I am a stamp

Science/ Nature: Parts of a tree

We use this book, "seeds, seeds, seeds" by sunshine publication.

KB made a paper weight using different coloured beans and laying them. We also use beans to design a flower.





















Hunting for assorted leaves and sorting them out. We read "Leaf Man" by Lois Ehlert and KB decides what animals and which leaves he wants to use to create his animals. He described his turtle and 2 fish in the lake in one picture, and an elephant diving in a river in the next! I totally love his creations.





























Nature: Seed walk Discovery

We use a jumbo colour pencils for better feel, to color over paper on tree trunk. The rough texture of a tree trunk provided nice woody texture.

KB went walking with his socks on and collected assorted seeds with his socks! Then we would talk about how seeds were dispersed and how they look under the magnifying glass.





















Social: The world of stamps through Singapore Philatelic Museum
We read the Seven Little Postmen
We also bought him some stamps and he started his little hobby of collecting stamps.



































Pretend play: I am a Postman, I am a stamp!
KB planned and designed his mailbox, the upper one for mails to Singapore, the lower one for mails to Jakarta.







































Language Arts: Reading
We started on Book 1 of Bob books with really simple "-at" family words.

Outdoor/Free play: Swing, using chopsticks to pick up clay balls!
KB is quite apt at using chopsticks since he was 3, so we were trying to see if he was up to this challenge and ... he was!

Family Easter Celebration - 4yr old

This year, our family's Easter celebration spans over 2 days. We use alot of symbolic play.

We use this book The Story of Easter by Patricia A Pingry. It uses very simple language to communicate the reason for Easter. Then we enact Jesus' triumph entry into Jerusalem right up to Jesus's empty tomb.

Good Friday morning. We went out to look for 'palm branches' together, and we took turns to play the character of Jesus. The rest of us, play the role of the crowd who waves our palm branches and shouts 'hosanna, hosanna, Jesus is our King' and sang Hosanna by Carl Tuttle.

The song goes like this: Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest. Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest Lord we lift up Your name With a heart full of praise Be exalted, oh Lord my God Hosanna in the highest!

Then Daddy tells us why we need to be close to God. It is so that Jesus can make us good and help us to do the things we cannot do ourselves.

But when we become naughty (Sin), we get further from God. so when we snatch toys, or tell lies, or hit someone, or speak rude words, we get further away from Jesus. And when we don't have Jesus, it makes us sad.

(And daddy would pull the other chair further as he illustrates a sinful trait, and ask tot to try of ways to go over to Jesus (daddy) who is seated on the other chair by not stepping in the sea full of sharks!)

BUT, Jesus came and died for us! And took all our naughtiness away and make us clean. And because of that, He made a bridge for us.





(cushions 'as bridge' )
















(tots walked over bridge and was greeted by 'Jesus' (it was daddy really playing the part *wink*. Both tots got a big hug from daddy. Daddy said now that they are close to Jesus, Jesus can protect them, and help them.)




















Friday night, our family went to church for a time of prayer and reflection. We walked through a chronological each 'station' leading up to Jesus's cruxification. Life-like props were set up for The Triumph Entry, Table of the Lord's supper, a basin with water for washing of disciples feet, the Garden of Gethsemane, and the eventual betrayal and cruxification of Christ. Adults confessed our sins on a piece of paper and nailed it on a block of wood representing the cross that Jesus died on. It was awesome.

On Saturday, our family got some goodies to prepare to bless our little friends we have invited to church the next day.

We got some plastic eggs and stuffed marshmallow in it.
Then mummy wrapped it up and made a little bookmark to go along with it. We also created a little bird nest (using bronze raffia strings) with the eggs perched up in our little tree at home.

Tot and Mummy had a short conversation on why bird's eggs are used to symbolize new life. Tot asked me when are the hatchlings coming. Then he tells me about ants laying eggs. I had to keep from laughing.















Resurrection Sunday. Our friends came to church with us and we were delighted to have them.

We spent an afternoon playing and chatting with them at their home.

















Sunday night, Daddy had a surprise for us. We re-read the Bible. We pretended to be the disciples who would go look for Jesus on the third day. Suddenly we saw.... an empty tomb and a piece of linen!!

(using a camping tent)

We use our torch light to shine upwards, pretending to see a glimpse of an angel who would tell us that Jesus is alive. We end by singing "Celebrate Jesus and Arise by Brendon & Cathie, International school of worship.

Arise: A is for all you done for me, R is for really do believe, I is for inside where I breathe, S is for son who sets me free, E is for everything you are, my Lord, my God, my King, my all. ...



We played a game of opposites. Mum says "If we are weak... God will make us ...?" Tot says "Strong!" Mum says, "If we are scared, God will .... ?" Tot says "Protect us!", Mum says, "if we are ill, God will ..... us?" Tot says, "Heal us!" That's because Jesus is alive!




















To see what we do for Easter in year 2010, go here.

Back from Hiatus!

Language Arts/Social: We watched a Black Light Theatre performance brought in by Act 3 from Argentina, entitled; Circo Fokus Bokus. Beautiful colours and skillful puppetry enhances the gentle story of 5 friends who were roped into a circus to perform quite by accident. KB enjoyed the character of a juggler the most.




















KB's first scrap-book craft!
This was a homeschool co-op on scrap-booking that was surprisingly fun for me but especially for KB! There were about 6 kids altogether. The fact that KB did 80% of the craft all by himself is what made this session so special. He chose and painted all the three cardboards, chose two variety of fancy papers, picked a photo, chose the stickers, did all the pasting and select the title "I love you" to go with the photo. And mummy just tied the knots and string the three pieces together. We intend to use this art of scrap-booking to create note-books for topical study in the future. On the way home, KB said "my craft very nice leh". Very delighted boy.






































Free play/imagination: KB tried to create a slope. I got him a mitten for fun and I guess that got him inspired as well. A cardboard is easily a child's BEST toy. He had so much fun trying to build it in such a way it would hold him, but as any child would, he also enjoys tumbling.





























Writing/Reading: KB really likes scribbling so he naturally likes writing too. We start by writing all the letters of his name. Doing word family of '-at' to start. We're using Ruth Beechick's The 3'Rs, and beginner readers from Bob Books to complement Ruth's method.




Experiential learning/field trips: Learning how yarn comes from cacoon! KB gets to watch how cacoon is first boiled and the thread spun to create raw yarn that was rough to the touch.

The world through Theo's eyes

It is amazing how Theo makes connection to what he experiences and see in the day and then expresses it in his own way.

Today he was playing 'boat' in a small cardboard, then he tore it up to make a 'giant plane' and whizzed it in the sky. I asked if he would like to paint little windows on the plane, but he didn't. He tore the wings and folded up to make little houses. Then he tells me he wants to paint the house.















(The transformation of his cardboard took place too fast, so quick I didnt had chance to grab my camera, but I witness every single delightful moment before my eyes and this was too precious to miss for any mummy. This was what was left after the boys went to bed.)

This is Theo's version of "Fire". Wonderful use of colour tones as a fire would have. Great observation.















This is the first story he had painted! A milestone indeed. Aged 3yrs, 8mths.
He tells me this, "The black circles are flying fox, the red colour line is a safety belt for firemen to slide all the way down. The red and orange is a fire, the green circle is sparklers, then there are some grass beside it. And an orange one is a helicopter hovering over the fire to put out the fire."
Impressive description of a story.




















(Theo does not attend art classes nor is under any instruction to draw. These are all spontaneous drawings purely initiated by him.)

Random year-end activities - Yr2010

Dec 2010 flew by too fast for us to document our activities. Our major activity is our Advent Calendar. Theo learnt that each day has a number date assigned to it and was patient enough to wait each day to reveal the picture in the window.










Pre-writing He also started doing mazes on Kumon aged 3,4,5. This was an extension of pre-writing practises after he had mastered a very steady grip few months ago. Now he is having fun.
















Science
We did some colour mixture experiments which made Theo very excited about colours he could use.















Theo visited the dentist for the first time! He was so not posing for pictures. Look at what he is holding! Mummy got him a little turtle to hold on to, in case he was afraid. Theo was SO brave. Kudos to So gentle and so friendly Dr Tay. I think she spent a good 10mins chatting with him and that really put him at ease. After the session, Theo told me, "Mummy, the dentist gave my teeth names lah... ahahah... I don't like it... he also said some are "Michael, David... aiya, so funny. He also counted my teeth mummy."




















some unforgettable sleep poses














Morning prayer (boys just hav'ta have some actions!)
And he now likes to end his night by having everyone say "Good night and sweet dreams!"