Getting the Most of Your Summer Holidays and {Learn & Play Link Up}

We're having Ocean themed activities soon so I'm featuring these amazing posts from our last week's link up for inspiration!

Fun Ocean Activities for Kids and {Learn & Play Link Up}

We're having Ocean themed activities soon so I'm featuring these amazing posts from our last week's link up for inspiration!

Learning through Arts & Crafts

We love making crafts at home! Aside from bringing out the artistic side of the kids, it’s also a great opportunity to practise fine motor skills.  So this week, I’m featuring five amazing arts and crafts activities from our beloved bloggers!
 

Spring Themed Activities for Toddlers and {Learn & Play Link Up}

In this week’s featured posts, I would like to focus on spring activities for toddlers.  Vito is in the peak of learning as he always asks for something to “play”.  These amazing posts from featured bloggers will truly inspire you.

Mouth Watering Irish Foods for St. Patrick’s Day and {Learn & Play Link Up}

 

We have so many fantastic food and recipe posts last week! It was so hard to choose as I liked everyone’s posts!  And as I skim through the each one’s pages, I realized that it’s St. Patrick’s Day and I just have to feature amazing bloggers who shared mouth watering Irish foods (and drinks!) for the St. Patrick’s Day. 

 

 

Dr. Seuss Books and Activities and {Learn & Play Link Up}

Celebrating Dr. Seuss Day, I’m featuring 5 fantastic posts of Dr. Seuss!  We have a lot of Dr. Seuss books at home and they were Mavi’s first set of books.  I used the book Put me in the Zoo to teach Vito all about colors.  Check here or click the image below for details.

Spring Arts & Crafts and {Learn & Play Link Up}

There’s so many wonderful posts I’d like to feature this week in our Link & Play Link Up!  I love seeing all these beautiful artworks and crafts which are so colorful and spirited! Here are my picks!

March Activities and {Learn & Play Link Up}

March is fast approaching and I’ve been doing some planning for the boy’s activities for next month.   I am also looking forward for a warm weather so we can do outdoor play and exploration.  For this week’s featured activities, let me share Vito’s first “themed” unit:

We had a lot of fun with these, especially the scooping of pompoms and the paint works!

Now, for this week’s featured posts, I am sharing the activities that you can do for the month of March!

Best Arts & Crafts for Kids and {Learn & Play Link Up}

Years ago, Mavi would do a lot of artist study.  One of my favorites is our Van Gogh project, The Sunflower.  It was one of those rare moment wherein both Mavi and I were in depth with our subject and were absorbed by the beauty of painting.  But it was just more than artwork. We studied the life of Van Gogh, and how his life reflected in his work.  (click the image below for more details)

Now thinking about it, I picked the best art projects and crafts in our link up this week.  Here are the featured post:

Learning Literature though Play-based Activities and {Learn & Play Link Up}

We love books and most of the time its easier to have your activities revolve around that book.  Kids will have a better understanding of the story, and at the same time explore related subjects like what we did with my Grand Father’s Journey, The Glorious Flight and other Five in a Row Activities.  I shared here how we explore and dig dipper into the stories and create engaging activities to go along with it.

                                                                          

Crazy Over Do-a-Dot Markers and {Learn & Play Link Up}

I know you’ve heard about these already and have seen these markers in other homeschooler Moms.  My little Vito had a renewal of interest and can’t stop using them! These dot markers are great tools in practicing hand/eye coordination and concentration.  Aside from that, we also use it to learn shapes, colours and letters! Next year, we’ll start using them for counting.

Though there are plenty of FREE dot worksheets online, I prefer handwriting our own sheets to save ink.  Here are some random photos of Vito using the dot markers.

For learning letters.

Marking shapes.

He keeps asking for more!

Working on letter ‘t’ again. 

To save time, energy and INK, I cut out sheets of paper from the IKEA paper roll and just hand drawn everything.  Then I place the sheets on one of the work trays so Vito can easily access them.  He would usually work on them in the morning. Note that the markers can stain, but they can be wash off with soap AND water (with a little scrubbing).   I have these markers since 2011 and they’re still good as new.  Here’s the link if you are interested.

 

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Welcome to the Learn & Play Link Party!

Here are the featured  activities for this week!

 

 

13 Clocks Preschool Trays from from SmarE PartE

Montessori Sensorial Extensions from Spielgaben from Living Montessori Now

Watercolor Christmas Trees from 3 Dinosaurs

Salt Dough Holiday Ornaments from Tiny Tots Adventure

10 Christmas Montessori Inspired Tot Trays from Mama’s Happy Hive

 

Now it’s time for this week’s link party! This is a BRAND new link up for all blog posts that include learn and play activities and hands-on education for kids. We are excited to read your blog posts and to see what you have to share! Please link up below and grab our button to display on your blog.

If you are a blogger, share your family friendly posts here. We are looking for things which include:

• Montessori Education
• Homeschool
• Sensory Play
• Tot and Preschool Trays
• Fine and Gross Motor Activities
• Kids in the Kitchen
• Healthy Recipes for Kids
• Arts and Crafts
• Natural Living
• Free Educational Printables
• Family-Oriented Activities
• Healthy Living

Your post will be featured on each of our blogs where we will pick our favourite posts every other week. That means there is more of a chance that you will be featured!

Everyone, please meet our link party hosts:

Christian Montessori Blog ~ Please visit our CMN FB group ~ Pinterest

Vanessa from Mama’s Happy Hive~FB~Pinterest~Instagram~Twitter

Jennifer from Study at Home Mama~FB~Pinterest~Instagram~Twitter

Marie from Child Led Life~FB~Pinterest~Instagram~Twitter

Jae from Pinay Homeschooler~FB~Pinterest~Instagram~Twitter

Heather from Golden Reflections Blog~FB~Pinterest~Instagram~Twitter

Renae from Every Star is Different~FB~Pinterest

GUIDELINES FOR LINKING

• Please link up 1-3 posts
• Follow each of the hosts on social media
• When you link up, please add our button and place it at the bottom of your shared posts or link back with text link.
• By entering a link, you’re giving us permission to feature an image on our blogs. Proper credit & links will ALWAYS be given.
• Please visit a couple of shared posts and leave a comment for them
• Remember that you must link back in order to be featured

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Practical Life Activities for Toddlers (24 Months) and {Learn & Play Link Up}

Vito turned 2 years old last month.  Aside from the letter t sound and tree themed activities, here are the practical life activities Vito worked on:

B4FIAR: Jesse Bear and {Learn & Play Link Up}

I am starting Before Five in a Row with Vito.  I am a fan of FIAR and I’ve been doing it with Mavi for years. 

Last week, we did Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear?  Vito loved it instantly!  He can relate to the daily activities of Jesse Bear and how amazing he recognizes most of it as part of his routines.  Like changing his shirt, high chair and mealtime, bath time and when running towards Daddy when my husband arrives from work. 

Now here are the activities we did to go along with Jesse Bear:

Morning

We played in the yard, put on his jacket and red pants  

Then try to play sand just like Jesse Bear. That is Kinetic Sand and we are loving it!

Noon Time

Lunch time, he ate some steamed veggies, then apple and drank milk.  He insisted that we place the book in his table to make sure he’s doing what Jesse Bear is doing.

 

Afternoon Time

To kill time we played with colored rice and scooping because Jesse Bear was playing with his rice! 

We also played matching shoes game!    When your child is about 1.5yrs old, they’re able to discriminate objects. Try matching games as simple as matching their shoes! Vito is such an expert!

Bedtime

Vito’s bedtime routine includes brushing his teeth (like Jesse Bear), washing his face and putting on his PJs.  I say this out loud as I do it so he’ll understand what we are doing.  And just like what I did with Mavi, I would read him books while I put him to bed.  This actually calms him down…. and make us both sleepy LOL. 

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Welcome to the Learn & Play Link Party!

Here are the featured literature-based activities for this week!

 

 

Harry Potter Sorcerer’s Stone Unit from Every Star Is Different

Fall Book Basket for Preschoolers from Homeschool Preschool

Peter Pumpkin Eater Printables from Embark on the Journey

Madeline Sensory Tray Writing from Growing Book By Book

 

Now it’s time for this week’s link party! This is a BRAND new link up for all blog posts that include learn and play activities and hands-on education for kids. We are excited to read your blog posts and to see what you have to share! Please link up below and grab our button to display on your blog.

If you are a blogger, share your family friendly posts here. We are looking for things which include:

• Montessori Education
• Homeschool
• Sensory Play
• Tot and Preschool Trays
• Fine and Gross Motor Activities
• Kids in the Kitchen
• Healthy Recipes for Kids
• Arts and Crafts
• Natural Living
• Free Educational Printables
• Family-Oriented Activities
• Healthy Living

Your post will be featured on each of our blogs where we will pick our favourite posts every other week. That means there is more of a chance that you will be featured!

Everyone, please meet our link party hosts:

Christian Montessori Blog ~ Please visit our CMN FB group ~ Pinterest

Vanessa from Mama’s Happy Hive~FB~Pinterest~Instagram~Twitter

Jennifer from Study at Home Mama~FB~Pinterest~Instagram~Twitter

Marie from Child Led Life~FB~Pinterest~Instagram~Twitter

Jae from Pinay Homeschooler~FB~Pinterest~Instagram~Twitter

Heather from Golden Reflections Blog~FB~Pinterest~Instagram~Twitter

Renae from Every Star is Different~FB~Pinterest

GUIDELINES FOR LINKING

• Please link up 1-3 posts
• Follow each of the hosts on social media
• When you link up, please add our button and place it at the bottom of your shared posts or link back with text link.
• By entering a link, you’re giving us permission to feature an image on our blogs. Proper credit & links will ALWAYS be given.
• Please visit a couple of shared posts and leave a comment for them
• Remember that you must link back in order to be featured

Grab This Button:

<div align="center"><a href="http://christianmontessorinetwork.com/category/learn-and-play" title="Christian Montessori Network"><img src="http://www.christianmontessorinetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/learn-and-play-link-up-150-150.png" alt="Christian Montessori Network" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

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Science Experiments: Twinkle Twinkle Stars and {Learn & Play Link Up}

I love simple and easy to prepare experiments.  That’s why when we received a Janice VanCleave’s book as present last year, I was so elated! I love her books of experiments!  So we are trying some of it and so far the boys are enjoying it!
Objective:  To simulate the twinkling of stars in sky.

Materials needed:

a large square foil

glass bowl (preferably 2 liters)

tap water

a torch/flashlight

pencil

Procedure:
1.  Crumple your square foil and place it on a table or on a floor.
2.  Fill your clear bowl with tap water and place it on top of the crumpled foil. 

3.  Darken the room by turning off the lights.  Hold the torch or flashlight above the bowl.  Distance from the bowl  is about 12 inches.
4.  Observe the foil through the undisturbed water.

5.  Now using your pencil, tap the surface of the water gently.  Observe the foil through the moving water.


What happened? 
The light rays reflecting from the foil when there was a movement in water appears to blur or twinkle. 

Why? 
The movement of the water causes the depth of the water to vary.  The light rays twinkle because they bend or refract in different direction when it passed through the different depths of water. 

This is similar to the light rays of the stars.  They appear to be twinkling when you are observing from earth because they refract differently as the light rays move through the different thickness of air in the atmosphere.  Scientifically, this twinkling phenomenon is called ‘scintillation’. 

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And you might as well PIN this post for future reference.

Source:  Janice VanCleave Astronomy

Welcome to the Learn & Play Link Party!

In relation to our activity this week, I am featuring space and astronomy themed activities!

Relative Size of the Sun Activity from Research Parent

The Earth, The Sun & Stars from Every Star is Different

Space Explorer Toolbox from Montessori By Mom

Sensory Play for Earth Day from Mama’s Happy Hive

Earth Day from Child Led Life

Now it’s time for this week’s link party! This is a BRAND new link up for all blog posts that include learn and play activities and hands-on education for kids. We are excited to read your blog posts and to see what you have to share! Please link up below and grab our button to display on your blog.

If you are a blogger, share your family friendly posts here. We are looking for things which include:

• Montessori Education
• Homeschool
• Sensory Play
• Tot and Preschool Trays
• Fine and Gross Motor Activities
• Kids in the Kitchen
• Healthy Recipes for Kids
• Arts and Crafts
• Natural Living
• Free Educational Printables
• Family-Oriented Activities
• Healthy Living

Your post will be featured on each of our blogs where we will pick our favourite posts every other week. That means there is more of a chance that you will be featured!

Everyone, please meet our link party hosts:

Christian Montessori Blog ~ Please visit our CMN FB group ~ Pinterest

Vanessa from Mama’s Happy Hive~FB~Pinterest~Instagram~Twitter

Jennifer from Study at Home Mama~FB~Pinterest~Instagram~Twitter

Marie from Child Led Life~FB~Pinterest~Instagram~Twitter

Jae from Pinay Homeschooler~FB~Pinterest~Instagram~Twitter

Heather from Golden Reflections Blog~FB~Pinterest~Instagram~Twitter

Renae from Every Star is Different~FB~Pinterest

GUIDELINES FOR LINKING

• Please link up 1-3 posts
• Follow each of the hosts on social media
• When you link up, please add our button and place it at the bottom of your shared posts or link back with text link.
• By entering a link, you’re giving us permission to feature an image on our blogs. Proper credit & links will ALWAYS be given.
• Please visit a couple of shared posts and leave a comment for them
• Remember that you must link back in order to be featured

Grab This Button:

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Continent Fact Cards Game and {Learn & Play Link Up}

Mavi can’t get enough of these facts cards from my Nutshell Geography series! He wants us to play this when in the car, or when we're walking home.  I would ask him a questions based on the facts and he’s going to tell me the continent or the country it’s connected to.  We developed a scheme of giving him 3 clues (mostly letters from the answers) and I am PROBIHIBITED to give the answer. It’s amazing how both Mavi and I enjoyed it.  So happy that we found a new way to use these cards!

These cards are from:

• Asia in a Nutshell
• Europe in a Nutshell
• Africa in a Nutshell
• South America in a Nutshell

Halloween Activities for Toddlers and {Learn & Play Link Up}

Halloween is just around the corner and we’re having the “feel” at home by working on some “halloweeny” activities.  Here’s our working trays for the next few weeks:

TOP:  tonging creep creatures,  scooping black beans into pumpkin bags

MIDDLE:  counting halloween objects using a pumpkin counter, letter matching using alphabet cards (all cards are from HALLOWEEN TODDLER PACK)

BOTTOM:  pouring corn kernels, pumpkin face crafts

Practical Life Activities

Practical life activities are those building and improving skills that are of use in the daily life, like pouring, scooping, transferring etc.  The benefits include hand-eye coordination and concentration.  To know more about practical life activities, visit my post here and here.

Everything that involves the corn kernels and the black beans were a hit!  Both Mavi and Vito played with it for long periods of time and I get to do chores while they’re messing around   To save you a lot of work, always use trays, the bigger the better!

Numbers and Alphabet

As I mentioned earlier, I always integrate a little bit of counting and phonics into our daily activities.  Vito is currently more into counting than the alphabets, so this counting cards that I made for him was a hit!  He loves identifying the objects in the cards and counting them using the pumpkin counters. 

An extra fun phonic game I included is discovering letters from the purse and matching them on the cards.  Similar activity with the Alphabet Sensory Bin except that we’re using a purse this time and used both the upper and lowercase letters.  The wooden letters used here were from Hape Uppercase and Lowercase Puzzle.

Welcome to the Learn & Play Link Party!

Here are the featured Halloween activities for this week!

 

 

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything from Just Add Speech

Roll a Jack O' Lantern Game from A Little Pinch Perfect

Halloween Craft Pumpkin Mummies from Handson As We Grow

30 Preschool Halloween Crafts from Homeschool Preschool

Pumpkin Suncatcher and Color Mixing from Age of Montessori

 

Now it’s time for this week’s link party! This is a BRAND new link up for all blog posts that include learn and play activities and hands-on education for kids. We are excited to read your blog posts and to see what you have to share! Please link up below and grab our button to display on your blog.

If you are a blogger, share your family friendly posts here. We are looking for things which include:

• Montessori Education
• Homeschool
• Sensory Play
• Tot and Preschool Trays
• Fine and Gross Motor Activities
• Kids in the Kitchen
• Healthy Recipes for Kids
• Arts and Crafts
• Natural Living
• Free Educational Printables
• Family-Oriented Activities
• Healthy Living

Your post will be featured on each of our blogs where we will pick our favourite posts every other week. That means there is more of a chance that you will be featured!

Everyone, please meet our link party hosts:

Christian Montessori Blog ~ Please visit our CMN FB group ~ Pinterest

Vanessa from Mama’s Happy Hive~FB~Pinterest~Instagram~Twitter

Jennifer from Study at Home Mama~FB~Pinterest~Instagram~Twitter

Marie from Child Led Life~FB~Pinterest~Instagram~Twitter

Jae from Pinay Homeschooler~FB~Pinterest~Instagram~Twitter

Heather from Golden Reflections Blog~FB~Pinterest~Instagram~Twitter

Renae from Every Star is Different~FB~Pinterest

GUIDELINES FOR LINKING

• Please link up 1-3 posts
• Follow each of the hosts on social media
• When you link up, please add our button and place it at the bottom of your shared posts or link back with text link.
• By entering a link, you’re giving us permission to feature an image on our blogs. Proper credit & links will ALWAYS be given.
• Please visit a couple of shared posts and leave a comment for them
• Remember that you must link back in order to be featured

Grab This Button:

<div align="center"><a href="http://christianmontessorinetwork.com/category/learn-and-play" title="Christian Montessori Network"><img src="http://www.christianmontessorinetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/learn-and-play-link-up-150-150.png" alt="Christian Montessori Network" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Please Follow
Follow Pinay Homeschooler's board Pinay Homeschooler on Pinterest.

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