Like mother, like Daughter

Earlier this week I decided I'm taking a week off from summer kids' activities because I need to sew!

My 10 year old came in and watched me work a while on Monday afternoon (I'll post my project when I'm done with them all) and then asked if she could have my scraps. She always wants them...little pack rat...but never makes anything from them.

Later that evening, she asked if I could help sew up the opening and get the ears on tighter because her stitches didn't work and she needed help. I'm not sure what I expected to see, but it wasn't an almost completed project!I had no idea she'd even been sewing? She had even used my sewing machine...need to teach clean up post-project next!

 I showed her how to finish it (and my part looks worse than hers! - my excuse is the terry cloth didn't give me much room for a blind stitch so the nose is crooked.)

I asked her how she did it and she said she found a pattern online and followed the instructions (using things from the allowed scraps baskets). I thought, By yourself!?!? I was so surprised. I guess when you want to create, you figure it out!

Here's where she found the pattern and instructions:

Little Mouse Pattern

(I don't think it's meant to be made from terrycloth, but it worked just fine.)

She calls him Pipsqueak.

Preschool (Dice) Math Games - post #1

I love MATH!

I love my kids.

I like games...

Put them together, and you've got endless possibilities.

Today's game #1:

Roll a dice (10 sided - purchased at educational store locally)

 (this version practices number recognition)

We played a second time using large dice from Dollar Tree (came in a two pack)

(This practices 1-to-1 counting of both dots and fuzzies)

Then, (whichever dice you used) count out the number rolled from the pile of fuzzies (also from Dollar Tree)

At the end of the game, line up fuzzies of both players (1-to-1) and compare who has the longer line.

(The person with the most fuzzies wins.)

Game #2:

Sort fuzzies into piles by color. 

(If you have more colors than 6, leave out extras or group into similar colors.)

Each pile represents a number 1-6.

When you roll that number, take a fuzzy from that pile.

The person who gets 1 of each color first wins!

(This can mean 1 fuzzy from each pile regardless of color variations within each pile - 

or 1 of each color, including multiple colors within each pile - whichever is easier for your child to understand)

I won the first game.

 She won the second time playing game 1. 

And I won the second game...although I downplayed that since it was approaching naptime. 

Regardless of who wins in our house (and no, the youngest does not always get to win - good sportsmanship is important to learn early) - we all get to finish the game's objective (at least in preschool games).