Spring Craft Ideas!

Those of you who are crafty and love doing activities with your children will be especially inspired by the sunny weather! The sunshine seems to give us a renewed energy and a wonder of new things and new ideas!

Here are a few springtime activities to get you started!

Spring Blossom Tree

This one is super cute! Just pop some air pop popcorn (don’t use microwave ones with the buttery stuff on it) Then cut out a tree shape (just the branches no leaves)Glue the tree shape to a piece of colored paper and then glue the popcorn on resembling blossoms! Option – you can toss the popcorn in a plastic/ paper bag with some pink powder paint and give it a shake to make pink cherry blossoms!

Spring Wind Sock

I love this one because it’s so easy and they turn out so awesome!
What you will need:

• stickers,
• construction paper,
• tissue paper (or streamers),
• tape,
• string

What to do:

• Place stickers all over the paper leaving a couple inches on one short side because it will be covered when you roll up the paper anyway (we like spring stickers such as flowers and bugs and sunshines!) When that is all done, turn the paper over and place strips of tissue paper along the bottom long edge of the paper and tape them down.
• Next, roll the paper into a large tube by bring both short ends together and over lapping until you get the size you want, place a long piece of tape along the edge to hold it together.
• Next take a string (approx. 6 inches) and tape each end inside the tube on the top to create a hanger.
• Done! So cute and perfect in a sunny window!

Button Blossoms

This one is super easy and gives you a little start on blossoming blooms before the real ones arrive!
You just need some colorful buttons and some thin wire.http://littlehandslotsoflove.blogspot.com/2011/02/button-blooms.html

Spring Twig

This is so pretty! Put a few small drops of brown watered down paint at bottom of a piece of paper. Blow with a straw up and over a little left and right to create a pretty shaped branch with lots of twigs. Then take spring color tissue squares (such as pink or light green) and pinch in the middle and glue on like a blossom or bud along the twigs, remembering to get some on the ends of the twigs. Really beautiful on your wall! This also looks beautiful if you do it on white paper and then glue it on a larger piece of paper that matches the tissue paper, it creates a really sweet frame! If you are really inspired – I have done this project on a canvas so it’s ready to hang!

Check back throughout Spring to see more ideas popping up!

Other craft websites for Spring ideas!

Love this site!

http://familyfun.go.com/spring/spring-crafts/

Spring!

It is a beautiful sunny day on the coast of Vancouver Island! It is only February but, wow, does it feel like Spring! Today will be a day spent outside soaking up all that sunshine we have been deprived of for several cloudy and grey months. And what better way to spend a beautiful early spring day than to sing a few songs and talk about this fabulous weather?!

Spring Songs and Poems

What the Robin Told

The wind told the grasses,
And the grasses told the trees.
The trees told the bushes,
And the bushes told the bees.
The bees told the robin,
And the robin sang out clear:
Wake up! Wake up!
Spring is here!

Springtime

(This would make an awesome felt board poem!)

A small green frog
On a big brown log;
A black and yellow bee
In a little green tree;
A red and yellow snake
By a blue-green lake,
All sat and listened
To red bird sing,
"Wake up, everybody,
It's spring! It's spring!"

First I was

(Tune Johnny Works With One Hammer)

First I was a raindrop, raindrop, raindrop
First I was a raindrop, pitter and patter
Then I was a puddle, puddle, puddle
Then I was a puddle, splash and splatter

Then I heard the children, children, children

Then I heard the children laugh and play
Then I saw the sunshine, sunshine, sunshine
Then I saw the sunshine and dried away

The Little Caterpillar
(Sung to "Itsy, Bitsy Spider")

The little caterpillar crawled up into a tree,
Spun his cocoon and slept so quietly,
All through the winter he didn't make a sound,
He dreamt of his new life when he'd be flying all around.
While he was sleeping the snow did gently fall,
Winter came and went, then he heard the robin's call,
Come on Mr. Butterfly, out of your cocoon
Spread your wings and fly for me, while I sing my tune.

Check back soon for Spring Craft Ideas!

References
Canteach.ca

Everythingpreschool.com

Valentine's Day Songs!

Sharing the love...

Love, Love, Love (tune: 3 Blind Mice)

Love, love, love,
love, love, love
See how it grows,
See how it grows.
I love my friends and they love me.
We love each other it’s plain to see.
There's plenty for a big family.
Love, love, love, love, love, love.

I'm a Happy Little Heart (I'm a Little White Duck)

I'm happy little heart
I’m pink and white and red.
A happy little heart with lace around my edge.
I have three words on the front of me.
That say I love you! Oh, can't you see?
I'm a happy little heart
I’m pink and white and red.
Happy little heart with lace around my edge!

H-E-A-R-T (Tune: Bingo)

There is a shape and it means love

And heart is it's name-o.
H-E-A-R-T, H-E-A-R-T, H-E-A-R-T,
And Heart is it's name-o!

Continue leaving out a letter on each repeat and use a clap in place of the letter.

As a felt song have five heart shapes with a letter on each that 5 children hold in front of the group and turn over as that letter is left off.

Do You Know My Valentine? (Muffin Man)

Do you know my Valentine,

My Valentine, my Valentine?
Do you know my valentine?
His/her name is _________.

Five Pretty Valentines

Five pretty valentines waiting at the store.
(Insert child's name) bought one and then there were four.

Four pretty valentines shaped like a "V"

(Insert child's name) bought one and then there were three.

Three pretty valentines said "I love you"

(Insert child's name) bought one and then there were two.

Two pretty valentines, this was so much fun.

(Insert child's name) bought one and then there was one.

One pretty valentine, sitting on the shelf.

I felt sorry for it, so I bought it for myself!

New Year’s Resolution: ‘Spend More Quality Time with My Child!’

Have you started this resolution yet?

Life gets busy. As parents we all want to slow down and spend more time with our children. It makes us feel good and it makes them feel good. It creates lasting memories and close relationships with each other.

However, we all know how busy life can be! Work, school, dinners, chores, baths, etc. It’s busy and it’s exhausting!

How do we create time and make this time priority on our list everyday? We make it easy!

Two things often prevent us from spending that time with our children:

1. Exhaustion
2. Busy, busy, busy (checking off to-do lists!)

Exhaustion

You may be feeling like you just want to relax at the end of your day! Not run around playing hide and seek. Well, surprisingly, children enjoy that down time too! It doesn’t matter what you do, it doesn’t have to be a big, thought out project and it doesn’t mean packing up and going out to the park or the pool.

Busy, busy, busy!

I know that some of you are saying, ‘I have too much to do! I can’t sit and play cars or build blocks, or play store. I need to get things done!’ Fair enough, the time for a parent is not enough and the list is always way too long.

So how do you compromise? How do you accomplish tasks or relax and not miss out on precious time with your child?

Let’s figure out how you can be together without exerting a ton of energy that you just don’t have, or delaying things on your list that will take your focus away from enjoying any other activity with your child.

No energy?

Find some things to do that you can sit down and not have to pour a lot of preparation and planning into…

• Sit and read stories, or have your child read to you
• Cuddle together and watch a show or a movie
• Cuddle and talk! Talk about the day – likes/ dislikes. Talk about what you want to do tomorrow. Talk about anything!
• Do a puzzle with a cup of tea and a snack
• Create a sticker book! So fun! (we use a binder with those plastic protectors, then we put stickers on colored paper and just slide them in!)
• Color! Easy, easy, easy!
• Look through cookbooks and sticky note the recipes you want to try together

What’s on your list?

Tasks can easily incorporate your child’s assistance and company if you think creatively about how to do it! It’s also a lot more fun to do together, it gets done faster, sometimes, and your children love being with you, regardless of what you are doing, if it’s together and you are having fun doing it, they will love it and you will to when you realize just how much time you can spend together! Children love to help!

• If the dishes really can’t wait? Let your child stand on a chair and rinse the dishes, or help unload the dishwasher and place things on the counter.
  
• Doing laundry? Children are great at putting clothes in front loading washers, they enjoy putting the soap in the dispenser and pushing the start button. Children can also easily fold face clothes and tea towels (it doesn’t matter if they are not perfectly folded)
  
• Writing out Thank You notes or birthday cards? Bring out the markers and paper and let you child create their own thank you notes!
  
• Need to mail bill payments? Go for a walk to the mailbox together
  
• Making lunches for the next day? Children can help with this! They can pick out fruit to add to each lunch kit, spreading peanut butter on bread, adding juice boxes, etc. Even toddlers can be involved by using step by step instructions (find an apple, pick it up, put it in!)
  
• Getting coffee ready on the timer for the morning? Children love to scoop and pour the coffee grinds
  
• Grocery shopping? Preschool children love to ‘Spy’ the next item! (We are looking for…. Let’s see who can spy them first!)
  
• Dusting? Put on some tunes and slide some socks onto your child’s hands, easy way for them to help with the dusting! Especially those awkwardly low baseboards!

When you make spending time with your child the focus, you will realize how to easily make quality time together a priority! And soon you will wonder how you ever did anything without them! And you will look forward to that down time when you can relax and reconnect with each other after a busy day or week.

We are the Educators But YOU are the Expert!

Our staff at Jolly Giant Childcare are educated and experienced caregivers. We provided quality care and programming for your child, and we are here as child development resources and guidance support for families.

However!

We are not the experts, you are.

You are the key most valuable resource when it comes to your child. No one knows your child better than you do and we highly value this parental expertise!

We understand that you are the most important adult in your child’s life! You know what their needs are, you understand them, you love them more than anyone, and you need to be highly valued by the caregiver you choose to care for your child when you are away!

If you have concerns about your child ~ if you feel they can benefit from a different approach when they are upset or won’t sleep or won’t eat, if they did not sleep well or have had an incident happen that may cause unusual behavior for the day ~ we want to know because we recognize that your thoughts and opinions are crucial to providing the best care for your child and their needs. We also believe that it’s so important to continue the same successful strategies you do at home in order to maintain consistency and help your child feel secure in our care and environment.

Children and their families are our first priority at Jolly Giant~ Your family is why we are here! Why we are in business! We want to ensure that we are providing the high-quality care that your child and your family deserve!

• If your baby needs to be rocked to sleep, we will gently rock your baby to sleep.
• If your child has had a rough night sleep and needs extra comfort, we will comfort
• If your child has special dietary needs that have to be followed, we will follow them.
• If something has happened outside of daycare that may cause your child to have unusual behaviour (upset, etc.) during their day with us, we will ensure that we meet your child's extra needs and provide the special care your child might need that day
• If your child is up very early and doesn’t have time for breakfast before their early daycare drop off, bring it in and they can have it when they arrive.

At Jolly Giant Childcare, we value the significance and uniqueness of your individual family. We appreciate you, and the knowledge you share about your child. We respect you as the educator and as the most important resource for your child.

Shouldn’t every childcare provider?

Contact us and let’s help you ensure that you and your family are getting the respect and care you deserve from a care provider. www.jollygiant.ca