Early Childhood Education

Early Childhood Education-"Encouraging children to "Make their own kissed Blarney Stone to celebrate St. Patrick's Day "

2010-02-23T14:08:00.000-08:00

Saint Patrick's Day can be a fun day filled with many arts and crafts for the children. It can also be very educational, filled with sensory and great story telling. Before, the children go down for a nap, make sure the space is opened enough, so when Louie the Leprechaun visits, he leaves some chocolate on there pillow and his gold glitter trail. Once they wake from nap, and use the restroom; the children will discover that Louie also used the restroom, by seeing green water in the toilet.....For snack? Cookies with green milk (a few drops of food coloring)!

There is a legend, "Legend says that anyone who kisses the Blarney Stone of Ireland will be blessed with eloquence. Make your own kissed Blarney Stone to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with your children in preschool, daycare or at home!"

Materials:

Rock
White and green acrylic paint
Sponge applicator
Pencil
Gold paint pen
White glitter glue
Paintbrush

How to make it:

Using sponge applicator or large paint brush, paint the rock white, set aside to dry.
Draw lips on the rocks; trace around the lips lightly with a pencil onto the rock.
Paint the lips green and let dry.
Outline the lips with a gold paint pen.
Use gold paint pen to add other decorations to the rock, swirled lines, circles and other shapes.
Cover the entire rock with glitter glue and let dry.

Early Childhood Education-"Benefits of making Valentine's Dat Crafts in Childcare"

2010-01-26T18:52:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day can be an exciting time for children to exchange cards or notes. There are many projects one can make with there children in preschool or daycare. This activity is fun and encourages children to work together by sharing the materials and a great use of there fine motor skills. Your children will love it!

Materials:

Cereal box
Construction paper: red, white, purple and pink
Glitter glue or glitter
White craft glue or glue gun
Scissors
Heart-shaped cookie cutter (optional)
Heart-shaped craft foam, felt

How to make it:

Cut cereal box in half, keeping the bottom half.
Cover the entire box with felt, foam or red construction paper using white craft glue or glue gun.
Trace cookie cutters, or draw freehand, to create hearts from construction paper. You will need two of each color for a total of six.
Use glitter glue to write short on the hearts.
Allow the glitter glue to dry completely, this can take several hours.
Glue three hearts, one of each color, to one side of the box, overlapping the hearts, tops of the hearts should stick out above the top of the box.
Glue foam hearts to the sides of the box.

Early Childhood Education-"Encouraging children to work together and make Valetines Day Keepsakes"

2010-01-25T20:57:00.000-08:00

With Valentines around the corner, why not create a fun fine motor activity with your children in daycare or preschool? This activity encourages teamwork and for the children to interact with each other. It's a great gift for our mommy's, daddy's, grandparents, family to display in there home.
Materials needed:
-Ribbon
-Writing Pen
-Green Floral Tape
-Terracotta Pot
-Plastic Flower, Grass and Leaves
-Glue Gun
-Foam
**All of the above materials can be purchased at a craft store

Directions:

Glue the ribbon around the rim of the terracotta top.

Take the lid of your pen and wrap the pen in your green floral tape.

Cut the stem off of your fake flower, and glue the flower head to the top of your pen (not the part that writes.)

Glue your fake leaves to the middle of the pen.

Set a chunk of flower foam into the bottom of the pot and glue into place.

Fill the pot with your dried grass until you reach the top of your pot

Stick your pen into the flower foam. If the pen won't stand up, try adding more dried grass.

Early Childhood Education-"Encouraging children to work together and make Valetines Day pops"

2010-01-11T14:10:00.000-08:00

Looking for yummy ideas for Valentines Day? This is a great activity for children to make at preschool or daycare. It encourages teamwork and also a great fine motor skills activity.

INGREDIENTS

1	package (18 oz) Pillsbury® Ready To Bake!™ refrigerated sugar cookies
15-20	flat wooden sticks with round ends
1 1/4	cups vanilla creamy ready-to-spread frosting (approx 1-lb container)
	small candy, sprinkles
10	yards red, white or pink ribbon

DIRECTIONS

1.	Heat oven to 350°F. On ungreased cookie sheets, place cookie dough pieces 2 inches apart. Into side of each piece of dough, insert wooden stick 1 inch, overlapping wooden sticks as necessary.
2.	Bake 12 to 16 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely, about 10 minutes.
3.	Spread frosting on one side of each cookie; decorate with sprinkles. Tie 18 inches of ribbon into bow around each stick next to cookie. Eat and enjoy!

Early Childhood Education-"Encouraging children to make a Valentine Day Wreath"

2010-01-11T13:47:00.000-08:00

With Valentines Day around the corner, this is a great activity for children to make in daycare or preschool. It's also a great fine motor activity. By having children cut out red, white and pink hearts. Making a Valentine wreath decorated from paper hearts and paper plates is very easy to make.

Materials:

Red, white and pink construction paper

Paper plate

Scissors

Glue

Optional - glitter

Early Childhood Education-"Encouraging children to make and eat Foccacia"

2009-12-17T06:19:00.000-08:00

Making fresh foccacia with children at preschool, daycare encourages many things. For example, children learn basic math skills; on measuring the right amount. Great use of fine motor skills to pour and scoop; sensory as they mix the ingrediants. It encourages great life skills where children get the opportunity to participate in an activity and see the end result by tasting it. This activity is very easy and a great activity for children to work together as a team.

Ingredients:

1 cups tepid water (90 degrees)
1 package yeast
1 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups plus 1/4 cup bread flour
1 teaspoon salt

Toppings: Optional

Approx 1/4 cup olive oil
Garlic, rosemary to taste
Kosher salt to taste

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix water, yeast, and sugar.
Stir in oils and salt.
Add 2 1/2 cups + 1/4 cup flour, mixing well til spongy.
Add enough remaining flour to make stiff dough.
Turn onto floured surface and knead until elastic.
Cover with bowl and let rise til doubled.
Spread on cookie sheets using your fingers.
TOPPINGS:
Mix crushed garlic with olive oil; brush over bread.
Sprinkle w/ dried rosemary and kosher salt
Bake at 375 for 1/2 hour.
Cut into squares and serve.
NOTE: You can also slice squares in half for sandwiches or simply for dipping

Early Childhood Education-"The art of creating Homemade Pizza in Childcare"

2009-12-17T05:41:00.001-08:00

Cooking projects can be exciting and fun for children in daycare and preschool. They add as great fine motor skills, where children are using there fingers and hands to mix the flour, water and yeast. They are also using there senses, to touch the dough and while its forming one can smell the yeast mixing with the water and flour. This can be a great project and a great cooking lesson for the children to participate in. It can also encourage children to try new foods.

Ingredients for the dough:
3/4 cups warm water
2 cups white bread flour
dash of salt
1 package very active yeast
corn meal
cooking spray-pam

-Mix the water, flour, salt and yeast together in a bowl;using your hands.
-Set aside and let rise-about 1-2 hours
-Flour a cutting board and using a dough roller, roll out the dough-sprinkling flour on the pizza dough; so it doesn't stick to the roller.
-Spray pam on a cookie sheet or pizza stone
-Sprinkle some corn meal on the sheet, transfer dough to the baking sheet and form pizza on sheet.
Turn oven on 450

Filling:
Optional:
red tomato sauce, pesto sauce,cheese, peperoni,salami,chicken breast slices,pineapple,zucchini,onion, bell pepper,basil,tomatoes,mushrooms,olives,asparagus,

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes

Enjoy

Early Childhood Education-"Encouraging children to "use there imagination while being creative"

2009-12-02T18:17:00.000-08:00

Looking for ways to be creative and conscious to mother earth? With the holidays around the corner and gift wrap becoming more and more tougher to break down, why not have your children decorate there own gift bags. This is a very simple and creative activity your children can participate in and enjoy.

Materials:
-paper bag
-fabric pieces
-glue
-scissors
-googly eyes
-markers
-felt

This is a great activity for children to do during the year. It encourages team work, sharing materials and having fun!

Early Childhood Education-"The art of creating Photo Ornaments in childcare"

2009-12-02T18:11:00.000-08:00

Looking for holiday activities to make with your children at childcare, preschool or daycare? These ornaments are easy to make and make great gifts.

Materials:
-child's photo
-small wreath
-sequins, glitter,beads
-glue
-colored paper
-yarn
-scissors

Provide children with all the above materials and assist in helping them create there holiday keepsake. Perfect to make; year after year and to treasure your children's childhood memories.

Early Childhood Education-"The art of creative picture frames in childcare"

2009-12-02T16:41:00.000-08:00

What a perfect holiday project you can make with your children for the holidays. Very easy to create and this project will make a perfect gift for the holidays. Great sensory and a great way for the children to use there fine motor skills in daycare or preschool.

Materials:
-puzzle pieces
-glue
-googly eyes
-picture
-felt or cardboard piece
-small pom-pom

Very easy to put together, start by gluing puzzle pieces together. Set to dry overnight and finally add picture!

Early Childhood Education-"Benefits of offering healthy treats in Childcare"

2009-12-01T09:22:00.000-08:00

With the holidays around the corner, children will be eating lots of tasty treats. A great way to keep there diet healthy is to offer healthy snacks in preschool or daycare. Very simple to make and children will enjoy them.

Ingredients:

2 cups low-fat yogurt (any flavor will work)
1 cup assorted berries (seasonal)
5 pretzel rods

Directions

1. In a large bowl gently stir together the yogurt and chopped fruit. Spoon into 4-ounce ice-pop molds or 3-ounce paper cups. Then you cover molds or cups with foil; using a sharp knife to cut a small hole in the foil and insert cut side of pretzel rods. Freeze until firm. Remove foil and mold or cup before serving.

2. Store for up to a month. Makes 6 pops.

Early Childhood Education-"Encouraging children to use their words"

2009-11-17T20:28:00.000-08:00

Many times its easier for children to hit their friends when they need something; or even grab a toy. Since we are there caretakers, it is our responsibility to teach our children how to use their words. Also, by using different strategies that can support our children in daycare or preschool.

"Play games that encourage cooperation. Pretend games, such as playing house, help teach preschoolers to work cooperatively. Because these games emphasize role-playing, they also teach your preschooler to express his feelings with words. If he gets angry during the game, prompt him to talk about his feelings by asking, "You're the daddy in this house. What does a daddy say when he feels angry?" If he's had a good example to follow, he'll handle it just like his own daddy does: by saying he's angry and explaining why."

Early Childhood Education-"Thanksgiving Dinner Keepsakes"

2009-11-11T08:49:00.000-08:00

Planning a Thanksgiving party or dinner? This craft is very simple to make and its great sensory for your children. They are able to use their fine motor skills to attach the leaf to the napkin. This adds a personal touch to any holiday meal.

Materials Needed:
*Hot glue gun
*Brown craft foam
*Fall Leaves artificial (Brown,orange,yellow,red)
*Colored berries
*Wire cutters

1) For each napkin ring, cut a piece of brown craft foam. Bend to form a ring, overlap the ends and glue in place.

2) Cut one leaf off of the bunch with wire cutters. Hot glue this to the foam ring.

3) Cut a small piece of berries off the bunch and glue on top of the leaf.

Early Childhood Education-"Thanksgiving Keepsakes"

2009-11-11T08:37:00.000-08:00

Looking for something to make with your children for the upcoming holiday? This Thanksgiving Turkey is simple and very inexpensive to make with your children in childcare or preschool.

You will need the following Materials:

2 Peat Pots, 2" tall with 2" wide top diameter
Pipecleaners
8-12 Colored craft sticks
Two 10mm googly eyes
Permanent black marker
Hot glue gun with glue sticks
Beans, rice or similar item to use as weight

*Place a hand full of beans or rice in the bottom of one of the peat pots. This gives your turkey some weight so he won't fall over.

* Turn the second peat pot upside-down and hot glue it on top of the first one, rim to rim.

* Cut a piece of pipe-cleaner and bend it back and forth. Hot glue this to the top pot.

* Using hot glue, attach Popsicle sticks to the back of the pots alternating the colors as you go.

* Cut a yellow or gold popsicle stick in half and glue both pieces to the bottom of your turkey for feet.

* Cut a pipecleaner, fold it in half and hot glue it to the front of the top peat pot as a beak.

* Cut a pipecleaner and fold it back and forth forming a waddle. Glue the pipecleaner waddle just under the beak.

*Glue on the googly eyes and draw eyebrows above them. You can draw a mouth below the beak if you would like to add a more human touch to your turkey - this is optional.

* Hot glue one "wing" on each side of your turkey. .

Optional: Make several turkeys and personalize them by writing your guests' names on the front of the turkeys on the bottom pot. Then use the turkeys as place markers for your Thanksgiving feast.

Early Childhood Education-"Benefits of Providing Earth-friendly Toys & Activities for children in Childcare"

2009-10-12T22:26:00.000-07:00

Weather you are a daycare provider, parent, preschool teacher; many times it can be difficult to find activities or toys that are friendly to the environment. We also, tend to purchase toys and teaching materials from abroad. Sometimes pricing plays a major role. Recently these products have become very popular, due to their environmental impact.

"Green Toys products are tested by nationally recognized, independent, third-party labs (located, yes, in the USA.) They contain no traceable amounts of Phthalates or BPA. They are also designed without any external coatings, eliminating the fear of lead paint."

Read more at Green Toys Inc

Early Childhood Education-"Encouraging children to eat Bananas"

2009-09-23T15:18:00.001-07:00

Need a healthy snack idea to serve to your preschoolers or children?
Weather its for Halloween or just a snack.

Directions:

1. Cut the bananas in half; widthwise. Push a Popsicle stick into each half through the cut end, then cover each pop with plastic wrap and freeze until firm (about 3 hours).

2. Place a 1.5-ounce piece of white chocolate candy in a microwave-safe bowl and cook on high until melted (it generally takes about 1 minute). With a butter knife, spread the melted white chocolate on the frozen banana halves.

Set the pops on a waxed-paper-covered dish. Press on candies or currants for eyes and mouths and return the pops to the freezer until ready to serve.

Early Childhood Education-"Worms in dirt "

2009-09-23T14:54:00.000-07:00

A creative science and sensory lesson to make with your children at daycare or preschool.

Ingredients:

Softened Chocolate Ice Cream or chocolate pudding
Chocolate Cookie Crumb/crushed oreos
Gummy Worms
Plastic clear cups

Preparation:

Fill 9 ounce plastic cups about 3/4 of the way full with softened chocolate ice cream or chocolate pudding. Top with about 1/4 inch of chocolate cookie crumbs. Place gummy worms in the "dirt" and eat!

Early Childhood Education-"Halloween Crafts"

2009-09-23T14:44:00.001-07:00

Halloween is around the corner, this is a great activity to make with your children at preschool, daycare. You can incorporate sensory, math and science concepts into this lesson.

Materials Needed:

Exam gloves
Loose cotton
Black Marker
Tree branches, twigs
Tombstone shaped cookies
clear plastic cups
Glue gun

Instructions:

Have your children fill a glove with cotton, the fingers, thumb and half of the hand. Tie a knot on the open end. Have the children draw faces on the finger tips, using a black marker.

Caretaker/Teacher: Hot glue the tree branches to the inside bottom and side of the plastic cup. Hot glue the ghosties to the inside base of the plastic cup using the knot as the touch point for the glue. Add some cotton in front and in back of the glove so that it spills over the edge, creating a fog image.

Early Childhood Education-"Halloween HandPrint Spiders "

2009-09-04T23:55:00.000-07:00

This is a perfect art activity for children to do at daycare or preschool in time for Halloween. It's also a great sensory project, using fine motor skills!

Materials:

Black paper
Wiggle eyes
Black wool or pipe cleaner
Glue, Scissors

Instructions:

Draw around both hands with fingers spread out and thumbs tight against index fingers.

Cut out the hands and glue them together so that the palms form the spider’s body and the fingers it’s legs.

Glue on the wiggle eyes. Make a small hole through the center of the body. Thread the wool through the hole and tie into a knot.

Hang these spooky spiders from doorways to scare people as they come through!

Early Childhood Education-"Halloween Poems-Songs"

2009-09-04T23:49:00.000-07:00

Just in time for the Halloween, these are great songs and poems to sing with your children in daycare, preschool or at home.

"The Silly Willy Spider"
The silly willy spider
Crawled up on _____'s head!
It crawled all around
Then made a nice soft bed.
It wiggled down his/her shoulder
And jumped down to the floor
Then the silly willy spider
Crawled to someone else for more!

"Little Miss Muffet"
Little Miss Muffet
Sat on a tuffet
Eating her curds and whey.
Along came a spider
And sat down beside her,
And frightened Miss Muffet away!

The Spider in the Web
(tune: Farmer in the Dell)

The spider in the web,
The spider in the web
Spin, spin, oh watch him spin,
The spider in the web.

The spider eats a (bug name)
The spider eats a _________.
Spin, spin, oh watch him spin,
The spider in the web.

Tune: I'm a Little Teapot:

I'm a little spider watch me spin
If you'll be my dinner
I'll let you come in
Then I'll spin a web to hold you tight
And gobble you up in ONE BIG BITE!

There's a Spider on the Wall
Tune: Twinkle Little Star

There's a spider on the wall
If he's careful he won't fall
He moves slowly down the wall
I can watch him crawl and crawl
I wonder if he minds my stare
Or does he know and just not care?

Spider, Spider Fingerplay

Spider hurrying,
(Run fingers back and forth.)
Spider scurrying,
See her silken thread.
(Stretch thread between fingers and thumb.)
Spider hurrying,
(Run fingers back and forth.)
Spider scurrying,
See her little web.
(Make spiral with fingers.)

Early Childhood Education-"The art of creating Apple Prints in childcare"

2009-09-04T23:40:00.001-07:00

This is the season of going back to school for many children; and also the season for apples. This is a great art and sensory activity to do with your children at daycare, preschool or at home.

Materials:
-apples
-paint
-construction paper
-paper plates

Simply cut the apples in half with a knife. Dip the apples in paint and stamp your art.

Early Childhood Education-"Encouraging children to eat Vegetables"

2009-08-14T14:32:00.000-07:00

By serving healthy vegetables to children, along with the main dish will encourage your children and preschoolers to munch on them. Instead of greasy French fries, making your own baked sweet potato fries is another healthy way to encourage healthy eating. Sweet Potato fries are packed with vitamin A and also provide fiber if you leave the skin on.

Expert Tip: For healthier chicken nuggets, dip chicken breasts or tenders in egg wash (a mix of egg whites and skim milk), then in seasoned bread crumbs or crushed corn flakes. Bake in the oven at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes.

Early Childhood Education-"Benefits of reading to your children in Childcare"

2009-07-28T23:39:00.000-07:00

Research has proven again and again that reading for twenty minutes to a child is very important for there develpoment. Children may not be looking at you directly, but there brains are like sponges; they soak everything in. Weather your a childcare/ daycare provider, nanny or parent; reading to children teaches them about words and opens there depth of vocabulary and knowledge. They are able to use their imagination and expand in there little mind.

"While a country receives a good return on investment in education at all levels from nursery school and kindergarten through college, the research reveals that the returns are highest from the early years of schooling when children are first learning to read. . . . The early years set the stage for later learning. Without the ability to read, excellence in high school and beyond is unattainable."
Read more at National Children's Reading Foundation

Early Childhood Education-"Benefits of Learning two languages in Childcare"

2009-07-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

Learning more than one language can be stressful for us as caregivers, but when it comes to children and there development; it can be fun. Children are like sponges, they listen and repeat everything.

"While the remarkable performance of children acquiring one language is impressive, many children acquire more than one language simultaneously," said study author Agnes Melinda Kovacs, a research fellow at the International School for Advanced Studies, in Trieste, Italy. "As bilingual children presumably have to learn roughly twice as much as their monolingual peers [because they learn two languages instead of one], one would expect their language acquisition to be somewhat delayed. However, bilinguals pass the language development milestones at the same ages as their monolingual peers."

Read more at Health Day

Early Childhood Education-"The art of creating Pinwheels in childcare"

2009-06-22T10:04:00.000-07:00

Pinwheels are a great way to encourage children to work together. Also, a great activity for daycare providers, preschool teachers and parents. Perfect for birthday parties and holidays; they make pretty wind decorations and you can also stick them in your garden.

Materials:

Colored card stock or construction paper
Thumbtack or stick pin
Pencil with new eraser
White craft glue
Scissors
Sequins
different patterns, design

How to make it:

Print the different patterns, design onto plain copy or printer paper.
Cut the different patterns, design out-cutting on the solid lines.
Lay different patterns, design on top of colored paper and trace the square. Cut out the square from the colored paper.
Keep the different patterns, design square on top of the colored square. Either hold it in place with your fingers or tape it down lightly on two of the sides.
Cut through the different patterns, design and the colored paper along the dotted lines but do not cut in to the center circle.
Use a thumbtack or stick pin to poke out the holes in every other corner as indicated on the different patterns, design Set the pattern piece aside.
Take one corner (one with a hole) and fold it toward the center of the square. Fold the next corner that has a hole and fold it toward the center on top of the first holed corner. Repeat with the other two corners with holes until all four are folded into the center. Glue the folds to each other and to the center. Hold together until dry.
Push the thumbtack through the center of the pinwheel and into the eraser of the pencil. Make sure the pinwheel isn’t touching the eraser or it won’t spin.
Glue some sequins to the flaps of the pinwheel and let dry.

Tips:

You can use plain white paper and have children color with crayons or markers to decorate before cutting out the pinwheel pattern.
Decorate with lightweight items such as sequins and stickers or glitter glue. Items like buttons and craft jewels are too heavy.
If the pinwheel isn’t turning properly, try using a longer stick pin rather than a thumbtack to allow more room between the pinwheel and the eraser.