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Early LearningFamily ActivityPacket

Winter

AcknowledgementsWe would like to thank Eau Claire 4 Tomorrow for some of the ideas included within this

packet.

Table of ContentsWelcome………………………………………………………………………... 3Purpose………………………………………………………………………… 4Tips on Using the Guide………………………………………………………. 5Wisconsin Early Learning Standards………………………………………... 6Guiding Principles…………………………………………………………….. 7

Standard ISelf Help Activities 8-10

Recipes 11-12

MovementSensory Activities 13-14

Large Muscle Activities 15-16

Relaxation Activities 16

Small Muscle Activities 17-19

Standard IISocial and Emotional Development 20-21

Standard IIILanguage Development and Communication 21-25

Standard IVApproaches to Learning Create and Imagine 26-27

Standard VCognition and General Knowledge =

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Measurement 28-30

Science and Problem Solving 30-32

Social Studies (systems) 33-34

Adventures 34

Fun Family Activity Guide/Resources/Bibliography 35Websites 35Rhymes 35-36

Welcome to the Family Fun Activity Guide

Thank you so much for allowing us to have an active roll in your child’s early development. We hope that the activities in this packet will help your child grow in their knowledge of the world around them along with developing their bodies and minds. Children are constantly learning and through the use of the activities included you will be ensuring that their experiences are beneficial to their development.

This packet is to be used within the home with your 4-year old child. We have strived to make these activities simple and easy to use with little to no extra materials. We have followed the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards to ensure the development of the whole child. We have broken the packet down into the 5 areas of development as stated by the Early Learning Standards:

Health and Physical DevelopmentSocial and Emotional DevelopmentLanguage and Communication DevelopmentApproaches to Learning

Cognition and General Knowledge

These activities are a collection from elementary teachers, parenting websites, children’s magazines, Eau Claire 4 Tomorrow, and parents. These packets are arranged to go along with the seasons and this is the first in a series of four.

For more information or questions please feel free to contact the Monona Grove School District Early Learning Coordinator Connie Haessly at (608) 839-8515 or connie_haessly@mononagrove.org.

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Purpose of the Family Fun Activity GuideThe purpose of this packet is to give parents and caregivers new and fun ideas to help promote growth within the early years of development. These activities have been designed to be easy to use as well as adapt to each families individual needs. These years in your child’s development are crucial to their later success in school and life. By taking the time to use these activities in your home you are ensuring the growth and development in all of the key areas of your child. The activities were designed for use within your home taking little time and minimal materials.

Enjoy!

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Tips on using this Family Fun Activity Guide

When using the early learning activity packet be sure to follow the guidelines below to ensure the most effective use of the activities in the packet.

Choose a variety of activities

This packet was created from the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards, which focuses on all areas of development in children. By choosing activities from each of the developmental areas you are guaranteeing a well-rounded experience for your child.

Be an active participant

You are your child’s first teacher. By working with your child you are modeling how to do activities, as well as teaching problem solving and communication skills. These activities are also creating new opportunities for you and your child to bond.

Allow for more than one experience with the activities

Repetition is a wonderful teacher! Allow you and your child to do an activity more than once. Some activities will require more time for “mastery” than others. Be sure to allow multiple opportunities to share in an activity.

Let your child guide

Choose activities that your child shows interest in. Giving choice between different types of activities allows for children to feel in control of their surroundings as well as expressing their own personal feelings.

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Be creative

These activities are merely ideas. You are the expert on your home and child. Feel free to adapt any activity any way that you see fit.

Have Fun!

These activities allow for new opportunities for you and your child to experience learning together. These activities should be fun and exciting for you and your family!

Wisconsin Model of Early Learning Standards

Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards specify developmental expectations for children upon kindergarten completion supported by practiced-based evidence and scientific research. These standards recognize that children are individuals who, though they typically develop in similar stages and sequences, have diverse patterns for behavior and learning that emerge as a result of the interaction of several factors. These factors include:

Genetic predisposition including individual temperament, inclinations, talents and physical characteristics.

Socio-economic status including access to educational opportunities, health, and nutrition.

Values, beliefs, cultural and political practices of their families and communities.

Because the brain development and social-emotional development are most active in the early years of a child’s life, all of the child’s experiences are of critical importance to the child and our society. As such, these standards support the developmental patterns of children. The Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards are divided into five areas of development.They are:

Health and Physical Development: This includes physical health and well-being and motor development.

Social and Emotional Development: This includes emotional development, self-concept, and social competence.

Language Development and Communication: This includes listening and understanding, speaking and communicating, and early literacy.

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Approaches to Learning (Create and Imagine): This includes curiosity, engagement and persistence, invention and imagination, and cognitive skills.

Cognition and General Knowledge: This includes mathematical and logical thinking, scientific thinking and problem solving, and social systems understanding.

The Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards reflect expectations for a typically developing child; adapting and individualizing learning experiences accommodates optimal development for all children. The standards can be found online at www.collaboratingpartners.com.

Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards Guiding Principles

The Early Learning Standards Advisory Committee has established the following Guiding Principles to inform the development and application of Early Learning Standards in Wisconsin. These guiding principles reflect the knowledge base in scientific research, our values, and our commitment to your children and families.1. All children are capable and Competent. Development and learning begins at birth, for all children and in all settings. The Early Learning Standards support practices that promote development and protect young children from the harm that results from inappropriate expectations. In this, they are aligned with ethical principles of early childhood profession.

2. A child’s early learning and developmental is multidimensional. Developmental domains are highly interrelated. The Early Learning Standards reflect the interconnectedness of the domains of children’s development: social and emotional development, approaches to learning, language development and communication, health and physical development, and cognition and general knowledge.

3. Expectations for children must be guided by knowledge of child growth and development. The Early Learning Standards are based on research about the processes and sequences of young children’s learning and development, and the conditions under which children develop to their fullest potential.

4. Children are individuals who develop at various rates. The Early Learning Standards recognize that there are individual rates of development and learning across any age range.

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5. Children are members of cultural groups that share developmental patterns. The Early Learning Standards acknowledge that children’s development and learning opportunities reflect the cultural and linguistic diversity of children, families and environments.

6. Children exhibit a range of skills and competencies within any domain of development. The Early Learning Standards support the development of optimal learning experiences that can be adapted for individual developmental patterns.

7. Children learn through play and theactive exploration of their environment. The Early Learning Standards reflect the belief that children should be provided with opportunities to explore and apply new skills through child and teacher initiated activities, and through interactions with peers, adults and materials. Teachers and families can best guide learning by providing these opportunities in natural, authentic contexts.

8. Parents are children’s primary and most important caregivers and educators. Families, communities and schools all have significant roles to play in terms of what opportunities are available to children, and how well a child is able to take advantage of those learning opportunities.

Helping Your 4 Year Old Child

Standard 1:Health and Physical Development

Why: As a child grows his/her idea of healthy are directly linked to what he/she learned as a young child. By modeling and teaching good health and physical awareness at this age will in-turn encourage healthy living as an adult!

Self Self-help Activities

Winter Dressing

Materials: Snow pants, boots, coats, hats, mittensDo: Putting winter clothing on in order is a great skill for children learning to dress themselves can have. By making a logical order of dress, the students will be able to avoid the frustration of putting their snow pants on with their boots already on!

1. Snow pants2. Coat3. Boots4. Hat

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5. MittensYou may want to make a little sign with pictures and hang it by the door to help your child remember the dressing order.

Zippy

Materials: Coats, jackets, sweatersDo: Teach your child how to zip.Here is a fun rhyme that can help.

1. Meet your mate. (put the zipper part into the base.)

2. At the starting gate (pull it down so both pieces are even)

3. Hold them tight (hold both pieces steady)

4. Pull up with all your might!

Pitcher Pouring

Materials: Water Pitcher and small bowls and glasses, waterDo: Start by modeling how to pour water from the pitcher into a glass. Then allow your child to try first by pouring water into bowls. Be sure that when you start this activity the pitcher of water is less than ½ full. After your child has mastered the bowl move onto a wide mouth glass and so on. You can incorporate this into meal time and pouring milk or water for the whole family!

Cough or Sneeze in Your Sleeve

Please!

Materials: NoneDo: Teacher your child that the proper way to cough or sneeze is in the crook of your arm, with your sleeve covering your nose and mouth. This keeps you from contaminating your hands and then spreading germs or virus. Teach younger children this simple rhyme: “When you cough or sneeze use your sleeve, please!”

Let’s Do Laundry!

Materials: Laundry, soap, and a washing machineDo: Doing laundry together provides many opportunities to learn. Ask your child to help you remember all the clothes that need to be washed. See how many things he can name. Socks? T-shirts? Pajamas? Have him

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help you gather all the dirty clothes. Have your child help you make piles of light and dark colors. Show your child how to measure out the soap, and have him pour the soap into the machine. Let him put the items into the machine, naming them. Keep out one sock. When the washer is filled with water, take out a sock. Let your child hold the wet sock and the one you kept out. Ask him which one feels heavier and which one feels lighter. After the wash is done, have your child sort his own things into piles that are the same (for example, T-shirts, socks).

Recipes

Menu Menu Menu

Snow Ice CreamIngredients: Large mixing bowl of fresh snow1-2 c. Milk (any type is fine, but whole milk is best)1-2 tsp. Vanilla Extract or other flavoring1/2 - 1 c. SugarTake your large bowl of snow and stir the snow around a bit to fluff it up.  Now quickly stir in just enough milk to make the right consistency of ice cream. Start with about 1/2 cup and keep going until you have enough to make the snow creamy. If you add too much milk and it becomes runny, just add some more snow. Then stir in a little vanilla and sugar, and Viola, you've got yourself some homemade snow ice cream!  You can also add some other flavoring such as chocolate or strawberry syrup if desired.The snow ice cream can be put in the freezer and saved for later, but it's best served immediately.

Edible SnowflakesIngredients: Oil, TortillasUsing the same technique as cutting out paper snowflakes, make snowflake shapes out of flour tortillas, you may need to warm the tortilla in the microwave first to make it more flexible. Put a touch of oil in a pan and fry tortilla until it is crisp. Top with one or more of these ideas:

Sprinkle it with powdered sugar. Spread butter on one side of the

tortilla. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon and

sugar. Use bologna, turkey, ham, cheese, etc.

and make a snowflake sandwich.

Marshmallow Snowmen 1 bag large marshmallows 1 container chow mein noodles 1 package orange tic-tacs

Frozen Yogurt Pops

Ingredients: 1-8oz. container of your 10

1 package multi-colored tic-tacs 2 ounces melted chocolate Assorted small candies of your choice

1. “Glue” two marshmallows together by placing a small blob of melted chocolate on top of one of the marshmallows, and placing another marshmallow on top of the chocolate. 2. Repeat this procedure with a third marshmallow, so that you end up with three stacked marshmallows, stuck together with chocolate. This is your snowman body.

3. Give the snowman arms by sticking two chow mein noodles in the sides of the middle marshmallow. Pretzels would also work for this purpose.

4.Make buttons by pushing tic-tacs into the front of the middle marshmallow in a vertical line.

5. Use an orange tic-tac to represent the carrot nose: dab a small amount of chocolate in the front of the top marshmallow, and push the tic-tac slightly into the chocolate to get it to stick.

6. Finish decorating the face and body with whatever candy or decorations you have. Try adding sprinkles, red hots, or M&Ms, or drawing on your snowmen with icing or melted chocolate. Hair can be created using shredded wheat cereal, or you can make a hat using wafer candies. Let your creativity run wild!

favorite flavor of yogurt, small paper cups, wooden popsicle sticks (available in craft stores), plastic wrap

1. Pour yogurt into paper cups. Fill them almost to the top.

2. Stretch a small piece of plastic wrap across the top of each cup.

3. Using the popsicle stick, poke a hole in the plastic wrap. Stand the stick straight up in the center of the cup.

4. Put the cups in the freezer until the yogurt is frozen solid.

5. Remove the plastic wrap, peel away the paper cup, and eat your pop!

Bear BiscuitsIngredients: 10 oz. Tube of refrigerated biscuits, raisins, maraschino cherries, honey

1. Separate biscuits. Cut 3 biscuits into 1/8’s. Leave 6 whole.

2. For each bear biscuit, round 3 of the small dough pieces for the ears and nose.

3. Firmly press onto one of the whole biscuits.

4. Press raisins for eyes and nose.5. Add ¼ maraschino cherry to each ear.6. Bake on a cookie sheet for 8-10 min. at

400 degrees. 7. Dip in honey!

PorridgeIngredients: 2 tbsp oats, 1/2 apple-washed and diced, 1/4 pint of semi skimmed milk , pinch of ground nutmeg

1. Put the oats, diced apple and milk into a saucepan. Cook on a medium heat and then bring to the boil, stirring continuously.

2. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes until the mixture is thick and soft.

3. Sprinkle with some ground nutmeg and serve.

4. This recipe makes 2-4 servings and can

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also be made using a microwave. A great follow up would be to read The Three Bears while you wait!

Rudolph Salad

Ingredients: 1-½ of a canned pear, 2 large pretzels, 1 Maraschino cherry, 2 chocolate chipsOn a plate lay out the pear ½, place the pretzels about the pear to form its antlers. Press the chocolate chips into the pear for the eyes, and finally add the cherry to the tip for his nose. Enjoy!

Bearly Hot Chocolate Snack Mix

Ingredients: 12 cups popped popcorn, 2 cups mini-marshmallows, 2 cups chocolate Teddy Grahams, 1 envelope of hot chocolate mix.Mix popcorn, marshmallows, and Teddy Grahams together. Sprinkle the hot chocolate mix over top. Enjoy!

Including children in cooking activities is teaching them nutrition, and different tastes. It is also helping them realize temperature and how hot and cold change things, as well as building basic math concepts. When cooking with children you are also helping them develop a sense of pride in the food they are preparing for what they eat now is the food they will grow to prepare for their children!

MovementWhy: Movement is an important part of a child’s development. They use their large muscles to for running, jumping, and pedaling. Small muscles are used for writing, cutting and coloring, putting puzzles together and building with blocks. Children use movement to explore and learn about the world around them. By building these skills now your child will be developing communication techniques and self-confidence.

Sensory ActivitiesWhy: Sensory activities encourage your child to use all of their senses to gather information for their surroundings. By providing a sensory rich environment your child is learning to be more aware of his/her body, as well as building self-regulating skills. Sensory activities can also provide practice on problem solving and movement plans.

Materials: Snow, large bowls or

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Snow Play

containers

Do: After a fresh snow fall, collect snow in a large bowl. Let your child play with the snow with their hands and feet. Discuss how it feels and how it changes as it is left inside. Discuss the temperature of the snow and what happens when it is gripped tight.

Snow PlowMaterials: NoneDo: Have the child pretend to be a pile of snow and lay on the floor. You or another child can pretend to be a snowplow and gently roll the “snow” to the designated area such as a corner. Have the “snow” try all different laying positions such as in a ball or laying flat. Discuss the differences in plowing and being the “snow.”

Name That Sound

Materials: Different noisy objects from around the house.Do: Gather objects that make different noises (a bell, a ticking clock, music from a music box, a rattle, etc.) If your child doesn’t mind being blindfolded, you can blindfold him and have him guess the sound. If blindfolding is scary, just hide your objects behind a propped up book or curtain.

Through the Looking Glass

Materials: Non-breakable MirrorsDo: Hang non-breakable mirrors at your child’s level around the house. As they play they will catch different movements that they do in them. If he brings his toys to the mirror, he can watch himself hold things and recognize his own motions as he plays.

Textured Finger Painting

Materials: Finger Paints, textured substances such as corn starch, oatmeal, sand, rice . . . paper and newspaperDo: Before beginning cover the work surface with newspaper. Then lay out

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the painting paper and mix the finger paints with a substance. Let your child paint with the different finger paints. Discuss the differences in texture.

GingerbreadBoy

Materials: Rolling Pin or another round canisterDo: Read the story Gingerbread Boy to your child. Have him/her lay on the floor and roll the rolling pin gently over his/her body pretending that they will become the gingerbread boy.

Large Muscle ActivitiesWhy: Large Muscle activities help your child learn balance and coordination. It also allows your child to participate fully in all learning experiences.

Snow Storm

Materials: A bed sheet, cotton balls, stuffed animals or small ballsDo: Stretch out the bed sheet holding onto the sides. Through the objects in the middle and have you and your child hold onto each corner. Move the sheet up and down to make the objects on the sheet bounce in and out of the sheet. Practice moving it slowly so it is snowing just a little and then quickly when it is snowing very hard. This is a great activity to do with more that 2 people!

Walking on Snowballs Materials: Empty Egg Cartons

Do: Turn cartons upside down onto the carpet. Walk on top of them in stocking feet.

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Queen BeeMaterials: Jump RopeDo: A mix of jump rope, tag, and follow the leader Queen bee follow me See if you can catch me (Anything the Queen bee does, the worker bee must copy while trying to catch up with and tag the Queen bee. The Queen may leave and enter the rope as s/he wishes. With more than two people, you may have more than one Queen and one worker, but the worker always follows only one Queen.)

Catching Snowflakes Materials: cotton balls, Vaseline,

string (or handkerchief)Do: Spread out cotton balls in a designated area. Each player has their hands tied behind their backs, or hands in their pockets and Vaseline on their nose. When the game begins, the player walks to a cotton ball, bends down and picks up the cotton ball with their nose. Either the first one back wins or set a time limit and whoever gets the most cotton balls. You can also play with teams

Make a Snowman or

Woman

Materials: Snow, spare snow attire (if desired)Do: Push a snowball to make snowperson. This pushing action is a great way to strengthen children’s growing muscles!

Broom HockeyMaterials: Brooms, a soft ballDo: Designate a goal on one end of the playing area. Have the child use a broom to push or bat the ball towards the target.

Go Ice SkatingMaterials: Skates or winter bootsDo: You can start by practicing sliding in your own front yard or sidewalk using your snow boots. If you would like to try the “real-thing” call your local parks and ice arenas to see when their open skates are.

Flash LightPounce

Materials: FlashlightDo: Shine a flashlight on the floor, and the children try to pounce on the

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spot before it moves. After this gets old, you can shine the light on the walls and furniture in addition to the floor. Another variation could be to "get" their feet, tummies, etc. with the light. This invariably gets lots of giggles.

Holiday Bowling

Materials: toilet paper tubes, soft ball, paper, markers, tapeDo: Take ten toilet tissue tubes and attach tag board ghosts and pumpkins. Draw a triangle shape on the floor and place the tubes in a 4-3-2-1 triangle. Have the child roll a soft ball and bowl. Get the children counting by setting up tubes, and by counting the ones that are knocked over.

Variation:You can use cleaned out 2 liter soda bottles with a small amount of water in them (decorated). And you can bowl with a small pumpkin, or even a grapefruit.

Relaxation ActivitiesWhy: Even children need to learn how to relax. In this busy world we live in we often over look the importance of taking time for ourselves. By learning correct ways to relax children will learn self-regulation, be less anxious and more in tune with his/her body.

Quiet MusicMaterials: Classical musicDo: The winter is a great time to sit back and listen to some classical music while the snow is falling. Encourage your child to find a comfortable spot in his or her room and turn on some quiet classical music. Have them either lay down or get comfortable and just listen to the sounds.

Falling Snowflakes

Materials: NoneDo: Observe the snowflakes falling from the sky. Then have your child stand like a snowflake and slowly (and safely) fall to the ground.

Read a Book Materials: Child’s Story Book

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Do: Let the child get very comfortable either snuggled up to you, or in a blanket. Read the book in a quiet voice or whisper. For a twist, have your child close their eyes and make the pictures in their head.

Rocking ChairMaterials: Rocking ChairDo: Hold your child in your lap and rock slowly in a chair. You can do this as you read a book, or just talk about the day. Hearing your heart beat and feeling your warmth as they sit can be very calming.

Back Walking

Materials: NoneDo: Have the child lay on their stomach. Pretend your hands are feet and gently by firmly “walk” on their backs. Try using your fingertips to “walk on tiptoes.” You can try other types of movements to like: galloping, running, jumping, or skating.

Small Muscle ActivitiesWhy: Small muscle control is one of the last developing skills. The more practice that your child is exposed to the better control they will have in their hands. Small muscle control is readily used in the school setting everyday and your child will need this control to help him or her learn to write as well as to do art projects and handle small objects.

Play dough Snowmen

Materials: Play doughDo: Have the child roll the play dough into balls - using the palms of the hands facing each other and with fingers curled slightly towards the palm. These can become the body. For the face, have the child roll the play dough into tiny balls (peas) using only the fingertips. Use pegs or toothpicks to make designs in play dough.

Snowball FightMaterials: Newspaper Do: Have the child tear newspaper into strips and then crumpling them into balls. Another great strength builder is to have the child scrunch up 1 sheet of newspaper in one hand. You can use these newspaper balls to have an indoor snowball fight!

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Snow Sculptures

Materials: Snow, water spritzer bottles, food coloringDo: After a day of building it is nice to add some color to your creations. By using a plant sprayer to spray snow (mix food coloring with water so that the snow can be painted). Or for an indoor option melt "monsters". (Draw monster pictures with markers and the colors will run when sprayed.)

Snowball Letters

Materials: Cardboard, glue, mini marshmallows, white beans, or cotton balls.Do: Write the child’s name in letters at least 3 inches tall on cardboard. Then have the child cover the letters using the mini marshmallow, bean or cotton balls.

Paper Snowflakes

Materials: Scissors, paperDo: Show your child how to make a snowflake. Practice folding the paper to create a large triangle. Then have the child cut out different shapes from the paper. Then open the paper to discover the snowflake that you made!

Letter Fun

Practice forming letters is very important. Here are some fun ways to incorporate this practice.

Shaving cream spread on the bathtub wall. Use fingertips to write letters.

Use pipe cleaners to form the letters.

Use yarn to form letters. Put paint, or hair gel into a

plastic bag (be sure the bag is shut tight) then have your child use their fingers to draw letters.

Trace letters in a cake pan filled with snow or salt.

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Stitches

Materials: Styrofoam trays, yarn, plastic needle, paper punchDo: After reading the book The Mitten by Jan Brett, trace an outline of a mitten on a Styrofoam try. Punch holes around the outside of the tray or cut shape. Have your child sew the yarn in and out of the holes, working along the edge of the mittens.

Object Grab

Materials: Tweezers or tongs, spoon, small objects such as cotton balls, crayons, buttons, or screws.Do: Place small objects in a tray. Have your child practice picking them up using the tweezers or spoon. Discuss which was easier, how did you think to pick it up that way. To add a twist you tell the child what item to pick up by saying the first sound of the item like “Grab the thing that starts with a “S” sound.”

Standard II:Social and Emotional Development

Why: Social and emotional development includes your child’s feelings towards him or her self, as well as their feelings towards others. This development effects how they will interact in their future relationships. Through this standard your child is learning to interpret social cues and norms as well as being able to identify their feelings as well as those of others around them. Healthy social and emotional development directly relates to your child’s overall success in school and life.

Taking Turns

Materials: Ball, or stuffed animal, and a laundry basketDo: Put the laundry basket in the middle of the floor and have your child try to throw the ball, or stuffed animal into the basket. Then you take a turn. Continue to go back and forth and take turns throwing the ball in the

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basket. Another great way to build turn taking is to play board games. Make a game night with your child where they are forced to take turns.

The Gift of Giving

Do: With the holidays happening this time of year. It is a great time to teach your child the gift of giving. Some ways to do that is to volunteer with your family at a nursing home. Give toys or food to the salvation army. Make ornaments and give them to your neighbors. Children are very “giving” by nature, now is a time to nurture that!

Share a Snowman Drawing

Materials: Crayons and paperDo: Before you start your drawing discuss what kind of a snowman you would like to draw. Then share the drawing with your child. Practice taking turns by drawing one piece of the snowman at a time. Start with drawing the body, then the face, and finally the accessories. This give and take of the drawing will help teach turn taking as well as a sharing of ideas.

Being Thankful

Do: Being thankful is an abstract term and many children may not totally understand it’s meaning. It is best to ask children things like –

What do you like? What makes you most happy? What are you glad about

today?When the child responds to your question, then you can broaden their vocabulary by taking their answer and including it in a sentence using the word “thankful”. “Mary is thankful for _____ and _____.” Continue to model this language everyday. “I am thankful that it is a nice sunny day today!”

Materials: Paper, crayons or markers, puppets

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I want that! Do: 1. Have your child write or draw about a thing or activity he wishes he had orcould do.2. Have a conversation with your child about what she wishes or wants and why.3. Tell your child about something you wish you could have or do, and why.4. Use puppets to play different roles in the following pretend situations:• Your friend has one of the new action figures (e.g., Pokemon, G.I. Joe) that you have been wishing to have for weeks.• You want to play with your friend, but he has to go somewhere with hisfamily all day.• A girl in your class who uses a wheelchair has a computer with a game youlove to play.• Your brother just got a great bat and baseball for his birthday … justlike the one you want.

Dentist Office

Materials: Dress up Clothes, appointment book, magazines, plastic gloves, mirrors, tooth brushes, and flashlights. Do: Take turns being the patient. Label the different types of teeth. Practice counting how many teeth everyone has and make a brushing list so that everyone remembers to brush every morning and night!

Emotions Chart

Materials: Magazines, scissors, tag board, glue, markersDo: To help children begin to identify emotions in themselves and others, have them look through magazines and books at peoples expressions. On the tag board make squares for the different emotions that you find, glue the pictures of those emotions in the squares. Then have your child try remembering a time they felt like that, or made that face. Some ideas of emotions to find are happy, sad, excited, mad, embarrassed. You can then relate back to the chart when your child is having problems finding the words to express how they are feeling.

Standard III:21

Language Development and CommunicationWhy: Language has a huge impact on a child’s brain development within the first years of life. Children are able to increase their knowledge of language and words through participating in conversations with adults and other children. Exposing children to new words on a daily basis will increase their vocabulary and their understanding of the world around them. Children learn to communicate in a variety of ways. In the early stages of communication the child will use physical cues as a way to express their needs and wants. As the child grows and begins to become conscious of their voice they will begin to use some words. The more exposure to words they have the more fluent they will become. This communication awareness eventually leads to communicating through drawings and eventually written words. Speaking and listening are the first steps to reading and writing!

Listening and SpeakingChildren gain a lot of their knowledge about language by listening to adults and peers talk. Your conversation helps to build their vocabulary, as well as their

understanding of the world around them.

Story Telling

Materials: NoneDo: Tell as story to your child without using a book. Be creative and imaginative. Old classic stories like Jack and the Bean Stalk and The Three Pigs are stories that can be easily adapted and changed. By not having a book for the child to look at they will be forced to see the pictures in their minds and really think about the story. After you have been the storyteller, reverse rolls and let your child’s imagination roam free.

Clean-UpSound-Off

Materials: ToysDo: To add a new twist to clean up time, ask your child to pick up things only beginning with the same sound. For example /b/ sound and you put away the ball, baby, Barbie, blocks and blue truck. Then choose another letter to continue the cleaning up!

Materials: Various Toys22

Pretty Package

Do: Here is a fun song to help practice both listening and rhyming. Place various toys out in front of your child. Then sing: Pretty Package ( to the tune of “Where, Oh, Where Has My Little Dog Gone.”)

I wonder what’s in the pretty package.

I wonder what’s in it for me.It starts with a /b/

And rhymes with hair.What do you think it could be?

The child will choose the bear. Replace the bold sounds and words to continue the song. For example: It starts with a /b/ and it rhymes with tall. What do you think it could be?

Mom’s Mixed Up

Materials: Outdoor ClothingDo: A new twist to getting dressed for outside play will be to sing the song Mom’s Mixed Up (to the tune of Farmer in the Dell) while your child is dressing.

It’s raining outside, it’s raining outside.

My mom said, “Put on your –oots.”So I put on my boots.

It’s snowing outside, it’s snowing outside.

My mom said, “Put on your –ittens.”So I put on my mittens.

It’s windy outside, it’s windy outside.My mom said, “Put on your –acket.”

So I put on my jacket.It’s sunny outside, it’s sunny outside.My mom said, “Take off you –arf.”

So I took off my scarf.

Mitten FunMaterials: Mittens of various size, color and designs, pillowcase.Do: Spread the pillowcase on the floor or table. Describe each mitten and dictate where it goes on the pillowcase i.e. striped mitten goes in the corner. The blue glove goes in another corner; switch the brown glove and blue mitten. Then switch roles!

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Early LiteracyEarly literacy skills are essential to later reading success. These skills focus

around the understanding and awareness of different sounds. The more exposure young children have to word play the more awareness of words and their sounds

they will develop.

Lots of Lists

Materials: Grocery flyers, toy catalogs/flyers, wrappers or box labels, scissors and glueDo: Have your child make a list using some suggestions listed below. This list can be written, drawn, or cut pictures from flyers and glued onto the list. The child can add their own words.

Favorite foodThings that are cold

Favorite ToyThings that are red

Things you can hear.

Retelling A Story

Materials: Books about fall Old Socks (optional) Paper (optional) Popsicle Sticks (optional) Markers (optional)Do: Go to the local library with your child and find books that interest them. Bring them home and read them to your child. After reading the story 2 times, practice retelling the story to each other. A fun way to retell stories is by making puppets. You can decide what characters from the story you would like to be and make sock or stick puppets to help you retell the story.

Stop and Go Signs

Materials: Old picture books, green and red markerDo: Remind the child that green means go and red means stop. Use a green marker to draw a green circle on the front cover of the book and a red marker to draw a circle on the

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back cover of the book. Use a green dot to mark the title and beginning of each page and a red dot to mark the end of each page.

Scarf LettersMaterials: ScarfDo: Write a letter on a piece of paper or chalkboard. Have your child make that letter on the floor using a scarf. This is also a lot of fun to do with your bodies too!

LiteracyLabels

Materials: Paper, tape, markersDo: Children can pick up on print around them that they see everyday. By making your home a “print-rich environment” you are helping to promote early word recognition of common house hold items. With your child decide things around your house to label. You write the word on a strip of paper and have your

child illustrate the word i.e. Sink . Hang these around your house and add a couple each week. Things to label could be:

StoveRefrigeratorTelevision

(Child’s Name) RoomComputer

TableChairToys

Bicycle

Standard IV:25

Approaches to Learning Create and Imagine

Why: Creativity is one of the greatest things about childhood. Being able to spy a shape in the clouds requires imagination. This creativity and imagination is what creates great scientists and engineers. It is also how children gain knowledge from the world around them. However creativity is not innate in children, it has to be taught and fostered so that it can grow.

12 Popsicle Sticks

Materials: 12 Popsicle sticksDo: Set out the 12 Popsicle sticks and ask your child to think of different things you could do with them. Make a list and find your favorite one. Enjoy your imagination. Here are some ideas:1) Use them for puppet handles.2) Use them for drumsticks.3) Make four triangles.4) Make three frames.5) Glue together to make a raft.6) Use to make play dough people.7) Make Popscicles with8) Glue around a soup can.9) Use as markers in the garden.10) Glue on wings to make dragonflies.11) Color like snakes; glue on red yarn tongues.12) Glue on paper in the shape of a house.

Shape Pictures Materials: Construction paper, scissors, glue, crayonsDo: Cut out a variety of shapes (squares, circles, rectangles, rhombi) in a variety of sizes. Put the construction paper flat in front of you. Take turns putting the shapes together to make a picture. Once your child has made a picture, guess what it could be, then switch and you make a picture and have your child guess what it could be. Then you can decide on an object to make, and glue the shapes to the paper to make a permanent shape picture.

Dress UpMaterials: Old clothing from mom and dadDo: Put your old clothing into a bin

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and have a fashion show. Have your child dress up in an outfit and even pick one out for you. These clothes can also help to promote creative play!

IgloosMaterials: sugar cubes, glueDo: Create an igloo by gluing sugar cubes together.

Tempo TalksMaterials: Recorded music: jazz, classical, tempos, waltzes, scarves or streamers, drums, and shakersDo: As music of different tempos is played, rock or swing the child slowly, medium or fast to correspond to the music. Say aloud, “faster,” “slower” as appropriate. Other children can swing or rock a rag doll to the jazz tempos, tap drums to the marches, and wave streamers or scarves to the waltzes. Encourage the child to match the instrument’s tempo accurately with the tempo of the music.

Rubbing

Materials: Lightweight paper, crayons with paper removed fro the sides, various textured items.Do: Lay paper over the item. Rub with the side of the crayon over the top of the item. The image of the item should appear on the paper. Place another item under the paper in a different location and repeat rubbing steps. Here are some ideas to use for rubbings:String, grates, keyholes, wall paper/ paneling, tile, or wood floor Materials: Paper and pencil, fish bowl (optional)Do: Write “What If” questions on strips of paper and put them into a fish bowl. Call this the “Think

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What If? Tank.” Pull one out each day and have your child think of new ways to answer it. Here are some possible questions:What if you could ride on snowflakes? Where would you go?What if you were Jack Frost? What would your frosty picture look like?What if you could change the color of the snow? What color would you choose?What if snow was gluey or never melted?

Snow GlueMaterials: Equal parts of glue and shaving cream, cardboardDo: Have the child paint with the gluey snow on the cardboard. It will dry foamy.

Animal Dances Materials: RadioDo: Turn on the radio or a tape that your child enjoys. Have them begin to move to the music. Stop the tape and call out an animal name. Have them then change their dance to what they think that animal might dance like. Be creative and join in on the fun. Some possible animals: monkey, snake, spider, elephant, or goose.

String Painting Materials: String, poster paint thinned with water, paperDo: Dip string into thinned out poster paint and lay the sting in the middle of the paper. Fold the paper in half with the string inside. Slowly pull and move the string inside the paper. Open it up to discover the different designs you made! Repeat with new string and color.

Standard V:Cognition and General Knowledge

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Why: Math surrounds young children. They are fascinated by their age, or who got more snack than they did. By expanding on these interests you are building basic number knowledge as well as problem solving skills.

Math

Winter Calendar

Materials: Calendar page (optional) Paper Stickers Markers CrayonsDo: If you do not have a ready-made calendar to use, you can make one of your own by drawing a grid on paper. You can start by drawing the grid in pencil and having your child help you trace the lines using a marker. After you have your grid you can have your child write the numbers that he or she knows in the correct spaces and you can fill in the rest. Then together with your child decide what fun days are coming up and denote them in a special way either by using stickers or different colors. For example you can mark days that you are going to the library, or taking a trip to Grandma’s. Then every day count with your child how many days until that special event. And mark off the days that have past before going to bed. This repeated practice and exposure to numbers and counting would make “math” real to your child.

Fishing

Materials: Shallow bucket on a towel on the floor. Add water, boats, plastic fish, measuring cups, etc.Do: Place a shallow bucket or bowl on the floor and put water in it. Add boats and plastic fish as well as measuring cups and different sized drinking cups. Let your child play in the water. Discovering which things sink and which float, as well as filling up different sized water glasses with others.

Materials: Household Items

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Sort and ClassifyDo: Collect similar house hold items some ideas may be: pieces of ribbon, mittens and gloves, silverware, nails and screws, holiday cards. . .Lay them out for your child to see. Then model how to sort the objects into like groups. For example: Mittens and gloves: separate into color piles. Then ask your child if there is another way to sort them, and they may say by ones with fingers, ones without. Challenge your child to find as many different ways to sort the object as possible.

Snow Tallies

Materials: Large paper Markers or CrayonsDo: On a large sheet of paper write down the days of the week. Explain to your child that for every time it snows on a Monday we will put a tally mark next to the Monday word, same for Tuesday and Wednesday and so on. At the end of the winter go back and count the tally marks made and see which day it snowed the most on!

Foot Prints in the Snow

Materials: Fresh Snow or FrostDo: You walk in the snow and then have your child count the footprints they see. Change roles—next you be the counter! An indoor option would be to have your child count how many steps it takes to get from the bathroom to their room. Or from the stove to the refrigerator.

Snack TimeMaterials: Dice, snack with many parts, such as gold fish crackersDo: Have your child roll the dice and see how many crackers they can take.

Ribbon Lengths

Materials: Different lengths of ribbonDo: Have your child compare the different ribbon. Have them tell you which is longer or shorter. Be sure that they are measuring from the end. Also you can have them put the different ribbon in order from longest to shortest.Materials: Coat hanger (wire preferred), zipper bags, paperclips or string, item to weighDo: Cut the middle section out of the

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Coat Hanger Balance

bottom part of the wire hanger. Cover the 2 sharp ends with tape and bend them slightly. Tape paper clips to each corner. Punch a hole into the top of the plastic bags. Thread the paper clip through the holes and hang them at each corner of the hanger. To use the scale, place a small object in each bag. Balance the coat hanger scale on your finger or doorknob and ask your child to tell which of the objects is heaviest and lightest. Repeat with other objects.

Measuring Materials: Scarves, hands, arms or some other measurement tool and something to measure.Do: You lay down on the ground and have your child measure you from foot to head with different measurement tools. Compare if the measurements were the same or different. For example you may be 2 scarves long, but 15 hands long. Find different things to measure with.

Science and Problem Solving

Pulley Trick

Materials: 2 brooms or dowels, a length of ropeDo: This will demonstrate that machines (pulleys) make work easier. Tie the rope to one of the brooms and wrap it around both brooms. Have two people hold one broom and 2 more hold the other broom. Give the free end of the rope to the 5th child. Have the people holding the brooms try to keep the brooms apart while the 5th child pulls on the rope and bring the brooms together. The 4 children will not be able to keep the brooms apart because the rope forms a pulley system that makes it much easier for the 5th child to bring the brooms together. One can do mare work than 4.

What Happens to Snow?

Materials: Plastic zipper bag, fresh snowDo: Put a scoop of fresh snow into a plastic bag. Have your child carry the snow with them throughout the day. Occasionally draw your child’s attention to what is happening to the snow. After it has melted put the baggy back out side. Ask your child what they think will happen to the snow. In a day or 2 check on the bag again and see if your predictions were right!Materials: Materials: Large ice

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Why Do they Salt the Roads?

blocks (We made them by freezing water in empty one gallon milk containers).  When the water is completely frozen, tear off the cardboard container.   Coarse salt, Food coloring,   Eye droppers Do: Place ice blocks on trays covered with several layers of  newspaper. Then have children sprinkle coarse salt on top of the ice blocks. Next children drip various colors of food coloring on top of the ice block. Tunnels of color are created as the salt melts through the ice block. Finally put the colorful ice blocks outside.  If it's cold enough, they should stay frozen for several days. Children can continue to examine the melting process during outdoor play. 

Animal Habitats

Materials: Animal pictures from magazines or printed off of the internet, pictures of animal habitats, such as water, desert, forests. . .

Do: Glue animal pictures on to recipe cards. Lay out pictures of different animal habitats. Have your child sort the animals were they believe they should go. Point out things about the animal that would give you hints. For example the duck has webbed feet they are probably good for swimming.

Social Systems

Wants and Needs

Materials: Paper, magazines, scissors, tape or glue Do: Teaching children the difference between wants and needs is an important lesson, especially around the holiday season. A good way to do this is to make a chart in one column list the things they want, and in the other list the things they need. Have the children cut out pictures from magazines of different things that they want and need.

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Some examples of wants would be a new toy, or video game. A need would be new clothes or food.

Family Finger Puppets

Materials: Old glove and markersDo: Have the children decorate the fingers of an old glove to resemble the members of their family. The use the finger puppets to reenact stories, or events that take place in your home, such as dinnertime, or special occasions.

Draw Your Surroundings

Materials: Paper, markers or paint Do: To help develop spatial and geographical awareness you and your child draw or paint their physical surroundings. This could be their room, neighborhood, or house. . .

Keys to Culture

Materials: Children’s and adult’s recordings of music from different cultures, and a world mapDo: Play the recordings from a number of different cultures, for example Hispanic, Vietnamese, Korean, Greek or Irish. Talk about the country of origin and locate it on a map. Look at the recording covers for pictures of children and adults dancing. Discuss how they dance and move to the music. Have the child listen to and sing the songs.

AdventuresFall is a great time to get out and explore the changing world around you. There are many holidays and special events that happen during the fall. Below are some ideas of places to visit and adventures to take during this time of the year!

Go Ice Skating or Snow Skiing

Go SleddingMaterials: Sleds, saucers, toboggans, even cookie sheets, shovels, boxes, inner tubes, salt bagsDo: Count how many steps to the top of the hill and how many seconds it takes you to get down. Try sledding in different ways, do you go slower or faster?

Visit the Children’s Museum100 State Street, Madison, WI 53703608.256.6445

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Visit your local Library. Monona Public Library: 1000 Nichols Rd., Monona, WI 53716 | 608-222-6127Cottage Grove Contact the Dane County Book Mobile (608) 266-9297 201 W Mifflin St, Madison, WI

Eat in a restaurantDo: Go to a restaurant and notice the letters/words in the menu. Are the foods sorted by categories? How?Emphasize how all the people work together to get you your food. Ask for a menu, flyer or order pads to take home for pretend play.

Visit the Capitol Contact Capitol ToursB20se State Capitol BldgMadison, WI 53702-0001Phone: (608) 266-0382

Go to a hockey game!

Visit the State Historical Museum30 North Carroll StreetMadison, WI 53703-2707

608-264-6555 www.shsw.wisc.edu

Family Fun Activity Guide Resources/BibliographyEau Claire 4 Tomorrow Family Fun Activity GuideQuarter 2: WinterChannels to Children: Early Childhood Activity Guide for Holidays and SeasonsCarol Beckman, Roberta Simmons, Nancy ThomasKindergarten Teacher’s Month by Month Activities ProgramElizabeth Crosby Stull, Carol Lewis PricePhonemic Awareness Songs and Rhymes: Fall Kimberly Jordano, Trisha CallellaThe Early Childhood Teacher’s Every-Day-All-Year-Long Book of Units, Activities and PatternsImogene Forte

Websiteshttp://Familyfun.com http://Themailbox.comhttp://fun.familyeducation.com/outdoor-games/early-learning/33375.html

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http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/winter.htmhttp://www.learningplanet.com/parentideas.htmhttp://www.kidsdomain.comhttp://childfun.comhttp://www.lth5.k12.il.us/enternet/enternet99/roe13/swright/WINTERhttp://www.songsforteaching.com/preschoolkindergarten.htm

RhymesMr. Snowman

(sing to the tune of “This Old Man”)

Mr. SnowmanSings /p/ songs.

He sings /p/ songs all day long.With a pick-pack-paddy-pack

Sing his silly song.He wants you to sing along.

Mr. SnowmanSings /ch/ songs.

He sings /ch/ songs all day long.With a chick-chack-chaddy-chack

Sing his silly song.He wants you to sing along.

Replace bolded phonemes to continue the song.

FIVE LITTLE SNOWMEN

Five little snowmen on a winter's day.

The first one said, "Wake up, so we can play!"

The second one said, "Let's stomp on the ground."

The third one said, "Let's roll around."

The fourth one said, "Let's run and run and run."

The fifth one said, "I'm afraid I feel the sun."

"Oh dear," cried the snowmen, As they looked toward the sky.

And the five melting snowmen Waved a fond good-bye.

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A CHUBBY LITTLE SNOWMAN

A chubby little snowman Had a carrot nose

Along came a bunny And what do you suppose That hungry little bunny

Looking for his lunch Ate that little snowman's nose

Nibble, nibble, crunch

Can You Find My Mitten?(sing to the tune of “The Muffin Man”)

Oh, can you find my mitten,My mitten, my mitten?

Oh, can you find my mitten?It’s /r/ /e/ /d/.

Replace the bolded words and phonemes to continue the song. For example Oh can

you find my jacket? It’s str-iped.

FROST(Sing to the tune of “The Farmer in the

Dell”)

          The frost is on the roof,           (Point hands over head)

          The frost is on the ground.           (Point to the floor)

          The frost is on the window,           (Make window with your hands)

          The frost is all around!

          Make large circles with hands)

HIBERNATION SONG (sing to the tune of “Are You Sleeping”)

Bear is sleeping, bear is sleeping In the cave, in the cave.

           I wonder when he'll come out, I wonder when he'll come out

           In the spring, In the spring.

Birds are flying, birds are flying            In the sky, in the sky.

           I wonder when they'll come back,

I wonder when they'll come back,            In the spring, in the spring.

WINTERS COMING           (sing to the tune of Frere Jacques)

          Winter's coming. Winter's coming.           It is dark. It is cold.

          I am bundled snug and warm.           Animals sleep safe from harm.

          Sleds and snow.           Cold winds blow.

The Opposite Song

By Jack Hartman

The opposite of up is downThe opposite of high is low

The opposite of in is outThe opposite of fast is slow

The opposite of on is offThe opposite of day is nightThe opposite of stop is goThe opposite of left is right

Chorus:Learning, learning opposites todayLearning, learning opposites today

The opposite of up is _______

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The opposite of high is _______...

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