Problem Solving 101 - Take II

For a list of craft items needed for this week, check out last weeks postings under Stars and Stripes forever. Add Velcro to that list, preferably the kind with the sticky backing so you don't even have to sew. Now on to the activities!

Craft Time: We are going to start with the garland for our Christmas tree. Cut strips of colored construction paper. Form a loop and tape it together. Form the next loop inside the 1st one and continue to create a long chain. I had to help my almost 3 year old, but she did most of the work herself and loved this activity.



Story Time: Read a Christmas story with your little ones. In honor of my daughter Angelina, we checked out Angelina's Christmas (of the Angelina Ballerina fame) by Katharine Holabird, from the library. The story is a good one to teach about helping others. Use your story time to not only read stories but talk to them about the lessons they are learning from the books.

Music Time: Sing Christmas songs. Start with "Dashing through the snow, in a one horse open sleigh..." Have fun with them and dance.

Art Time: This whole week is going to be Focus on Photography. Let your kids take pictures to make home-made Christmas cards. Group together holiday decorations for close-ups or let them take scenic shots in your local neighborhood. Does your city have a nice holiday display? That can make a great picture for a Christmas card. If you get snow this week, head out with your kids for some winter wonderland photos. Let creativity be the guide, and listen to your kids ideas for pictures.

Indoor Time: I call this game Island Hopping. Gather some pillows together. These are your islands. Lay out a path of pillows from your couch to a chair or other piece of furniture. Tell your kids that the floor is the ocean and the furniture and pillows are the islands. The goal is to stay on the islands. Have them practice walking along the pillows. Now, take it up a notch by removing a pillow and spreading out the remaining ones. Keep removing pillows until they have to hop from pillow to pillow. (this is great fun for them!) Try teaching problem solving skills by giving them only 2 pillows and tell them they have to reach some far away piece of furniture. See if they can figure out to stand on one pillow and put the other one ahead of them for the next step, continuing to pick up the pillow behind them to put ahead of them for the next step until they reach their destination. Help them out if they need it.

Outdoor Time: Ball play. Practice throwing. Toss the ball back and forth. Also toss the ball and see how far they can throw it. Put a marker down after the first throw and see if they can beat it.