Tot School - Ideas and More

Since I've decided to back off my original ideas for Tot School, I still wanted to share what we do as well as great ideas I find out there in blog land. 

My kids love books (which I'm thankful for) so when I see cute ideas that correspond to books, I like to save them.  I Heart Crafty Things shares some really cute (and easy) ideas to go along with the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. 

Using chocolate chips to practice counting skills on cutouts of "cookies"

She also shares a really cute idea to go along with the book Hooray For Fish.  This idea is a little above my boys right now but it is something I'd like to remember for a year or so down the road.

This idea is something I want to do with the boys in October - it is a "Roll a Jack-O-Lantern" Game.  Oopsey Daisy gives quick and easy instructions on how to create this fun little game.

So, after posting this POST last week, I took time to print out the pages from the Apples, Apples preschool pack.  The art work in the pack is fantastic (made even better by my AWESOME printer - yes, I really love my new "baby"!) and I love how there are different levels of work.  I did not print everything because some of it is still over the head of my kiddo's but there was a lot I could use right now.  This is what I'm planning:

Sept 12-23:  Working on the Apples, Apples unit.  I want to try to do an activity a day of some sort with the boys.  Just taking a few minutes out to do something planned.

Sept. 26-Oct 7: Work on Items for the Leaves Unit by Oopsey Daisy

Oct. 10-21 - Work on Items from the Scarecrows Unit from Itsy Bitsy Learners

Oct. 24-Nov 4: Work on Items from the Halloween Unit from Oopsey Daisy.

Super Simple :-)

Here are some pictures from our first week of Apples Apples!

Even though I took down our Circle Time Wall for now, Josh still loves to play with this magnetic calendar.  I keep it out on our shelf so he can ask for it anytime he wants.  He really loves lining up all of the shapes in the write size blocks.  I will say that he asked where are "Tree" was this week so I guess he really did like it!

We started out by using a worksheet to learn the parts of an apple.  The best part was when we cut the apple open across the middle and Josh said "Star!" - as that is the shape the core makes when cut that way.  After that, we used the apple to paint "apples" in a basket.

He loves paint and wanted more! 

After we filled the basket, we got out more colors and painted more on regular paper.

Eventually our painting turned into this. HA!  Josh saw the glitter and started making "glitter" apples.  He was having fun and this entertained him the entire afternoon.  He even got up the next day and asked to paint again! 

I am already loving this new laid paid teaching/learning.  I'm in the process of creating a "Tot Time" basket where I will put our daily "adventure".  This way, after lunch each day Josh will learn to grab the basket and we'll do the activity that is included.  Some days it will be something like our apple project and some days, it may just be a book OR maybe a few ingredients for a recipe we are going to cook together.