We celebrated Independence Day this week by reading Alyssa Satin Capucilli’s Biscuit’s Fourth of July. Biscuit the puppy helps his family prepare for a picnic and fireworks. This book features flaps that can be opened to show what Biscuit is doing. The kids liked trying to guess what was behind the flap and what Biscuit was up to.
We danced to several Jim Gill songs, “The Tempo Marches On,” “Jump Up. Turn Around,” and “Spaghetti Legs.” We followed up dancing with three rolls of the exercise dice. Then, I blew up a few dozen red, white, and blue balloons and let the kids toss them around and play while music played in the background.
Our craft this week was a Popsicle stick puzzle:
The above is a picture of one that I made using a picture I found online and printed out. The kids’ were much cuter because they created their own. I gave them a picture of a Fourth of July rocket to color and decorate. Lots of them added fireworks and stars in the background.
To make one of these puzzles at home, either find a 4×6 in. image/photo to print out or cut out a 4×6 in. of blank paper and let your child draw whatever they would like. Figure out how many Popsicle sticks will be needed to create a back (I used 15 for each of these). Put two long strips of masking tape across the Popsicle sticks, one near the top and one near the bottom. Once the tape is holding them together, flip the Popsicle sticks over so the un-taped side is facing up. Apply a layer of Mod Podge to the Popsicle sticks, then place the picture on top of them, pressing down to get a good bond and smoothing out any air bubbles as you go. Let dry for about 30 minutes.
Follow up with a layer of Mod Podge on top of the image itself. Let dry completely. You can add another layer of Mod Podge if you’d like. Once everything is good and dry, flip the puzzle over. Remove the masking tape and use a craft knife (I actually used a box cutter) to cut in between each Popsicle stick. You may find it helpful to number the sticks so the child has an easier time knowing which piece goes where.
Next week is all about frogs. Join us as we learn all about them!
kplkidscorner.wordpress.com 