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| SPRING DAZE |
| FEATURED THEME: BUNNY DAZE Art: Balloon Bunny You take and trace the kids shoes out on card stock blow up a balloon, leaving a small slit in the center to insert the balloon and add bunny ears to it. Takes about 5min. Let the kids decorate with stickers, glue and construction paper and markers. Can Bunny Materials: Tuna Can , Felt Markers , Glue , Scrap Construction Paper , Cotton Ball Directions: Cut a pice of felt to cover the outside of the tuna can, and glue it in place. Use your imagination, construction paper, scrap felt, markers, and anything else you want to decorate the can to look like a bunny. Glue on the cotton ball for the bunny's tail. These bunny containers can then be filled with Easter treats! Perfect for jelly beans. Bunny Upside Down In Pot Materials: small clay pots, Jumbo plastic eggs, filler paper (crinkle design or Easter grass), cotton balls, Foamies 9x12 foam sheet in pink or fuschia and one in white. Direcitons: I painted the pots white prior to the kids getting them, then allowed them to sponge paint (actually dab with cotton balls) pastel colors on them. I then cut about 1/2 inch or a little more off the top of a dixie cup and glued that inside the pot and then glued the plastic egg (pointy side DOWN) into the dixie cup. I ran a ribbon of craft glue around the inside edge of the pot and the kids stuck the crinkle design filler paper to the glue (some sticks out, etc.). I also cut and glued the Foamies into bunny feet (white was the actual feet and the fuschia was cut for the pads of the feet) and then I glued the pads of the feet onto the white part of the foot and they glued the feet onto the egg. The last thing they did was to glue a cotton ball on as a tail. (It is supposed to look like a bunny sticking upside down in a pot since I haven't told you that before this.) Bunny Materials: 1 paper plate per child 2 ears per child cut out of brown construction paper 3 black whiskers per child Directions: Fold paper plate in half and staple it together. Have the children color the rabbit brown. Attach the ears with glue to the one end of the curved plate. Glue on 3 black whiskers. Have the children draw on eyes and a nose with crayons Glue on a cotton ball to the opposite end of the face. Fuzzy Wuzzy Pins To make these pins, start with a large cotton ball and glue on two wiggle-eyes. (these can be bought at craft stores for pennies) Basic fuzzy-wuzzies can be turned into different creatures by adding paper ears, yarn, whiskers, and whatever else you would like to add. Use safety pins to attach the fuzzy-wuzzy to your shirt. Bunny Baskets Use the bottom 1/3 of a 1 pint narrow milk carton. Staple (adult do this) a 1" strip across the top for a handle. Have cut out ready, 'bunny' shapes - sitting up bunny - ears on top, round head and fat body, width of milk carton (a bit like the traditional cat drawing) If children are able, get them to decorate the basket with paper chips (small pieces of paper cut or torn) and draw on bunny's face. If child is not old enough, adult do bunnies face and glue or paste it on one side of the basket. One easy way to decorate (need to supervise though) is to let children paint the basket with glue and dip it into a container of confetti. Let children glue a cotton ball on opposite side of basket for bunny's tail. Put cotton balls, paper shavings or grass in the basket as a nest for the eggs. Ours used to take two hen eggs - one boiled egg decorated by the children and one chocolate one left by the Easter Bunny while we were outside playing. Bunny Ears Take a strip of paper and measure it around the child's head. Make ears (with white and pink construction paper) and attach the ears to the ring! Drama The Bunny Hop Children line up, one behind the other, all face same direction. Each child hold on to the person's waist in front of them to connect the line into a "train") Sing: "We're the little bunnies (extend right leg out to right side, point toe) See us hop (bring foot back in to meet left foot) A forwards (jump forwards as a group) And backwards (jump backwards as a group) And a hop (hop forwards) hop (hop forwards) hop (hop forwards." Repeat song using left leg. With practise allow the group to travel around the room. Creative Movement: Hopping Learn to hop in a whole new way! Put a balloon between your knees and bounce around the room. Hop high. Bounce low. Have a race, and go - go - go! Games: Play Pin the Tail on the Bunny. Bunny Tag A child begins by being "it". Everyone hops like a bunny trying to keep from getting tagged by the child that's "it". Language: I Had an Easter Bunny I had an Easter bunny. (Hold up one finger) One day she ran away. (make fingers "run") I looked for her by moonlight. (Hand shading eyes) I looked for her by day. I found her in the meadow With her babies 1, 2, 3. So now I have four rabbit pets To run and jump with me! Five Baby Bunnies Five baby bunnies hopping out to play, Hopping in the forest on Easter Day. (Fingers hopping) The first baby bunny carried his new cane, He twirled it as he came hopping down the lane. (Twirl cane in the air) The second baby bunny came to the river's brink, Tasted the cool water and took a long, long drink. (Stoop down, take drink) The third baby bunny tied her bonnet so new, Under her chin, a bow of pink, white, and blue. (Tie bow under chin) The fourth baby bunny skipped down the shady lane, He opened his umbrella just in case of rain (Open umbrella) The fifth baby bunny said, "Look what I see!" Lots and lots of colored eggs hiding near the tree!" (Eyes cupped) Bunny, Bunny Bunny, white bunny (Place pointer fingers beside head) With ears so tall. And your two pink eyes And a mouth so small. (Make O with mouth) Wiggle goes one ear. (Wiggle one finger) Wiggle goes the other. (Wiggle other finger) Hop, hop, hop, hop Home to your mother! (Hop away in four hops) The Bunny Fingerplay Here is a bunny (make a bunny with hand) With ears so funny (wiggle ears) And this is his/her hole in the ground (make a hole with other hand) When a noise she hears (listen intently) She pricks up her ears (straighten ears) And jumps in her hole in the ground (make bunny jump into hole) Five Little Bunnies One little bunny, Wondering what to do, another bunny came along, Then there were two. Two little bunnies, Hopping like me, Another bunny came along, Then there were three. Three little bunnies, Jumping by my door, Another bunny joined them, Then there were four. Four little bunnies, So fluffy and alive, Another bunny joined them, Then there were five. Five little bunnies, Ready for some fun, Hopped away in the Warm, spring sun These Two Bunnies These two bunnies (hold up thumbs) Have ears so tall. (hands above head) These two bunnies (first fingers) Have eyes so small. (point to eyes) These two bunnies (second fingers) Have whiskers that wiggle. (five fingers on each hand extended, against face for whiskers) These two bunnies (third fingers) Have noses that wriggle. (point to nose) These two bunnies are the smallest of all (small fingers) Curl up tightly in a round furry ball. (fold hands together) Math: Button Bunnies Make paper rabbits with numbers on their stomachs and cover with clear adhesive plastic. Pass out rabbits to children and have them put as many buttons on the stomach as shown by the numeral. Music: I'm a Little Bunny (Sung to "I'm a Little Teapot" ) I'm a little bunny with a cotton tail, See me hop down the bunny trail. (Hop down a pretend lane.) When I spy a carrot, my ears they shake, (Put hands up behind head and shake them.) Then, of course, a bite I take. "Crunch!" (Pretend to bite carrot.) Did you Ever see a Bunny? (Sung to "Did you ever see a lassie?" ) Did you ever see a bunny, a bunny, a bunny, Did you ever see a bunny, that hops -- so slow? He hops, and hops, and hops, and hops, Did you ever see a bunny, that hops so slow? Joe The Bunny (sung to "I'm a Little Teapot" ) I'm a little bunny, my name is Joe. (hold up two fingers) I hop fast and I hop slow. (hop fingers around fast and slow) Whenever I get sleepy, my ears droop low, (bend fingers down) But after my nap, up they go! (hold fingers straight up) Bunny Hopping (sung to "Micheal hammers with one Hammer" ) Bunny hops on one foot, one foot, one foot (hop on one foot) Bunny hops on one foot, now he hops with two (hop on one foot, change to two feet) Bunny hops with two feet, two feet, two feet (hop on two feet) Bunny hops on two feet, now he hops on three (hop with two feet and a hand) (Repeat verses for three feet and four feet.) Sleeping Bunnies (have the children lay down pretending to be asleep to start) All the little bunnies fast asleep All the little bunnies not a peep. If I should sing my song today will all the bunnies get up to play? (sing . . . any tune) Get up little bunnies (the children jump up and hop around) Hop, hop hopping Get up little bunnies Hop, hop hopping Get up little bunnies Hop and STOP! (they stop and of course they want to lay down and do it again, and again and again..) Bunny (sung to "Wheels on the Bus" ) The bunny on the field goes hop, hop, hop Hop, hop, hop,- hop, hop, hop The bunny on the field goes hop, hop, hop Hopping all over today. Recipes: Snack Ideas Bunny in a Cup 2 cups cold milk 1 pkg instant vanilla pudding 2 sticks black licorice 1/4 cup vanilla frosting red food coloring 8 oval cream-filled vanilla sandwich cookies 8 green jelly beans 4 pink jelly beans In a bowl, beat milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes or until thickened. Pour into four small bowls; refrigerate. Cut licorice widthwise into fourths, then lengthwise into thirds; set aside. Combine frosting and red food coloring; frost top of cookies to within 1/2 inch of edge. Just before serving, insert two cookies into each bowl of pudding for ears. Add green jelly beans for eyes and a pink jelly bean for nose. Place three pieces of licorice on each side of the nose for wiskers. Yield: 4 servings BUNNY COOKIE POPS INGREDIENTS 14 lollipop sticks 28 Spring OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, divided 12 ounces white chocolate 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 35 Assorted jelly beans, for decorating PLANTERS Slivered Almonds, for decorating INSTRUCTIONS 1.Insert lollipop stick into creme center of each of 14 cookies. Split the remaining 14 cookies for ears, leaving filling on 1 side of each cookie. Halve split cookies with filling; set aside (save plain split cookies for another use). 2.Heat chocolate and 1 tablespoon oil in small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until melted and smooth. Remove from heat; stir in additional oil if needed to make pourable consistency. 3.Dip each cookie pop into melted chocolate to coat, supporting cookie with fork to prevent cookie from detaching from stick. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheet. 4.Dip points of halved cookies into melted chocolate; press 2 halved cookies against each head for ears. Decorate faces with jelly beans for eyes and noses and almonds for whiskers. Let stand until set. Wrap in plastic wrap; decorate with festive bows for gift giving if desired. Science With Spring coming many kids are learning about plants. Let your child make a terrarium. Just get a clear pl;astic 2 liter bottle. Cut the bottle right above the black dish part on bottom. Fill with soil, put in seeds, and add top of clear bottle by slipping it into black portion. You can also use the plastic dishes that some stores use to sell roasted chicken in. Hanging Carrot Garden What you need: Large carrot , Knife , Absorbent cotton , Water Dish , Wooden skewer , Potato peeler , Thread Directions: Cut a section about 2 inches from the top of the carrot. Leave any leaves or stalks attached. Stand the cut end in a dish of water on top of the absorbent cotton. Once shoots have sprouted, remove and scoop a hollow bowl into the end of the carrot using a potato peeler. Push the wooden skewer through the top half of the carrot. Tie the same size length of thread for each side of the skewer. Hang the carrot up in a sunny window and fill the inside "bowl" with water. The shoots will grow up to the light, and you will soon have a hanging garden! Sensory |
Prop Box Ideas Include the following collections of objects and materials for children to create, discover, and use for imaginary play. Store collections in boxes or baskets to be accessible at any time (indoors or outdoors) for children to enhance their dramatic play. c.2008 |
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| "I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy
is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of look- ing at life through the wrong end of a telescope and that enables you to laugh at life's realities." Dr. Seuss |
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