Our Family Motto

We, the Peterson Family:

Promise to be honest in all we do and say,

Stand tall and righteous throughout each day.

Serve around the world and in our home,

Give thanks for blessings we’ve been shown.

We’ll work as a team with joy and love,

And honor our Heavenly Father above.

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Number Walk

*Look for specific numbers on houses or mailboxes.
*Say hello to three neighbors. Or estimate, then count the people you meet.
*Look for two blue cars.
*Count cracks in the sidewalk.
*Say numbers on houses or mailboxes.
*Make up cards of nature things to look for in your area. Such as three leaves.
*Count the cars in each driveway.
*Look for bus numbers.
Say the numbers on license plates. Or look for a special number.

FISHING GAME


Supplies:

Wooden Spoon

String

Strong Magnet

Paper Clips (10)

Paper

Scissors

Directions:
Make a simple fishing pole by tying a short length of string to one end of a wooden spoon. Tie a strong magnet to the end of the string.

Cut ten fish shapes out of construction paper.

Attach a paper clip to the front of each fish shape.

To play the game, place the fish shapes on the floor.

Let your children take turns catching fish for one minute.

Have each child count how many fish she caught, then put the fish back on the floor for the next person.

Variation: Number the fish shapes from 1 to 10. As the children catch each fish, have them say the numeral written on it.

Dot to Dot

Color and count caterpillar



Copy the following template and have children color their own circles, then arrange in numerical order to make the caterpillar body!

Week 31: Numbers



*Suggested Reading*
Eenie Meenie Miney Math!: Math Play for You and Your Preschooler by Linda Allison
5 Green and Speckled Frogs by Martin Kelly and Phil Legris
10 Minutes Till Bedtime by Peggy Rathmann
Counting Kisses: A Kiss and Read Book by Karen Katz
Miss Spider's Tea Party: The Counting Book by David Kirk

Items needed this week:
Wooden Spoon
String
Strong Magnet
Paper Clips (10)
Paper
Scissors
Crayons/Markers
Paper

Science Experiment with Colors


Supplies:
Shaving Cream
Zip Lock Baggies
Food Coloring

Directions:
Place a palm size dollop of shaving cream into the ziploc bag; add a few drops of blue and yellow food coloring. Zip up the bag, removing all the air you can before sealing. The kids can "knead" the bag to mix the colors - yellow and blue make Green! Try different color combinations.

Glue Hues

Supplies:
Glue
Food coloring
Cups
Popsicle sticks
Paper

Directions:
Using Elmer's Glue, fill several cups half way with glue. Use food coloring to color the glue and stir with Popsicle sticks. Children can use these Popsicle sticks to "drizzle" the glue onto a large piece of construction paper. Encourage them to tilt the paper at different angles to let the glue flow or perhaps folding the paper in half making symmetrical designs. Ask children what it is they created; you will get some interesting answers!!

Rainbow Necklace


Supplies:
Fruit loops
Yarn

Directions:
Give the children fruit loops to string onto yarn to make an edible rainbow necklace.

Mixing Paint (the non-messy way)

Supplies:
White Paper Plates
Paint
Saran wrap

Directions:
When teaching what colors mixed together make, this is a great, non-messy way to do it. Take a paper plate, and put the primary colors on it. They are red, blue, and yellow. Put a piece of saran wrap over the paper plate, big enough to cover the whole thing. Let the child mix the paint with the fingers with using pressing on the saran wrap. When he/she is finished, remove the saran wrap and let dry. The child will be impressed with their masterpiece!

Week 30: Colors



*Suggested Reading*
Five Little Ducks by Raffi (Author), Jose Aruego (Illustrator)
Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
A Rainbow of My Own by Don Freeman
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? By Bill Martin, Jr. and illustrated by Eric Carle
Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley


Items needed this week:

Shaving Cream
Zip Lock Baggies
Food Coloring
Glue
Cups
Popsicle sticks
Paper
Fruit loops
Yarn
White paper plates
Paint
Saran wrap


Snack Suggestion:
Rainbow Fruit Salsa Recipe

Ingredients:
2 medium apples
1 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen
1 kiwi
1 orange
1 cup peaches, fresh or canned
2 tablespoons jelly
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ cup orange juice

Directions:
Peel and finely chop all fruit; Put in large bowl.
Stir together jelly, brown sugar and orange juice.
Pour jelly sauce over fruit mixture.
Serve with tortilla chips.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Invite a friend to church

If you know a non member or inactive family member or friend invite them to go to church with you this Sunday!

Future Missionary Tag




Supplies:
White Cardstalk
Crayons
Glue
Safety pin

Directions:
Make a copy of this “Future Missionary” tag and have your child color it (or leave it blank). Laminate it to make it last longer. Glue a safety pin to the back of it. Don’t forget to wear it to church!

Write letters to the missionaries


Supplies:
Paper
Crayons/Markers
Stickers
Envelope

Directions:
Make fun letters to send to the missionaries! You can send them to family or friends out in the mission field or to your local missionaries. Express to them your gratitude for all of their hard work. Send treats if you feel inclined!

Coloring

Week 29: Missionary Work

*Suggested Reading*
(These books aren’t about missionary work but are fun and pertain to friendship)
The Golden Rule by Ilene Cooper
Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti by Gerald McDermott
Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Do You Want to Be My Friend? By Eric Carle
My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann

Items needed this week:
White Cardstalk
Glue
Safety pin
Paper
Crayons/Markers
Stickers
Envelope

Preparations to be made:
Call the Missionaries and set up a night this week that they can come over to dinner.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Go Swimming!


Crash your friend’s pool! Crash your neighbor’s pool! Go to the water park! Just swim! And don’t forget the sunblock!

Sail Boat Craft



Supplies Needed
* 3 Index Cards (optional)
* Construction Paper (color(s) of your choice)
* Scissors
* Glue or Tape
* Crayons
* 1 Toilet Paper Roll

Although your little one will not be able to take this craft in with them when they take a bath it will be a sail boat that they can enjoy out of the water.

Step 1: You can use index cards or paper for this project. If you’re using index cards you'll need two for the sides of the boat and one for the front, back and sail of the boat. Draw a diagonal line from the top corner of the card to the bottom halfway point, for the sail. Trace around the roll at the corner of the index card and then next to it for the front and back of the boat.
If you use paper cut out a 6 x 5 inch piece for the sides of the boat, but the circles will be the same and the sail size is up to you.

Step 2: Cut out the sail and the circles for the boat. If you didn't use index card as stated before cut a 6 x 5 inch piece of paper for the side of the boat. You may consider doing steps 1 and 2 before you are with your toddler so they are not waiting to get involved in the project and do not become too curious about scissors.

When you cut out the sail trim away at the bottom corner leaving a 1 x 1/2 inch tab for the sail to stand on.

Step 3: Help your toddler cover the boat. Glue or tape the sides to the boat, starting at the bottom of the boat, they should go a bit above the toilet paper roll. Do the same with the circles that you cut out to cover the front and back of the roll. If you toddler plans on drawing on the boat you may have them do that prior to the gluing.

If you used color construction paper consider cutting circles for windows on your boat to glue or tape on.

Step 4: You have three options for installing the sail to the boat. You can cut a hole into the toilet paper roll the size of the sail tab and stick the tab into it. You can glue or tape the tab to the side of the boat or glue or tape that tab to the top of the toilet paper roll. It is entirely up to you, but now your boat is complete and ready to set sail.

Simon Says

Get into that wading pool again and play Simon Says!

Examples:
“Simon Says jump in the water”
“Simon says crawl through the water”
“Simon says splash”
“Simon says walk around the pool”

Bubble Pool



Supplies:
Wading Pool
Dish Soap
Water

Directions:
Simply add dish soap while you’re filling the pool up with the hose and watch the bubbles grow! Your children will love playing in the bubbly water and you may even get to skip baths for the day!

Week 28: Swimming


*Suggested Reading*
Froggy Learns to Swim (Reprint) by Jonathan London
Swim, Boots, Swim! (Dora the Explorer Series) by Phoebe Beinstein
Maisy's Pool by Lucy Cousins
How to Train with a T. Rex and Win 8 Gold Medals by Michael Phelps
Boy Who Wouldn't Swim by Deb Lucke

Items needed this week:
Plastic Wading Pool
Dish Soap
3 Index Cards (optional)
Construction Paper (color(s) of your choice)
Scissors
Glue or Tape
Crayons
1 Toilet Paper Roll

Preparations to be made: DON’T FORGET THE SUNBLOCK!!!

Friday, July 9, 2010

Go to the beach!


Or if you don’t live close to a beach go to a local aquarium. Bring a beach worthy picnic lunch: tuna fish sandwiches, grapes, and sunchips!

Pretty Beaded Fish

Supplies:
Card Board or super thick paper
Assortment of beads
Scissors
Glue

Directions:
Cut out a fish (or any sea creature) out of the cardboard or card stalk. Spread glue all over the surface. Have children places beads all over to make a beautiful, sparkly sea creature!

CD FISHIE




Supplies:
Old CDs
Construction Paper or Colored foam
Large Wiggly Eyes
Hot Glue

Directions:
Using whatever foam paper you prefer, cut out the fish's lips, fins, and tail. Glue the lips and fins to the side of the cd.

Glue the wiggly eyes on each side of his head. If you don't have wiggly eyes, you can also use a small white pom-pom and a black bead. This will give your fishes eyes a more 'buggy' look!

Ocean In a Bottle

Supplies:

• Bottles (peanut butter jars, baby food jars, etc.)
• Sand
• Sea Creatures
• Rocks
• Water

Directions:

• Let your children put sand and small rocks in a bottle. Then have them add small plastic sea creatures and grass (seaweed) Finally, have them add water and salt. This makes a cute and fun "Ocean In a Bottle." Note: Super glue the lids shut so your children can not open them

Week 27: Beaches



*Suggested Reading*
Ocean by Miranda Macquitty
Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle
A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle
The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
The Ocean Alphabet Book (Jerry Pallotta's Alphabet Books) by Jerry Pallotta

Items needed this week:

Card Board or super thick paper
Assortment of beads
Scissors
Glue
Old CDs
Construction Paper or Colored foam
Large Wiggly Eyes
Hot Glue
Bottles (peanut butter jars, baby food jars, etc.)
Sand
Sea Creatures
Rocks
Water

Snack Suggestion: Ocean in a Cup

Ingredients:
• blue jello mix
• gummy fish
• crushed graham crackers
• Teddy Grahams
• gummy Lifesavers
• Sea creature crackers
• paper umbrellas
• clear plastic cups

Directions:
This is the blue jello ocean cups with a little twist. Mix the jello according to the package. Pour the jello in clear plastic cups and add in gummy fish (you may want to wait until the jello starts to firm up a little so the fish don't all sink to the bottom). Let the jello set in your refrigerator. Once set, take finely crushed graham crackers and sprinkle along one side (on the top) of the jello cup to resemble a beach. Next take a Teddy Graham and insert half way in a gummy lifesavers. You may want to pre-stretch the lifesaver so the bear will fit in easily. Then, stick the feet of the bear in the jello. This should look like a bear with a float around it's waist floating in the water. Then, add a bear to the sandy area with a few starfish crackers. Last, insert the umbrella at an angle in the beach area (these are the umbrellas used for mixed drinks ...found at a party supply store). This little snack is perfect when you are studying ocean life and the kids love it!!!