I is for Insects!

(MFW, Kinder, Unit 11)

We had lots of fun learning about insects during this unit, and how we're supposed to work hard like the ant. 

We had this ant farm that one of the boys had gotten for Christmas, but in the cleanup, the form to order the ants got lost! My cheap self decided to march outside and just scoop up some fire ants from the yard and into the ant home. This, I do not recommend! We only got about 4 bites each, but the ants are too small for the holes and can crawl out. Also, we discovered why fire ants are so hard to get rid of, and that is because they are a super natural life form. During a freeze, they go under ground to stay warm. Our ants have survived several freezes outside, above the ground. Also, you're supposed to feed your "pet ants", which we did... about one time. I don't know if they are eating each other in there or what they're doing, but those suckers are still thriving months later. I think that I will take the entire plastic abomination and throw it into our trash barrel the next time we burn trash. They may survive that, not sure. My advice: choose a different insect to observe and have as a "pet".

file folder game on things that go together

Montessouri insect cards

hands-on letter activity: sidewalk chalk

Cuisinaire rods

I think this workbook came from the Target $ spot.

painting ladybug rocks

They just need google eyes, and they're paper weights.

Life happens...

Who's teaching who?

O is for Octopus! (& W is for Water)

(MFW, Kinder, Unit 9)

I forgot to take pictures of the unit on Water, so that's included here as well. :)

For the octopus craft, we stamped one purple hand print, then did 3 extra fingers to make 8 arms (with purple paint), added google eyes. We were going to glue some sand at the bottom, but I didn't have any! Our hands-on letter activity was letter stamps.

Coloring some laminated templates from The Mailbox with dry-erase markers.

We froze ice cubes with food coloring in them to "paint" on the sidewalk. I actually think this was from the Water unit. oops!

 

Ocean scene with stickers.

Life Happens...

Even Batman need his sleep!

Educational Youtube Videos

I have been going through these videos with the boys. We've had so much fun with them and learned so much, but she only does 1 month! So I decided to do another one and share it with you. Hope you enjoy these educational videos. We just watch one per day during circle time.

Here are the subjects we're rotating through:
Music (Can't get enough of the Piano Guys!)
Chemistry/Physics (studying this in Science at co-op)

Natural Disasters  (reading these books during read aloud time, so I thought this would be fitting. Plus, Skipper requested "volcanoes!")
Math
Prayercast Countries (this is something I wanted to do last yr when we learned about these countries, but we never go to it.) 

NOTE: I couldn't embed the prayercast ones or the Laws of Motion one, so watch for those links. 


Piano Guys- Star Wars:

Atom:

Tsunamis:

Shapes:

The Netherlands prayercast

Piano Guys- Home:

Chemical & Physical Changes:

Tornadoes:

Telling time:

New Zealand prayercast

Piano Guys- Jurassic Park

Elements song:

Volcano:

Big Numbers Song (repeat from last month):

China prayercast

Piano Guys- Mission Impossible

States of matter:

Pictures of natural disasters:

Money song (repeat from last month):

Vietnam prayercast

Piano Guys- Kung Fu Piano

Laws of Motion

Earthquake:

Fractions:

Brazil prayercast

Piano Guys- Indiana Jones

Force & motion:

Hurricane vs. Tornado:

Adding with a Pirate:

Tanzania prayercast

Valetine's 2017! (& dates with kids)

Super Dad & I try to keep things simple for holidays. Although, as I'm writing this, it's Mother's Day, and he has wrangled the boys all day (even though they keep coming in trying to "tell on" him, lol), got me an instant pot (!), which I was not expecting, had the boys make cards for me, and is handling meals for the day ("handling", not cooking). ;) This is the only reason I've knocked out 5 blog posts on one day! You see how the man got his blog nick name!

For Valentine's, he & I don't go out on the day of, because, let's be serious, it's too crazy crowded! We don't do gifts for each other, either. We take turns planning something fun the other person would like, one of us each year, and do it on a weekend.

Two years ago, I started taking the boys on a date for Valentine's Day, alternating one each year. We work on our manners, and I let them plan some of it. The first year, Kruiser, age 5, says to me, "Mommy, don't worry about anything! I'm going to plan where we eat and where we got after and everything!" Of course, as they are getting older, Dad started taking the other one for a "boys' night", and now they fight over which gets to go with Dad! haha! #boys

I've read lately that some have a problem with parents going on dates with their kids, mostly daddy-daughter dates. If you look in a dictionary, a "date" is simply a set aside time to meet someone. You have play dates, double dates, coffee dates with friends. The word date is not sexual. So let's all ease up on the terminology others choose in their parenting. I feel like Christians are losing at choosing which battles are worth fighting with other Christians. One of Christ's last prayers on this earth was for unity for the church, so let's all strive toward that instead of nit picking each other. (ok, soap box done...)

making Valentines for friends

We eat the healthiest foods on these dates, ice cream & chicken nuggets!

Their gifts, a marker/coloring set to share & Reece's hearts. I try to stay away from toys on Valentine's & Easter!