Maps

Today with Mother Goose Time we learned about maps.  We're still on vacation so I shortened the lesson just a bit. The lesson started with the introduction of the color of the month, orange.  We used the world map and painted items orange, and then went on an orange hunt around the house.

We also read the provided book of the month, A Ride For Duck.  Me on the Map is anther great book to use when learning about maps and addresses, but unfortunately I forgot it at home.

The girls worked on the cover of their my little journals, which we use all month long.  They also completed a maze on the back.

The girls looked at real maps and we looked at the states we will be driving through when we go home in a few days.  They used blocks to build roads and houses and  the plane and train manipulatives provided this month.

A couple of weeks ago Addie created a map of our town and added friends houses and businesses we go to, so I decided not to have them create new map.

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Trunks

The girls had so much fun with day 3's Mother Goose Time topic, trunks.

They started off by using paper strips to make a rectangle trunk, and then we looked at the shape of the month.  

We sang Shake Your Trunk while the girls acted out the song.  Every month Mother Goose Time provides a song or finger play activity for every day that come on cards you can clip together.

The girls used the pattern blocks that were provided this month to make their own designs and then used the shape mats to make specific pictures.  

I read the girls the Honest George story.  We talked about what it meas to be honest and the girls each got an honesty bee badge.  We added the big bee to our circle time display.

 The girls looked at a photo of a tree trunk and then used paper to make their own model.  After they were done they drew their own tree trunk cross sections.

We talked about what animals live in tree trunks.  The girls watched a cute video of an ermine hiding in a tree.  You can see it here.  After, they made their own tree trunks and stick animals to play with.

Elli wound up going down for a nap while Addie worked on her more math and reading books.

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Happy with Mother Goose Time

This week with Mother Goose Time the girls are learning to identify feelings.  We started off the first day with happy.

How many different ways can you smile?  According to Addie there are just 2, with or without showing your teeth.  

not bad for a 2 year old, although it look more sad than happy

In today's bag there was a my feelings book.  The girls will be working on this all week.  Addie wrote a sentence about when she feels happy and drew a corresponding picture.  Elli just drew a bunch of smiley faces.  

 

I read The Woodcutter's Woes to the girls.  They used their facial expressions to mimic the corresponding emotions in the story.   When the woodcutter wished his wife had sausages on her nose, the girls taped some on their noses.  They thought was hilarious.

I love the map that came in the starter kit.

I showed the girls were France is and they put the French global friend on the map.  We talked about games that make them happy and what games frustrate them.  Then I told them about the game Petanque, which is played in France.

Then they tried a version of the game.  They took turns rolling a large ball and then bouncing smaller ones to see who could get theirs the closest.  

 The girls used the provided recipe card to create smiley face creations using rice cakes, raisins, peas, peppers, etc.  Then they got to eat them.  Addie asked if we could make them again tomorrow.  She loves anything remotely similar to cooking.

Elli worked on her tray play activity from the Little Goose supplement, using play-doh to make faces.  While Elli was busy with that, Addie completed her more math and reading workbooks.  She also retold the story in the reading book to Elli, who was happy to sit and listen.

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Getting to Know You

Since we're learning about friends and feelings this month it's only fitting that one of the monthly letters is F.  The girls looked at the hands on letter F and Addie worked on coming up with words that start with F.  

The girls made a fox out of the letter F.  We talked about the difference between a domestic and wild animal, and which type you can be friends with.

The girls worked together to make a pizza and pick out different toppings and seasonings.  They both love helping me cook so they thought this was especially fun.  The best part was eating it for lunch after it was done cooking.

While the pizza was cooking Elli worked on her tray play activity from the Little Goose book while Addie worked on her math and reading workbooks.

 Every month box with Mother Goose Time comes with a game;  this month the game is Elephant and Friends.

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You are Special

Day 3's topic with Mother Goose Time is you are special.  We talked about how we are similar and different from other people.  We also worked on the number one, since there is only one of each of us.  

happy face

mad face

We talked about different way you can tell how someone is feeling.  The girls practiced making faces in the mirror and then we took out the theme poster and they tried to copy the different emotions.  Elli thought this was extremely funny, and wound up laughing during most of the faces.

One of the manipulatives this month is a set of plastic tanograms.  The girls used them to make different designs while we talked about what body parts they only have one of.  Every time they were able to come up with one they would add a tanogram to the counting card.  

The girls had fun making their I am special trees.  I traced Elli's hand/arm and cut it out for her.  Addie did everything on her own.  They used the hands to make a tree trunk and then used bingo markers to add leaves and glued on heart confetti.  They were supposed to use fingerprints to make the leaves so they would all be different, but Addie wanted to make a fall tree with lots of different colored leaves and this way was easier.  

The girls each got to pick something that was special to them and then put it in a bag so no one could see it.  Addie described what she had while I guessed.  I helped Elli with hers while Addie tried to figure out what Elli had.  

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