Garden Week 2 and Easter Activities

The Garden/Easter

March 18 – 22

Letter Kk:

• Kk words:
• Kk writing

Books:

1. Plant A Kiss by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
2. The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
3. And Then It’s Spring by Julie Fogliano
4. Wake Up, Spring! By Lisa Campbell Ernst
5. The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
6. The Easter Egg by Jan Brett
7. Hatch by Katie Cox
8. Happy Easter, Mouse! By Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond
9. Where Are Baby’s Easter Eggs? By Karen Katz
10. Corduroy’s Easter by Don Freeman and Lisa McCue

Songs/Feltboard:

Five Little Bunnies

http://lilcountrykindergarten.blogspot.com/2012/03/five-little-bunnies-subtraction-shared.html

Follow this link and print the song and finger puppets

 

 

 

Little Bunny Foo Foo

Little Bunny Foo Foo,
Hopping thru the forest,
Scooping up the field mice and boppin’ ’em on the head.
Down came the good fairy
And she said:
“Little Bunny Foo Foo, I don’t want to see you
Scooping up the field mice and boppin’ ’em on the head
I’ll give you three chances,
And if you don’t behave
I’ll turn you into a goon!”
The next day:

…two more chances…

…one more chance…

… if you do it one more time…

Little Bunny Foo Foo
Hopping thru the forest,
Scooping up the field mice and boppin’ ’em on the head
Down came the good fairy
And she said:
“Little Bunny Foo Foo
I don’t want to see you
Scooping up the field mice and boppin’ ’em on the head.
I gave you three chances
And you didn’t behave.
Now you’re a goon!
POOF!!”

The moral of the story is:
HARE TODAY, GOON TOMORROW

 

 

Monday:

Introduce theme:

1. Read a book about gardens/gardening/plant life cycle.
2. What does a flower start out as?  A SEED!  Show different flower/veggie/fruit seeds.  Let your child touch and hold them to experience their size and texture.  Explain to him that just like flowers are all different so are their seeds.
3. Show your child pictures of a flower in different stages of growth.  Discuss the things flowers need to grow.  (water, soil, and sunshine)

 

Flower Garden Mural

Materials:  White butcher paper (cut at about 4 feet), paint, markers, crayons, colored pencils, etc., flower-shaped sponges,

1. Trace your child on the paper.  Be creative and have them waving, running, etc.

1. Work with your child to create a mural of them playing in a flower garden.  Stamp flowers using the sponges and paint.  Make bees and bugs using finger prints. Wait for it to dry.

3. Use the colored pencils, markers, crayons, etc to complete the mural.
4. Work on this throughout the week.  Hang in a spot where they can stand in their ‘mural body’.

 

Flower Count and Sort

Materials: cut flowers out of 3-4 colors of craft foam (or get the pre-cut flowers), coordinating paper or foam mats

1. Ask your child to sort the flowers by color onto the mats
2. Count the flowers on each mat
3. Label the mat with the number (Write it or cut it out of craft foam and glue for a more tactical experience for your child.  They can re-count the flowers throughout the week and tract the number label with their fingers)

 

Tuesday:

Rainbow Flower Garden Sensory Bucket

Materials:  Green Rice, gardening tools, fake flowers in ROYGBP

Set up the sensory bucket with green rice (scent it with some vanilla, peppermint, or almond extract for a fun twist).  Read “Planting A Rainbow” with your child.  Present them with the materials and tell them that it’s their turn to plant a rainbow.

 

 

FamilyGarden Art Project

Materials:  Green construction paper, blue construction paper, paper doilies or round coffee filters, pictures of each member of your family, glue, scissors, circle punch, water color paints

1. Ahead of time, cut the green construction paper into stems and leaves of flowers.
2. Have your child paint the doilies with water color paints and let dry.
3. Have your child glue the painted doilies, stems, and leaves onto the blue construction paper
4. Punch out the faces of your family members and have your child glue them to the center of the doilies.

 

Wednesday:

Gardening Bath

http://www.bathactivitiesforkids.com/2013/01/gardening-bath.html

 

 

Bubble Paint Hydrangeas

Materials:  plastic cups or bowls, dish soap, food coloring, water, straws, green paper, white construction paper

1. Combine dish soap (about 1 tablespoon), food coloring (one cup per color),and water(to the top of the cup), into plastic cups.
2. Use the straw to blow bubbles out of cup so that they are almost overflowing. *do not suck in! Dish soap does not taste good.
3. Press paper gently on the top of the cup, popping the bubbles. Wait 5 seconds for the bubbles to set on paper.  Gently lift the paper off the cup, and pop the remaining bubbles with your breath.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you are satisfied with your artwork.
5. Let the artwork dry flat for 30 minutes.
6. Glue on leaves cut from green paper

Thursday:

Easter Egg Wet Chalk Art

Materials:  Sidewalk chalk, blue painter’s tape, cardstock

1. Cut out egg shapes from cardstock
2. Crisscross tape over the egg
3. Wet the sidewalk chalk in a cup of water and color the egg completely
4. Carefully peel the tape off the egg

Easter Bunny Bonnets

Materials: tissue paper, glue, paper plates

Cut out the middle of a paper plate except for about an inch or two. Cut up the middle of the circle to form the two ears. Fold them up and bend slightly so they stand straight. Give the children spring colored tissue to glue around the brim.

 

Friday:

Dying Easter Eggs

Materials: hard boiled eggs, packets of kool-aid, water, wire cooling rack,  paint brush or spoon, (stickers/rubberbands if desired)

1. Arrange eggs on wire cooling rack.  *paper towel lined jelly roll pan underneath to collect excess kool-aid*

2. Mix your kool-aid with approx. 2/3 c water for each packet.  Wrap your eggs with rubber bands or stick on stickers (remove after dying)

3. Have your child paint with a paintbrush and/or spoon the kool-aid over the eggs.

4. When finished dying – Rinse with water to set the dye, dry.

 

 

Extra/Alternative Activities:

Q-tip Painted Eggs

http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2013/03/q-tip-painted-easter-eggs-fine-motor-art.html

 

 

For the Littles:

Footprint Easter Bunny

Welcome Spring! Garden Theme

Letter Jj:

• Jj words: jaguar, jellybeans, jacket, jack o lantern, juice
• Jjwriting

Books:

1. Yucky Worms by Vivian French
2. My Garden by Kevin Henkes
3. Oliver’s Vegetables by Vivian French
4. Outside Your Window by Nicola Davies
5. The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
6. Plant A Little Seed by Bonnie Christensen

 

Song/Feltboard:

The Gardener Plants the Seeds

(tune: The Farmer in the Dell)

The gardener plants the seeds.

The gardener plants the seeds

Hi ho the derry oh,

The gardener plants the seeds

 

Second Verse: The rain falls on the ground

Third Verse: The sun shines bright and warm

Fourth Verse: The seeds begin to grow

Fifth Verse:  Flowers grow everywhere

 

Feltboard:

5 Little Seeds
5 Little seeds in the deep, dark ground,
sleeping and waiting, not making a sound.
Along came an ant, across the garden floor,
He carried off one seed, and then there were four.

4 Little seeds in the deep, dark ground,

sleeping and waiting, not making a sound.
Down came a birdie, out of the tree,
He ate up one seed and then there were three.

3 Little seeds in the deep dark ground,
sleeping and waiting, not making a sound.
Out snuck a cat, as cats often do,
He dug up one seed, and then there were two.

2 Little seeds in the deep dark ground,
sleeping and waiting, not making a sound.
Along came a puppy, out having fun,
They ran through the planted seeds, and then there was one.

1 little seed in the deep dark ground,
sleeping and waiting, not making a sound.
Down came the rain, and warm was the sun,
They woke up the little seed, his sprouting had begun!

 

 

Monday:

Introduce theme:

1. Read a book about gardens/gardening/plant life cycle.
2. What does a flower start out as?  A SEED!  Show different flower/veggie/fruit seeds.  Let your child touch and hold them to experience their size and texture.  Explain to him that just like flowers are all different so are their seeds.
3. Show your child pictures of a flower in different stages of growth.  Discuss the things flowers need to grow.  (water, soil, and sunshine)

 

Planting Seeds

Materials: small flower pot, potting soil, flower seeds (vegetable/herb seeds etc), child size gardening gloves, child trowel. Optional: Miracle Grow Mini Greenhouse

1. Read The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
2. Discuss with your child what happened and the process of planting a seed and growing a flower.  Ask your child if they would like to plant a seed.
3. Come up with a list of things that you need to use for planting your flower.  Gather those items together with your child.
4. Together plant your seeds.  Discuss what happens next (what your seed needs to grow, watching it grow, put in the sun etc)
5. Daily – sprits with misting water bottle to keep seeds and soil damp

 

Flower-Vegetable-Fruit Sorting

Materials: various veggie, fruit and flower seed packets OR computer printed pictures, three large circle construction paper cut-outs

1. Ask your child to help you sort the seed packets.  Explain that some are vegetables, some are fruits and some are flowers and they’re all mixed up.
2. Sort the seed packets onto the different construction paper circles

 

Tuesday:

SpringGarden Sensory Bucket

Materials:  dried black beans, green lentils, pinto beans, river rocks, small terra cotta flower pots, tongs, measuring cups, gardening gloves, trowels, rakes etc.

Sunflower Fridge Magnet Art Project

Materials:  small paper plate, yellow paint, large craft stick, sunflower seeds, glue, paintbrush, magnet strips (make one sunflower or several and give as gifts for Easter)

1. Ahead of time, cut the paper plate so it looks like a sunflower.
2. Have your child paint the paper plate yellow and the craft stick green, allow to dry.
3. Have your child glue sunflower seeds onto the center of the paper plate.
4. Once the glue is dry, help your child to tape or glue the craft stick to the back of the flower, attach a magnet strip

Image below is to give a general idea of the finished product:

Wednesday:

Worms in the Dirt Afternoon Snack

Materials: chocolate pudding, oreos, gummy worms, mint

1. Before nap make the chocolate pudding with your child, allow to set up during nap.
2. After nap, crush the oreos in a plastic ziplock bag with your child using a rolling pin
3. Put together your snack together. Add a sprig of mint

 

Carrots for the Rabbit Play-Doh

Materials:  orange play-doh, ‘carrots for the rabbit’ play-doh mat, page protector

1. Print the ‘carrots for the rabbit’ play-doh mat: http://www.prekinders.com/2011/04/carrots-rabbit-play-dough-mats/  and put inside a page protector.
2. Encourage your child to create carrot shapes and ‘plant them below the grass in the dirt.  You can also make flowers etc…

 

Thursday:

Parts of a plant

Materials:  Materials will vary – You can make this as a feltboard activity, table activity, or attach magnets for a fridge activity.

 

1. Create four separate parts of a flower for you and your child to discuss and construct together again and again:
   • Flower (produces seeds to grow more flowers)
   • stem with leaf (leaf absorbs sunlight)
   • stem (transports water and nutrients to flower)
   • roots (absorb water from the soil)

Flower Bouquet

Materials: various colors of tissue paper, flesh colored construction paper, green construction paper, glue

1. Have your child tear up some tissue paper
2. With your child, trace their hand and part of their wrist/arm and cut out of flesh colored construction paper.
3. With your child cut out strips of green construction paper for flower stems (a leaf or two if you want as well)
4. Have your child glue the stems and hand on the paper so it looks like the hand is holding a bouquet.
5. Have your child glue the tissue paper on the tops of the stems for the blooms.

Friday Fun-day!

Go on a special outing, have a special lunch, stay in jammies all day.  Offer several suggestions and let your child choose and run the show for the day!

 

 

Extra/Alternative Activities:

Flower Prints

Materials: paint, construction paper, paint, paint palette, scissors, paper towel/toilet paper tubes

6. Cut the ends of the paper tubes and fold back to create a stamp.  Make them different sizes and shapes to create different looking flowers.  Add green stems, leaves and center
7. With the contact paper sticky side up have your child stick on the tissue paper filling in the rainbow and clouds
8. When they’re finished use another piece of contact paper sandwiching the tissue in-between
9. Display on window

 

For the Littles:

Make a handprint bouquet

Colors Week

    

Letter Hh:

• Hh words: horse, hat, hammer, heart, house
• Hh writing

Books:

1. 10 Hungry Rabbits: counting and color concepts by Anita Lobel
2. Bugs Galore by Peter Stein
3. Red Cat Blue Cat by Jenni Desmond
4. A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni
5. Rainbow Fish ABC by Marcus Pfister
6. Planting A Rainbow by Lois Ehlert

*Have each day (M-Sa) be a color day and wear that color shirt.

Song/Feltboard:

http://youtu.be/smI0E6gPGmY

Colors

Red Red Red Ball

Blue Blue Blue Sky

Green Green Grass That Grows

White White White Snow

Black Black Black Crow

Pink A Kitten’s Nose

Yellow Sunshine

TorquoiseSea

PurpleMountains Majesty

Red and Blue and Green and Pink and Yellow, Black, and White

All the colors of the rainbow make our world so bright!

Monday:

Introduce theme:

1. Read a book about colors.
2. What colors did we see in the book?
3. What colors do you see in the room/outside etc?
4. What color is your favorite?
5. Take turns playing an I-Spy color game

Squishy Paint Art – Making Secondary Colors

Materials: 3 large ziplocks, 3 pieces of white construction paper, Red Yellow and Blue paint

1. With your child set up the project: place a piece of white construction paper into each ziplock bag
2. Tell your child you want to experiment mixing colors.
3. Squirt two quarter size drops of paint in the bags – red and yellow, blue and yellow, red and blue – a couple inches apart.
4. ZIP CLOSED
5. Hypothesize with your child what will happen when you mix the two colors together.  What color will it make?
6. Encourage your child to squish, squeeze, spread the paint around revealing the secondary colors!

Color Experiment

Materials: 6 white carnations or celery stalks, 6 water glasses, food coloring

1. Dye water in 6 water glasses ROYGBP
2. Cut a fresh end on each of the carnations (you can do celery, but carnations work better)
3. Place one in each glass
4. Hypothesize with your child what will happen
5. Check the flowers daily – take a picture every day around the same time, at the end of the week, print and look at the progression of the color with your child

Colored Rice Sensory Bucket

Materials:  Bulk Rice (I buy Uncle Bens long grain brown rice from Sam’s Club), Food coloring, rubbing alcohol, paper towels, jelly roll pan, zip lock bags.  Sensory bucket toys (shovels, buckets, little animals, measuring cups etc)

1. Equally divide rice into 6 zip lock bags
2. Add a few drops of food coloring and about a capful of rubbing alcohol.
3. Zip the bags closed and mix, by shaking and turning the bag
4. Add more color if needed
5. Spread out on a paper towel lined jelly roll pan and allow to COMPLETELY dry (takes a couple hrs – goes faster if you mix the rice on the tray every now and then)
6. After drying, make piles of the rice in your sensory bucket, allow your child to mix together.
7. Let the play begin!

Tuesday:

Rainbow Sugar Cookie Snack

Materials:  premade sugar cookie dough from grocery store (or make your own), food coloring, yogurt or pudding, milk J

1. Make and dye the dough in the morning, chill in fridge during naptime, bake after nap and serve with milk and rainbow pudding/yogurt (divide yogurt into 6 small scoops, tint each with food coloring, combine in bowl.)

  

http://www.teachingwithtlc.com/2011/03/rainbow-cookies.html

Rainbow Dancing

Materials: old wooden paintbrush, ribbon in all 6 colors, screw driver, kid’s dance music/CD

1. Cut off the bristle end of the paintbrush
2. Drill 6 holes in the end of the paintbrush
3. Tie on your ribbons and DANCE J

 

 

Wednesday:

Shaving Cream Paint Bath Play

Materials:  paint palette, paint brush, tempera paint, shaving cream

1. Mix the paint and shaving cream together to create the 6 colors of the rainbow
2. At bath time, encourage your child to mix, swirl and paint with the colored shaving cream using the paintbrush

Stained Glass Window

Rainbow Collage

Materials: 12 x 18 white construction paper, various collage materials in all colors (tissue paper pieces, straw pieces, pom poms, curling ribbon curls, pipe cleaners, buttons, beads etc), glue, paint brush, plate.

1. Prep supplies at the table
2. Have your child sit down with you and tell them you want to make a rainbow collage using all these different materials
3. Encourage your child to glue and stick on their own making their own unique collage

Color Sorting Math

Materials: empty egg carton, markers, pom poms in all 6 colors, kid tongs/tweezers

1. Make a mark using the makers or paint to identify each cup as a particular color.
2. Have your child sit down and sort the pom poms using the tweezers (tweezers make the activity more fun J )

Thursday:

Rainbow Letter Practice

Materials: shoe box lid, paint roygbp, sand or salt

1. With your child, paint the inside lid of the box in large stripes with the paint, allow to dry
2. Pour the sand or salt inside the lid so you cover the paint
3. Take turns with your child writing letters and numbers or drawing pictures in the sand

Rainbow Stained Glass:

Materials: black construction paper, contact paper, tissue paper in all 6 colors plus white.

1. Have your child tear up small pieces of the tissue paper while you cut out the outline of a rainbow with clouds
2. place it on the contact paper
3. With the contact paper sticky side up have your child stick on the tissue paper filling in the rainbow and clouds
4. When they’re finished use another piece of contact paper sandwiching the tissue in-between
5. Display on window

Friday Fun-day!

Go on a special outing, have a special lunch, stay in jammies all day.  Offer several suggestions and let your child choose and run the show for the day!

Extra/Alternative Activities:

A Color of His Own Watercolor Painting

Materials: Watercolors, white construction paper, marker

1. Draw the outline of the gecko from ‘A Color of His Own’ story.  (do your best)
2. Read the story with your child.  Ask if they would like to paint.
3. Encourage your child to paint the gecko, discuss the colors he chooses to use.

Rainbow Bottles

Materials: 3 Empty plastic water bottle, oil, water, food coloring, glue, tape

1. Dye each (water, oil,) separately.
2. Add to the bottles – primary colors to create secondary.  Example: blue water and yellow oil in one bottle – when your child shakes the bottle it will turn green!
3. Glue the cap on then tape the cap for added security J

For the Littles:

Have each day be a color play day

Lay out a white blanket and arrange on it various (safe) household objects (mixing spoons, books, pillows, Tupperware etc) and toys for your child to explore each day being a specific color day.