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Art and the Preschooler - Mother Goose Time

Children love art.  This month our theme for Mother Goose Time is The Art Studio.  In addition to learning to recognize famous works of art such as the Mona Lisa, The Girl With the Pearl Earring, and Starry Night, Little Guy will get to experiment with creating his own art in a variety of ways.  Printmaking, Pointellism, and Stenciling are just a few of the different techniques we will be learning.

The set up for this month is completely different than most months.  It is designed differently because of the fact that many childcare facilities have older children during the summer months, so its a little more "day camp" and a little less preschool.  Opening this box was a surprise, because things I expected to be there were not, and there were lots of things I didn't anticipate that were included.

One of the main focuses of this month is good financial stewardship.  Everyday we have an activity to do that focuses on learning responsible ways to earn, give, spend and save.  Today we wrote down a list of jobs that Little Guy can do, then I gave him silly jobs (stand on one foot, jump up and down, etc.) and "paid" him with some little foam squares that were included in the Money Kit.  Stay tuned for more about Falco the Flightless Bird and how he helps children learn both good character and good financial stewardship.

Another focus is on geography.  We received a blow up globe, and each week we focus on another part of Europe (France, Italy, and Holland), and its flags, food, and of course, ART!

We are almost halfway through the month (and the summer) and I have JUST NOW (like today!) figured out how to fit Mother Goose Time into my daily routine with everyone being home, having fun activities 2-5 days a week, and lots of schoolwork for the girls.  When we get home from (free) lunch and playing at the park, the girls are all sent to read for a couple of hours.  Usually Little Guy goes to nap at this time, but I realized today that instead I can have him do Mother Goose Time for an hour or so, then nap an hour later.  Ta-da!  He loves Mother Goose Time, and asks for it almost everyday, and I have been feeling SOOOO guilty for telling him no so often!

Between the long weekend for Independence Day and our extra long weekend camping, we just started our July curriculum.  We probably won't manage to finish the whole month, but I know that Little Guy will appreciate both the fun activities and the one-on-one time he gets doing Mother Goose Time.  I will appreciate that he is learning while having fun, and that my blog posts will be more interesting when I am doing more of the activities.  

I am so excited to get back into the swing of things with Little Guy.  Life changes so much, and I am not very good at keeping up as things change.  If I get into a good routine, I am on top of things, until something out of the ordinary happens (school lets out, vacation, new foster child, an illness, etc., etc.) and then I am lost for a month or so while I figure out a new routine.  Just about the time I get really comfortable with the way things are going, life changes again!  Chaos often reigns in my house, but I do try!

Little Guy and I get Mother Goose Time FREE in exchange for sharing our experiences!  All opinions are our own!

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