Toddler Fun, Week 5: Letter F, Number 5, Pink and Flamingos

Oh, my... FLAMINGOS.  Who doesn't love flamingos?!  You just have to love a big, pink bird!!!  Anyway, welcome for our Flamingo/letter F week!

Week 5

Letter: F

Number: 5

Color: Pink

Animal: Flamingo

Activities

1. Going to the Zoo

We are very faithful members of the Jacksonville zoo!  We have more than gotten good use of our membership. Our zoo already had a flamboyance (yes, a group of flamingos is called a flamboyance) of flamingos, and they were Caribbean.  They're one of Aidan's favorites.  But since our last visit, they've added a new flamboyance of African flamingos, which was perfect for us!  We talked about how the African flamingos were lighter pink than the caribbean ones, and we had a wonderful day!

2. Light pink/Dark pink card

I made this card for Aidan, with one light pink side, with the African flamingos, and the other, darker, with the Caribbean ones. What kid doesn't love looking at pictures of himself?!  It's just a fun reminder to have around his books.

3. Wild Kratts Flamingo Power 

Aidan LOVES the Wild Kratts!!  So, his daddy got him a creature power suit (the vest), which came with two creature power discs (the little circle in the middle).  Naturally, over the course of a couple months, they've gotten lost, besides, to get new discs, you have to buy the corresponding toy, and I'm not doing that at this point.  SO, I made him some!  You can find directions for them here.  I made a flamingo one, and then we practiced using our "flamingo powers" to practice standing on one foot (a really important gross-motor milestone).  We also pretended to sift shrimp out of the water with our beaks, moving our heads back and forth, and walking together while moving our heads from right to left (what the males do to get the females' attention).  It was so much fun!

4. Bright Eyed Baby Chunky State Flash Cards

I bought these chunky flash cards when it was a Kickstarter, and I love them so much!  Each set is specific to a certain state, so all the cards are about things that state is famous for.  We've taken them with us on our road trips, for when we get to see one of the things on the cards; mangos, Everglades, marina, manatee, and of course FLAMINGOS  Happily for me, Aidan really loves them too!



5. Flamingo Counting

 We made these really cute flamingos (it'll be in the crafts section).  Then, I wrote numbers 1-5, and had him count them out.  He's really good at counting, but has a little hard time recognizing numbers.  So I thought this was a great way to do both.  Saying them in order, and pointing at them, and 

the flamingos under the numbers.

Snacks

1. Strawberry flamingos

So, for this adorable snack I used 2 strawberries, 1 mandarin section, a Babybell cheese, a white chocolate chip and a little piece of chocolate chip.  Then I cut them all up, and put them together to create this!










2. Watermelon flamingos

For this one, which I like even better than the last one, I used watermelon, a mandarin section, fruit leather, a white chocolate chip, and a little piece of a chocolate chip.  Super, super yummy!

Crafts

1. F is for Flamingo

For this one, I cut out a pink "F", a pink wing, a white beak (I colored the tip black), and a googley eye.  Then, we talked about the letter F, and flamingos, etc.  I put glue on the pieces, and helped him glue them on.  He's such a cutie!

2. Handprint Flamingos

 For this craft, I squeezed out red and white paint.  Then, I helped Aidan mix the two paints to make different shades of pink, painted it on his hand, and made hand prints.  I used a brush to turn the thumb into a head.  Then, I painted on beaks and eyes.  After that, on a separate piece of paper, I painted legs.  Then I cut out the pieces, and taped the legs to the flamingos.  We talked about how everyone is different, but that's what 

makes us special.  I couldn't help but take a picture of them all together, because they look so pretty!  After that, I glued them onto paper, cut out some grass, and wrote "You're Flamazing" at the top.  We're sending 2 to the grandmas, he's keeping one, and one to his leading lady, Amy.

Books and Media

We Read:

1. Florida by Sandra Friend

I love this book, because Sandra talks about the history and agriculture of Florida, which is pretty much all new to me!  She goes by area, which is fantastic.  Flamingos are found down in the Keys, and there's a great little blurb about it.

2. Goodnight Miami by Patricia Baloyra

This book is by a Miami local, Patricia Baloyra.  It's written in the style of Goodnight Moon, and goes over many of the key things about Miami.  One of them is the zoo, and the illustration for that page is a flamingo.  Score!

3. Five Little Monkeys Jumping On the Bed by Eileen Christelow

Of course, this is a classic.  There are no flamingos, naturally, but it's about the number 5, which is perfect!  Plus, jumping.  And monkeys.  Duh.





4. Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Eric Carle

Like I need a reason to read Eric Carle?!  Aidan got this book (and the whole "bear" series) from his Great-Aunt Kathy.  This particular one has a fluting flamingo in it.  Fffffffabulous! 

We Watched:

1. Gnomio and Juliet - this is a little-known movie, and honestly, it's a little adult (not inappropriate, just goes over kids' heads), but it has a flamingo lawn ornament character, which was perfect for our needs.

2. Wild Kratts, Season 1 Episode 38, Birds of a Feather - Of course, we're big fans of Wild Kratts.  Flamingos aren't in the animated part of the episode, but they're at the beginning and end, and you learn fun facts!

3. Kazoops - This is a BBC show, which is now on Netflix now.  It's a cute show, about a boy who uses his imagination a lot, just like our little boy.  Also, in episode 4, there's a very cute flamingo!

* 4. Tinga Tinga Tales  

I found this show after we did "Flamingo" week, but I thought it was worth adding.  I found this show on Netflix.  It tells African (specifically Tanzanian and Kenayn) folk tales about how different animals got their signature characteristics.  One of them is "Why The Flamingo Stands On One Leg.

* 5. The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That, Episode 128b, Pretty in Pink - These episodes are fun, and Aidan loves the Cat in the Hat.  This episode is about Flamingos, and their interesting behaviors and characteristics.

DIY Wild Kratts Creature Power Discs

Aidan loves Wild Kratts.  Honestly, we ALL love Wild Kratts.

If you're not familiar with it, it's a PBS show for kids about two brothers who travel the world learning about animals.  They have a whole crew, one of whom, Aviva creates something called creature power discs.  They're these discs, that when they put them in their suit gives them the powers of that animal.  Aidan has the vest (suit part), but was in need of the discs.  So, I took matters into my own hands.

What you'll need:

- Wood discs (approx. $5), about 1 inch in diameter

- Acrylic paint

- (Color) printer (and paper, of course)

- White school glue

- Brushes

Instructions:

1. I printed out some creature power discs I found online. (Small enough for the disc.)

2. Next, I painted the wood discs the matching color.  (Both sides, and edges.)

3. After the paint dried, I cut out the paper pictures, and modge lodged them onto the discs, using the white school glue.  (If you're not familiar with this method, you put glue on the back of the picture, using a brush, stick it on the surface of whatever you're adhering it to, and then brush more glue on the top.)

4. I made them two-sided, to give him just that many more options.

Ta-Da!  That's it!

Toddler Fun, Week 4: Letter R, Number 4, Red and Rooster

When we visited Key West for a service a few weeks ago, I learned that all wild life in Key West is protected.  Some years back some chickens and roosters got loose, and now their descendants are roaming the streets free as a bird (get it?).  Honestly, it was my favorite part about Key West, so I knew I wanted to "R is for Rooster" when the time came.  So, this week, it's all about red roosters and chickens!

Week 4

Letter: R

Number: 4

Color: Red

Animal: Rooster (and chickens)

Activities

1. Visiting a local farm 

We had some friends from our old church, who have a farm.  I called them up and asked if we could swing by to see the chickens and rooster.  She said we could, and we had a WONDERFUL time!  Many small gardens and farms have times you can visit, tours they do, and even classes for kids on healthy eating, animals and what-not.  It's worth looking to see if there is one near you!

2. Rrrrracing

I used rrrred chalk to write the letter "R", and then bought out his bucket of cars, and had him race them up and down the letter.  He really enjoyed this one, and I think it helped him remember the letter "R".  (Tip: don't forget to wipe off the cars' wheels before you bring them back in.  You don't want to get chalk on your carpet.:))

3. Running around the back yard, crowing at the top of our lungs.  That's right!!

Snacks

1. Rooster Fruit Salad

So, I found this idea on Pinterest, and made it my own.  I used one mandarin orange, two strawberries, one blueberry and about 2 spears of mango.  First I arranged the mandarin orange segments into the body.  Then I placed the wing and other strawberry pieces.  Then the blueberry eye, and the mangoes. Aidan was a really big fan, and I loved how it turned out!

2. Chick-Fil-A

Okay, so this may be a little morbid, since we're talking about roosters and chickens, and then eating them, but I guess that's what you get when you're an omnivore.  So, on our way out to the farm, we got some Chick-Fil-A (or Chick-olay, as Aidan says), and we had a very happy boy in the back seat!

Crafts

1. R is for rooster

For this addition to our letter book, I cut out all the shapes and then helped him glue the pieces on.  He liked the triangles, and called them teeth, because during our A is for Alligator week, the triangles were teeth (which I was kind of impressed with, that he remembered).  He loved the googley eye too.  I tried to steer him towards a smaller one, but he wanted the "biggest one", and I agree.  It's perfect!

2. Hand Print Chicken 

I love classic handprint art for kids.  So we made a Little Red Hen, and I wrote the numbers 1-4 on the tail feathers for practicing our numbers.  His hand already looks so big...sigh.

Books and Media 

We Read:

1. The Rooster Who Loved the Violin by Ben Harrison

When we visit somewhere, I try to get Aidan a book by either a local author, or about the place we visit.  When we were in Key West, I found this gem, and thought I'd share it with you.  This is a great book by a local author about a rooster who loves the violin, and tries to crow along with it - much to the violinist's annoyance.  The second half of the book has photographs and talks about the real rooster(s) that inspired the story.

2. Rain Dance by Kathi Appelt

This is a fun counting book about farm animals.  It's not earth-shattering, but it's perfect for what we're doing (and has chickens)!

3. Wake Up, Sun! by David L. Harrison

This was a book I had as a kid, and I love it!  It's about a dog who wakes up, thinks it's morning, but the sun has forgotten to wake up - a task which he and the other farm animals take upon themselves.

4. The King's Chorus by Linda Hayward

This is a cute book I picked up at last week's library sale.  It's about a rooster who thinks he's all that and a bag of chips, and keeps everyone up all night with his cock-a-doodle-doo-ing, until a goose tells him that the sun is actually the eye of a giant rooster in the sky, and that as he rises, every rooster in the world has its' part in his choir.

We Watched:

1. Chicken Run - it's on Netflix, so if you have an account, you can watch it for free, yay!  It's a childhood favorite of mine - plus Mel Gibson as a rooster is just took great to pass up.

2. Chicken Little - (also on Netflix) it's not my favorite, but Aidan really likes it, and if it gives me time to do laundry, put on clothes and do my hair, I'm not totally against it. :)

3. Paw Patrol - like we need a reason to watch Paw Patrol!!!  But, the mayor has a pet purse chicken named Chickaletta, so I guess it fits our theme - sigh...

4. Ask The StoryBots, Episode 1 "How Does Night Happen?" - We are new fans of the Storybots! Apparently the app has been around for a while, and already has a big following, so we're late to the party, but nonetheless enthusiastic!  They're little robots who live in computer parts, and answer questions for kids.  This episode is perfect for this week, because it has a song about the color red, as well as one called "Chicken Bop", which Aidan loves to dance along to!

Toddler Fun, Week 3: Letter C, Number 3, Yellow and Spiders

This week we lost a day, because I wasn't feeling well, and we had to find indoor things to do, because of Tropical Storm Hermine.  So, the pictures aren't great, but we had fun, and that's all that matters!

Week 3

Letter: C

Number: 3

Color: Yellow

Animal: (Crab) Spider

Activities

1. Spider web (silly string) letter spotting

I taped A-s, B-s and C-s onto our new fence (thanks, babe!) and gave Aidan some yellow silly string.  I would tell him to find a "C", or "B", or "A", and then he'd have to spray it.  In theory.  He did really well identifying the letters, but needed help with the spraying part.  Then I chased him and sprayed him with the silly string.  Because that's the real reason I bought it in the first place.

2. Color sorting, and counting to 3

For this activity, I got some colored gold fish, and red, green, yellow and orange paper.  I cut out a small, medium and large circle.  On the small circles I wrote the number 1.  On the medium circles I wrote the number 2, and on the large ones I wrote the number 3.

Next, I gave Aidan the gold fish, and helped him count out the number on the circle.  He matched the colors no problem, but the counting them out stretched him a little more than I think he wanted, so it took some gentle nudging.  In the end, he enjoyed it though!

3. Bay & Bee

When we became "stay-at-home"-ers, I realized that both Aidan and I missed human interaction, so we started going to an indoor play space.  We pay a monthly fee, but we're there 2-3 times a week, so it is really worth it.  When we were in Miami, we went to a similar place that had a drop-in fee. 
Bay n Bee is an amazing place!  Seriously, the moms are all friendly, the classes (which are part of the fee) are great, Aidan LOVES it, he gets to play with kids, practice his social skills ("sharing is hard, mommy!"), and I get to speak to other adults.  It's worth looking around where you live, to see if you can find something similar.






4. Giant Spider Web

We made this (adorable) spider, and obviously he needed some space to play.  So, I used old Christmas ribbon, and made a GIANT spider web!  It didn't hold his attention half as long as it took to make, but here it is. :D

Snacks

1. Spiders in a Blanket

For this snack, I bought Hebrew National hot dogs, and a roll of Pillsbury crescent.  I cut the hot dogs in half, then cut the ends to make 4 "legs" on each end.  Then I wrapped them in the crescent rolls and baked them for the time on the package.  For the spider web, I squeezed ketchup into a ziplock, cut the tip off, and made the web like you would put icing on a cake.  Aidan totally loved the hot dog, but wasn't a fan of the crescent.

2. Cracker pretzel spider

This one was cute!  I just put some peanut butter on the Ritz crackers, stuck 8 pretzel sticks in it, and voila! Spider!

Crafts

1. C is for Caterpillar

We are adding a letter to our alphabet book every week, so this week we did C is for Caterpillar.  I wrote out a giant C, cut out green circles and a red one, and then had Aidan glue them on.  He did a really great job!

2. Yellow Crab Spider

There is this really cool spider we read about in Now You See Me, Now You Don't (link later), called a crab spider.  It changes colors from white to yellow, depending on what color the flower is that it is hiding in.  So, we went with yellow.  Aidan painted a paper plate yellow, I punched 8 holes in it, he stuck the pipe cleaners in the holes, I twisted them into shape, and then he glued 8 eyes on. (Did you know spiders have 8 eyes??  Like they need a reason to be creepier!?)

Books and Media

We Read:

1. Web Weavers and Other Spiders by Bobbie Kalman

One of our local libraries had a yearly book sale, where for $15 I could fill up a paper grocery bag with books.  It was amazing!  I got 25 books, and since I knew ahead of time what animals we would be learning about, I was able to get a bunch of books for "Toddler School".  This one was great for pictures and info!

2. The Orb Weaver by Alice B. McGinty

This is another library sale snag!  Spiders are a lot cooler than I realized!

3. Now You See Them Now You Don't by David Harrison

This is one of my favorites right now!  Whenever we visit somewhere, we pick up a book for Aidan either about the place, or by a local author.  We found this gem in Springfield, MO.  The author lives there, and is the poet laureate of Drury University.  The poems aren't "kiddy", which I like, the illustrations draw you in, and it has a great one about the color-changing crab spider.  Trust me, you'll really like this one!

We watched:

1. Charlotte's Web, the 2006 version is on Netflix.  Of course, it does't have the same nostalgic feel as the 1973 animated movie, but it held Aidan's attention better than I thought a live-action movie would.

2. Annie, Get Your Microphone Little Einstein episode has (what looks like) a yellow crab spider in it!  It's episode 50, and on Netflix too.

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