Theme for the Week - April Fool's Day
April Fool's Day! - Although the origins are sketchy, April Fool's Day is definitely a day of harmless fun. Let's learn a fun April Fool song, make a fake spider to "scare' people, learn a whole bunch of cute food tricks, and much more. Enjoy!
"The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year." - Mark Twain
This week, moms and toddlers have some fun with April Fool's Day-related activities, songs, stories, sign language for "Silly" and "Joke", and so much more! While telling a joke to your toddler probably will not get much reaction, he/she may understand when
you are being funny so try it this week with some funny little tricks - like turning the milk blue with drops of food coloring to see if your child notices! Here's one of our favorite Mark Twain quotes: "It's better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool
than to open it and leave no doubt."
Letter of the Week: W - for Holy Week (we'll celebrate Easter in next week's theme). Point out things that start with "W" - worm, wiggle, wheel, whale. Show your toddler a picture of both a capital W and a lower case w. Draw a W 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: 1 - When you show your child anything say "1 wheel" (or whatever you are counting). Write the number 1 on paper or show your toddler a flash card. Show your child 1 thing at a time and count them - "one" - 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: April Fool Song - We can't quite source the origin of this one but the link includes sheet music and the tune. Funny words!
Story of the Week: April Fool's Day book list - It's always so hard to choose just one book so here is a list of a bunch of fun books about this day. If you can't find these 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. Here's a link to public libraries in the United States if you'd like to see if your local branch is here.
Snack of the Week: Fake Food - These are such funny trick foods from Pinterest. Our favorite is the "fried chicken!
Spanish Words of the Week: April - abril, fool - tonto/tonta, silly - tonto or necio, joke - el chiste or una broma. 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: Tickle Someone - Since the idea of a joke is a bit of a stretch, your toddler will think it's hilarious if he/she tickles you and you collapse on the floor in fits of laughter. They'll know they did something funny.
Activity of the Week: Handprint Spider - Any excuse to make a handprint craft I will take! It won't fool anyone but it's just so dang cute! Try it!
Yoga Pose: Bharadvaja's Twist - Since April Fool's Day involves "twisting" the truth, we thought this pose works for the week. 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: April, Silly, Surprised, Joke. 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!
