Tuesday, January 22, 2013

{the mitten}

Remember when I said I wasn't making any New Year's Resolutions, kinda? Well, other than this being the year I blog for real, regularly, with words and not just all pictures? So far - 22 days in - I'm having trouble finding topics that make my mind run & my fingers fly. Thus, there's been a lot of pictures. But honestly, most of the people who read this are family & they really just want to hear about the kids, see how they're growing & that's ok. They are growing, learning, playing, fighting, acting silly, dancing & doing all the things you do (& sometimes do not) want a 1, 3 & 5 year old to do. 

Last week a storyteller visited preschool & read The Mitten, by Jan Brett. It's a Ukranian folktale, rotold by the author, about a young boy who drops his snow mitten while playing &, unbeknownst to him, animals seek shelter inside. The end is funny & the story lends itself to a lot of easy little follow up projects. Kalea was sent home with "homework" of making a mitten (from paper!) and putting the animals inside in the proper sequence. Cassidy got in on the project & they had a fun time decorating & ordering the animals as we re-read the book. (It is amazing just how many children's books I just happen to have leftover from teaching. This was one of them!) 

Doing the craft reminded me how fun it is to "lesson plan" around a good children's book, to find a good project to go along with it & to throw in some math or reading objectives too. I'm thinking about trying to find a book every week or every other week to plan around & give the girls something to do in the afternoons once that "witching hour" hits. Anyone have some good, pre-made ideas, blogs or Pinterest boards devoted to this?

1 comment:

Pickled Blu said...

No, but I love it!!!