Theme for the Week - Colorado
Happy Birthday, Colorado! In honor of the statehood anniversary of our beautiful state every August 1st, we will celebrate with all things inspired by Colorado and the mountains. Colorado is the 8th largest state in land area, the 22nd largest in population and the 37th largest in population density. Our largest ethnic background is German and we have the 5th largest Hispanic population according to Wikipedia. Residents of the state are called "Coloradans" or if you're old-school, "Coloradoans" - and there are just under 5 million of us in the state. Our capital is Denver, which is also our most populous city.
Letter of the Week: M - for Mountain - point out things that start with "M" - mountain, mouth, mommy, more, mouse, moon (which is full this week) . Show them a picture of both a capital M and a lower case m. Draw an M 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: 8 - For August, the 8th month. When you show your child anything say "8 mice". Count to 8. Write the number 8 on paper. Show them 8 things at a time and count them - "one" "two" "three" etc - so your child gets used to the pattern.
Songs of the Week: The Bear Went Over the Mountain - Click on the title to take you to a website that gives you the tune and the lyrics
Story of the Week: The Bear Went Over the Mountain - This book is by Rosemary Wells, who does such sweet illustrations. It is also a board book so your toddler can be a little rough on it. If you can't find it at the library, you can order it from Amazon by clicking this link.
Snack of the Week: Cheese Quesadillas in honor of our large Hispanic population. This will be a snack you will most likely want to make yourself, although you could have your little one help sprinkle the cheese on the flour tortilla before you heat it in a skillet. You can add other things to the inside if you'd like such as chicken, peppers, onions, tomatoes, etc. Click the words and you'll get a great super easy recipe with step-by-step pictures.
Do-It-Myself Activity: Cleaning the Windows - Kids love a squirt bottle and a cloth to spray the windows and "clean" - your windows probably won't look sparkling clean but your toddler will be so proud to help do some of the cleaning! We recommend plain water for cleaning in case they spray themselves.
Spanish Words of the Week: las montanas - mountains, el oso - bear , la aguila - eagle
Activity of the Week: Gather Nature - take your toddler outside - at the park, in your backyard, on a hike - and gather anything they find. When you get home, sort through the items and categorize them - hard/soft, light/heavy, by color and by what it is - rocks, feathers, acorns, etc. This activity was inspired by an activity in the book Bright Start: Activities to Develop Your Child's Potential, which is fantastic but may be out of print.
Yoga Pose: Mountain - This is the easiest pose in yoga and is the starting pose for almost all standing positions. 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: http://www.yogakids.com/
Sign Language Sign of the Week: Mountain and Bear and Moose - Some signs that represent some of the things in our beautiful state. 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!
