ECC Week of the Young Child 2021
Music Monday
Through music, children develop math, language, and literacy skills – all while having fun and being active!
Build an Instrument
String Instrument with Rubber Bands – Fold in the flaps on a cardboard/styrofoam box, so the top is open. Loop several rubber bands around the box, in a row so they are pulled tightly across the open top. Strum the rubber bands and you have a string instrument.
Drum Set – Set up buckets, pans, cups, empty recyclables, etc. in a semi-circle around a chair or stool. Rock out.
Bottle Flute – Gather empty bottles (glass or plastic) and invite your child to fill the bottles with different amounts of water. Then, blow air quickly across the tops of the bottles to make music!
Have a Dance Party!
Children of all ages are intrigued by and respond to music – dim the lights, put on your best dancing outfit, and hit “Play”!
Try changing the style of music, and encourage your children to respond to the changes! For example, can they dance quickly to The Beatles, and then slowly to Beethoven’s, ‘Moonlight Sonata’? How does Whitney Houston inspire them to move, in contrast with Lullatone’s ambient melodies?
What props can you add? Dishtowels as scarves… bandanas as masks… curtains as a backdrop…. maybe even make a stage to highlight the performances!
Helpful Links
Tasty Tuesday
Cooking together connects math with literacy skills, science, and more.
Make Your Own Hummus!
Combine one can of drained and rinsed Garbanzo Beans with a ‘splash’ of water into a blender with any of the following ingredients added to your family’s taste:
Lemon Juice, Red Peppers, Roasted Garlic, Pine Nuts, Tahini, Cumin, Salt,
While blending slowly, drizzle in up to 1/2 cup of olive oil, checking the consistency regularly. If it ‘s still not smooth enough, add a little more water. Serve with chips veggies, or pita!
Mindful Eating
Transform any meal into a rich experience, and bring attention to your family’s eating habits, by slowing the process down and pretending you are scientists discovering food for the very first time.
Begin by looking at your meal together. What do you see with your eyes? Next, smell your plate. What do you notice? Can your food make noise? What about if you squeeze it right next to your ear? What do you feel with your fingers? What’s the temperature/texture/consistency?
Take a very small bite and chew it slowly. Does the taste change? How? When you swallow, how far down into your body can you feel it travel? Ask your child how they feel, and share how you feel!
Helpful Links
Work Together Wednesday
When children build together, they explore math and science concepts and develop their social and early literacy skills.
Create a Book
Write and illustrate a story with your child! Parents and children can be characters in the fairy tale. Preschoolers may help write parts of the story, but younger children will require more parent initiative. For example, begin a story, “Once upon a time (child’s name) went on a walk to City Park.” Children might follow by providing insight from past experience (for younger children, watch closely for any words, gestures, or objects they suggest to you), which can then be added to the story. When the story is finished, work together to create illustrations for the page(s). Finally, read your story together!
Build a Sculpture
Children are born with a very natural ability to use the scientific method in order to figure out how the physical world works. See the links below for more information on young children using STEAM concepts! One way to encourage this learning is to search for ‘stack able’ items around your house that you and your child can use to build a sculpture. Follow your child’s lead by asking open-ended questions like: “How can we keep these materials together?”, “What else can we use?”, and “What are you thinking about?”
Helpful Links
Artsy Thursday
Children develop creativity, social skills and fine motor skills with open-ended art projects where they can make choices, use their imaginations and create with their hands.
Sculpt!
Homemade Modeling “Clay” Recipe
- Two cups of baking soda
- One cup of cornstarch
- 1 1/4 cups of water
- – Combine all ingredients into a pot over medium heat.
- – Stir the mixture almost constantly, until it thickens to the consistency of whipped mashed potatoes.
- Let cool.
- Knead until smooth and no longer sticky.
After you’re done creating sculptures, let them air dry!
Mixing Colors
Gather a few cups or jars, and fill with water.
Add drops of food coloring, noticing and narrating how the dye blends into the water.
See how many colors you can make!
To extend:
Use coffee filters or water color paper to try out new colors made.
Drip your colors onto tissue paper, then rip the tissue paper into small pieces, and collage onto printer or contact paper, for a stained glass window effect!
Helpful Links
Family Friday
The ECC and NAEYC both applaud family members’ role as young children’s first and most important teachers.
Movie Night
Set up a home movie theater with pillows and blankets!
Pop popcorn together, and bring cups filled with treats to the “movie.”
For older children, craft “tickets” together and ask them to collect them at the “door.”
Indoor Picnic
Find the biggest blanket in the house.
Spread it out, and add cushions so each person has a seat.
Fill a basket or bucket with cloth and easy/clean snacks like trail mix, deli sandwiches, frozen grapes, and sliced fruit.
To make it a “magical picnic”, string up twinkle lights, set up flashlights, and put on calm background music.