Earth Day Rocks
This Friday we will be celebrating Earth Day and our early childhood division is providing several activities for you to do at home. I'd like to offer a couple of options, as well. Lately, I've been decorating rocks and placing them in various locations around my neighborhood. I am, by no stretch of the imagination, an artist, but I've had fun writing inspirational words or pictures on each rock and putting them in a spot that someone might find. The rocks may or may not stay there, but placing them about has, hopefully, made others feel good.
I'd like to suggest that your family take a walk on a sunny day and find a rock that your child can decorate. The rock may even be in your own garden. Let your child carefully decorate with permanent markers. Take another walk and have your child find a special place to put their rock that will help beautify Mother Earth. Be sure to remind them that their rock may not be in the same place in the future. Someone may find it and love it so much that they want to share it with others. If that is a concern for your child, just have the rock placed somewhere in your own garden.
The rock at the very top is not mine, but these three rocks are some that I painted.
Make a Tribute to Mother Earth
With Sidewalk Chalk
On my walks I've seen some great sidewalk chalk drawings. Have your child help make a drawing that expresses your love for our planet, or one that simply celebrates Earth Day. This is a great family activity and need not be elaborate nor time consuming. Just have fun.
Start Preparing Now for Cinco de Mayo
(Tuesday, May 5)
(Tuesday, May 5)
Over the years, there have been many times in Physical Education that we have been able to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. A couple of times we have even had a Cinco de Mayo Mom's Day theme. On these occasions, we have had a lot of fun cracking cascarones over the heads of our friends or mothers. Cascarones are confetti filled eggs that are simple to make and great fun for children. All you need is some real eggs that have the yolks removed (I simply crack an egg in half and use both halves after I wash them and let them dry.), small squares of tissue paper, confetti (You can make your own.), glue, and egg dye (optional). I have included two short YouTube videos below to show you how to make them. This is a fun project for children, so start saving your egg shells now and make them ahead of time so you'll be ready.
On Cinco de Mayo, Tuesday, May 5, we can celebrate the day. I will post a video of the Mexican Hat Dance, you can dance along, and later gently crack eggs and spread the confetti over the heads of family members. You might even want to celebrate the day with some tacos or enchiladas.
Have fun making your cascarones!
Click here for video #2 on how to make Cascarones dying the eggs.
Remember that I would love to see pictures
or short videos of any of your activities.
Please email them to me at my school address.