Our Week of Everyday Objects for Learning

I'm finding the age four to be the biggest challenge yet. Gauging from the posts in the 2009 birth club I'm not alone. Very opinionated, and exploring new boundaries. Yet full of life. Exuberance. Which makes playing together more enjoyable than ever before.

We had quite a week!

Sidewalk Chalk Learning

T practiced drawing a path on our sidewalk and drive.

Then he walked on it

Also using sidewalk we did some letter practice. We wrote whatever letters he wanted. Then he told me a word that began with the letter. Together we drew it. He was so pleased with the drawings! Yesterday he showed it off to a good friend visiting from out of state.

Size Comparison- Equal Vs Unequal

Our math focus is on equal vs unequal. We compared a few different objects on different days. He also is enjoying using his new pencils and sharpener. Perhaps too much? They're getting constantly sharpened!

Comparing coins and pattern blocks. Are the two coins equal or unequal? Are the diamonds equal or unequal?

How about the pencils?

On Thursday we continued this math game using objects found in our rooms.
The boxes that store F's socks and hair bows? Are they equal, or unequal? He did a lot of observing here, checking out their depth, width, height...

How about a pair of socks? What makes them equal?



Prefolds! I got out two sizes of prefolds. They were the same across but their length was different. Equal or unequal? Depends, huh?!
Then he rectified the situation to make them equal in length by grabbing a longer diaper from the changing table cabinet.
 

These crayons are the same size but a different color. Are they equal or unequal? (He decided since they were the same length, they were equal.)

Fine and Gross Motor Skills

T loves the Lauri Fit-A-Space shape set we own. Lots of little puzzles, plus something to use as a template for tracing. This week he got a lot of practice with shapes- drawing, identifying- using his set.

Here is T's list of things you can do on a rainy day 

(recorded by me on my phone)

On nice days we've been enjoying playing with our outdoor toys this week. T especially is enjoying playing catching games and T-ball with me. He likes taking turns hitting the ball and chasing the batter. 

Learning With Food

Flowering Baby Curriculum level 4 (out of 5) had us do a few food-based activities this week.

In one we did "M&M Math" as T dubbed it. He loved it so much he's been asking for "More M&M math, Mama!" daily. First he sorted the colors into piles from the bag. Then he had to identify which had the most, and which the least. He also counted them. We didn't eat all of them much to his disappointment though he did get to enjoy a few (and then brush his teeth!).

The next activity had him again working with least, greatest, and introduced the concept of dozen.  Flowering Baby suggested I put a snack in an egg carton and have him write numbers from 1-12 in the carton. We decided to make candied walnuts (used most of them for a fruit salad later rather than this activity).

 First, using a marker, he wrote numbers from 1-12 in each slot. Then he put that number of nuts in each spot. Finally I told him that 12 is one dozen. He filled one dozen spaces with nuts. Plus, in space 12 he put one dozen nuts.

Our other food activity also led to last night's meal (a vegetable curry and a fruit salad fyi).

You can see the variety of fruits and vegetables we used. He got to look at them through the magnifying glass uncut...
and cut.

  

Then he painted the sliced fruit (I just removed a piece from each fruit to do this rather than wasting the entire piece of food!) and pressed it on paper.

 I wrote beside each printing what kind of fruit or vegetable it was. In the end we had a lovely piece of artwork which is now hanging on the fridge.

We ended the morning with fresh, personal-sized veggie pizzas. Yum!

Linking up here at the Preschool and Kindergarten Community