I have always tried to go about teaching my two children at home in small ways. With the boy off at school everyday now the girl is wanting; no demanding more “school” from me. So I will be posting our journey here. I think I will probably stick to the normal A, B, Cs and 1,2,3s format.
You can see photos of my daughter’s art by checking out my Homeschool art page on Flickr.
Please do not comment on this page. If you feel like you need to comment on something you see here or have a question please email me at mommywindow (@) yahoo (dot) com.
Also please know none of these ideas are original. I read many blogs a day on home schooling plus I own more books on the subject then I will ever admit, not to mention my first hand experience in the classroom for many years.
Letter A
Art
*Hand print apple trees. Dip children’s hand and arm in brown paint forming three trunk and branches. Then dip their fingers in red and have then dot the branches with apple.
*Airplanes Have the child using markers color two craft sticks. Then glue together to for a cross making an airplane.
*Silly alien. Precuts alien body, arms and legs. Children color them and glue together. Also could add google eyes.
* Apple prints- Talk about how there is a secret star inside every apple and then using paint stamp with half the apple and eat the other half.
To show the long A sound I had MD waterpaint a paper Vase and tape paper flowers on straws.
Snacks
apples, animal crackers, applesauce, apple juice, avocado, alphabet soup
Color
aquamarine
Theme words
apple, alligator, astronaut, animal, alphabet, ambulance, acrobat
Science
Bird-albatross
Flower – aster
Mammal – antelope
Ocean Creature – abalone
MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES
Movement activities are great for helping children understand the shapes of letters. Here are a few ideas.
Have two or three children make large letter A’s on the floor with their bodies.
Tape a giant letter A on a floor or outside area. Have your children crawl around on the letter and pretend to be ants.
Have an ant parade. Let children carry A objects.
Songs That Start With A
Abraham Lincoln (US Presidents)
Alice the Camel (Counting)
Alphabet Song (Alphabet)
Ants Go Marching, The (Counting)
Apples and Bananas (Sounds)
Arky Arky Song (Counting)
By: mommywindow on February 25, 2009
at 3:24 pm
Letter B
Art
*paint using balloons
* Coffee bears. Have children using glue paint on a picture of a bear, then sprinkle coffee grounds on it.
* Bee hives. Have the children glue a precut bee hive to paper. Then dip their fingers in yellow paint to add the bees.
*Bean collage. Children glue varies beans to paper.
*salt dough bead and button necklace
~you can find this cool recipe and directions here.
snacks
bananas, banana bread, bread and butter, bagels, blueberries, balogne
Color
blue
Theme words
banana, balloon, butterfly, book, ballerina, baseball, bear, bicycle
Science
Bird- bluebird
Flower – buttercup
Mammal – bison
Ocean Creature – beluga whale
MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES
MOVING LIKE B’s
At movement time, practice moving like butterflies, bubbles, bugs and bumble bees.
Ride bikes, or walk on balance beams.
Bounce balls, play a bowling game.
Songs That Start With B
Barnyard, The (Animal Sounds)
Beehive and the Anthill, The (Counting)
Betty Botter (Tongue Twister)
Body Song, The (Body)
By: mommywindow on February 25, 2009
at 3:31 pm
Letter C
Art
*cutting coupons and glue to paper.
*coin rubbing
*carrot stamping cut the tops off of carrots and have children stamp in paint with them.
*cotton ball collage
*Prickly cactus- Have your children outline a cactus on light green or white construction paper. Then provide them with a mixture of liquid starch, salt, and green tempura paint. Let your children paint their cactuses. When they dry they will fill scratchy
snacks
carrots, cantaloupe, coleslaw, cornbread, crackers
color
cream
Theme words
caboose, caterpillar, clown, clock, castle, cow, cap, crocodile
Science
Bird- cardinal
Flower – chrysanthemum
Mammal – cougar
Ocean Creature – crab
MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES
POPPING CORN
Have your children curl up on the floor and pretend to be in a pan on the stove.
Pour some pretend oil over them and watch them get hotter and hotter.
Gradually, have them start to pop, by popping out an arm or a leg.
Finally, have them jump up and pop out of the pan.
Songs That Start With C
Can You Be a Sunbeam? (Themes, Following Directions)
Children of the Lord (Counting)
Clocks (Telling Time)
Counting Kitties (Counting to 5)
By: mommywindow on February 25, 2009
at 3:42 pm
Letter D
Art
*Dental floss painting- Cut out large teeth out of poster board or construction paper. Let your children string paint with the dental floss
*Dino skeletons have children glue broken pasta on paper to make a dinosaur
*Dazzling diamonds have children using glue paint a diamond shaper and then sprinkle with glitter
*dino prints. Using toy dinosaurs let the children dip toys in paint and make tracks on their paper.
snack
doughnuts, delicious drinks, dairy products, dill pickles, dip for veggies or chips, dates
Color
dandelion
Theme words
duck, dolphin, dentist, dog, disappear, dance, dinosaur
Science
Bird- dove
Flower – daffodil
Mammal – donkey
Ocean Creature – dolphin
MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES
DANCING ANIMALS
Say the name of an animal that starts with the letter D, such as; dog, ducks, donkeys, deer, dragons or dinosaurs.
Put on some dance music.
Have your children pretend they are the animal and try to dance like the animal might.
Songs That Start With D
Darlin’ You Can’t Love One (Counting)
Do Your Ears Hang Low? (Body)
Dry Bones (Body)
By: mommywindow on February 25, 2009
at 3:43 pm
Letter E
Art
*wooden e’s. using craft sticks let the children glue craft sticks forming the letter E to paper and then paint them.
*Envelope writing. Children write letters and stuff them into envelopes mail to family. (I use those junk mail envelopes.They are all postage paid, those people must think I’m crazy.)
*egg shell painting. Using clean used egg shells and the children crush them and glue them to paper and water paints them.
*Paint or color a picture of Elmo
snack
Egg salad sandwiches, scrambled eggs, egg noodles, elbow macaroni, eggplant
Color
electric lime(neon Crayola color)
Theme words egg, elephant, engine, empty, emperor, elves, everything
Science
Bird- emperor penguin
Tree – elm
Mammal – elephant
Rock or Mineral – emerald
MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES
THREE ENORMOUS ELEPHANTS
One enormous elephant
Marching down the street,
With 2 large ears and 4 big feet.
He passed a friend
Who wasn’t afraid
To join his friend
And form a parade.
Two enormous elephants
Marching down the street,
With 4 large ears and 8 big feet.
They passed a friend
Who wasn’t afraid
To join the group
And form a parade.
Three enormous elephants
Marching down the street,
With 6 large ears and 12 big feet.
Jean Warren
By: mommywindow on February 25, 2009
at 3:46 pm
Letter F
Art
*funny feet Children walk in paint
*Flag windsock
*Family Mobile
have the children cut from magazines people they think could be in a family. Have them glue the pictures onto construction paper to be stronger.Teacher hole punch each picture. Tie yarn to attach pictures to rim of a paper plate. Punch two holes near the center of the plate string one piece of yarn through those holes so the plate (mobile) can be hung.
*handprint flower
snack
fruit salad, french fries, fish fingers, french toast, fruitcake, frankfurters
Color
fuchsia
Theme words
feather, fish, foot, funny, fairy, forest, fire, farm, flag
Science
Bird- flamingo
Flower – forget-me-not
Mammal – ferret
Ocean Creature – fish
MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES
Have your children pretend to:
Fly like fairies
Fish for fish
Fight fires
Float like a feather
Throw a football
Be falling leaves
Songs That Start With F
Finger Family, My (Body)
Five Little Ducks (Counting)
Five Little Froggies (Counting)
Five Little Mice (Counting)
Five Little Monkeys (Counting)
Five Little Tunafish (Counting)
By: mommywindow on February 25, 2009
at 3:49 pm
Letter G
Art
*Roll Grapes in paint and paint with them. (or half them and use them as stamps in paint).
*Make a funny grass-haired man:
You will need a styrofoam cup, dirt, grass seeds, water, felt markers.
Color a face on the cup. Fill the cup 3/4 full of dirt. Place grass seeds on top. Add a little more dirt. Water the seeds. Watch for your man to grow hair of grass!!
*Gingerbread People Name Tags Submitted by Nancy
What You Need:
Craft Foam
Glitter
Other Collage materials
What You Do:
Cut out gingerbread people from the craft foam. Then let your children decorate them however they want (Provide them with collage material: glitter, Paper, buttons, etc). Finally write the children’s names on them.
*Glue goldfish crackers to a cutout of a fish bowl.
snack
garden salad, granola bars, graham crackers, grapefruit, green beans, grape juice
Color
gold
Theme words
garden, goose, gorilla, goat, goodnight, giving, grandfather, grass, grizzly
Science
Bird- goose
Flower – goldenrod
Mammal – gorilla
Ocean Creature – gulper eel
MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES
Play mini golf or learn how to gallop.
Songs That Start With G
The Grandfather Clock, The Green Grass Grew All Around, Grizzly Bear, Golden Slumbers, Why Shouldn’t my Goose?, Amazing Grace, Greensleeves
By: mommywindow on February 25, 2009
at 3:52 pm
Letter H
Art
* Initials Hat or funny hats Submitted by Susan
What You Need:
Paper
Glue
What You Do:
Cut construction paper in the shape of a hat and then give each of your children different collage materials (colored paper pieces, macaroni, beans, buttons, etc) then let your children glue on their initials or just designs with the materials.
* My Paper Bag House Submitted by Charlotte
What You Need:
Paper Bags
Crayons/Markers
Construction Paper
Glue
What You Do:
Have the children create their house using a paper bag. They can draw windows, doors, and shrubbery. Creative kids may even make a roof out of the construction paper
* Make a handprint painting.
Use finger paints and a large piece of paper. Cover your child’s hand with fingerpaint and let them make many handprints on the paper.
* Heart Buddy Submitted by Charlene
What You Need:
Paper
Paint
Glue
What You Do:
Have your children cut out two hearts. Have them attach the hearts at the points. Then have them cut small hearts for eyes, hands, and feet. Then have them cut out small strips of paper. Have them attach the hands and feet two the small strips and attach the other ends to the body. This makes a really cute “Heart Buddy”
snack
bread and honey, ham sandwiches, hamburgers, hotdogs, hawaiian pizza
Color
hot magenta
Theme words
honey, hat, hair, hands, hiccups, happy, hedgehog, home
Science
Bird- heron
Flower – hibiscus
Mammal – hippopotamus
Ocean Creature – harp seal
MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES
Play with a hula hoop. Learn Hop Scotch..
Songs That Start With H
If You’re Happy and You Know It, Home on the Range, The Hokey Pokey, He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands
By: mommywindow on April 22, 2009
at 10:26 am
Letter I
Art
*Make a rhythm instrument.
Use an old margarine tub or some other container. Fill 1/4 full with dry beans or popcorn. Glue the lid on. Decorate the container. Shake!
*ICE Jell-O/Kool-Aid Art Submitted by Irene
What You Need:
Kool-Aid or Jell-O (in powder form)
Ice
Paper
What You Do:
Make ice in a Popsicle mold. Sprinkle Kool-Aid or Jell-O on the child’s paper. Let them use the ice Popsicle to push the powder around and create a really neat design.
Note: This idea also works with powdered Tempera Paint
*Igloos
Have children snip white strips of paper from strips wide enough so that it would require more than one snip to cut off a piece. Then glue the paper ice blocks into an igloo shape.
*Inchworms Submitted by an Unknown User
What You Need:
cotton balls
egg cartons
google eyes
pipe cleaners
construction paper
paint
glitter, any other material that you want to use.
What You Do:
Have your children make inchworms by cutting an egg carton lenghtwise. Then have your children use paint to decorate the inch worms and use the other materials for added details.
Snack
Find some cookbooks at the library and try foods from Italy, India, Israel, or Indonesia
Color
indian red (note – Crayola has renamed this color chestnut)
Theme words
igloo, Indian, inside, insect, iguana, inspector, instrument, inch, inchworm
Science
Bird – Indigo Bunting
Flower – Impatiens
Reptile – Iguana
Ocean Creature – Invertebrates
MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES
Have a rhythm instrument band and march around the room.
Songs That Start With I
Ten Little Indians
Inch by Inch
Inchworm
By: mommywindow on April 22, 2009
at 10:29 am
Letter J
Art
*Jelly bean painting. Place the sheet of paper in a box with drops of paint. Add jellybeans and let the children roll then all around.
*Jeweled “J” on a cut out of a capital letter J have children glue jewels and sequins.
*Jungle Safari Vest. Using a grocery store paper bag, cut arm hole and vest opening. Have the children design for their vest for their safari.
*Make a jellyfish. From a halved paper plate, have the children paint the body of the jellyfish. Then glue strips of tissue paper along the cut edge to add the jellyfish’s stingers.
Snack
bread and jam, jello, juice, jelly rolls
Color jungle green
Theme words
jam, jungle, jump, joy, juggle, jeep, juice, jelly
Science
Bird- junco
Flower – jonquil
Mammal – jaguar
Ocean Creature – jellyfish
MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES
Teach your child how to juggle or jump rope. Practice jumping jacks.
Songs That Start With J
Jack and Jill, Jingle at the Window, Jennie Jenkins, John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt
By: mommywindow on April 28, 2009
at 11:02 am
***Reminder please know I have compiled the above from MANY sources. I have used the internet, books, friends and family.
Please do not comment on this page. If you feel like you need to comment on something you see here or have a question please email me at mommywindow (@) yahoo (dot) com.
By: mommywindow on May 5, 2009
at 11:19 am