Summer reading.....

Tips for sharing books with Preschoolers
*Choose books that have themes your child will understand.
*Ask questions: Why do you think he did that? What do you think is going to happen next? What would happen if...?
*Be dramatic in your reading. Use different voices for different characters.
*Let your child read to you.
*Read slow enough to let the story soak in.
*Every once in a while, run your finger along the words as you're reading them.
*Let your child turn the pages for you.
*Give your child plenty of time to look over the pictures.
*Share books with your child every day. Even just a few minutes a day is important.

Here are some Preschool favorites!

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, illustrated by Lois Ehlert (Simon and Schuster, 1989).

Cornelius P. Mud, Are You Ready for Bed? by Barney Saltzberg (Candlewick Press, 2005).

I Knew You Could by Craig Dorfman, illustrated by Christina Ong (Grosset & Dunlap, 2003).

Rumble in the Jungle by Giles Andreae, illustrated by David Wojtowycz (Tiger Tales, 2001).

Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff

Harold and the Purple Crayon By Crockett Johnson

Jamberry By Bruce Degen

Bunny Cakes (Max and Ruby) by: Rosemary Wells

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? by Bill Martin, Jr.

The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

Corduroy by Don Freeman

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise

Homemade!

Here are some recipes you can make at home. Have fun!


Nutty Butter Playdough
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup powdered milk
1 cup honey
1 cup oatmeal

Mix together and play.

Nature's Playdough
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
beet, spinach, or carrot juice

Mix flour, salt and oil, and slowly add the water. Cook over medium heat, stirring until dough becomes stiff. Turn out onto wax paper and let cool. Knead the playdough with your hands until of proper consistency. Use as is, or divide into balls and add a few drops of the vegetable juices to make green, pink, and orange.


Best Bubble Solution
1 cup water
2 tablespoons light Karo syrup or 2 tablespoons glycerin
4 tablespoons dishwashing liquid

Mix together and have fun!


Fancy Bubbles
1 cup water
2 tablespoons liquid detergent
1 tablespoon glycerin
1 teaspoon sugar

Mix all ingredients together until sugar dissolves. Enjoy!


Ice cream made in a bag

What you'll need:
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup milk or half & half
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
6 tablespoons rock salt
1 pint-size plastic food storage bag (e.g., Ziploc)
1 gallon-size plastic food storage bag
Ice cubes

How to make it:
Fill the large bag half full of ice, and add the rock salt. Seal the bag.
Put milk, vanilla, and sugar into the small bag, and seal it.
Place the small bag inside the large one, and seal it again carefully.
Shake until the mixture is ice cream, which takes about 5 minutes.
Wipe off the top of the small bag, then open it carefully. Enjoy!
Tips:
1/2 cup milk will make about 1 scoop of ice cream, so double the recipe if you want more. But don't increase the proportions more that that -- a large amount might be too big for kids to pick-up because the ice itself is heavy.

Summer Activities

Looking for new ideas to entertain your little ones? Here are a few ideas that you can do with items that you probably already have around your house.


Outside Spray Painting:
Fill old spray bottles with coloured water (food colouring or tempera paint). Have the children spray the coloured water on paper or sidewalk.

Watermelon Plants:
Plant one or two watermelon seeds in a foam cup. Water daily or when needed. Soon the seeds will grow into little watermelon plants.

Worm Tracks:
Have the children dip a piece of string or yarn into water or paint and drag it across paper or sidewalk. The children can make their strings wiggle like a real worm.

Sun Prints:
Place items such as a pencil, block, eraser, coins, or rocks on a dark piece of construction paper and place it in direct sunlight. Remove the items at the end of the day.

Making Rain:
Boil some water in a pot or a kettle until steam forms above it. Fill a pie plate with ice cubes and hold it above the steam. When the steam comes in contact with the cool air from the pie plate, drops of water form and fall back into the pot like rain.

Fun Straws:
Cut out a simple shape (leaf, heart, etc.) from construction paper. Cut two slits in the middle of each shape, about one inch apart and slide the straws through the slits.

Ice Skating in the Summertime!
Outline a carpeted area with masking tape. Give each child two large pieces of waxed paper. Fasten the waxed paper to their ankles with rubber bands. Play music and let the children skate. (This is a fun indoor activity when it is storming.)



Need more ideas?

Don't forget to check out your local library's calendar for free story times, puppet shows, and special guest that my be visiting.

Check out the Zoo and Children's Museum websites for summer discounts.

How about a kid swap? Give a follow mom a break for a few hours and have them return the favor in the near future. It's always exciting for kids to go play with other children's toys!

How about investing in a children's cookbook. Let your child help you make lunch or dessert and invite a friend over to enjoy your delicious masterpiece.

How about a pool party? Have the children decorate foam or plastic sunvisors or flip flops. Enjoy homemade popsicles after a refreshing swim.

No pool? How about water games that include cups of water, sponges, water guns, buckets of water, eye droppers or turkey basters. If you provide the items for the children, they will come up with their own games.

The internet has plenty of ideas for beating the summer heat! Find an activity and share it with friends!