Education Newsletter

View this email in your browser

Hello Awesome Families! We are missing all of your children's faces and voices! Boyer is such a great space for creativity and learning, but we can have plenty of fun at home too. Check out these ideas from our educators. (If you have not scheduled a Virtual Visit with your team, it's simple! Learn more here.)

READING

The Gingerbread Man:

One thing that makes this story so fun is the repetitive and predictable phrases, providing a great opportunity for your child to participate by finishing the sentences as you read. Encourage them to join you in the refrain,“Run run as fast as you can, you can’t catch me I’m the Gingerbread Man!” Then, after you have read the version you have, you can look at the library or online to find some of the other versions to share and talk about with your child.

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats:

The Snowy Day is a fun story that explores the wonders of a child waking up to snow outside. You can talk to your child about what they see, if they have ever or remember seeing snow, and what happened to the snowball in the book. This story is extra fun to read after there has been snow. Have fun reading!

MUSIC

Take advantage of the December darkness and sing this fun song about lights with your child!

GROSS MOTOR

Lights On, Lights Off Walk
Here is a fun and active way to help your toddler practice the concept of on and off. Bundle up and take a walk in the early evening around your neighborhood. As you walk, point out possible sources of light (i.e. street light, car head lights, porch lights, holiday lights, etc.). You can talk about whether the lights are on or off, if they are blinking, and what colors they are. When you see a light, say "light on!" and stretch your arms out wide. When you see a light off say, "light off!" and clap your hands together. This makes the concept more visual and interactive. You could even take a flashlight or use the light on your phone to practice turning your own light on and off as you walk. On another day, you could take the same walk during daylight and talk about which lights are off in the day and on when it's dark. You could also play this game during a drive in the car or even just a walk through your own home. Cities are full of interesting and colorful lights. Have fun exploring!

ART

Get ready for winter by creating these snowflakes with your little one! Together, help your child fold and cut a coffee filter, paper towel, or any type of slightly absorbent paper into snowflakes. Using either food coloring or markers, help your child disperse color onto the snowflake. You can spray or lightly drop water onto the snowflake to see the color change and spread out! This is a great opportunity to work on color recognition and fine motor skills with your child, as well as explore the concepts of cause and effect in a fun and engaging way!

PS. As we face this pandemic, philanthropic support is more crucial than ever! Gifts of all amounts will make a significant impact. Please consider making a gift today to help meet the most urgent needs of our Boyer community.