August 1, 2008
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The Very Hungry Caterpillar
by Eric Carle
Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly
by Alan Madison
Monarch Butterfly
by Gail Gibbons
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What You Need:
- Sock
- Googly eyes
- Construction paper
- Glue
- Scissors
What You Do:
- Take an old sock, add googly eyes and a smile to make a caterpillar. The smile can be made from construction paper, a pipe cleaner or any other material you have in the house.
- Make construction paper items (apple, plum, pear, piece of cake, salami, nice green leaf, etc for the caterpilllar to eat.
- Read The Very Hungry Caterpillar and use the puppet to act out the story. Have the caterpillar puppet eat the construction paper items from the book!
August 8, 2008
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Arthur's TV Trouble
by Marc Brown
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Help your child become a television star right in your
very own home! All children are stars in their own way.
This activity is a great way for your children to shine
as they celebrate their unique talents!
What You Need:
- Paper
- Crayons/Markers
- Large cardboard box
- Scissors
- Tape
What You Do:
- Brainstorm: Help your children think
of things they're good at (e.g., dancing, counting,
singing, reciting a rhyme).
- Build a TV: Prepare a box for your
kids by cutting the center out of one side. Let your
children turn the box into a make-believe TV by
drawing dials, buttons, and knobs under the
"screen."
- Put on a show: Have children step into
the TV and face the audience. Children can describe
what they are good at and perform their special
skills. If possible, videotape the show so kids can
see themselves on television.
- Take It Further: Help children cut out
star shapes from silver paper or aluminum foil and
write their names on them. Hang the stars up as
reminders of your very special kids.
Suggested Viewing:
Arthur episode #304: "And Now Let's Talk to Some Kids"
The Magic Toolbox show is coming to Ratburn's class to put the kids on TV! The kids prepare for stardom, but a behind-the-scenes star saves the show.
*Based on an activity in Play and Learn with Arthur, Volume 2
August 15, 2008
A Kindness Tree
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Clifford's Good Deeds
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Make a "Kindness Tree" with your children, and show
them how to make it bloom.
What You Need:
Construction paper
Tape
Glue
Scissors
Photos
What You Do:
Draw a tree trunk on brown construction paper and cut
it out.
Cut leaves out of green construction paper and glue
them to the tree trunk.
Cut small flowers out of multicolored construction
paper.
Have your children name ways that they can be nice to
people. Ask questions to prompt ideas: What can you say
to make someone feel better when she's sad? How can you
help each other every day? What special things can you
do to show your friends you like them?
Ask your children to share ways that they have been
kind or helpful to a friend or family member, or ways
that a friend or family member has been kind to them.
Write down each example on a paper flower and tape it
to the tree.
Have your children take photos of people who have been
kind. Encourage them to make drawings to illustrate
their experiences. Add these photos and drawings to your
Kindness Tree.
Suggested Reading:
Suggesting Viewing: Arthur episode #117 - "Meek for a
Week"
Muffy bets Francine she can't be nice to everyone for a
whole week--and soon wishes she hadn't.
*Based on an activity in Play and Learn with Arthur,
Volume 1
August 22, 2008
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Growing Vegetable Soup
by Lois Ehlert
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What You Need:
- Construction paper many colors
- Scissors
- Glue
- Marker
What You Do:
- Draw a basket on brown construction paper. Cut it out.
- Draw several different vegetables onto the appropriate color construction paper. For example, draw a carrot on orange paper or broccoli on green paper.
- Cut out the different vegetables and glue them onto the basket.
- Write the first letter of the vegetable inside the image.
- Now you have a vegetable basket like you would use if youre collecting vegetables from your garden!
Make a cute rabbit mask out of paper plates!
What You Need:
- Two paper plates
- Pink construction paper
- Scissors
- Stapler
- Glue
- Crayons or markers
What You Do:
- Cut a circle from pink construction paper (it should be the same size as the inside of a paper plate); then glue the pink paper circle to the center of a paper plate.
- Cut the paper plate in half (the two halves will be the rabbit's ears).
- Using a new paper plate, cut a wedge (about 1/4 of the plate) out of the paper plate (the large part of the plate will be the rabbit's face).
- Staple the ears to the face.
- Cut two eye holes in the face.
- Decorate your mask with crayons, markers, or paint.
- Don't forget to draw whiskers (or use yarn for whiskers)!
August 29, 2008
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The Bobbin Girl
by Emily Arnold McCully
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Labor Day is celebrated on the first Monday in September. It's a day dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. The holiday tributes the working class contributions to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
Labor Day was first celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882. In 1884, the first Monday in September was selected for the observance of Labor Day.This holiday is usually celebrated with summer activities - swimming, camping, picnics, etc. Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer in the Northern part of the U.S. Most schools usually start sometime during the week after Labor Day.
Make a "Box Town"
This is an easy way to make a toy town using old boxes, cartons, colored paper, scissors, tape, paper tubes, and crayons.
To make buildings:
- Wrap up boxes and other empty containers with colored paper.
- Have an adult cut out doors if wanted.
- Use tissue tubes for chimneys.
- Decorate with windows, flower boxes, etc.
To make trees:
- Use a tissue paper tube for the trunk.
- Draw a green blob on stiff paper or cardboard for the leaf canopy and cut it out.
- Tape the green canopy to the tube.
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