Pumpkin Science

Learn about pumpkins from a scientific point of view. Ask a question, conduct an investigation, get information, think about what you have observed, and reach a conclusion. Here are some questions to investigate on the interesting topic of PUMPKINS:

Are the seeds scattered randomly within a pumpkin or arranged in some sort of pattern?
Do BIG pumpkins have larger seeds than smaller pumpkins?
Is there anything in a pumpkin which lines up with the creases on the outside?
What does a pumpkin weigh?
How much does a pumpkin seed weigh?
How many seeds does a pumpkin contain?
Do all pumpkins have the same number of seeds?
Can you tell which side of the pumpkin was against the ground? How? Does the stem help you figure it out?
Will pumpkins float in water? If they do, will they float stem up, stem down, or stem sideways?
Can pumpkin seeds be sorted into groups?
How thick is the skin of a pumpkin?
Do birds eat pumpkin seeds?
Will pumpkin seeds grow if planted right away?
What stories can you find about pumpkins?
Where did pumpkins come from originally?
What other plants do we eat that are related to pumpkins?

Make a book to record your questions and answers!

Source: www.espsciencetime.org

Pumpkin Puzzles

Using real pumpkins, let the children draw faces with washable Crayola markers. The ink will wipe off easily with a wet cloth. After a few days, you can make a pumpkin puzzle or "shape sorter."

Open the top of the pumpkin, scoop out the seeds. Let the children help!

Cut a good sized square, circle, rectangle, heart, and triangle out of the pumpkin. Allow the children to find the correct hole to put their piece back into the pumpkin!

Halloween Sand Table

Make a sand table by purchasing a bag of play sand at Toys R Us or Rona, or Home Depot. You can find different colors of sand as well. Pour the sand into a large plastic storage container. Clear ones are best. Add some water to keep the dust down if necessary.

Make your sand interesting by adding foam pumpkins or metallic confetti pumpkins. The children can hunt for the pumpkins by digging with shovels, using sifters, and funnels. Give them magnifying glasses to look closely at the pumpkins.

Make it a math activity by counting the pumpkins. You could also tape a number strip to the floor or table so the children can place a pumpkin on each number to help with counting.

Look at the dollar stores to find more items to add every two days. Spider rings, fingernails, silk leaves, skeletons/skulls, black and orange pom-poms, or nuts in a shell.

Spooky Halloween Sand Table:
You could put your sand table in a darker area and add Halloween lights above or give the children small flashlights or lights that strap onto their head and shine down where they are digging in the sand. Flashlights will work better in a darker area. Add glow in the dark skeleton bones, plastic spiders to the sand, rubber snakes.
                              

Pumpkin Pancakes

2 1/2 cups pancake mix
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 12 ounce can evaporated milk
1/2 cup pumpkin
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
raisins or chocolate chips to decorate the face

Combine pancake mix, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Add milk, pumpkin, vegetable oil, vanilla, and eggs. Blend together until smooth. Fry on griddle or skillet. Then have kids decorate with raisins or chocolate chips to make a jack-o-lantern face! Try other food items to make faces too.

Positive Behaviour Strategies

POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR STRATEGIES:

We are more inclined to resist if someone tells us no. Sometimes when adults are frustrated with children’s behaviour they say no. Children resist and ask “Why?” The goal of the following strategies is to create cooperation and reduce resistance by replacing no and redirecting behaviour successfully.

1, The Make-A-Big Deal Strategy:

Practice noticing children behaving appropriately and then point it out to them.

“I saw you share blocks. That was thoughtful.”

“I heard you solving the problem by taking turns”

“I noticed you helping your friend.”

“You worked hard at putting the toys away.”

When we give attention, thanks, specific and effective recognition we tell children that we care and make them feel proud of their contributions. By focusing on positive behaviours we reinforce those behaviours. The behaviour that gets our positive attention will grow. But we need  practice to notice children when they are behaving appropriately.

2. Replace With Something Appropriate Strategy

When children are behaving inappropriately, redirect/replace it by asking the children to do something appropriate. “Show me how to arrange the blocks by size.” Instead of saying “no” or “don’t do that”, tell the child what to do.

For example: Instead of saying “don’t run”, say “we walk indoors” or “come tiptoe behind me.”

3. The Choice Strategy

When we let children choose it makes them feel that they are in control. They will be more willing to cooperate. Give children two choices and both choices should be positive and acceptable.

“It is time to clean up. Would you like to put away blocks or trucks?”

At snack time, “I am serving fruit for snack. Would you like an apple or a banana?”

4. The When/Then Strategy:

“When you wash your hands, then you can have a snack.”

When there are too many toys on the floor: “When you put some toys away, then you can bring other toys out.”

When/then strategy communicates expectations. When children know what is expected of them they are mopre willing to cooperate. Caution: when using this strategy make sure your expectations are age and developmentally appropriate and respectful of the child.

Source: Young Children, July 2011, National Association for the Education of Young Children

Open-Ended Play in Action

Click on the following youtube link to watch Scrapstore Playpods in which children use their creativity to explore the open-ended items provided:
Scrapstore Playpods in Action

Consider adding some of these items to your outdoor play area to make outdoor time creative and fun.

Outdoor Activities to Inspire Open Ended Play:

Nature Bracelet

Before going outdoors with your child, wrap a piece of masking tape to his wrist, sticky side up.   As you explore, help him attach colorful leaves, flowers, and other interesting discoveries to his bracelet.  When done, take off the nature bracelet.  Display on a bulletin board, shelf, or wall.

Inside-Out

Take a walk to the back of the house and ask your children to guess which room is behind each window.  If possible, lift your children so the guess can be confirmed.  Hang pictures or art work on a window and go outside to see them!  Follow any cues that the children give for ways to expand this game.

Pretend Car Wash

Help your children set up a day home car wash.   Give them a bucket of warm, soapy water and a cloth or sponge, and let them wash the riding toys.   They may need help to use the hose to rinse everything when they are finished. Follow any suggestions that the children offer for self-directed play.

Rope Games

Lay a long rope in a zigzag pattern in the grass or on your deck.  See if your child can walk on the rope. Lay the rope in a straight line like a tightrope and have your child hold out his arms to balance himself as he walks.  With the rope still lying straight, ask your child to think of how many ways he can go over it: walk across it, hop over it (on one or two feet), jump across it, crawl across it, or any other way he can think of!

Bubble Fun

Make a bubble wand by cutting two plastic drinking straws in half, then taping the four pieces together. Blowing through the straws will send lots of tiny bubbles in many directions.  Take time to dedicate each group of bubbles to someone you love, or give each bubble group a name of its own as soon as it is created.  Follow any cues that the children give for ways to expand the fun!

Shadow Tracing

Go outside with your child on a sunny day. If your child will stand still long enough, have a peer trace the shadow on the sidewalk or driveway. Have him change positions, then trace his shadow again. Make several tracings, then see if your child can fit his shadow back inside the tracings. Follow any cues that the children give for ways to expand this game. For a fun alternative, trace his shadow on a big sheet of newsprint or other paper. Let him finger-paint his shadow or color it with crayons or markers.

Walk-A-Lot

Knowledge of what the body can do begins with learning to move it in different ways and at different paces.  Encourage your toddler to walk in different ways with you--with high marching steps, with big striding steps, etc.  Follow any cues that your toddler gives for ways to play this game.  Use music of varying tempos to play the game.  Try the game in shoes and then barefoot and talk about the difference.

Wet Footprints

This is an easy outdoor activity that provides a fun way to learn about the feet and the length of stride. Cut the paper bags at the seam so that they can be spread out flat.  Step into the water with bare feet and walk across the paper bag, leaving footprints.  Watch as they evaporate and disappear.  Do this activity on the pavement on a warm (but not too hot) day and compare the stride of walking to running;  or repeat the activity making hand prints;  or try to cover the entire page before the prints evaporate; or challenge your child to find other objects outside that they can use to make prints. Follow any cues that the children give for ways to expand the fun!

Clothesline Art Show

Pick a day and time for the show at least a week ahead, so everyone has time to make some art. Invite parents and friends to the show. If you make paper invitations, get creative right from the start. Glue cut-out letters on a paper plate, finger paint on a grocery bag, or circle letters on a page of the newspaper. When the invitations are ready, deliver them. Then get started on your art!
The Show - this is the easy part. Just hang the clothesline between two trees or porch posts (have a backup place indoors in case of rain). Get the snacks ready. Hang your art work with the clothespins. When the guests arrive, serve the snacks, and bask in the talent of the day home artists!

High Space/Low Space

Go outside with the children and talk together about the space around us. Distinguish between high space up in the sky, low space (down on the ground), and medium space (in the middle). What living things move in these spaces? Ask the children how they would move in a high space (like a bird), in low space (crawling like a bug or snake), and middle space (animals with four legs). Experiment with dance movements exploring the space above and below. Follow any cues that the children give for ways to expand the fun!

 One Man Band

Find things that make noise found around the house: bells, beans, milk bottle tops, pan lids, bicycle horns, harmonica, spoons, chains, plastic bottles, whistle, homemade drums, tambourine. See how creative you can be in the search. The idea is for you to become the instrument. As you move around banging your knees together, wiggling your head, and shaking your feet, music will be made! Here are some ideas:

 •Mouth—blow a harmonica, whistle, glass bottle, recorder, or kazoo.

•Neck—hang bells, use string to hang a drum, xylophone, or tambourine.

•Under the arm—a bike horn tied to your upper arm so when you press your arm to your side a honking sound is made.

 •Waist—drum, xylophone, small pots, or metal objects tied together.

•Elbow and wrist—tie on small bells.

•Hands—shaking a rattle, playing drums.

•Knees—tie things to clash against each other like foil plates, cymbals, saucepan lids, or small tins filled with dried beans.

 •Ankles—tie bells, jingles, or a rattle.

Read more on FamilyEducation: http://fun.familyeducation.com/toddler/outdoor-games/36934.html#ixzz1sWM3XnBT

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/141217-importance-outdoor-play-children/#ixzz1lM9TQNQY