Hi Preschool,

 I hope you had a nice weekend. This is our last week of school before the summer holidays and our activities are linked to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. I will be uploading Pick 'N' Mix activities to support your learning from home.

We will have: 2 literacy activities, 2 maths activities, 2 topic activities, and 2 PE activities.

Weekly ‘Pick and Mix’ Activities

This is a selection of learning activities that you can choose to do at any point during the week.

Literacy Activity 1

Watch and join in with the Nursery Rhyme: you can watch the video below.

Did you know there was more than one verse?

Can you join in and add actions to match the song?

Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are!

Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are!

When the blazing sun is gone,

When he nothing shines upon,

Then you show your little light,

Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are!

Then the traveller in the dark,

Thanks you for your tiny spark,

He could not see which way to go,

If you did not twinkle so.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are!

In the dark blue sky you keep,

And often through my curtains peep,

For you never shut your eye,

Till the sun is in the sky.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are!

As your bright and tiny spark,

Lights the traveller in the dark,

Though I know not what you are,

Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are!

Ask, When can you see the stars?

Can you see them now?

Why?

Literacy and PD Activity 2

Practise your pencil control if it is a bit tricky following the lines with a pen or pencil try drawing the line pattern in a tray of salt  or sand with your finger. Draw it with a stick in the mud outside or paint with water on the path.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star C&L PSED

Sing the Twinkle Twinkle Rhyme again. Did you remember the words? Could you sing any of the extra words? Did you remember your actions?

Then listen to the story of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star:

Have you ever seen Twinkle Twinkle just before you go to bed?

Sometimes people wish on stars when they see them, just like in the story.

Can you play Wish Upon a Star?

You look up at the sky and you pretend to see a falling star, or you wish on a star that’s there.
Any star will do … even a pretend one!

Then you get to make two wishes:

one for yourself

one for somebody you care about

What would your wishes be?

My wish for me is to see my friend Caroline who I haven’t seen for months and I’ve missed her.

I would wish for my sister that her husband gets better soon as he has been poorly.

If you can’t see a star you could always use your Twinkle wand.

Activity 1: Maths & PD

Straw and Pom Pom Counting

For this game you’ll need:

· One clean straw per child

· Large Pom Poms or light objects (too big to fit through the straw)

· Shallow containers

To set up the game label the containers with the numbers you’d like to practice with your child. Then set the straw and pom poms nearby. Start with 1 2 3

To play

Children put the straw on a pom pom and suck in to pick it up.

Then keep sucking as they move the pom pom over the top of the container then release.

Call out instructions such as ‘Can you get me 2?’  ‘I need 3’ ‘Just 1 this time’

Indicate the container where you want them to drop the pom pom to begin to build number recognition you can write the number in the container.

At first children may have difficulty sucking hard enough to pick up the pom poms, but with a little practice they’ll soon master the skill! 

As your child is moving the pom poms engage in math discussions:

· compare which container has the most

· which container has the least

· how many more pom poms need to be added until the container has the correct number

Variations

1. Add a little more excitement to this game by making it a race. Grab a timer and see how fast your child can fill the cups. Then repeat the activity to see if he or she can do it even faster the next time.

2. If moving the pom poms with the straw is too difficult try using clothes pegs, large tongs, or small tweezers  instead. These variations add in helpful fine motor practice.

When children have strong oral musculature (i.e., lips, tongue, cheeks, jaw stability), they are more likely able to clearly imitate a variety of movements needed for speech sounds. This is the core for developing clear speech. Children with weak oral motor skills have a higher risk of having a speech impairment.  Using a straw is one way of helping your child develop these critical muscles that they will need to produce sounds.

Activity 2: Maths & EAD

Say the number names in order and count a small number of objects

You will need:

An empty ketchup plastic bottle or water pistol

Lightweight plastic cups

Water

 Fill the empty ketchup bottle/water pistol and stack the plastic cups in a pyramid shape.

Ask the children to aim at the cups (3 tries each)

How many did you knock over?

Can you knock more over this time?

Repeat create a tally chart to record the children’s score. Encourage your child to make a mark for each cup knocked over.

Who knocked the most cups over? Compare tally marks.

  Water Fun with numbers:

Write the numbers on the path with chalk start 1 2 3 if your child is confident with those write to 5.

Using the spray bottles squirt the water to trace the shape of the number, or call out a number and they have to shoot the correct number.

Or children can  jump on the numbers as they count when you shout stop  call out a number next to the one either one more or one less than the number they are stood on and ask them to shoot it with the water.

Topic Activity 1: EAD

Make your own twinkling star

You will need:

Card (Yellow or paint/colour it yellow)

Glitter

Lolly stick, straw or stick collected from outside or a pencil will do

Glue

Sticky Tape

Instructions:

Cut out a star shape and decorate with glitter or sequins or anything sparkly!

Then spread glue over the top and sprinkle glitter to make it sparkle.

Tape the stars to the stick.

Play with the star and use it to shine your twinkle star in the sky as you sing.

OR

Make a Twinkle Twinkle Star picture

What you need:

What you'll need:

· String or wool

· 4 lolly sticks

· Foil

· Cardboard

· Felt Tips

· Glue

· Scissors

How to make your Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star picture

1. Using glue, draw one large star on the piece of cardboard.  Stick the string or wool on the glue star shape. Allow the glue to dry. 
2. Cover the cardboard with foil.  Rub your finger along the star to make it stand out. 
3. Glue the four Popsicle sticks together in a square to form a frame.  Allow the glue to dry.  Decorate with felt tips. 
4. Glue the foil square to the back of the Popsicle sticks. 
5. Fold some string in half and glue one end to either side of the top of the frame.  Allow   the glue to dry. 

Find a place to hang it and sing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star!

Topic Activity 2: UW

Ask why can’t you see stars in the daytime? Look out of your window or go outside and look up at the sky.

Have the stars disappeared?

Make your own star light…

Help your child poke holes through the bottom and sides of a paper/polystyrene cup (as many as they like). You can decorate the cup if you wish it is better to paint a dark colour black or a dark blue to imitate the night sky.

Put the cup over the end of a torch or place a glow stick or electric tealight candle inside the cup.

If possible darken the room so the ‘stars’ are more visible.

Ask if the stars are easier to see when it is dark or light.

Explain the stars in the sky are always there its just we can’t always see them because the light from the sun is brighter than the light from the stars.