Summer Vacation!

It's almost that time of the year!  The kids have been working hard all year and it's time to enjoy the weather :)  Some children have difficulty making this transition to more unscheduled activities and free time.  While there are some that come to school in the summer, these are still shorter, more laid-back days.

If your child is one that has difficulty, check out this site: Transitions from School to Home.  It gives some great ideas, especially for those with sensory processing challenges.

Summer is also a great time for play!  Here are some fun, outside ideas for the summer:

• Swim!
• Build sandcastles and dig in the sand
• Make a "sand angel" at the beach
• Draw with sidewalk chalk
• Use squirt bottles, water toys, even a turkey baster!
• Wash the car or toys with a sponge (be sure to wring it out first!)
• "Paint the house" with water and a paintbrush
• Play catch, throw a Frisbee, play freeze tag outside
• Play hopscotch and jump rope
• Blow bubbles and jump up to pop them
• Go to the playground for an hour
• Play balloon volleyball
• Obstacle courses
• Ride bikes
• Weed and help garden
• Go on a scavenger hunt 
• Go on a PHOTO scavenger hunt: older kids can take pictures of what they find rather than bring it inside (something smooth/rough/green/slimy, two rocks of different colors, a small animal, a bird, a flower, etc.)

Here are some ideas for a rainy day!

• Play dress-up
• Dance!
• Walk on pillows (it sounds funny, but it's fun, too!)
• Build a tower.  No blocks?  Stack coins, books, cups, ice cubes - anything age appropriate
• Use tweezers/tongs to pick things up
• Have a toy car wash
• Make origami animals - there are tons of instructional sites online!
• Check out this site for movement games: Indoor Gross Motor Games

Most importantly - have fun with your child!

Relaxation Bottles

I've had requests for more information on the relaxation bottles the preschoolers made earlier this year, so I will do my best to explain how they were made.

Here is where I got most of my information.  There was some trial and error involved to find the best combination and ratio, but this site helped a lot.

First, I took some glitter glue that I bought in the scrapbooking section at Wal-Mart.  I squeezed about half of the bottle of glue into a bowl with hot water.  I used a whisk to break down the glue until it looked like sparkly water.  I did get some foam, but just used a spoon to get rid of it.  I didn't put a lot of hot water in, since I only used a 10 oz. bottle for the preschoolers.  At this point, I also found it easiest to add in some clear gel glue (either tacky glue or Elmer's clear glue works).  Since the water was still hot, I whisked the water to melt the glue. 

After it cooled slightly, I poured this combination into the water bottle.  Make sure the water isn't too hot or it will warp the bottle!  I poured some ultrafine glitter (also found in the scrapbooking section at Wal-Mart - make sure it's ultrafine or the glitter will just sink) into the bottle and shook.  Again, you will get foam!  Just pour it off the top and add more water if needed.

After you have the color combination you want, you need to make a decision.  Do you want this bottle to be a "timer" with a specific set time or are you happy with the way it looks and falls?  ***As the water cools, it will fall more slowly***

If you are satisfied with the way it looks, add enough water to fill the bottle and allow it to cool. When cool, give it a test shake.  If it still passes the test, then super glue the lid closed and you're finished!

If you want this to be a timer:  adding more clear glue will increase the time it takes to settle.  You can melt additional clear glue in hot water and add slowly to the bottle to make a timer.  Wait until the bottle is cool to check the time.  When satisfied and the water is cool, make sure the bottle is full, super glue the lid closed ,and you're finished!

If you're having any trouble, please leave a comment and I'll do my best to help you figure it out or add some pictures to the mini-tutorial :)  The kids love them and I'm so happy that people are using them!

Relaxation Bottles

Today, the preschoolers made relaxation bottles!   They were presented to the kids as bottles to use when they are angry or upset.  They should shake the bottle until they are no longer angry, then set it down and watch the glitter fall - it should be a calming visual tool (try it!).  When the glitter has settled to the bottom of the bottle, it is time to rejoin the activity/group/etc (approximately 3 minutes).  There is one available in the preschool room, but the children wanted one to take home!

First, they peeled the labels off their bottles.  They then picked what color they wanted their bottle to be.  Using both hands, they squeezed the glittery water into their bottles.

Then they used their fingers to "pinch and sprinkle" some additional (and different colored!) glitter into their bottles.  There was as much glitter on us as in the bottles!

Great job!

Mr. Potato Head

MamaOT has some great information on why Mr. Potato Head is such a great toy!