Practice Preschool - Shel Silverstein Week 1

Week 1

Day 1

• Sunbeam Lesson 14 "Adam & Eve..." (5 min)

Talk about how Adam & Even were the first people on the Earth. Explain that they were created in God's image and we are too, as their descendants. 

• Introduce Shel Silverstein (5 min)

Talk about how Shel Silverstein wrote poems--which are like short stories, songs, and plays. He also drew cartoons.  Shel Silverstein began drawing when he was seven years old! He also lived on a boat for nearly ten years of his life. 

• "Sick" poem from Where the Sidewalk Ends (5 min)

Read the poem and talk about being sick as well as telling the truth. Might be good to connect it to The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Take this time as well to remind students of germs and proper handwashing. If desired, sing "The Handwashing Song" from Healthy Habits theme. 

• Snack (5 min)

Today's tip: Make something together! It's fun to do that occasionally.

• Free Play (15-20 min)

Read/display the poem, "Eighteen Flavors", Where the Sidewalk Ends. Setup an ice cream parlor in dramatic play or make ice cream dough (mixture of inexpensive hair conditioner and cornstarch). Have other poems by Shel Silverstein out for children to look at. 

Day 2

• STEAM Lesson (Science) "Snowball" (5-10 min)

Read the poem, "Snowball" from Falling Up. 

If snow is available, conduct the following experiment: Melting Magic. Gather three identical jars/glasses. Fill the first with water (this will be your control), fill the second with ice cubes, and pack the third with snow (or have the students pack it in). Have students guess which jar will have the most water. Let jars melt, then observe!

If snow is not available, conduct the following experiment: Exploding Snowman. Draw a snowman face on a Ziploc sandwich bag. Wrap three teaspoons (or one tablespoon) of baking soda in a paper towel or tissue and place in bag. Pour one-two cups of white vinegar in the bag and seal quickly!! Stand back and observe (best to conduct this experiment outdoors or in a bathtub.)

•  Boa Constrictor! (5 min)

Act out/sing the poem, "Boa Constrictor", Where the Sidewalk Ends. 

• Painting! (5-10 min)

Read "We're Out of Paint, so..." Falling Up. Make a class alphabet book with different foods. Let children paint with watercolor, finger paints, etc. 

• Snack (5 min)

Today's Tip: Homemade Lunch-ables. Rowan often requests a "Lunch-able". All it takes is pieces of lunch meat, cheese, and a few crackers!

• Free Play (10-15 min)

Place ice cubes and water colors in the sensory bin. Add droppers, teaspoons, scoops, etc. Place other toys/objects out as an alternative option.

Food-Free Date Ideas

To me, our culture is over-saturated with food and food-related activities. Whenever I search date ideas, the vast majority are related to food or "getting a treat". It's interesting to reflect: How do you celebrate? Does it involve food? Or is it more about quality time with loved ones? Spending money? Food ;) for thought!

In her book, The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin says, "Every couple should have an indoor game, and an outdoor game." For Jared and I, our indoor game is Tetris and our outdoor game is frisbee golf. 

What are yours?

A few ideas for you to try out are:

Indoor
Cozy Cards
Choose a card game (Clubs, Five Crowns, Rage, Monopoly Deal, etc.) and play it together in a comfortable place. The loser of the round has to take off an article of clothing ;) Play until one person has no more clothes on, or the both of you can't take it anymore and it leads to something else....;)

Romantic Read-Aloud
Read a book aloud together, alternate voice each chapter. Alternately, listen to an audio book. Discuss book as you go, if desired. Switch between non-fiction and fiction choices after each book.

Desert Star Date
If you're anywhere near Desert Star Playhouse (Murray, Utah), definitely attend! Their shows make for great dates. If not, attend a play/concert/comedy/live show elsewhere!

Mute and Make-out
Place anything you're doing on hold, and squeeze your spouse/significant other. Everything else can wait! Get close and cozy. A dose of physical touch will do both of you good :)

Painting as a Pair
Attend a paint night as a couple! If there are none in your area or for a cheaper option, follow a tutorial on YouTube by Angela Anderson. 

Outdoor
Healthy Hike
Find hikes in your area of varying difficulty and venture out to blaze the new trails (new to you!) Bring a picnic dinner and put away electronics. 

Frisbee Golf & Fresh Air
Most cities have frisbee golf courses. You can find discs at Walmart relatively cheap! Do as many or as few holes as you'd like!

Dollar Store Date
Decide on a spending limit ($2-$5 per person) and part ways. Each of you spends the specified amount on the other person as a gift (favorite things) or for fun (movie treats, silly games, etc.) for the night. 

Tennis for Two
Take up tennis, or other sport of your choice, and play together! If you don't know how to play, learn! Learn together :) Ping-pong, bowling, or biking are also good options.

Earthy Exploration
Explore the neighborhood, city, state, or country in which you live. Travel near and far together. Make memories, take pictures, record the experience. 

If you've read this far, congrats! Also, thank you! If you're determined to still incorporate food, I get you :) Moderation in all things, right!? 

Here are my favorite food dates:

Food (double standard, I know ;))
Recipe & Review
Research a new recipe and create it together. Give it a review according to a pre-determined rubric you create. Another option is sampling all the ice cream/burgers/your choice in town and ranking them together.

Bake Blindfolded
For this date, one person selects a recipe and the other person dons a blindfold. The person with the recipe then guides the other person (with lots of touching) into making it! Bonus points if the blindfolded person guesses what you're making. 

Progressive Palette
Make different courses or visit different places for different parts of your meal. For example, drinks at Jamba Juice, salad at Zupas, sandwiches at Jersey Mike's, and dessert at Coldstone. 

Door Dash
Arrange for Door Dash to deliver your spouse's favorite treat. 

Movie Magic
Build up a stash of movie treats. Watch a movie together and select a favorite from the stash!

Fresh Fruit Pizza
Make a fruit pizza together! It's slightly healthier than other options ;) 

Fun Fry-date
Get fries together on a Friday for a Fry-date :D Rank them, if desired, as suggested in Recipe & Review date idea.

Practice Preschool - Playful Perspectives Week 4

Week 4

Day 1

• Sunbeam Lesson 13 "I am Thankful for Birds and Insects" (5 min)

Sing, Baby Bumblebee, Itsy Bitsy Spider, or a song about birds. Talk about why we need birds and insects as well as how to treat them with kindness.

• Positional Concepts (5 min)

Talk about position words (beside, on, under, between, etc.) and do a group sort with pictures. 

• View from the window! (5 min)

*Materials:
-Square paper, pencil, crayons

*Instructions
Give each child a square piece of paper to represent the window. Have them draw what they see. If you wanted, you could extend this by doing the view out of a submarine window, an airplane window, etc. 

• Snack (5 min)

Today's tip: Ants on a log. I'm sure this is a repeat, but it's always a good one! Especially during this perspective theme.

• Show and Tell (20 min)

Have children bring in an item for show and tell. If none/very few items are brought in, you can share a few items, or do free play.

Day 2

• STEAM Lesson (Math) "Chutes and Ladders" (5-10 min)

Play the board game Chutes and Ladders. Talk about perspective to reinforce theme: perspective from up on a ladder/slide, perspective of winner/loser, etc. 

•  Wiggle Break! (5 min)

Sing, "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes". Do the actions at varying speeds. Try to do it backwards as well. If you wanted, you could even teach the Spanish version.

• Story Art Time! (5 min)

Read, "A Color of His Own" by Leo Lionni. Have children decorate chameleons. 

• Snack (5 min)

Today's Tip: Carrot sticks. Experiment with different dips (ranch, hummus, etc.)

• Free Play/All About Me (15-20 min)

Take turns getting to know each child from their perspective--their likes/dislikes, etc. 

Practice Preschool - Playful Perspectives Week 3

Week 3

Day 1

• Sunbeam Lesson 12 "I am Thankful for Animals" (5 min)

Sing a song about animals (Farm song, Old MacDonald Had a Farm, Mary Had a Little Lamb, etc.). Talk about Noah's Ark and why we need animals. 

• Others' Point of View (5 min)

Read "The Grouchy Ladybug" by Eric Carle. After reading, talk about emotions and how to practice seeing from another's perspective.   

• Make a Paper Flower Garden (5-10 min)

*Materials:
-Green Crepe Paper, scissors, colored paper, tape

*Instructions
Measure each child, or member of the family, using the green crepe paper. Attach to the wall as the "stem". Have that child make a flower for the top. You'll end up with a few different flowers at different heights representing each child. 

• Snack (5 min)

Today's tip: Dried fruit -- banana chips, craisins, coconut, papaya, mango, etc. 

• Free Play (15-20 min)

Setup dramatic play as a school, or any other profession, and have the children take on those roles. Assorted toys for free choice, books with varying perspectives/ethnicities/cultures, puzzles, etc. 

Day 2

• STEAM Lesson (Engineering) "Bridges" (5 min)

Using plastic cups and fat craft sticks, have children build bridges from one obstacle to another. Talk about elements of a sturdy bridge and sing all verses of "London Bridges".

•  Space Perspective! (5 min)

Sing, "Zoom, Zoom" and talk about how different life would be in space.
(Place palms together and move them up and down to make a swishing sound)

Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going really soon
If you want to take a trip,
Climb aboard my rocket ship.
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going to the moon
Zoom, zoom, zoom, we’re going really soon
5, 4, 3, 2, 1, BLAST OFF!

• Senses (5 min)

Read, "Seven Blind Mice" and talk about how life would be without one of your five senses. 

• Snack (5 min)

Today's Tip: Make homemade lemonade or another fun beverage! Remind children to be hydrated. Serve with crackers, or have a little "tea" party!

• Free Play (20 min)

Setup a paper rocket in dramatic play, or leave the school/other profession from earlier in the week. Role play, read, set out blocks, encourage imaginative play. 

Practice Preschool - Playful Perspectives Week 2

Week 2

Day 1

• Sunbeam Lesson 11 "I am Thankful for Fish" (5 min)

Sing Five Little Speckled Frogs or 1 little, 2 little, 3 little fish. Share the story about Jonah and the Whale. 

• Round Trip (5 min)

Read "Round Trip" by Ann Jonas. This book is neat because you read it through, turn it upside down and read it through again! Completely different book using the same pictures--upside down. Talk about seeing the world in different ways.   

•  Aerial View Art (5 min)

The most common object for this project is a snowman. Depending on the season, however, you could substitute other objects/animals/insects.

*Materials: Paper, crayons, glue.

Talk about how things appear differently depending on where you're looking from. Explain how a snowman (or insert substitute) would look from up above. If possible, use a tangible decorative snowman as an example. Recreate with materials.

• Snack (5 min)

Today's tip: If you're running your own preschool or are frequently having other children join, have parents send in snacks for all -- it can add up!

• Free Play (20 min)

Big and small cars, community helpers dress up, dollhouses (Rowan loves these :O), scissor practice, role play with any current conflicts/social skills that need practice, fine motor/gross motor, etc. Field trip, magnetic toys (I recommend Connectix), various books laid out.

Day 2

• STEAM Lesson (Technology) "Sight Tools" (5 min)

Using mirrors up against foreheads, have children draw on paper and see how tricky it is. Take a sight walk with binoculars (homemade with toilet paper rolls work great!) Look through Kaleidoscopes, telescopes, camera zoom, etc. 

•  Perspectives from Higher Ground (5 min)

Sing, "The Bear went over the Mountain" and talk about what the bear might have seen from up high. Additional verses you may not have heard before:

The bear crossed over the river

The bear went through a forest

The bear climbed up a tree. (In this last verse, you combine all three and say that all the bear could see was the forest, river, and mountain)

• How to Be a Dog (5 min)

Read, "How to Be a Dog" by Jo Williamson. Talk about what it would be like to wake up as a dog for a day!

• Snack (5 min)

Today's Tip: Rowan loves animal crackers! Graham crackers are a good option as well. Drink some milk as well, and talk about strong, healthy bones!

• Free Play (20 min)

Dot-to-dot number page, sidewalk chalk, cars with ramps, a box of recycled material for creating, sensory bins, etc. 

Practice Preschool - Playful Perspectives Week 1

Lots of literature in this week's lesson plans :) We are frequent fliers at our library! I placed these books on hold in preparation for this week. Substitute books/activities as needed. 

This month's theme, as well as next month's theme, were themes I created as a student teacher at USU. Unfortunately, I can't find the digital files for the exact lesson plans I used and the hard copies are buried in a box in the garage since we live with family right now...I'll find them eventually! Hopefully before the month is over. 

Week 1

Day 1

• Sunbeam Lesson 10 "I am Thankful for Trees, Plants, and Flowers" (5 min)

Sing the following lyrics to the tune of "Once There was a Snowman": I can plant a tree, tree, tree . . .water it and watch it grow . . . tall, tall, tall. Talk about how nature blesses our lives and name fruits that grow on trees, gardens, animals that live in trees, and favorite vegetables/flowers. Practice saying a prayer of gratitude for these things. 

• View of a bug (5 min)

Read "Hey Little Ant" by Phillip Hoose and talk about what it would be like to be an ant in the world. Sing, "The Ants Go Marching".   

• Make a Book! (5 min)

*Materials:

-Paper, scissors

*Instructions

Fold your paper in half (hamburger style), in half again, and in half one last time. Open paper back to hamburger and cut a line from the fold to the middle. Open paper entirely and fold in half (hot dog style this time). Push sides together until they meet, then fold so you have a "book". Fill it with pictures of opposites, your child's current interests, nature, or anything you can think of! 

• Snack (5 min)

Today's tip: Anything from nature! Carrots, apples, celery, broccoli (little trees), etc. A fun dessert could be "Worms and Dirt" cups :)

• Free Play (20 min)

Big and small cars, community helpers dress up, dollhouses (Rowan loves these :O), scissor practice, role play with any current conflicts/social skills that need practice, fine motor/gross motor, etc. 

Day 2

• STEAM Lesson (Science) "Up Above and Down Below" (5 min)

Read the book, "Up Above and Down Below" by Sue Redding

Talk about how perspectives vary based on where you're at in the world. Go on a walk and then spend some time in the dirt exploring! Bring binoculars, a shovel, a magnifying glass, and anything else you can think of to reinforce the theme. 

•  More Opposites! (5 min)

Sing, "This is Big, Big, Big" song:

This is big big big (arms out to side)
This is small small small (cup hands together)
This is short short short (hold hands with palms facing each other)
This is tall tall tall (reach one hand above head)
This is fast fast fast (circle fists quickly)
This is slow slow slow (circle fists slowly)
This is yes yes yes (nod)
This is no no no (shake head)

• Zoom (5 min)

Read, "Zoom" by Isvan Banyai. This book is what inspired this theme, many years ago. A seminary teacher shared it in a lesson one day. There's no words in the book so you're actually just looking at the pictures but it's fascinating! Each page "zooms out" a bit as far as what you're seeing. Eventually you see the whole Earth on the page. 

Talk about how you live in a home, on a street, in a city, in a state, in a country, on a continent, on the Earth. An abstract concept for a young age, but a good thing to introduce! Show child a globe, if you have one.  

• Snack (5 min)

Today's Tip: Popcorn is a healthy snack! Try switching it up with adding some cinnamon!

• Free Play (20 min)

Visit a tall building or a place with many windows and talk about the view. Ask child questions while people watching/observing the world. My favorite question we asked at USU was, "What do you think the [college] students have in their backpacks?" One student said, "Blocks" :D Haha! 

Draw or print out a picture, cut it into squares, and have your child color what is on the square. Ask them questions about what it could be. Choose a picture that is large enough that the squares aren't discernable on their own. Put it back together after you've colored all the squares (spread it out over a few days/weeks for added mystery). 

S'mores Season

But let's be real, it's ALWAYS s'more season :D Obviously, the classic s'more is the BEST (although substituting a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup for the Hershey's Chocolate Squares is awesome too!)  Usually I eat about six in a siting :O I consider myself a s'mores connoisseur :D I LOVE s'mores, and as such, have tried many, many, many s'mores related foods. I have a shirt that says, "I only go camping for the s'mores" ;) Haha!

I decided to rank my ten top favorite s'mores treats. Part of my criteria is that it has to taste like s'mores--just because something has s'mores components, doesn't mean it's s'mores. At the end of this post, I list other s'mores treats I've tried that didn't make the list of ten. For reference: 1 is least favorite, 10 is most favorite. 

1. S'mores Cupcakes: I say least favorite, but if it made the list of ten, it's not the worst. I'm not the biggest fan of chocolate cake but I do eat it occasionally. The type of s'mores cupcake I've tried was chocolate with marshmallow crème in the middle. There was also a graham cracker crust on the bottom of the cupcake, along with graham cracker crumbs and toasted marshmallow on top of the chocolate frosting. It looked similar to the one pictured below. I should venture more into baked s'mores creations and would love to try Brette's s'mores cake from Hobble Creek Cake Co. (also pictured below). Link to her website embedded in photo.

 

2. S'mores Oreos: To me, these s'mores Oreos tasted very similar to their gingerbread flavored Oreos and their golden Oreos. Also, the "marshmallow" part is just white frosting...not marshmallow-y tasting. I ate one cookie and didn't crave another. I do love Oreos though, so they're worthy of the list by that alone! Haha.

3. S'mores Hot Chocolate, Stephen's: This was just "alright". Not super great, not super bad. You get a hint of graham cracker flavor but, other than that, it's just like regular hot chocolate with marshmallows. 

4. S'mores Poptarts: I loved how the pastry was soft graham cracker, rather than their regular pastry they use--it had a really great flavor and texture! The filling tasted like something else I've tried but I can't put my finger on it...Basically, it tastes how you would expect a s'mores Poptart filling to taste.

5. S'more Pie: This recipe was created by Portlandia Pie Lady (link embedded in image). I have made it several times! It's great for summer time--I usually make it for the 4th of July. It's a pretty rich pie so it goes a long way, unless you're me! Haha. Also, numbers 5-10 was where it got REALLY hard to narrow down. Pictures: Left, Portlandia Pie Lady Right, the one I made. 

6. S'mores "Krispie" Treats: I put "Krispies" in quotes because they're not made from Rice Krispies but they are a similar concept...and, as a society, brand names are often substituted for nouns/verbs  (Q-tips instead of cotton swabs, Kleenex instead of tissues, Google it instead of look it up, Xerox instead of Copy, etc.) I digress. To make these, you simply break graham crackers into chunks (coarsely rather than fine crumbs), coat with melted marshmallows (like you do with Rice Krispie Treats) and toss in some chocolate chips (recipe linked in image). 

In this picture, they use Hershey Bars, but I prefer chocolate chips. Also, I've seen a version of this with Golden Grahams Cereal but I personally do not like Golden Grahams. To me, they are fake graham crackers...but it's all personal preference!

7. S'more Cups: These are SO good and SO simple! I've been making these for about ten years now. I'll just include the recipe right here. You're welcome ;)

S'more Cups:

Ingredients:

7 Whole Graham Crackers, finely crushed

1/4 c. powdered sugar

6 Tbsp. butter, melted

4 bars (1.55 oz.) milk chocolate candy (Hershey's)

12 large marshmallows

Instructions:

Make graham cracker crust by combining graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter. Place 1 Tbsp. in each cup of mini muffin pan. Press down. Bake 4-5 minutes at 350 degrees. Place one chocolate square in each cup. Place half a marshmallow (I cut mine with kitchen shears) in each. Bake 1-2 minutes. Let cool. If desired, dip in melted chocolate. Enjoy!

I've also made these using chocolate chips and mini marshmallows. 

I found this picture on Facebook, taken 10 years ago!! S'more cups on my cheap college dishes :D I'm sure you can Google a better picture but this is great for nostalgia. 

8. S'more Cookies: I found this recipe on Pinterest and because of it, created a whole Pinterest board dedicated to s'mores. These were SO good! I haven't made them nearly as often as I should. I have brought them to many-a-potluck in the past. The picture doesn't do them justice, especially since I've ranked them as #8. I've embedded the link in the picture for their recipe--they are seriously SO good!! 

9. "S'more" Pinwheels: These are the first treat that don't actually have s'more in their name...I just put it there. My mom used to buy these for picnics growing up. They are the perfect s'more!! Also, they're store-bought, so no prep on your part! Very convenient for any s'more lover when you need to get your fix. The bottom of the cookie is a graham cracker layer, then marshmallows, and all covered in chocolate. You can find these at most grocery stores and the off-brand are just great! I recommend buying them at Walmart or Winco. 

10. Graham Canyon Ice Cream: Finally! The best, my favorite, all-time-best "s'mores" dessert in my opinion is Graham Canyon Ice Cream (another one without s'more in the name...) from BYU creamery. You can also purchase it where BYU creamery ice cream is sold (Deseret Bookstores in Utah County, grocery stores near BYU, etc.) I didn't go to BYU, I went to USU (Go Aggies!) so this may flag me as a traitor, but I'm willing to accept that risk because this ice cream is THAT good!! Most ice creams fail at the s'more concept because they just don't taste like a s'more. The base flavor for this one is graham cracker ice cream (to die for!! Also, so smart! Rather than using chocolate or vanilla....this really pulls in the s'more flavor for me) with graham cracker crumbles in it. It also has chocolate covered honeycomb candy--SO good. Just top it with a few marshmallows, and BOOM, s'more perfection.

I'm curious what your rankings would be on the s'mores products you've tried! Email me at jenbanks16@gmail.com to let me know :) 

Also, other s'more products I've tried: 

-S'more trail mix (this would be great if the marshmallows didn't get stale...)

-S'more Goldfish (I like these except for the marshmallow bits...I'm not a huge fan of the cereal marshmallows they use in Lucky Charms and these are just like those. I like them occasionally but I don't put them in the same category as "marshmallows").

-S'mores Granola Bars (more of the same reasons...)

-S'more Pops (good, but not great marshmallow/graham cracker/chocolate ratio)