Hello Redbud Families,

I hope everyone is as well as they can be under the present circumstances and finding ways to connect with their friends, families, and communities.  Know that you are all in our thoughts every day and we are here if you need anything, or just want to say hi.

Teacher Message:

Today, I have two videos.  In the first, I read Lola Loves Stories by Anna McQuinn, a book that will be familiar to many of the Redbud kids.  In the second, I invite the Redbuds along on an imaginary trip with me.

Video 1:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4V2LeHqfg-k

Video 2:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKuvfq2Ymjk

 

Family Activities:

  1.  Pretend Play.  One of the things I truly love is watching the Redbuds engage their imaginations in pretend play!  Using Lola Loves Stories as inspiration, choose a favorite book to inspire some imaginative play.  You can use everyday materials from around the house, but don’t worry about making it elaborate – the simplest items can often inspire the most complex play.  For example, pretend play train trips in the Redbud room often start by lining up a few kid-sized chairs or big blocks or even cardboard boxes.

  2. Shadows and Sunbeams.  During the sunny days last week, I was thinking about the idea of taking a walk to look for shadows.  You can offer some fun challenges, like “Can you make the shadow of your foot touch the shadow of the tree?” Or “Can your shadow hide in the building’s shadow?”  You can also invite kids to interact with shadows by drawing on the shadows with chalk or painting on them with water. Try tracing a shadow with chalk and coming back a few hours later to see if the shadow is still in your outline, and invite kiddos to wonder with you about any changes you notice.

  3. Substitution Songs:  There are many kids songs where a phrase is repeated and you substitute a new word every time (think of “Old MacDonald”, “The Wheels on the Bus”, or three songs that were on Jarrod’s Sing Along on Friday: “Big, Bigger, Biggest”, “Stop and Go” and “The Rattlin’ Bog”).  Give your kiddo a chance to help shape the song by filling in words. Give older, more verbal kids a challenge by asking them to think about categories (“Can you name an animal?”) or attributes (Can you think of something bigger than a frog?”).  Less verbal kids may participate by showing different movements for “Stop and Go” or holding up a toy farm animal to sing about for “Old MacDonald”.

 

Laura, for the Redbud Team