http://www.preschooleducation.com

April 2006 Calendar Of Fun

http://www.holidaysforeveryday.com/calapr06.shtml

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Preschool Coloring Book Pages:

Winter

http://www.preschoolcoloringbook.com/color/cpwinter.shtm

Spring

http://www.preschoolcoloringbook.com/color/cpspring.shtml

St. Patrick's Day,

http://www.preschoolcoloringbook.com/color/cppatrick.shtml

 Easter

http://www.preschoolcoloringbook.com/color/cpeaster.shtml

 May Day

http://www.preschoolcoloringbook.com/color/cpmayday.shtml

Don't Forget Our No-Line Coloring Pages.

http://www.preschoolcoloringbook.com/noline/noline.shtml

l Printables:

Remember to print and make on of our Winter & Spring File Folder Game

http://www.preschoolprintables.com/filefolder/filefolder.shtml

NEW!!

Farm, Transportation, Sports & Zoo File Folder Games CD-Rom, Great Price, Great

Activities! Get Yours Today!

http://www.preschoolprintables.com/cd.shtml

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F E A T U R E D    A R T S    &    C R A F T S

Earth Sun Catcher

Need: Glue, Blue Food Coloring, Margarine Tub Lid, Brown Permanent Marker, Yarn

or String

Directions: Pour about 1/3 cup of white glue into a cup, and add about 5 drops

of food coloring, stir well. This will dry much darker, so don't add any more

color than this. Fill a margarine tub lid with the glue, and let it dry

completely. This could take

several days, even a week if there is a lot of humidity. When it is totally dry,

peel the blue circle out of the lid. With a brown permanent marker, draw on the

land forms. This will usually stick to the glass window, but if it doesn't,

punch a hole in the top and thread a piece of yarn or ribbon through it to hang.

More...

http://www.preschooleducation.com/aearth.shtml

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F E A T U R E D     T E A C H E R     A R T I C L E

Exploring the Weather: A fun way to learn

Every day when children walk out of the house, they immediately experience the

weather. Is it sunny or cloudy? Are flowers blooming, or are leaves falling from

the trees? For children, weather is a great learning tool because it leads to

exploration and discovery.

The study of weather actually integrates science, math, and reading/writing.

When parents or caregivers take the time to explore weather with children, they

can help them work on many skills at once. There's something to learn for

children of all ages, and adults, too!

As a parent or caregiver, you may want to consider these questions first:

What do children already know about weather?

What do they want to learn and how can you help them understand more?

What questions do children have about the weather and how it affects living

things?

The answers to these questions will help you guide children in exploring those

aspects of weather that they are curious about, and those concepts that mean

something in their everyday lives. Then, you may let their interests, questions,

and discussion guide their learning activities.

The weather log

A weather log is a good activity for children beginning around preschool. A

four-year-old may, for example, draw or color a picture of a sunny day and

dictate descriptions for an adult to write down. A six-year-old may be able to

check and record the temperature, and write a brief description of the day's

weather. An older child may write a description of daily conditions, and branch

off into temperature, humidity, and air pressure. Keep lots of books on hand

about weather, including picture books, for children to peruse.

Rainbows

Children can create a rainbow using a prism, a sprinkler, or even a garden hose.

These activities lead to discussion about colors, and rain itself. You may show

children how to measure the rain using the bottom of a plastic bottle. Once

children start to observe the rain, they will have many questions about the

properties of water, and they can do their own simple experiments. Let children

explore the puddles outside after a storm, and then check back and witness their

evaporation!

Clouds

Children enjoy "finding" animals, people, and everyday objects in the clouds.

Looking at clouds' movement and shape is not only a great exercise of the

imagination, but it leads to other subjects. You can teach children about

different types of clouds (cirrus, stratus, etc.) and use that as a bridge to

snow, hail, and ice. Why is the weather different in various parts of the

country? Children may not be able to comprehend complex scientific concepts, but

they understand better when lessons have meaning in their everyday lives.

The sun

A preschooler may be intrigued by the heat of the sun, and how things melt

underneath it. It's fun for all children to experiment with ice cubes outside on

a warm day.

Air and wind

Children may enjoy blowing bubbles outside. This activity allows them to

practice predicting, measuring, and observing as they watch the bubbles move

with the wind.

Observing the weather is a good activity for a multi-age group. Older children

will grasp more complicated concepts. For very young children, the "study" of

weather may mean merely experiencing the outdoors and developing an appreciation

for nature. As time goes on, they begin to anticipate the change in seasons and

the subsequent change in temperature. They become curious about the weather in

their own right. So be prepared -- when they're ready, they'll ask questions.

Additional Resources

Holt, B.G. 1989. Science with young children (rev. ed.). Washington, DC: NAEYC.

#309/$7.

Huffman, A.B. 1997. Beyond the weather chart: Weathering new experiences. Young

Children 51 (5):34-37.

Reprinted with permission from the National Association for the Education of

Young Children

The rest of Preschool Educations articles. They are available from any page of

Preschool Education .Com in the red navigation bar press articles or go to:

http://www.preschooleducation.com/article.html

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F E A T U R E D     P A R E N T S     A R T I C L E

Reap The Rewards Of Gardening With Children

Help children plant a garden, and harvest their appreciation for the wonders of

our natural world. From the first stage of seed selection, on through planting

and tending to the garden, children develop a sense of pride and responsibility.

They may also learn about math, writing, reading and science - with your help!

Whether you're a parent or early childhood professional, take children to

libraries and local greenhouses to find out what to plant and how to take care

of it. Or have children ask family friends and neighbors about their gardening

experiences. One discovery will lead to another. You don't necessarily need a

green thumb to reap the rewards!

Gardening is a great activity for learning, whether you're in an urban or rural

area. It's also a good way to involve parents and the whole school or community.

You may put out a flyer or newsletter, and hold a meeting to discuss sharing

responsibilities. Parents or local organizations may even contribute soil or

fertilizer to the project.

Decide whether you want to plant a square-foot garden, raised garden, or a

conventional garden with rows, or a container garden made from empty milk

cartons or flower pots. A garden need not be extensive or have dozens of kinds

of plants. A barrel, a window box, or cut-in-half gallon jug will do nicely for

a planter.

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