Tuesday, April 29, 2014

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Make a Snail Habitat & Snail Anatomy

Your preschoolers can be little scientists in your own backyard as they study and observe animals that live there...like snails!




You can make your own snail habitats in containers as simple as these buckets that are normally used to dig in the dirt.  Encourage your kiddos to add things they think the snails would enjoy.

As they build a habitat and watch the snails move inside it, you may want to talk about or point out some of these facts about land snails:

Fun Facts About Snails:

* Most land snails are herbivores and different types will eat a variety of plants, including leaves, flowers, and rotting material.
* Land snails often eat dirt so they have enough calcium to make a strong shell.
* Snail shells grow as the snail grows.  The oldest part of the shell is the middle of the spiral.
* The biggest snail is the Australian Trumpet Sea Snail.  Its shell can grow over 35 inches from tip to tip!
* The biggest land snail is the African Giant Snail.  Its shell can grow over 15 inches across!
* Snails are ectotherms (or "cold-blooded") because their temperature is regulated by the temperature of their surroundings.


Snail Anatomy:

Snails have a fascinating anatomy!  Below this picture are brief descriptions of some of the features preschoolers find most interesting...and a little bit of extra information for the adults too!



1.  Mouth:  Even though it's in a spot you'd expect to find it, the mouth can be tricky to find on very small snails.  Look closely under both tentacles!  The mouth is just for eating, not breathing!

2.  Shell:  The shell is the most stunning feature on a snail!  Some can grow quite big, some have gorgeous stripes, and some are very plain.  The shell grows with the snail.  New layers of shell are added on at the top of the opening where the snail comes out of the shell, creating a spiral pattern as time goes by. In order to make the shell, the snail must eat calcium.  It usually gets calcium by eating dirt.

3.  Foot:  The foot is the big muscle that crawls along the ground (or wall or plant...).  It moves by contracting and expanding.  It also has a gland to make mucus.  Mucus smooths the path for the snail and makes it easier for the snail to move.

4.  Nose:  The tips of the second (smaller) pair of tentacles have olfactory glands on them and work like a nose.  Not all snails have them.

5.  Eyes:  The tips of the large tentacles have eyes on them.

6.  Pneumostome:  A small pore (or opening) for breathing.  The pneumostome connects to the snail's one lung and lets the snail breathe.  It is on the snail's right side, but it is difficult to see the pneumostome because the shell often covers it.  Slugs also have a pneumostome in a much easier-to-see spot.  The pneumostome can be opened and closed.

7.  Gender:  I can't count how many preschoolers want to know if their snail is a boy or girl.  The truth is, most snails are hermaphrodites (they have both male and female parts).  Apple snails are a notable exception, and here is a good explanation on how to identify apple snail gender.

I hope you enjoy making your snail habitats and studying the awesome little animals in your backyard!  I'd love to see pictures of any habitats you make...feel free to share a link here or a picture on our PreschoolPowolPackets Facebook page!




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Monday, April 28, 2014

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Poppins Book Nook

Welcome, Poppins Book Nook readers!



I have some fabulous car, truck, and airplane ideas to share with you!  Unfortunately, due to some completely unforeseeable circumstances (a jar of bubbles being dumped on my laptop), I will not be able to post the book nook activities I have planned.  I will share them on another day.

In the meantime, please visit these other bloggers for some Planes, Trains, and Automobiles themed fun!  And be sure to enter the giveaway at Enchanted Homeschooling Mom!


Enchanted Homeschooling Mom ~ 3 Dinosaurs ~ To the Moon and Back ~ Planet Smarty Pants ~ Farm Fresh Adventures ~ Growing in God's Grace ~ Chestnut Grove Academy ~ Learning and Growing the Piwi Way ~ The Usual MayhemPreschool Powol Packets ~ Monsters Ed Homeschool Academy ~ Adventures in Mommydom ~ Teach Beside Me ~ Life with Moore Babies Kathy's Cluttered Mind ~ Are We There Yet? ~ Our Crafts N Things ~ Hopkins Homeschool ~ ABC Creative Learning ~ Joy Focused Learning ~ P is for Preschooler ~ Laugh and Learn ~ A Mommy's Adventures ~ Inspiring 2 New Hampshire Children ~ World for Learning ~ The Kennedy Adventures ~ Ever After in the Woods ~ Golden Grasses ~ Our Simple Kinda Life ~ A glimpse of our life ~ Journey to Excellence ~ Happy Little Homemaker ~ Little Homeschool Blessings ~ Simplicity Breeds Happiness ~ Raventhreads ~ Water on the Floor ~ Learning Fundamentals ~ Tots and Me As We Walk Along The Road ~ Stir the Wonder ~ For This Season ~ Where Imagination Grows ~ Lextin Academy ~ The Canadian Homeschooler ~ School Time Snippets ~ Peakle Pie ~ Mom's Heart ~ A Moment in our World ~ Every Bed of Roses ~ Finchnwren ~ At Home Where Life Happens ~ Suncoast Momma ~ The Library Adventure ~ Embracing Destiny ~ Day by Day in our World ~ Our Homeschool Studio ~ A "Peace" of Mind ~ Thou Shall Not Whine ~ SAHM I am ~ eLeMeNo-P Kids ~ Simple Living Mama



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Wednesday, April 23, 2014

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How to Get Shoes on the Right Feet

I cannot even count the number of times that I have seen a 3-year old with his or her shoes on the wrong feet.  Today I'm sharing a little trick to getting those shoes on the right feet every time!



I came across this little gem after a conversation with my sister, and I wanted to try it.  But, at the time, my 3-year old put his shoes on the right feet every time.

Then, he grew!  We bought new shoes.  And the confusion started.  Was it the new shoes or a new phase of life?  I don't know.  But, we did try this little trick.

And guess what...it works!  Brilliantly!

It is super easy too.  It only takes about 15 seconds to set up and another 30 seconds to explain to your child.  

After that, your kiddo can independently place those tricky shoes every time!

So, how do you set it up?

Just tear a sticker in half and place the pieces, like a puzzle, on the insides of the shoes.  We used a Lightning McQueen sticker:


Show your kiddo how they come together like a puzzle when the shoes are on the right sides and how the puzzle doesn't work when the shoes are on the wrong sides of each other.  Then, let him put them on his feet!

That's it!  Easy.  Brilliant.  Problem solved.

Independent 3-year old off to take on the world...with his shoes on the right feet!


Do you have any little tricks for getting shoes on the right feet?  I'd love to share them!



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Monday, April 21, 2014

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Spring Preschool Craft: Confetti Suncatchers

These Confetti Suncatchers are perfect for a spring craft, a Mother's Day gift, or just a fun project to brighten up a corner!  




We needed a craft for the pile of confetti we collected at Easter time, and these little suncatchers were the perfect solution!  They are bright and colorful and the kids love them!  And bonus:  they are using recycled materials!  Earth Day is tomorrow, after all!

Simple Supplies:
  • contact paper
  • confetti**
  • black construction paper
  • tape
  • string


Easy How-To:

1.  In advance, cut the contact paper into egg (or flower or bee or any other spring) shapes.

2.  Invite your children to place the confetti** on the sticky part of the contact paper.  When they've arranged it as they'd like, let them stick it to the construction paper.  You may need to tape around the edges, depending on how they've arranged their confetti.


3.  Trim the black paper as desired and punch a hole in it.

4.  Lace a string or ribbon through the hole and tie a knot.


5.  Ta da!  All done!!



Like I said, the kids love them!  I had to insist that they let me hang them up during nap time; otherwise, they probably would have slept with them!  

Isn't spring time fun?!!  Have you made anything bright and colorful lately?  I'd love to know!  Feel free to share a link in the comments or share your projects on our Preschool Powol Packets Facebook page!!

**Confetti...wait, you don't have a pile of confetti sitting around?  What?!!  :)  No worries...preschoolers love to pop little circles out of brightly colored paper with a hole punch.  Just give them a minute...




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Wednesday, April 16, 2014

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{FREE} Dolphin Dots Preschool Dot Pages!!

Do you love dolphins?  We do!  Today I'm sharing some fun {FREE} Dolphin Dot pages!



A few weeks ago, we were lucky enough to go to Sea World in San Antonio, and dolphins have been popular here ever since!  Plus, I keep hearing about homeschoolers talking about Dolphin Week...

So, to celebrate how awesome dolphins are (and to practice number recognition and counting with my 3-year old!), I'm sharing this fabulous set of Dolphin Dot Printables {FREE}!! 

Your kiddos can fill in the dots with crayons, markers, special dot markers (affiliate link below), pom poms, coins, play dough, or anything else they choose!  

You can use it as an activity with your preschooler, put the pieces in a tray, use it as a center, or let your child work on it while you fix dinner.  The possibilities are endless!

Placing on object on each dot does more than just reinforce numbers and counting.  It builds a concept of one-to-one correspondence, where your child recognizes that each dot is separate and distinct from the others.  This is a critical pre-reading, pre-writing, and early math skill!!


Also be sure to check out my Ocean Animals Preschool Packet!



Happy Educating, Carla!

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Rain Water Collection Preschool Earth Day Science Experiment

Earth Day is in just under a week, and I have the perfect preschool science experiment for you!  


Rain water has been collected for a variety of reasons for thousands of years!  Only in the last few decades in relatively affluent communities have we stopped relying on this free source of water.  This simple science project will show your preschooler how much water is available every day...or at least every rain storm.  Even I was amazed by the sheer amount of water I saw gushing out our rain gutter!

To set up the experiment, use a permanent marker to maker 1-inch and 1/2 inch increments on two clear cups, like in the picture above.  Place one cup in the dirt in your yard (like the picture) and one cup under your rain gutter.  Leave them in place for a day and then come back and record how much rain fell.  For best results, do this experiment on a day when it is likely to rain! 



Our regular spot (in the picture) only caught about 1-1/2 inches of water.  But, the cup under the rain gutter was full in less than a minute!  We'll come back to this in a moment!  Use this {FREE} printable to record how much rain you collected.  Print a separate page for each collection site.

If your child really enjoys measuring rainfall, you may want to build a more precise rain gauge, like the one here.  AND, if you really want to be involved in a community of citizen scientists, you can join the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network and report your measurements regularly!  Alternatively, you could just view daily precipitation reports from stations in your area here.  The National Weather Service also has a Precipitation Map here.  (Isn't the internet wonderful!)  

Now, what about that rain gutter that filled our cup up in less than a minute?  Did you know that you can set up a rain harvesting system to dump all the water off your roof into a rain barrel?  I had no idea, until recently.  Now I just want to run set it up!  Here are a few more details:

First, you should know that a 1,000 square foot roof can catch more than 600 gallons of water from a rainstorm that only accumulates 1" of water on the ground.  600 gallons!  It just blows me away to think that I could have had 600 gallons of water from this rainstorm last week!  Depending on the system, people have used their "harvested" rain water for landscaping, wildlife, fire-prevention, in-home use, and more.  


Many of the barrels have spouts at the bottom that you can just screw a hose into and use the water throughout your yard!  The barrels' price is a little steep, but it could easily pay for itself just by watering my yard in less than one summer! This is not a sponsored post...I am just all kinds of excited about this idea and really want to share it!  And, some cities (like Austin and San Diego) even have a rebate program to help pay for the collection barrels!

Here is an Amazon affiliate link to a rain water harvesting barrel.   




Would you like more Earth Day science experiment ideas?  Be sure to visit the lovely Kara at ALLterNATIVE Learning and check out more science project and activity fun in The Ultimate Earth Day Education Guide!



 
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Monday, April 14, 2014

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Letter "X" Preschool Activities

Today I have 2-1/2 hours worth of Letter "X" activities for your preschool day!!  We participate in a weekly letter-themed preschool co-op for my 3-year old son and just taught the "Letter X" Day.  Of course, I thought I'd share my brilliant lesson plan with you!



1.  Sensory Bin!

I use a giant sensory bin as a gathering activity.  With rice as a filler, I like to include construction trucks and little "x" cubes from my alphabet cubes.

2.  Circle Time

The kids are all looking forward to birthdays in the next two months, so we talked about turning four and birthdays.  Then we talked about the letter "X," practiced drawing it on a chalk board, used our arms and legs to make "x" shapes, and went on a "Letter X Hunt" with the alphabet cubes.  Can you see an "x?"  :)




We talked about bones, looked at a skeleton, and studied real x-rays!  Click here for more details.



Click here for all the details about this fun x-ray craft!


5.  Outside Play & X Challenge

Outside play is a critical part of any child's morning!  The "X Challenge" is to use any material outside (sticks, rocks, leaves, etc.) to make the letter "x!"

6.  Snack

We had cheese and Chex Mix (Oooh, look!  Two x's in Chex Mix!)  The kids used their string cheese to make x's!


7.  Book:  Green Eggs & Ham

Reading is another critical part of any preschooler's morning!  This is a delightful book, and it uses words with "x" like "box" and "fox" many times!

The picture below is an affiliate link.  You never spend more by clicking through affiliate links, but the small commission we receive helps keep the lights on!  :)


Box Play:  What can you do with a box?  Use a big box (we have lots of diaper boxes) and pretend it is...anything!  An airplane, a bus, a boat, a giant snake.  Let your kiddos's imaginations go wild!  Go for a drive, a flight, or a tangle with a kangaroo!  What do you see in a box?

8.  Pin the Tail on the Fox

This was my daughter's rather brilliant idea, and I love how it turned out!  Click here for details!



9.  Play Dough Print Painting

We used this fun play dough print painting to make little x's and then print them on a paper.  Of course, everyone was so enthralled by the process, that we had loads of other play dough paint prints too!  Click here for the details!



10.  Free Play

The kids had about 10 minutes at the end of the morning to play with each other and explore the toys in our play room.  I also leave out crayons, markers, stamps, glue, scissors, and paper at our art station that they have free access to at this point as well.


Do you use a letter-themed preschool curriculum?  Have you ever been part of a preschool co-op?  I'd love to hear about it!



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Thursday, April 10, 2014

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Pin the Tail on the Fox Preschool Game

When my daughter found out I was teaching the Letter "X" for a preschool co-op, she thought for a moment and asked, "Can we play 'Pin the Tail on the Fox?'"



Of course I said, "Yes!"

It was one of the many highlights of our Letter "X" Day!

To make a group game, I drew a freehand fox inspired by CollectiveCreation on a posterboard.  I wrote the word "FOX" by its back to encourage letter and sound recognition, and then cut the fox out.  I used the scrap poster paper to draw a tail.  I traced over the outline with a black marker and colored the fox in with crayons.  Ta da!  Awesome game!

To play with preschoolers, I placed an adult-sized fisherman's hat on each child, gave them a few spins (count out loud as you spin them...this is great number & motion integration!), and pointed them towards the door.  Some of them carefully kept their eyes closed, but many peeked through the bottom of the hat.  Peeking is okay...it gives young children confidence to play a game that can get intimidating!  Many of the kids sang their own theme music as they walked "blindfolded" toward the door.  The songs were all very similar (ding da ding ding...).

We also made lots of "x" sounds as we played.  I was careful to introduce only one "x" sound ("x" as in "fox," "box," or "x-ray").  Letters that make two sounds are often confusing to younger children and each sound should be introduced separately.

I am sharing Letter "X" activities all week!  Be sure to check back to get them all!!



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Wednesday, April 9, 2014

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Play Dough Print Painting (letter x)

Play dough print painting is the perfect way to mix up your painting experience...and reinforce the letter "x!"  



It is hands-on, sensory, tactile, and manipulative!  
It squishes. folds, bends, and makes fascinating prints!


We first used it to make "x" prints on our Letter X day.  You could do this with any letter!  Simply form the letter with play dough, dip it in paint, then print it on your paper.  


TIP:  Squeeze only two primary colors into your children's paint trays.  We used yellow and blue.  The kids had yellow prints, blue prints, and green prints!  This is great for reinforcing colors and color mixing!


I have one little guy that likes to feel the prints with both his hands and feet!


After we made letter "x" prints, the kids used the play dough to make prints of anything they wanted.  We had all sorts of shapes and designs!




I am sharing Letter X activities all week!  Be sure the check back again and get them all!!



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Tuesday, April 8, 2014

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Make X-Rays Craft With Preschoolers

This week I am sharing Letter "X" activities!  Today, I have a fun and child-friendly way to make an x-ray craft!



Before you get started, take a few minutes and look at some real x-rays or pictures of the bones in a human foot.  Point out how there is a set of bones for each of the five toes.


Then pull out black paper, white crayons, white q-tips, and glue.  Trace your children's feet with the white crayon and let them glue the q-tips in as their bones!


Some children (especially older ones) will be meticulous about getting the right number of toes represented.  Many younger ones will not.  This kiddo wanted as many bones as she could fit so her foot would be extra strong:


The gluing and pasting is excellent fine motor exercise and the x-rays and bones are a great introduction to a life-long study of their own bodies and how they work.  This is also a great time to mention that exercise and active play (like running and climbing) actually make their bones stronger! 

I will be sharing Letter "X" activities all week!  Be sure to check back for more ideas!!



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