Fine Motor Activity: Nailed It!
Supplies: A Piece of Styrofoam, Golf Tees and a Plastic Hammer
Directions: Set up your child with a piece of Styrofoam, a hand full of golf tees and the plastic hammer at a table. Have your child hammer each of the golf tees into the Styrofoam. Take this time to discuss positional words such as in, out, up, down, etc. This is also a perfect time to have your child tell you what colors the golf tees are or count how many they’ve hammered in!
Skills Learned: Develops fine motor skills by using movement and concentration. Hand-eye coordination and control. Math and quantity recognition. Develops color recognition skills. Language development using descriptive and positional words such as in, out, up, down, etc.
Math & Manipulative Activity: Super Shakers
Supplies: Dried Pinto Beans, 1/4 Cup Measuring Cup, and Colorful Cardboard Tubes (You can buy these at the dollar store or make them yourself)
Directions: Give your child the pinto beans, measuring cup and cardboard tube. Have your child scoop the beans into the cardboard tube. Parents, seal the shaker tube with hot glue to make sure that they can’t open. Work with your child to count the beans. We had “thirty-teen” beans, to quote one of our kiddos!
Skills Learned: Hand-eye coordination and control. Math and quantity recognition. This also builds on their ability to follow one-three step instruction. Emotional and social skills by allowing the parent or adult help seal the shaker and/or asking for help to complete the project.
Note: Parental supervision and help will be required for this activity. Keep these shakers close, in the next Music & Movement activity we will use the shakers for our Memorial Day Parade!
Gross Motor/Music & Movement Activity: Memorial Day Parade
Supplies: Super Shaker, Red, White & Blue Pom Poms (optional) and A Way to Play Music
Directions: After you finish your Super Shaker from the previous activity, take your child and the super shaker outside along with your red, white & blue pom poms, and have your child march around while playing patriotic music, such as The Star-Spangled Banner! Take some time after the parade to discuss the meaning of Memorial Day and what it means to our country’s history.
Skills Learned: Develops gross motor skills by using movement and multi-tasking. Teaches historical facts by discussing the true meaning of Memorial Day with your child.
Creative Expression Activity: “Shell” We Paint?
Supplies: Seashells, Paint, Paint Brushes, and Paper Plates
Directions: Pour some paint onto a paper plate. Place a seashell on another paper plate. Give your child a paint brush and let them go wild! While your child is painting the seashell discuss the colors they are using and the details of the seashell such as small, big, rough, smooth, etc.
Skills Learned: Builds their creativity and confidence. Language development using descriptive words by describing the color, shape, and size of the seashells. Hand-eye coordination and control.
Science & Sensory/Outdoor Activity: Bubble Fun
Supplies: Bubbles and the Outdoors
Directions: Have your child hold their own bubble solution and have them blow bubbles. If the bubbles spill, it’s fine! Just a part of learning. Encourage discussion about what the bubbles are made of, why they pop and how the wind makes them blow one direction or the other.
Skills Learned: Personal responsibility by holding their own container of bubble solution. Language development using descriptive words by describing the bubbles and how they work and move. Develops fine motor skills by using movement and concentration of the bubble wand. Hand-eye coordination and control. Promotes scientific thinking.
Language Learning/Music & Movement Activity: Sombrero Dance
Supplies: Sombrero, Traditional Hispanic Music, Maracas and Plenty of Space
Directions: Place the Sombrero on the ground and turn on the music. Give the children maracas and have them shake them as they dance around or jump over the Sombrero. Take this time to enhance your child’s Spanish vocabulary by using words such as Sombrero, maracas, and the Spanish word for dance which is “baile.”
Skills Learned: Spanish language development by using the Spanish words for the materials you are using. Develops gross motor skills by using movement and balance. Emotional and social skills by having the children cooperate and take turns with one another.