Blog: PreK

Happy 4th of July weekend! Celebrating the beginning of the United States of America is feeling increasingly complicated, especially in the middle of COVID-19. We hope you have a safe celebration this weekend. Here are three invitations for this first Friday in July.

Science/Art Invitation: Creating paints/exploring pigments

Yesterday we offered an invitation that involved pounding leaves and flowers to make prints. Today, we are wondering how else your child could create paints (this might get quite messy). They might be interested in grinding old pastels or chalk, or using things like tea leaves, the liquid from cooking red cabbage, or turmeric. We wonder what children know about paint and how paint is made and how they might apply their theories to household items.

Sensory/Large Motor Invitation: Water play outside – toe diving

This invitation works with a large bin or a kiddie pool. Find some objects that sink and some that float and put them in the container with some water. Invite your child to fish the objects out using only their toes! This invitation uses balance, coordination, creativity and persistence.

Language/Fine Motor Invitation: Exploring letters (making letter stones or tree cookies)

For younger preschoolers, you might want to have an older sibling or adult write on the stones, older preschoolers or those who are very excited about writing may want to do this themselves. Gather some stones or tree cookies (thin slices of tree trunks or thicker branches) and decide with your child what they would like to be able to write. It could be a message like “Happy 4th of July,” your child’s name, a friend’s name, or the alphabet. Use liquid chalk markers, sidewalk chalk, or paint to write the appropriate letters on the stones. You might want to provide a printout of the alphabet if your child is doing the writing themselves. After the stones are lettered, your child can explore making silly words as well as the ones they intended. 

Good morning! It looks like it is going to be another warm day. We hope you are finding ways to stay cool. Here are three invitations for preschoolers today.

Large Motor Invitation: Nature adventure

Where can you find nature near where you live? Can you see clouds and sky through your window? With playgrounds and parks closed, it has been challenging to find natural spaces, though there are some that are open. Today, invite your child to find nature close to you. They might observe the weather, watch a ladybug on the stoop, or find nature in a different place. A magnifying glass can add another dimension of investigation to this invitation.

Fine Motor Invitation: Observational drawing

As we have been doing for many weeks, we would like to offer an opportunity for observational drawing today. You can take drawing supplies with you on your nature adventure (or pack them in a bag for your child if they are adventuring on their own somewhere safe)

Motor/Science Invitation: Hammer art

This invitation requires some fresh leaves or flowers and a small hammer or mallet. Have your child arrange some leaves or flowers on a paper towel (putting this on a piece of cardboard might be helpful) and put a piece of paper on top (if your child is very strong or the hammer is heavy, you might want to put another piece of cardboard on top). Invite your child to pound on the paper. The pigments in the leaves and flowers will transfer onto the paper and paper towel. We had mixed results with this invitation in our home trial. Some of the flowers and leaves pulverized while others created clear prints. 

Good morning! Welcome to the final month of Lakewood at Home. School will be starting again at the beginning and we cannot wait! Here are three invitation offerings for preschoolers for the first day of July.

 

Science Invitation: Black ink chromatography

Over the course of the past three months, we have offered several invitations that explore how color moves along coffee filters or paper towels. To expand on those questions, we were curious about black ink chromatography. We love this detailed set of instructions from the Museum of Life and Science. It’s fascinating to watch the colors change.

We hope you will also check out their other Bite-sized Science experiments!

Music/Movement Invitation: Musical instrument jam session

For this invitation you can use musical instruments your child already has, or create some using household materials. Invite your child to create music for something or someone (a friend, a tree, a favorite stuffed animal, to help a garden grow, etc.). What kinds of sounds does your child think would sound good to this other person, place or thing? They might want to draw what the music would look like, use a combination of instruments, sounds and songs, or something different. Offer to record their original soundtrack and share it with others.

Design/Dramatic Play Invitation: Small World Mirror

On these warm days, we are thinking about life in cooler locations. Small worlds are dramatic play scenes for small animals or people. Today we used a mirror, some stones, and flattened glass marbles to create a penguin playground. What materials do you have around your house that you and your child could use to create a small world? What would they like to have living in it?

Good morning! Here are three invitations for Preschoolers on a warm June day in Durham. It’s the end of Pride Month, but at LACS we value and honor all families and children’s unique selves all year.

We also want to share this parent resource from Resilience in Challenging Times. We are thinking about all the families who might be stressed and struggling right now.

Art/Science Invitation: Mixing paint colors

For this invitation you will need some small containers, paints, brushes or stir sticks and some paper. Decide with your child what colors of paint they would like to explore today (you can also decide this on your own if you are curious about what your child will do with certain hues). Invite your child to explore the paint. Will they mix the colors in the containers? Will they paint with them as they are? This invitation allows children to explore color theory, transformance, and fine motor skills.

Science/Sensory Invitation: Frozen Yogurt in a Bag

Small or quart-size ziplock bag

118 ml (½  cup) plain, yogurt

A selection of fruit (soft fruits such as berries work best)

Honey to taste (you can also use jam in place of the honey and fruit)

3.7-liter (1 gallon) ziplock bag (or a large mixing bowl)

473 ml (2 cups or 10-12 cubes) crushed ice

59 ml (¼ cup) salt (table, rock or Kosher)

Kitchen towel (optional)

Spoon (for tasting the yogurt)

 

In the small bag, combine the yogurt, fruit and honey (or jam). Seal the bag very well! In the large bag, combine the ice and salt, put the small bag into the large bag and seal the large bag well. You may want to wrap the large bag in a kitchen towel to protect small hands from the cold. Invite your child to shake the bag vigorously (you can turn on some dance music to make this even more fun). Shake for 10-15 minutes until the yogurt is firm. RINSE the smaller bag before opening. Your child can eat it straight out of the bag, or put it into a bowl.

Fine Motor/Building Invitation: Block building

Today, invite your child to build something with blocks. You might enjoy building with your child for a few minutes as well. You can prompt them to build something specific (What would you like your house to look like? What do you think a castle would be like? Can you make a map of our neighborhood?), or just let them go. Take a photograph of the structure when they are finished so they can reflect on it later.