Category Archives: Theme Weeks

Summer Theme Week – Dinosaurs

Theme Weeks, Uncategorized May 25, 2013 Comments: 2

Dinosaurs

*Just an FYI – I am a Christian and I believe in Creationism.  This dinosaur unit is based on that belief.*

Day 1: Dino Digdino puzzle

  • Read “What Really Happened to Dinosaurs” pages 6-11
  • The book mentions that it can be very difficult for a scientist to put dinosaur bones together.
  • Set up a Dino Dig in a sandbox with wooden dinosaur bones.  This 3D puzzle would be great to use for the dig.  Since I have 3 kids, I will probably order 3 puzzles.  I will then put a color code on each one with a small colored dot to indicate which pieces go together.  
  • Once the bones have all been found, we will construct the dinosaurs.  Using books from the library – we will learn about the different types of dinosaurs.
  • Create a dinosaur journal and record information:  What is the name of your dinosaur?  What does your dinosaur eat? How big is your dinosaur? List 3 new facts you learned about your dinosaur. etc.
  • Online Dinosaur Puzzle

Day 2: Dino Eggsdino egg

Day 3: Fossilsdino clay

Day 4: Dinosaur Day!

  • A day of dino fun!  Search Pinterest and you will find plenty of activities.  Here are the ones we will do on this red dinosaur t-shirt craftsday:
  • Craft- Dino Shirts (to wear on our field trip of course).
  • Dino Activity Books or Printable Worksheets
  • Ceramic dinosaurs to paint HERE.
  • Pick out some fun projects and activities here.
  • Dinosaur Lunch – Dino chicken nuggets, dino mac & cheese, dino fruit snacks
  • Watch Dinosaur Train

Day 5: Field Trip

academy-of-natural-sciences-trex-philadelphia-587

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Summer Theme Week – Terrariums

Theme Weeks, Uncategorized May 19, 2013 Comments: 3

Terrarium Week

My daughter has been wanting to make a “Fairy Garden” all year.  This summer her wish will come true.  Terrariums are fun, easy and low maintenance.

** I suggest you keep a large poster displayed for the week where you will record the different plants and animals found in various habitats.  This will help your children decide what kind of Terrarium they want to make and how they will decorate it.**

Day 1: Desertdesert terrarium

  • Watch Video on the Desert
  • Look at a world map or globe and talk about where the major deserts in the world are located.
  • Read : Succulents by June Loves and Life in a Desert by Carol K. Lindeen
  • Talk about the types of plants and animals that live in the desert.
  • Free Worksheets to reinforce what was learned
  • Craft – I found a Lizard craft at AC Moore for $1.  You could also fill a jar with different colors of sand.  Or look around AC Moore for desert stickers and make a picture.
  • Snack – use pre-made biscuit dough (like Pillsbury) and form into cacti.  Bake as directed.
  • Add the desert plants and animals to the poster/journal.

tropical terrarium

Day 2: Tropical Forest

Day 3: Woodlandswoodland terrarium

Day 4: Make A Terrarium! 

Day 5: Field Trip

  • Visit Tyler Arboretum – a great place to see little fairy homes and gardens.

tyler

Please post your completed Terrariums! 🙂

 

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Summer Theme Weeks – Rocks

Theme Weeks, Uncategorized May 9, 2013 Comments: 3

Rock Week

If your kids are anything like mine, they love to collect and play with rocks.  Why not turn their fascination with rocks into a fun learning experience?

I recommend getting an inexpensive rock kit for the kids to observe through the week.  Amazon sells some pretty good kits for a decent price: Click Here

  • Day 1:rock-candy-04
  • Begin making Rock Candy – this takes a week, so it’s best to start on Monday.
  • Watch “Way Cool Science – Rockfinders” (found this video at the library)
  • Talk about where rocks and minerials are located and how they are used.
  • Then visit the different areas to collect rocks. Creek beds, river banks, beach, parking lots, etc.
  • Using a Field Guide, Poster or Rock Kit, identify and journal the different kinds of rocks that were found.

 

  • Day 2: Igneous rockssemi50Geodes1 (Small)
  • Watch video
  • Read “Volcanic Rocks by Connor Dayton“
  • Break open Geodes
  • Journal what was found inside the rocks.
  • Listening activity: Place all Geodes on table.  Describe a specific Geode and have kids take turns trying to figure out which one is being described.  Kids can then take turns too.

 

 

 

 

  • Day 5: Field trip to Crystal Cave 
  • If you don’t have a place like Crystal Cave in your area, you could go for a hike to view different rocks at the top of a mountain.

crystal cave

Don’t forget to take your journals, cameras and rock snacks on your fields trips.  Have a rock’n time!

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More great “Rock Books” I discovered:

  • “If You Find a Rock” by Peggy Christian
  • “Rocks” by Sally M. Walker

 

Summer Theme Week – Parks and Picnics

Theme Weeks, Uncategorized May 7, 2013 Comments: 2

Parks and Picnics Week

Each day we will make a picnic lunch (together) and visit a playground to play and eat.  A fun and simple idea!  By the way, it’s FREE!!

Here are some great playgrounds in our area.  Post yours below and join the fun!

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Manderach Memorial Playground – Montgomery County

Swamp Pike & Ziegler Rd

Limerick, PA 19468

**Mondays the park is closed until 2PM for maintenance**

           manderach park  heart park

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Rustic Park – Berks County

Directions:  from Reading, follow business 422 east, turn right on Rt 82 South  into Birdsboro; don’t take the detour, rather continue straight on 82 through Birdsboro, all the way to the road closure.  Rustic Park entrance will be on the right-hand side at location of road closure.

RusticPark91x1

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All Abilities Playground (at Kerr Park) – Chester County

1 Park Ln, Downingtown, PA

all abilities playground

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Park Sci (at Parkside Place Complex) – Montgomery County

1 Parkside Pl North Wales, PA 19454

park-sci-playground

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Smith Playground – Philadelphia

Smith is located at 3500 Reservoir Drive in East Fairmount Park, just above Kelly Drive near 33rd and Oxford Streets.

** Closed on Mondays, see website for open hours **

smith-memorial

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Just in case it rains….

Mr. B’s Coffee House & Indoor Playground

Located at Calvary Church | 820 Route 113, Souderton, PA

mr_bs_coffeehouse_souderton-300x200

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Picnic Ideas:

  • Ring Bologna, cheese, crackers, grape kabobs
  • Peanut butter & jelly cut with cookie cutters, yogurt, carrot sticks
  • Ham &  cheese roll ups, melon salad, goldfish
  • Homemade granola bars, cucumbers, pasta salad
  • Egg salad in pita, apple slices & peanut butter, cheese stick
  • Visit my Pinterest page for more ideas!  Click Here

Don’t forget to share your ideas below!

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Summer Theme Week – Movie Making

Theme Weeks, Uncategorized May 6, 2013 Comments: 3

Movie Making Week

Although this may seem a little ambitious, I think I will be able to pull together a small scale “movie” with the kids.

Materials needed:

  • Video Camera
  • Editing Software (I use iMovie on my macbook)
  • Imagination
  • Patiencewheres mark

Day 1:

  • Talk about what it means to “act”.
  • Practice acting exercises. Click Here for ideas.
  • Watch a kids play on-line as an example of children acting on an amateur level.  Click Here for an example.
  • Choose or write a script.  We will be acting out two of our favorite books.  “Where’s Mark?” by Jacquie Hann and “The Little Red Hen” by little-red-hen-byron-barton-hardcover-cover-artByron Barton.
  • Read through books and assign parts.

Day 2:

  • Create Costumes & Practice Lines.
  • “Where’s Mark?” costumes are just pajamas.duck hat
  • “The Little Red Hen” costumes:
  • Hen (make the mask red and wear red shirt and pants)
  • Pig Mask with pink shirt and pants,
  • Duck – Color white baseball hat yellow with orange brim and 2 black eyes – wear yellow shirt and black pants and orange knee socks
  • Cat Mask – black outfit
  • 3 stuffed animal chicks

Day 3: Filmingmovie reel

  • Start filming!  Get creative and film lots of takes.  Set up scenes or record like a play.  

Day 4: Edit

hollywood

  • If you have younger kids, like me, this will mostly be work for you.  So while you are editing, here are some worksheets and ideas to keep the kids engaged:
  • Make “Star” Posters: Cut out big yellow or gold stars.  Children write “The Little Red Hen starring (their name) As (name of character)” and decorate.
  • Make cookies in the shape of a star
  • Story Map Worksheets
  • Free Printable Worksheets: http://www.kidzone.ws/

Day 5: Movie Viewing Party

  • Order some fun supplies herestar trophy
  • Invite family or friends over to see the movie.
  • Have kids dress up like movie stars
  • Lay down a red carpet (paper or runner)
  • Set up a “Snack Stand” and offer snacks like popcorn, candy, soda, soft pretzels
  • After viewing the movie, have an award ceremony and give each actor a Star Trophy for various awards – Best Duck, Best Costume, etc.

Leave a comment below and let me know what books or scripts you will be acting out!

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Summer Theme Weeks

Theme Weeks, Uncategorized May 4, 2013 Comments: 6

I love having my kids home in the summer.  No more running around to get out the door for school and activities.  Instead we get to indulge in lazy mornings in our pajamas and calmly move through the days.  Ah.. summertime.

That being said, if I let me kids do whatever they want all day in the summer, they will inevitably fight, bicker and get bored.  So how do I keep them entertained through the summer?  I have summer camp at home.  It’s more cost effective than sending them to camp, and we get to learn something new as a family.  Each week I pick a theme to learn about and we incorporate a field trip to tie it all together.  Keep in mind, we do have lots of relaxing down time – but it’s nice to have some things planned to keep them learning and engaged.  Click on the links to view my plan for each week.  Keep in mind, my kids are 6,5 and 3.  My plans are tailored to them, but could easily be modified for older kids.  Enjoy and please share your ideas and experiences!

Art History

Rocks

Make A Movie

Terrariums

Dinosaurs

Parks and Picnics

Summer Theme Week – Art History

Theme Weeks, Uncategorized May 4, 2013 1 Comment

Art History Week

  • Day 1: Piet Mondrian.Mondrian_CompRYB
  • Read Biography.
  • Watch video to view artwork.
  • Create a painting using Mondiran’s technique.  See project idea here (we will probably use canvas, black marker and paint):
  • Math connection: Graph the number of squares, rectangles, colors, corners, etc. in the finished projects.
  • Complete on-line painting.
  • Worksheet for younger students.
  • I will probably premake these cookies as a special surprise snack on our field trip day.
  • Day 4: Georgia O’Keeffered-poppy
  • Read “My Name is Georgia” by Jeanette Winter
  • Watch video
  • Go for a walk in the yard and collect objects.  Then draw or paint what was found.
  • Another project idea – Flower Drawings
  • Write an Acrostic Poem using Georgia O’Keeffe
  • Make flower cookies using a cookie cutter 0r cut sandwiches into flower shapes.
  • Day 5: Visit the Art Museum: We are blessed to be close to the Philadelphia Art Museum.  Kids under 14 are free.  Since my kids are young, I won’t be taking them through the whole museum, just the parts that apply to what we were learning this week.  I will also bring some drawing supplies along so we can draw outside the museum while we eat a picnic lunch.

philadelphia-museum-of-art-600

Do I have any art enthusiasts out there that will be trying out “Art History Week” this summer?

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