Author: Cathy Dewitt

Week 7 Summer Activities (8/3)

Posted on by Cathy Dewitt

1. Rhyming Fun

Down at the station, early in the morning,
See the little puffer-billed all in a row;
See the engine driver pull his little lever–
Puff puff, peep peep, off we go!
 

Cut out a train engine, wheels, and squares or rectangles for the train cars.  Write, or have your child write, the letters of their name on the individual train cars.  Give them a large piece of paper and have them glue the train engine, the train cars with their letters, and the wheels so that it becomes a train that spells their name.This activity is a fun and creative way for them to learn the individual letters of their name.  Be sure to point out each letter and have them sound out each letter as well as reading their whole name.

Using construction paper, make a train with one of each color car.  Have your child gather items from around the house and place them on the correct color “train car.”  Variation:  Tell your child which color to look for and bring items back for.  If you have more than one child doing the activity, make several trains and have the children see who can fill up their train first.This activity reinforces color recognition through real life objects.  This can also help your child recognize that there are different shades of colors.

2. Family Fun/STEM Fun

Building Challenge.   Build a tower for Rapunzel.  Use whatever materials you have at home (LEGO’s, blocks, boxes, paper, etc)  Work together or try to see who can build the tallest, most colorful, most creative, etc.  Then figure out how Rapunzel can escape from the tower.   

3.  Arts and Crafts

Watch a sunrise or sunset (or find pictures).  Draw, paint, or sculpt your own sunrise/sunset.

4.  Writing/ Drawing Fun

Happily Ever After Do you ever wonder about what happened after the “Happily Ever After”? Or what happened that made it so happy? Or maybe it wasn’t happy at all? Think of your favorite fairy tale that ends with “happily ever after” and write what happened after! 

Week 6 Summer Activities (July 27)

Posted on by Cathy Dewitt

1. Rhyming Fun

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the sky so bright,
Like a diamond in the night. 
Twinkle. twinkle. little star.
How I wonder what you are!
 
and/or
 
Star light, star bright
First star I see tonight,
I wish I may, I wish I might
Have the wish I wish tonight
 
Cut out a star shape for each letter of your child’s name and have them decorate each star (break out the glitter!).  String the stars together or paste on paper.
 
Explain that some people like to wish upon the first star they see in the sky at night.  Ask your child(ren) what they wish for, and help them write down their wishes and/or draw a picture.  Material wishes are fine, but explain that wishes can be hopes for others, too.

This activity is great for modeling writing as the child dictates, and gives them a chance to practice if they are writing on their own.

2. Family Fun

Camping Challenge:  Set up camp in your back yard or even in your house.  Set up a tent, have a camp fire, eat camping themed food (s’mores) tell ghost stories and sleep under the stars or in another room in your house besides your bedroom.

3. Arts and Crafts Fun

Nature Scavenger Hunt: Take a walk in your yard, on a trail, or anywhere it is safe.  Collect anything interesting you find (make sure it is not poison ivy, or someones favorite flowers).  Bring it home and make a collage out of what you found.  You can use paper and glue, or stick it on the sticky side of contact paper or packing tape.  Get creative.

4. Writing/Drawing Fun

 Same, Same, but Different:   In a lot of stories there are things that seem the same, but end up very different. They have common threads. What are the common threads between you and your friends or your family? Write about the ways you are the same as they are and the ways you are different.

Week 5 Summer Activities (July 20)

Posted on by Cathy Dewitt

1.  Nursery Rhyme Fun

A little turtle
There was a little turtle (put hands together in a fist)
He lived in a box (make a box with both hands)
He swam in a puddle (make swimming motions)
He climbed on the rocks (use your fingers to climb up your arm)
He snapped at a mosquito (clap hands)
He snapped at a flea (chomp with your mouth)
He snapped at a minnow (clap hands)
He snapped at me (Do Home Alone Face)
He caught the mosquito (grab with your hand)
He caught the flea (grab with your hand)
He caught the minnow (grab with your hand)
But he didn’t catch me (jump in excitement)

Turtle crawl:  Make a turtle shell that will fit your child (use a box, a piece of fabric, or a piece of paper).  Have them crawl around and try not to lose the shell. 
Turtle egg sensory box:  Use ping pong balls or anything round and hide them in a box of sand, rice, or shredded up paper.  Have your child dig for the turtle eggs.

2.  Family Fun

Build a Gnome Home (Fairy House):
Find a quiet location to build your home.  It can be in your yard, a park, or the beach.  Stay away from busy roads or sidewalks. Gather materials that can include sticks, pine needles, rocks, shells, and any other natural materials.  DO NOT USE ANYTHING ALIVE, such as plants and leaves.  Start to build..Check out the video of Miss Cathy’s Gnome Home. 

3. Arts and Crafts Fun

Book Cover Creation: We really do judge a book by its cover sometimes. Redesign the cover of your favorite book to capture what the story is really about.

4.  Writing Fun

Mythical Creature Jokes: Share some of these jokes and riddles with your family, then write your own!
What do you call a wizard from outer space? A flying sorcerer!
What should you say to a two-headed dragon? Bye-bye!
How does a dragon see at night? With a knight light.
What do you get when a dragon sneezes? Out of the way.

Week 4 Summer Activities (July 13)

Posted on by Cathy Dewitt

1. Nursery Rhyme Fun

Muffin Man

Oh, do you know the muffin man,
The muffin man, the muffin man?
Oh, do you know the muffin man,
Who lives in Drury Lane?

Oh, yes, we know the muffin man,
The muffin man, the muffin man.
Oh, yes, we know the muffin man,
Who lives in Drury Lane.

Set up a dramatic play area with kitchen stuff such as muffin tin, pots, pans, cookie cutters, and even playdough.  Or bake your own muffins with your kids.  Have them help pour and stir.  

2. Family Fun

Alphabet Scavenger Hunt:
Go on a scavenger hunt in your house or even outside.  Check out the directions to play the game.  Happy hunting!

3.  Arts and Crafts

Now that we have toilet paper, we challenge you to a what can you make with cardboard tube??  If you don’t have one create a tube out of paper or cardboard. 


4. Writing/Drawing fun

Family Folktale: 

Ask a family member what their favorite folk tale was growing up. It could be anything from Chicken Little to Johnny Appleseed. Once they tell you, write your own version featuring you and your family member as main characters. 

Week 3 Summer Activities (July 6)

Posted on by Cathy Dewitt

1. Nursery Rhyme Fun

Jack and Jill

Jack and Jill
Went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water
Jack fell down
And broke his crown,
And Jill came tumbling after.

Activity:  Collect buckets, cups, bowls, spoons, and a pool or pan filled with water.  Measure how much water fits in each of the containers you have collect.  Questions to ask:  How many cups of water fill the bowls or buckets?  Is the bucket heavy or light when it is fill with water?  Have fun.  

2. Family Fun

Create your own obstacle course.  Find materials at home to make a fun challenge in your back yard, or inside.  Any thing from tape, yarn, chalk pool noodles, and more.  Get creative.   Go to https://playtivities.com/obstacle-courses-for-kids/ for inspiration. 

3.  Arts and Crafts

The Magic Dice (from Art Workshop for Children by Herve Tullet)
Materials:
    -dice, spinner with numbers, numbers in a hat
    -piece of paper
    -markers, pencils, crayons, paint, or whatever art materials you like

Draw a random shape on your paper to start.  
Throw the dice.  The number thrown will = the number of eyes.
Keep throwing the dice to determine how many
-mouths
-noses
-arms
-legs
-ears
-hair (1-2 = a bit of hair, 3-4 normal, 5-6 = lots of hair)
now you have created a magical creature.  Feel free to continue to decorate it, name it, and create a story about it.

4.  Writing/Drawing Fun

Rewrite the Ending:  Sometimes we don’t always agree with how a story is wrapped up. Choose a  story with an ending that didn’t satisfy you. Rewrite or illustrate the ending to that tale.

Week 2 Summer Activities (June 29)

Posted on by Cathy Dewitt

1. Nursery Rhyme Fun:

Jack Be Nimble Movement Game

Jack be nimble,
Jack be quick,
Jack jump over
The candlestick!

Create a paper candle stick and have your child jump over the candle while reciting the rhyme.  Get creative, replace Jack with your child’s name.  Have you child go around, go under, skip, crawl, etc..
This idea came from https://www.pre-kpages.com/jack-be-nimble-gross-motor-activity/

2. Family Fun

Fort building challenge.  Use what you have in your house to build a glorious fort.  Try to make it big enough so the adults can fit.  Looking for inspiration?  Check out Ikea’s page on how to build a fort.

3. Arts and Crafts Fun

Magical Fairy Tale masks!  Print out the PDF’s linked below.  Feel free to decorate them any way you want.  Then create more masks, hats, costumes to go along with them.  Have fun.

Dragon Mask
Fancy Mask
Knight’s Helmet
Unicorn Mask

4. Writing/Drawing Fun

Quest Letter:  Imagine you are playing outside one day when a carrier pigeon drops a piece of rolled up parchment into your lap. You carefully unroll it. Inside it tells you you must save the day! Write or draw what the letter says. Include who/what you are being called to save, why, and what the journey will look like to get there.
Feel free to use the journal provided in the summer reading kit (email cdewitt@georgetownpl.org to get one) or use any journal/notebook/piece of paper.  

 

WEEK 1 Summer Activities (June 22)

Posted on by Cathy Dewitt

1. Nursery Rhyme Fun:

Rub-a-Dub-Dub

Rub-a-dub-dub,
Three men in a tub,
And who do you think they were?
The butcher, the baker,
The candlestick-maker,
They all sailed out to sea,
‘Twas enough to make a man stare.

Activity:
Sink or Float?
 Gather materials and fill a bowl, tub, or pool with water.
 Predict which items will sink or float.
 Test your predictions.  How did you do? 
Continue to experiment with your objects in water…how many items it takes to make something sink?

2.  Family Fun:

Make Your Own Cookbook
 Contact your family and friends and gather their favorite recipes.  Use those recipes to create your own personal cookbook. 

3. Arts and Crafts Fun:

Create your own family shield.  Use the template:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/12uCTI7NBigAnUgpz4M967ZGMAwdx0C1G/view?usp=sharing
Use paper, cardboard, a cereal box or cardstock.  Design a coat of arms that represents you. Need help? Here are some prompts that may help:
-What is your favorite animal?
-What is your favorite sport?
-What is your favorite food?
-What is your favorite family activity.

4. Writing Fun:

Tall Tale Mad Lib:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hDip2hHMpj2EJifhyssIACLNwwA4Com2/view?usp=sharing

LEGO Challenge

Posted on by Cathy Dewitt

We are running a weekly LEGO Challenge!
This weeks challenge is:

MAKE SOMETHING THAT FLIES.

Take a picture of it and send it to cdewitt@georgetownpl.org by Sunday 4/19. If you don’t have LEGO’s at home feel free to build a creation with any materials you do have. The pictures will be posted on Facebook along with next weeks challenge on Monday 4/20.  This program is for all ages.

Free Virtual Learning From Scholastic

Posted on by Cathy Dewitt

Scholastic is allowing Georgetown Families access to more of their learning content: 

FREE VIRTUAL LEARNING RESOURCES PROVIDED BY SCHOLASTIC

Scholastic Learn at Home Virtual Learning Hub

Scholastic Learn at Home is a free website that provides PreK-9+ students with 20* days’ worth of exciting learning journeys carefully created by our editors spanning the content areas, to keep students academically active during school closures. The site also provides free access to a variety of award-winning digital programs. No registration or rostering required.

www.scholastic.com/learnathome

*The site will be updated weekly until all 20 days of content is available.


Scholastic Classroom Magazines


The Scholastic Magazine editors created Teaching the Coronavirus, a collection of free resources designed to help teachers ease students’ fears and inform them with age-appropriate information.


www.scholastic.com/coronavirus


______________________________________________________________________________

The following digital programs are available for Free from Scholastic, now through April 20, 2020.


BookFlix (PreK-3)
BooKFlix provides a fun way for early readers to engage with delightful stories and interesting nonfiction ebooks.

https://digital.scholastic.com/site/launch/bkflix?ucn=642726498

Username: Learning20
Password: Clifford


Watch & Learn Library (Prek – 3)
Watch & Learn Library builds learning excitement with real-world videos in English and Spanish.


https://digital.scholastic.com/site/launch/watchandlearn?ucn=642726498
Username: Learning20
Password: Clifford


TrueFlix (Grades 3+)
TrueFlix helps students build science and social studies knowledge in an engaging way

https://digital.scholastic.com/site/launch/tfx?ucn=642726498
Username: Learning20
Password: Clifford


ScienceFlix (Grades 5+)
ScienceFlix gets students excited about all sciences with exciting articles, videos, and projects.

https://digital.scholastic.com/site/launch/sfx?ucn=642726498

Username: Learning20
Password: Clifford