How to make a 'Magic Passport' to amaze your kids!

HOW TO MAKE A "MAGIC PASSPORT" ~ a hole in a small 

piece of paper - big enough to step through!

I had such fun with my "Buzzi Brains" class ~ After reading them the story: "The Great Space Adventure", about two children who were bored with their toys and had a magical journey into the world of imagination.

One of the requirements for being able to climb onto the moon rocket, was to figure out a way to make a hole in the Magical Passport - big enough to step through. They were fascinated with this 'trick' and even took some passports home to show their parents!

Here are the instructions for the diagram above:

1. Cut out the black rectangle.

2. Fold it along the green line.

3. Cut from the folded side, along the 7 black lines.

4. Open up the paper.

5. Cut along the 3 red lines.

6. Cut along the 3 blue lines.

7. Carefully open your "Magic Passport".

8. Step through the hole!

Kids learn maths while cooking - chocolate crispies recipe

Kids learn mathematics while having fun!
Cooking with Kids is a great way to promote mathematical thinking!
Basic maths concepts can be taught through all kinds of simple hands-on cooking activities. 

• COOKING can present you with many opportunities for measuring, weighing, counting, and estimating. 
• Cooking also provides many opportunities to use mathematical terms through casual conversation. “We are going to use three eggs,” or  ”The recipe tells us we need to measure out 150 milliliters of milk!” 
• Spending a bit of quality time with kids in the kitchen is an inviting, fun, hands-on approach to building mathematical skills. 
• The greater role children can take in the cooking process, the more they will be able to put into practice basic mathematical thinking and skills.

Here is another easy no bake recipe to make yummy treats with your kids:

Chocolate Crispies

Chocolate crispies are a birthday party food favourite with all kids. Happily, they are super-simple to make and there's always a couple left over for adults to enjoy too.

YOU NEED:

• 4 cups rice crispies
• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
• 1 cup desiccated coconut
• 1/4 cup hundreds and thousands
• 3 tablespoons cocoa
• 250g milk cooking chocolate

WHAT TO DO:

1. 1.   In a large bowl combine rice crispies, icing sugar, coconut, hundreds and thousands and cocoa. Mix well.
2. 2.   Melt cooking chocolate in a small saucepan over medium heat. When completely melted, pour over the dry ingredients.
3. 3.   Mix well, ensuring all ingredients are covered with melted chocolate.
4. 4.   With a spoon, fill cupcake cases and place on a baking tray. Chill in the fridge for one hour.
5. 5.   OUR “BUZZI BRAINS” CHILDREN MADE A FACE WITH SMARTIES ON TOP OF EACH ONE – THIS WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO PRACTICE MATHS = WORKING OUT HOW MANY BLUE EYES, GREEN NOSES AND RED MOUTHS THEY WOULD NEED!

Chocolate Fudge to make with your kids

Yummy Chocolate

Microwave Fudge

This is a great recipe to make with your children!

(We added nuts…..but for those with nut allergies, you can use glazed cherries or dried cranberries instead – delicious!)

WHAT YOU NEED:

·         3 cups milk chocolate chips

·         1 can sweetened condensed milk

·         1/4 cup butter

·         1 cup chopped walnuts or other favourite nuts (or cherries or cranberries)

·         1/8 tsp salt

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

WHAT TO DO:

1. Place milk chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, butter, salt and vanilla extract in large microwaveable bowl.
2. Microwave on medium until chips are melted, about 2-5 minutes, stirring once or twice during melting.
3. Stir in nuts, if desired – OR CHERRIES/CRANBERRIES!
4. Pour into 15×15-cm pan that you have lined with foil and coated with cooking spray.
5. Refrigerate until set.
6. Cut into squares and enjoy!

Educational Enrichment: More Crafts to Enjoy!

 Educational Enrichment: More Crafts to Enjoy!

1. Porcupine Potato Planter

WHAT YOU NEED:

o   A potato

o   2 coloured drawing pins 

o   4 golf tees

o   Soil

o   Grass or bird seed

o   Spoon

o   Scissors

o   Pipe cleaner

WHAT YOU DO:

• Choose a potato with one pointed end.
• Scoop out the top of the potato with a spoon; leave a shell of about 15mm thick
• Press the drawing pins into the pointed end for eyes.
• Twist a short piece of pipe cleaner and press it into the rear for a tail.
• Push the 4 golf tees into the bottom of the potato for legs.
• Fill the opening at the top with soil & sprinkle seeds over the top of the soil.
• Water regularly and your porcupine should grow "bristles" within 10 days.    
• YOU CAN ALSO MAKE THESE POTATO PEOPLE WITH BIRD SEED HAIR!

2. Sandpaper & Wool Pictures

WHAT YOU NEED:

o   Sheet of coarse sandpaper

o   Cardboard

o   Glue

o   Coloured wool

WHAT YOU DO:

• Glue the sheet of sandpaper to the cardboard
• Using coloured wools, make an outline picture.  (The wool will stick!)
• When you are ready to make a new picture, pull the wool away from the sand-paper and make a new one!

3. Sewing Pictures

 

WHAT YOU NEED:

o   Thin cardboard

o   Coloured wools

o   Magazine picture

o   Paints or crayons

o   Pins

o   Nail

o   Scissors

o   Darning needle

WHAT YOU DO:

• Use a magazine picture with a large, simple outline.
• Pin the picture onto the cardboard.
• Punch evenly-spaced holes around the picture outline and through the cardboard with the nail.
• Remove the pins and the picture.
• Thread the needle with wool and sew in and out of the holes of the outline.
• Colour and decorate the picture.
• Make two holes at the top and thread a piece of wool through it for hanging.

4. Juggling Bags

o   Juggling is a fun way to develop those advanced gross motor skills.

o   Making the juggling bags is also a good way to hone fine motor skills!

o   Your child will develop patience, tenacity, and, together with a friend, good competitive spirit!

WHAT YOU NEED:

o   Cotton fabric (scraps will do!)

o   Uncooked green lentils

o   Scissors

o   Needle and cotton.

WHAT TO DO:

            For each juggling bag: (We suggest you make at least three!)

o   Cut a rectangle of fabric 10cm x 20cm.

o   Fold in half, right sides together.

o   Sew the two side seams together with small stitches.

o   Turn the bag right side out.

o   Fold the rough edge inside (about 1cm).

o   Fill to about half with green lentils.

o   Close the bag into a triangular shape by bringing the two side-seam ends together.

o   Sew the open edge closed with small stitches.

The lentils will give your juggling bags some weight and make them easy to grip.    Have fun!

5. Make A Guessing Box.

A Guessing Box, filled with interesting items with different shapes and textures, is a great competitive game to play at parties.

 

WHAT YOU NEED:

o   A large shoebox (or any similar sized box).

o   A circular object to draw around.

o   Pencil.

o   Scissors.

o   Material scrap (for the curtain).

o   Sticky tape.

o   Black paint

o   Glue

o   Glitter

WHAT TO DO:

o   Use the circular object to draw a hole big enough for you hand to go through.

o   Cut out the hole.

o   Paint the outside of the box and the lid, black.

o   Cut two small rectangles of material for curtains to cover the hand hole.

o   Stick your curtains to the inside of the box with sticky tape.

o   Decorate the outside of the box with glitter.

HOW TO PLAY:

o   Fill your box with things like: a seed pod, a plastic spider, a pair of sunglasses, a sponge, a wet cloth, a ball of wool, a metal pillbox, a marble, a lump of play dough, a pine cone, a carrot.

o   Take turns to use your imaginations to guess what is in the box, by touch only.

o   Have fun!

Brain Gym used by "Buzzi Brains"

Brain Gym (used by Buzzi Brains):

Brain gym is a quick and effective way of changing the physical and mental state of the children in your class.

·         It involves physical and mental activity.

·         It connects left and right brain and helps improve motor co-ordination.

·         It can be used at the beginning or ends of lessons or topics.

·         It is safe, enjoyable and non-threatening.

There is a great deal of research into kinesiology which suggests that regular use of the brain-gym activities can alleviate stress, improve hand-eye co-ordination, improve the concentration on focused activities and quicken the response times to visual stimuli.

Also…..it is fun!

MIDLINE MOVEMENTS:

These focus on the skills needed for easy left / right movement across the midline of the body.

Development of bi-lateral movement skills is a prerequisite for whole-body coordination and ease of learning in the near-visual area.

Midline Movements help to integrate binocular vision, binaural hearing, and the left and right sides of the brain and body.

Midline Movements facilitate completion of developmental skills, and to build on concrete operations already established.

They help children increase upper-lower body coordination, for both large-motor activities (for play and sports), & fine-motor skills (near-point work). 

 1.      CROSS CRAWL

·         This accesses both brain hemispheres simultaneously and is an ideal warm-up for all skills which require crossing the body’s lateral midline.

·         To activate kinesthetic sense, alternately touch each hand to the opposite knee.

·         Can be done sitting, moving opposite arm and leg together.

·         Try the cross crawl while lying on the floor – on your back, on your tummy.

·         Reach with opposite arm and leg in varied directions.

·         Reach behind the body to touch the opposite foot.

·         Do a slow-motion cross crawl, reaching the opposite arm and leg to their full extension.

·         Skip or bounce between each cross crawl.

·         To improve balance do it with eyes closed, or pretend to swim.

·         Use colour-coded stickers or ribbons on opposite hands and feet for children who may need a clue.

·         Do cross crawl to a variety of music or rhythms.

·         Cross Crawl activates the brain for: crossing the visual / auditory / kinesthetic / tactile midline; left-to-right eye movements; improved binocular vision.

·         Academic skills: spelling; writing; listening; reading and comprehension.

·         Improved behaviour and posture: Cross crawl helps with improved left-right coordination; enhanced breathing and stamina; greater coordination and spatial awareness; enhanced hearing and vision.

·         When both hemispheres work together like this, children feel open to learning and new things!

2.      BELLY BREATHING

·         This reminds us to breathe instead of holding our breath during focused mental activity or physical exertion.

·         Inhale through your nose and initially cleanse your lungs with one long exhalation, released in short puffs through pursed lips.

·         Now (one hand on belly), breathe in and out through the nose, counting to three on the in breath, hold for three and out for three.

·         Do this standing, walking, sitting or lying on your back. (When lying, put a toy or book on your belly and watch it move up and down.)

·         Activates the brain for: ability to cross the midline; centering and grounding; relaxation of the central nervous system; cranial rhythms.

·         Academic skills: Reading (encoding and decoding); speech and oral reading.

·         Improved behaviour and posture: improved inflection and expression; a heightened energy level; diaphragmatic breathing; an improved attention span.

3.      CROSS CRAWL SIT-UPS

·         These strengthen the abdominal muscles, relax the lower back, and activate the integration of the left and right brain hemispheres.

·         Students develop coordination of the core, postural muscles and a sense of organization around the body’s midline.

·         Do cross crawl sit-ups on a padded surface to protect the tailbone!

·         Position yourself on your back, clasp your hands behind your head, knees up,

·         Touch one elbow to the opposite knee, and then alternate the movement as though riding a bicycle.

·         Imagine an X connecting your hips and shoulders.

·         Alternatively, lie flat with arms and legs extended. Lift one knee and touch it with the opposite hand. (This strengthens the abdominal muscles for those uncomfortable with lifting the head.)

·         Activates the brain for: left-right integration; centering and grounding; awareness of core, postural muscles.

·         Academic skills: reading (decoding and encoding); listening skills; maths (computations); the mechanics of spelling and writing.

·         Improved behaviour and posture: strengthened abdominal muscles; a relaxed, strong lumbar spine (lower back); diaphragm moves separately from stomach muscles.

Enrichment Exercises for "I Have Toes!"

ENRICHMENT EXERCISES FOR "I HAVE TOES!":

VALUES ~ SELF AWARENESS & ACCEPTANCE OF OTHERS

 

1.    Self-concept: One of the first steps in healthy emotional development is for your child to develop self - awareness.

~ As you read the story-book point out your child’s own little toes, nose, shin, chin, etc.                                   ~ Talk about people you know and discuss their knees,   noses, bellies, or hair.

2.   Self-esteem: Sources of self-esteem are both internal (the child experiences pleasure at having accomplished a task), and external (positive feedback from parents who recognize the child’s achievement.)

~ Ask your child to point at the toes on page 0, the rose and the nose on page 2, the knees on page 4, and so on. Let her repeat the words, and show her that you are pleased at her achievement.

3.   Body awareness: Play a game with your child like “Simon Says” and see if she can mimic your actions.     ~ As you say: “Simon says, ‘Put your hands on your head’”, do the action as well. (Go through all the body parts so that your child learns all their names.)

4.   Awareness of others: Go through the family album and point out grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins and friends. Talk about them, their relationship to your child and about things they do; e.g. “This is Uncle Albert, he is a policeman.” Or “This is your cousin Barney; remember when he came to your birthday party?”

5.   Differences: Compare the pictures of people in this book. Talk about the colours of their clothing, their hair styles, their facial expressions, their ages and sizes.

6. Fantasy and reality:

~ Look at the picture on page 16. Ask: are pigs really green and red and purple?

~ Look at the picture on page 18. Ask: Do trees have hair? What is green and hangs down? (Leaves.)           Do trees have brown toes? (Roots.)

7. Pronunciation:

~ Play a game with your child and repeat all the rhyming words in the story. Listen carefully to hear if your child is pronouncing the words correctly. DO NOT CORRECT your child, just say the words again and allow her to practise.

Enrichment Exercises for "Trains and Boats and Planes"

ENRICHMENT EXERCISES FOR "TRAINS AND BOATS AND PLANES":

1. Theme: TRAVEL

2. Values:

ž  Sense of Adventure

ž  Responsibility

ž  Unconditional love

ž  Acceptance

3. Related topics:

ž  Traffic Safety

ž  Types of transport

ž  Movement

ž  Traffic Sounds

4. To promote sorting skills and the understanding of

    types of movement:

ž  Look in your toy box for things that MOVE.

ž  Sort out all your toys with wheels on for traveling on land:

(Do you have toy cars, trains, trucks, prams, bicycles?)

ž  Sort out all your toys that are designed to fly:

(Do you have airplanes, helicopters, or parachutes to toss in the air?)

ž  Perhaps you have a Frisbee?  See how it glides when you throw it?

ž                        Do you have other toys that twirl in the wind, like a windmill on a stick?

ž  Sort out all your toys that float on water:

(What about all your favourite bath toys?)

ž  Have you ever floated a paper boat in a puddle of rain?

5. To promote recognition of the main character in the  

    story as well as the perception of position:

ž  Who is the little person you see on each page?  Could it be you?

ž  Where is the little person when the train goes past?

ž  Where is he when the motorcycle goes speeding by?

ž  Where is he when the airplane flies overhead?

ž  Who is in the basket of the hot air balloon?

ž  Who is in the helicopter?

ž  Where is our little person when the boats and ships sail by?

6. To reinforce traffic safety:

    (Look at the picture on page 17.)

ž  Who is standing at the robot?

ž  Why do they hold hands?

ž  Can you name the colours of the traffic lights?

ž  Which colour is at the top?

ž  Which colour is in the middle?

ž  Which colour is at the bottom?

ž  Can you make up a song about the traffic lights?  Here are the words, now you make up a tune:

                   “Green means go,

              Yellow means slow

              and red means stop.”

7. To promote oral and language skills:

ž  Who is waving to our little character from the big truck?

ž  What is the big truck carrying?

ž  Where is he going with such a heavy load?

ž  What is a harbor?

ž  Where will the ships take their load?

ž  AND FINALLY!  Who is this on the bicycle?