Learning - Sandpiper Creatives

Responsibility Jar

Ava is old enough now to begin understanding that there are some things she needs to do on a daily basis to help herself and to contribute to our family life. So, we made her a Responsibility Jar by decorating an empty food canister and purchasing some glass pebbles (I really wanted marbles but couldn’t find any) at the dollar store. Colorful pom-poms would have been fun, too.

How It Works

Ava and I talked about what her responsibilities would be and she helped me make the pictures on white labels. We then trimmed them and stuck them onto the outside of the canister. Each time she completes one of her responsibilities, she gets to draw a pebble (she calls them jewels) from a bag and add it to her jar.

Why It Works

Currently, I like using a jar better than using a chart, because I never have to re-do or re-print it. If we decide to change one of her responsibilities, we can just cover over an existing label with a new one. Currently, she has four responsibilites (which I am monitoring at this age) – Brush her teeth, Make her bed, Eat all of her food, and Pick up her toys. She thinks brushing her teeth and making her bed are fun, so I was glad to include them as part of her responsibilities. I don’t want her to think of all responsibilities or chores as being a pain.

Motivation

At this age, just putting the “jewel” in the jar is enough motivation. I hope it continues this way for a while. If one day when she is older we need to motivate her further, we may let there be some sort of reward when she fills the jar… maybe something like getting to pick a movie for movie night or a trip to the park or whatever seems appropriate when we cross that bridge.

by Kimberly Farmer

Coundown Card & Time for Preschoolers

Ava’s birthday is coming SOON! My little girl will be 4 years old! I didn’t intend for her to know one month in advance that her birthday party was coming. Two weeks in advance would have been enough. But, the little gal is as sharp as a tack, and she figured it out. As a result, I kept getting the thrice daily question, “When is my birthday?! When is my birthday?! When?!”

Countdown Card

So, I made her a Countdown Card to help her make it to the big day. The card has actually cut down tremendously on the “When is my birthday going to be here?” question… Which is great for me, and it’s also easier for Ava to handle the time span.

Also, to help her get through the month, I am letting her participate quite a bit in preparing for her birthday party. I am keeping a lot of things as a surprise, but I’m letting her help on some of the projects, too. Why not? (I’ll be sharing some of our birthday projects as the days goes by.)

Time for Preschoolers

On a side note, when my brother and I were little and didn’t know how to tell time, my mom would help us understand time by using tv shows. For example, if we were on a car trip and we wanted to know how much longer it would be until we arrived, Mom would say, “It will be one Mister Rogers” (30 minutes) or “It will be one Sesame Street and one Mister Rogers” (an hour and a half). So, I use the same concept with my children, and it works really well.

by Kimberly Farmer

Resurrection Story Cookies

These cookies are intended to be made the evening before celebrating Jesus’ resurrection, and are baked in a warm oven overnight so they will be ready on Easter morning. My friend Kelly Hall introduced me to this recipe, and I have to share it with you! We haven’t made these cookies yet, but we will!

RESURRECTION STORY COOKIES

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Gather Ingredients & Supplies Needed:
3 egg whites
1 c. whole pecans
1 tsp. vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. sugar
Zip plastic bag
Wooden spoon
Tape
The Bible

Place pecans in the plastic bag and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Discuss how after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers.
Read John 19:1-3

Put the vinegar into a mixing bowl and let each child smell the strong aroma. Talk about how when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink.

Read John 19:28-30

Add egg whites to the vinegar (eggs represent life). Discuss how Jesus gave His life to give us life.

Read John 10:10-11

Sprinkle a little salt into each child’s hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus’ followers, and the bitterness of our own sin.

Read Luke 23:27

So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him.

Read Psalms 34:8 and John 3:16

Beat the ingredients together with a mixer on high speed for 12-15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God’s eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.

Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3

Fold in the broken pecans. Drop cookies by a rounded teaspoon onto cookie sheet covered with waxed paper. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid.

Read Matthew 27:57-60

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door.

TURN THE OVEN OFF.

Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door together. Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed.

Read Matthew 27:65-66

Now it’s time to go to sleep.

Explain to the children that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus’ followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.

Read John 16:20 and 22

On Resurrection (Easter) morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie.
Notice that the surface of the cookie is cracked. Take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Resurrection, Jesus’ followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.

Read Matthew 28:1-9

by Kimberly Farmer

Backyard Nature Hunt

This past week, my children have spent a record number of hours outdoors. It has been so fun watching Ava playing by herself, using her imagination, “building” birdhouses out of sticks and flowers, and practicing stick throwing like it is an olympic sport. Almost every day, she has asked to go on a nature hunt, or as she calls it, “make a collection”. There are all sorts of containers, bags, even tape bracelets, which your child can use to collect their flowers, leaves, sticks, nuts, grass, whatever. We chose to use plastic storage bags this time, simply because it was handy. The kids liked it, because they could easily see what’s inside and the wind never blew away any treasures.

After a while, Landon lost interest in collecting nature treasures and decided to explore the sandbox instead.

Ava decided that the lid made a perfect boat and the shovel made a great oar. Aren’t kids wonderful?

by Kimberly Farmer

Growing Marigolds

Spring is coming! I want Ava to have the opportunity this year (she’s 3) to plant her own flower seeds and watch them grow as she cares for them. I asked my mother-in-law for some tips for planting some marigold seeds we kept from a marigold plant we had before. I also asked a blogging friend of mine, Karen, from The Sower’s Corner, if she had a recommendation for a quick growing flower for little ones to plant. Fortunately, she responded, “Marigolds!”

So, I rounded up my pretty little pot, some dirt from a gardening project last summer, a small shovel from the kids’ sandbox, and our marigold seeds. It was dark outside when I got the urge for us to plant the seeds, so instead of doing it outdoors, we spread out some newspaper and did it indoors without any mess.

We planted the seeds three days ago, and tonight when we went to water it again (we’ve been spraying it with a spray bottle) we saw a little sprout coming up! A little sooner than expected, but I’m pretty sure it isn’t a weed. 🙂

Marigold Update: June 12, 2011

Thankfully, our marigolds are still alive! Here is a picture of our little marigold successes… When the blooms are dead, we will pinch them off and save them in our Seed Packet Envelopes until next spring when we can plant them again!

As a side note, we bought the red petunias (barely pictured here)
for 50 cents from the garden center’s cart of discounted plants,
and they are doing just fine. Yay for us. Pretty flowers.

by Kimberly Farmer

Let Me Count the Feelings

Ava painted each of these snowmen to reflect a different feeling. She chose to do happy, sad, mad, and silly. They go together on a ring and on the back of each is a small poem we wrote about that particular feeling. You can do something similar with whatever materials you have on hand, and you can try something besides snowmen.

by Kimberly Farmer

Beans, Beans

Not an original idea, but sometimes I forget the simple ones that are really fun for Ava. While you’re sorting pinto beans, give up a few to a child with paper and glue…. It’s also a good way to teach introductory math concepts, such as patterns.

by Kimberly Farmer

Acting Out the Story

One of our books which Ava and I both particularly like, is My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza. The other day, Ava wanted to pretend she was the character Mr. Fox from the book, so we began acting out the story together. I was surprised at how well she knew the book and understood the story line. Obviously, some books are easier to act out than others, but it’s an idea you may want to try sometime with your child(ren).

Starry Night

Ava enjoys playing with glitter glue pens. This time, I gave her a paintbrush and had her spread out the glitter glue as she squeezed it out. This made a pretty background for a night sky. Then, I cut different sized stars out of craft foam and let Ava place them on her starry night background. As we worked, we talked about God creating the world, including the nighttime.

by Kimberly Farmer

God Made Me Special

“You [God] made me…with Your own hands.” -Psalm 119:73

All this week, Ava and I are focusing daily on the Biblical truth that God made her special. Today I let her paint a sheet of construction paper, and then she made a handprint. (I find that brushing her hand with paint is much easier than her dipping it in paint.) At random times, I shout out “God made Ava….” and she finishes with an energetic “special!”

I found a simple song in the Toddlerific lessons book I have, which reinforces this truth. It is sung to the tune of London Bridges…

I’m so glad that God made me,
God made me, God made me.
I’m so glad that God made me.
God made me special!

I’m so glad God made my hands,
Made my hands, made my hands.
I’m so glad God made my hands.
God made me special!

I’m so glad God made my _____,
Made my _____, made my _____.
I’m so glad God made my _____.
God made me special!…..

Learning Ideas