Blog: PreK

Good morning! The wet weather looks like it will continue today. Here are three invitations we hope will engage your preschooler on a wet day in June.

Fine Motor/Sensory Invitation: Nature cutting bin

Gather some edible or non-toxic plants from your yard (or your refrigerator if you have some carrot tops or something similar). You can set this up by simply offering the leaves and a pair of child-size scissors in a storage tub or bowl, or stand the leaves upright in a lump of play dough. If you use herbs this invitation will make your house smell lovely.

Children will be exploring fine motor skills such as cutting and ripping while engaging their senses in this invitation.

Building Invitation: How high can you build?

This invitation was inspired by one from middler teachers Sarah and Caitlyn. You will need some blocks and painter’s tape and a wall. Invite your child to predict how high they can build with blocks and mark that height on the wall with the painter’s tape. You might have them make several predictions for different building methods or types of blocks. Then invite them to test their hypothesis. How high can they build? How else could they measure that height? Can they come up with a way to measure it?

Large Motor Invitation: Spoon and “egg” challenge

It looks like the weather might be pretty wet today. This invitation works well inside, or outside in the rain! You will need a spoon with a long handle and something egg-like. An egg shaker, small block, or ball will work well. If you are outside, you can try a water balloon. Set a starting point and a finish line and invite your child to navigate from one to the other balancing their “egg” on the spoon. You can add some obstacle course type elements to make this more challenging. If you would like, you can switch places and have your child come up with an egg balancing route for you!

This invitation builds balance and concentration skills.

Good morning! Welcome back. We hope you found some time for reflection and renewal over the weekend. Here are three invitations to start your week.

Sensory Invitation: Washing baby dolls

You can set this invitation up in an empty storage bin, the bathtub, or a sink. You will need a washable baby doll (or other washable toy), some baby wash, a washcloth and a towel. Invite your child to help wash the baby in the tub. Through this activity they are reflecting on care routines, practicing washing, and building sensory schema.

Language/Literacy Invitation: The Skin You Live In by Michael J. Tyler

We loved this reading of The Skin You Live In by Michael J. Tyler. This book links with both other invitations for today. For some it will also connects with Juneteenth which is this Friday. This book may be a place to start or continue conversations about skin tone and finding descriptive words other than “black” and “white” for people’s skin.

Art Invitation: Mixing paint for skin tones

For this invitation you will need white, brown, black, red and yellow paint and some jars in which to mix them. Invite your child to explore how they can create the perfect match for their skin. How would they describe this color? What would they name it? Can they make paint that matches a friend or family member too?

This invitation involves color theory, identity, and language.

Happy Friday! We know there are a lot of things on many people’s minds and hearts these days. We hope the resources we have shared for families have been helpful. Next week is a regular week for the Lakewood at Home blog, and then we will be taking a week to reflect and reevaluate. Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Science/Sensory Invitation: Making bread in a bag

Ingredients

• 1 gallon size zip-top plastic bag
• 1 cup all purpose or bread flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/4  cup sugar
• 1 packet yeast (rapid rise or regular) (2 ¼ teaspoons if you are scooping it out of a jar)
• 1 cup warm water (95-degrees)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 teaspoon salt

 

Open the zip-top bag and fold the top back. You can set it in a bowl with the fold over the rim of the bowl to support it. Place 1 cup all purpose or bread flour, sugar, and yeast in the bag.Combine 1 cup flour, sugar, and yeast packet in the bag. Add 1 cup warm water. Seal the bag, pressing out any air.

Invite your preschooler to shake the bag to mix everything together really well.

Set the bag aside to rest for 10 minutes (proofing). This might be a good time for a snack, or to do some puzzles or read a couple of books…

After ten minutes, the dough in the bag should be bubbling.

Add the two cups of whole wheat flour, the salt and the melted butter

Seal the bag, and mix until the dough pulls away from the side of the bag. Your child can shake the bag, punch it, wiggle it, etc.

Pull out dough and place on a floured surface.

With floured hands, knead dough for 5 minutes (You and your preschooler can do this together!), until it feels fairly smooth and elastic.

Place dough in a greased loaf pan (8 ½ x 4 ½ or 9 x 5 will work, or you could do 2-3 mini loaf pans).

Lay towel over the loaf pan and set it in a warm spot in your house. Leave the loaf to rise until it has risen to 1 ½ times its original size, 45 minutes to an hour. During the last 15 minutes, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes, until dark golden and the loaf makes a hollow sound when you thump it on the bottom.

Fine Motor Invitation: Magnets and cookie sheet

For this invitation you will need a cookie sheet or other metal pan, and a collection of magnets. These could be Magnatiles, alphabet magnets, Tegu blocks, or any other small magnets. You can prop the cookie sheet up so it is a more vertical surface, or leave it horizontal. Invite your child to explore building and making patterns. 

Dramatic Play Invitation: Fabric and stuffed animals

Loose parts add richness and more scope for imagination in dramatic play. This morning, offer your child fabric to use with their favorite stuffed animals or dolls. They might want to create outfits, blankets, or a tent for their inanimate friends. Make sure you talk first about expectations for the fabric (is it okay to cut it, for example).

This invitation is an avenue for creative expression, building fine motor skills and using cognitive skills. 

 

Good morning! Here are three invitations for preschoolers on this Thursday in June.

Sensory/Fine Motor Invitation: Button/bead sorting and stringing bin

In an empty storage bin or shoe box, offer a variety of large beads or buttons and some wire or string. Sorting and stringing use cognitive and fine motor skills.

Art Invitation: Window watercolors

Use painter’s tape to tack paper to a window. Set watercolors, a small container of water, and a paper towel or rag. You may also want to put paper towels on the windowsill. Invite your child to paint something on the paper. We wonder if they will notice the paper become transparent when they add paint. How will painting vertically change their work? How will painting with light coming from behind influence what they do?

Outdoor/Large Motor Invitation: Simon/Simone says

This invitation can be used inside or outside. Invite your child/ren to play Simon/Simone says. Take turns being the leader and coming up with fun movements. This invitation uses large muscles while building listening skills.