Practice Preschool - Making Music Week 3

I've decided to go back to older posts, when I can, and embed photos of us at preschool. This will help with visuals, as well as serve as a keepsake for us. 

Rowan and I go on a daily walk/bike ride. It was so lovely this week to see the trees blossoming! The change in seasons lends itself to rich conversation and new vocabulary. Find additional ways to turn every day things into small teaching moments. 

Week 3

Day 1

• Sunbeam Lesson 3 (see Week 1 post) "Heavenly Father's Plan for Us" (5 min)

Sing, "Heavenly Father Loves Me", using simple pictures as visuals, if desired. Discuss how Heavenly Father has a plan of happiness for us. A simple explanation could be: Heavenly Father's plan was for us to come to Earth to get a body, like we talked about last week. We are here to learn and grow. With our bodies, we can learn to make right choices. Through Jesus' Atonement and our obedience, we can return to live with Heavenly Father and Jesus. 

Corresponding object activity is to compare our spirits and bodies to a glove. The empty glove represents our spirits and a hand inside the glove represents our bodies. Demonstrate how they work together. 

• Go on a sound walk! (5 min)

Name all the sounds you hear on your walk. Talk about how music is made up of sounds and we hear those sounds with our ears.   

• Make an instrument for culminating lesson - Comb Kazoo (5 min)

*Materials:

-Plastic comb, tissue paper

*Instructions

Cut a square of tissue paper to fit around the comb when folded in half. Hum into the paper and listen to the vibrations it makes. Practice with kazoo!

• Snack (5 min) 

Today's tip: Always offer fruits and veggies, regardless of how picky your child is or isn't. If you don't offer them, they won't eat them. However, if you offer them, there's a chance they will!

• Free Play (20 min)

Free play doesn't necessarily have to go with your theme (if you have one). Rowan has been very interested in doctors and stethoscopes recently so I will pull down my tub of dress up clothes. If you don't have dress up clothes, grab some of yours or your spouse's (if applicable), long scraps of fabric (capes, banners, magic carpets, tents, etc.), rope, bags/boxes, old glasses/sunglasses, jewelry, mirror, and anything else you can find around the house! 

  

Day 2

• STEAM Lesson (Engineering) "Cup Stacking Challenge" (5 min)

Briefly discuss how engineering means building. Children may relate to building forts or using blocks to build structures. 

Cup Stacking Challenge

Explain that you will be working together to build a cup tower. 

*Materials:

-String, one rubber band, plastic cups (ideally six)

*Instructions

To prepare for the activity, tie four pieces of string (10-12 inches) to your rubber band (see picture below). For the activity, have each person (2-4 people) grab one of the strings. Use the strings to manipulate the rubber band (open it wide) to grab a cup, one at a time, and make a pyramid. This activity is in several places on the internet, so research further if you need more direction. During activity, talk about how teamwork makes things easier. 

Sing: The More We Get Together and relate it to teamwork. 

• Brain Break (5 min)

If you find your child is having a hard time focusing, take a song break! I like the song, "Shake Your Sillies Out". It goes like this: "It's time to shake, shake, shake all your sillies out, shake, shake, shake all your sillies out. Shake, shake, shake all your sillies out, shake your sillies out." (It goes to the tune of, "I like to eat Apples and Bananas") Google other brain breaks; there are thousands!

• Make an instrument for culminating lesson -  Shoebox Banjo (5 min)

*Materials

-Shoebox, 4 rubberbands

*Instructions

-Place rubberbands around shoebox and strum!

Optional: Sing a few songs to get used to the banjo.

My favorite are: 

1. "I've Been Working on the Railroad" (...someone's in the kitchen with Dina, strumming on the old banjo...)

2. "She'll Be Coming Around the Mountain"

3. "Home on the Range"

• Snack (5 min)

Today's Tip: Popcorn is a healthy snack! Be sure your child is old enough to eat it safely.

• Free Play (20 min)

Play a matching game (or use socks if you don't have a game). Talk together about the concept of matching. Another simple way to make a matching game is to cut pictures in half and they become a two-piece puzzle :) Color and laminate for repeated use. 

Try some imaginary play to engage your child's imagination. Do common, every day tasks, but without tangible objects. "Make" food, "do" laundry, "go" to the park, etc.