Drama Club

Kaylee has a dramatic side. She is often putting on shows for family and friends. She is not shy. She enjoys being the center of attention. She likes being on a stage. When our homeschool group announced that there was a Drama 1 Club starting we signed up.

Kaylee at her first audition for Drama Club.

I didn't realize what we were signed up for. There was a lot of time involved. Practices and meetings at least once a week. More practices and long hours a week before the performances. And I volunteered for a few tasks. It was worth it.

The play was about Christopher Columbus. There were 3 shows on two different days. Kaylee played two minor rolls in the performances. She played a townsperson and an Indian princess. It involved a costume change between scenes. I took her to the bathroom and helped her change into her next costume. Then, took her to the person doing make up and had her Indian princess make up applied.

Kaylee dressed as a townsperson. 

Kaylee dressed as an Indian princess. 

Practice, practice, practice...

The shows went well. This was such a great experience for both Kaylee and myself. It was also exhausting. She has already expressed interest in signing up for the next session of Drama Club. Kaylee enjoys being on the stage.

We gave Kaylee a bouquet of flowers after the final performance. 

Snowmen and snow ice cream!

We've had a lot of snow in our area the last few weeks. It's also been unusually cold. What does one do when life gives you lots of snow? Well, you make snowmen and snow ice cream, of course!

Kaylee and her snowman.

We searched and found a recipe for snow ice cream. The night before a big snowfall was predicted we put a mixing bowl on our patio table to catch some snow. We had a huge bowl full of snow! 

We put out a mixing bowl the night before a snowfall and this is how much snow we caught! 

We didn't exactly follow the recipe. We put a chunk of snow in a bowl, mixed in some coconut milk, vanilla, and sugar until we liked the flavor and texture. Then, we added some toppings and ate it. We didn't use the whole chunk of snow from the above picture. That would have been a bit too much.

Adding some sugar and testing the texture.

Whipping it all together with some vanilla. 

This is the final product. It is not the same texture as regular ice cream. 

Kaylee added some sprinkles to her snow ice cream.

It was very yummy. We will be putting out another mixing bowl before the next snowfall...Hopefully that will be NEXT winter. :)

Chinese New Year

We studied Chinese New Year. We got a few books out if the library and read about the traditions. Then, she made a Chinese dragon mask. To make the mask, we used a paper bag. I helped her to find where she needed to cut out the eye holes. I also trimmed the paper bag so it would sit properly on her shoulders. 

Getting the paper bag lined up correctly on her face and shoulders. 

Next, she painted the bag green. We let it dry overnight. Then, she added construction paper eyes, spikes, and a yellow nose. It turned out very cute and it was a lot of fun to make.

Kaylee wearing her completed Chinese dragon mask. 

Nature Club: Animal Tracks

In our nature club we learned about animal tracking. First, our group walked near the waters edge and looked for tracks. Unfortunately, it had rained a lot and it was really muddy. At least one of the children in our club walked thorough mud and their shoe got stuck. But, it made tracks easy to spot.

The children were told to mark the tracks that they find with a yellow flag. Then, they mixed plaster of paris and poured it into the print. Kaylee found a set of nice clear tracks. 

Kaylee marked the tracks she found with a yellow flag. 

She found a nice set of tracks. 

After the plaster was mixed, Kaylee poured it into the tracks and then smoothed it out with a craft stick. 

Pouring in the plaster.

Smoothing the plaster. 

While the plaster dried we went inside for a lesson on tracking. We were given a guide to some of the most common tracks found in our area. 

Trying to determine what happened by looking at the tracks.

Kaylee's prints turned out very nice. We learned that these are raccoon tracks. 

American Girl Doll

Kaylee had been wanting an American Girl doll for quite some time. The dolls are very expensive. But, Santa was lucky enough to know someone who was willing to sell their old doll for a reasonable price. The doll happened to have blonde hair and blue eyes like Kaylee. Santa was very excited. Oh, and so was Kaylee. Santa sent her on a treasure hunt all around the house. There was a gift and a clue waiting for her at each spot. Each gift was a clue to the final big gift.

Kaylee following the clues and finding a gift. Each gift was a clue to the final big gift. 

The American Girl doll was the last gift and her doll Kirsten was waiting for her in Kaylee's car seat.

She followed all the clues and found Kirsten waiting for her in the car. 

She is happy! 

We are fortunate to live close to an American Girl store. We thought it would be fun to browse the store and take Kirsten for a "spa treatment."

Kaylee at the American Girl store.

We browsed the store and had a snack at the American Girl Cafe. The cafe was adorable. There are special chairs for your doll. If you don't have a doll, you can borrow one of theirs to sit at your table with you. The dolls are even given their own cup and saucer to use while in the cafe. 

Kaylee and her doll Kirsten having a snack at the American Girl Cafe.

After our snack, we went to the American Girl hair salon. Kaylee got to choose which hair style she wanted for her doll. We got the "Pampering Plus" package. The doll got a facial scrub and wiped clean. It also came with toe nail decals to put on a home. 

Kirsten is relaxing during her treatment. 

Kaylee and Kirsten dressed alike. 

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Auntie Anne Pretzel Making Workshop

Through our homeschool group we signed up for the Auntie Anne's pretzel making workshop. It was a tour of our local Auntie Anne's, a lesson on the history of pretzels, and then a workshop on how to shape your own pretzels. We enjoy these kinds of tours! 

We got a tour of the kitchen and saw the huge mixer preparing the dough. 

Ready to roll some pretzel dough!

Rolling the dough. 

She carefully followed the instructions and created a pretzel. 

Kaylee trying to twist her pretzel while in the air like demonstrated.

Finally, she got to eat a pretzel. Luckily, it was a fresh new pretzel. Apparently, they throw away the dough that the group uses for the workshop. 

Montessori North America Pin Map

Before studying North America, we learned the names of each continent and ocean. I used the idea and 3 part cards from Imagine Our Life except that I didn't sew anything. I can't sew. I used our wooden puzzle map and a paper map of the world to help Kaylee learn to identify each continent and ocean.

We also studied important landmarks from around the world. The idea was also from Imagine Our Life and used the Around the World Toob and World Landmark Toob from Safari Ltd and Montessori three-part cards from Imagine Our Life to recognize and then place each item on the map.

When we began studying North America, I used the Animals of North America 3 part cards from Imagine Our Life and Toob animals to study some of the animals in North America. Of course, I didn't do any sewing. We just put the animals onto our map.

For some reason, I didn't take any pictures of Kaylee doing those activities. It is quite strange that I didn't take ANY pictures. I guess we were just so involved in doing them that I forgot. The next time we do those activities I will have to take pictures and then post them.

Recently, I had a rare few hours to myself. During this time, I began to create a few Montessori materials I've been meaning to complete. Instead of buying the official wooden North America pin map and spending a lot of money, I went to Montessori Print Shop and bought the PDF for the Geography Pin Map of North America. It is used to teach the country names and flag identification of each North American country. On the flags that I used, the country name is on the back for self correction.

Beginning to make the Montessori North America pin map.

There are directions on how to make the North American pin map on the Montessori Print Shop website that can be found here. It didn't take nearly as long as I thought it was going to take and I made it while I was catching up on some tv.

Kaylee came home while I was in the middle of making the pin map. She had to try it out right away. 

Kaylee had to try it out before I was even finished making it. 

I really like how it turned out. I will be using Montessori Print Shop for our other pin maps and for completing our North America Geography folder. Montessori sure is a lot of fun for all of us!

Montessori Land and Water Forms Activity

Montessori land and water forms are a big part of the geography curriculum. The purpose of the geography curriculum are to bring the awareness of the child's position in the world, and the features and people of the world around them. 

The first thing I did was print free land and water form 3 part cards from Montessori Materials . Then, I printed off a land and water form photo book from Montessori Print Shop for a few dollars.

Kaylee using her land and water forms 3-part cards.

As you can see in the following picture, each land and water form is the exact opposite of the other. 

After we studied the land and water forms with the 3 part cards and mini photo book, it was time to create the land forms using clay and water. I bought a few packs of reusable plastic containers and a bucket of clay. We put newspaper on the table and Kaylee created each land and water form. 

Creating the first land and water form using clay.

Kaylee created each land and water form.

Many of the land and water forms already completed! 

After they were all completed and dried, we poured water into each container. It demonstrated the way land and water forms exist in the world. The clay ran a little bit, but it was still a meaningful activity. Kaylee had a lot of fun studying the different land and water forms.

There are many online stores that sell the land and water forms already made and ready to use. It was a bit beyond our budget and we had a great time creating our own. Even if they weren't quite perfect...

Little Town Orange Flower

We recently finished reading the Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. While looking for more books about the Little House Stories we found a book called, "My Little House Crafts Book," by Collins and Eriksson. As soon as we got in the car, Kaylee began to look through it. She decided she just had to make the Little Town Orange Flower from the Craft Book. The orange was from the book, "Little Town on the Prairie." 

The book says that oranges were are rare treat for Laura, the main character from the series. She was at a birthday party and they served these beautiful orange flowers for dessert. Laura was 14 years old at the time and she had only eaten an orange only once before. 

Pollock Painting by Kaylee

We are continuing our World's Greatest Artist study that we downloaded for free (click here for link.)  Our next artist is Jackson Pollock. We read about his work, studied a few of his pieces, made a mini book about his work, completed a study card, and then went outside to create our own unique abstract expressionism piece.

Kaylee wanted to use a turkey baster because in one of the books we read it explained that Pollock didn't always use typical artist tools for his paintings. 

It took a few minutes, but Kaylee got into the "action painting" that Pollock was famous for doing. 

She even got paint in her hair. 

Somehow she got paint on her back! 

Paint is splattered every where. She has paint all over herself. She had fun. I'd call this lesson as success!