Video Jam: The Medicine Song

In honor of my little man, who is under the weather today...We want to share some of our favorite "I'm Feeling Icky Today" songs.  Enjoy!!

Video Jam: Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast

In honor of my little man, who is under the weather today...We want to share some of our favorite "I'm Feeling Icky Today" songs.  Enjoy!!


Of Montreal on Yo Gabba Gabba! from NickPress on Vimeo.

Craft Jam: Hands and Feet Reindeer

An easy to make reindeer craft for classrooms, a Christmas party, or with your little one at home.

Hands and Feet Reindeer

 

Materials:

• Large plastic eyes
• Large red pom-poms (glitter pom-poms are a fun addition!)
• Brown construction paper, craft foam or cardstock paper
• Lighter brown or tan paper for the ears (optional)
• Construction paper in any color; optional if you would like to glue the reindeer onto another piece of paper.

Directions:

1. First, with one shade of brown, cut the antlers and reindeer, using your child's handprint and shoeprint as a pattern.
2. Then, cut the ears with the other brown. You can use a lighter shade of brown to add yet another layer to the ears but that's not necessary.
3. Glue the antlers together at a slight angle.
4. Then add the ears,
5. Glue the head on last.
6. Glue the eyes and nose the the head and add a smile with a marker.

It's that simple!

 

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10 Tips to Make Your Home a Place For Young Readers

Learning to read is an exciting accomplishment in a child's life. Unlike talking, reading doesn't come naturally. Literacy skills take practice and need to be developed over time. The informed parent has ample opportunities to enhance pre-reading skills in their young children.  Below are 10 tips to make your home a place for your young reader.

1. Choose a quiet time for reading to your child, as in before a nap, bedtime, or after dinner.
2. Choose a special place for family reading, like a comfortable chair or pillows piled on the floor.
3. Let your child select the book for you to read aloud.
4. Hold the book so that she or he can see the pictures. If possible, also let her or him turn the pages.
5. Take time to look at and talk about the pictures. Don't just read the story: talk about it. Let your child point out letters, shapes, colors, and animals.
6. Understand that reading begins at home. Children read their environments, so make your home a print rich environment.
7. Read! Don't expect reading to be important to your children if they see that it's not important to you.
8. Invite your child to read to you. If he or she is a pre reader, he'll often interpret his own story using illustrations and his imagination.  
9. Make lists, lots of them. Make them for grocery shopping, books to buy and things to take on trips.
10. Read aloud to your child every day.

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Recipe Jam: Marshmallow Pilgrim Hats

Marshmallow Pilgrim Hats

Here's a treat that looks old-fashioned but is made with two favorite modern-day sweets: marshmallows and chocolate.

 

Ingredients

• 24 chocolate-striped shortbread cookies
• 12-ounce package of chocolate chips
• 24 marshmallows
• tube of yellow decorators' frosting

Instructions

1. Set the chocolate-striped cookies stripes down on a wax-paper-covered tray, spacing them well apart.
2. Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave or double boiler.
3. One at a time, stick a wooden toothpick into a marshmallow, dip the marshmallow into the melted chocolate, and promptly center it atop a cookie.
4. Using a second toothpick to lightly hold down the marshmallow, carefully pull out the first toothpick.
5. Chill the hats until the chocolate sets, then pipe a yellow decorators' frosting buckle on the front of each hat.

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Video Jam: The Alphabet with Elmo and India.Arie

Enjoy this melodic rendition of the ABC song with your little one today!

Alphabet Jam: Commissary/Grocery Store Hunt!

L is for Lemon! Turn your next trip to the commissary or grocery store into a fun learning experience with our KinderJam Grocery Hunts. Click on the image below and print. Happy Hunting!!!!

Video Jam: Veterans Day Tribute to Military Children!!

Arts & Craft Jam:Finger Stamp Place Cards

 

These handy little birds are great seat markers and a fun predinner activity. Have the younger set make them for the rest of the family, or let everyone try his hand -- or at least a finger -- at making his own.

 Materials:

• White card stock
• Nontoxic stamp pads in brown, red, orange, and yellow
• Glue
• Googly eyes
• Markers

Instructions:

1. For each bird, fold a piece of card stock as shown (ours were roughly 3 by 4 inches). Set out nontoxic stamp pads in brown, red, orange, and yellow. Using your thumb or index finger, stamp rings of yellow, orange, and red, and a brown turkey body.
2. Glue googly eyes in place, then use  markers to draw on a beak, snood, and feet and to write a guest's name below the bird.

Tip:

If your duty station has you far away from loved ones during the Thanksgiving holiday.  Turn this cute place cards into Thanksgiving cards for Grandma and Grandpa or a deployed parent.  Help your little one thing they are thankful for and mail this card in time for the holiday.

 

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Commissary/Grocery Store Hunt!

Turn your next trip to the commissary or grocery store into a fun learning experience with our KinderJam Grocery Hunts. Click on the image below and print. Happy Hunting!!!!

Math Jam: The Shape Hokey Pokey

Objective: To identify a variety of two-dimensional shapes

Materials:

KinderJam Shape Mats

Scissors

Directions:

1. Print and cut out the shapes on the KinderJam Shape Mats.
2. Discuss each shape with your child.
3. Give your child the shape cut outs.
4. Sing the Hokey Pokey Shape Song 

Song:
Put your circle in,
Put you circle out,
Put your circle in and shake it all bout.
Do the hokey pokey and turn yourself around that's what its all about!

Put your square in,
Put your square out,
Put your square in and shake it all about.
Do the hokey pokey and turn yourself around that's what its all about!

Put your oval in,
Put your oval out,
Put your oval in and shake it all about.
Do the hokey pokey and turn yourself around that's what its all about!

Put your rectangle in,
Put your rectangle out,
Put your rectangle in and shake it all about.
Do the hokey pokey and turn yourself around that's what its all about!

Put your triangle in,
Put your triangle out,
Put your triangle in and shake it all about.
Do the hokey pokey and turn yourself around that's what its all about!

Extention:

For older preschoolers make shapes such as hexagon, octogon, rhombus, and trapezoid to use in your Shape Hokey Pokey.