Amirah's Books

Happy Make it Monday!!!

Today, we will be reading all about penguins! Go grab your penguin books and get ready to make some adorable little penguins!

You will need:
Black, white, and orange construction paper
Scissors
Glue
Free penguin craft template: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Penguin-Craft-1049718

Collect your materials and print out your template! If you don't have a printer, you can do it by free hand!
Once you have traced your templates onto the construction paper, have your helper cut and paste the pieces together! Then, take your favorite penguin book and go learn all about penguins! You can turn this into a reading comprehension activity/writing project with the prompts in the template! So many ways to MAKE this penguin activity fit for your reader!!!

Our houses are now filled with new toys for our kids - but what toys did YOU love when you were younger?

I was always a block fan or into creating things with crafts.

You may already notice your readers developing a love for particular authors and illustrators. Nurture their fan-ship by helping them write a letter to their favorite author or illustrator! Many have their own websites with contact information. You can also contact the book's publisher; the mailing address for which can often be found on the back of the title page or on the publisher's website. 🙂

Who do you think your child would like to write a letter to? ❤️

To start the new year off right, it's all about mindset! Which one would help your reader sharpen their focus?

Doing Your Best - From the series "Big Words for Little People," it's showtime! Everyone will do their best. Each book in this series creates a special moment to focus on feelings and discover the words and phrases needed to talk about them. All the words are carefully chosen, and the 10 sharing tips at the back of the book, plus a glossary, offer easy opportunities to talk about first experiences and new emotions.

Be Positive! - Readers use creativity to combat negative feelings and boost self-esteem with the writing, craft, and doodling activities designed to help them feel more self-confident. These age-appropriate exercises and activities are designed to tackle the complex emotions a child faces and help the child to work out how and why they feel the way that they do.

What's your pick??

One of my resolutions this year is to slow down, and this is one of my favorite ways to do that.

For our Peek Inside Tuesday, I present to you:
Unhurry Magic Painting!

Now breathe…and relax. This magic painting book is all about taking a little time to breathe, focus and be calm, with the help of some friendly sloths. Simply dip the magic water brush into water, brush it over the black and white patterns, and you'll be amazed at the colors that magically appear.

Recommended for 4+

Add this book to your cart and get 10% back on your entire book haul!!! (reimbursed via PayPal, Venmo or Facebook Pay)
https://d11157.myubam.com/p/8748/unhurry-magic-painting

Happy Make it Monday!

Today we are going to make fake snow! This is such a great way for children to explore winter through play! You can build a snowman, make a sensory bin, or just see where the activity takes you!

You will need:
A large bowl
White hair conditioner ½ cup
Baking soda 2 and ½ cups
Large spoon or spatula for mixing

Mix ingredients and enjoy!!! You can take a pipette and food coloring to decorate your snowman or throw in some arctic animals! Maybe a snow kitchen? I cannot wait to see what you do!!!

Note: Children should be supervised by an adult while playing with the pretend snow. Small children may be tempted to put the snow in their mouths or rub their eyes.

Remember to wash your little one's hands after using this snow. This will prevent any residue from getting in their eyes should they touch their face or rub their eyes.

It's time to start a new week!

In terms of classical art, how are you feeling about it?

Have you ever seen your children's faces light up when you praise them during reading? The more enthusiastic I am, the more likely they are to actually engage vs looking around the room.

Positive attitudes are very important to a child's reading development and generate a desire to read. Showing genuine excitement for childrens' reading skills will encourage them to become great readers. Struggling readers may start to develop a negative attitude towards reading, but showing them that reading can be fun will get them excited about reading time. Great times to praise a child when he or she is reading include, when he or she sounds out a difficult word, self-corrects and re-reads a sentence, or asks questions as he or she is reading. ❤️

As we're thankful for a new year and a fresh start, it's important to remember all those who help us along the way, in big and small ways, every day!

I Like Helping People...What Jobs Are There? - Children who enjoy helping others can explore careers from mechanic to politician, paramedic to postal worker, and lots more. Great for children who have a passion for something but don't yet know how they can turn it into a job, this series helps them figure things out along the way!

Keeping Things Going - From firefighter to aid worker, police officer to mountain rescue worker, mommies and daddies do all kinds of jobs in all kinds of places. But there's one thing every child knows for sure - they're heroes! This sweet, rhyming picture book is filled with heroes to celebrate with the whole family.

What's your pick??

Guess what today is?? That's right! TUESDAY! It's Peek Inside day!!

The Blizzard Challenge

You're given a magical compass and suddenly you're no longer at outdoor camp but in an amazing place in the world – with Bear Grylls as your guide! Olly's on a glacier and a blizzard's coming! He and Bear must trek across frozen lakes and through deep drifts to get home.

Recommended for 7-10

Add this gem to your cart and get 10% back on your entire book haul!!! (reimbursed via PayPal, Venmo or Facebook Pay)

https://d11157.myubam.com/p/8300/blizzard-challenge-the

Happy Make it Monday!

Today we will be making an exploding snowman!!! This is a fun preschool STEM activity that your kids will want to do over and over again!

You will need:
Sandwich bag
Permanent markers
Baking soda
Vinegar
Paper towel or tissue paper

First, give the sandwich bag to your child (if old enough) to decorate with permanent markers. This is a good opportunity to teach them how to draw a snowman's face! I recommend a large piece of paper or old placemat for this one! Next, wrap 3 teaspoons of baking soda inside a paper towel or tissue. Place the baking soda packet inside the plastic bag. Pour about 1-2 cups of vinegar into the sandwich bag and close quickly! It should swell up quickly. Stand back and watch it explode!

If you do not want to have the snowman possible explode in your hand, add the vinegar to the bag first, put in the baking soda wrapped in the paper towel without letting it touch the vinegar, seal it, and then let the paper towel drop down!
Q: Why did the snowman explode?
A: As baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, mixes with vinegar, carbon dioxide is created. The bag starts to fill with carbon dioxide (and that's why you see the bag start to swell up) until the pressure is too much and … BOOM!
If your kids are like mine, they will want to do it over and over again! Pull out a step by step drawing book and let them practice their drawing skills on the bags! Here are some ideas for changing different variables:
What happens if you don't use a paper towel to wrap the baking soda and put the baking soda directly in the bag?
What happens if you add more vinegar or more baking soda?
If you use the same amount of vinegar and baking soda, can you explode a bigger bag (try a gallon-sized bag)?