Valentine activity

Valentine Healthy Chocolate Smoothie Treat

2014/02/12 admin Leave a comment

Could the real reason why the chicken crossed the road be because she saw a sign that said chocolate?

For Valentine’s, treats can be sweet and healthy at the same time. Plus, when kids help in the kitchen they are having fun and learning some important kindergarten readiness and life skills. This chocolate smoothie is nutritious and easy:

1. Using a plastic picnic knife, kids can slice half a banana into a big measuring cup.

2. Now, for the fun part, let your child use the potato masher to squish and smoosh the banana all up.

3. It might be an idea to check if there are any big lumps. Sprinkle one or two spoons of cocoa powder over the banana depending on how much you and your child like chocolate.

4. Mix that all up and stir in about a cup of milk. This can be dairy or non-dairy such as soy, rice or almond milk.

5. This part needs grownup hands. Pour the smoothie from the measuring cup into a blender. Add 2 or 3 ice cubes, put the lid on, and blend until smooth. A hand blender sort of splatters and is messy.

6. Pour into cups and enjoy. If using straws, they need to be fairly big so bits of banana and ice don’t get stuck.

Involving kids in the preparation of food includes lots of learning. There’s no doubt that cooking is a sensory experience, for all the senses. Cooking gives a chance to practice actions like measuring, stirring, doing steps in a particular order, observing, and following directions. Waiting is not always easy, but it can certainly be important. Sharing will be part of the process too. Kids also learn about safety. They will feel proud of being able to help, even with cleanup. Language is a big part of the activity: new words, explaining, and asking questions. What are some of the ways that your child says delicious?

Holiday Activities

Valentine Heart Art for Fun and Learning

2014/02/11 admin Leave a comment

Q. What did the painter’s valentine say?
A. I love you with all my art.

Painting is today’s play-of-the-day for some kindergarten readiness and Valentine fun and learning. Kids can paint with anything: brushes, hands, feet, fingers, marbles, wheeled toys, q-tips, rollers, dabbers, and salad spinners. Paint can be practically anything too: food coloring, water paints, candies soaked in water, fruit juices, and vegetable peels. This time of year, any art cut into a heart shape looks great for Valentine’s.

We used some paint dabbers on coffee filters to make a sort of tie-dye valentine. Because the paint soaks thru, it’s really important to protect the table with some newspaper or plastic. First, adult hands cut out a heart shape and then child hands folded the heart in half, and then half again. Little Sister needed some help, but Big Sister did it by herself. Then came dabbing on the paint. When held still for just a few seconds the paint soaked right thru to the other side. While they were drying, we sang 1 little, 2 little, 3 little valentines, all the way to 10 and back again.

As children are painting, they are:

experimenting with ways to express themselves and their creativity,
exploring their own ideas and stretching their imaginations,
strengthening small muscles in the fingers, hands, and arms,
building concentration and attention skills,
practicing making pictures on paper and in their minds (visualization),
discovering what happens when colors are mixed together,
learning new vocabulary such as lighter or darker, swirls, zig-zag, etc,
and extending language to explain what they are doing.

This activity was pretty short and it took longer to dry the hearts than to paint them. When dry, it was a surprise to unfold the hearts and see what they looked like. They are so colorful, we can use them on the window. What can of heart art is happening at your house?

Holiday Activities

Cute Valentine Monster Cards

2014/02/08 admin 1 Comment

The weekend before Valentine’s Day many young children will be printing their name on Valentine cards to exchange with friends at daycare or preschool. Doing cards helps with kindergarten readiness skills such as practicing writing names, using writing tools, the names of letters, and more. Sometimes, kids write left to right but not always. Preschoolers are often still learning that letters go in a line. When they run out of room, at the end of the space the letters can wrap around in any direction.

No matter which way kids write, Valentine’s cards are usually the first ‘mail’ that they are sending and receiving themselves. If they know some of their friends names, they might be able to recognize and read them too. Valentine cards are more than just an exchange of greetings. They are a step into the world of reading and writing. Plus, giving cards to each other helps build relationships. Even babies are starting to learn about give and take and will play the game of giving something to us and then we give it back. This is a basic social skill that kids need to learn for school and life.

In a recent Learn and Play with Mrs A radio show with artist and art therapist, Karen Wallace, she explained that very young children begin scribbling and making marks about the age of a year and half old! For them, the interest is in what they are doing with their bodies rather than what’s in the drawing. Toddlers become interested in naming what they create, and about the age of 3 or 4, kids are more eager to try and draw what something looks like. Many children love to explore what they can draw and paint and create with colors, shapes, and lines.

Tutus and Tea Parties had a really cut idea for making cards. Using paint dabbers, these monsters were lots of fun to do. We added some googly eyes because the monsters say “I only have EYES for you!” Kids can use any color, any shapes, and make as many lines as they want because monsters can have lots of eyes, arms, and legs. Do you have any other cute sayings or ideas for Valentine cards for kids?

Holiday Activities

Valentine Color Sort and Repetitive Patterns

2014/02/06 admin Leave a comment

1 Little, 2 little, 3 little valentines. At the thrift store today, we found a bag of 28 plastic hearts in 3 colors that gave us a whole afternoon of fun and learning, and let Big Sister and Little Sister practice some thinking skills kindergarten readiness skills while they played. Big Sister noticed the bag … Continue reading Valentine Color Sort and Repetitive Patterns →

Play Activities

Valentine Fun and Learning with Slime or Playdough

2014/02/05 admin Leave a comment

Sometimes the toys kids ask for most are the homemade ones, like playdough and slime; while these are inexpensive to make they are valuable in fun and learning. Big Sister asked for some this week. Unfortunately, we’d used up the red food coloring at Christmas but we had some lovely cinnamon hearts. To make slime, … Continue reading Valentine Fun and Learning with Slime or Playdough →

Physical Development

Valentine Fun and Learning Movement Game

2014/02/04 admin Leave a comment

Do you find that besides the wonderful Valentine’s crafts, you could use an idea for some physical activity? Here’s a fun game with lots of actions and movement that also helps with kindergarten readiness. It was inspired by the need to use up some energy on a winter day when we could not go outside. … Continue reading Valentine Fun and Learning Movement Game →

Holiday Activities

Kindergarten Readiness – Valentine’s Day Fun and Learning

2013/02/14 admin Leave a comment

Being able to share, play, and celebrate with others is more than kindergarten readiness for young children and it will help them when they become part of a group at playschool, preschool, daycare, and kindergarten. Plus, Valentine’s is lots of fun. Many kids’ groups will have special songs, stories, games, treats and other activities for … Continue reading Kindergarten Readiness – Valentine’s Day Fun and Learning →

Cooking and Baking, Holiday Activities

Kindergarten Readiness – Valentine Snack Attack

2013/02/13 admin Leave a comment

Kindergarten readiness learning and fun sometimes needs a snack; here is a super idea for a valentine snack for kids that they can eat anywhere and anytime. It’s no-cook cooking with kids. In the cupboard, look for small, finger food items such as puffed wheat or rice, Cheerios, fishy crackers, craisins, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, … Continue reading Kindergarten Readiness – Valentine Snack Attack →

Holiday Activities

Kindergarten Readiness: Grocery Store Valentine Fun & Learning

2013/02/12 admin Leave a comment

A simple trip to the grocery store can include some kindergarten readiness fun and learning. Are you picking up some items for Valentine’s Day? Sometimes, those who are organized, take along a list. This gives kids the message that writing has meaning. Little eyes are often very good at finding things on shelves, so give … Continue reading Kindergarten Readiness: Grocery Store Valentine Fun & Learning →

Science Activities

Kindergarten Readiness – February Fun: Valentine Science

2013/02/11 admin Leave a comment

Today’s kindergarten readiness fun and learning play-of-the-day has been inspired by a conversation with scientist and author of children’s science books, Dr. Rebecca Keller. Science is all about exploring and wondering and kids do both of those things naturally! The following very simple science experiment, for kids 3 years old and up, helps encourage two … Continue reading Kindergarten Readiness – February Fun: Valentine Science →