Apples = autumn

Apples are a big part of our autumn. We pick them and make them into applesauce. Yum! My dad and his business partner both have orchards, and so we aren't lacking when it comes to apples.

Two full days picking, slicing and blending apples amounted to 132 pints of sugar-free apple sauce.

Our recipe is simple. Core and chop off any bad parts. Blend in a Vitamix. Heat. Can. Eat!

To go with our focus on apples, my DD memorized this poem:

JOHNNY APPLESEED

Oh, the Lord's been good to me.
And so I thank the Lord.
For giving me the things I need:
The Sun, the rain and the appleseed.
Oh, the Lord's been good to me.

Oh, and every seed I sow
Will grow into a tree.
And someday there'll be apples there
For everyone in the world to share.
Oh, the Lord's been good to me.

OTHER ACTIVITIES
We enjoyed an apple book that shows the progression from seed to being eaten. Print out your own at:
http://www.dltk-teach.com/minibooks/apples/index.htm

This web site also has story sequencing card:
http://www.dltk-teach.com/minibooks/apples/sequencing.htm

Preschool poem #2: Sometimes I Forget

Writing poems and doing a fun activity have been great evening entertainment for us. For our second poetry lesson, we roped in Daddy.

The activity for lesson two was making boats from foil. I pulled up Google images of boats on my laptop to use as inspiration as we worked. The Shel Silverstein poem with this lesson is "Homemade Boat," and so we talked about what would happen if we forgot the bottom of the boat.

Then it was on to test the boats during a bath.


The questions in the lesson encouraged us to talk about various things we've forgotten (goggles for swimming, changing dirty panties, putting away socks), and what we would like to forget (cleaning my room). How do we feel when we forget stuff? Terrible. Cranky. Sad.

Then it was on to putting everything together.

SOMETIMES I FORGET

Terrible things
To change my panties
To bring my dolly and Leapfrog with
To put away my socks
Sad things

OTHER POSTS

- Click here to read about our first poem: http://drivingwiththewindowswideopen.blogspot.com/2013/12/preschool-poem-1.html

-  Click here to read about Poetry Tea Time: http://drivingwiththewindowswideopen.blogspot.com/2013/09/tea-time.html

Preschool poem #1

Poems written by a 4-year-old are just so cute and funny, aren't they?. DD's first poem was this:

Ugg, ugg, 
Tickle bug

Because she's been enjoying Tuesday Teatimes so much and memorized "Little Boy Blue" lickity-split, I decided to start using "A Poetry Unit for Preschoolers." Find at http://PreschoolPowolPackets.blogspot.com

For our first lesson, we read Shel Silverstein's poem "Magic" and then talked about how poems often make us feel or think something new. Then it was on to our own magic (courtesy of a little heavy cream and food dye.) She could have done this all day.

I asked what she would do if she could make magic. The day after she saw "Cinderella", my DD was focused on housework: cleaning up the house, doing the laundry and making dinner. But she didn't want to do those things. She wanted her dolly to! Plus, she wanted to paint photos for me (ah!) sell honey and do her homework.

When I asked her to describe her magic in four words, she had a bit of trouble. This is her first introduction to descriptive words (to adjectives), and so she needs a lot of examples to pull from.

Then, we put thing together.


My Magic: 

Beautiful
Fancy
Silly
Dresses for all
Red 
Blue

I want a backyard like this

I want a backyard like this children's garden at the U of Minnesota Arboretum.

What a fun stage! The curtains are made of burlap. We also had tons of fun using paint brushes and water to "paint" the walls.

Who doesn't like to climb on logs? Reminds me of my childhood.

This use bent rebar and burlap to create a changing hideaway.

What an easy ship to create.

I love how simple this fence is to create. Twigs and grapevines.

A Little Free Library makes this space perfect.

I absolutely LOVE this idea. My kids would have stayed here forever and played if I would have let them. They preferred having this box to catch the sand in part because then they could dig it out from there, as well. The other option was to have the PVC pipe empty right out onto the ground. In another area, water was hooked up to PVC like this to create a fun sand and water play area.

The perfect size stoop for a 15-month-old.

Consider planting easy-to-care-for vegetables and flowers in a Children's Garden. I'd like to plant these around my other plantings.

A living hideout!

Really, aren't you inspired?

With all the data out there about how kids benefit from natural play areas, it makes sense to create them in a small city backyard, doesn't it? I just so happen to have lots of downed trees and branches from the storms of the summer. With a little rebar and some PVC, I can envision a wonderful playzone for my kids.

Tea Time

Poetry and tea.

Sounds like the perfect combination to me.

So, this year, we're doing Tuesday Tea Times, following the recommendation of the Brave Writer. We're each bringing some poetry to share, and perhaps a treat. Plus, it's an incentive for my dear daughter to memorize the poems that go with her Wee Folk Art Preschool Curriculum.

The Brave Writer (aka Julie) recommends making it a big deal, by using pretty dishes and tableclothes.

Here's what else she has to say:

Once everyone has his or her tea and food, reading can begin. Ask for a volunteer to start. Poetry ought to be read with an empty mouth. Each person can read one or two poems (depending on length). Of course, sometimes our family has gone wild and read multiple poems a piece because we can’t stop! There is no need to analyze the poem. Enjoy it. Laugh at its humor, enjoy its rhythm, listen to the rhyme. You might comment on it, but that’s not required. - See more at: http://www.bravewriter.com/bwl/poetry-teatimes/#sthash.QI4AWDWo.dpuf

Once everyone has his or her tea and food, reading can begin. Ask for a volunteer to start. Poetry ought to be read with an empty mouth. Each person can read one or two poems (depending on length). Of course, sometimes our family has gone wild and read multiple poems a piece because we can’t stop! There is no need to analyze the poem. Enjoy it. Laugh at its humor, enjoy its rhythm, listen to the rhyme. You might comment on it, but that’s not required. - See more at: http://www.bravewriter.com/bwl/poetry-teatimes/#sthash.QI4AWDWo.dpuf

"Once everyone has his or her tea and food, reading can begin. Ask for a volunteer to start. Poetry ought to be read with an empty mouth. Each person can read one or two poems (depending on length). Of course, sometimes our family has gone wild and read multiple poems a piece because we can’t stop! There is no need to analyze the poem. Enjoy it. Laugh at its humor, enjoy its rhythm, listen to the rhyme. You might comment on it, but that’s not required."

See more at: http://www.bravewriter.com/bwl/poetry-teatimes/#sthash.QI4AWDWo.dpuf

The daughter opted to bring her Fancy Nancy book of poetry with for our first tea party.

A tale of Tea-ger having a tea party came with one box of tea, so we had to read it!

 

Once everyone has his or her tea and food, reading can begin. Ask for a volunteer to start. Poetry ought to be read with an empty mouth. Each person can read one or two poems (depending on length). Of course, sometimes our family has gone wild and read multiple poems a piece because we can’t stop! There is no need to analyze the poem. Enjoy it. Laugh at its humor, enjoy its rhythm, listen to the rhyme. You might comment on it, but that’s not required. - See more at: http://www.bravewriter.com/bwl/poetry-teatimes/#sthash.QI4AWDWo.dpuf

Once everyone has his or her tea and food, reading can begin. Ask for a volunteer to start. Poetry ought to be read with an empty mouth. Each person can read one or two poems (depending on length). Of course, sometimes our family has gone wild and read multiple poems a piece because we can’t stop! There is no need to analyze the poem. Enjoy it. Laugh at its humor, enjoy its rhythm, listen to the rhyme. You might comment on it, but that’s not required. - See more at: http://www.bravewriter.com/bwl/poetry-teatimes/#sthash.QI4AWDWo.dpuf