed on Jesus' head: "Jesus owie!"
When they drove nails through Jesus' hands and feet: "Jesus owie.  Mommy Daddy owie."
When Jesus is at the tomb, after the 3rd day when he is resurrected: "Jesus!"
Out of the mouth of babes.
I picked up this book a couple of weeks ago and have really enjoyed it and recommend it.
 God So Loved the World: The Final Days of the Savior's Life 
Besides going through each day or Holy Week with scriptures, maps and insights, The author points out that Gorden B. Hinckley said, "There would be no Christmas if there had not been Easter."  I don't think we often think of the events in that order.  Christmas seems to get so much more attention, and yet we celebrate the birth of baby Jesus because His atonement and resurrection means so much to mankind.
A {little} something I've been thinking on this year.  Somehow, when your regular traditions are thrown up the air, you start to really think about those traditions a {little} more ;)
For more fabulous bible videos, see biblevideos.org
Wishing you a very Happy Easter!

Spring Marshmallow Pops

My {little} ones like to be in the kitchen "helping" me.  

So {this little project} is fun for me because I can easily include them too.  

Yay!

I love all the different shapes of marshmallows in the spring.  

We just found some flower ones at the dollar store--of all places--that I'm using for another learning {little project} with Kay.  

Shown here are bunnies and ducks.  

To make {this little project}

Prepare your marshmallows with sucker sticks in them

Then simply melt some chocolate and put it in a shallow dish.  

Dip one side of the marshmallow in the chocolate and then sprinkle it (or let the kids!)

Then rest them on a tray to cool.

Every treat is just a {little} more fun to eat on a stick, right?

And my kiddos have no problem reusing their sticks to put another marshmallow on!

 'Tis the season for a yummy {little} project!

Friday Favorites and Freebies: General Conference Ideas

Our family really looks forward to the first weekend of April (and October!) for the special broadcast of General Conference.
Confessions of a Slacker Mom has put together a very comprehensive pinterest board for General Conference of outstanding ideas of ways to keep even the {littlest} of viewers excited and learning.
I'm also a big fan of her Walk Beside Me preschool curriculum that she creates and shares for free for our {little} people like this one:

This article has more great ideas about how to make Conference meaningful before, during, and after with some great ideas of traditions to start in your own family.
So many fun things to learn...so {little} time!  Enjoy!
Happy Weekend!

Rice Krispies filled Easter Egg Treats {surprise!}

Filling plastic eggs with jelly beans and candy is so... predictable.


Want to give them a happy {little} surprise instead?

Surprise!


My kids LOVE these rice krispie filled easter egg treats!

{this Little Project} is easy to make and festive too!

Follow the instructions on the package to make rice krispie treats but instead of putting them in a pan, you will form small egg shapes instead.


{little project tip}: rub some butter on your hands. It makes shaping them soooo much easier!

Then check to make sure the treat will fit into your plastic eggs and go ahead and roll it in sprinkles!

Then close them up and wait.  


No one will suspect, so it's a fun {little} surprise when they are opened!

And yes, the grown-up version of {this little project} means I dip them in chocolate ;)


It's the {little} things, right?

BONUS! {this little project} is kid-friendly to make 
(especially if you melt the marshmallows and butter in the microwave, like I do!)

Mapping An Easter Egg Hunt

It's that time of the year when I get a {little} sneaky and use 

our plastic Easter eggs to have a {little} extra fun learning.

My son Jay loves maps. He's pretty good at reading them so 

the other day we bought a compass for him at the store to try out.  

All the way home he told me which direction I was driving. 

It was a lot of fun!  

So instead of the usual Easter egg hunt, I put together a 

Direction egg hunt to help him practice learning to follow 

directions and direct himself using north, south, east, and west 

with his compass.

Kay isn't quite ready for the compass so her egg hunt was 

about counting her steps and practicing left and right.  

With Easter coming up and plastic eggs everywhere, 

I thought I would share {this little} resources with you 

as a fun way to practice learning to move in the right direction.

Since we were doing 2 different egg hunts, we have the boy eggs with directions for using the compass in them to find them all:
   
And the girl eggs to practice counting steps and turning right and left.

The great thing about using colored eggs is that when you hide 

them you can note which color that the kids will find first, 

second, etc.--just in case they get confused at some point 

and need to backtrack. Re-tracing their steps is all part of 

learning which way to go.

For each egg I put in a paper in that describes:

the type of movement (walking forward/backward, hop, etc.)

the direction of the movement (right/left, or north/south, etc.)

Here are some fill-in the blank papers I used:

Compass Egg Hunt Directions

You can fill in the blanks to fit where you hide your eggs.
When you are done, it would be fun to draw a map of where your hunt took you, looking at the clues you used to find the eggs.
I also used {this little} activity to talk about how important it is to follow directions to get where they are going and not get lost.  There are a lot of applications for teaching {this little} lesson.  
Of course learning about which direction is which is an important {little} lesson too :)

p.s. I am a guest writer at abcand123learning.com and shared some fun songs and musical activities to go along with {this little project} {here}.

Butterfly Snack (craft!)

Some of my favorite {little} projects are the ones we get to eat!
This past week we've been enjoying such warm spring weather and we put together a {little} butterfly snack to go with our butterfly finger puppets.
This a photo of the one that Kay made:

To make {this little project} start by cutting 2 circle crackers cut in half for the wings(use a sawing motion to cut for best results)
cover the crackers with peanut butter (you could use marshmallow spread if you have an allergy) 
and then add rainbow chocolate covered sunflower seeds to the "wings" 
The "caterpillar body" in the middle is a gummy worm, of course!
 Jay decided to watch the praying mantis life cycle this year, instead of the butterflies we did last year. And good news!  Our praying mantis egg (and the fruit flies to feed the baby mantises) arrived in the mail today!  
We have one excited little boy!  I'll have to let you know how {this little} science experiment turns out.  
I have a feeling we won't be making a look-a-like snack for them though ;)

St. Patrick's Day Tangrams

Jay has been at work designing tangrams for Kay to do.  I love watching him come up with new ideas.  After he builds them, we trace them and then Kay has a pattern to work with to build them too!
There aren't many ideas on the web for St. Patrick's Day tangrams so I took some photos of what he came up with.  I don't have patterns to share because my scanner won't cooperate...
Shamrock Tangram:

Irish harp tangram: (not our best, but our best effort--this was a tricky one!)
Tangram Leprechaun:
Tangram Pot of Gold:

Enjoy!