Building with Large Blocks

Good Morning!  I just wanted to share a couple of pics of little man being creative and building with large cardboard blocks.  These blocks have outlasted 3 kids so far... bought them when my first was born and she's ten!  They are so great for so many reasons.. motor skills, creativity, story telling to name a few. 

If you are new to my blog, you'll have to check out Big Ben that my girls built many years ago! I think in 2008 to be exact.  I told you these blocks were old.  :)

Jen

Leap Day Scavenger Hunt

Leaping Lizards! (or Frogs, I should say)  Leap Day is just around the corner.  Why do we have a leap year?  Send your kids on a scavenger hunt to answer this question and to learn more about this year's leap day!

Leap Year Scavenger Hunt
Using the websites below, have your child research the following questions...

Highlight Kids
KidsGeo
Enchanted Learning

1.  When do we celebrate leap year?

2.  Why is an extra day added to our calendar?

3.  Who were the first to add a leap day to the calendar?

4.  Some say a tradition started in the 5th century relating    to women?

5.  We add an extra day to the calendar this year, so how many days will be in our year?

6.  What is a person born on leap day sometimes called?

7.  How many people are born on leap day?

8. When was the last leap year?

9. How is Julius Caesar related to Leap Year?

10. Would you have liked to be born on a leap day- why or why not?

Answer Key
1. Every 4 years.
2  We match the calendar with the solar year, because it takes the Earth 365 days, 5 hrs, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds to complete it's orbit.  These extra minutes add up!
3. Some say the Egyptians were the first to add an extra day.
4. A woman is allowed to propose to men only once every 4 years on leap day.
5. 366
6. a leapling
7. 1 in 1,461
8. 2008
9. He worked on reforming the Roman Calendar.
10.  No right or wrong answer. 

Other Leap Day fun... 

1. How about rope "leaping"  with a fun poem?

THE JUMP ROPE RHYME

Leap Year, Leap Year
When will you be?
Every four years
Then you'll see.


You want more?
We do too!
How many more
can you Leap to?

by Raenell Dawn

2. Leap Frog is always fun for all ages! With little ones who may not be able to hop over each other, make Lily pads and have your little one jump from pad to pad. 

3.  Learn about other animals that leap with these fun activities.  Many more links on this website as well with ideas for Leap Day. Teach With Me

My children don't know a lot about Leap Year, so I'm excited to do some of these activities with them this Wednesday.  Do you have any leap year activities planned?  If so, please comment- I love hearing and learning from you!

Jen

clip art sources: Animal Clipart.net and About. com

Hh is for Hippo....

Isn't this hippo adorable? I saw this craft from DLTK and just had to have an Hh day with little man.  Plus he has really been into hippos lately since he got a super cute hippo bath set for Christmas. 

We actually only made the face, because the bottom didn't print for me for some reason. 

I also found a cute hippo song to sing from the same site.



Peanut also decided to join in on the fun and sang this song to little man...

I can spell cat..  C-A-T
I can spell hat...  H-A-T
I can spell bat... B-A-T
But I can't spell hippopotamus!!

Hippo mini- poster: And then I search online for actual pics of hippos on google images and let little man pic out his favorite images.  I printed and cut them out or him and he glued them on to paper.  Hh is for hippo is in the center of our mini-poster. 

Other activities we did we Hh-
bingo dabber letter
hopping
Hh is for happy- If your happy and your know it, clap your hands....

And here is the bath toy, he's been enjoying.  It has also been great for color recognition- hand Momma the yellow hippo, etc. or what color is that hippo? 

Bruin Whistling Hippo Bath Toys

Wish I had taken a trip to the library before doing an Hh day, but sometimes I'm just throwing things together at the last minute based on his interest that day.  Anyways- these books look adorable for a Hippo day.....

Disclaimer: I didn't receive any compensation for mentioning the above product.  It is my son's toy and he loves it, but other toddlers may not!  Also, haven't read the above books, but would like to in the near future.  :)

Ee is for elephant....

Little man had a little bit too much fun creating this elephant puppet!  How much fun?  Well, enough that he decided to paint himself as well.  This is the danger of leaving the room for a couple of minutes to check on the older kids' school work.  Also, he dumped the water on his lap- yeesh. 

So after his painting - you know where little man went...

straight to the bath tub!! 

Literature:


The Saggy Baggy Elephant
by K. Jackson & B. Jackson





Music/Pretend Play

Can you stomp around the room like an elephant??  The things we do to make our kids happy! 

Jen