Noah's Ark Crafts

So, it's been a while since a weekly teaching time.  I'm sure most mom's wanting to do this craft know the story of "Noah's Ark".  Start by reminding your child of this story and God's promise to the world.

This initial craft can be found by clicking here.  You will need adobe acrobat to pull up the document.  You will see two links, click on "CraftNoahsArk.pdf", the bottom of the two links.

This next one is from http://sweetandsimplethings.blogspot.com/2011/03/fruit-loop-rainbow.html.  I saw a lot of versions of this froot loop rainbow on google.  You could use cotton in stead of marshmellows for the clouds.  Have fun being creative!

Painted Rocks

Too fun, eh?  Next time you are near a river bank gather smooth, flat rocks.  I've also seen these for sale at places like Walmart, and I want to say even the Dollar Store.  Use this as a craft and as a means to teach your child new words, how to spell his/her name or how to work with sentences.

For the full, original blog, click here.

Sun, Earth, Moon Model Craft

from:  http://easypreschoolcraft.blogspot.com/2011/11/sun-earth-moon-model-craft.html

This craft here will help the kiddos understand the rotation of the earth around the sun and moon.  What a great way to make this topic tangible. Go to the link above for the full tutorial.

The Very Hungry Catepillar

from:  picture and instructions from http://www.crafts-for-preschool-kids.com/more-crafts.html

If you love the book, why not make the craft!  If you've not read the book, it is also a good read.

How To:

• Paint 6 small paper plates green and one paper plate red (or just by colored dessert plates).
• Attach using a hole puncher and yarn.
• Add legs made from brown construction paper, googly eyes, pom pom for nose and a pipe cleaner for the antennaes.
• You can have children draw the food the caterpillar ate through, have them color and cut out food and glue onto the caterpillar like shown in the picture below.

Teaching Time: 

• Take it a step further and teach your child about catepillars.  If you have the book, this is a helpful and fun source to do just that.

Synonym Sun

from:  hsclassroom.net

Here  is one of many uses for paint strips.  I have seen many and I'll be posting more on these later.  For those of you with older kids, here is a fun way to learn synonyms.  (I did not see this exact post on the link above, so if you want more detail you can go search on your own!) 

As always, if you find any new information on this, or if you try it on your own, us moms would love your feedback in the "Comment" field below.

Absorbing Science

from:  allforkids.tv

(This is only Step 6 of a series of absorbing tests.  If you want pictures and instructions for all 6, click here.)

Step 6

Ok let’s go wild and fill 2 cups with water, add blue dye to one cup and yellow dye to the other.  Put an empty cup in between them.  Roll 2 paper towels. Place the end of one towel into the blue dye and one end of the other towel in the yellow dye.  Bend both the towels and put the loose ends into the empty cup and watch the magic happen.  As the coloured water is absorbed in the towel it makes its way up and then into the empty cup.  The blue and yellow food dyes combine making green water.  How amazing is that! Like our experiments science is absorbing and I give it 10 out of 10!

How to Teach Kids the Books of the Bible

from:  "Bible Books" song by Bigsby and from YouTube

Here is a fun way to help teach your kids the books of the Bible; through a song!

Jenga - The New Academic Tool

from: article from www.teachforever.com, picture from pinterest

Let's use this idea to make a fun review for standardized test and end-of-year exams.  Cover the top and bottom of each block with vocabulary, short problems, clues for a larger puzzle, etc.  You can even make them into "flash" blocks, with a term or picture on one side and a concise definition on the opposite side.

Students play the game as they normally would, with one notable difference: when they remove a block, they have to do something with whatever is on it.  For example:

• In an algebra class, each block could contain linear and quadratic equations.  Students could write down each equation and work with them after the game ends--each student would have a random and (mostly) different set of problems to work with.  They could alternately quickly name some key piece of information about the given function, like the slope and y-intercept of the linear functions, before placing the blocks on top of the stack.
• In a social studies class, each block could contain vocabulary words that students would have to write down.  After the game, students would define and illustrate the key terms, then share them within their groups to build a complete study guide.
• In a chemistry class, each block could contain individual elements or reactions that students have to explain and/or solve.
• In an English/language arts class, blocks could contain the elements of a story that students could later put together into an original story.  Each piece could instead have authors and works studied during the year, and the kids would have to identify key information, write reflections, etc.

Head Down to Your Toes

from:  song from dltk-bible.com, pictures from google images

From My Head Down to My Toes (Song)

(To tune of "If Your Happy and You Know It")
 

From my head down to my toes, God made me.
From my head down to my toes, God made me.
From my head down to my toes, and my eyes and ears and nose,
from my head down to my toes, God made me.

Questions:
*  Who made you?
*  Does God love your toes as much as your nose? 
*  Where are your noes and your toes? 
*  Why did God make you?

Craft:  (Make it out of whatever you have at home)
*  Spoon Face

*  Toilet Paper Roll Person
*  Noodle Face

Alphabet Game

from: idea & photo from familyfun.go.com, brainstorming by yours personally

THE GAME: 

If you have a digital camera and a child learning his or her alphabet, look around your house or drive around your town to find the alphabet. 

THE CRAFT: 

• Take it a step further and create a fun visual of your child's name, the alphabet, your last name, or whatever you desire. 
• You could even print your visual out black and white for your child to color. 
• Make your visual into a puzzle.
• Turn your visual into alphabet flash cards.
• And, have fun!

Travel Map

We kept track of all the states we visited as kids.  Our parents would list the states we drove through on summer vacations and we colored in the states, so we could keep track of all the places we visited.  Loved doing this as a kid. 

Click here if you want to print this map out for your kids to track all their vacation spots this summer.  This site also has coloring pages for places around the world, if you want to use them as an educational activity for your child.

The Good Samaritan (Weekly Teaching Time)

Beginner's Bible Video was found on YouTube

Interaction:
     * Who told the story of "The Good Samaritan"?
     * How did the Good Samaritan obey God's command to "love others as yourself"?
     * How can you love others, your mom, dad, and friends, today?

Coloring Picture (Go to website to print out):
     * http://www.westoverchurch.org.uk/img/parablesamaratin.gif

Coin Critter - Building Math Skills

From: http://familyfun.go.com/playtime/coin-critters-930046/ 

(for more ideas; visit the website)

By: Nicole Blasenak Shapiro 

The skills it builds:   coin values, addition, and subtraction

What You Need

• Coins
• Paper

• Marker or crayons

Instructions

1. Take some coins from your pocket or purse, lay them out on a piece of paper, and have your child draw arms, legs, and other body parts to create a creature.
2. Then help her total up the value of the coins and write it beside the creature. Add or take away coins to form new shapes, and figure out the new sums.

Daniel & the Lion's Den (Weekly Teaching Time)

("Really Woolly:  Bible Stories", by Bonnie Rickner Jensen)

"Daniel was a WISE young man,
He loved God every day.
The king said, 'You must BOW to me!'

But Daniel said, "No Way!"

They threw him in the LION'S den,

Sure he'd be their dinner.

But God PROTECTED Daniel's life,
And he came out a winner!"

INTERACT:

* Read through the poem again and have your little one 1) BOW like Daniel, 2) PRAY like Daniel, 3) GROWL like a lion, 4) PARADE like a winner.

* Remind your child that we only pray to and worship the one true God. 

CRAFT:

* Make a lion's face out of a paper plate:

* Print out this lion mask at the following website:   

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/activities/crafts/lion-cub-mask/