If your child already has a dog, wonderful! If you’re thinking about getting one, how about now? Otherwise, can you visit a friend who owns a dog? Does your community have a dog park? It would be a great place to go for a field trip, to see a wide variety of dogs and talk with the pet owners about how they take care of their pet.

We’re starting to add a few more concepts to each lesson- so this week we’ll also focus on the Diamond shape, the number four, and the color brown. Your child may practice writing the letter Dd on lined paper. If he is not yet ready for this, then he can try to form the shape of the letter Dd from play dough ropes. He will be counting to four, and sorting colors.

I hope you all have a great time this week!

“D is for Dog” lesson plans

Photo Credits: Top: by Vasile Tomoiagă Middle:GenBug Husky:Clyde Possum Golden Retriver: Sky Captain Two Dalmation: CuseGoyle West Highland Terrier:Randy son of Robert Basset Hound: Jelly Dude
	songs: How Much is That Doggie In the Window? There was a Farmer Had a Dog Oh where, Oh Where has my little dog Gone?
books and more: Harry the Dirty Dog Clifford, We Love You Biscuit Storybook Collection Milo and OtisDVD

When the weather turns cold, rain changes to snow. Sometimes snow is wet and sloppy, sometimes it is dry and powdery. We like to play in snow, making snow angels or snow men. When snow melts, it turns back into water. We wear extra clothing to keep warm in winter. Polar bear and penguins are animals that live in cold areas. No two snowflakes are exactly alike. Water freezes to make ice. Ice melts to make water.

If you live where it snows in the winter, you have a wonderful opportunity to teach your child! Winter can mean being stuck inside for months on end, depressed by the lack of sunlight, chapped hands, cracked lips, miserable, cantankerous children, OR… it can mean hot chocolate, snowball fights, adorable snowmen, ruddy cheeks, rosy lips, sparkling eyes, and cozy fires. It’s your choice. Love where you are, and live life to it’s fullest.

Winter isn’t fun when you’re cold. Our parents and grandparents knew about long underwear. Now, no one wears them. We prefer to crank up the thermostat and complain about high heating bills. Dress warmly. Dress your child warmly. Wear long johns around the house, and slippers or shoes instead of going barefoot. Keep the thermostat between 65 and 68 – you’ll save money and do your bit for the environment, as well.

When you send your child outside, always dress him completely. It doesn’t matter if you’re just running to the store for a gallon of milk. You never know when you might be stuck in traffic, or experience car trouble. A small child can suffer hypothermia very quickly. The American Academy of Pediatrics advices to dress children in one more layer than you as an adult would wear. This may include:

• thermal long johns
• turtlenecks
• one or two shirts
• pants
• sweater
• coat
• warm socks
• boots
• gloves or mittens
• hat

This week, you and your child will make snowmen, stage a snowball fight, go sledding down a small hill, and roast marshmallows over a campfire at the park. Enjoy the season! It will all be over soon enough.

If you’re new to this blog, you may wish to read:
Using the lesson plans
Calendar Activities
Play Areas for Encouraging Creativity

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Snow and Ice Week Lesson Plans

Photo credits:
Top:http://www.flickr.com/photos/andreweick/ / CC BY 2.0
Middle: http://www.flickr.com/photos/edenpictures/ / CC BY 2.0

There are some darling books and toys available in the store, wooden cooking pots, a child’s apron, and all of the recommended books for this week’s lessons. Some of the books I’ve read and loved, some I haven’t read, but they received five-star reviews from other parents. See if you can find them in your library first, but you’ll want to add some favorites to your child’s permanent collection as well.

I was able to spend the whole week on apples for the “A is for apples” week, but I just couldn’t think up enough activities for cookies. Maybe my brain is tired? So I expanded this week, so that C is for clouds, cars, colors, and caterpillars, too. Just as a reminder, it isn’t necessary to cover all the projects or all the activities. And if you don’t happen to like one of the activities, or don’t have the time to gather all the materials for one of the projects, go ahead and substitute from previous weeks.

If you aren’t opposed to letting your young child watch television, you may want to rent the Disney/Pixar movie Cars to watch sometime this week. I scheduled it for Thursday afternoon, but you could do it on whatever day it rains.

I hope you and your child have a lot of fun with this!

Photo Credits
Top: http://www.flickr.com/photos/22863752@N06/ / CC BY 2.0

Some preschoolers may be mature enough to spend the night at grandma’s house.  If so, see if you can arrange an overnighter this week.  I have included an art project the grandparent can do with your child.  If your child is too young for an overnighter, then after the activity, just take your child back home with you.  Grandparents can be a wonderful part of your child’s life, and give you a much-needed break.

Your child will learn another verse of the “Little White Duck” song this week. There’s only two verses left! (we learned the duck verse last week, and the red snake verse during red week, but I mistakenly called it the Lily Pad song.)

I hope you and your child enjoy Families Week together.  Please add a comment on this post to let me know how things are going!  I look forward to hearing from all of you.

Your house should be quite lovely by the end of the week, with all the flowers and butterflies and cloud mobiles your youngster will make for you. My personal favorite activity is on Friday afternoon, when you and your child will build monsters out of mud! Mud is a wonderful toy. It is free, plentiful, and will amuse your child for long hours. It makes neat squishy sounds between your toes. It doesn’t hurt (much) when you throw it. It dries out and becomes hard, but all you have to do is add water and it becomes mud again – like magic! Please don’t be the kind of parent who dresses her little child in designer clothes, and then scolds if their clothes get dirty. Children are messy creatures. They spill milk and ketchup. They pull their shoes and socks off and lose them in the middle of the mall when you aren’t looking. They stretch out the necks of their shirts as they learn how to dress themselves. It is much better to buy cheap, used clothing for every-day, and let your child have fun.

You can find some great books, gardening tools, and a child-safe magnifying glass here.

Enjoy your May Flowers!

May Flowers Lesson Plans

Photo:
top:http://www.flickr.com/photos/abbybatchelder/ / CC BY 2.0

1. Sheep are farm animals
2. Baby sheep are called lambs
3. Mommy sheep are called ewes
4. Daddy sheep are called rams
5. a group of sheep is called a flock
6. Once or twice a year, sheep get a “haircut” that is called “shearing”
7. Sheep “hair” is called wool.
8. Wool can be spun into yarn to make sweaters and socks and other things
9. Sheep eat grass, leaves, clover, and other flowering plants

There are directions for making a simple Lotto game. Lotto is a great game for preschoolers. It is simpler than Candyland, and you can vary the rules so that there are no “winners” and “losers”. You could make a new Lotto board for every single week! But if you even just make a couple of them, and rotate them, you can maintain your child’s interest.

Jesus is called the Good Shepherd. There is a lot of imagery in the Bible comparing God’s people to a flock of sheep. As your child grows, these concepts will be easier to understand if your child knows something about sheep. I hope you enjoy these activities with your little one, and that you are able to find a sheep farm to visit.

I invite you to stop by my daughter’s website, Valhalla Hills . She raises registered Icelandics, which are really cute little sheep with curly horns.

May you and your family have a happy, blessed Easter!

Easter is Coming Lesson Plans

Photo Credits:
Top:http://www.flickr.com/photos/wealhtheow/ / CC BY 2.0