Chinese New Year...Year of the Snake

February 10, 2013, is Chinese New Year.  And 2013 is the Year of the Snake...so we thought it would be fun to celebrate with a couple of fun Snake Crafts (ewwwww!!)  

We read Stone Soup in November around Thanksgiving time, but it would be a fun Chinese New Year tradition also.  You can click on this link to get our Stone Soup recipe.  Stone Soup is about three Chinese Monks who go to a selfish village in an attempt to teach them what real happiness is.  They teach them that happiness is found in sharing with others.  We use the Scholastic version:

For the first "snake craft," you're gonna need some different colors of construction paper, cut into strips the short way:

You'll need some green construction paper, cut in a circle about the size of a mug.  In fact, we used a mug! 

Fold the paper in half and then in thirds, so that the circle is at the top of a stack of paper, and you'll end up with 9 circles.  Follow our "paper cutting trick" and staple the corners to keep it stable while you cut:

Now, depending on the skill level and age of your kiddos, you can make a small paper chain using staples, tape, or glue.  (We always use Tacky Glue, it is so much better than Elmer's for paper crafts!!)

Fold your green circles into a big snake mouth:

...And staple it to the end ring.  Then cover the staple with glue...

...for the tongue.

Cut some orange and red papers like this...and glue them to the back of the "mouth" like so...

Cut a small piece of white paper to look like "teeth" and glue them to the inside top of the snake's mouth...and add some googly eyes (of course!!)

And there you have it!!

A colorful snake craft for Chinese New Year's!!

Another fun project uses just a toilet paper roll and a small slip of red construction paper for a mouth.

Cut a head shape out of the top of the toilet paper roll and then follow it around with a spiral cut all the way to the bottom...making a skinny tail.

Then decorate it...depending on the age and skill (and patience) of your kiddos, you can let them paint, color with crayons or markers, glue dots or sequins on the snake...

We just colored it with markers.  But it would be cute with glitter, too.

Finish him up with a tongue glued to the bottom of his mouth...

...and add some googly eyes, and there you have Snake #2!!

What are you going to do for Chinese New Year?  We'd love to hear!

Ladybug, Ladybug, fly away home...

I couldn't love this craft anymore than I do!  :)  

This week we have been doing the letter L.

So, circle time is my favorite...we spend a few minutes a day in a circle and talk about different things.  L is a funny one for them to sound out, and when we ask what starts with "L," we get "elbow" and "elephant..."  Poor kiddos and the English language.

So here is your supply list:

Cut black paper into big round circles, red paper into a smaller round circle, then cut it in half, cut black paper into head sized round circles, and more black paper into dots for her wings.  And top it off with googly eyes.  We loved the bigger ones on this bug...

We printed out a handwriting sheet to glue it on to.

  

Yeah, we love it, too!

"L" is for Lion

One of the easiest ways to help kids remember what a letter looks like is to make it into an animal.  When my kiddos were little, they loved the LeapFrog videos with the dancing letters that sang about what sound they make.  In fact, I single handedly give credit to them for my daughter learning her sounds!  :)  

So here is our version of an "L" is for Lion:

Simply cut out a large letter L out of brown construction paper, then cut out the "details" shapes...legs, tail, ear, and mane out of orange or yellow paper (be sure and fringe the mane so it looks like hair), and a brown nose/mouth.  When assembled, glue on the googly eye and draw the details on feet and face with black marker.

Getting Excited for "Under the Sea..."

Under the Sea is one of our favorite units...and we are gearing up for a fun one!!  Here are a few of our past projects. 

Look for some more ideas in coming weeks...

XOXO, Andrea

Penguins live at the SOUTH POLE...

It's kinda funny that we see penguins in Christmas movies with the reindeer and polar bears and Santa...because penguins don't actually live at the North Pole!  But they are still a fun animal to talk about and make cute things of with the Prek kids!

To make this funny paper plate penguin you'll need:

Glue them together like this:

Here's a fun little penguin counting song to sing while you play with your penguins:

Penguin's First Swim

Ten little penguins all in a line
One jumps in, and now there are nine.
Nine little penguins, how they hesitate-
One tumbles in, and now there are eight.
Eight little penguins pushin' and shovin'
One slides in, and now there are seven.
Seven little penguins, scarcely more than chicks-
One slips in, and now there are six.
Six little penguins can't decide to dive-
One falls in, and now there are five.
Five little penguins huddle on the shore-
One flops in, and now there are four.
Four little penguins fidget fearfully-
One hops in, and now there are three.
Three little penguins wonder what to do-
One rolls in, and now there are two....
Two little penguins missing all the fun-
They both leap in, and now there are.....
Ten little penguins, brave as they can be,
Splashing in the waves of the salty southern sea.