July 6, 2007
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Clifford Musical Memory Games
by Scholastic
The Memory Book
by Harry Lorayne & Jerry Lucas
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Let's test short term memory. Get a tray or a large plate. Put 10 to 20 objects on the tray, then cover them with a towel or cloth. Tell your child that you have a number of objects on the tray and that you want them to remember as many items as possible. Also tell them that they will have only one minute to view them. Then take off the cover from the tray and start timing one minute. After one minute, cover up the tray. Have your child write down all the items that they can remember. Could they remember all of the items? Are there any items that were forgotten by all the subjects?
Materials:
- Tray or plate
- 10-20 small items (like an eraser, pencil, coin, marble, etc.)
- Cloth or towel to cover the tray
- Paper and pencils for your subjects to write down what they remember
July 13, 2007
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I Was So Mad
by Mercer Mayer
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Being able to name different feelings can help children recognize and deal constructively with their own emotions, as well as to begin to understand and empathize with the emotional reactions of others. Books such as "I Was So Mad" by Mercer Mayer and "Today I Feel Silly: And Other Moods That Make My Day" by Jamie Lee Curtis help children build vocabulary pertaining to emotions, and are a good way to start discussions.
Also, share stories about times you have felt happy, frustrated, scared, sad, brave, nervous, excited, disappointed, or jealous. Ask your child, "Have you ever felt (frustrated)? How did you look when you felt that way? What did you say or do?" Show your child how you looked when you felt that way and share what you did or said. Then have your child show how they look when they feel a certain way.
You can also play a game called, "Guess the Emotion." One person chooses an emotion and acts out that feeling, using appropriate voice and body language. The other people playing the game try to guess the emotion.
Now that we’ve discussed ways to recognize different emotions, how can we deal with them? There are many great ways to deal with different emotions. Anger is a particularly difficult emotion to handle. Some great suggestions for children (of all ages) include talking, journaling your thoughts, exercising… I know when I’m angry I often go for a run through the neighborhood. You can also draw a picture about angry feelings, dance to really fast music, or pound on play dough.
July 20, 2007
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101 Activities for Kids in Tight Spaces
by Carol S. Kranowitz
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Have you played the "game of concentration?"
Materials:
Instructions:
- Get a deck of playing cards (cards with pictures work well too). Get 15 matched pairs of cards...so a total of 30 cards.
- Mix up the 30 cards and then arrange them FACE DOWN in a 6 by 5 grid.
- Play starts by having one player turn over 2 cards. If the number or picture of the 2 cards is the same, the player picks up these 2 cards and turns over 2 more.
- If the 2 cards are not the same, the cards are turned back face down in the same place they were and it is the next player's turn.
- The object of the game is to remember where similar cards are located and to pick up as many pairs as possible.
- The winner of the game is the one who has the most cards at the end of the game.
- To make the game more difficult, use the whole deck of cards (26 matched pairs).
July 27, 2007
This is an easy way to make ladybugs using egg cartons, crayons or markers, scissors, and pipe cleaners. Googly eyes are a nice touch.
Materials:
- String
- Sponge
- Construction paper
- Feathers
- Googly eyes
- Stadium cup (plastic)
Instructions:
- Attach squeaky bird string to the inside top of a stadium cup
- Fasten a sponge to the free end of the squeaky bird string
- Attach a beak – all birds have beaks
- Attach play feathers for wings
- Attach googly eyes
- Attach head feathers
Some background about birds at Presque Isle
Presque Isle has six different ecological zones, each with different plant and animal life. The zones include: Lake Erie, the bay and shoreline; sand plain and new ponds; dunes and ridges; old ponds and marshes; thicket and sub-climax forest; and climax forest.Because of the diversity of ecological zones at Presque Isle State Park, many different species of plants and wildlife inhabit the park. Of all the plants and animals on Presque Isle, birds are the most studied and understood. Presque Isle State Park is one of the top birding spots in the country. Presque Isle's location makes it a great spot for birds to stop for food and rest on their migration across Lake Erie. Over 320 different species of birds have been identified on the peninsula, 39 of which are listed as species of special concern.
*A bird checklist is available at the Stull Interpretive Center or the park office.
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