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Get Ready for School with Siblings, Twins, and Multiples

Get Ready for School with Siblings, Twins, and Multiples 

Each summer families are busily preparing for the new school year for their children. Various rites of passage include:

  • Having your children complete summer homework assignments to submit to teachers on the first day of school
  • Completing all new school year registration forms
  • Taking your children to the doctor to complete any physicals and immunizations
  • Visiting the school to locate the grade level classroom and learn more about the newly assigned teacher
  • Going shopping for school supplies
  • Taking your children shopping for some new school clothes

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Transportation and Construction Play Activities

Transportation and Construction Play Activities 

When learning about various types of transportation vehicles and how they can be used in the community, suggested materials and activities include the following:

Materials:

  • Stories or books on transportation and construction that can be discussed include:
    • There’s a Hole in the Road (by Mary Ann Burke published on GenParenting.com)
    • Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site
    • Wheels at Work Construction book
    • Find it: Things That Go
    • Spot the Difference Building Site
  • Foam bath vehicles
  • Transportation and Construction vehicles (i.e. TOMY TOOMies dump truck)
  • Building materials (i.e. Roylco Straw Connectors)
  • Vehicle speedways (i.e. Blu Track)

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Transportation and Construction Reading Activity

Transportation and Construction Reading Activities with Kids!

You can read with your children about different types of vehicles, how to construct a road, or you can help your child learn how to identify vehicles when driving on errands. When reading to your children, help them learn critical thinking and problem-solving skills by asking questions and talking about the story. Listed below are stories, discussion questions, and relevant California Common Core Standards used by teachers for early elementary students to develop effective language arts skills.

Suggested stories or books on transportation and construction may include:

  • There’s a Hole in the Road by Mary Ann Burke reprinted by permission on GenParenting.com
  • Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site
  • Wheels at Work Construction book
  • Find it: Things That Go
  • Spot the Difference Building Site

A Hole in the Road Story

The story below was created by Grandma Mary Ann and her grandchildren after her car slipped into a sink hole at the bottom of a hill. Although there is some truth to the story, it is greatly exaggerated and can be read to your children with much imagination and humor. After reading the story, you can answer the comprehension questions and submit a comment to GenParenting.com Comments. [Read more…]

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Transportation and Construction Play with Kids

Transportation and Construction Play with Kids 

Bryce is passionate about visiting construction sites. When walking through the city, we will stop to watch a road being repaired and a new sky scraper being built. My grandson will carefully observe how the various types of construction equipment is used for specific construction jobs. He loves to watch the transformation of earth moving equipment that forms roads and highways.

At home and at the park, Bryce recreates construction sites with his construction vehicles. He has studied books and knows the name and purpose for each type of construction truck.  Bryce likes to be the truck operator and will work cooperatively with a pretend crew when creating a road or building. When playing with others, he has learned how to share his toys and take turns when operating the different vehicles. [Read more…]

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Nature Exploration Play Activities for Kids

Nature Exploration Play Activities for Kids

Children love to explore nature and the evolution of nature at a very early age. My toddler granddaughters and early elementary grandkids love to play in the garden and explore nature, smell various flowers, dissect plants, and observe insects and bugs per the following activities:

Materials:

  • The Very Hungry Caterpillar book
  • Bug box
  • Dual lenses magnifying glass
  • Big Bunch of Bugs kit
  • Mini rake and scooper
  • Kits for raising insects (i.e. Lore Original Butterfly Garden)

[Read more…]

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