Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Apples and Farm con't

Tot School


Munchky is currently 28 months
T-Rex is 11 months

This week we continued our farm and apples theme as there was so many things to do.  We also went to the playground a lot as we had beautiful mid-70's weather.  Not for long!.  

Munchky enjoyed playing with his farm tot pack games.  Heads and Tails was his favorite.  He didn't really get it 2 weeks ago, but I used the ABC's on the farm cards to show him how the animals looked "whole", then he got the idea that he needed to put the heads and tails together.  He also enjoys the "regular" animal matching.  Click here for the farm tot pack printables. 


Munchky also helped mom make a pumpkin walnut cake.  He is becoming quite the baker. 




He started to slip off the chair while we were doing this, I caught him and he says "you OK? Be careful".  It's funny when they use your words.

Munchky is also getting slightly better letting T-Rex share his books (as long as he keeps his distance).  We are still working on this.  Hopefully one day I will be able to read to T-Rex without Munchky snatching the book away.
 T-rex was able to get in some uniterrpted puzzle time when Munchky was napping. 

T-Rex loved playing with big brothers farm and we tried practicing the sounds animals make.


Munchky thew his stuffed animals out of their basket, got in and started singing "Row, row, row your boat"


Notes on Organization
I'm starting to get more organized.  I haven't started using tot trays yet with Munchky as he (not to mention T-Rex) would just dump all of them out.  I'm currently using a bookcase.  The lower two shelves have toys, board books and puzzles, that I'm rotating on a weekly basis for Munchky and T-Rex.  The next shelf up has an organizer with the printable games (matching, counting, etc..) that I have for that week, plus Munchky's books we're reading. Munchky can reach these but not T-Rex.  The top three shelves have our art supplies, play-doh, manipulatives, and other toys. I get these out individually when we use them.  If muchky doesn't want to do what I picked out, I put it away and put something else together.  Usually he will tell me what he wants.  

For organizing our printable "games", after I have printed, laminated them, and cut them out.  I put them in "pouches". I take a #10 envelope, seal it, then cut it half, which makes two pouches to store the pieces. I then glue or tape a picture to the front..  In case of bigger pieces, I used a "used" greeting card envelope, I tape it opening, and cut the top off to make the pouch.  When we are not using them I put them in a pocket file folder and store.  When we are using them, I arrange them in the organizer for Munchky to get out when he wants. 








Next week: Leaves, Nuts & Pumpkins





Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Apples! Apples! Apples!


 We kicked off apple week with a field trip to Klackle Orchards in Greenville, MI.  Muchky and T-Rex had a blast fighting over riding the mini tractors, petting the farm animals, and riding in the Pumpkin carriage to pick apples and pumpkins.  I was amazed that Munchky actually bit into an apple, he loves grapes and won't eat other fruits anymore.  T-Rex, as his name implies, will eat anything. 






Ths week  we used the apple lesson plan from 2Teaching Mommies found here.  Unfortunately Daddy took the memory card to the office to download the field trip pictures and didn't bring it back for a couple of days.

Our first apple activity was to make an apple pie.  Yum!  Munchky was excited to help me (especially b/c it involves shaking cinnamon).  I used an apple/peeler/corer/slicer.  If you don't know what that is click here. I love it, even more Munchky loved it.  I was worried that he would upset to watch the apple "fall apart",  but he was absolutely fascinated.  He got in on the action by turning the handle.

We also worked on matching the uppercase letters to the lowercase ones (see apple lessons) and  talked about the seasons using the apple tree paper plate craft and the Baby Monet DVD.

We also broke out the fingerpaints for the 1st time to do apple prints.



We ended the week with a visit from  Meme, Uncle Roger and Aunt Sophie. The boys enjoyed being doted on.  They also ended up with some goodies: balloons, light up footballs and a latches board.  Last night munchky was showing T-Rex how it worked.  I can tell the boys are going to get a lot of fun out of this in the future.



Teeny-Tot School
T-Rex is loving his nesting cups and buckets.  He loves putting a golf ball in the small cup and trying to get it out with his fingers, then gives up and dumps it out.  He is having fun with the simpler shape sorters, he's mastered the circle, but the others leave him perplexed.
 Of course banging blocks together is always fun,  throw them in the crate and its a game.
 Checking out the crate from all the angles.



  Even though he's been walking (Dad says like King Louis from Jungle Book) for awhile, T-rex still loves to push (and ride in) his walker wagon.

To check out what everyone else is doing go to 1+1+1=1.










Tools We Used This Week



Books We Read This Week