Warmer weather requires WATER FUN!

We all know the fun of a squirt gun or water hose fight or even a water balloon toss.  However, kids love variety, so here are some cool ideas to stay cool as the weather and humidity rises.  I hope a couple of these catch your eye and your family gets to benefit!

1. Sponge Balls

-4 sponges, string, scissors, buckets with water

Directions:

Cut each sponge into 4 long strips, Tie 4 strips in the middle with string, use a bucket filled with water to "fill the sponge",  Proceed to toss and have fun.



2. The Waterblob
-thick clear plastic as big as you want, duct tape, water, extras (see directions)

Fold the plastic sheeting in half and tape the three open sides with duct tape (it helps to have assistance) but leave open a small hole for the water hose. You can add some bright blue food coloring just for that wow factor. For fun, add glitter, confetti or small gummy items like worms or fish for a theme party. Just make sure the items are very soft with no pointy edges. This provides a great study on waves and motion.  Finish by putting duct tape on the water hole.

 

3.  Paint with Water                                                                  rollers, paint brushes and paint pan

Let them "paint" the outside with water.  Use rollers for the house, the deck, sidewalk etc.  The brushes provide excellent fine motor practice.  

4. PVC water wonderland

There are many PVC water projects out there for kids.  The 2 most popular are the "kid wash" and the engineering station.  Depending on the age of your child, you can pretty much design anything.  All you need is the right adapter for the pvc to hose connection and you will have an awesome water wonderland. 

A New Start

I just wanted to let you all know that I have signed a new contract for next year and you will be seeing lots more amazing things starting in September.  I am very excited to start the new journey with a new group of 4 year olds and their families. 

Over the summer I will continue to post super fun ideas to do over the summer as well as a way to help keep your child's brain moving and growing all summer long!

XO!
Tanya

Performances for the wee ones!

Most of you know I have a passion for drama.  I use drama and music every day in my classroom.   I also like to expose my students and my own kids to live performances of any kind.  I wanted to take today's entry to devote to different performances,theatre, music and dance, that are geared for kids 3-10.  So often we take the children to sports events and parks.  I hope that you get the opportunity to take your child to at least one live performance a year.  You never know what they will fall in love with.
Let me know if you go to any.  I would love to hear about the experience. 

Aladdin:
AlphaBet Soup Productions
Greater Chicago Area
Various 60148
(630) 932-1555
Witness how a poor boy named Aladdin wins the heart of Princess Jasmine, with the aid of his pet monkey Yahzoo, and a wacky Genie with a brother complex. All singing! All sword-swinging! And a happy ending to boot!

Time: 10:30 AM

Cost: $7-$9

Ages: Pre K-5th Grade

Little Red Riding Hood

Stahl Family Theater at St. Patrick's High School
5900 W. Belmont Ave.
Chicago 60634
(773) 205-9600
Chicago Kids Company- Theatre for Children (CKC) presents Little Red Riding Hood, a one-hour musical adaptation! Meet Little Red and her friends as she travels through the woods to Grandma’s house. Will she listen to her Mama’s warning not to stray from the path? And why is the wacky Wolf so eager to help her out? The show runs one hour with no intermission and is targeted for kids aged 2 to 12.

Time: 10:30 am to 11:30 am

Cost: Single Tickets: $12.00 each Group Tickets: $6.00 - $9.00 each

Ages: Ages 2-12

The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley

Northbrook Musical Theatre for Young Audiences
3323 Walters Avenue
Northbrook 60062
(847) 291-2367
Flat Stanley is an ordinary boy with a normal life. But Stanley wants to travel the world and see new things. In this adaptation of a beloved children's book we will see Stanley get an amazing opportunity to pursue his dreams of adventure!

Time: 10am and 1pm

Cost: $12

The Very Hungry Catepillar

Ruth Page Center for the Arts
1016 North Dearborn St.
Chicago 60610
(872) 222-9555
Paying April 29 - June 1, 2014.
“The Very Hungry Caterpillar” follows the adventures of a very tiny and very hungry caterpillar that eats his way through and amazing variety of foods towards his eventual metamorphosis into a beautiful butterfly. Children will likewise delight in the antics of “Little Cloud.” High up in a beautiful sky, Little Cloud slips away from the rest and transforms itself into various shapes of things it sees – a sheep, an airplane, a shark and more. In “The Mixed-Up Chameleon,” a little chameleon is bored with its life – sitting about predictably changing color all day. So it decides to embark on an adventurous trip to the zoo. Upon seeing the beautiful animals there, the little chameleon tries changing to look like each one of them.

Time: See web site for schedule

Cost: Call for pricing

Ages: Ages 2 and up

Seussical The Musical

Chicago Shakespeare Theater
800 E. Grand Avenue
Chicago
(312) 595-5600
Chicago Shakespeare Theater brings the humor and magic of Dr. Seuss to life onstage this summer in the Broadway musical comedy Seussical for young audiences and their families. Playful, energetic and full of whimsy, Seussical engages the imagination with clever lyrics and melodies, unforgettable characters and the vibrant rainbow of Dr. Seuss’ colorful world. Seussical is written by the Tony Award winning team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, whose works include Ragtime and Once on This Island, and was co-conceived with Eric Idle of Monty Python and Spamalot fame. Directed by Scott Weinstein with musical direction by Michael Mahler, Seussical will be performed July 5 through August 17 in CST's Courtyard Theater. Each performance features special opportunities for audiences to interact with the actors in the Lobby for one-on-one conversations and photo opportunities.

Time: See web site for schedule

Cost: $18 children (12 & under) | $28 adults

Ages: Ages 4 and up

Dodgeball Dungeon

 ComedySportz
929 West Belmont
Chicago 60657
(773) 549-8080
The ComedySportz Theatre in Chicago is proud to present the premiere of a new kind of improv show for all ages. Every Saturday at 12pm from April 12th through May 17, ComedySportz will present an entirely new and completely original interactive fantasy adventure! Volunteer players from the audience are sent to aid the heroes of a fantasy kingdom by completing challenges and fighting monsters using the world’s most powerful weaponry – the mighty dodgeball.
THE SHOW
The Kingdom of Gwendaloth is in trouble! Always. It seems like every week there’s another kidnapped Prince who needs rescuing, or a rampaging dragon, or an evil sorcerer trying to take over the world. So it’s up to the Heroes of the Realm (that’s you) to pick up their dodgeballs and descend into the dungeon to save the day. Audience members young and old will save the day using magic, running obstacle courses, and earning enchanted artifacts like the Orb of Darkness, the Vampire Cloak, or the powerful (but annoying) Talking Armor!
Join the cast of DODGEBALL DUNGEON every Saturday afternoon in this highly interactive, highly physical, and highly hilarious improvised choose-your-own-adventure.

Time: 12:00 p.m.

Cost: $10.00

Ages: 6 and up

You can also look up Chicago Symphony Hall for a huge variety of performances.  Ravinia festival has dance and music performances as well.   

 

 

 

Fun Messes to Make....

Here are some recipes to keep you busy over your Spring/Easter break. 

Kool Aid Play Dough

2 1/2 cups - flour
1 cup - salt
3 tablespoons - vegetable oil
2 cups - boiling water
2 packages - unsweetened Kool-Aid (Any colour you want!)
Gloves - Optional

Mix all the dry ingredients together, then add the oil and water. Knead for the mixture for 10 minutes, and done!

* Don't forget to put the homemade play dough in a air tight container, or zip lock bag when your done using it so it doesn't dry up.

Moon Dough (my favorite)

Ingredients

• 8 cups flour
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• Essential oil such as lavender or grapefruit (optional)

Instructions

1. Scoop and pour the flour into the center of a large tub.
2. Create a crater in the middle of the flour.
3. Pour the oil into the crater.
4. Gently mix it all together.
5. Enjoy mixing and learning about the properties of the dough as it is, or add small silicone bowls, spoons, or measuring cups to make small structures, hills, or pretend cupcakes.     

The original recipe is an 8:1 ratio and 

 

Edible Chocolate/PB Clay (soooo fun and yummy)

Ingredients: 1 tub (16 oz) chocolate frosting, 1 cup creamy peanut butter (not natural), 2.5 cup powdered sugar.

Your kids will have trouble deciding whether they’d rather play with it or eat it! You can substitute other flavors of frosting for the chocolate, if you desire. You can also roll it into balls and serve it plain, dip it in chocolate, or roll it in crushed nuts. 

 Fluffy Stuff

(2 boxes cornstarch and 1 can shaving cream; color if desired) -- moldable with cups, hands, utensils, you name it!

shaving cream and green food coloring in a ziplock bag. After I got all the air out of the bag, I duct taped the ziplock part to prevent leaks. Then I let little B squeeze and smoosh the bag to his hearts content!  - See more at: http://www.playcreateexplore.org/2013/03/color-of-week-green.html#sthash.dPfOBn6i.dpufFluffy Stuff

 

 

 

Looking for fun camp ideas for your little one?

I have had a few parents ask me about good programs for their younger children this summer.  You can always check your local library or park for different daily programs.  They are usually free or have a small fee and they will range in length and time during the day.  However, if you are looking for something different 1/2 or full day, below are some cool options.

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum:
All camps have a high staff to camper ratio (1:5 for four-year old camps and 1:7 for all other camps).  Camps incorporate plenty of unstructured time in nature, including constructing outdoor forts and water tables, hiking the grounds surrounding the Nature Museum and observing local wildlife!

http://www.naturemuseum.org/programs-events-and-camps/camps/summer-camp

The YMCA offers a variety of camps for prek 3 up through teens.

http://www.ymcachicago.org/leaningtower/pages/summer-day-camp

Old Town School of Folk Music:
Old Town School also has a drop-off summer camp for little ones 4 and 5 years old. Led by Camp Director Lindsay Weinberg and four teaching artists, children get lots of attention in small groups as they explore the arts in our studios, classrooms, and concert hall at our vintage 909 Armitage location. This camp runs Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Thursdays. Camp begins at 9:00 AM and pickup is at 11:30 AM.

https://www.oldtownschool.org/classes/kids/camp/

Near North Montessori:
Explore learning – programs in math, languages, robotics, computer programming, science and Spanish immersion.
Explore arts and culture – programs in ceramics, photography, gardening, Native American lifeways and more.
Explore the city – ChicagoGo Camps include boat rides, trolley rides, museums and guided city-wide adventures.
Explore sports and activity – swim in our pool; play in our two gyms and three outdoor play areas.
 
http://www.nnms.org/enrichment-programs/summer-camp/

Our Lady of Victory School
Summer Camp with a variety of activities for children ages 3-14.

http://olvchicago.squarespace.com/summer-2014/

Oak Park Art League
For kids 5- 12. The Oak Park Art League offers art camps that run from June 16 to August 8 and meet weekdays 9am – noon. Each week we have a different camp offering for 5-8 year olds and 9-12 year olds.

http://www.oakparkartleague.org/summer-art-camps/

Steve and Kate's Camp at St. Vincent Ferrer
http://steveandkatescamp.com/location/river-forest/

You can also find a large selection in March's Chicago Parent.  There are camps for all ages in the magazine. Good luck!

Tanya

Play with Purpose

Many of you have seen this quote:

How many of you have really thought about it? This society is so focused on getting children to read and write at 3 and 4 that we forget that children actually LEARN major skills through play and exploration.  They learn math, pre-reading, science, social emotional skills and so much more. They increase their communication skills in a real life way.  

I have often had discussions with my parents and friends about what playing with certain things can actually teach their child.  Giving a workbook at the age of 3 is not NEARLY as effective as going on a scavenger hunt or making a collage or building something or sorting or even playing school with their friends.   The children are so much more engaged when they get to use their WHOLE body.  They absorb when they get to play, not just PRODUCE.  

A big motto in my classrooms over the last five years has been PROCESS not PRODUCT.  The children can tell you how they did something and why it was or was not successful.  Sometimes this is messy, but in the end it is worth it. 

Many have seen me post this quote from Albert Einstein, I even have a tshirt with the quote.  It really sums up a lot of what we need to remember.  Imagination and dreams give the children something to strive for, something to try out and explore. 

Want to read some articles?
http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/play-important-early-childhood-development-4435.html

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/119/1/182.full

Ok, I am off my soapbox.  Please, let your child play and play with your child!
Tanya

Rainbows and Fine Motor Skill Work

Now is usually the time we start talking about rainbows.  Here are some great things to do at home that work on the ROY G BIV color scale for Rainbows.  These activities also work on small or fine motor skills which makes those little hands stronger.

Read some great books on colors and rainbows:
How Do Dinosaurs Learn Their Colors
The Crayon Box that Talked
Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?
White Rabbit's Color Book 
Mouse Paint


The great thing about these activities is that they can be done together or independently.  I know it may be hard now because of the gloomy winter, but some color can really start to make you feel better!

Tanya

Have the Children go on a color scavenger hunt.

Use toothpicks with small marshmallows to paint.  This forces the use of little muscles.

Tear or cut of ROY G BIV rainbow colors.  Tearing is an easy exercise for children who are just learning to print, draw and use scissors.  It makes those little hand muscles work hard.

A bucket of buttons makes for a great time! You can have your child make rainbows, patterns or really anything.