Lakewood at Home

Good morning! It’s Wednesday again. This week looks like it will continue to be full of thunderstorms. Here are three invitations for middlers, two of which will create a different set of sounds.

Language/Literacy Invitation: Storyteller’s workshop (audio recording)

Today we are thinking about sound and how we now have the technology to record stories right at our fingertips. You can use a voice memo app or other recording device to record your child telling a story. They might want to tell their story while drawing or building the imaginary world from blocks. Younger children might enjoy telling a familiar story with a sibling or caregiver. For example, filling in the building materials in “The Three Little Pigs” with silly objects generally delights young children.

Sensory/Fine Motor Invitation: Sensory bin with tongs 

For this invitation you will need a medium to large container, a sensory material like sand or small gravel, and some larger objects as well as a pair of tongs or tweezers. Arrange the materials in the container and invite your child to use the tongs or large tweezers to remove them. They may also want to use the tongs to arrange the objects in a different way. Using tongs and large tweezers builds fine motor muscles.

Music/Science Invitation: Water xylophone

Last week we offered an invitation from the Museum of Life and Science using jars and water to explore the different colors that make up black ink. Today we again turn to this amazing community resource and an invitation using jars and water to explore sound! Use the following link to find easy-to-follow instructions for creating a water xylophone with your child.

Good morning! Here are three invitations for middlers today.

Art Invitation: Mono-printing with loose parts

We are so curious about what children will think about this art process! This post from Fairydust Teaching explains the process very clearly. We hope it will be an interesting technique for children to explore and open new worlds of creative expression.

Fine Motor/Building Invitation: Block building

Today we suggest setting out some blocks with a few loose parts like small fabric swatches, animal figures, or clean plastic lids. You could get out the same interlocking blocks as yesterday and see how your child’s creations grow and change with the addition of loose parts, or set out a different type of block. 

Social/Emotional Invitation: Connect with a friend!

Connecting with friends these days is a very different experience these days. It is difficult, but not impossible, for middler-aged children to practice physical distancing. You might be able to find a friend whose family is comfortable with your children kicking a soccer ball back and forth, or for planning some socially distanced water relay games (each family is its own team). Your child might also enjoy a videochat tea party or block building play date. Video puppet shows and dance parties are also ways to connect in real time. Your child might also have enjoyed sending (and possibly receiving) mail over the last three months and you can set out paper and drawing/writing utensils for them today. Whatever you and your child come up with, we hope it helps them feel connected with the world in some small way and brings them joy.