Fun with Fairytales

Fun with Fairytales

We hope that you had fun with dinosaur activities the past two weeks and are ready to take on three popular fairytales and the activities that go along with them.  We will be featuring three popular books, The Princess and the Pea, Jack in the Beanstalk, and The Three Little Pigs. There are a lot of materials with this theme, so you may want to stay organized with it all. You will also be utilizing some of the items that came in the first bag (dice, plastic sleeve, dry wipe marker). If you are ever missing a piece or not sure about something, just reach out.  The food included have been bagged with protective food gloves.  Remember, these activities can fit into your daily schedule.

Please reach out to us if you have any questions - Marybeth Dunn mbdunn4@gmail.com or Danielle Virtel dvirtel@att.net.

The Princess and the Pea

(Watch video)

Math

1.  1-to-1 Counting with Princess and the Pea

(This activity will reinforce your child's 1-to-1 counting.  When counting larger numbers, it is important to assign one number to each object.  Often, children may count  and assign more than one number to an item.  The more a child practices counting objects and slowing down, the easier it becomes.  Try to have them count objects in their daily life like toy cars, stuffed animals or even a goldfish snack.)

Directions:

A.  First, your child should glue the green pea (green little circle clipped to the mattresses) to the top of the empty bed (see picture).   Then, they can arrange the mattress pads in any order stacking them up and glueing them to the top.  When finished, they can draw a picture of a Prince or Princess or themselves lying down on the top mattress.
B.  At the bottom of the paper, they should write their name on the first line.  Then, they should count each mattress pad they used, touching each mattress as they count.  The final number should be written on the second line.  Use the laminated number line if your child needs to see the number in print.

2.  Matching Numeral to Quantity

(This will be a great reinforcement of numeral recognition and matching numeral to quantity.)

Directions:

A.Place the beanstalk cards out in front of your child.  If numeral order is a challenge, line them in sequential order.  If your child already has a strong numeral sense, jumble the cards.  This will be more of a challenge reinforcing attention to detail and the task will now become a two step direction.  Ask your child, "What is that number?"  "What number comes before that number?" "What number comes after that number?" 

B. After the number has been named, have your child place that many "Magic Gold Beans" on that number.  It helps to have the child point and count each bean as they go.  It is also helpful to have your child be organized with the beans placing them in a line on the number. 

C. Enrichment:  For those who need a little extra and seem to be ready for single digit addition.  Turn the cards over, have your child draw one and place the Magic Beans on the card, then you draw a card and place your beans on the card.  Ask your child who has "more" and who has "less".  Put the cards next to each other and ask your child to add the two numbers together (7 Magic Beans + 3 Magic Beans= 10 Magic Beans). You can always get a sticky note to make the plus and equal sign.  Tip: Remember to have your child line up the counters (Magic Beans) if they need the organization in order to count. 

3.  Roll a Fairy Tale Castle Activity

(This Castle Dice game contains many skills.  Remember, subitizing is when a child can name the number on the dice by just glancing at the dots.  Also, being able to read a representational key will help your child across all academic domains.)

Directions:

A. Your child can play this alone by rolling the dice and choosing the picture that represents the number on the dice (ex. 1= Knight; 2=Princess).  They can continue this until they have created a full court.

B.  If you would like to play with your child, place the castle between the both of you.  Take turns rolling the dice to see who can collect all 6 pieces first. Be sure to keep your pieces separate.  If you roll a number to a piece you already have, your turn is over.  Have fun!

4.  Crown Patterning

(Patterning helps your child make predictions because they begin to understand what comes next.  It helps your child make logical connections and use reasoning skills.  Patterns are found everywhere in our daily lives.)

Directions:

A.  Using the laminated crown and round shiny discs, your child will create different patterns. You may want to begin a pattern for your child and have your child extend the pattern.  Create different patterns of various degrees. (AB;  ABC, ABBA).  

B. Once your child has mastered extending a pattern, see if your child can create a pattern on their own.  Begin by giving them 2 colors and see if they can create various patterns using 2 colors.  They may then add a third color when comfortable.

C. Fun Fine Motor Extension: Your bag should contain a white crown that needs to be cut out on the zig zag by your child.  The clipped extra piece is an extender for when sizing around your child's head. They will then color it with crayons or markers.  We have added a little lunch baggie of sparkle Spangle Mix.  Use real glue (just a dot; not a lot) to add your "jewels" mix.  Let dry. Tape or staple shut.  Enjoy being royalty for the day.

Literacy

Jack and the Beanstalk

(watch video)

1.  Sequencing Jack and the Beanstalk 

                                            

(An important comprehension strategy is sequencing.  Sequencing allows a student to make sense of how events unfold in reading.  This requires higher-order thinking skills.)

Directions:

Watch video above.

Begin by having your child practice tracing the numbers just for that little added practice in writing.  Once that is completed, have your child cut out the 6 pictures following along the dotted lines (sometimes we use a highlighter to outline where they should cut). When they are all cut out, have your child mix up the squares.  Have your child look at each picture and figure out what came first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth.  He or she may have to refer back to the story if needed.  The correct order is what the pictures are before they cut them apart and mix them up to help the adult know which comes in what order. 

Beginners:  If all 6 pictures is too much, pull out the first 3 and mix them up and see if they can place those first, then proceed with the last three. Your child will still be sequencing. 

Enrichment:  Have your child retell the story back to you using the language "first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth"

2.Retelling Three Little Pigs S.T.E.A.M. Activity

  The Three Little Pigs
(watch video)

(This S.T.E.A.M. (science, technology, engineering, art and math) Activity will incorporate various disciplines at the same time and exercise innovative building skills.)

Directions:

Watch the video above.

A. Now it's your child's turn to retell the story by building the houses the three little pigs did.  Using the supplies of the straw, sticks and red corrugated paper, your child can build each house on the large sheet of paper with the three houses drawn on it.  Before they build the house, make sure your child sorts the materials into three piles.  Make sure your child builds the houses in the order of the story - straw first, sticks second, and bricks third. Ask them, "What house was built first?"  What house was built second and so on?" 

B. Using the 3 Pigs provided and the Big Bad Wolf, have your child retell the story to you.  Have them use their work (the 3 houses) as the staging ground as they retell.  Let them retell using their own words. Your child may or may not glue the three pig characters and wolf onto the craft sticks.  This school year we noticed that the children loved making puppets on craft sticks, so we added them to the bag this summer.

 

C.Enrichment: Find the rhyming -ig words page.  Have your child cut out the four picture boxes from the bottom of that page. They will then glue them into the boxes on the right side of the page (no particular order).  Ask your child to tell you what the picture is ( Pig, Dig, Big, Wig).  They may need assistance with what some of the pictures are and that's ok.  The goal here is rhyming and to see if they can sound out the beginning sound.  After the pictures are glued down ask your child, "What does Pig begin with?" Make the /P/ /P/ sound.  When your child says P, have them write the letter P in the box.  You may want to have your child refer to the Alphabet Handwriting Without Tears page for letter formation.  The rest of the page will follow in the same manner.

D. "I'll Blow Your House Down" Oral Motor Sensory Fun: Find the cotton ball and straw in the little baggie. Have your child blow the cotton ball from one end of the table to the other. You could also use blocks or legos to set up a maze in which they have to get the cotton ball from one end to the other while keeping it in the maze.  Who can blow harder?  You or the Big Bad Wolf?

We threw in an extra straw in the bag in case a sibling or parent would like to have a race blowing the cotton ball.  Stand on opposite ends of a table, put the cotton ball in the middle of the table and see who can blow the cotton ball off the table first.

3.  Castle Matching Upper to Lowercase Letters

(Recognition of letters is a fundamental part of learning how to read.  Without it, children struggle learning letter sounds and recognizing words.  This activity involves matching lowercase letters on circle stickers to the uppercase letters on the castle scene.  If your child needs to match upper to uppercase because he or she is still learning the letters, that works too.  Peeling the stickers is an extra fine motor activity too.)

Directions:
Make sure you pull out the sheets of circle stickers with the lower case alphabet. After you have located the castle alphabet page and the lower case stickers, give them to your child to peel and match on the castle scene.  They can do the ones they know first if they become overwhelmed.  This is a nice introduction to "the process of elimination".

Enrichment:  Your child can say the sounds of each letter as he or she locates the match on the castle scene.

Tip:  This would be a fun easy activity to throw in your handbag and take when going out to dinner.  Instead of screen time; castle/letter time : )

4.  Letter Sounds Hidden Pea Flap Game 

                               (This is a great game to reinforce letter recognition or letter sounds.)

Directions: 

A.Have your child close their eyes while you lift a flap and hide the pea. See if they can guess what letter the pea is hiding under by making that sound for your child.

Example:  The pea is hiding under the /B/ sound.

They will then lift the flap to check to see if they got it right.  You can use just one page at a time or if this is too easy for your child, lay out 2 or 3 pages.  Remember vowels will be tricky, so maybe stay with the long vowel sound (o for open, i for ice cream....)

B.  Depending on the needs of your child, he or she may guess the letter or the letter sound. A variation could be where the child simply guesses where the pea is hidden, and they identify the letter.  "I think the pea is hidden under the letter "D".  You would say, "Show me where the "D" is. You can take turns to make it into a game.

C. For those who need even more, take out the laminated alphabet practice sheet and have your child locate and write the letter as they guess.  Now, you are working literacy and fine motor!

Fine Motor

1.  Sorting & Pattern a Beanstalk

(Notice the AB Pattern:  Green, Purple, Green, Purple)

(A more challenging pattern: ABBC, ABBC)

(This activity includes fine motor along with patterning skills.  Gloves were used when handling the fruit loops so if someone sneaks a bite, you are good.  "Will work for FOOD!"

Directions:

A. Your child will need the florist foam with the skewer inserted into it.  They will then use the bagged Fruit Loops to create a pattern while gingerly stacking them to the top, being sure to leave a little room for the styrofoam cloud. This is the little white thick piece of foam cardboard.  Your child may use the cloud we drew for them or turn it over and try to make their own cloud.   Before they begin, take out a cookie sheet or tray and have your child sort the fruit loops by color.  This may be fun to have a sibling help with sorting.

(Estimation)

To begin:  Ask your child:

"How many Fruit Loops do you think it will take to fill the skewer?"

After they stack, ask:

"Can you count all the Fruit Loops you used?"

"Could you create a pattern using 2 colors and then 3 color Fruit Loops?"

"Do you really think a Bean Stalk could reach the clouds?"

Wrap a Beanstalk Extension

B.  When your child has finished patterning, remove the Fruit Loops and use the pipe cleaner to wrap tightly around the skewer beginning at the base and working the way to the top.  These fine motor activities help strengthen little muscles in the hands and encourages eye/hand coordination.  A bit of motor planning involved for sure!

2.  Planting Magic Beans?

(This activity combines fine motor with science. When children predict, they make a connection between what they know and what they don't know yet.  Using prior knowledge helps predict what will come next, a skill that will cross all domains.)

Directions:

 Using the cup and baggie of dirt, have your child fill the cup, dig a little hole with their finger and put the seeds in.  Cover it up with dirt and put a little bit of water on it.   Have your child color and then tape the little castle that is given to the top of the dowel rod and add a little cotton(cloud) at the bottom or base of the castle.  Have your child push the rod into the dirt.  As the plant grows, ask your child if they would like to make a little "Jack" or a picture of themselves (as seen above in photo).  Place the cup in sunny spot to watch the seeds grow.  

Extension:  Use a ruler or the number line to measure the weekly growth.  Have your child predict how long it will take for the plant to get to the castle?  Ask your child what is needed to make the seeds grow ?(water, sun, dirt). Could the little plant grow taller than the castle?  Is the plant dry; should we give it a sip of water?

3. House Lacing

(Lacing activities help children develop fine motor skills, bilateral coordination, motor planning and visual perceptual skills.  Lacing also helps children practice the precursor skills for shoe tying and sewing.)

Directions:

A:Your child will want to use crayons or markers to color and decorate their little house before they begin lacing.  

Using the card-stock house and the lacing ribbon, have your child take the ribbon and begin at the bottom corner of the house.  Suggest to your child that they should go around the entire house and pull the ribbon all the way through each hole.  You may need to watch your child as they do not often pull the lacing all the way through.  When finished, an adult can tie a knot at the end or tape the end down. 

*REMEMBER: it is okay if your child's lacing does not look like the one above.  This is simply a great visual and motor practice and there are different ways to lace.

4.Shape Castle

Directions:

A.Use the orange construction paper from the supplies along with the baggie of colorful craft foam shapes.  Ask your child to identify the different shapes.  Then, ask them to create a shape castle using the different shapes. You may want to help them by using the one big, silver piece as a foundation and have your child add the little black door on that base piece. The little black shiny door is a sticker so they will only need to peel off the backing.  This will help them with a starting point. Remind them that castles are generally tall and big so you may want to turn the paper vertically. You may need real glue for the craft foam to stick.

B. We have included a little shape enrichment page for your child to cut, sort and glue.  Nice reinforcement page after working on the shape castle.  Have fun!

Next Theme:  Robot Mania