Category: Homeschool

Creation Tot School

Color: Blue

Shape: Circle

Number: 7

Letter: W for World

Day 1: God Created the Light and Dark

  • Snack: Raisins and Popcorn
  • Turn on and off Lights, 
  • Light and play with flashlights.

Day 2: God Created the Sky and Sea

  • Snack: Blue Jello and Marshmallows
  • Point to Sky and look at Clouds, 
  • Water and play with water toys.

Day 3: God Created the Dry Land and Plants

  • Snack: Chocolate Pudding with crushed cookies and Broccoli
  • Look at Trees and Plants and Dirt, 
  • Play in the dirt and plant some flowers. 
  • Play with wooden cutting fruits and vegies.

Day 4: God Created the Sun, Moon, and Stars

  • Snack: Cheese cut into starts
  • Look at Moon and Stars, 
  • Day or night?, (ask the child when they do things like go to bed, eat lunch, dream, play outside, etc…)
  • Playdough Sun, Moon, Stars
  • read “Bathwater’s Hot” by Shirley Hughes

Day 5: God Created the Birds and Fish

  • Snack: Goldfish
  • Talk about fish and birds,
  • Visit a pet store,
  • Feed the Ducks.

Day 6: God Created the Animals and People

  • Snack: Animal Crackers,
  • Visit a zoo,
  • Play with dog and cats.

Day 7: God Rested (God Made Me)

  • “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes”: Point to Body Parts, draw body with sidewalk chalk.
  • Relax with Yoga.

Gross Motor:

  • Run and Play Outside
  • Bubbles Circles
  • Creation Hop Scotch

Fine Motor:

  • He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands Craft
  • Play Dough (Blue, Circle, 7, W)
  • Abeka

I ordered a couple toddler age books from Abeka.com. Following are some of the specific books with links that are used in this Creation Tot School Unit:

Book List:

Movies

Music/ Poems:

Circus Tot School

Color: Red

Shape: Circle (Balloons, Balls, Hoops)

Number: 3

Letter: C for Clown

Movie:

Gross Motor:

  • Circus Yoga
  • Riding Lion Toy
  • Flaming Hoops (Hoola Hoop & Crape Paper)

Fine Motor:

  • Balloon Clown Coloring Sheet (Red, circles)
  • Abeka

I ordered a couple toddler age books from Abeka.com. Following are some of the specific books with links that are used in this Circus Tot School Unit:

Dramatic Play:

  • Streamers and Balloons (Red)

Book List:

Music/ Poems:

Foods:

  • Popcorn
  • Sno-Cone
  • Animal Crackers
  • Corn Dogs
  • Swirly Suckers

Tot Tubs:

  • Play Dough Play Mat (make balls circles for seal’s nose)
  • Bubbles (Circles)
  • Sidewalk Chalk
  • Popcorn Sensory Tub (popcorn kernels, red measuring spoons, yellow & white pom poms, Popcorn Cups)

12 – 18 Month Tot School

Tot Tub

I place beans, pom poms, tablespoons, and measuring cups in a tub. She loves scooping, dumping, and pouring from cup to cup and back and forth.

Pom Pom Play

I placed pom poms in a wisk so that she could pull them out and place them into an empty tissue box.

Then we taped an empty paper towel tube to the wall so that she could drop the pom poms down the tube.

Pipe Cleaner Play

I placed pipe cleaners in a strainer. She could pull them out one by one.

Box Play

The kids colored a box and my son tied his rope to one end of the box. Then he gave Baby Girl a ride though the house.

Book List (12-18 months)

Flap Books

Rainbow Colors Peekaboo! by DK Publishing (Touch and Feel Book)

Noisy Farm

Kids Favorites

Go, Dog. Go! by P.D. Eastman

Mr. Brown can Moo! Can You? by Dr. Seuss

Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin Jr & Eric Carle

Hokey Pokey Elmo by Abigail Tabby

Sandra Boynton Board Books

Barnyard Dance! by Sandra Boynton

Hey! Wake Up! by Sandra Boynton

Blue Hat, Green Hat by Sandra Boynton

Belly Button Book! by Sandra Boynton

Moo, Baa, La La La! by Sandra Boynton

Baby Book List (9-12 months)

Baby Girl is really starting to enjoy her books. We try to read the same books a few days in a row and leave them out on the table so she can look at them throughout the day too.

Sing Song Rhyming Books

Hokey Pokey Elmo by Abigail Tabby

Mr. Brown can Moo! Can You? by Dr. Seuss

Rainbow Colors Peekaboo! by DK Publishing (Touch and Feel Book)

Five Little Monkeys jumping on the bed by Eileen Christelow

Farm Animal Books

Noisy Farm

My first book of Animals

Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle

Bedtime Books

Why I Love my Mommy by Daniel Howarth

Your Baby’s First Word will be DADA by Jimmy Fallon

Time For Bed by Mem Fox

Good Night Mermaids by Adam Gramble

Adding books to our bedtime routine has helped Baby create a love for books and reading.

Baby Book List (6-9 months)

Bedtime Books

Part of our bedtime routine is to read books to help baby fall asleep peacefully. It is also a great bonding time so we read our 2 favorite books about Mommy and Daddy:

Why I Love my Mommy by Daniel Howarth

Your Baby’s First Word will be DADA by Jimmy Fallon

Song Books

Baby likes the sing song books. She also loves to play Pat-a-Cake and Peek-a-Boo!

Where is Monkey? by Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz

Hokey Pokey Elmo by Abigail Tabby

Five Little Monkeys jumping on the bed by Eileen Christelow

Animal Books

My oldest child loved books with animal sounds, so I’m trying some of his favorites with Baby Girl too…

Noisy Farm

My first book of Animals

More Favorites

In My Tree by Sara Gillingham & Lorena Siminovich

You are My Merry Little Christmas by Joyce Wan

On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman

She loves looking though the books and cleaning them off of the table too 🙂

Baby Book List (3-6 months)

Reading to bitty babies may seem pointless, but there are several great things about reading to the tiny ones! It lets them have your full attention and hear the sound of the voice that they love, which can sooth them. It helps them learn the love of books, reading, and learning. Encourages them to learn how to hold books and turn pages. Exposes them to rhyme and other language development. Reading is a great life long skill that you can start now with your little one.

Here are a few of our favorite books for new babies…

Where is Monkey? by Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz

In My Tree by Sara Gillingham & Lorena Siminovich

Freight Train by Donald Crews

Hello Bugs by Smriti Prasadam

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star and other favorite bedtime rhymes by Sanja Rescek

Hokey Pokey Elmo by Abigail Tabby

Why I Love my Mommy by Daniel Howarth (My favorite)

Here are some of the books that my other children are reading now days…

10 year old boy: Wings of Fire series and Dragon Master series.

15 year old boy: Lord of the Rings series and History of Middle Earth series; also a few other books by Tolkien.

As a family we are reading the Tuttle Twins series before bed at night.

Baby Book List (0-3 months)

Use high contrast images to stimulate your infants vision and help with their vision development. High contrast photos with contrasting patterns and images are easier for infants to focus on.

So Big! by Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz

Where is Monkey? by Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz is her absolute favorite book. It makes her smile every time we read it to her.

My Bedtime

Hello Bugs by Smriti Prasadam

4th Grade Class Auction Project

My 4th grader now attends a private school, and the class worked together to create a class project for the school fundraising auction. The parents of the class also put together an auction basket too.

Collaborative Class Art

I had each child trace their hand up to their elbow (as close as they can). Then they decorated their hand with markers in any way that they wish. Then the children cut them out. I placed the cut out hands around a large black canvas. I stuck them to the canvas with Mod Podge. I then cut out and added some stars to the canvas around the hands. In the middle I used my Cricut cutter to add the quote to the middle of the canvas: “YOU have within you the strength, the patience, and passion to reach for the STARS!”

BBQ/ Grill Auction Basket

We purchased a small charcoal grill and sauces, spices, and rubs to fill it with. We also added 2 fun aprons that say, “King of the Grill” and “Always Cook with Wine”!

Last Day of School Celebration

I homeschooled my 2 boys and my husband’s 2 little sisters. We had an End of the Year celebration with lots of fun! I surprised the kids with a banner hanging when they woke up that morning.

We read some “Last Day” children’s books…

Last Day Blues

Last Day, Hooray!

When it’s the Last Day of School

The Last Day of School

Water balloons and silly string!

ABC Writing

All About Me Poster

We had a camp fire with hotdogs and smore’s!

Last Day of School signs

I really enjoyed this year of teaching 4 children!

Memorial Day 3: American Flag

J is fascinated with the American flag so we decided to take this last day and learn some more about it.  We had a yummy flag breakfast, reviewed the symbols of the flag, made a flag craft, and learned how to show respect to our flag.

American Flag

Discuss: The American Flag is red, white and blue and has 13 stripes and 50 stars.

Its Symbols-

  • The stripes represent the 13 original colonies.
  • The 50 stars represent the number of states there are now.
  • The colors of the flag have meaning as well:
  • Red symbolizes Hardiness and Valor (the qualities of a hero or heroine; exceptional or heroic courage when facing danger; especially in battle)
  • White symbolizes Purity and Innocence (the state of being free from sin or moral wrong; lacking a knowledge of evil)
  • Blue represents Perseverance and Justice (the administration of law; the act of determining rights and assigning rewards or punishments)

Proper Display-

  • The flag should be displayed from sunrise to sunset.
  •           If the flag is displayed at night it should be illuminated.
  • Never allow the flag to touch the ground or the floor.
  • When displayed on a wall or window the blue field should be in the upper left corner.
  • The flag should be raised quickly and lowered carefully.
  • The flag is often flown at half-staff to show respect for someone who has died. When flown at half-staff, the flag should be raised to the top for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The flag should also be raised to the top before it is lowered at the end of the day.

Read: The American Flag by Tristan Boyer Binns

Comprehension Questions:

  1. What colors are on the American Flag? Red, white and blue
  2. What does each color stand for? Red for Valor, White for Purity, and Blue for Justice
  3. What do the 13 stripes and 50 stars stand for? 13 stripes for the 13 original colonies and 50 stars for the 50 states.

The Pledge of Allegiance

We used this page to talk more about The Pledge of Allegiance.

Edible Celebration Flag

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 jar marshmallow cream
  • 8 ounce cream cheese
  • Strawberry Pop Tart (unfrosted)
  • Fresh red raspberries or Fresh strawberries
  • Fresh blueberries

DIRECTIONS:

  1. In a small bowl stir together cream cheese, and marshmallow cream until smooth.
  2. Spread on top of the Pop Tart..
  3. Arrange 9 blueberries on top left corner of each toaster pastry to make “stars” on flags. 
  4. Lengthwise quarter raspberries or halve strawberries and thinly slice.
  5. Arrange raspberries or strawberries on top of toaster pastries to make “red stripes” on flags. 
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The Flag of the United States of America

We used this page to review what we have learned about The Flag of the United States of America.

Popsicle Stick Flag

Materials:

  • Red, Blue and White Paint
  • Paintbrush
  • 8 Popsicle Sticks
  • Cardstock
  • Strips of Rhinestones
  • Craft Magnet

Directions:

  1. Paint the sticks white and red (paint half of 3 sticks blue)
  2. Once they dried glue them onto cardstock. (Blue goes in the top left)
  3. Stick the rhinestones on the blue to use as the “stars”.
  4. Stick a magnet on the back.
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Check out the other day that we spent learning about Memorial Day:

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