It is never too early to start scissor skills. Kids love cutting and pasting, so why not let them? It is soooo good for them in the fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination department.
I started all three of my older children with the continuous loop scissors (called squizzers) at age 3 (links below) or earlier if they were eager. We started cutting strips of construction paper and then by taking last month's calendar and cutting it. I purchased Little Kids Can... Cut (linked below) and gave my kids one for each week/theme we studied. It worked great! This workbook is reproducible (you are allowed to copy it...) and starts with straight lines, then zig zag and curvy lines and slowly progresses to shapes and eventually cut and glue projects. If you are using the theme schedule, many of the themes are covered in this book. The Little Kids Can Color book also has great thick lined shapes perfect for cutting, coloring and pasting on construction paper. It rounds out the other book nicely. When they want to and are ready for the muscle strength to switch to kids scissors, they are allowed. Both types of scissors are in our bin.
I have always allowed my little ones access to construction paper and scissors whenever they want it (as long as I can supervise, since both have managed to cut their hair with kids scissors in unsupervised moments...); and encouraged their creativity with praise. All three of my older children, (age 3.5, 6. and 8) children are very good with scissors and I often get questioned at church, coop, and anywhere they are cutting and pasting in public. "Wow, they cut so well, how did they learn that?"
If these links don't work, go to the main website (discount school supply and teacherstorehouse.com) and search for squizzers and the book by title. They are not affiliate links for me :).
Another thing is, before little ones have the strength for squizzers, which are very easy but not for two year olds... they can tear construction paper and this builds hand strength! This is what I have my youngest do, when he "has to" do everything his big brother and sisters do and that's a good place to start with if the squizzers give trouble.
There is also a My First Scissor put out by Fiskars, but it is actually hard to use and did not work well in our house.
First, a few organizational ideas. Get a vinyl tablecloth with elastic edges to fit around the table. I just saw one cheaply offered in a current catalog or something like that. Also, limit supplies to one medium and type of paper. Keep the different mediums with supplies in separate plastic shoe boxes ($1 at Walmart…) Have cleaning up the supplies be part of the privilege of creating the art. Occasionally suggest that the children start by illustrating something they learned this week. Other times, have them tell a story to go with the picture/object they create. Very, very rarely do I allow a free for all with every medium and “craft supply” we own available at one time. Yet my children are really capable with all of the “real” mediums below.
Watercolors with brush and sketch paper, with pencil. Draw and paint what you read about this week. Very small amount of water in a little cup (we use leftover plastic fruit cups) and a damp sponge. Wet and blot brush after every color to keep colors from muddying.
Oil Pastels and Dark paper. These are like crayons but softer and give really vibrant colors kids love. Works on white paper too; but is really cool on royal blue paper.
Colored Pencils and Sketch Paper (or plain old printer paper…) Illustrate a story or draw from one of the drawing books like the Usborne series mentioned below or any from the library. We got one on drawing dinosaurs last week.
Crayons and Computer Paper: The series I Can Draw…. (people, animals, etc.) by Usborne. No real mess other then picking up your crayons when you are done.
Art Print Books and any medium above can be an assignment. Create your “impression” of this famous painting…
Construction Paper, scissors and glue. (This is probably really obvious; and usually gets to messy with all the scraps of paper so I hesitate to mention it…)
I can put my older children at the kitchen table once a week with any of these mediums and get two hours to clean; play with the toddler, or whatever. I rotate through the different mediums so they never get bored.
The idea here is just exposure and experience with the different types of art mediums. That is what will be important if they become interested in art later in life. Freedom of expression is much more important then “pre-planned” art or crafts. It is one thing to be able to draw anything with a pencil or glue on a pompom; and another thing entirely to be able to control the water in water color painting! Oh! And as they get older I do plan to introduce textile arts like weaving and messier paints like Oil based paints etc. Just not yet. If I get a chance later I am going to post some of my oldest’s artwork.
Whether you are arranging a field trip for your family of one child or your Cooperative of 25 children; following a few basic guidelines will insure that your trip is enjoyed by all who attend -- including yourself. Everyone remembers the field trip that became a bear because of poor planning, lack of flexibility, or irresponsibility of one or more attendees. Yet, we also each remember the joys and learning of a well-planned and executed field trip. Here are a few tips and tricks for the road.
1. Brainstorm and Network. Spontaneous arrangement of field trips is fun for homeschool families, so don't be afraid to arrange something just for your family after your children are in bed the night before. It can't hurt to ask local homeschoolers what they have found in your area though! If you want to share the burden of field trip details, work with a few other families or a Homeschool Cooperative to make frequent field trips a pleasure. Each of you could take one week of the month or year and plan a field trip. Agree as a group who is arranging field trips and when. The first person to confirm a field trip with a venue and announce time, date and location gets dibs on that location.
2. Call Ahead/Make Contact. Call the Venue, and speak with the person on-site who will be overseeing your field trip. Make sure you understand the rules, and make sure he/she understands your expectations. Specifically ask for anything you definitely want or need. (speaker, guided tour, refreshments, programs, special seating arrangements, accommodation of special needs like hearing impairment.) Agree to a time, date, and price for the size of your group. Aquire maps or directions for your group. Inquire about parking. If you are one parent taking just your family; you may find out much of this information on the internet; just make sure you do so ahead of time. If you expect or need interaction from an actual person to make this field trip a success, do not rely on the internet. Speak to that person -- in person -- at least on the phone.
3. Define Rules and Expectations of Involvement. Clearly state your expectations of the group. Timely Arrival, Packed lunch, Group Lunch at Restaurant, cost and method of payment (to you or to venue?, cash or check?) What is included? What level of chaperonage is expected. What rules do attendees need to know?
Even within your family, it will help if you will clearly explain all rules and expectations before you arrive. Do you expect the children to awake on time and dress quickly to meet your schedule? Tell them about the field trip the night before so they are excited to wake up and cooperate. Do you expect your children to speak quietly at the Art Museum? Practice Art Museum voice the day before and talk about the atmosphere you will encounter. Do you wish your children to stay in sight at all times? Tell them ahead of time and tell them often! Practice, Practice, Practice.
4. Prepare for Learning. Read appropriate books to your children before the field trip. This might mean planning a trip to the library or bookstore well in advance. I knew for several weeks that my children would be field tripping to Niagara Falls. I waited until the week before to hit the bookstore and they didn't have any books in stock -- even though we were only about 110 miles from the Falls! I was sorry that I didn't check three weeks out so that books could be ordered. Older children may benefit from copying related definitions and journaling about the subject before and after. Younger children can keep a notebook of watercolor paintings related to fieldtrips. Consider whether your will need nature journal supplies, binoculars, magnifying glass, a notebook, pencils. Gather what you need ahead of time. We can't ever find that pesky magnifying glass the night before. Even if it's right where it's supposed to be in our rush we will not find it!
5. Lunch Money or Lunch and Money. Is there a restaurant on site? What are the prices? Are there restaurants nearby? Is Re-Entry allowed after lunch? What kinds of foods are served? Are packed lunches allowed on site? Do you have what you need for a packed lunch? I personally do not enjoy making a grocery run for picnic foods the night before, because I waited until the night before to check menu prices! Will your children be allowed to spend money for on-site shopping? How much money? Should they have a chance to earn extra allowance money?
6. Rest and Eat beforehand. Try to make sure your children are well rested the night before; and well fed the morning of. Just like testing, field tripping happens better if children are well rested and well fed.
7. Be Flexibile! Be Flexible. Be Flexible. Some things just bear repeating.
Relax! Have a Great Time! You are making memories that will last a lifetime!
A List of the Many Field Trips Available Within 90 Miles of Small Town, New York for your Inspiration
A Natural Foods Store (with wonderful owners)
A Transportation Museum (small but delightful)
An Apple Farm with a short tour and apple picking, plus free doughnuts and cider
A Strawberry Picking Farm
A Large Raspberry/Pumpkin Farm with Special Activities
A Large Dairy Farm
A Small Living 18th Century Family Farm complete with Log Cabin.
A Fire Station
A Great Lake
A Lighthouse on the Great Lake
Mayor's Office
State Representative's Office (Federal House of Representatives)
County Courthouse
County Jail
Two Small Theme Parks
Krispy Kreme Doughnut shop (with windows into bakery and free tour/free doughnuts)
A Waterpark
A Symphony Orchestra with KidsOrchestra concerts
A Small College hosting age appropriate Theater Experiences for Young Children/Public School concerts -- Allow Homeschool Groups
Free Concert Fridays at the Town Park
Three Zoos in larger cities
A Science Museum
A Large Nature Center and Hiking Trails
An Observatory and IMAX Theater
A Children's Museum
The Original Jello Factory
Corning Glass Museum
A Large College hosting a Night Sky Observatory with a telescope
A Small Nature Park with planned activities on a Hike and a small indoor exhibit
A Large National Park with fantastic waterfalls and Hiking Trails
An Art Museum with a terrific kids' day class and tour
A Large 18th Century Living Village and Farm with classes and camps
A Chess Club with no admission to Tournaments
A Frozen Custard Place giving free tours
A Science Supplies Factory/Manufacturer
A Cracker Barrel
A Window Factory
Canal Boat Ride Tours
An Aquarium
George Eastman House (of Kodak fame...)
This list continues to grow as my memory improves. Keep Checking back when you need inspiration.
I admit that after moving away from the nation's capitol to a small town; I was convinced that educational and fun trips would not be a part of our homeschool for a few years until we moved back to D.C. Boy was I wrong! During the moving process, we had the opportunity to visit a Relocation Office with our realtor. There I found a display rack loaded with local attractions, and I loaded up with brochures. I was also given a small packet of Free or Discounted tickets for local attractions. The number of educational and totally cool field trips within a 90 mile radius of that small town was astounding! No matter how rural you are; never underestimate the educational value that could be waiting for you just around the corner. 90 Miles only takes 1.5 hours to drive! Pop in an Audiobook or some Bible Memory work cd's and put some zing into your homeschool.
To inspire you, I thought I would list here for you the things I found to do with my children within 90 miles of small town New York. But you won't believe me until you start looking; so I am going to start with some suggested places to find those brochures.
Finding Brochures
Realtor -- Check with your local realtor's office. It's their job to sell people on the attractiveness of your town! Better yet, check with a realtor or two in the nearest larger town. If you can find a realtor that specializes in relocation packages, even better.
Make this a fieldtrip! Call your realtor friend and ask if they would do a short presentation about Real Estate, community value and the inner workings of a Real Estate office! Make sure ahead of time that they actually have brochures to share!
Entertainment Book -- Purchase the Entertainment Book for any larger city within 90 miles of you. Visit the web-site to preview the offers for your zip code or the zip code of that larger city. Entertainment book usually has Buy 1 Get 1 free offers for several small town local museums and attractions. It is their job to find people who want to advertise local entertainment! I usually pay for the book with the first two restaurant coupons I use; and usually a Target coupon, a Home Depot coupon and a few other national retailer coupons are included as well.
Cracker Barrel -- Find the nearest Cracker Barrel in your state, and stop there if you are ever nearby. You do not have to actually eat there, they have a Country Store area attached to each restaurant. They also usually have a well stocked Area Attractions Brochure area near the restroom or check out counter, or out in the waiting area. Be sure to take a dollar or two for each child, this store is chock full of hard to find old-time candies, penny toys, and cool gadgets.
Here's a perfect field trip: Take Grandma and Grandpa to Cracker Barrel with your children and have the children guess the uses of all the funny tools hanging on the walls within the restaurant. Then have Grandma or Grandpa tell them the truth. Wonder through the country store and oggle all the early 20th Century candy and toys for sale. Before you leave, have Grandma or Grandpa share a story or two on the porch in rocking chairs; perhaps about the penny candy or little toy you bought and what they remember about them. Consider bringing along a living book or two from this era to read on the porch while you wait for your table.
Interstate or Large Highway Rest Areas -- Travel Brochures abound at rest areas around interstates. The State and local County has a keen interest in keeping the public informed about local attractions (tax revenue :). Is there a Rest Area within 90 miles of you?
Pack a picnic lunch and make that a field trip. Call ahead, and the desk clerk might even tell you a bit of the history and the many uses of that rest area. Did you know that rest areas on the highway are often more then just places to potty?
Local Yahoo Groups for Homeschoolers -- I have been a member of a few nationally organized Yahoo Groups for many years; but for some reason it never occured to me that there might be active local networks! A couple years after moving to NY, I randomly decided to search Yahoo and came up with several local groups dedicated to planning and executing local get togethers; with and without kids! What a goldmine! I am not an unschooler myself, though I do use some of the philosophy in my homeschool. But for some reason I have discovered that Unschooling Yahoo Groups are amazing at finding and executing field trips. Start by signing up for every local group you can find; and then unsub from those that do not fit your lifestyle or needs. If you can't find a group -- start one! These groups are an amazing opportunity to network with homeschoolers from all walks of life.
Call your County Extension Office -- usually located within the County Courthouse. They may keep a list for public school teachers, or have brochures available. County Extension Offices are usually run by people with a wealth of knowledge about your area -- pick their brains! While your at it; make that a field trip! Every Courthouse can surely host a County Government field trip!
Local Public Elementary School -- Call and ask them what the standard field trips are for each grade! Also talk to the owners of local Preschools. My sister is the owner and teacher of a fantastic preschool in Southern Indiana; and her field trips are amazing.
These activities, links and worksheets are organized here to complement the PreK Theme schedule that I created to use the Sonlight PreK materials before they had an instructor's guide to go with the PreK Core; The PreK Theme schedule is still available. It can be downloaded from files section of the Preschool e-mail loop on Yahoo known as http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SLPreschool/. To get a copy of the schedule, you must currently join this loop, which is a wonderful support community for homeschool users of the Sonlight; PreK curriculum. Here is a list of Usborne books arranged by theme. Did your field trip get rained out? Find a Virtual Field Trips on this site maintained by homeschoolers.
For kinesthetic experiences with the themes, I highly recommend the following book: Wiggle, Giggle and Shake: 200 Ways to Move and Learn by Rae Pica, published by Gryphon House. [ISBN: 0-87659-244-2] You can purchase it from Discount School Supply or any major Book Supplier. Page numbers for using this book are listed right after the theme in parenthesis.
Alphabet Soup tends to have fingerplays, poems, activities and crafts, first school and DLTK have crafts, actvities and coloring pages, Kinderstart is usually a link list, enchanted learning sometimes requires membership and has crafts and coloring pages, preschool education is mostly crafts with some songs and fingerplays. Links to Family Fun Magazine are usually just a set of crafts listed in one article; or one craft/activity per link. They really do not have indexes; but you may find other cool ideas (in addition to the ones linked) by searching the actual sight.
1. How many people in this family? (six)
2. How many sisters? (four)
3. Does this family have a pet(s)? (Yes) What kind? (dog, and maybe horses)
4. What was the weather like on the day this was painted?
The Family PG. 7
1. Which picture shows two brothers?
2. Which picture shows sisters?
3. Which picture shows a sister and a brother?
4. Are all these people from the same family?
5. In the picture on the bottom of the page, what time of day is it? (early evening)
6. What is your favorite color in this painting.
7. How many steps can you see in “brothers”? (seven) Are there more hidden?
At Home PG. 8
1. Who do you think lives in this room? Why?
2. What time of day was this painting done? (daytime, light coming in window.)
3. If this was your bedroom, what would be your favorite place?
4. How many paintings are hanging on the walls? (five, plus one mirror.)
5. What is the floor made of?
At Home, PG. 9
1. How many siblings are pictured?
2. Why are there two women?
3. What are these people thinking? Are they happy or sad?
4. Would you like to eat their dinner?
5. What is happening in this picture?
In The Garden, PG. 10
1. Who does this little girl belong too?
2. What is she doing?
3. What is the main color in this painting?
In The Garden, PG. 11
1. What are all these people doing?
2. Where are they?
3. Who are they?
4. Count the Red Objects.
Pets, PG. 12-13
1. How many different pets do you see on these pages?
2. Which one would be your favorite?
3. What is the dog thinking about?
4. How does the little girl with the cat feel?
Animals on the Farm, PG. 14
1. What are the different types of animals raised on this farm?
2. Which of these people is taking care of animals?
3. Which of these people owns the farm? Why?
4. Are any of these animals pets? Why?
5. What are the Different buildings for?
6. If these sheep are thirsty, where will they get water?
Animals on the Farm, PG. 15
1. What is this little girl doing?
2. What are the pigs doing?
3. What is the weather like outside?
4. What time of day is it?
5. Which of these paintings (both pages) is your favorite? Why?
Wild Animals, PG. 16
1. Which of these animals is nice?
2. Which of these animals is mean?
3. Which painting is your favorite?
4. Why are all the animals piled on top of each other in this picture?
5. What does the person who painted this painting think about the animals?
Birds, PG. 18-19
1. Choose a painting. How would you describe this painting to someone who cannot see? (blind person)
2. Which bird is the strongest?
3. What are the birds doing in each picture?
4. Can you find a mountain in one of these pictures?
Fruit, PG. 20-21
1. What kinds of fruit do you see?
2. Which is your favorite fruit?
3. Which painting looks most real?
4. Can you find the fly on a piece of fruit?
Things to Do, PG. 22-23
1. What is each of these people doing?
2. Which person is having the most fun? Why?
3. Do you recognize any of these people?
4. Find the color red in each paining.
Action Words, PG. 24-25
(warning: PG. 25 has body parts showing…)
1. Which picture is most real to you? Why?
2. Which athlete is most likely to win the running race? The horse race?
3. What colors do you see in each picture?
4. Find a windmill.
Counting, PG. 26
1. How many buttons on the floutist’s shirt?
2. How many angels?
3. What are the angels looking about?
4. What are they talking about?
5. How many girls?
6. What are the girls thinking?
7. What is each girl holding and why?
Counting, PG. 27
1. How many sisters?
2. What is each sister doing?
3. Who is the oldest?
4. What time of day is it?
5. How many children? How many dogs?
6. What are the dogs doing?
7. Which child is happiest?
Colors, PG. 28-29
1. What colors do you see in each painting?
2. Which person is having the most fun?
3. What is on the plate?
4. Can you find red flowers?
5. Can you find a mask?
More Colors, PG. 30-31
1. Which of these paintings is your favorite? Why?
2. What colors do you see in each painting?
3. How many trees are in these paintings?
4. How many chairs can you see through the windows?
5. How many windows are there?
6. What does the painting “lots of colors” mean to you?
Shapes, PG. 32-33
1. What shapes do you see in each painting?
2. What colors are the triangles?
3. What colors are the squares?
4. What color is used most often?
5. What shape is used most often?
6. Which painting has circles?
7. Where is the rainbow?
8. Which painting do you like the most?
Opposites, PG. 34-35
1. What are these animals thinking about?
2. How is this girl feeling? (two paintings)
3. What is each girl holding
4. Who is this little girl with?
5. Which painting is mostly black?
6. Which painting has lots of red?
More Opposites, PG. 36-37
1. What do you think these are?
2. What are they doing?
3. Why?
4. Who is in charge?
5. What are the colors in this painting?
6. How many boats are in this painting?
7. How many houses?
8. How many roofs?
9. How many flags?
The Seasons, PG. 38-39
1. What is the weather like in each painting?
2. What time of day is it in each painting?
3. What are the people doing in each painting?
4. Which people are having the most fun?
5. Which is your favorite?
6. Where are the pets?
The Weather, PG. 40-41
1. What is the weather like in each painting?
2. What time of day is it in each painting?
3. What are the people doing in each painting?
4. Which people are having the most fun?
5. Which is your favorite?
6. How many papers blow away?
7. How many umbrellas all together?
8. Find the church.
By The Sea, PG. 42-43
1. What are these girls doing?
2. Are they playing together?
3. Where are the parents?
4. What will happen next?
5. How many boats are in this picture?
6. What are people doing on this beach?
7. What is the building for?
8. Would you like to be playing on either of these beaches? Why or Why not?
9. What do you think these children are doing?
10. Find a reflection in the water.
Faces, PG. 44-45
1. Which face do you like best? Why?
2. Which person is most happy?
3. What do you think this person is thinking?
4. What are these people doing?
5. What is the main color in this painting?
The Five Senses, PG. 46-47
(warning: lots of naked bodies or exposed parts on these pages…)
1. Which room smells the worst?
2. What is shown in the stained glass window?
3. Who is holding a mirror?
4. How old is this girl?
5. How old is the child getting a diaper change?
Six Ways to Travel, PG. 48-49
1. Which person is having the most fun on their trip?
2. What is each of these people doing?
3. What kinds of animals are working?
4. What kind of farm is in the train picture?
5. How many cars are on the train?
6. How many bicycles?
Let’s Go By Boat, PG. 50-51
1. What are the people in boats doing?
2. How many people are on each boat?
3. Which boat would you rather be on?
4. Which picture is the brightest?
5. What is the owl holding behind his tickets?
6. Find someone washing clothes.
7. Find a group of people standing in a circle and count them.
A Time to Work, PG. 52-53
1. What is the job of each person?
2. What color is used most in each painting?
3. How many trees are in the row? (first picture)
4. What is each set of children doing? And how many children are in each set?
5. What can you see on the teacher’s desk?
6. Find the following things: a fire, a hat, a crown, a cow, a book, a bow, a calendar.
A Time To Play, PG. 54-55
1. What are these couples playing?
2. Is everyone in this picture doing the right thing?
3. What do you think the little boy is doing?
4. Why is the horse in the picture?
5. Where is he playing?
6. What game is this pair of people playing?
7. How many different types of trees are there?
8. Can you find the ball?
9. Who is this angel playing for?
10. Why?
11. How does the angel feel as he plays? Why?
A Time To Eat, PG. 56-57
1. What kinds of food are pictured?
2. Give all the people names?
3. Which table would you like to eat at? Why?
4. How many animals do you see?
5. How many servants can you count?
6. How can you tell the servants from the masters?
7. Find the following things: a vase of flowers, a cross, a horse, a dog, a roll, knitting, a knife, a king, and three different squares.
A Time to Sleep, PG. 58-59
1. Who will feel the most rested when they wake up?
2. What is each person/animal dreaming about?
3. What is sticking out of the man’s mouth?
4. Who is most likely to wake up with a crick in his neck?
5. Which person has been working?
6. Which person has been in the rain?
A Time for Peace, PG. 60-61
1. Name the different types of animals?
2. Where are the people in this painting?
3. Find the following things: The Indian Chief, the river, the brown bear, two babies, a red flower, and a sword.
The bottom line is; We try not to insist on parent-led learning or gravitate toward child-led learning. We try instead to focus on God-led learning and ask for His input and perspective on every aspect of our home school. That way, when others fuss about what Dan and I are doing and make me second guess our decisions -- I can go back to our decision process and find God's fingerprints, reminding me that this is His way.
If I get a chance later I am going to post some of my oldest’s artwork.
Keep Checking back when you need inspiration.
