Good morning! It’s the middle of the week already. Here are three invitations from Caitlyn and Sarah for today.
Art Invitation: Read the book Press Here and do a stamping activity with paint.
Stamping activity:
Dip old wine corks or any cylindrical object that you have in red, blue, or yellow paint and stamp it onto a piece of paper. The circles will resemble the “buttons” from the book.
Press Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yg0oV-dyhG4
Intent: This activity allows for a different way to explore art and creative expression by using unconventional art materials. It also ties in a cognitive component by adding a book to read first!
Outdoor/Nature/Gross Motor Invitation: Nature Collection Bottle
Go on a nature walk today! This can be in your neighborhood, or even just exploring nature in your backyard. While you’re on your nature walk, find and collect items that you see. These can be rocks, flowers, grass, or anything that your child deems a treasure! Once you’re done and have a nice collection of nature materials you can begin your nature collection bottle. You will need an empty, clear plastic bottle. Have your child fill the bottle up with the items they found! Some items may fit, and others may not. Your child will have to use their problem solving skills to try to make some of the items fit, or deem them too big to fit! When you’re done you will have a filled bottle of natural materials that you can admire and keep!
Intent: We want to encourage the middlers to get outside and use all of their big body muscles to enhance gross motor development. This activity promotes fine motor skills practice by fitting in the nature materials into the bottle and problem solving skills to get items in that may not initially fit.
Fine Motor Invitation: Drawing with cars
Help your child pick a few of their favorite toy cars. Pick out enough colored markers, crayons, or colored pencils and tape them to the back or front of the car. Let your child color by moving the cars around the paper and making tracks as their car drives!
Intent: This activity uses both fine motor and gross motor skills. For extra fine motor practice, have your child help taping the drawing utensil on the car. This activity requires focus and hand and arm muscles to push the cars around with the markers attached.