Take Flight ...

Nature Detectives with Mother Goose Time

Week 2 ... Mystery in the Air

We love these manipulatives from Mother Goose Time that we got this month... the Link Strips. Unfortunately half of them have already been lost. Mysteriously misplaced. It's so annoying. But, while they were around, Little Miss had a great time pulling them apart. She's still too little to fit them together properly. I would connect all of the same color and then she would pull them apart.

Meanwhile, Mr A and Mr Z were copying the shape pattern cards. Mr Z likes to make his own creations and ended up with some multi-tools, as he called them. That's how they disappeared, its the multi-tool's fault.

Since many things fly in the air, we made birds using feathers and paperplates. Mr A found the nametags to copy the bird on it. He cut it out and colored it.

Little Miss is always on the table interfering with what the boys are up to... or trying to help.

Little Miss likes gluing like her brother, Mr Z used to. She piles on the glue and layers things on top of it. She had a mountain of feathers on her bird.

 I love her concentration face. Watching glue drizzle is satisfying.

Mr A finished his small bird and wrote his name on his nametag. Mr Z did too. I couldn't get the other kids participate in many MGT activities, it was frustrating that they didn't want to join us in our activities and crafts.. they wanted to play instead which made it difficult for everyone in the end.

Now that we have time this week without friends, we will go back to complete some of the things we didn't get to with them here.

It's funny how you think 3 kids is hard until you have 5 to watch for awhile. Perspective. I'm grateful for my little ones. Even though they are difficult sometimes, I am grateful for my people. I love how they work together. I like that they do have some manners. I like that they're interested in many different things and will explore them. I love their personalities. 

Manipulatives and Games Encourage Independent Learning

Two manipulatives are usually included in the Mother Goose Time curriculum box. This month we got more Connecting Cubes. The boys love these and play with them all of the time, creating all sorts of fun play items. We were excited to add more to our collection. That's a plus for using MGT for many years... you build your manipulatives collection... and ours are used constantly!

Anyway, I pulled them out for Mr Z so he could practice patterns. He liked following the guides that were provided during week 2 of Growing Gardens. This was a great activity for him to practice following "directions" independently, counting and matching. Mr Z also didn't want to take any of his patterns apart to reuse the cubes to complete other patterns. Luckily we had more from previous years. 

Mr Z decided to combine all of his patterns into one long stick to make a super long sword. Everything is turned into a weapon with boys. I don't know why that is.

Since Mr A is homeschooling for first grade right now, I've had to come up with some new methods to get him to actually do schoolwork. I tried using the Mother Goose Time bunny counters today to make math more fun. I found the extra egg cartons from a left over project to use as a counting container. Mr A had to come up with different ways to make the number on the MGT number card. We focused on the numbers 17 and 18 and found different ways to add up the bunnies to equal the number shown. We added up bunnies using 2, 3 or 4 digits while placing the bunnies in the egg carton compartments.

I tried to keep Mr Z busy while Mr A was working on his Rabbit Math. I pulled out the Scarecrow Make & Play game for him to play. He had fun matching the scarecrow to the pictures and arranging them on his own. Mr A was rather distracted and wanted to play with him instead of doing his math. Some days, schoolwork is just hard to concentrate on.

I love this happy smile Mr Z while he is enjoying himself play this simple game.

These were all activities and games that encouraged independent learning. The boys were each responsible for their activity and required little to no instruction from me. The boys took control of how they wanted to complete or accomplish the task and I was able to get a chore or two done while they were occupied. 

Positions and Towers

It's a Small World with Mother Goose Time

The world is so fascinating ... from the natural wonders of the world to the man-made wonders. My boys love exploring it in all ways... such as wacking bushes with sticks, climbing as high as they can on whatever they can, wacthing or playing in any type of water. The world is fun.

One of our favorite man-made wonders is the Leaning Tower of Piza. Its an interesting building by itself but its also in Italy which is part of our heritage. Mr A has always wanted to go visit Italy since that is where his Nana and Papa's family are from. So, this was an extra fun day.
We did MGT before bed that day and it worked quite well as a quiet/ settle down activity. One of the math manipulatives that was included in the month's curriculum were these small plastic people. We also received some pocket cube cards with positional words like "in, on top, under, behind." We used a small box and took turns rolling the cube to figure out where to put the little people.

I also found some other small number dice to add another mathematical element for the boys. For my 5 year old, I had him add up the two numbers on the dice and then add that many to the position on the cube.

I also wanted to do this game in real life and actually have the boys be in or on top or behind a large box... but that didn't happen.

The Invitation to Create (craft project) was to create a tower using toothpicks and these little foam pieces. I can never remember what they are exactly. So, the boys got to inventing and experimenting.

Mr Z went for sturdy. While Mr A went for as tall as it go without falling over. His took some balancing tricks.

We sure did love this day

Board Games with MGT

Alphabet Island

One of the many things we like about Mother Goose Time are the games that come with the unit. On the day of Sandcastles, one was included that used several components from the curriculum.

This game was called Build a Castle. It came with a board and different colored crabs as the pieces, or markers. The game used the foam pocket cube as a giant die and the building block manipulatives that came with the curriculum.

As you roll the cube you move your crab around the board. Which ever color/number you land on, that's what you add to your "castle". (Land on a red 1 and you add 1 red building block to your castle.)

This was a great little game to learn or reinforce numbers and colors while also accommodating creative/imaginative play. 

As Mr A build his castle throughout the game, he designed his to look like the castle on the gameboard.

Mr Z made his like a sword.

We had a great time with this little game and I appreciated that it incorporated the manipulatives in a fun way. Both boys had fun with this one and it helped Mr Z with his numbers a bit more.

SImple Games with MGT

The manipulatives that Mother Goose Time provides with the curriculum are so versatile. We love that you can do anything with them. One of the fun things that Mother Goose Time does sometimes is create games to go along with the manipulatives.
This one was for the day we learned about Peacocks.
Using the foam pocket cube we took turns rolling pictures of a peacock with different patterns using the links. Then we had to match the pattern on the larger peacock photo.

 Mr Z was busy making necklaces with the links while it wasn't his turn.

 Mr A liked the most intricate pattern the best since it used all of the colors.

From a simple game like this there's more learning going on that you would think. I was surprised that both boys actually tried to follow the exact placement of the links, making them curve when it was shown on the picture in the pocket cube. Sometimes we had a hard time telling the red from orange and blue from purple in the small photo, so you really had to concentrate on the picture to figure it out.

PS, while learning about peacocks with Birds and Eggs thematic study, we found out that a female is called a peahen and the babies are peachicks.

Manipulatives Monday - Giveaway!!

UPDATE: this giveaway is now closed. thank you for your entries. congrats to the winner. I've emailed and you have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

Manipulatives Monday

A Giveaway by Mother Goose Time

As a Blog Ambassador for Mother Goose Time, I've been given the opportunity to participate in a giveaway that the company is hosting. You have a chance to win a set or two of these fantastic "toys" by simply reading this post and doing a few easy things at the end...

Now, we've been taking a break from the blogging world for a while and this is the perfect way to get back into it. I was feeling overwhelmed with using curriculum and adapting to having a newborn around. But, now the Little Miss is at an age where I feel like doing MGT again is do-able. So... here it goes... a simple review of one of our favorite aspects of the curriculum... manipulatives, specifically the counters.

We've been using MGT since 2014 and have quite the collection of the counters that came with most of the curriculum kits. I have stored them in a plastic bin on an easy-to-reach shelf and they get TONS of play. Worlds are being created constantly with various scenarios and its great fun listening to what they come up with. Options are endless with these things with the different kinds of "counters" we've gotten.

February 2017's theme is Nursery Rhymes and the manipulatives that were included were these blue and yellow sheep. We love the animal counters! They are among the favorites and they are the first things to be pulled out of the box each month. But anyway, the sheep also have two different sizes; a big and little. I love the quality of these animals. They are a great quality of rubber that can withstand quite a bit of rough play.

These have been used for making patterns.

Also included in this month's kit are wooden lacing shapes. Mr Z got right to work lacing and lining them up for a game of his own. These are great for fine motor practice, (some 3d) shape identification and color sorting.

A few months ago we got a set of stacking cups. Each a different color and numbered. These have been fun for the boys too.

They have been stairs.

They have been color sorting cups and used for counting objects.

They have been houses.

Counters that we've received from various units include vegetables, plastic keys, little people, small medium & large bears, vehicles: dump trucks, fire trucks, boats, planes, trains, bus and animals galore: elephants, cows, horses, rabbits, gorilla, tiger, giraffe to name a few. (And if you're wondering those porcupine balls are not really manipulatives per se from MGT, but they were sent for crafts and painting projects. I just cleaned them and kept them in our plastic bin. Porcupine balls are mostly used as food for the animals or plants in the worlds that the boys create.)
Our animal and vehicle counters have been in water, in the mud, in the sand, hidden for games and loved tremendously. The durable plastic and rubber that is used for them has helped them last for a long time... and that's a good thing with the craziness that happens around here.
We have used these counters for different activities about comparison of features, weight and talking about size.
Side note... we've also gotten other things like plastic shapes, wooden blocks, barrel of hooking monkeys, lacing beads, stacking snap cubes, rubber band boards and all sorts of other good stuff.

We love our counters and would love for you to win some kind of manipulativs of your own.

Remember, I am not sending them out myself... your info will be given to MGT and they will be sending your prize to you directly. I will be contacting you through the email that you leave in the rafflecopter entry for your mailing information. I will be forwarding your information to Mother Goose Time and they will get your prize(s) to you. Your information will not be used for any other purpose.
Winner will be chosen at random from qualifying entries.
I have no idea what they will be sending to you as your prize... but it will probably be super awesome. And if its something that I don't have, I will be jealous. =)
Only residents of the United States will qualify.
Any questions or concerns about your selected surprise item(s) should be directed to Mother Goose Time. Must 18+ years to win. Void where prohibited by law.

Good Luck, I hope you win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Visit my blogger friend's giveaway post over at Gift of Chaos and find the link for more chances to win some fun MGT manipulatives.

Farm Animals

Down on The Farm with Mother Goose Time

The manipulatives for October's farm unit is plastic cow counters and sticks of different sizes that click together. The boys had a great time playing with these when we first opened the box. They made corrals of all siz for the cows right away.

Today though we used the foam cube with shape cards to make different shaped corrals and pens. The boys took turns rolling the cube and then figuring out how to make that shape. For Mr Z we practiced identifying the shape and counting the sides after a shape was rolled. Mr A just copied shapes with the sticks. Then of course the cows needed to added to the corral shapes so they didn't run away from the farm.

 Invitation to Create: Muddy Pigs

This year these "Invitations to Create" have been fun. A focus more on the child's process while doing art instead of the end product. The boys have liked them and right now with a newborn baby, its one of the things that we can actually get done at some point during the day because I don't have to be too involved.

This I2C was to make a muddy pig. The photo of the pig was already printed on cardstock from MGT as well as the foam brush. I put out some paint, dirt and grass and they both went to town covering their pig in brown paint. They added tons of dirt on top and were happy with muddy pigs.

 The theme poster from the curriculum is always fun to look at for awhile. We like to count the objects, people or animals and play I-Spy.

 Mr Z decided to make a chicken nest like his brother. However, he wanted to paint his plate first. Then he added some white feathers for softness and then found some cotton balls to use for eggs in the nest. The cotton balls were used because the eggs needed to camouflage with the white feathers. They could not be glued on though, because he had to be able to take them out of the nest.

 Mr A's chicken nest. From the materials that were provided by MGT, he only wanted to use the small paper plate as a base for his nest. Its funny how he comes up with what he wants to make with the inspirational photo and materials. I always like his ideas.

Mother Goose Time... we love you... even if we can only get one thing per day, it keeps us productive and having fun together.

Magnetic Manipulatives

Mother Goose Time is always finding ways to improve their already great curriculum. For the Me and My Family thematic study for September, we received a set of magnets of various shapes with different designs. Magnets are always a hit in our house. Also included in the curriculum is a fantastic foam cube with pockets to insert different pictures for various activities.

Mr A just started a new school for a few hours, so I got some alone time with Mr Z before baby #3 comes along any day. Anyway, we had a great time using these two things together in a game.

We took turns rolling the cube that had cards with matching shapes for the magnets. Whatever we rolled, we added to the picture. I used an old cake pan as our magnet board. We just added shapes next to each other for awhile and Mr Z was doing very well at identifying them. (He likes not having his brother around to answer for him all of the time. lol)

Then we started making people.

 ... and people with flying ducks.

 ... and decorating the side of the pan.

When Mr A got home from school, he made a few designs using all of the magnets too. Apparently his magnet design is him on the sand with a butterfly on his head, a giant tree, a pineapple tree, the sun moon and stars, raindrops falling from a cloud and wind blowing around. Can you see it? He likes these magnets too. They are getting a lot of use so far.