Pre-K Fall Leaves and Pumpkin Activities

 While we are slowly working our way through some purchased curriculum this year, I am still incorporating some fun themed activities. In September I posted apple activities and here are the Leaves and Pumpkin activities.

We did the pumpkin, corn and leaf from the Fall Cuisenaire Template

Leaf word families from 3 Dinosaurs

Fall play dough included some acrylic apples, leaves and pumpkins, some sticks and mini pinecones and some cookie cutters.

He decided to add in some googly eyes and number candles.

Autumn puzzle from the dollar store.

Mazes from  Busy Bee Kids Printables.

Sensory bin with a tractor, birdseed, pinecones, and acrylic acorns, pumpkins and leaves.

We went on leaf hunt and I showed him how to do leaf rubbings (he had no interest in doing them himself.

This little pipe cleaner tree I made last year was a hit again. He enjoyed putting all of the pony beads on the tree as "leaves."

Picking out his pumpkin at the patch.

Working on leaves for our tree of gratitude. Each day we put up a leaf with something for which we are thankful. Last year I laminated them, so I didn't have to cut anything out this year!!

Pumpkin Number Bonds from Kindergarten Worksheets and Games

Number matching with him pumpkins and trucks

Pumpkin Seed Sight Word activity

Pumpkin tens frames from 

Books! As always, we read lots of books about leaves and pumpkins. This was only one shelf setup.

Pre-K Monthly Summary: October

I've posted about some of the themes we have done this fall, but I thought I'd also do a monthly summary post of some of our other school activities (mostly for me to look back on).  Since he goes to preschool two days a week for social interaction and because he is only 3, school is always short, doesn't happen daily, and isn't forced. 

Math

We're using some lessons from Kindergarten Math with Confidence, but only those that fit his current skill level. We're also adding in other activities.

Comparing numbers

Shopping for cars is still his favorite math activity! He asks for it frequently. I used dry erase notecards for prices (0-20 cents). I give him 5 pennies, 1-2 nickels and 1 dime. I think we're ready to move on to higher prices.

Learning about symmetry with his Geoland Jr Activity Set

Miquon Math book with a dry erase sleeve.

Playing around with Cuisenaire rods.

Osmo Tangrams and Shapes

Building with geometry builders

Playing with his coding fox.

Spelling

We're working our way through All About Spelling. We definitely keep the lessons short, subdividing them into multiple days. He likes it as long as we don't try to do too much at a time.

He's doing great now that we're actually spelling words. Sometimes he wants to use the letter tiles, sometimes he uses other letters we have, sometimes he jumps and calls out the letters.

Handwriting

Handwriting has been a little hit or miss. We are using Handwriting Without Tears Kickstart Kindergarten He has come up with a way to write several letters before we get to them, so he's having to re-learn at times. He LOVES the  workbook, though.

Other Activities

Watching Kidstart Spanish

He still loves reading books. Usually, he insists on reading himself, but will occasionally let me read to him. Usborne Lift-the-Flap books are still favorites.

Hanging in his boat. I'm glad he's becoming more open to imaginative play.

Grandma gave him some US states stickers. I wish I could find more because he loved them!

A little painting.

Numbers, cars and states, three of his favorite things!

Still doing great at tumbling class.

"Playing" the Scrambled States of America. He said he wants to play his way instead of by the rules.

Hard Work Pays Off

This is a contributed post.

 

https://unsplash.com/photos/6MePtA9EVDA

More and more children are enjoying playing on the wealth of computer games that are available on the internet. Nevertheless, the importance of online games goes a lot further than merely being entertaining. There are actually some valuable lessons that children can learn via playing them…

1. Hard work pays off

Online gaming teaches children that hard work really does pay off.  At the end of every level they will benefit from something new added to the game; maybe a new power or a more exciting level. This shows children that if they try at something then they are bound to get their just rewards in the end. 

2. Patience is a virtue

Online games show children how important it is to be patient. A lot of games are about getting your timing right or having a good plan and thinking about how you are going to put it through. You can’t simply rush into the game because then you are more likely to lose. 

3. If you don’t succeed; try, try, try again

More children’s games give the child several lives so that if they don’t win the first time around then they will get another chance. Moreover, if they lose all of their lives then they can merely start the game all over again. This teaches children that they shouldn’t give up.

4. How to share

A lot of online games nowadays present children with the possibility to play their games in two-player mode so that they can play with someone else. This is something which is important because it teaches them how to share properly.

5. You don’t have to be the biggest or the strongest

When playing these games children get the opportunity to play a whole host of different characters. For example, in the Ben 10 games, they will play a little boy and they will come up against a wealth of different challenges – such as aliens and spaceships. Because Ben 10 can win the game it shows them that you don’t always have to be the biggest to win, it’s about out-thinking the opponent. 

6. Learning is important

Online games can show children how important school is and how important it is to pick up new skills. This can help them throughout their entire life. If you send your child to a prestigious high school, it is always better if they already have that learning mentality and attitude. As mentioned in the previous point, games are about thinking and coming up with the best plan to beat the opponent. This shows the need to use the brain as effectively as possible. You can see how a school district adjusted to laptop-based learning for some inspiration.

7. Winning feels good

When your child wins a game they will feel a sense of pride and happiness. This shows them how good it feels to win at something. This will then make them want to succeed in other areas of life so that they can have that same feeling.

8. Think outside the box

It is not always the most obvious methods that will win the game. Children need to be inventive with the methods that they come up with in order to proceed to the next level.

9. Sometimes you need a fresh start

Online games show children that it is ok to start again and do something with a fresh mind. If something is not working then you don’t have to keep pushing it at.

10. Life is full of surprises

When playing a game your child will often find that there is a surprise thrown at them which they will have to deal with. This is something which is very similar to life – we never know what is around the corner. And, this is something which can be a good thing and a bad thing!

There are certainly some valuable life lessons which can be learnt from playing games online, and therefore your children are not only enjoying themselves but enriching their knowledge as well. 

If you have children too young for online games, you might want to check out some board games for toddlers.