Welcome back to another week of Lakewood for Middlers! It looks like this week is going to be wet and possibly stormy. Here are three invitations from Caitlyn and Sarah for Monday, May 18.
Fine Motor Invitation: Shape sorting. Tape different shapes on the floor and find various objects in your house that are square, circle, triangle, etc. Sort the items by their shape.
Intent: This activity incorporates fine motor development by encouraging the middlers to use their hand muscles to pick up and place the items. It also incorporates cognitive development by identifying shapes and sorting them.
Art Invitation: Painting with pine cones
Have your child collect some pine cones from your yard or neighborhood
Separate the top portion of the pine cone with a knife or scissors (this is an adult job), leave three or four rows of leaves on the top portion
Pour paint (3-4 colors) into small jar lids/containers (big enough to fit the base of your cut pine cone)
Using the stem of the pine cone for a handle (or just gripping the top) have your child dip it into the paint and create their art on a piece of paper!
Ways to paint with pine cone:
Swipe the cone across the paper
rotate/spin the cone in a circular motion
Use the cone to stamp on the paper
Intent: This art activity introduces natural materials found outside into a creative project.
Outdoor/Nature/Gross Motor Invitation: Sink and float experiment with natural materials. Find different natural materials outside such as leaves, flowers, rocks, sticks, etc. Fill a bin with water. Have your child predict if they think the item will sink or float before they put it in!
Intent: This invitation builds motor skills and encourages “thinking like a scientist.”