Make it Monday-New Year's Eve Fun

 

 New Year's Eve Fun

 

During the day on new years eve you may want to have your child help prepare activities for the late night.  I have listed some ideas below that my family did last year:

 

 

1) Hourly Activity Bags

 

A) Draw clocks on 5 paper bags.  "Set the time" on each bag.  I had one bag for 7:00, one for 8:00, and so on until midnight. 

B) Have your child decorate the bags.

C) Fill each bag with activities. I chose activities that were similar to my son's normal routine.  For example, the bag for 7:00 had colored shaving cream to use during his bath.  The bag for 8:00 contained a small coloring book and crayons.

D) Your child can complete the activities throughout the night.

 

2) Confetti Poppers

 

A) Collect cardboard toilet paper tubes.  

B) Split them almost in half.  

C) Encourage your child to cut/rip crepe or tissue paper to fill the tubes.  

D) Have your child fill the tubes with the paper. 

E) Place filled tubes on large sheet of tissue or construction paper.  Roll large paper around tube. 

F) Use ribbon to tie the two edges of the roll. 

G) Break them open at midnight.

 

3) Noise Makers

 

A) Obtain empty plastic water or soda bottles. 

B) Open bottles, and set lid aside. 

C) Have your child cut tissue paper to attach to the outside of the bottles. 

D) Prepare equal parts white glue and water. 

E) Have child place the small pieces of paper on the bottle by using a paint brush to "paint" the glue/water mixture on the bottle. 

F) Fill bottle with dry beans. 

G) Use a hot glue gun to place glue on the outside of the mouth of the bottle. 

H) Affix lid.

I) Shake at midnight.

 

4) Party Hat

 

Last year we made a hat out of poster board, crepe paper, ribbon, staples, and markers.  There are many ways you can make a hat. 

 

5) Glitter Balloons

 

A) Open the mouth of a deflated balloon.

B) Have your child fill the balloon with glitter, torn tissue paper, or other small items.

C) Inflate and tie closed.

D) Tie ribbon around knot of balloon.

E) Hang to pop at midnight.

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

 

 



Tech Tuesday-Free Android Christmas Apps

Android Phone Christmas Apps for Speech and Language
............................

Below are a few free and fun Christmas themed applications that can help enhance speech and language skills:

1) Memory, jigsaw, shapes, etc at
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=kidgames.christmas.pack

2) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=air.com.sevenBulls.summerMemory

3)Grammar, vocabulary at
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aheadsolutions.hangman.christmas

4)Vocabulary at
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.doodlejoy.colorbook.xmas

5) Phonological awarness and writing at
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pamdev.abcchristmas

6) Articulation, feedback, etc at
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.outfit7.talkingsantafree

Map it Monday

Map it Monday!

My four year old and I are enjoying the "Larry Gets Lost" series, as we explore the USA.  Tonight, we listened to "Larry Gets Lost in San Francisco." It was fun to hear about "home"  from a children's book.

There is also a "Good Night" series that travels thr states.

He is learning about sequencing, main idea, detail, and other reading comprehension concepts with  these book series.  You can ask where Larry will go next by looking at a map with your child.  Questions related to how he gets lost and where he goes in each city are beneficial, as well.

My son is also gaining an understanding of other places. Geography, culture and language are intertwined in this ongoing lesson in our home.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uQS7f_nigc

Tech Tuesday: Talking Tom

TECH TUESDAY-Talking Tom

I plan to find or write a review of free or cheap apps/tech that can be used to enhance Speech and Language on some Tuesdays. I plan to pose have Trivia Tuesdays on other Tuesdays.

I found this simple review of Talking Tom.... It works well in therapy, and my 4 year old son has loved it for quite some time. Talking Ben, Talking Tom, and more help keep therapy silly and fun.

http://www.meredithharold.com/3/post/2013/03/favorite-free-therapy-app-talking-tom.html

More, Less, Equal

Language and math skills interact. One skill that crosses that bridge is the ability to determine more than, less than and equal.

To assist in reminding my son of this concept we played a modified version of the card game, War, and played with Legos.

We took out the face cards for the War game. We left cards numbered 1 to 10. We split the remaining cards into two piles. The game was played like a typical card game of War, where the person who had the highest numbered card won the hand.  We were able to use the numbers, and items on the card, to decide who had more, less or if we had the same amount.  My son counted the cards that each of us won. He was able to tell me who had more cards, and therefore who won the game.

After the cards were put away, we stacked Legos to see how "tall"our amounts would be. This gave a visual and tangible representation of more, less and equal.

The idea of this game was prompted by my four year old. He grabbed the stack of cards, and asked to play a game.  He wanted to play with Legos at the end of the card game. It was a great opportunity to have him compare amounts, rote count and count items/one to one correspondence.