Rain, Rain GO AWAY!

Alapaha River on HWY 122

Lately it has been raining cats and dogs for the last two weeks. The Alapaha River is out of its banks and my yard looks part lake, part jungle because the grass is so high. So why not add some rainy day activities you can use at home or in the classroom.

Language Activity

To develop language skills practice this rain poem:

Rain on the green grass
And rain on trees.
Rain on the rooftops,
But not on me!

Science Activity

Rain Gauge
Use an empty can or jar to make a rain gauge. Place the container outside to measure the rainfall. Have the rain have your child investigate how full the container is. Use words like more, less, about, estimate to build vocabulary. Also, as an extension activity have your child draw a picture to how much rain is in the rain gauge. This will develop scientific observation skills.

Art Activity

Eyedropper Painting
Materials: Assorted plastic medicine droppers for safety, and food coloring, plastic cups, white construction paper

Directions: Fill the plastic cups half way with water and add a few drops of food coloring to each cup. Let you child practice fine motor skills by using the plastic medicine dropper to get the watercolors. Then encourage your child to hold the plastic medicine dropper above the paper, then release the color creating a colored “rain” drop. REMEMBER it is the creative process and not the end product that contains. To promote language skills ask your little one to describe his/her painting to you. Then you can write his/her words directly onto their artwork and display.

Cooking Activity

Rainbow Fruit Parfait
Ingredients:

• red = strawberries 
• orange = oranges 
• yellow = bananas 
• green = kiwi 
• blue = blueberries 
• indigo = blackberries 
• purple = grapes 
• vanilla yogurt, granola bar

Directions: Cut up each of the fruits above, layer each fruit with vanilla yogurt in a cup and crumble up a granola bar on top. Chill for about 30 min. Then enjoy!

Literacy

Little Raindrop
This is the sun, high up in the sky, (hold hands in circle above head)
A dark cloud suddenly comes sailing by, (slide hands to side)
These are the raindrops, (make raining motion with fingers)
Pitter, patter down,
Watering the flowers, (pouring motion)
Growing on the ground. (pat the ground)

Thunderstorm
Boom, bang, boom bang! (clap hands)
Rumpety, lumpety, bump! (stomp feet)
Zoom, zam, zoom, zam! (swish hands together)
Rustles and bustles (pat thighs)
And swishes and zings! (pat thighs)
What wonderful noises
A thunderstorm brings.

Math

Rainbow Matching
Materials: Assorted fabrics matching the colors in the rainbow.
Directions: Cut the assorted fabric in 2 inch, 4 inch, and 6 inches squares. Have the children sort the fabric into groups by colors, textures, and size. Differentiation: For children having difficulty in sorting by colors, provide a corresponding colored paper cup or bowl for the children to use. The children can match the fabric to the container.

Gross Motor

Worm Wiggles
The purpose of this game is to move like a worm. Show you child how to lie on the floor and move their body forward without using their hands or elbows. This game will surly get a giggle or to and hopefully burn some energy off as well.

Amazon Book List

Rain or Shine: All About the Weather

Let It Rain by Maryann Cocca-Leffler

Maisy's Wonderful Weather Book

Whether it's snowy, rainy, or sunny, readers can explore the natural world with Maisy and find out how wonderful weather can be!

What's the weather, Maisy? It's sunny — hooray! It's windy — hooray! It's raining — hooray, hooray! Whatever the weather, Maisy knows how to make the best of the day. Little fans will be proud to help with the forecast by pulling the tabs and turning the wheels to make the rain come down, the snow fall, the lightning flash, and even a rainbow appear!

Splish!Splash!: A Book About Rain

The Rain Came Down

What Will the Weather Be? (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)

Resources/Credits:

• Flooded Alapaha River image: http://www.wwals.net/tag/alapaha-river/ by JSQ 
• Clip art images provided by: http://www.MyCuteGraphics.com
• Juddy Herr, Yvonne Libby Larson. (2009). Rain. In Creative Resources for the Early Childhood Classroom (pp. 549-557). Cliffton Park: Thompson Delmar Learning.

Who Came to School Today?

I have continued working on my "Under the Sea" theme for my classroom. I can hardly believe that it is only 14 DAYS until the start of the new school term. I am both disappointed and excited at the same time. Disappointed because it means less time in the pool but excited to see how the new ideas and activities I created will work this year.

The activity I created is all original artwork. The Who Cane to School Today Attendance chart will be part of our morning ritual. The students will come in find their name on the sign-in sheet, sign-in, put their fish in the fishbowl, and then decide how they feel for the day on the How Do I Feel Today Chart.

Who Came to School Today? is used for attendance. The children come in and move their fish name tag to the fishbowl.

You could also use the activity for the following:

• Name recognition
• Letter recognition
• Counting letters in a word
• Counting how many are in school
• Listening and following spoken directions to name a few.

The packet contains the following:

• Who came to School Today? Finished size: 17” x 33”
• Editable Individual Fish for students’ names.

Directions:

It is suggested to print all pieces on card stock and laminate for durability. To attach the fish names to the chart use the Velcro dots.

Who Came to School Today? Fishbowl chart is tiled over (8) pages with a 1/8” overlap. To assemble cut, along image’s outline. When all pieces have been cut out, simply lay the corresponding piece a 1/8” over until print edges match. Finished size: 32” x 17”

I also have included Who Came to School Today Fishbowl chart as one piece measuring 32” x 17” on page 15 for those of you who would like to take it to a print shop or Sams Club which also offers large format printing at a reasonable price.

The individual fish for students’ names are (6) to a page and can be printed (2) ways. I created an Adobe Form for the individual fish names where you can type the name of your student directly on the fish. The form is set up to AUTO so it will shrink large names to fit on the fish. The second way is to simply print the individual fish names onto card stock, write individual students’ names, and then laminate for durability.

DOWNLOAD>> Who Came to School Today Attandance

Summer Cooking with Your Little Ones

As everyone might suspect summer time is great but also extremely hot. Here are a few treats to help you cool down with your little ones.

 

Popsicles

Ingredients:

Pineapple juice

Grape juice (or any juice of your choice)

Craft sticks

Small paper cups

Directions: If frozen juice is used, mix according to the directions on the can. Fill the paper cups 3/4 full of juice. Place the cups in the freezer. When the juice begins to freeze, insert a craft stick in the middle of each cup. When frozen, peel away the paper cup and serve.

Watermelon Popsicles

Ingredients:

Watermelon

Crafts sticks

Small paper cups

Directions: Remove the seeds and the rind from the watermelon. Puree the melon in a blender. Fill the paper cups 3/4 full of juice. Place the cups in the freezer. When the juice begins to freeze, insert a craft stick in the middle of each cup. When frozen, peel away the paper cup and serve.

Zippy Drink

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas

2 cups orange juice

2 cups orange sherbet

Ice cubes

Orange slices

Directions: Peel the bananas, place in a bowl and mash with a fork. Add orange juice and sherbet and beat with a hand mixer or whisk until smooth. Pour into a pitcher; add ice cubes, and orange slices. Serve and enjoy!

Sand Dollar Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1 cup oil

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

4-1/4 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Dried fruit bits or sunflower seeds

Directions: Cream butter, oil, sugar, salt, baking soda, cream of tartar. Add in eggs. Slowly add in flour. Make balls and press into cookies. Place 5 sunflower seeds and/or pieces of dried fruit in middle of cookie to resemble a sand dollar. Bake 8-10 minutes in 350 degree oven.