handprint puzzles

Today, in Colorful Hands we did a really fun activity with our kiddos. About a month ago, we ordered 12 create-your-own puzzles from Discount School Supplies. Today, we traced each child's hand on the puzzle and then let them decorate the puzzle with dot paints. Each puzzle came out absolutely beautiful and unique to the child that made it. It was a fun process to watch. I also think it is a project worth repeating.

We used our table time (small group) activity time as means to prep for our create-your-own puzzle by putting together our classroom puzzles. This helped clarify how puzzles work and are used prior to getting the blank puzzles out to decorate.

The kids really enjoyed having their hands' traced and painting their puzzles, it was fun to see such focused creativity :)

Here's the process as it unfolded...

Pretty beautiful, huh?!

play dough.

hey there friends!

Do any of you work with kids? Have kids? Know kids that you spend time with? Well, if you answered yes to any of those questions, here is a really fun activity! MAKE PLAYDOUGH WITH THOSE KIDDOS!

Here is the recipe:

COOKED PLAYDOUGH

from COOKS.COM

---

1 c. flour
1/2 c. salt
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 c. water
2 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. food coloring

Combine 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup salt and 2 teaspoons cream of tartar in a large saucepan. Gradually stir in 1 cup water mixed with 2 tablespoons oil and 1 teaspoon food coloring. Cook over medium to high heat, stirring constantly until a ball forms. Remove from heat, cool and knead until smooth on wax paper. Store in an airtight container. Children will enjoy playing with the playdough!

I've made it a couple of times for my preschool kiddos at New Futures. I usually kneed in the food coloring instead of mixing it with the other ingredients. Not sure what is best. You'll probably avoid colorful hands if you mix it as the recipe suggests! Definitely try it out, it is really simple, and lasts a long time!  :)

The Seattle Children's Museum!

Last week we took our Colorful Hands kiddos to the Seattle Children's Museum. They currently have a Clifford exhibit which was all I was really expecting, however their permenant exhibit is pretty unbelievable as well.
The Children's Museum is really beyond words. It is a child's paradise! Everything is hands on and meant for experiential learning. It is also child size. There is an exhibit filled with rooms dedicated to what homes look like all around the world, from kitchens demonstrating the type of food there is to bedroom and living rooms showing how different cultures live and spend time together. Another exhibit they have is a mini grocery store with plastic food and mini grocery carts so the kids can play pretend grocery shopping. There also have a fire truck and a theater and everything in between, all designed for the children to be able to touch and play with. There is even a whole room dedicated to art. This room had every type or art possible and was so kid friendly! The kids were able to play with clay, paint, draw, cut shapes and all that in between.

The kids really loved it! Even those children who are slow to become engaged and participate were active and enjoying themselves. We opened the field trip up to parents so that they could go with their children. We had nine children go total and six of these children were accompanied by their parents. It was such a fun outing!

Here are some more pictures. How cute are these kiddalinks!?

all lined up before we went into the museum!

cutest catch of the day I've ever seen :)

snack time!

art room!

Isaias enjoying the Clifford exhibit

Mr. Fireman!

just grocery shopping, you know?

If you are in Seattle and have a reason to take any kids to the Children's museum--do it! It was such a wonderful experience!

10 days til Christmas!

pen-pal relationship

hello everyone!
it's been a while and I am sorry to have not been more consistent in the last couple of days! It's been a busy time and blogging has not been on the forefront of my mind. Thank you for bearing with me :)

As you all know El Centro is an organization that I absolutely adore. I worked there in the summer of 2009 and I volunteered there for the second half of my Gettysburg College experience. I also developed wonderful relationships with the staff and the kids, which I continue to treasure so much. Being with New Futures now, I see a lot of similarities between the two organizations (though many differences as well!). Because I totally believe in writing and expressing oneself as vitally important to our human existence (you'll read more about this in an upcoming blog on poetry!) I thought that a pen-pal relationship between El Centro and New Futures would be wonderful. The kids I worked with at El Centro and am now with at New Futures are in the same age range and both populations deal with really similar issues and experiences. Staying in touch with my kiddos from El Centro was also appealing :) I suggested the idea to my supervisor and she loved it! I made all the necessary connections and El Centro was supportive too! It has been really exciting and build these relationships and connect our communities that are over 2,500 miles apart from each other.

We are in currently in our second round of exchanging letters. New Futures mailed off the first letters to El Centro and we have received responses. The 1st-3rd graders have all finished their letters and now the 4th-6th graders are finishing up theirs. By the end of this week, I hope they are on their way! The kids write about themselves, their interests and their experiences. It is really cool to see them become engaged in writing and interested in these people across the country. Of course, at times, the concept of letters going through the mail doesn't quite make sense, nor does the time it takes to get there and back. However, the kids have been overall excited and I would deem this project a success.

These kids are writing to...

...These kids

And back and forth and back and forth... I hope :)

Twelve days to Christmas! I'm home this weekend for my mom's annual holiday party and my little brothers' Christmas pageant! I am looking forward to the holiday activities :) What do your holiday plans look like?

PS Did you have a pen-pal growing up??

skate park

they were so cute with their helmets and knee pads!

This last Wednesday, I had one of the best days I've had yet with the 4th-6th graders at New Futures. I usually approach Monday and Wednesday afternoons with a bit more anticipation than other afternoons of the week. I've discovered that working with a large group of 4th-6th graders is just plain challenging. Even when a lesson has been successful, it doesn't seem like it has because of all that has surrounded it. I leave extra exhausted and beat. I really enjoy this age one on one or even in a group of three or so. But the energy these kiddos have together is just pretty intense. Needless to say, I find working with the 4th-6th graders generally much more challenging than the 1st-3rd graders.
This last Wednesday was pretty remarkable. We went on a field trip with the 4th-6th graders to a skate park. The kids were sooo excited. This field trip has been a request of there's and seeing it come to fruition was just wonderful for them.

love this genuine smile!

We were at the skatepark for about an hour an half and they kids had a blast. They were able to rent skateboards, scooters or rollerblades. Most of them started off with scooters (there was a limited supply of skateboards) and a few brave souls started with rollerblades. It was so fun to see them step up to the challenge. These kids were so brave trying new things.
For us adults it was pretty wonderful too. We couldn't actually pass into the skatepark itself, so we stood or sat just outside watching from a distance. The kids started off in the far corner, where we had no line of sight to what they were up to. It must of been so empowering for them to be over there, trying new things and figuring out what worked and what didn't without us adults reminding them to do this or that. It was also great for me :) Soon, the kids moved over to an area where we were just feet away. It felt pretty great that the kids wanted to be closer to us and show us what they were up to. I had fun taking pictures and also catching some videos that are just too funny!

The whole time there was super fun and entertaining! The kids left on cloud 9 and I left so happy to see this side of these guys. I hope we are able to go back to the skatepark again!

I hope you all had a great weekend :) Now, on to the week!