Theme for the Week - The Planets
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The Planets - Some years ago Pluto was "demoted" to a dwarf planet, although we'll certainly never forget it! This week has also had several significant space missions in the past including the Mars Observer came as close as it ever did in 1993, Voyager 2 flew past Neptune in 1989 and the Soyuz 21 returned to
Earth in 1976. While this concept might be a little advanced, you can still talk about how we live on Earth and show them stars or planets in the sky or in pictures.
Here's a fun sentence to remember the order of the planets - My Very Energetic Monkey Just Served Us Noodles (you still have to just remember that the first M is Mercury and the second one is Mars). And here is a sentence to remember the order by size from smallest to biggest: Mermaids Make Very Edible Noshes Using Seaweed Jello. This week our activities are inspired
by our 8 great planets.
Letter of the Week: P - for Planets - point out things that start with "P" - pea, pears, plate, pinecone. Show your toddler a picture of both a capital P and a lower case p. Draw a P on paper, 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. We recently found some flashcards at Target in the $1 bin - you could start using those during meals a little at a time.
Number of the Week: 8 - For the 8 planets. When you show your child anything say "8 pears" (or whatever you are counting). Count to 8. Write the number 8 on paper. Show your child 8 things at a time and count them - "one" "two" "three" etc - so your child gets used to the pattern.
Songs of the Week: Fun Planets Song from Classical Conversations. If you haven't looked into Classical Conversations for homeschooling your child, you might want to put that on your radar. It is PHENOMENAL. I used this for my son when he was 3 1/2 until he was almost 6.
Story of the Week: If You Decide to Go to the Moon - We found this book listed on Alibris, a great book website. It might be a little advanced but you'll enjoy reading it. Written in the 2nd Person, it tells you what to expect if you go to the moon. Cute book!
Snack of the Week: Fun Sun Snack - Ok this page is just TOO CUTE - not all of the snacks are "planet-related" but they are adorable! There is a fun sun snack made from fruit; just scroll to the bottom to see it.
Spanish Words of the Week: la tierra = earth, la planeta = planet , el Saturno = Saturn
Activity of the Week: Solar System Coloring Page - This downloadable coloring page has all the planet to point to, color and talk about. Another idea: Here is a great website for teaching young ones about star gazing and astronomy from Telescopeguide.org.
Yoga Pose: Sun Salutation - Sun Salutations are what you do in the morning to wake up your spine and your body. This link shows you the different poses involved and while your toddler might lose interest, it will make you feel more awake! My kids always liked the Yoga Kids series if you'd like more ideas for doing yoga with your toddler. Check it out here: http://www.yogakids.com/
Sign Language Sign of the Week: Earth and Star and Sun- If your toddler is still learning how to talk, sign language can be a great way for them to communicate.
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!
