Happy Birthday to Dr. Seuss!

We had another fun day celebrating Dr. Seuss's birthday this year.  As an added bonus, it was on a Saturday, so everyone was home to enjoy it together.

We had our traditional green eggs and ham for dinner.  (Well, green eggs and bacon, close enough :))  Mr. Two was hesitant to "try them, try them and you may" but found that he did like green eggs and (bacon)ham.

Mr. One does not like green eggs and ham, he does not like them Sam-I-am.  But give him toast, he likes that most.

Mr. Four loves green eggs, well, to play with at least.  Eating? Not so sure...

Mr. Three said no to the green eggs, but loves the (bacon)ham.  Yum!

We also had some strawberry-banana Cat in the Hat skewers.  Those were a big hit with all the boys.

Mr. Two is crazy about his fruit kabob!  He and Mr. One assembled them for our family dinner, cutting bananas and threading the fruit on the sticks.  A fun way to sneak in some pattern practice, too.

Mr. Three loves his fruit!  Chomp, chomp!

We couldn't have a Dr. Seuss dinner without a fun dessert, so some sweet eggs and ham were on the menu.  Now these were green eggs that everyone was willing to try!  (Made with a pretzel under a candy melt, melted in the microwave and topped with a green M&M.)

The boys liked hearing a few favorite stories, Green Eggs and Ham (of course) and One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, to name a few.   We also played a new game together: this cute fishing game found here.  I had a few more Seuss crafts and activities planned, but the boys were happy playing on Seussville and so I have them all pinned and partially prepped for next year.

Easter Basket Sorting

I found these cute rainbow colored mini baskets at the 99 Cent Store and the bunny confetti at Hobby Lobby.  They made the perfect materials for a little color sorting and fine motor grasping activity this morning.

Easter Ideas Collection

I have Easter on the brain big time lately.

I have even found myself feeding Mr. Three baby bird style, just because it's cute.  (Well, minus the regurgitation, just the open-wide-and-plop-food-in-your-cute-baby-mouth-while-you're-standing feeding.)

In the last few days, I have found a collection of great Eastery ideas for my kiddos.  I am excited to use some of them.

Here are two wonderful printable Easter units.  Musings of Me has another great Easter unit.  Oopsey Daisey has a Mommy School Easter unit.  I especially love the Magic Egg story.  I am pulling out my felt stash right after I post this to put it together.

I just want to borrow a dozen chicks and snuggle them, like they did here.
But I know what they turn into when they grow up.  And what they smell like.  And what they do to floors.  I think we'll stick to our chenille chicks for now.

I want this book!  I think I may have to get a copy and paint some shoes.  I'm a sucker for a good book.

My Montessori Journey has two more wonderful egg activities that I am going to try and put together this weekend.  Go here and here.

I think this snack idea is genius.  I'm not sure how much of the veggies my boys will eat, but one can hope...

Here are some of my past Easter related posts, here and here, just for fun.

What Easter-themed fun are you participating in with your families?

Spring Flowers

Over seven years ago, when we were just settled into our little home, we noticed a strange looking plant growing in the bare flower bed along the brick wall on our front porch.  It was tiny and green and fan-like.  It was probably a weed.  It was unsightly and odd.  My first instinct was to yank it out.

My husband thought better.  After examining it, he suggested that it might be fun to see what it grew into.  It most definitely wasn't a weed.  Maybe an onion.  Or a flower. He wanted to give it some time.

I reluctantly agreed, thinking that we may end up with an onion patch on our front porch, stinking up the neighborhood.

It took several years, but one early spring morning, we noticed a shoot.  Soon after, there were buds.  They grew and turned purple.  Finally, one perfect morning, a beautiful iris bloomed.  Now, a few years later, we have a purple-hued array of irises every spring.  The blooms are delicate and only last a little while, but they are splendid when they arrive.  Mother Nature's testament to new life, a perfect reminder of Easter.  New life.  Resurrection.  A hope in better things to come.

I can't help but think about my little slow growing flower bed and how it relates to life.  So often, things come up that seem odd, bothersome, unexpected.  My instinct is to rip them out.  Fix the problem.  Make drastic changes.

My husband knows better.  He is the patient one.  The one who sees the flowers in the small green shoots.

So often, the better solution is to let changes come.  Give them time.  Let them grow.  Work with what is given and be content.  The weeds and problems that I see today aren't always weeds.  Frequently, they turn into the beautiful irises of tomorrow.

I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who knows what each little seedling can become.  A Father who plants unexpected things in our path.  In our own challenges and struggles,  may we all grow and see the beauty, and the divine potential, that is in each of our lives.

Ladybug Math

I love these plastic ladybugs that I found several years ago from Oriental Trading!  Unfortunately, they don't sell them anymore, but you could use ladybug erasers, foam shapes, beads, etc.

This is a simple addition activity that my kindergarten students loved.  Just spin, count out your ladybugs onto the leaves, then say and/or write an addition problem.

I recently pulled this out for Mr. Two (who is three) and modified the activity.  I spun one spinner and Mr. Two the other.  We counted our ladybugs onto our leaves, then pointed to the group that had more (or less).

Five Little Aphids

Here's my buggy twist on the classic "Five Little Monkeys Swingin' in a Tree".

Five Little Aphids

Five little aphids, sitting on a leaf

teasing Spotted Ladybug,

"You can't catch me.

You can't catch me."

Along comes Spotted Ladybug, quiet as can be,

then...

SNAPs one aphid right off of the leaf!

On Being Entomologists

This week, we are entomologists (or as we also like to say, "Bug Scientists").  Mr. Two is loving to classify our bug collection.

We have two groups:  insects and not insects.  (Yes, we are very scientific in our classifications, and we usually have to have at least one car to help us in our discoveries.)

The insects go in the bug catcher.

The others go back on the grass.

How do we know which are the insects?

We count of course!

Six legs?  Check!

Three body parts?  Check!

Antennae?  Check!

Perhaps a pair of wings?  Check!

Well, then, you have yourself an insect!

Want a little song to help you remember?  Well, we're happy to oblige!

(sung to the tune of "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes")

The Insect Song*

Antennae,
Head,
Thorax,
Abdomen, abdomen.

Antennae,
Head,
Thorax,
Abdomen, abdomen.

Six legs to help me move all around.
If you see me on the ground,
Don't step on me!

*I think this little tune was something I found in a primary grades activity book from Creative Teaching Press several years ago (sorry, I don't remember the source.)

Linking here and here.  Join the fun!

Bug Soup

I pulled out the Bug manipulatives and props for some Spring learning.  Before using any new manipulative with children (especially preschoolers), it is important to let them have some time to explore and use them in a free play setting.  Let them have fun discovering, then use them in more structured learning later.  It is fascinating to see that they will sort, pattern, count, and label things all on their own.

I found some fun bug catcher sets at the Dollar Tree a few weeks ago. They have a little magnifying glass on the top, a pair of tweezers and a mini net.  I added them to the pile of bugs to explore.  Mr. One and Two started off just throwing the bugs at one another, scaring each other, with lots of screaming, laughing and crying.  At that point, the bugs got a time out.

A few days later, I got them out again for Mr. Two and the little three year old I babysit part-time.  They got out the pots and pans and had a grand time sorting, counting, naming and playing with the bugs. 

Bug soup, anyone?

In the next few days, I hope to do some more structured learning with our little buggy friends. 

If you are interested in where I found my bug collection, many of them came from Oriental Trading Company (here and here), and others were found during visits to dollar stores, Target dollar spot, etc.  Oriental trading also has a fun assortment of foam bug shapes, beads, tongs, magnifying glasses, and more that would be great to add to your collection.

Rainbow Pasta

Yesterday was the first official day of spring.  It was overcast and wet all day.  Kind of ironic, since we live in the perpetually sunny state of Arizona.  Today the sun is out, and I'm feeling the need to add some more color to our days.  I've enjoyed the rain, now it's time for some rainbows.

My cousin's creative wife shared a fun idea on her blog for rainbow mac and cheese.

We colored the pasta this morning with vinegar and food coloring.  Mr. Two loved stirring the food coloring into the vinegar and watching it change, then squishing up the noodle filled bag to color them.  This was a fun mini lesson on color mixing for him.

This evening, we turned our rainbow noodles into dinner.  I used a slightly different recipe for the sauce.  This is from my sister in law Carla.  We jokingly have referred to it as "Auntie Carla's Yucky Macaroni and Cheese" because Mr. One didn't especially like it the first time we tried it.  Rest assured, it is not yucky in the least, and the rest of us think it is delicious.

Auntie Carla's Not-Yucky Macaroni and Cheese

Cook 2 1/2 cups noodles.  Add a dash of salt to water and boil 8 to 10 minutes (or just a minute or two shy of the directions on the box).

Shred desired amount of cheese (I used about 5 oz of cheddar jack cheese).

Melt 2 Tablespoons margarine (I used butter) on medium high heat.

Add 2 Tablespoons flour and mix.

Add 2 cups milk and whisk until smooth and thick.

Turn off heat and add

1 teaspoon salt

1 big shake of Worchestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard (I skipped this)

dash of pepper

Mix noodles in sauce, pour into casserole dish and top with cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes (until cheese is melted and starting to bubble).  

Yum!  Have fun eating a rainbow!

linking to ABC and 123 Show and Tell
Tot Tuesdays at Delicious Ambiguity

Play Dough Cookies

We made play dough cookies yesterday.  Here's the recipe.  They were simple to make and fun to shape and eat. 

We used our regular old liquid food coloring (because I was not about to go to the grocery store just for some gel paste food coloring).  The color may not have turned out as vibrant, but they're pretty just the same. 

Enjoy a little something green today. 

Happy St. Patty's to all!

St. Patty's Day Ideas

Here are a few new things I've found on the web to use for some fun St. Patty's themed learning.  Hope you enjoy!

Shamrock color matching file folder game.  This one looked so simple, but it was more challenging for my three year old than I thought!  Find it here.

Another file folder game.  This one is for your kiddos who are starting to sound out words.  I'm printing this one for Mr. One (a great kindergarten game).  Find it here.

This is at the top of my to do list this week:  split pea shamrocks.  The boys will love tossing these into our kitchen pots.  I'm thinking of some other games to use them with.  Will keep you posted if I get that far...  Go here for the tutorial.

A few fun math games, better suited for the K-2 set, but I may adapt some for younger kiddos.  Find how-to's here.

I really want to do this simple color mixing experiment.  With water and not milk.  Now I just need to grab some clear plastic cups.  Here's the how-to for this activity.

Here's some ideas that I have posted in the past that you may enjoy.  Go here and here.

Now, go do something fun with the kiddos in your life.  I may be posting less for the next week or so.  I have a birthday party to plan and a brother getting married!  Good times, but busy times..

Chenille Chicks

Am I the only one above the age of six that finds those tiny chenille chicks that pop up in craft stores around Easter absolutely adorable?  I cannot help myself.  I think they have personality and they're so soft!  Well, my boys love them too and so I have come up with several activities to use these fuzzy little guys with.

Egg Carton Addition:
(for 2 players)

You will need:

empty egg carton
one dozen plastic eggs
two colors of chenille chicks
white board and marker or paper and pencil (optional)

How to play:

Before playing, place 1 to 4 yellow chicks into 6 plastic eggs.  Put the yellow chick filled eggs in one row of the carton.  Now place 1 to 4 pink chicks (or whatever other color you have) into the next 6 eggs and put them in the other row of the carton.

Decide which row each player will pick from.  Each person chooses one egg to crack open.  I have each person count their chicks aloud, then put them together and count.  Then we separate the chicks and say the addition problem together, moving them into one group after saying "equals" to help reinforce that addition is combining two smaller groups.

Optional:  Use a white board or paper to write out the addition problem for extra practice with older children.  My five year old is learning to print his numbers, so this was a natural way to practice this.  I wouldn't write out the number sentence with my two year old, however, as he would quickly lose interest.
 
Chick War:
 (for 2 players)

You will use the same carton of eggs you set up for chick addition for this game.  This time, you each break open an egg, count the chicks and decide who has the most.  You can play like you do with the card version of war and give the egg to the one with the most, or don't worry about keeping track.  My boys just enjoyed cracking open the egg and being surprised at how many chicks were inside their egg. 

You can extend this activity for older preschoolers by having them write the number of chicks on a white board and either circling the larger number or using the greater than, less than or equal signs.

Chick Patterning:

Pull out a pile of chicks and make patterns with your colors.

Hide and Peep:

Hide a predetermined number of chicks around a room in your house.  Give the children the same number of plastic eggs as there are chicks hidden and have them collect the hidden chicks.  Take turns hiding and seeking.

Grab your own cute chickadees and play a game or two together with these fun fuzzy friends.