Special thanks to CBC Radio for an interview that resurrected this little known story about the origins of Winnie-the-Pooh. Here’s a summary. Winnie-the-Pooh was born in Canada! Well, sort of. I…
Source: Winnie-the-Pooh: The Forgotten Connection
We are just back from a vacation at Disneyland and encounters with the very famous descendants of Winnie-the-Pooh! The Winnie-the-Pooh attraction has always been one of my very favorite rides! Wonderful!
Welcome October, perhaps one of my absolute favorite months! Ok, I also love November and December. And January. Just give me fall and winter and I’ll be good.
Thailand is the focus for Chapter 2 in First Steps in Missions, Ideas for Preschoolers and Teachers, Volume 22. Each month this year (academic or church), I would like to choose one activity I’ve written for First Steps, and give extension ideas.
Mirror Painting is found on page 14. For this activity, I suggested placing a large mirror flat on a table and inviting preschoolers to paint on it with unscented shaving cream and food coloring to symbolize the beauty found in Thailand. Do you know how much fun it is to paint with shaving cream?
Shaving cream is a favorite creativity ‘tool’ of mine.
About shaving cream:
The cheapest brands work just fine. Avoid those that begin as a gel. They just don’t foam as well. But feel free to experiment. If you don’t have any kids with sensitive noses, use your favorite fragrance to spice up the room. Have a tub of water and plenty of wash cloths available for cleaning up.
1. Shaving cream is not only for mirrors. Squirt shaving cream directly onto a table and let children draw and write to their hearts’ content. Extra benefit: shaving cream helps loosen stuck on tape, markers, and glue. The table will be much cleaner when you are done with the shaving cream.
2. Paint with shaving cream. Squirt shaving cream mountains on large paper bags or construction paper and let little artists sprinkle on powdered tempera or drops of food coloring. Mix, spread, and create. It would be fun to experiment with water-based markers and shaving cream.
3. Blocks and shaving cream in a big plastic tub? Go ahead, admit it. You’ve always wanted to play in the shaving cream! Who has never squirted shaving cream on the bathroom mirror to write messages? What? No? Me neither.
4. Hot weather fun begins with cans of shaving cream and a swimming pool. Seriously. Let kids paint themselves with shaving cream and then dunk into the pool to rinse it off. I’d avoid using the big in-ground pools as they require chemicals and lots of care. Any small inflatable or plastic pool will work great.
5. Wash outside toys (tricycles, wagons, construction equipment, etc.) with shaving cream. Use a hose to rinse thoroughly and let dry. This is one cleaning project where you’ll have plenty of help.
Safety Tip: Only use shaving cream with preschoolers old enough to not eat it. Older children are fine, though you may be surprised at what they put in their mouths. It’s for playing, not eating, right? Unless you have a beard or hairy legs.
If you would like to order your own copy of First Steps in Missions, call 1-800-968-7301 or visit www.wmustore.com. Thanks!
Thanks for visiting! Have a fabulous time playing with shaving cream!
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First Steps in Missions, Ideas and Activities for Preschoolers and Teachers, Volume 22 |
by Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell
I’m so excited about First Steps in Missions! This resource has 12 months of ideas for activities teachers can do with preschoolers to teach them about missions around the world.
One of my favorite activities in Chapter 1 is Washing Clothes (page 9). Chapter 1 focuses on the Philippines. Some families in remote areas of the Philippines wash clothes in rivers. While I wouldn’t want to wash our laundry in the river because it sounds like a lot of hard work, I am fascinated and admire the many families who must use local resources to wear clean clothes. I also know preschoolers enjoy water play.
The Washing Clothes activity suggests preschoolers wash clothes in two plastic tubs. One tub should have smooth stones for washing and the other have clean water for rinsing. Set up a drying rack for clothes to hang while they dry. My favorite tool for preschoolers from this activity? BAR SOAP!
Do you know how many fun activities you can do with BAR SOAP? Maybe some of the children you come into contact with have never used BAR SOAP. Think about it. We are a culture committed to cleanliness. This often comes in the form of hand sanitizer, liquid soap dispensers, and all sorts of gels, sprays, and goop. BAR SOAP is a great resource for preschool (and other age level) rooms.
Fun with BAR SOAP
1. Car Wash. I just did this with my grandson. Fill a plastic tub with warm water and put it on a thick towel. Use toothbrushes dipped in the water and raked across BAR SOAP to clean the cars. Rinse in water and drive on the towel to help cars dry.
2. Rock Scrub. This is one of my favorite summer activities, but you can do it anytime. Kids will rewash the same rocks for hours at a time. All you need is a tub of water, a variety of rocks (I like to use rocks big enough so little hands can grip them), BAR SOAP, and toothbrushes. You have a rock washing station. This can later transform into a rock painting station.
3. BAR SOAP Boats. Any old BAR SOAP will float, but experiment to find your favorite brand. Open up BAR SOAP, use a screw driver or butter knife (no sharp tips) to scoop out a center (you can skip this step), and add toothpick flags. Have boat races in the bath tub or sink. Get clean and have fun!
These activities show that one can use just about anything to have fun. Let’s get creative!
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If you would like to order your own copy of First Steps in Missions, call 1-800-968-7301 or visit www.wmustore.com. Thanks! |
Thanks for visiting. Feel free to share these ideas with your friends.
I hope to see you again soon.
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First Steps in Missions, Ideas and Activities for Preschoolers and Teachers |
by Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell
I’m honored to announce the release of First Steps in Missions, Ideas and Activities for Preschoolers and Teachers, Volume 22.
What? You already have a copy?
True. It was available in late summer. I was barely available. Thank you for going on without me and getting your copy!
My honey and I were eyebrow deep in cleaning, packing, sorting, storing, and donating our belongings. Why? We sold our home. I should say, God sold our home. In 3 days.
That was a quick sale and left us with no free time to do anything. Except move.
Never fear, we are not homeless. Many of you have already seen the pictures. We are full-time RV’ers living in a solid (though you can feel it move when walking inside), warm (we hope), and quite spacious RV with our 2 crazy kitties. The excitement and adventure is fantastic! Let’s just not mention the period of adjustment, shall we?
In the midst of this transition, First Steps in Missions was released. I’m very excited to see this work in print.
In honor of this project, I am going to take a monthly walk through each chapter and area of the world, choose my favorite activity, and flesh out additional ways to use the activity with preschoolers. So much fun!
Coming soon: September fun in the Philippines.
If you would like your own copy, I’m thrilled to direct you on the right paths. First Steps in Missions, Volume 22
Thanks for stopping by!
by Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell
Welcome!
I should say (to myself) welcome back!
Here is a photo of what’s kept me from my KID KANDY and picture book posts. It has been THAT crazy.
So, forward and onward.
Let’s read some books!
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Happy Autumn! |
by Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell
The Right Word – Roget and His Thesaurus
By Jen Bryant
Illustrated by Melissa Sweet
(Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2014)
Fantastic illustrations reminiscent of vintage nature journals fill the pages of this wonderful book.
Meet Roget and discover his love of list making. After losing his father at a young age, Roget began his lists with his father’s death. Moving often did not allow Roget to make and keep friends, but books made great friends and he didn’t have to leave them behind. Making lists kept Roget’s world in order. Organized word lists helped those searching for just the right word.
The Right Word – Roget and His Thesaurus is the perfect book to engage young readers in the study of words.
KID KANDY:
Make a List
1. Grab a notebook or pad of paper.
2. Think of a theme for your list of words. Some ideas are animals, food, places, sports, school, or toys.
3. Make a list of all things that relate to your theme. You can include how they sound, look, smell, taste, or feel. Think of words that mean the same thing as words you list.
4. Stuck? Ask for help looking up your word in a thesaurus. You will find word lists that could have possibly originated back when Roget was making his lists. How cool is that?
I love making lists. It helps me organize my to-do’s and helps me remember what needs attention. Making grocery lists seems to take up most of my time. Maybe you can help your parents make their shopping list!
P.S. This is the perfect way to add chocolate or ice cream to the grocery list.
I’ve found a fantastic publishing contest for anyone who has ever dreamt of writing a children’s book. Southwest Human Development, a lovely nonprofit based in Arizona that focuses on e…
Source: Publishing Contest: First Edition Children’s Book Contest, $1000 Advance and Publication
Hey, writers for children! Here is a great opportunity!
Source: The Most Astonishingly Unconventional Children’s Books of 2016
This is an interesting list! I’ve only read one of these titles and it was truly unconventional yet wonderful.
Posted on July 1, 2016 by jlfatgcs Chapter reading is one of our treasured moments of the day at school. I know this, and so does Jackson. Books bring to life the imagination, the world, and the …
Source: Project BMG -The Boy Who Cried Tears of the Heart
This blog post perfectly illustrates the importance of reading aloud to children – even chapter books! Thank you for sharing with us!
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This is the perfect book for back-to-school! |
by Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell
School’s First Day of School
By Adam Rex
Pictures by Christian Robinson
(Roaring Brook Press, 2016)
School was new.
He was so new that he didn’t realize children would soon come pouring through his doors. Gasp! Janitor was his confidant and friend and tried to tell him things would be great.
But School was anxious.
And the children came to school. Some were bored (that hurt School’s feelings), some cried and were afraid to stay at school (School was that bad?), and School even had an accidental fire drill the first day!
Would School enjoy being School?
I LOVED this story! Who would have thought about first-day-of-school-new-building story from the viewpoint of the school!
Funny, imaginative, and realistic. School’s First Day of School will lighten the hearts of all readers.
KID KANDY:
Draw a Picture of Your School
Materials: paper, pencils, markers, crayons
1. Use the pencil to outline your school. Maybe you go to a huge elementary school, a small private school, or homeschool. Whichever type of school you attend, draw a picture of it.
2. Decorate your school. Maybe you could name your school, or print the name it already has on the top of the building.
3. Share your picture.
How do you think School felt before the first day? How did the boys and girls feel about going back to school? How do YOU feel about going to school?
I love school! Now that I am a writer and I work from home, I don’t get to enjoy the first day of school as a teacher. I miss school! But I hope to visit again soon and read books with my favorite people – the students.
Love, Laughter, and Life 