Eye Dropper "Fireworks"

I am so thankful to have some free time this summer to get to fun little projects with Xander.  Today we did some eye dropper fireworks.  Ok, so "fireworks" is a bit of a stretch, but I was trying to go with the 4th of July theme!

Simple set up.  I poured a bunch of baking soda in one of our old tot trays.  I pour some vinegar in an ice cube tray, added some food coloring, and started dripping away.  Xander thought it was lots of fun, but got a bit frustrated that he didn't understand how to work the eye dropper.  I ended up filling it for him so he could squeeze it out.

He figured out it was fun to roll his finger in the baking soda and then dip it in the vinegar.

When he was done, I poured out the rest of the colored vinegar to make a huge fizzy mess, then let him play in the leftovers.

BBB - Crescent Week

Brain Building Boxes

 Xander is 19.5 Months

 These are the boxes from last week, so they happened during our Crescent Week and our Space Theme.  I try to have the activities link in when I can, but don't feel constrained by making them fit.  I don't intend all of the activities to be done independently.  Most requiring scaffolding from me.

Button Shape Matching

The first box had one of the boards from his Big Button Fun set.  I have learned that it is better to present it like this in a box than to just give him the whole set of boards and shapes.  With all of them he just likes to scatter them and make the biggest mess possible.

Moon Phases Activity
This box had a moon phases activity from 2 Teaching Mommies.  Unfortunately, it was a flop.  Xander watched me put the cards around once, and was done.  Oh well.

Beading
This box definitely did not go as planned!  The idea was to put the crafting stick into the styrofoam and then string the beads onto the crafting stick.  Well it ended up being a little bit more of having fun poking the sticks into the styrofoam until it crumbles all over the floor.  Then, the rest of the week we just had sticks for the beads.  Still a good fine motor activity, I will just have to find a way to help him string the beads without them going off the other end.

Shape Connectors
This box had some shape connectors (old Tupperware toys) and some word cards.  It ended up being a favorite.  The idea was that he would put together the shapes and then match them to the cards.  He had a lot of fun matching up the shapes, although couldn't quite get them together on his own.  While he was perfectly capable of matching them to the right card, he had absolutely no interest in that, so we mostly just played with the shapes.  The idea is that he have fun while learning, so if he doesn't use a box like I intend (or use a box at all), I just go with it.

Some pattern matching.

Word Puzzles
This box had some word/picture puzzles.  I wasn't sure how he would do, but he enjoyed them.  He could read bee without my help, and only need a little help lining up the pieces.

Pizza Cutting
This box got daily use!  It had his pizza set, and while he had seen it in the past, but never really shown much interest.  I don't know if it was presenting it in a box, or what, but boy he had it out often.  He liked to pretend to eat the pizza and feed me.  He also kept cutting it apart and putting it back together.

Puzzle of the Week

This week's puzzle was this pretty wooden butterfly.  Xander is on a big butterfly kick lately, so I thought he would like it.  Since the slots are not colored and the pieces all look similar Xander had a bit of trouble.  He liked sitting in my lap and putting the wing pieces in place after I oriented them and pointed to where they went.  The body he could do on his own.

Brain Building Linky

Since I am always looking for new ideas for our boxes, I decided to start a Linky.  Have you posted about any sort of brain buidling work boxes, tot trays, busy bags, etc?  Feel free to link up!  All I ask is that you add the Brain Building Lynky button (in the sidebar) or a link back somewhere on your post.  Thanks!

Shapes: Crescent

Shape Themes

Xander is 19.5 Months

Theme:  Space

Shape: Crescent


 We are currently working on shapes, devoting one week to each while also reviewing those already learned.   The themes just add a fun element to the shapes lessons, plus some extra vocabulary. I added a page to gather all of the Shape Posts and Printables to make them easier to find.  For our overall Tot School goals for our shape units, see my Goals post.

Continuing with our space theme, last week's shape was crescent (moon).  This is the week's shelf set up.  I love having this little table above his desk to put his books on.  The glow in the dark planets and stars are above.

 We used our shape cards.  We also used some pocket chart phrases from our Crescent Printables.

As usual, I made a tracing page (Crescent Printables) and put it in his Dry Erase Activity Center.  Once again, he didn't want my help this week.  Since he can't actually trace on his own yet, this is what he got.

Working on his coloring page.  He has learned to take the tops off himself and we have a couple of incidents with biting the tips of the markers... Xander may have lost his marker privileges for a while.

Playing with the Highway Shape card from Making Learning Fun.

We used some of the figures from his Space Toob to make impressions in the play dough.  We also used the shapes from his shape sorter as cookie cutters.

He still loved his Space Printables this week.  I made some 3 Part Cards, and actually used them more like true 3 part cards this week.  I know he can read at least half of the words, and he can sometimes match up the words and pictures, but usually piles all the words on top of the space shuttle.  I am not sure I understand why, but who knows what goes on in a 19 month old's head.

I found this big floor puzzle at a garage sale and put it together for Xander.  He loved it and wanted me to ask him to point to the sun, earth, or moon.  Then he would tear it all apart and want me to put it back together.  I only put it together for him three times before I called it quits.

We also did a space themed craft.  I had him use a silver stamp pad to make finger print stars on a piece of blue card stock.  Then we glued on some planets we had colored form Sprout Online.

 

Reading   

We are still using Little Reader to work on reading skills (and to make flashcards).  We used his space lesson every day this week.  We also did his Service Vehicle lesson everyday too.  In addition to using the regular Little Reader lessons, I have also started using the program for fast flashing (right brain).  I turn off the pronunciations, videos, and pointer, and click through the categories saying them as fast as I can.  He LOVES it.  In fact, we will do 20-30 sessions that way (some category repeats in there), and he still cries when we stop.

We also did a lot of space themed work box activities.  I will post those on Wednesday under the new tag of  Brain Building Boxes!  I also started a linky for tot trays, boxes, busy bags, etc. that I am hoping to do every Wednesday so please link up!.

Real Life Learning:

We were reading books outside and after we read a book about saws, Grandpa let him cut a piece of scrap wood.

So proud of himself!

Making vanilla ice cream in the garage.

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