Supporting Christian Science families and their young children
Materials
Large plastic tub
Metallic Foil Shred Filler
Directions
Empty metallic shred filler into a large tub. Encourage your child to explore it – pull it apart, Hide small objects in the filler and invite your child to find them.
For preschoolers, hide pairs of magnetic letters and invite your child to find the pairs – matching upper case letters; pairing lower case letters with their upper case letters; try to create simple words, etc.
Ingredients
Puff Pastry
Ripe banana
Peanut butter
1 egg, well beaten
Directions
Cut puff pastry into 3 inch squares. Invite your child to help peel the banana, place the banana in a small bowl, and then mash it with a fork. Place a small amount of peanut butter in a bowl. Using a butter knife, invite your child to spread some peanut butter onto the puff pastry square. Top the peanut butter with mashed bananas. Help your child fold the puff pastry in half so that it makes a triangle. With a fork, press the edges together. Place on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Using a pastry brush, paint the tops of the turnovers with egg. Bake as instructed on the puff pastry box. Allow to cool and enjoy as a special snack!
Materials
Variety of plastic colored straws with different thicknesses and cut into various lengths
Large empty Parmesan cheese container
Directions
Cut plastic straws into various sizes ranging from 2-4 inches in length. They can be all one color if you’re wanting to reinforce a specific color, or they can be a variety of colors, which can help with color recognition. Invite your child to drop the various straws into the holes of a clean Parmesan cheese container. You can encourage your child to find all the orange straws, then all of the purple straws, etc. Your child may want to count the straws as he drops them into the container.
In addition to practicing fine motor control, this activity also helps develop eye/hand coordination.
Materials
Variety of blue and gold materials for gluing (feathers, gold paper, tissue paper, confetti, etc.)
Paint brushes
Elmer’s School Glue
Large piece of construction paper
Containers to hold materials
Paper plate or container for glue
Directions
Place gathered materials on a tray or basket. Pour glue into a small container. Invite your child to add glue to the large construction paper and carefully place a few materials at a time to cover the glue and make a collage. Dry complete before hanging.
Materials
1-2 colors of tempera paint
2 paper plates
2 clean sponge dish wands
Large piece of construction paper
Directions
Cover work space with newspaper. Pour a different color of tempera paint onto each paper plate. Using a sponge dish wand, invite your child to dip the wand into the paint and then dab it on the large piece of construction paper. What happens when one color of paint mixes with the other color of paint. Once dry, display.
Materials
Tempera paint
String
Paper plates
White construction paper
Directions
Place a piece of white construction paper onto the work space. Fold the paper in half. Cut string into pieces approximately 18 inches in length. Pour a small amounts of different colors of tempera paint onto paper plates. Invite your child to hold onto the end of one piece of string and dip the string into the paint. Have him lay the string onto the paper, still holding the one end. Fold the paper in half and help your child press firmly on top of the paper with your hand while pulling the string out from the paper. Repeat with another piece of string dipped into another color paint.
Allow paint to dry and then cut paper into desired shape (mitten).
Ingredients
Yogurt (we used strawberry)
Cornstarch
Bowl
Spoon or Spatula for mixing
Directions
Invite your child to mix together 1 cup of yogurt and 3/4 cups of corn starch. When the mixture is no longer sticky, pick it up and roll the putty into a ball (to further mix the yogurt and corn starch). If it’s too sticky, sprinkle in additional corn starch. If it’s too dry, add a bit more yogurt.
Materials
Foam hearts of various colors or patterns
Strip of poster board
Permanent marker
Basket or container for hearts
Directions
Using a permanent marker, draw a small grid with two columns and 6-8 rows on the strip of poster board. Place pairs of colored and/or patterned hearts in a small basket or plastic container. Invite your child to find pairs of hearts and place them next to each other on the grid. Once all of the hearts have been paired and placed on the grid, count the pairs.
To adapt for the activity for younger children, glue or stick one of each color heart on the left column and invite your child to choose one heart at a time and match it to a heart on the grid by placing it next to the heart. Continue until all the hearts have been paired. Encourage your child to count as you touch each pair of hearts.
Materials
Several toilet paper cardboard tubes
Heart-shaped cookie cutters
Tempera paint (we used red, pink, and purple
Paper plates
Large construction paper
Tape
Directions
Tape the paper to the table. Bend the ends of toilet paper cardboard tubes into the shape of hearts. Pour a different color paint onto each paper plate. Invite your child to dip the cardboard tube into the paint and then make a heart print on the paper. Use cookie cutters in the same manner. Allow your child to continue exploring, covering the paper with hearts. Display the art once the paint has dried or use as a special placemat for a valentine lunch or dinner.
Materials
Construction Paper in the colors of candy Conversation Hearts
Candy Conversation Hearts
Small tongs (optional)
Glue
Directions
Cut out one color construction paper heart for each color of candy heart. Glue all hearts onto a larger piece of construction paper. Place about 20 conversation hearts in a small bowl. Invite your child to take one heart out of the bowl at a time and place it on the correct color paper heart. Once all the hearts have been sorted, ask your child to count how many hearts there are on each paper heart. What color heart has the most? What color heart has the least?
Lesson Extensions:
Young Toddlers:
Preschool: