Zoo Week!

HAPPY EASTER!!
This week was our Z / Zoo week.  I really like tying our letters of the week with a main theme/activity.  Monday our playgroup headed to the zoo.  I was a bit nervous about taking both kids, but it was super fun.

The night before I made this booklet for him with animal pictures, name and facts. He LOVED it! I brought along star stickers so he could mark the animals he saw.We also used the start stickers to mark animals off on the zoo map.  For the first few animals he was really into it, but then we put it away so he could run around.   The whole way home he read looked through it again and again. He still asks for it.  Are you going to the zoo?   Leave me a comment or email me (there's a link in my profile) and I'll email it to you!   
 OK, I think I have a link for all of you!! HOORAAY!
  ZOO ANIMALS RING BOOK FILE 
Should you have any problems at all with the file, leave me a comment and I'll get right back to you!

In addition to the zoo and fun playdates here's some of our other learning activities:Build a zoo from blocks - The monkey is on a 'platform' just like at the zoo!

Rainbow Rice ~ LOVE THIS!! Seriously this enables me to have many a phone conversation in peace. I have a couple little spoons, funnel, cup he uses too. I always put this container on a larger tray and he is required to keep all the rice, toys and items on the tray. If not, we're done. While there's always a little to clean up from the floor, it's very minimal! Learn how to make your own in my little tutorial.

As I mentioned in this blog post, I'm going to be using resources others create for most of our letter activities. These are from here.

Letter Activities

Puzzle ~ now that I have a laminator (LOVE IT!) Turbo likes these activities so much more! The pieces are much sturdier and that really helps.  However, it also makes things more slippery. So I put our puzzle backsheet (printed in b/w) on a cookie sheet. Then I use glue dots to secure thin magnets to the puzzle pieces (printed in color).

Freecycle.org ~ Ok, not a letter of the week activity, but I wanted to give some kudos to this great resource. It's a message board where you post if you have something to OFFER or WANTED. I needed some thin magnets for the above activity & others so posted a request. Here's what I got and there's more waiting for me to pick up tomorrow! WOO HOO!  I've been using it for years and have been happy to both give and receive.

More fun with our Do-A-Dot markers

Number sequencing on our super-cool new pocket chart

Color Matching puzzles. Daddy cut these up and did a great job!

Music ~ Lots of Music as usual around here.  He's getting back into playing his keyboard. Until recently his guitar captured all his attention.

Puppets.  Got these ages ago on clearance and was so excited to make them. Then was disappointed because the bags were so small they didn't really fit my hand. Turbo didn't enjoy them - much to my surprise - so we'll save them for another time.  I have visions of Turbo and Sweet Pea putting on puppet shows for me in a couple years. 

Photography: He's very, very interested in taking pictures with my camera. While he has several cameras and a couple that actually work, he wants to learn mine. He got so much better the next day. As you can see, he wanted to take pictures of his Mommy. Awwww.

This week also marks the start of a few things.

1) Really asking "WHY?" about everything. I mean everything. Seriously. The wonderment of childhood!

2) Making up names for characters without one. For instance: The Cat in the Hat: the boy and the fish do not have names. They are now Drop and Gingoam respectively.  Although tonight the boy's name was changed to Ringack.  Hysterical.

3) Funny, I can't remember what I was going to type... Guess I need to go to bed!  Hmm, Maybe it's that he is saying "I DID IT" about everything he does. Very sweet.  I enjoy seeing his sense of accomplishment. 

This has been going on for awhile, but I haven't mentioned it yet. This kid knows the make of every single car he sees! It's so funny.  "That's a Dodge Ram" "That's the old Dodge Logo" (when he sees the old pentagon/star logo), Cadillac, Honda, Chevy, Corvette, Ford mustang, Oldsmobile, Mercury, Audi, Buick - you name it, he knows it.  Today was the first day in a long time he saw one that threw him off - a Daewoo.  This has been happening since late January.   Of course he knows the VW bugs. Every time he sees a Prius he calls it the "Toyota bug". I can't possibly correct him, it's so cute!!

Here's some cute Sweet Pea pictures - She's 8 months today!: