Boys: slingshot

When you need a project for a little guy, this is easy and very entertaining! All you need is a Y shaped stick, 2 rubber bands, and something like fabric, felt, or in our case (they don't have fabric on hand) the top cut off from a zip lock bag:-) Oh, and some acorns for launching.

Good, Clean Fun!!

One of my favorite activities to do with the kids I babysit is shaving cream fun. We go outside, they each get a cookie sheet, and I squirt on some inexpensive shaving cream. They go at it squishing it between their fingers, trying to gather it up in their hands, spreading it around, writing in it, adding food coloring and mixing colors... getting as "messy" as they can! But it's just soap, so the clean up is easy:-)

Phonics lessons for little ones

(excuse the poor lighting... these were late night shots in my room)

I am teaching the 5 year old girl I babysit how to read. She has just about finished a Dick and Jane book full of stories. She can do allot of sight reading now. But to sound out words, I realized she really needs to learn phonics. And she is so ready, she LOVES to learn and thinks everything I bring to her house that is "school" is incredible. It sure is fun to teach children like that:-)

So, I was having a late night of inspiration. A missionary friend in Africa, who is from England, is using "Jolly Phonics" with her little girl. I really like Jolly Phonics, but you cannot get it in the USA. So, I (being the type of person who likes to make my own thing, rather than buy the curriculum that somebody else put time into to make it easy for us!...) made a copy cat version of Jolly Phonics. I used their ideas, and here is my version:

First, learn the new sound (and action to go with it! See image on right of each new sound). Then read the words. Place finger on the dots below the letters or letter blends and sound out the words. For example: Child can sound out "buh" "oo" "k" and then say "book!" . Or "tuh" "oo" "k". I am not finished with these phonics lessons. I am not selling them (copy right infringement?!). But it is fun to make, and fun to sit and read with my little dear. She learned these 3 sheets in about 3 minutes. Then said to me, "These aren't hard for me! I wanted you to bring school that was hard for me!" Hmmm... "Can you spell supercalifragilisticespyalidocious??" (Can I spell that?? ;-) )