Week 3 Day 3 - Where on Earth?

Today we made a model of our solar system.  We took the easy route and bought a kit, but you can make it out of almost anything. Here are two more ways you can make your own solar system:

* Use paper and crayons or markers to draw the planets and the sun. Then cut them out, hole punch them and connect them all to a hanger with yarn or string.

* Use Styrofoam balls and paint them. Then stick them with wire and connect them to the sun at varying distances.

We are still working on our modeling clay aliens. My kids were a bit tired of painting after making the solar system earlier, so we'll paint them tomorrow.

Don't space out and hopefully we'll see you tomorrow.

Week 3 Day 2 - Alien Autopsy

Today we played with modeling clay. My kiddies love it! We made little space aliens. After they air dry we will be painting them. Then tomorrow we will make little space ships.

We also played with these little bendy aliens we found at a local dollar store. They had fun posing them and putting them in all kind of funny situations - like falling out of bed, hanging from a lamp, etc.

Then we went to the Free Family Film Festival by Regal Theaters. Here is there link:  http://www.regmovies.com/nowshowing/familyfilmfestivalschedule.aspx.  Movies are held on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at 10 a.m. at select theaters and all are rated G and PG. Today we saw Astro Boy which my little girl really likes.

Week 3 Day 1 - A Star Is Born

Today is the first day of Week 3 and we started off the day putting together a puzzle. It was one I picked up from the dollar aisle at Target. I find lots of neat stuff in the dollar section.

The neat thing about this puzzle is that it glows in the dark. It's just a little activity, but it's hard to sit back and not pick up a piece.

Next we went online. By accessing http://www.astronomy.com you can see which stars, planets, etc. are in the sky over your home. It will tell you exactly what is over your head when step outside and look up.

We also went to our local library and looked up pictures of the planets. We learned about stars, galaxies, and even black holes. If you want to see some really incredible photos check out the ones from the Hubble space telescope by going here:  http://hubblesite.org/gallery/album/entire.

Have fun and see you tomorrow.

Theme for Week 3 is Out of This World

Week # 3 is Out of This World

This week is all about space. We will cover astronomy including planets and stars, and even aliens.

Week 2 Day 5 - Go Take a Hike

For Day 5 of our Back to Nature week. The kids and I went on a hike and found a playground we hadn't been to in a while. The kids love exploring a playground they haven't visited in a while. We try to visit a playground every week during the summer. We live in an area where there are plenty to choose from, so we make it a different playground each time.

The funniest moment was when we were almost attacked by a hawk. The bird dive bombed us. It was freaky. Here's a shot of it.

Even my son's fave toy got in on the action. He went "WILD" according to my kids.

Hope you had a fun week. See you next week.

Week 2 Day 4 - Scavenger Hunt

 Today we went on a scavenger hunt.  I created a printable that you can use or you can make up your own.

Download it here:
http://helpingmomsathome.com/scavengerhunt.pdf

After that we watched "Over the Hedge", but here are a couple other movies also cover nature. "Bee Movie", "Horton Hears a Who", "A Bug's Life",  and even "Swiss Family Robinson".

As a craft we did leaf rubbings. Put a leaf under a sheet of paper and rub the paper with a crayon. Pretty simple craft. You can take the finished product and frame them to make them look nice.

Have fun and see you tomorrow.

Week 2 Day 3 - Nature Walk

Today it was another rainy day here, so in the morning we did some painting. These are ceramic bird house we found at Target in their $1 section. The even came with paints and a brush. You may be able to find something similar in a dollar store or a craft store.

The skies finally cleared up this afternoon, so the kids and I managed to go on a nature walk. We managed to see this really neat frog or toad (I don't know which).  We also saw lots of birds, little bugs, pretty flowers,  some squirrels and even a bunny. It was fun.

My kids tried to catch this frog but like for me it got away. I like frogs, but I didn't want another pet. :-)

Hope you have a great day and see you tomorrow.

Week 2 Day 2 - Where Do You Live?

Unfortunately it was raining here for a little while, so we had to figure out an indoor activity for today. I had planned on taking my kiddies on a nature walk through the woods.  We just need to move that to tomorrow or the next day.

As for today, we learned about various climates and did an activity. I actually found a really helpful website that explains all the various climates and the characteristics of each. Here it is: http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/uwsp_lectures/climates_toc.html

We browsed through this site and tried to figure out what type of climate we live in. The closest we could figure is the Humid Continental Climate.

In addition to learning about climates we also decided to plant some seeds. We had pumpkin seeds that we saved from Halloween. Yes we actually saved them from this Halloween.  I intended to plant them in my garden, but ran out of space to plant them. Now I'll have a week or so to find a place to plant them. :-)

Here is the girls adding dirt to the cups.

They put 2 seeds in each cup. We will thin out the seedlings when they grow some.

Have fun and see you tomorrow.

Week 2 Day 1 - Make a Nature Journal

This is a cute little journal we made from brown paper lunch bags.  We used 3 bags but you can use more or less if you wish.

Supplies needed:
2-4 brown paper lunch bags
scissors
single hole punch
scraps of ribbon

Fold the bottom of the bags together.  Drawing a line just above the folded pieces.

Cut along the line being sure to cut off the entire bottom of the bags.

Fold what is left of the bags in half with the open ends together.

Layer all the bags together and then punch holes along the folded edge.

Place pits of ribbon or yarn through the holes and tie into knots. This will hold the journal together.

We placed 3X5 index cards inside each pocket and we plan to draw pictures on them. You can also tape or glue flowers, leaves, etc to them along with a couple sentences of description.

Theme for Week 2 - Back to Nature

Week #2 is  - Back to Nature

Week 2 will cover all things in nature. This includes bugs, weather, plants, gardening, composting, etc. We will be planting seeds, tracking the weather, going on nature walks and more.

Week 1 Day 5 - Concert Pics

Here are photos of our concert held on Friday night. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was fun. The kids played 3 songs. They chose "We Will Rock You" and "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" in addition to one they created themselves.

Here's my oldest showing one of the signs they made.

Week 1 Day 5 - Concert Day

Today is "Concert Day". Yesterday we practiced and practiced. Plus we watched "Alvin and the Chipmunks - The Squeakquel".

Today we actually put on a mini concert. Well actually two - one for our immediate family and one for my in-laws because my kids are sleeping over there tonight.

It just goes to show you that even though the kids are still in school 1/2 day and our schedule is massively crazy today - we are still able to do the activities.

A video and pics will be added tomorrow.  :-)

Week 1 Day 4 - Practice Makes Perfect

Yesterday we made up moves to go with the song we wrote. Today we just practiced, practiced and more practice! That's the one sure way to get good great at something - lots of practice!

In addition to practicing, we also watched "Alvin and the Chipmunks - The Squeakquel". It is a really cute movie! It just so happens to show a little bit about putting on a concert. Other movies that would fit the music theme would be "Camp Rock" and "High School Musical" just to name a few.

Another activity we did today was to create posters for their concert tomorrow. We used construction paper, markers, glitter and glue. You can also make up tickets if you plan to invite some of your friends to your concert. If you're really creative and have plenty of time you can create a stage to perform on. Since my kids aren't officially done with school yet we are keeping it simple this week.

Week 1 Day 3 - Get Giggy With It

Okay it's time to "Bust a Move" :)

Yesterday, we worked on composing a song and discussed various genre of music. Today we practiced our song and also worked on the choreography portion of their concert. Basically the moves that go along with their music. It doesn't have to be anything fancy or complicated - we're talking about kids of varying age and skill levels.

Some moves we used were:
* Arm circles
* Swaying back and forth
* Clapping or snapping to the beat
* Toe or heel tap

Of course kids can just move however the feel. Some kids go wild while others do better when told how to move. Do whatever comes natural. It's supposed to be fun.

Week 1 Day 2 Music Genre and Composition

Welcome back!

Today is Week 1 Day 2 and we learned about music genre. Yesterday we talked about different types of instruments and today we listened to music from many different genre.  This is a pretty easy thing to do - you can turn on a radio or visit any online music store to sample songs.

Feel free to click on the pic below to access the printable form. It's in PDF form so you will need Adobe's Acrobat Reader which is available free at their site www.Adobe.com.

Since we made instruments yesterday we started to compose a song to play for a concert on Friday. Nothing fancy or complicated. The kids just made up a short little song and played their instruments along with the words.

In addition to that we also ate some refried beans with dinner - you know "Musical Fruit". Hey the kids think it's funny :)

Have fun!

Week1 Day1 Intro to Instruments

Today is Week 1 Day 1 of the 12 Weeks of Summer Fun. This week is called "Strike Up the Band" and the main topic is music. On this first day we will be talking about instruments.

There are 4 main categories of instruments.

• Wind - such as flute, saxophone, clarinet
• Percussion - such as drums, triangle, bell, cymbals
• Brass - including the bugle and trumpet
• Strings - include the violin, cello and bass

The main activity we did today was make our own instruments out of normal household items. Here's a photo of 1 of the instruments my kids made on their own.

Maracas - which is a toilet paper roll with un-cooked noodles inside. My 5 year old made this one all by herself.

After making their own instruments they decided to play with the instruments we already had on hand. We have an actual violin, recorder, harmonica, and guitar. Then we also have a toy drum, tambourine, recorder, maracas, and bells. There were a bunch for each kid to choose from.

Have fun and be sure to come back tomorrow for Day 2.

Theme for Week 1: Strike Up the Band

Drum Roll please.... 

Week #1 is  - Strike Up the Band.

Week 1 will cover all things music including genre and instruments. We will put on a concert at the end of the week and even tape record a song the kids create.

12 Weeks Starts on June 7th

Just a heads up, the 12 Weeks of Summer Fun for Kids will start on June 7th, 2010. I will be posting the days events each day Monday through Friday.

Each week has a theme which will be announced on the Friday of prior week. I will try to list any supplies that will be needed for the coming week. Some activities, however, will be spur of the moment. I plan to include photos, tutorials and an explanation of the days activities.

To start the summer off right here is one of the activities that my kids and I love. It is the Free Family Film Festival by Regal Theaters. Here is there link:  http://www.regmovies.com/nowshowing/familyfilmfestivalschedule.aspx.  Movies are held on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at 10 a.m. at select theaters and all are rated G and PG. We go to a lot of these movies over the course of the summer.

Hope you have a wonderful summer and keep following this blog for lots more fun activities.

    Kim