Get out those rain boots!

We've been cooped up in the house way too long. The rain seems to be sticking around for awhile so let's take advantage of it. Grab those rain boots and a few waterproof toys and head outside. Here are a few ideas of what to do:

Water
- Splash around with your hands. Is the water warm or cold?
- Stomp in those puddles and compare the splashes made by big stomps vs little stomps.
- If you have a larger puddle, see if some of her toys float.
- Absorb water with sponges. Show him how the water goes into the sponge and what happens when you squeeze the sponge.
- Measure the water with measuring cups. See how many cups it takes to fill up a bucket. When one bucket has 1 cup of water in it, is it heavier than the bucket that has 2 cups in it?

Worms
- Count how many worms you see.
- Talk about how fast or slow they move. What other animals move like a worm does?
- Pick them up, how do they feel?
- Compare sizes of different worms. Do all worms look alike?
- Talk about why you see worms after in rains.
- What do worms eat? Which animals eat worms?

Mud
- Find some mud and get dirty!
- Let your child feel the mud with his hands and talk about how much heavier it is than regular dirt.
- Build a mud castle.
- Dig in the mud to find bugs.
- Play with cars and build a race track in the mud.

As I finish this post, the sun is peeking out a little bit so hurry before the puddles dry up! Hey, is that a rainbow I see?

What are your family's rainy day activities?

What's on our bookshelf....

A New House for Mouse by Petr Horacek

I found this book at the library today and I love it! Every page is filled with bold colors and a sweet little mouse looking for a home for her and her apple. The big juicy apple won't fit in her tiny mouse hole so she drags it along to larger holes asking the owners if she and her apple can move in. Lugging around that apple is hard work and makes a little mouse very hungry. Pick up this story and see if you and your child can predict where the mouse and her apple will end up.

This story provides several learning opportunities for your child. During the story you will learn about different animals and what they keep in their homes, as well as the size of their homes. You can compare sizes of the holes and talk about what happens to the apple as Little Mouse takes a bite. Prediction is an important part of reading comprehension. As you turn each page, ask your child what they think that animal will say to the mouse's questions and what they think will happen next. This prompts your child to start thinking about and understanding that for every action there is a reaction. After reading this book let us know what other things that your child learned from this book, we would love to hear from you!

What's on our bookshelf....

The Big Wide-Mouthed Frog by Ana Martin Larranaga

This humorous book follows a frog as he visits other animals and asks "Who are you and what do you eat?" It's a great book to experiment with silly animal voices and is informational as you learn about what the animals eat. The story gets especially silly when the big wide-mouthed frog meets a crocodile and finds out that he might be on the lunch menu.

What's on our bookshelf....

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You see? by Bill Martin Jr. - Illustrated by Eric Carle

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? has wonderful repetition that allows children to follow the story easily and read it themselves in no time. The colorful illustrations of the animals provide a great learning opportunity. This book will help children learn their colors and names of animals. For an extended learning activity, discuss where each animal lives and what they eat. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? is available in board book, paperback and hardcover.