Catherine Writing

Mar. 14, 2014

Catherine was dying to have her own "school", so I started her on a very, very simple letter-of-the-week lesson plan. For our first activity we made some fingerprint ants crawling along the letter A:

That was about all I expected her to do, but she had other ideas. With no prompting at all, she flipped her paper over and wrote herself an 'A':

Apparently teaching Catherine to write is going to be MUCH easier than teaching Seth...

Turkey Math

November 12th, 2013

I made this super easy number line to help Seth recognize what addition and subtraction looks like. He had a great time playing with it and mastered the concept quickly. I let him use the number line to do the problems I made for him in this turkey math game: 

Each turkey has a number written on it. Seth had to do the equations on the feathers and then match them to the correct turkey. He actually had a lot of fun doing this! 

Can't leave the toddler out, of course! Once Seth was done Catherine had her turn--she sorted the turkeys and feathers into piles by color (and did a most excellent job, too). 

Reading/Writing Resources

Happy Phonics
Explode the Code
Institute for Excellence in Writing

Phonics Learning Games Kids Can’t Resist by Michelle Ramsey

Word Smart Junior by C.L. Brantley
Magic Tree House Series by Mary Pope Osborne (these also work for history/science)
http://www.magictreehouse.com/

www.janbrett.com/games/jan_brett_dolch_word_list_main.htm

Thanksgiving Activities

• Hand turkeys
• paint child's palm and thumb brown, paint fingers red, orange & yellow
• press on paper
• draw on a turkey face
• Thanksgiving Baskets
• in each basket, put the following:
• twist pretzels (praying arms)--to remind us that the Pilgrims came for religious freedom
• saltines--the Pilgrims didn't have much to eat sometimes
• stick pretzels--the Pilgrims made logs to build their homes
• mini marshmallows--reminds us of the snow the first winter when many Pilgrims died
• candy corn--the Indians showed the Pilgrims how to grow corn
• craisins--the Indians showed the Pilgrims where to find berried
• life savers--the Indians saved the Pilgrims by teaching them how to grow food
• Thankful Tree
• make a big poster of a tree
• trace your child's hand several times (and yours, too) and cut them out
• write or draw the things you're grateful for and put them on the tree
• Write letters or draw pictures for people you love, telling them why you're grateful for them
• Use a waffle cone as a cornucopia.  Fill with treats, berries & marshmallows.

Thanksgiving Story

Books: Anything that tells the story of the Pilgrims and the First Thanksgiving

Song: I Am Glad for Many Things, For Health & Strength
Craft: Pilgrim hat, Indian headdress, Apple Turkey
Outside: if weather is good, act out the Thanksgiving Story outside
Food: Thanksgiving foods--squash, berries, pumpkin, etc.
           Apple Turkeys

Prepare in advance:

• Apple Turkeys
• apple
• toothpicks
• things to put on toothpicks as feathers--marshmallows, raisins, stick pretzels, popcorn
• 1 large marshmallow
• 1 piece of candy corn
• For play: 
• paper for Indian headdress
• paper for Pilgrim hat
• something to represent the Mayflower--a picture, or a toy boat, etc.
• kernals of corn 
• For feast:
• turkey lunchmeat sandwiches
• popcorn
• craisins/berries
• nuts
• squash

Begin with song, then books.

Today we'll learn about THANKSGIVING (have them repeat).

Craft time:

• make pilgrim hat & Indian headdress

Thanksgiving Play (do this outside if you can):

• Pilgrims (put on pilgrim hat) lived far away across the big ocean.  
• People told them they couldn't pray or go to church like they wanted to, so they decided to leave
• They got on a boat called the Mayflower (pull out the boat) and sailed to a new land--Here!
• have them pretend to be in a boat and travel from one spot to another
• When they got to the new land, they didn't have enough to eat.
• pretend to be hungry, look for food to eat
• Then they met some Indians (put in Indian headdress) who lived here already.
• The Indians showed the pilgrims how to plant corn
• pretend to plant kernals of corn
• The Indians showed the pilgrims how to hunt for turkeys
• pretend to hunt turkeys
• The pilgrims (put hat back on) weren't hungry anymore--they were happy!
• pretend to be full of food, happy
• They wanted to thank the Indians for helping them, so they decided to have a feast
• explain what a 'feast' is, have them pretend to cook lots of food
• Everyone brought lots of yummy food, like turkey, corn, squash & berries
• pretend to eat the food
• The feast lasted for THREE DAYS
• have them hold up three fingers
• The pilgrims called it 'Thanksgiving' because they were THANKFUL for the Indian's help
• We celebrate Thanksgiving to remember all the good things we have.
• tell some things you're grateful for, have them tell you some things
• End with your very own Thanksgiving feast!
• turkey lunch meat sandwiches, popcorn, craisins, nuts & squash

Craft time/dessert--Apple Turkeys:

• use toothpicks or stick pretzels as the turkey's feathers
• put craisins, popcorn, marshmallows on the toothpicks
• put a toothpick for the neck, put the large marshmallow on the toothpick
• stick a piece of candy corn into the marshmallow for the beak
• enjoy!

Summer

Books: ?
Song: Oh What Do You Do in the Summertime?
Craft: popsicles, Jello Jigglers
Outside: if it's summer, show things that are summery.  If it's not, talk about what it would look/feel like
Food: summer foods--fresh fruit/veggies, popsicles, Jello, chips, Kool-Aid (picnic)

Prepare in advance:

• picture of tree in the summer
• box of Jello, sprayed pan
• fruit juice, popsicle makers
• box with summer clothes inside--swimming suit, shorts, short sleeves, sunglasses
• picnic stuff (if it's nice enough outside for a picnic)
• pretend camping stuff

Begin with song, then books.

Craft time (do it first so that the Jello will be ready): 

• popsicles--fill popsicle makers with juice, put in freezer
• Jello Jigglers
• make Jello using half the indicated amount of boiling water
• pour into a greased pan, let sit for an hour
• use a knife or cookie cutters to cut

Today we'll learn about SUMMER (have them repeat).  

• What is the weather like in the summer?
• What clothes do we wear in the summer?  Have them pull items out of the bag and say why they would need that item in the summer.

What do trees do in the summer?

• Have all their leaves
• Grow fruit

What do animals do in the summer?

• grow big & strong
• eat lots of food

What do people do in the summer?

• play! beach, sports, parks, pools
• eat food from gardens
• stay inside where it's cool
• picnics/vacations
• outside things like hiking/camping (pretend to go camping)

Outside: observe/discuss summer scenes, have a picnic with summer foods if it's nice outside!

Spring

Books: The Best Nest by P.D. Eastman
Song: Little Purple Pansies
Craft: plant bean seeds in paper
Outside: if it's spring, show things that are starting to grow.  If it's not, talk about what it would look/feel like

Prepare in advance:

• bean seeds, paper towels, ziploc bags, tape
• bag full of spring clothes: long pants, rain boots, umbrella, etc.
• picture of trees with buds, leaves, flowers
• pictures of baby animals
• hide some flowers/pictures of flowers around the house

Begin with song, then books.

Today we'll learn about SPRING (have them repeat).  

• What is the weather like in the spring?
• What clothes do we wear in the spring?  Have them pull items out of the bag and say why they would need that item in the spring.

What do trees do in the spring? (show pictures)

• first buds show, then leaves start to grow
• some trees start getting flowers 

What do animals do in the spring?

• stop hibernating
• come back from where they went in the fall
• have babies/make nests (show pictures of baby animals)

What do people do in the spring?

• clean houses (pretend to clean--or really clean!)
• plant gardens (pretend to dig/plant seeds)
• look for flowers (find the flowers you've hidden)
• jump in puddles (pretend to jump in puddles)

Craft time: plant beans

• get a paper towel damp
• place damp towel into ziploc bag
• put one or two bean seeds into the bag, zip closed
• tape in a window where it will get lots of sun
• check to make sure paper towel isn't drying out or molding

Outside: observe/discuss spring scenes 

• show where flowers are/will be growing
• show some nests

Fall

Books: Seasons by Robin Nelson
Song: It's Autumntime
Craft: leaf rubbings
Outside: if it's fall, show changing leaves.  If it's not, talk about what it would look/feel like
Food: fall foods--soup, nuts, berries, pumpkin/pumpkin seeds

Prepare in advance:

• leaf rubbings--paper, crayons with paper torn off, leaves
• bag full of fall clothes: long pants, long-sleeved shirt, jacket, etc.
• picture of trees with fall leaves, evergreen trees

Begin with song, then books.

Today we'll learn about FALL (have them repeat).  

• What is the weather like in the fall?
• What clothes do we wear in the fall?  Have them pull items out of the bag and say why they would need that item in the fall.

What do trees do in the fall?

• leaves turn colors, fall off, EXCEPT for fir trees (Christmas trees)

What do animals do in the fall?

• store food for the winter (pretend to find and store food)
• fly south to warmer weather (fly around)

What do people do in the fall?

• Halloween/Thanksgiving
• eat cider/soup
• harvest & store food (show any food you've stored)
• rake leaves and jump in them (pretend to do this--or actually do it if you can!)

Outside--gather leaves for rubbings (observe/discuss fall scenes)

Craft--make leaf rubbings!

Enjoy fall food together.

Winter

Books: Snow! by P.D. Eastman, Welcome Winter by Jill Ackerman
Song: Once There Was a Snowman
Craft: paper snowflakes, marshmallow snowmen
Outside: if it's winter, show things that are wintery.  If it's not, talk about what it would look/feel like
Food: winter foods--soup, cocoa, nuts, berries, cookies

Prepare in advance:

• paper snowflakes--paper, scissors, yarn, tape
• marshmallow snowmen--big marshmallows, toothpicks, straight pretzels, Kisses or mini PB cups
• bag full of winter clothes: long pants, coat, hat, gloves, scarf, boots, etc.
• picture of trees with no leaves, evergreen trees

Begin with song, then books.

Today we'll learn about WINTER (have them repeat).  

• What is the weather like in the winter?
• What clothes do we wear in the winter?  Have them pull items out of the bag and say why they would need that item in the winter.

What do trees do in the winter?

• leaves are all gone--just branches left, EXCEPT for fir trees (Christmas trees)
• sometimes branches break off from snow & ice

What do animals do in the winter?

• grow warm coats--put on warm coats/blankets (some change colors to match snow)
• hibernate (define, have them repeat)--pretend to hibernate in a 'cave' somewhere
• stay inside, eat food they've stored in the fall

What do people do in the winter?

• play! sledding, ice-skating, snowball fights, build snowman (act these out if you can)
• shovel snow (pretend to shovel snow)
• stay inside--keep warm, fires in fireplace
• Christmas--make cookies, give gifts

Craft time: marshmallow snowmen!

• stack marshmallows using toothpicks
• use pretzels for arms
• use PB cups or Kisses for hats

Additional craft: paper snowflakes

• help them fold, let them practice cutting

Outside: observe/discuss winter scenes (play in the snow if that's an option!)

Food--enjoy winter food together!

Science Experiments

• Make a density column (you can add food coloring to some of these to make it more fun):
• honey
• Karo syrup
• dish detergent
• water
• cooking oil
• rubbing alcohol
• celery/carnations in colored water (this takes longer than I wanted it to)
• bouncing light with mirrors--have them try to aim at different things
• suck a hard-boiled egg into a jar
• light a match, toss it in the jar
• set egg on opening of jar
• watch it get sucked in!
• play "Will it float?" with a tub of water and some random objects
• have them chart what floated and what sank
• show them how to make rocks float (build a boat out of foil and set rocks inside)
• make ice-cream in a bag (there are lots of recipes online--just be aware that little guys will only end up shaking their bags for about 10 seconds.  Then you get to do it for them).
• paint blowing--thin some paint down, then give each kid a paper with a few drops.  Tell them they have to use their mouths and the straw to paint.
• magnet fishing--what can the magnet pick up?  What won't it?
• baking soda and vinegar volcanoes
• making shadows

Halloween Ideas

• Make Halloween shirts using handprints--spiders, ghosts, pumpkins, etc.
• Pumpkin Hunt--place pumpkins all around a dark room, let the kids find them with flashlights
• which pumpkin is biggest?  Smallest?  Heaviest? Lightest?
• Carve a pumpkin
• let them help scoop out seeds (and bake them!)
• let them pick the features (use shapes--triangles, circles, rectangles)
• Felt pumpkins--each child gets a felt pumpkin, make a pile of shapes for them to use to make faces
• Halloween movements--float like a ghost, creep like a cat, swoop like a bat, etc.
• Creepy textures--in covered bowls, prepare the following:
• witch's hair (yarn)
• witch fingers (carrots)
• monster eyeballs (peeled grapes)
• monster guts (cooked spaghetti)
• monster teeth (candy corn or popcorn kernals)
• let them feel inside each bowl but not look (you can reveal at the end if you'd like)
• Make a giant spider web out of yarn all around the room.  
• Make ghost/pumpkin balloons.
• Make witch's stew:
• bat wings--triangle crackers
• goblin bones--pretzel rods
• dried bugs--raisins/craisins
• cat eyes--M&Ms
• ghost eyes--marshmallows
• candy corn (if desired)
• bean bag toss into a trick-or-treating bucket
• pin the mouth on Jack-o-Lantern
• mummy wrap--wrap them up in toilet paper, pretend to be mummies
• pass the pumpkin--put crayons inside, pass until music stops, then take out a crayon and name color
• draw an eyeball on a ping-pong ball.  Have them try to carry it across the room on a spoon.

Weather

Books: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
Song: Rain is Falling (add wind blowing, snow falling, sun shining)
Craft: weather pictures
Outside: What kind of weather is it?  What should we wear?

Prepare ahead:

• box with clothes for different weather:
• rain: boots, umbrella, rain coat
• sun: sunglasses, hat
• snow: gloves, scarf
• wind: jacket
• thermometer
• weather picture supplies
• 4 small pieces of cardstock
• wind: thin paint and a straw
• sun: pipe cleaner(s), glue
• snow: cotton balls or fuzz balls, glue
• rain: glitter, glue
• weather wheel

Lesson:

Begin with song, then read book(s).  

Today we're going to talk about WEATHER (have them repeat 'weather')

• weather is what we see and feel outside
• show THERMOMETER & explain how it works

Go on a weather hunt inside your house:

• sun=oven (hot), use thermometer
• wind=fan, use thermometer
• snow=freezer, use thermometer
• rain=shower, use thermometer

What should we wear in different weather?

• pull out box of clothes you've prepared, have them decide which ones they'd wear in which kind of weather.

Craft--weather pictures:

• sun--let them shape the pipe cleaner into a sun, then help them glue it on (we used rubber cement)
• wind--dab some drops of thin paint onto the paper, let them blow it around
• rain--let them put some glue on the paper, then sprinkle 'rain' (glitter)
• snow--let them glue on cotton/fuzz balls 

What is it like outside today?

• Use weather wheel--let them decide what the weather is like
• Let them decide what to wear based off what they picked out of the box

Smell

Song: Five Senses Song, plus...this is a tough one--if you have anything good, let me know!  Here's a rhyme I found. You can substitute any smell for the first line:

Rhyme:

The toast is burning!

How do I know?

My nose told my brain,

So it must be so.

Books: Smelling by Robin Nelson, My Five Senses by Aliki
Craft: scent cards
Outside: see if you can find different smells outside
Snack: anything with a strong scent--strawberries, bananas, chocolate, tomatoes, etc.

Supplies needed:

• a fridge and spice cupboard full of interesting smells (this should be an easy one!)
• notecards
• paintbrush
• liquids with strong smells to paint with: almond/lemon extract, vanilla, Tabasco, soy sauce, Kool-Aid mixed with water, etc.

Being with the songs, ending with Five Senses Song.  Explain that today we're going to learn about our sense of smelling.  Read Smelling, then talk about how we use our noses to smell.

Head to the kitchen and find some fun things to smell in the fridge (you can have them close their eyes if you'd like to have them guess).  After they've tried a few, have them plug their noses and then try to smell.  We can't smell without our noses!

Other fun things to smell around the house: spice cupboard, laundry detergent, candles, air fresheners, perfume, deodorant, lotions, toothpaste--go on a scent hunt!  See what you can find that smells good or that smells bad.  

Head back to the table and give them some notecards and a paintbrush.  Put a small amount of liquid in individual bowls, then let them paint away!  Watch them carefully with Tabasco--make sure they don't touch their skin with the sauce.

Once they're done, head outside for another scent hunt.  Tell why you're grateful for your nose and what you like to smell with it!

Additional ideas:

• have them try to TASTE with their nose plugged.  Explain that our nose and our tongue work together to taste things.  If we can't smell, we can't taste very well.  Works great for yucky medicine!

Taste

Song: songs about eating/food (Apples & Bananas, Who Stole the Cookies, etc.) plus Five Senses Song
Books: Tasting by Robin Nelson, My Five Senses  by Aliki, books about food (Very Hungry Caterpillar)
Craft: pudding painting!
Outside: not much to taste outside (unless you have a garden), but you can eat snacks outside!
Snack: lots of different tastes--sweet, salty, sour, bitter & spicy (if you're feeling cruel)

Supplies needed:

• food for tasting: sweet (chocolate or fruit), sour (lemon or sour candy), salty (pretzels or chips), spicy (salsa), bitter (unsweetened cocoa powder)
• plate & spoon with various things to taste (ketchup, jelly, syrup, etc.)
• pudding & something to paint on (butcher paper or similar)

Begin by singing some songs, ending with the Five Senses Song.  Explain that today we're going to learn about our sense of taste.  

Read Tasting and then look at your tongues (you can have a mirror ready or just look at each others' tongues).  Point out the bumps, explaining that those are taste buds.  Taste buds tell us what things taste like.

Tell them that now we're going to use our tongues to taste some different foods.  Have them close their eyes, then give them the food you've prepared (salty, sweet, sour, bitter & spicy--try not to end with bitter).  See if they can tell you what it tastes like.  Help them learn the descriptive words above.

Prepare the plate with various things to taste.  Give them a spoon and let them taste things.  See if they can tell you if it's sweet/sour, salty, etc.

Pudding painting time!  Be prepared for a big mess--this usually turns into a body painting session.  Have them tell you what the pudding tastes like.

After you clean up, head outside for a picnic of lots of tasty food.  Tell why you're grateful for your sense of taste (and tell what your favorite things to taste are!).  End by reading some fun books about food/tasting.

Touch

Song: Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes (any song where they have to touch something), Five Senses Song
Books: books with textured pages (usually for infants)
Craft: touch plate (paper plate with different things to touch)
Outside: find things that are hard/soft, smooth/rough, etc.
Snack: warm/cold food, hard/soft food

Supplies needed:

• paper plate & pieces to glue on (sandpaper, silk, cotton balls, tin foil, dried leaves, rice, etc.)
• glue--I'd go with white Elmer's glue here.  Let them use a Q-tip to spread it on.
• sandpaper, silk, ice, jar of warm water (or something else warm), rock & cotton ball, sticky tack or Silly Putty, bowl of rice, bowl of flour--basically anything with an interesting texture.
• box to put things in (so the child can't see it), or a blindfold
• feather (or another soft object)

Begin by singing songs, ending with Five Senses Song.  Tell them that today we're going to learn about our sense of touch.  Explain that you were using your hands to touch parts of your body.

Read Touching.  Tell them that we use our skin to feel, or touch.  Have them look closely at their skin.  What do you see?  Look at your fingertips.  Tell them that our fingers are the best at feeling things, but that all of our body can feel things.  

Tell your child to close his/her eyes. Take a feather and tickle various places on his/her body (back of the neck, nose, knees, belly, ears).  Ask if they can feel the feather touching them.  Then tickle their hair.  Can you feel the feather on your hair?  No, because you feel with your skin, not your hair!

Bring out the box.  Put one of the objects inside without them seeing.  Have them tell you what they feel.  Is it hard or soft?  Smooth or rough?  Warm or cold?  See if they can guess what it is. Remind them that they are touching with their skin.

Craft time!  Give them a paper plate and all the sensory pieces you feel like letting them glue.  Give them a Q-tip (or paintbrush) and a small amount of glue.  Tell them to glue whatever they want on their touch plate. As they select pieces, have them tell you what they feel like.  

While their plate is drying, head outside.  See if you can find something hard/soft, warm/cold, smooth/rough, etc.  If it's cool enough outside, you can put gloves on and see if you can still feel things as well.  

Come back inside for a snack (have them tell you if it's hard/soft, warm/cold, smooth/rough, etc.) and to read some books.

Hearing

Songs: My Heavenly Father Loves Me (second verse especially); Listen, Listen; Five Senses Song
Books: anything that makes noise (books with buttons), Hearing by Robin Nelson
Craft: make shakers--use baby jars & put different things inside
Outside: close eyes, listen to noises outside
Snack: anything that makes noise--chips, popcorn, Pop Rocks, cheese curds

Supplies needed:

• baby food jars & things to put inside (seeds, marbles, rice, beans, etc.)
• music (classical or children's is best)

Start with the songs (do some actions to emphasize the hearing sense).  End with Five Senses Song.  Explain that today we're going to learn about our sense of hearing.  Read Hearing.

Have them find their ears.  Explain that we use our ears to hear.  Let them look at your ears.  Explain why they should never put things in their ears--it can hurt them and make it so we can't hear anymore.  

What can we do with our ears?  We can hear talking and whispering (whisper in your child's ear--have them whisper back).  We can hear sounds in the house (listen quietly for a minute--tell what you heard).  We can hear music (put on a song and sing & dance along).

Your ears also tell you if something is LOUD or SOFT.  Use the music again--play some loud, some soft.  Have your child tell you which is which.  Explain that too much loud noise can hurt our ears--we need to take good care of them.  Our ears also tell us if something is HIGH or LOW.  Make some high noises (birds tweeting, baby talk, siren) and some low noises (cow mooing, truck motor, lion roaring).  

Now you can make your shakers.  Give them several empty jars and several different objects to put inside.  Let them do whatever they want, but tell them to leave some empty room so it can shake. Make sure to close the lids tightly.  Once they have them made, listen to each shaker.  Is is loud, or soft?  High or low?  Turn the music back on and use the shakers to dance & make music.

Head outside & use your ears to listen.  What do you hear?  Birds? Cars? People?  Try closing your eyes and listening.  Can you hear better now?  

Tell them to cover their ears, then tell them something.  Can they hear you?  Would it be hard to not be able to hear?  Explain that some people's ears don't work, so they use sign language to 'talk.'  Teach a few signs if you know any (mom, dad, more, eat, love).  

Come back in for a snack--listen as you eat!  What do you hear?  Read some books--what do you hear?

Sight

Songs: Look Around the Room/World With Me; Five Senses Song; Popcorn Popping
Books: I Spy, Where's Waldo? Martin Handford, The Eye Book  by Theo. LeSieg (Dr. Seuss),
           Seeing  by Robin Nelson
Craft: draw pictures of things you see outside
Outside: Play 'I Spy', sing  'Look Around the World With Me', find colors
Snack: anything with lots of color--carrots (good for eyesight!), craisins, grapes, apples, etc.

Supplies needed:

• paper and markers/crayons for coloring
• family pictures
• blindfold

Begin with singing some of the songs, ending with Five Senses Song.  Explain that today we're going to talk about our sense of sight.  Read Seeing. 

Explain that we see with our eyes--this is called sight.  Let your child look closely at your eyes.  With our eyes we see colors (see how many colors you can find).  With our eyes we read books (you can read some books now or wait until later).  With our eyes we see the people we love (look at family pictures and identify everyone).

What would it be like if we didn't have sight?  Put on a blindfold, then sing 'Look Around the Room' again.  Ask them why they can't see what you see.  Have them try to pick something up off the floor.  Is it hard to do it without sight?  Tell why you are grateful for your sight.

Take paper & colors outside.  Draw two eyes in the middle of the paper, then let your child illustrate (or dictate to you what to draw) what he/she sees outside.  Play 'I Spy', sing 'Look Around the World With Me,' and see how many colors you can see outside.  If you feel like it, you can whip out the blindfold again, or just have your child close his/her eyes.  Tell your child how grateful you are for the beautiful world and for eyes to see it with.

Additional ideas:

• our eyes see shapes--anything to do with finding/drawing shapes

My Insides

(He placed and glued the organs himself--I love how his brain is exploding out of his skull...)

This is a good follow up to the lessons on the body here and here.

Songs: My Hands; Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes; I Wiggle; any songs about the brain, heart, etc.
Books: How Your Body Works: A Good Look Inside Your Insides by David Stewart
            How Your Body Works  by Rebecca Weber
            any of the books from the previous two lessons about the body
Craft: tracing of your child's body with major organs added
Outside: play games using brain, heart, lungs
Snack: things that are good for our bodies (fruit, veggies, grains)

Supplies needed:

• piece of paper large enough to trace your child's body
• scissors
• pieces of paper cut out into shapes of brain, heart, lungs, stomach 
• glue (make sure it's kid friendly!)

Begin by singing songs about your body.  Then trace your child and cut the body out.  Lay out the pieces of paper you've cut out for the organs.  Have your child pick one and see if he/she can figure out where it goes.  Give hints if necessary.  Once they've figured it out, have them glue it in place.  After each one, explain what they do and do an activity that corresponds.  For example:

• Brain--thinks, tells our bodies what to do.  Activity: puzzle
• Heart--pumps the blood.  Activity: feel your heartbeat, then jump up & down for 1 minute and feel again
• Lungs--breath in oxygen.  Activity: blow up a balloon, explain how lungs are like a balloon
• Stomach--digests food.  Activity: snack time!

Hang up the completed poster next to your body and skeleton posters.  Then head outside and play some games with your brain (I Spy) your heart (running, jumping, etc.) and your lungs (bubbles). End by reading some books about the body.

Additional ideas:

• find a kids' doctor kit.  Have them use the stethoscope to listen to your heart & lungs
• show how the bones in their skeletons protect these organs

Skeleton!

This is a good follow up to the lesson on the body here.

Songs: Ghost of John, Dry Bones (this works best if you tickle them while singing)
Books: The Skeletal System  by Caroline Arnold (I just used this for the pictures--it's too advanced)
            Bones & Muscles  by Susan LeVert (same as above--used for pictures)
            Bend and Stretch  by Pamela Hill Nettleton
            You Can't See Your Bones With Binoculars  by Harriet Ziefert
Craft: life-size skeleton of your child
Outside: play 'what would happen if you didn't have bones in your ______'

Supplies needed:

• piece of paper large enough to trace your child
• scissors
• black/silver markers or crayons

Start with the songs, then show a picture of a skeleton (or toy skeleton if you have one).  Explain what bones do for our bodies and what would happen if you didn't have any bones (if you can get the clip from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets when Lockhart makes his bones disappear, that's a great visual).

Trace your child on the paper, then cut it out.  As you draw (use those artistic skills!) the bones and label them, have your child feel the bones in their bodies.  You can even show pictures of x-rays from that area (skulls, ribs, etc.).

Main bones to label:

• skull
• spine
• ribs
• pelvis

Extras (these can just be 'leg bones' or 'arm bones' if you don't care about technical terms):

• sternum (middle of chest)
• humerus (upper arm)
• ulna (pinky side of lower arm)
• radius (thumb side of lower arm)
• femur (upper leg)
• tibia (front lower leg)
• fibia (back lower leg)

Once your bones are labeled, hang the poster next to the body poster from the previous lesson.  See how they match up.

Go outside and play a game where you imagine what would happen if you didn't have bones in your right leg, or left arm, or neck, etc.  See what you can and can't do without your bones.

Come back in for a snack--make sure you have some milk to build those strong bones!  While you eat you can read books about the skeleton (both nonfiction and some fun skeleton books).

Other possible topics:

• If there's a baby in the home, have your child feel its soft spot (carefully) and explain that the baby's bones are still growing
• Show a video of someone getting a cast put on (youtube has lots)
• Do a demonstration using blocks (or something else with good support) to hold up a piece of fabric.  Then try to hold the fabric up using rubber bands.  The cloth is our skin--without support we would just be a puddle!

My Body

Songs: My Hands; Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes
Books: Horns to Toes and In Between by Sandra Boynton
            God Made Me by Joanna Bicknell
            Belly Button Book! by Sandra Boynton
            The Eye Book by Theo. Lesieg (Dr. Seuss)
Craft: tracing of child with parts labeled
Outside: use each part of your body to do something (run, clap, climb, sing)

Supplies needed:

• paper big enough to lay your child on and trace
• scissors
• crayons, markers, etc.

This is a very simple lesson.  Begin by singing the songs together or playing games like 'touch your bellybutton'. Then have the child lay on a large piece of paper and trace their bodies.  If you're really feeling ambitious, you can even cut the whole thing out.

Let the child help you label & color each body part.  Do one at a time.  As you label, have them tell you some things you can do with that body part (and do them!).

Basic body parts:

• head
• arms
• hands
• fingers
• feet
• legs
• toes
• tummy
• eyes
• ears
• mouth
• nose

Extras:

• neck
• hair
• elbows
• shoulders
• knees
• chest

After you're done, head outside and let your child use his/her body however he/she wants.  Encourage them to use all the parts of the body you discussed ('Can you pick up the flower with your fingers? Can you smell it with your nose?  See it with your eyes?').

Once they've gotten their energy out, read some books about the body.

Additional ideas/discussions:

• do animals have bodies? do bugs? do plants?
• Heavenly Father made my body/has a body
• how do I take care of my body? (eat good food, exercise, wash hands, get good sleep, etc.)
• what if you didn't have ____? (arms/fingers/legs/eyes, etc.)
• play Cootie Bug (have bodies, eyes, legs, heads)