Well, it was bound to happen. My baby isn't quite a baby anymore. She turned three this week and has expressed an extreme interest in EVERYTHING homeschooling. My room is rather topsy turvy today and so there aren't a lot of pics here, but I am really enjoying her desire to "do school" or "do work" every day. I made these little busy body things for her to do and she is really enjoying them.
Here she is working on the beads. I bought pony beads and chenille stems at the dollar store and using my handy dandy glue gun created a great little fun activity for her. I cut the chenille stems in half (since when are they not "pipe cleaners"? When did that become anti-p/c?) and set half of each one aside. Then I took the other halves and glued one end of each. I just put a blob of glue on the end and let it dry. Then I created patterns with the pony beads. Each stem has a different pattern. Then I glued the other end of the stems so the beads wouldn't fall off.
While the glue was drying, I duplicated all of the beads I had used and put them in a snack size zip-seal bag. Then I put my completed "bead sticks" in a larger bag with the other halves of the stems. I curled one end of each of my empty stems so that she can "string" beads on them. She can copy the pattern I created or create her own. More often than not, she creates her own, but my first grader really enjoys working with the patterns. It's a great way for her to develop her manual dexterity too.
A friend with LOTS of homeschool experience suggested something for her called "blanket time." While the entire concept didn't work for us, the idea of the blanket being "her" space DID work very well. She is sitting at a floor desk that my husband made. It is basically a mini-podium and was originally intended for his laptop. But he set it on the floor making it fair game in her eyes and it is now hers!
I also have to thank a friend for sending me to www.1plus1plus1equals1.net and the amazing resources found there. Her Tot School has been a lifesaver! I didn't think my 3 yr old would want to do this, but I see that she is really enjoying it. I've added her AWANA Cubbies verse and her Sunday School verse to our work each week (A is for Apple and "Taste and see that the Lord is good" went together very nicely! She is loving the ability to work on her own and all of the matching games have been very good for her. All of the printables from Tot School are free and THAT is also a blessing. This will transition her very nicely into pre-k next year and we will definitely be using the Raising Rockstars PreSchool from 1+ also!
Here are some other things that keep my pretty girl busy during the day...
A baggy filled with small cars and farm animals
A baggy filled with pom poms in different sizes and colors along with a pair of science tweezers and an ice cube tray. Who knew sorting was so much fun?!
A baggy filled with a variety of foam butterflies, different sizes and colors. She sorts, she creates, she plays, she makes up characters and stories for them.
Several baggies filled with letters, shapes, and fall leaves for her to sort however her heart desires.
These are cars from a bulletin board set I had when I was teaching (teachers never throw anything away!). She loves to sort them by color and then color family and make up stories for them as well.
These lacing cards have been amazing. I looked at several different stores for lacing cards and they were anywhere from $9.00 to $20.00 and I just didn't want to pay that much in case she didn't like them. I paid $6.99 for these at our local School Box and have been SUPER happy with them and so has Nayners!
You can never go wrong with the dollar stop at Target or the Back to School section for teachers at WalMart. I think I paid $0.88 for these flashcards. They have the same shape on both sides but different colors, so she can sort them however she chooses.
And this is where they all live. I got these cute baskets at the dollar stop at Target. I have another one with the big girls' art supplies in them. Super great way to keep things organized and I LOVE anything organized (although you can't tell by looking at my house right now).
If you have a toddler, pre-schooler or kindergartener, you MUST check out Raising Rockstars! These printables are from their Tot School that I mentioned above.
These are a great resource and my girl loves them so much! Can't wait to see what she knows at the end of the year!!!
So this is how we are staying busy. I bought another desk from a homeschool mom who is slowly getting out of this business as I am getting into it. Now I have three desks in my dining room. The girls love having their little sister in the room with them and love even more that she is at her own desk in her own space. And I love that she is busy while I am trying to work with the other two AND she is having fun and learning at the same time.
By the way, for anyone wondering after seeing the pics of her...No, we do not have a dress code at our "school." This child must be wearing a dress at all times. Believe it or not, SHE is the one who most often arrives at school in high heels proclaiming to all of us that she is fabulous and ready to start her day. As she would say, "Ooh La La!"
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