FAIRMONT FIVE introducing young children to the wonders of nature

Summer break offers excellent opportunities to be outdoors, whether it’s visiting the beach, mountains, deserts, or even your backyard. Breathing fresh air, getting exercise, satisfying curiosity, and feeling a warm breeze on your face are a few of the many joys of exploring the wonders of nature.

Under the caring guidance of parents, young children can gain an amazing perspective of the world around them, from engaging in a backyard safari to spending a week at a national park. We live on a beautiful planet, and it’s worth exploring!

Here are five simple steps for parents to expand their children’s appreciation for nature:

Ecosystem outside your back door— A patch of weeds, flower garden, a green belt, and community park yield an abundance of tiny discoveries for young explorers. Children can record their observations by drawing pictures. Here’s an opportunity to teach the importance of examining and appreciating plants and bugs only with their eyes and not with their hands.

Digging in the dirt – For a small child, a small hole in the back yard is a portal to an amazing journey where imagination and science intertwine. Pick out a spot where your child can use a kid-appropriate shovel and bucket to find worms, bugs, rocks, plant roots, and more. To enhance the experience, plant some plastic dinosaurs to recreate a paleontological dig!

Exploring with your ears – Encourage your child to sit quietly on a bench. After a few minutes, your little one will easily pick up bird songs and the sound of wind blowing through the trees. The child can pretend to be a creature silently hiding.  This will engage their imagination while experiencing the simplistic beauty of the natural world.  This activity definitely fosters the value of patience and reinforces the discipline of learning to sit quietly and listen attentively.

Nature scavenger hunt – This is a fun way for children to pay attention to their surroundings, as well as seasons of the year. While in the yard or on a short hike, children can pick-up leaves, seashells, and small rocks as a reminder of the places they explored. Each item can be linked to a story in pictures about the outdoor experience. (Please note public park rules in regards to collecting items.)

Let’s talk about it – Discuss the experience of being outdoors with your child. Parents can follow-up with questions and observations to determine the child’s favorite part of being outdoors and what they would like to do on their next adventure in nature.

Contributed by Doug Fleischli, Fairmont Private Schools
Image by Extension

FRIDAY FOLDER: july 3

Highlights of the Week:

 

 Campers enjoy Mrs. Baham's ice cream created from liquid nitrogen! 

Campers bounce off the walls during the Sky High Trampoline Park field trip!

Week four of summer camp has come to a close but our campers enjoyed an abundance of new activities this week! Between Quidditch matches, a visit to the trampoline park, and dressing up in red, white, and blue, campers stayed busy and engaged with peers and counselors! One of this week's highlights was the ice cream experiment conducted by Fairmont's Mrs. Kathy Baham! During the presentation, Mrs. Baham explained how liquid nitrogen aids in the making of ice cream! After concluding the experiment, campers sampled the delicious results!

Next week will bring more excitement as campers head to the Corona del Mar beach and dress up like their favorite animal!

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

CHALK TALK: preparing your child for kindergarten, part 4 - building oral language skills

Being an effective communicator is an important component to everyday life, which is why helping your child build oral language skills is vital to their development. Teaching little ones to effectively communicate verbally is an important step in growing up. Below are several benchmarks for children entering kindergarten:

1. Politely converse with peers and initiate conversation with adults
2. Show a steady increase in vocabulary
3. Use adjectives in conversation
4. Communicate specific needs, such as “I am hurt” or “I need to use the restroom”

Though there are many communication skills for children to learn, incorporating some of these activities will aid their progression:

• Read, Read, Read - Reading to your child is an excellent vocabulary building exercise. Encourage your child to ask questions about words that he or she does not understand. Be sure to take time to pause while reading to ask critical thinking questions such as “Do you think that character made the right choice?”
• Be the Example - Remember that when you communicate with others in front of your child, you are setting an example. When children observe adults following the rules of conversation (taking turns talking, speaking in calm tones, not interrupting), they will imitate.
• Incorporate New Words - Children are constantly absorbing new words and phrases. Use these new words in context during a regular conversation. This repetition, along with providing examples to show how the word is used in a sentence, will not only help your child commit the word and its definition to memory, but will also encourage your child to use new words when talking with others.
• Play “I Spy” - Playing “I Spy” with your child will help him or her develop spatial awareness and learn to describe location, color, and size. Encourage your child to add more details to the game by listing certain attributes such as “I spy something green on the floor near the table.”
• Talk About Feelings - When your child is upset, ask him or her to describe their feelings. Helping to identify specific emotions and learning to handle them is a very effective communication tool for children and adults alike.
• Tell Stories - Set aside some time to tell stories with your child. Begin by telling your own short, imaginative story, then encourage your child to do the same. Ask questions once the story ends, like “What color was the giant fish?,” or “What would have happened if this character did this instead?” Asking questions will help your child focus on recalling specific elements of the story and providing more clarification.

As children progress through their education, the ability to clearly articulate ideas becomes more prevalent and follows them into adulthood. All children learn at their own pace, but be sure to encourage their learning and growth by taking some time each day to help foster these communication skills.

Visit the Fairmont Early Childhood Education Pinterest board for more great ideas for your young learner!

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

Image by Karate of Mansfield   

ARTS + CRAFTS: “jurassic world” inspired amber fossil slime

In the spirit of the latest Jurassic Park movie, here is a fossil slime recipe sure to thrill your budding scientist!

Ingredients:

• 2 Teaspoons Borax Detergent Booster
• 1 ½ Cups Water
• Tangerine Essential Oil (optional)
• 1 Bottle Elmer’s Clear School Glue
• Red and Yellow Food Coloring
• 2 Mixing Bowls
• Mixing Spoons
• Plastic Insect Toys

1. In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of water and 2 teaspoons of Borax. Stir well, then set aside.
2. In a larger bowl, mix the remaining ½ cup of water with the entire bottle of glue. Mix well.
3. Add 1 drop of red food coloring and 3 drops of yellow food coloring into the water/glue mixture. Mix well.
4. Add 2-3 drops of Tangerine Essential Oil. While this step is optional, it gives the slime a nice smell.
5. Pour your water and Borax mixture into the colored glue mixture. You will see the slime start to form immediately.
6. Use a spoon to mix the ingredients, then remove the slime from the bowl. You will notice some water left over. Pour out the extra water and place the slime back into the bowl. 
   
7. Push plastic toy insects into the slime until covered. Remember that the idea behind this slime is to have fossilized insects like in the original Jurassic Park movie.
8. Allow the slime to set for a few minutes before using.
9. When the kids are done, store in an airtight container, such as Tupperware, for future use.

To view the original recipe, visit TotallyTheBomb.Com: Jurassic World Inspired Amber Fossil Slime!

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

Recipe and images contributed by Jamie Harrington of TotallyTheBomb.Com 

FRIDAY FOLDER: june 26

Highlights of the Week:

Watch as Josiah G. announces "Play ball!" before Wednesday's Angels game!

Watch Activities Director Jonna Powell throw out the first pitch!

This week our campers enjoyed watching the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim beat the Houston Astros 2-1 at Angel Stadium! Every year, campers attend one Angels game, but this year's game was particularly special because the opening honorary traditions of throwing the first pitch and announcing "Play ball" were conducted by Fairmont camper Josiah G., and North Tustin Activities Director Jonna Powell! Campers cheered from the stands as Josiah and Mrs. Powell represented Fairmont on the field!

Next week, campers will travel to the Sky Zone and Sky High trampoline parks, as well as enjoy the weekly Swim Day, and show their patriotism with Red, White, and Blue Thursday Theme Day! As a reminder, there will be no summer school or camp on Friday, July 3rd due to the Fourth of July holiday!

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools 

CHALK TALK: preparing your child for kindergarten, part 3 - developing fine motor skills

The foundation of learning is rooted in fine motor skills. This includes being able to write, use scissors, and manipulate small objects. You can aid in this development by having simple items on hand such as dry pasta, tissue paper, playdough, buttons, and rice that will keep your preschooler’s mind and fingers working together! Try some of these simple activities at home:

• Involve your child in the kitchen and task them with measuring and stirring. Children will learn to scoop, pour, and stir using spoons and measuring cups. Not only does this boost motor skills, but fosters confidence in your child as he or she discovers that you value their help.
• Create a sensory bin by partially filling a container with rice or sand, then burying small items such as buttons, coins, small toys, and macaroni. Encourage your child to dig for the items with a spoon and remove them from the bin with a clothespin.
• Purchase safety scissors and allow your child to practice cutting different kinds of paper. Supply him or her with newspaper, recycled printer paper, and tissue paper. The different materials will help your child determine a sense of pressure and cutting strength when using different types of paper.  Also, be sure to help your child focus on gripping the scissors correctly.

• Draw large, simple shapes on recycled paper and have your child tear the paper along the shape’s edges. This will also foster fine motor skills, concentration, and shape identification.
• Find some string and large beads for your preschooler to thread. This will not only help boost their fine motor skills, but provides a great teaching moment for identifying colors, shapes, and patterns. An alternative to this exercise is to punch holes into a paper plate and number the holes with a marker. Have your child numerically thread a long piece of string through the corresponding holes.
• Create a sensory board to help your child learn to open and close specific items. Incorporating shoelaces, velcro strips, clothing zippers, and other materials will help him or her acclimate to getting dressed and tying shoes by themselves.
• Encourage your child to draw and color. The more exposure to holding a writing utensil, the more prepared your child will be for learning to write with a pencil. As with scissors, ensure that your child is gripping the writing utensils correctly.

When focusing on fine motor skills, your child is not only preparing his or herself to write in the classroom, but is also engaging creatively with different shapes and colors. For more fine motor tips, reference THE FAIRMONT FIVE: Developing Fine Motor Skills or visit the Fairmont Early Childhood Education Pinterest board!

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

Images by Occupational Therapy Consulting LLC, Joy Anderson, Lipstick Alley, How We Montessori, and Vicki Clinebell

FRIDAY FOLDER: june 19

Highlights of the Week:

 Students tie-dye camp t-shirts

This week campers enjoyed tie-dyeing white camp t-shirts and taking a Friday field trip to Camelot Theme Park! Moving into the third week of summer camp, students will travel to Angels Stadium to watch the Angels of Anaheim take on the Houston Astros! Campers will also have the opportunity to participate in Thursday Theme Day by dressing up in their favorite sports fan gear! To conclude the week, campers will visit the Long Beach Aquarium!

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools