Blog: PreK

Welcome back! We can hardly believe it is almost the end of June! Happy Pride Month!!! We have one additional invitation today, to participate in this year’s Summer Reading Challenge.

Durham County Library Summer Reading Challenge “Imagine Your Story”

We want to encourage you to sign up for the DCL Summer Reading Challenge. This summer they have gotten very creative with great resources for activities, book lists and recommendations, and a code word challenge for older children! 

Language/Literacy Invitation: For all the age groups today we are offering Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love. This wonderful story of exploration and support is much-loved by young children. You can watch a read aloud by Dr. Marianne Magjuka  here, or as part of a Drag Queen Story Hour here.

Design/Fine Motor Invitation: Light table with natural objects

We recently shared a creative way to make a light table with a storage bin, you can also use an inexpensive tracing tablet. If your child has a collection of natural materials, you can invite them to see which allow light to shine through if they are on the light table. Is there anything that surprises your child? How are their explorations similar or different from the design work in frames or on a reflective surface?

Large Motor Invitation: Find a balance beam

Where can your child find a place to explore balance? Do you have a bit of curb along your driveway or a log in the backyard? Perhaps you can draw a balance beam with sidewalk chalk. Can your child walk all the way along the beam? Creating a balance beam requires creativity and ingenuity and walking along it builds balance.

Happy Friday! Just a quick reminder that we are taking a break from the blog next week. If you have been on this journey with us, please let us know in the comments!

Sensory Invitation: Pom pom water play

For this invitation you will need some pom poms (Unfortunately, cotton balls will not work for this.), two containers, and a large spoon or two. We recommend either setting the containers in a large plastic storage tub where they fit side by side, or offering this invitation outside. Fill one container with pom poms and the other with water. Invite your child to explore the two materials with the spoons and/or their hands.

This invitation explores opposites, uses motor skills and builds sensory schema.

Language/Literacy Invitation: Juneteenth for Mazie by Floyd Cooper

We really appreciated this read aloud of Juneteenth for Mazie by Small by Mighty Storytime from the National Civil Rights Museum. There is an additional coloring activity at the end of the video.

If you are unfamiliar with Juneteenth or would like a little guidance framing it for your child, we found this resource from Teaching Tolerance helpful, though it is primarily for slightly older children.

This invitation builds language/literacy skills, cultural awareness, and potentially fine motor skills.

Large Motor Invitation: Dance party!!!

We feel this is an excellent way to celebrate Juneteenth, the end of another week, and invite children to tell their story using their bodies.

Good morning! Today looks like it will be warmer than the rest of the week. Here are three invitations for preschoolers today.

Sensory/Science Invitation: Making potions

This is a simple invitation to set up and is very engrossing for preschoolers. You will need a variety of small containers and a larger bottle or bowl for the potion. This can be very simply done with colored water in each small container, or you can do colored vinegar and dishes of salt, baking soda and glitter. You could also offer oil, dish soap, pickle juice or glitter glue. You will also want to set out small measuring spoons and a larger spoon for stirring it all together. To contain the mess, set this up on a baking tray.

This invitation uses imagination, explores science and engages multiple senses.

Language/Literacy Invitation: Winnie the Witch by Valerie Thomas or Grimelda the Very Messy Witch by Diana Murray

Making potions may remind your child of witches and halloween. We enjoy the antics of Winnie the Witch by Valerie Thomas and the silly fun in Grimelda the Very Messy Witch by Diana Murray. We hope these two stories make your preschooler laugh.

Language/Fine Motor Invitation: Writing recipes

Grimelda’s recipe calls for pickle root, what kind of recipe would your child like to create today? This might be related to their work with potions, or completely separate. Your child might draw pictures of the ingredients and steps, use their pre-writing or writing skills to note the steps, or dictate the recipe to you.

This invitation is a space where children can see the importance of written language to everyday life and find joy in creating a recipe of their own.

Good morning! It looks like it will be another wet and cool day today. Here are three invitations to engage your preschooler and brighten your living space.

Large Motor/Science Invitation: Flower collecting adventure

We hope you can find a few moments today when the rain is not absolutely pelting down to find a few flowers. These could be clover from the lawn, a few extra blossoms from a garden bed, or even chive or thyme flowers. You can also invite your child to collect different shades of green things.  What colors can your child find? Can you work together to research the names of any flowers they don’t know? How have the flowers in your area changed since the beginning of the stay-at-home time?

Fine Motor/Art Invitation: Flower arranging

When you have found a few flowers, set them out with a small jar or vase, a pair of small scissors, a small pitcher of water and a funnel to help fill the vase with water. Invite your child to fill the vase with water and arrange some of the flowers in the vase. Then invite them to put the vase of flowers somewhere in the house to brighten up a space. This invitation is inspired by the flower arranging lessons from Montessori-inspired schools. It uses small motor skills and builds aesthetic skills.

Fine Motor/Art Invitation: Observational drawing

Once the flowers are arranged and in their location, invite your child to make an observational drawing of their work. Depending on the location they have selected for their flowers, they may need a clipboard to hold their paper. Observational drawing asks children to examine and draw like scientists. It builds fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.