Monday Music: Everybody Line Up

Each Monday we'll bring you a fun song to sing with your kids!

This week's song is...

Everybody Line Up
Sing to the tune of "Mama's Little Baby Loves Shortnin' Bread"

Everybody line up, line up, line up
Everybody line up at the door.
Not on the ceiling, not on the floor
Everybody line up at the door.

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Friday Activity: Class Stationery

Each Friday we'll bring you a fun activity to do with your kids!

This week's activity is...

Class Stationery

paper
pen
copy machine

Each child in your class draws a small picture of themself and writes their name underneath. Make a border of the pictures and your class' name at the top of the page. Make copies and use whenever for whatever! Color copies look great! This could also be done with family members for a family stationery.

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Thursday Games: I've got a friend

Each Thursday we'll bring you a fun game to play with your kids!

This week's game is...

I've got a friend

This is a great introduction activity, but the kids like it so much that we play it all through the year.

All children are seated in a circle. Teacher starts the song, children join her.

"I've got a friend and her name is____, ____ Stand UP!
Do a little dance now! Make a funny face now.
Touch your toes now. _____ sit DOWN!"

Always do this with a SMILE on your face! The teacher works her way around the circle, choosing a new childs name each time. That child moves to the center of the circle when she stands up..then moves back to her place when told to sit down.

The words can be changed to any activity that you can think of..the sillier the better! My students sit on carpet squares so that they always stay in a circle and know where to return to, and the circle maintains its shape!

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Crafty Wednesday: Paper Plate Cat

Each Wednesday we'll bring you a fun craft to make with your kids!

This week's craft is...

Paper Plate Cat

9" Paper Plate
Black Paint
(2) Black Construction Paper Triangles
(2) Yellow Colored Sticker Dots
(1) Black Colored Sticker Dot
(6) 4" Black Pipe Cleaners
Glue
Paint Brush
Stapler

Paint one side of the paper plate black and allow to dry. Attach triangles to paper plate using glue or stapler to form ears. Use sticker dots to give the cat two eyes and a nose. Glue or staple the pipe cleaners to form the whiskers!

Variation: You can also simply use a black plate to start with, and use wiggly eyes or yellow construction paper eyes. Then use a black pom pom for a nose, and you can also make wiskers out of long thin pieces of black construction paper. Use your imagination!

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Tuesday Recipe: Back to School Bus Cookies

Each Tuesday we'll bring you a tasty recipe or craft recipe to make with your kids!

This week's recipe is...

Back to School Bus Cookies

Nutter Butter cookies
raisins
icing
toothpicks

Take nutter butter cookies and with the tooth pick apply the icing where the wheels would be on a school bus. Then put the raisins on. If you have the cake decoration bags you can also make little windows on the cookie. these are very easy and fast to make for a quick after school snack and the kid love them no matter what age your child is. Good luck and have a great school year!

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Monday Music: Hand Washing Song

Each Monday we'll bring you a fun song to sing with your kids!

This week's song is...

Hand Washing Song
(sung to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat)

Wash, wash, wash, your hands
play our handy game
rub and scrub, scrub and rub
germs go down the drain HEY!

Wash, wash, wash your hands
play our handy game
rub and scrub, scrub and rub
dirt goes down the drain HEY!

If children wash their hands with soap and water during the time it takes to sing this song then they will have effectively cleaned them well!

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Friday Activity: Foam Tray Printmaking

Each Friday we'll bring you a fun activity to do with your kids!

This week's activity is...

Foam Tray Printmaking

blunt pencil
paintbrush
foam tray
white paper
scissors
ink or black paint
foam paintbrush
brayer or roller

Use a blunt pencil or the tip of a paintbrush to carve a design into the foam tray. You can create lines, squiggles, dots or a picture. After you have created your design - cut a piece of paper to fit just inside the tray. You may want to cut several for more prints. Now ink up the foam tray - you can use ink or black paint. Use a roller to spread out the ink evenly. You can also use a foam brush. Once ink is spread, place a piece of paper over the design and press. Use a brayer or your fingers to make sure the entire paper gets pressed down firmly. Remove paper and you have a print! Repeat to make more copies.

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Thursday Games: Pop the Cannon Ball

Each Thursday we'll bring you a fun game to play with your kids!

This week's game is...

Pop the Cannon Ball

black balloons
string
trash bag

Blow up balloons - make sure to leave them semi-uninflated. If they are too full of air - they will pop when they scrape the ground or grass.

Tie each balloon to a piece of string - and then tie to the ankles of a child. (one balloon for each ankle).

The object of the game is to have the children run around in an area determined by you. They need to try to step on the other person's ballon and try to pop it. The last person left with at least one cannon ball wins!

Optional: You can also make this into a team game. Warning:

Please collect all the broken balloon pieces and place in trash bag. Broken balloon pieces can be dangerous to small children.

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Crafty Wednesday: Apple Face

Each Wednesday we'll bring you a fun craft to make with your kids!

This week's craft is...

Apple Face

paper plates
brown pipe cleaner
green paper leaf
2 wiggly eyes

Glue 2 red paper plates back to back. Leave enough space to insert a green pipe cleaner twisted in the shape of a stem. Glue on a green construction paper leaf. Then glue the 2 moveable eyes on and draw a smile with a black marker.

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Tuesday Recipe: Fruity Putty

Each Tuesday we'll bring you a tasty recipe or craft recipe to make with your kids!

This week's recipe is...

Fruity Putty

0.3 -ounce package of sugar free fruit flavored gelatin
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
4 tablespoons cream of tartar
2 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons cooking oil

Mix the dry ingredients in a pan. Add the boiling water and cooking oil. Stir over medium-high heat until the mixture forms a ball. Place the ball on waxed paper to cool. Store in an airtight container. Cut the fruit picture from the gelatin box and paste to the lid. Use different flavors to make all different colors and smells.

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Monday Music: Leaves Are Falling

Each Monday we'll bring you a fun song to sing with your kids!

This week's song is...

Leaves Are Falling
(sung to the tune of Frere Jacques)

Leaves are falling
Leaves are falling
Down, down, down
Down, down, down

Softly, gently falling
Softly, gently falling
On the ground
On the ground

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Enter our August-September giveaway!

Stop by The Idea Box to be entered into this month's giveaway, a wonderful hard cover copy of Winnie-the-Pooh: Return to the Hundred Acre Wood.

(Congratulations to Dawn Reid of California for winning July's giveaway!) 

Enter to win this wonderful collectible book, Return to the Hundred Acre Wood, a collection of Winne the Pooh stories. 

Return to the Hundred Acre Wood 
Happy 80th birthday, Pooh! The Bear of Very Little Brain and his friends from the Hundred Acre Wood have delighted generations of readers since Winnie-the-Pooh was first published in 1926. This deluxe anniversary edition of Winnie-the-Pooh is the perfect way to celebrate the enduring popularity of A. A. Milne's classic work. 

To enter this giveaway, fill in your name and valid email address using this entry form. One entry per day per person. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Must be 18 or older to enter. Entries will be accepted through September 30, 2009, midnight CST.

Friday Activity: Abstract Doodle Art

Each Friday we'll bring you a fun activity to do with your kids!

This week's activity is...

Abstract Doodle Art

markers or oil pastels
sharpie
card stock paper (heavy paper)
construction paper

Use the sharpie to draw abstract shapes onto the paper. Make sure each shape is a closed shape. Keep drawing abstract shapes until the paper is filled. Make sure to draw the objects large enough to be able to color them in. Now use the markers to fill in each shape. Color each shape with a different color, and try not to put the same colors next to each other. Once finished coloring in - mount to a piece of construction paper for a nice frame.

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Thursday Games: Musical Beach Towels

Each Thursday we'll bring you a fun game to play with your kids!

This week's game is...

Musical Beach Towels

This game is played just like musical chairs. Make sure to start out with enough towels for each child playing. Lay the towels out in a circle and have each child sit on them. Start the music and the children get up and walk in a circle around the towels. When the music stops - they all scramble to sit on a towel. Each time you remove one towel. The last child 'sitting' wins!

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Crafty Wednesday: Acorn Napkin Rings

Each Wednesday we'll bring you a fun craft to make with your kids!

This week's craft is...

Acorn Napkin Rings

acorns
glue
thin cardboard
construction paper
scissors

Cut a piece of cardboard into a 2" by 5" strip. You can use an empty cereal box as the cardboard. Cover the strip with yellow or orange paper. Make the strip into a loop and staple to form the napkin ring. Glue acorns all over the ring (you may need a strong glue or a glue gun(with adult help)). Then cut small green leaves and glue in between the acorns. Let dry and then enjoy on your Thanksgiving table! * You could use a paper towel tube cut into strips as well.

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Tuesday Recipe: Balloon Snack

Each Tuesday we'll bring you a tasty recipe or craft recipe to make with your kids!

This week's recipe is...

Balloon Snack

Rice cake
frosting
food coloring
string licorice

Make colored frosting by adding food coloring to the vanilla frosting. Give each child a rice cake and a small cup with the colored frosting they choose. Let the children use craft sticks to use as spreaders. Have the children decorate their rice cake with frosting. Use the string licorice as the balloon string. You may want to decorate even more with tube icing or other confections. Have fun!

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Monday Music: Open Them Shut Them

Each Monday we'll bring you a fun song to sing with your kids!

This week's song is...

Open Them Shut Them

Open them, shut them (hold hands out and open/shut them)
Open them, shut them (same action)
Give a little clap (clap hands)
Open them, shut them Fold them in your lap (fold hands in lap)

It's also lots of fun to change the last line after you have recited it once. Tell the children to put their hands on their head, knees, nose, etc. It is great to use to quiet a group or to get them ready for snack.

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Friday Activity: Backyard Bubbles

Each Friday we'll bring you a fun activity to do with your kids!

This week's activity is...

Backyard Bubbles

Bubble soap
plastic fly swatters
shallow plactic bowl or dish

Pour bubbles into a shallow plastic dish or bowl, dip swatters and flap them around for hundreds of bubbles! You can also try other items to make bubbles - screen works well. Great bubble fun for toddlers and preschoolers where sometimes blowing bubbles is too difficult!

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Thursday Games: Balloon Battle

Each Thursday we'll bring you a fun game to play with your kids!

This week's game is...

Balloon Battle

Balloons
string
inflated balloons

Designate a certain color for each team. (If you have a LOT of children you can have more teams or you don't have to have teams at all) Tie a balloon to each players ankle. Each team tries to burst the other's balloon first. The team with the last balloons wins. As your balloon is burst, you withdraw from the game.

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Crafty Wednesday: A Slice of Watermelon

Each Wednesday we'll bring you a fun craft to make with your kids!

This week's craft is...

A Slice of Watermelon

paper plates
red construction paper
green tempera (or poster) paint
glue
black watermelon seeds (dry)

This is a fun craft to do with preschoolers and they look wonderful displayed on a bullitin board! The teacher needs to give each child half a paper plate and some green paint. Instruct the kids to paint the rim of the plate green and tell them that this will be the rind of the melon. Then give each child a half-circle of red construction paper (cut to fit the inner part of the paper plate half) and have them glue it in place. Now, here's the fun part! Give each child a small pile of watermelon seeds,a dixie cup of glue and a paintbrush. Have them dab dots of glue wherever they want their seeds and they can stick them on. This is such a cute craft and,with a little prep. work on the teacher's part, something they can do almost on their own! Who wouldn't love a nice big slice of watermelon on a hot summer's day?

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Tuesday Recipe: Dryer Lint Modeling Material

Each Tuesday we'll bring you a tasty recipe or craft recipe to make with your kids!

This week's recipe is...

Dryer Lint Modeling Material

3 c Lint (from laundry dryers)
2 c Cold or warm water
2/3 c Non-self-rising wheat flour
3 drops oil of wintergreen
Old newspaper

Put lint and water in a large saucepan. Stir to dampen all parts of the lint. Add flour and stir thoroughly to prevent lumps. Add oil of wintergreen. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture holds together and forms peaks. Pour out onto several thicknesses of newspaper to cool. Use as you would papier-mache pulp or shaped over armatures (boxes, bottles, balloons, and so forth) or press into a mold. This material will dry in 3 to 5 days to a very hard, durable surface. When wet it has a feltlike consistency. It dries to smooth or rough, depending on how it is used. When pressed into a mold, a hard, smooth finish is obtained. Stored in an airtight container, it will keep for several days.

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Monday Music: Down By the Bay

Each Monday we'll bring you a fun song to sing with your kids!

This week's song is...

Down By the Bay

Down by the bay
Where the watermelons grow
Back to my home
I dare not go

For if I do
My mother will say

"Did you ever see a bear
Combing his hair
Down by the bay?"

Down by the bay
Where the watermelons grow
Back to my home
I dare not go

For if I do
My mother will say

"Did you ever see a bee
With a sunburned knee
Down by the bay?"

Down by the bay
Where the watermelons grow
Back to my home
I dare not go

For if I do
My mother will say
"Did you ever see a moose
Kissing a goose
Down by the bay?"

Down by the bay
Where the watermelons grow
Back to my home
I dare not go

For if I do
My mother will say
"Did you ever see a whale
With a polka dot tail
Down by the bay?"

Down by the bay!

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Friday Activity: Beaded Socks

Each Friday we'll bring you a fun activity to do with your kids!

This week's activity is...

Beaded Socks

pair of plain socks
crochet thread fine
beads

Thread your beads onto your crochet string. Do not cut. Now crochet your thread to a loop in your sock stitching. Now crochet 10-15 stitches, slide bead over stitches and once again attach to sock repeat process around sock.

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