4th of July T-Shirt

Supplies:
Old (or new) plain white T-Shirt
Red and Blue Puffy paint or fabric paint
Paint Brushes
Star shaped stencils
Glitter (optional)

Directions:
Let T-shirt out on a flat surface and place news paper inside (so that the paint doesn’t leak through and make your t-shirt stick together). Let your children decorate their shirts with red and blue paint. Totally Festive!

Water Bottle Noise Maker

Supplies:
Empty Water Bottle
Red, White, and Blue Electrical tape (or stickers)
Ribbon
Rice or Lima Beans

Directions:
Have your children decorate their water bottles with red, white, and blue tape or stickers. Fill the bottles 1/3 full with rice or beans. Screw the lids on. Tie ribbon around the neck of the bottle. Shake away!

Red, White, and Blue Skewers

Supplies:
Skewers
Blue berries
Strawberries
Marshmallows

Directions:
This completely edible Fourth of July craft idea is perfect for getting preschoolers involved with Fourth of July cookout preparations, particularly if you're planning to serve any skewered foods. You will need blueberries, strawberries, marshmallows, and wooden skewers for this preschool Fourth of July craft. Let your preschooler create his own skewer by alternating blueberries, strawberries, and marshmallows on the stick. Your preschooler will love both creating and eating this fun red, white, and blue preschool Fourth of July craft.

4th of July Wand

Supplies:
Paint stirrers
Red, white, and blue paint
Red, white and blue streamers or ribbon
Star stickers (optional)
Paint Brushes
Glue

Directions:
Paint the paint stirrer red, white and blue. Let dry and then glue on the streamers or ribbon at the top end of the paint stirrer. Your children will have fun waving these around down at the parade!

Week 26: 4th of July

*Suggested Reading*
The Fourth of July Story by Alice Dalgliesh
The Star Spangled Banner (Random House Pictureback Book) by FRANCIS SCOTT KEY
Happy 4th of July, Jenny Sweeney by Leslie Kimmelman
Hats Off for the Fourth of July by Harriet ZieferFourth of July Mice by Bethany Roberts

Items needed this week:
Old (or new) plain white T-Shirt
Red and Blue Puffy paint or fabric paint
Star shaped stencils
Glitter (optional)
Empty Water BottleRed, White, and Blue Electrical tape (or stickers)
Ribbon
Rice or Lima Beans
Skewers
Blue berries
Strawberries
Marshmallows
Paint stirrersRed, white, and blue paint
Red, white and blue streamers or ribbon
Star stickers (optional)
Paint Brushes
Glue


Snack Suggestion:Red, White and Blue Yogurt Parfait

Ingredients:
Blueberry yogurt
Sliced Strawberries
Cool whip
Cornflake cereal with dried Blueberries
Directions:
In a glass bowl layer parfait in order starting with blueberry yogurt and sliced strawberries. Sprinkle with cereal and top with cool whip.

Go Camping!

Supplies:
Tent
Sleeping bags
Marshmallows
Hot dogs
Wire hangers

Ok so you don’t really have to go camping (although it would be really fun!) Set up a real tent (or a fake one with a white sheet) in your house or backyard! Can you build a little fire or do you have a fire place? Great! Make s’mores and hot dogs to eat! What fun!

Homemade Playdough

Supplies:
1/4 cup salt
1 cup flour
1/4 cup water

Directions:
Have your child mix the flour and salt in a bowl then add water. Knead and squeeze the dough to make a clay consistency. You may need to add more water.

Bubbles

Supplies:
-Fills a gallon milk jug-
11 cups Water
4 cups dish soap (anti-bacterial works best)
1 cup corn syrup

Directions:
Pour into a shallow dish and use items from around the house to blow the bubbles. Ex: Yogurt lids with the centers cut out, soda can plastic holder things, pipe cleaners bent into different shapes, cookie cutters...

Ice Cream In A Bag

Supplies:

1 cup milk
2 tbs. sugar
1/4 cup salt
ice cubes
2 resealable sandwich bags
larger resealable bag
towel
plastic shopping bag, and twist tie.

Directions:

1. Add sugar and milk to the small resealable bag. Taste the
solution. Let out some of the air as you zip to seal. Seal this
bag inside another sandwich bag.
2. Place ice cubes in the bottom of the big bag. Add the small bag
of milk and surround with more ice cubes. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup
of salt over the ice. Let out some of the air as you zip to seal.
3. Wrap a towel around the bag of ice. Place the bundle into a plastic
shopping bag and seal with a twist tie.
4. Shake the bag for about 15 minutes. Remove the small bag and
quickly rinse off the salt with cold water.

Did the milk change? The ice cream you made is ready to enjoy!

Week 25: Hello Summer!

*Suggested Reading*
Amelia Bedelia Goes Camping by Peggy Parish
Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
By the Seashore by Maurice Pledger
Sam and the Firefly by P. D. Eastman
Seashells, Crabs, and Sea Stars by Christiane Kump Tibbitts


Items needed this week:

Tent
Sleeping bags
Marshmallows
Hot dogs
Wire hangers
1/4 cup salt
1 cup flour
1/4 cup water
11 cups Water
4 cups dish soap (anti-bacterial works best)
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup milk
2 tbs. sugar
1/4 cup salt
ice cubes
2 resealable sandwich bags
larger resealable bag
towel
plastic shopping bag, and twist tie.


Snack Suggestion: Strawberry Yogurt Smoothie


Ingredients:
• 1 (16 ounce) package fresh strawberries, hulled
• 2 bananas, peeled and sliced
• 3 cups ice cubes
• 1 (16 ounce) container plain low-fat yogurt
Directions:
Blend strawberries, bananas, half of the ice cubes, and yogurt in a blender on high until smooth. Add the remaining ice and blend further until smooth again. Serve immediately.

Visit the Hospital

Take a trip down to the local hospital and have a look around. Notice how clean and quite everything is. Can you see the babies in the nursery? Point out what the doctors and nurses are wearing. Teach your children that the hospital is a place where sick people go to feel better.

Make Sock Puppets for the Sick Children at the Hospital

Supplies:

• Socks (any type, any color)
• Yarn, felt and other fabric scraps
• Markers
• Scissors
• White glue or glue gun with hot glue (with a parent's assistance)
• Waxed paper or other paper
Optional additions;
• Googly eyes
• Sequins, buttons, feathers and other decorations

To make a basic sock puppet, you will cut pieces of fabric to make facial features, hair, clothing and other accessories for your puppet. Crumple waxed or plain paper into balls and stuff it inside your sock. This will help keep the glue from sticking the sock to itself and will help the sock hold its puppet shape while you are working on it. Now you can glue the features and decorations to your puppet.

Play Doctor

Supplies:

Thermometer
Tissues
Popsicle Stick
Cotton Balls
Band Aids
Measuring Tape
Lotion
Anything you can find in your bathroom to play “Doctor” with

Directions:

Slip on a white coat, if you have one, and you be the doctor! Take your child’s temperature, tell them to breath deep, take their height (and weight if you have a scale), check out their teeth and tongue, look in their ears, listen to their tummy and administer “healing lotion” or band aids to any boo boo you see. Now let your child be the doctor!

Band-Aid Man

Supplies:

Band-aid
Markers
Cotton ball
Glue
Q-tips
Paper

Directions:

Have children stick a Band-Aid on a piece of construction paper. Glue a
cotton ball on top of Band-Aid for his head. Use a marker to put eyes, nose and mouth on cotton ball. Cut Q-tips in half and glue on for arms and legs.

Week 24: Hospitals

*Suggested Reading*

Going to the Hospital (Usborne First Experiences) by Anne Civardi

When You're Sick or in the Hospital: Healing Help for Kids by Tom McGrath

Harry Goes to the Hospital: A Story for Children About What It's Like to Be in the Hospital by Howard J., M.D. Bennett

The Moose with Loose Poops by Dr. Charlotte Cowan

Katie Caught a Cold by Dr. Charlotte Cowan

Items needed this week:
• Googly eyes
• Sequins, buttons, feathers and other decorations
• Socks (any type, any color)
• Yarn, felt and other fabric scraps
• Markers
• Scissors
• White glue or glue gun with hot glue (with a parent's assistance)
• Waxed paper or other paper
• Thermometer
• Tissues
• Popsicle Stick
• Cotton Balls
• Band Aids
• Measuring Tape
• Lotion
• Anything you can find in your bathroom to play “Doctor” with
• Band-aid
• Markers
• Cotton ball
• Glue
• Q-tips
• Paper


Preparations to be made:
Call your local hospital and set up a time to come in and bring your sock puppets for the sick children. Also inquire if there are any special tours or activities for children visiting the hospital.

Park 4

GO TO THE PARK

Park 3

GO TO THE PARK

Park 2

GO TO THE PARK

Park 1

GO TO THE PARK!

Week 23: Parks!

*Suggested Reading*
First Experiences: Going to the Park by Roger Priddy

Let's Go to a Park by Mary Hill, Shira Laskin
Little Critter: Going to the Sea Park
Dora Rides to Bike Park By Kara McMahon
Corduroy By Don Freeman

Items needed this week:
The goal for this week is to visit a different park or playground everyday! Have and adventure! Make new friends!

Snack Suggestion: Snack Cones

Ingredients:
• 3 cups popcorn
• 2 cups multigrain cereal
• 1 cup dried fruit bits
• 24 wafer ice-cream cones

Instructions:
Just combine the popcorn, cereal, and dried fruit bits. Scoop the mix into wafer ice-cream cones (you should have enough to fill about two dozen). To keep them from spilling in transit, cover each cone with plastic wrap held in place with a rubber band.

Visit a Cemetery

Have the children find a container and allow the child to use fresh, or fake flowers to make an arrangement to place on a headstone of a soldier or family member who had passed away that was a veteran or who had served in the military and had passed away. Explain that the military is a risk, and this is the reason that we appreciate people who have served for our country. This is a good time to explain the importance of remembering and recognizing these people. Use Small American flags to show patriotism in the flower arrangements or allow the arrangement to be accompanied by a note.

Patriotic Candle

Supplies:
Red, white, and blue tissue paper
White craft Glue
Thicker Paint Brush
Empty Glass Jar
Sparkles (optional)
Votive candle

Directions:
Mix white craft glue with enough water to make a thin, paintable solution that is not see through, mixture should be white. With your paintbrush, paint the glue mixture onto the jar. (Work in sections as the glue will dry before you get to it if you paint the whole thing.) Paint a section with glue mixture, place pieces of material onto the layer of glue, cover material with more glue mixture. Material will be wet, but not dripping. Continue until the entire jar is covered, pieces are placed on quite randomly. Let dry. When finished, put a votive candle inside and watch the red, white, and blue glow!

Letters to the Troops

Supplies:
Paper
Envelopes
Stickers
Crayons/Markers
Any art supplies lying around the house

Directions:
Have the children make cards to send to the troops. Make sure to add an uplifting message such as, “We love you” or “We are so grateful for you” or “Thank you for fighting for our freedom”. It wouldn’t hurt to send some sweet goodies their way either.

Operation Healing Angel
Homefront Hugs USA
1449 Tiger Lake Drive
Gulf Breeze, Florida 32563

Patriotic Rocks

Supplies:

Red, White and Blue paint
Brushes
Rocks

Directions:

Have the children paint rocks with the red while and blue paint. Display them on your kitchen table or in your garden and tell your children that this is a way for us to remember and pray for our troops, past and present.

Memorial Day

*Suggested Reading*

Let's Get Ready for Memorial Day by Lloyd G. Douglas
Memorial Day Surprise by Theresa Golding, Alexandra Artigas (Illustrator)
Memorial Day by Christin Ditchfield
Memorial Day by Robin Nelson
The Wall (Reading Rainbow Book) by Eve Bunting, Ronald Himler (Illustrator)

Items needed this week:
Red, white, and blue tissue paper
White craft Glue
Empty Glass Jar
Sparkles (optional)
Votive candle
Paper
Envelopes
Stickers
Crayons/Markers
Any art supplies lying around the house
Red, White and Blue paint
Brushes
Rocks


Snack Suggestion: Frozen Banana on a Stick Recipe

Ingredients:
1 banana
2 craft sticks
8 oz container vanilla yogurt
½ cup crushed graham cracker crumbs

Directions:
Break the banana in half; insert a craft stick into the flat end.
Roll banana halves in yogurt, then in crumbs.
Freeze for at least 1 hour.
2 Servings.
Turn up the country or patriotic music!