Theme for the Week - Man On The Moon
In honor of the SpaceX mission that launched for docking with the international Space Station in Spring 2020, we have activities to celebrate this unknown frontier. Because we haven't sent anyone into space since 2011, this was a big day for the space program!
Letter of the Week: A - in honor of Apollo 11 and astronauts and Hank Aaron hit his 755th home run (and his last) on this date in 1976 - point out things that start with "A" - apple, attic, air conditioner, around, arm, America. Show them a picture of both a capital A and a lower case a. Draw an A on paper, or use their finger to draw it in the sandbox or dirt. Use bath tub or refrigerator letters to show them this letter as well.
Number of the Week: 11 - When you show your child anything say "11 apples". Your child might know how to count to 10 so 11 is good to introduce as what comes next. Write the number 11 on paper. Show them 11 things at a time and count them - "one" "two" "three" etc - so your child gets used to the pattern.
Songs of the Week: I Don't Want to Live on the Moon and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, in case you aren't familiar with the first one. Click on the titles to take you to a website that gives you the tune and the lyrics - there's way more words to Twinkle Twinkle than you might think!
Story of the Week: Good Night Moon - A Classic we couldn't resist for this week. If you don't have access to the library, this book is still widely available at Target, Borders or other bookstores.
Snack of the Week: Yogurt Puffs - This is a snack available in the Baby aisle at the grocery store. We chose this because this snack is just like the freeze dried ice cream that the astronauts supposedly eat while in space. It melts on your tongue so your child should have no trouble eating this snack.
Do-It-Myself Activity: Putting your clothes in the hamper. No matter how old your little one is, as long as he or she can walk, they can put their clothes into the hamper when you are getting them dressed for bed at night. It's great to get this habit started now and can make your job easier later!
Spanish Words of the Week: la luna - moon, las estrellas - stars, el astronauta - astronaut
Game of the Week: Edible Arithmetic - M&Ms work best but if your toddler is too small to eat something that little, use other objects that are multi-colored. Sort them by color and have your toddler count them and tell you which pile has more. Then have them eat enough to make the piles even (if you are using something edible!) Ask him/her how many of each color there are to practice counting. You can also ask if you have 2 blue and 3 green, how many do you have to start introducing addition (and them subtraction, when they eat some.)
This activity is inspired by page 89 of the book "Bright Start - Activities to Develop your Child's Potential" by Michael Meyerhoff, Ed. D. Here is the link for the book - I believe it is out of print but you may be able to get a copy from Amazon
Yoga Pose: Half Moon Pose - This might be a little hard for a toddler but you can modify for them by not having them take one foot off the ground. Click on the words for a link to a picture of this pose. My kids always liked the Yoga Kids series if you'd like more ideas for doing yoga with your toddler. Check it out here: www.yogakids.com
Sign Language Sign of the Week: Moon and Sun - Now you will be able to show them what they see in the sky. If your toddler is still learning how to talk, sign language can be a great way for them to communicate.
Also, check out our page about the Planets - a concept that can be a little tricky for teaching to little ones but you're laying the ground work for later learning.
Like we say every week - don't forget to give your toddler a hug and say "I love you" as many times a day as you can think of! You can never give them enough love. Talk to them, even though they may not talk back and read to them everyday - even if it's the cereal box at breakfast. Enjoy!
