My goodness, but things speed up in the summer. Here's a belated update about the last two weeks. My boys aren't enrolled this last session, and so I won't be teaching again until the fall (the FALL! arg!).
Two weeks ago, we made bubble solution. We talked about recipes, and how the numbers saying how much of something are just as important as the words saying what sort of somethings to add. We talked about standardized measuring cups and measuring spoons- it may be nice to show yours to your kiddo if you haven't already to enforce that idea.
The bubble blowers were projects in themselves. I laid the pipe cleaners bubble wand out on the table and invited them to simply try to recreate what they saw, without a lesson. One little (very Montessori) little girl couldn't believe it. "WITHOUT A LESSON?" she said, astonished. It was interesting to see them try to work it out. I didn't think it would be as difficult as it was, but it was. There's room for some extension at home there, I think.
I apologize about the quality of the bubble mix, by the way. That recipe worked well where we lived in Portland- I am figuring that the harder water here makes a big difference. Bubble recipes abound on the internet. If you are interested in making your own, I hope to try this one next (note the distilled water.) (This is taken from
www.hometrainingtools.com.)
- Liquid dish soap (Joy or Dawn brands work best. Try to find one that doesn't say "Ultra")
- Distilled water (tap water is okay, but distilled water makes the best bubbles)
- Clean container with lid
- Glycerin or light corn syrup
What To Do:
- Measure 6 cups of water into one container, then pour 1 cup of dish soap into the water and slowly stir it until the soap is mixed in. Try not to let foam or bubbles form while you stir.
- Measure 1 tablespoon of glycerin or 1/4 cup of corn syrup and add it to the container. Stir the solution until it is mixed together.
- You can use the solution right away, but to make even better bubbles, put the lid on the container and let your super bubble solution sit overnight. (Note: If you used "Ultra" dish soap, double the amount of glycerin or corn syrup.)
- Dip a bubble wand* or straw into the mixture, slowly pull it out, wait a few seconds, and then blow.
I realized too, after it was too late, that the containers I bought for the bubbles to be brought home in also failed at their task. I apologize for any spilled bubbles. :(
At least we had fun making them!
Last week's project was received extremely well. We made almond butter and jelly sandwiches. Each child had a supervised hand-washing lesson before beginning, and we practiced sneezing and coughing into our elbows and away from our food preparation area. We discussed the importance of keeping serving utensils and serving containers germ free, and how we would use the wet cloths nearby to wipe fingers that got sticky, and not our mouths. Believe it or not: I had only two finger lickers! Well done, kids.
As far as actual sandwich preparation went, we talked about how putting almond or peanut butter on both pieces of bread helps seal in the jelly. We talked about the importance of not using too much jelly if you want a sandwich that will stick together. This was our first project using a knife, which made some children nervous. I am a firm believer that children can begin work on knife skills as early as two using a butter knife. The next time you need to make a meal with a little one under foot, give them a butter knife and a cutting board. The plastic "chef knives" marketed for cutting lettuce are a great tool to have on hand, too.
Oh, and we sang the silly peanut butter and jelly song because, well, it's fun.
Put your kids to work for your next picnic!
Until fall-
Ms. Melodie
