Hocus Pocus - Making -op Words (with a free printable)

(4 1/2 Years)

We are just beginning week three of pre-K (long, deep sigh).  Our incredible teachers informed us that they are now going to be delving into their curricula this week, and with that is HOMEWORK!  I've never been so happy to hear that homework is coming.  We can now get back to learning through play, while incorporating what they are learning in the classroom.

My inner-teacher came bounding out when I printed out the homework packet (all of their homework is optional, but encouraged).  A few of the worksheets were about the CVC - op family.  I love word families- there are so many cute, playful activities we can do.  I knew right away we'd use our magic wands that we just got at The Dollar Tree this summer!  They love playing with them.  I set out Wild One's magician shirt and a fairy Godmother gown for Little Miss - and then we sat down ready to preform our magic.

Wild One and Little Miss had fun waving the wand and saying, "hocus pocus" or "bippity boppity boo" while creating new words.  I loved how surprised they were that they could turn the letter "b" into "bop" by waving the wand and placing it after the "b".  The smiles say it all!

Are you ready to play?  You don't need a magic wand. You can use a craft stick, a pencil or even a spoon.  Below is the link to the free printable, when you click on the picture you will be able to download the activity sheet.  Don't you love when most of the work is done for you?

Have fun learning!  

Rainbow Snowballs

(4 Years)

This is so much fun!!!  Have you seen what happens to a bar of Ivory soap when you put it in the microwave?  We've been watching Sid the Science Kid, and Little Miss and Wild One love the science journals that Sid and his classmates use.  "We can do that." I tell them.  Little Miss, sadly says that we can't because we don't know how to write a lot of words.  I rewind and freeze the movie, on the part where Teacher Suzie has the class write (draw) in their science journals.  Wild One shouts, "Look it's all drawings!  No words!"  Little Miss smiled and cheered, "We can do it!  We can do it!"  Prep for this is quick- if you have Ivory in the house, I knew we would do this one day, so I already purchased two bars at The Dollar Store, I love The Dollar Store.

Materials needed:
Ivory soap (we cut ours in half)
Microwave-safe plate
Trays or baking sheets (to help contain the mess)
Liquid food dye or liquid water color
Ice cube tray or water color palate
Medicine droppers or pipettes

I've seen the Ivory Experiments all over the internet.  However, I found this great journal idea on 5 Orange Potatoes (she even has a free booklet that you can download).  I made a modified one for us, you can grab it here.

They were so excited that they were writing a journal entry, just like on Sid the Science Kid.  When I asked, if they thought the bar will stay the same or change.  They both said, "Change!"  Little Miss said, "It will melt"; Wild One chimed in with a "Yeah, melt."

We cut our bar in half, because I've seen how large this thing will swell.  We placed it on a dinner plate (microwave-safe).  Pressed two minutes on the microwave and stood back.  The first ten seconds, nothing happened.  They looked at me with disappointment in their eyes,

 and then .

 Once it starts expanding, it grows pretty quickly.  We stopped ours around 45 seconds.

"I can't watch.  It's too exciting!"

Wild One was hopping up and down so much, saying, "Look!  Look!"  

That she couldn't resist, first peeking and then smiling too.

That's a full-size dinner plate, with only half a bar of Ivory on it!  

Be careful, it is HOT when it first comes out of the microwave.    

It sadly also deflates, just a little, as soon as you stop the microwave.

While we were waiting for it to cool off, we finished our science journal entry.  

 They drew a picture of what the soap looks like after it came out of the microwave. 

Once cooled off (it only took a few minutes for ours to cool off), I asked if they thought it will be hard or soft.  They both said soft.  It looks soft, just like shaving cream.  They were surprised to feel that it was hard.  We used some old medicine syringes to add just a little water at a time to the soap to shape it into mini snowballs.

Little Miss wondered out loud (I'm constantly thinking out loud - it's amazing how things I did in the classroom I'm still doing today) what would happen if we used a bowl of water instead of just the medicines (the syringes).  You know what would happen, I knew what would happen, but for her it's a learning opportunity, so break out the plastic bowls.

"Ooohhh, it's getting gooey."

Her next wondering question that she asked with so much excitement, "What if we use seltzer water?"  I asked her what she thought might happen.  "It will get bubbly, because there are bubbles in seltzer water."  Ok, I see that.  Again, you know what will happen and I knew what would happen.  It is another learning opportunity, so off I go to get her seltzer in a bowl.

"Nope.  It's the same."  Meanwhile Wild One was working so hard 

on wetting and molding his snowballs.

While the kids washed their hands - no soap needed.  I put a drop of liquid food dye into the well of the pallet, added some water, stirred carefully.  By the time the kids were done washing their hands the next part of the project was ready.  Now to make our snowballs into rainbow snowballs.

They love using these little medicine droppers.  

 Here come the secondary colors.

 These little medicine droppers are great for developing fine motor skills.

Now we have pretty little rainbow snowballs to play with in the bathtub.

Let's Learn About the Number Four - Composing

(4 Years)

Little Miss and Wild One love using dot markers.  Therefore, whenever I can tailor an activity to include dot markers I do, because I know I'll definitely get them to want to work on whatever I've planned.  This morning one of our activities, besides Soak the Sight Words (again!), was working on composing the number four out of unifix cubes and then filling our work in using dot markers.  My inspiration for this activity is from Playful Directions, I found her on - well, you know where.

I modeled how to complete this activity with the number three.

We took turns pointing to the top of the page, the tally marks, the number in word form, in number form, and in dots (subitizing).  I modeled the different ways we can make three with two sets of cubes (they chose black and green).  We removed each cube, and used the same color dot marker to make a dot that represents each cube.  That's when Little Miss noticed a pattern.  Next to each row, we wrote the corresponding equation.  Little Miss then took over and began explaining how I should write the remaining equations.  

Before we began working on making the number four, the kids put the cubes back together in columns of ten.  Wild One counted each cube to make sure he had ten linked together.  Little Miss borrowed her brother's set of ten and measured it against her set to determine if she had the correct amount.

Together they discovered that they were missing just one cube.

Did you notice that Little Miss completed the left side of her sheet first?

 Little Miss wasn't done straightening her cubes when I snapped the picture.

She then removed one set of cubes at a time, and added the correct color dot marker to her sheet.

I think next time, we work on composing numbers I'll use two different objects instead of the same object in different colors.  When we discussed that 3 black cubes + 1 red cube = 4 cubes, and 3 red cubes + 1 black cube = 4 cubes, she said, "It's the same 3 + 1 = 4, why did we do it two times?"  If we use bears and cars, I think it may be easier to understand that the colors represent two different groups that we are adding together.  

What a busy morning!  Picnic breakfast, three rounds of Soak the Sight Words, swim lessons, imaginative play in the pool, read several books, worked on composing numbers three and four, and lunch.  Whew I'm wiped out!  Little Miss went straight to sleep during nap time.  Wild One decided he wasn't tired- even though he has dark circles.  He ran to the couch with a Cat in the Hat, Learning Library book and began "reading".  So cute!