Theme for the Week - Ireland/St. Patrick's Day

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St. Patrick's Day/Ireland - break out your green! This week, we'll learn more about the beautiful country of Ireland and the fun things we do to celebrate St. Patrick.  We'll learn some fun facts about Ireland, make a shamrock (the more traditional way Irish recognize St. Patrick's Day), identify "Green" and much more! By the way, the first St. Patrick's Day was celebrated in the United States in Boston in 1737!

 

This week, moms and toddlers have some fun with St. Patrick's Day activities, songs, stories, sign language for "island" "green" "Ireland", and we'll learn how to identify green, make a shamrock, watch a video of an artist playing an Irish harp (the national symbol of Ireland) and so much more!

 

Letter of the Week: I  - for Ireland. Point out things that start with "I" -  ice, iguana, in, indigo, iron (which doesn't happen in my house). Show your toddler a picture of both a capital I and a lower case i. Draw an I on paper and let him/her trace over it, or use your child's finger to draw it in the sandbox or dirt. Use bath tub or refrigerator letters to show him/her this letter as well. 

 

Number of the Week: 7  - When you show your child anything say "7 ice cubes" (or whatever you are counting). Count to 7. Write the number 7 on paper or show your toddler a flash card. Show your child 7 things at a time and count them - "one, two, three..."  - so your child gets used to the pattern. If nothing else, just to hear the number is good for him/her.

 

Songs of the Week:  St. Patrick's Day Songs - Here are some cute short songs sung to familiar tunes for your toddler from www.preschooleducation.com 

 

Story of the Week: St. Patrick's Day Books - It's always so hard to pick just one book when we're celebrating a holiday so here is a list of a bunch of fun books from Apples4theTeacher  If you can't find this at your local library, you can try Amazon.com. Recently, I searched my local library on-line and placed holds on all the books I wanted and in a couple of days, they were ready to pick up.  Instead of trying to browse the shelves with a busy toddler, I picked them up, checked them out and was on my way.  

 

Snack of the Week:  St. Patrick's Day Snacks - here are some super cute and easy snacks for the week from Preschool Education.  We especially love the Leprechaun Dust - what a cute idea!

 

Spanish Words of the Week: Irish - irlandés, island - la isla, green - verde, saint - el santo/la santa, March - marzo, harp - la arpa. Also check out the BBC's Muzzy from Early Advantage for teaching Spanish (or many other languages) to your child. They are fabulous! 

 

Do It Myself: What is Green?  - If you haven't started working on colors with your toddler, you can start with green this week. Moms, start showing your child things that are green and say "green" at the start of the week and by week's end, your toddler may be telling you things that are green (even if they're not). It's a start!

 

Activity of the Week: Make a Shamrock - The Irish celebrate St. Patrick's Day by wearing a shamrock (which symbolizes the Holy Trinity) so your toddler can either color this shamrock and you can cut it out, or you can use it as a pattern and cut one out of green construction paper and let your child decorate it. 

 

Yoga Pose: Lord of the Dance Pose - This pose has nothing to do with Michael Flatley's troupe but they are Irish dancers...ok, another stretch and this is a difficult pose but might be fun to try. Just make sure you are warmed up a bit first.  This link is from  Yoga Journal.  PS - Our kids always liked the Yoga Kids series if you'd like more ideas for doing yoga with your toddler. 

 

Sign Language Sign of the Week: Green, Harp, Ireland, Island.   If your toddler is still learning how to talk, sign language can be a great way for them to communicate.  And as they get older, they'll pick up signs faster and it can be more of a fun thing versus a way to communicate.    

 

Remember to give your toddler/preschooler a hug and tell him/her you love them. Hope you have a wonderful week!  Don't forget to check out our podcast for St. Patrick's Day!