CARS 2 fun!

 

This past week, we had fun learning with a CARS 2 theme. First off, Zachariah got some fine motor tong practice by picking up a mini car and matching it to the right place on his paper.

I will note he is NOT holding his tongs with the correct grip in this photo. I generally have to position his hand correctly before asking him to grab something…which is hard to do with a camera in my hand!

Thanks to Nana Liner for the awesome mini cars!

We used Carisa’s Preschool Pack for the rest of our fun activities this week!

Preschool Packs

Ha! He’s tired of having his photograph taken!

Yummy Cars Lunch:)

 

And it wouldn’t be a CARS 2 week without an official pit pass to the MOVIE!

Our Awesome Dentist treated all her patients to a private showing of CARS 2, complete with SNACKS!

Its been a fun fun week!

Dora Days

“Come on Vamanos! Little Ava…Lets Go!”

I was super excited when Carisa posted this Dora Tot Pack! Although, Ava is not forgotten in any other way, I do feel sometimes she gets left in the dust as most of what I do “educationally” centers around the boys and more specifically Zachariah.
This Dora Tot pack is the perfect fit for Ava to work on while I am working with the boys on their Sensory ABC lessons lessons this summer. Most of what is in the tot pack, I was able to adapt so that she is doing about the same thing the boys are doing, but with a theme she loves!
The first day, Ava worked on her pack, she matched the color words in English to the color words in Spanish. (by matching the color) I would read to her the 2 different ways to say each color.

She couldn’t contain herself when she saw me making jello flashcards with Zachariah…so I let her write her name in glue and then sprinkle powered jello on top.



The next day we worked on her Dora Tot Pack…
I adapted her coloring page by outlining the color I wanted her to color each part of the page. This is something I have learned from my training with Zach’s sensory ABC class. This helps her color within a border and learn to choose different colors for different parts of her color page. She is also using an adaptive crayon to help her grasp development.

We also worked on helping the “Momma Letters” find their lost “Baby Letters”

This picture shows her thinking!

Next, I used the Dora materials for her to work alongside Zachariah as he worked on one of his activities by precoloring these Dora outlines in Watercolor Map Pencils. Each card says “Dora is blue…Dora is purple” etc.  Zachariah has to color his own, but mama helped Ava out. After, they are colored, she took a q-tip and dipped it into water to paint back over the picture.  This is a great activity for kiddos who have shorter attention spans and don’t want to color the entire page!


Ava also has some fun Dora themed things in her boxes this week.
Dora Lego Sets


Dora Dress Up Sets
I blogged a little a few years ago about the blessing of these toys here.

Getting Dora ready for Nap….she hadn’t caught on yet…they were BOTH going down to nap!


I use the activities in her boxes when I am working with one of the boys. I always put things her in boxes that don’t require me at all.

Sensory Handwriting

6 months ago, Zachariah, age 5, struggled to draw a circle or draw lines.  In late February he started a sensory ABC class at The Handwriting Clinic. After only 12 weeks of sensory adapted instruction he can now copy most letters of the alphabet.
I am still working hard with Zachariah for him to retain the visual memory component of being able to write a letter by recall and or his name un assisted.  I sat down with Jan, the founder and director of The Handwriting Clinic the other day.  She walked me through a home program to benefit Zachariah to enhance his progress between sessions with her.
I wanted to share a glimpse of our day with you in the hopes it might help you with your preschooler if you need help in this area.
First up…..fine motor labs. Jan recommends 5 minutes of “lab work” each day. I am setting up 3 labs each day…and having all 3 of my kids rotate through the labs. So Zachariah is essentially getting 15 minutes of fine motor labs each day. (5 days a week)  Lab Work consist of cutting, tong work, adaptive coloring, and Punch Art.

Punch Art
Zachariah works on improving eye hand coordination and tripod grasp development by using an adapted golf tee to punch holes around a small picture of a race car.

 
Tong Practice
Zachariah is developing separation of two sides of the hand to have good stability with the 4th and 5th fingers using tongs. He is also sorting colors, identifying patterns, sorting and counting with one to one correspondence.



Cutting
Levi is developing eye hand coordination by cutting angled, curved and forward lines. He is also developing stability with his 4th and 5th fingers and learning to manipulate the scissors with his thumb, index and 3rd finger.



I will share other labs as we complete them this summer!
After “lab time” we go outside for a movement break.
Here is a short video of a movement break.
Movement Break
Another fun movement break is this new swing from Ikea!

After about 15-20 minutes of a movement break we come back inside for a sensory activity.
Each week we will make a tactile flashcard of the 3 letters and letter strokes we are focusing on for the week.



This is simply glue with jello sprinkled on top like you would sprinkle sand or glitter on a craft project.  This project reaches multiple senses including his sense of smell!
Another sensory activity (also about 15 minutes) is SHAVING CREAM! We stayed outside for this one after a movement break.
And then all boys love their trucks…I ask him to drive his car over the letters one more time before letting him have “free play".”




Zachariah also needs medium and large motor practice (about 10 minutes a day) with his letters. We are doing this with pool noodles, lazer light, water swords…basically anything fun that he can use to write the letter in the air.  This picture shows him writing the letters first with a “pointer finger” on his paper on the easel.

and then eventually we do have to put the pencil to the paper!

If you want to see more really cool sensory activities click here.
I have a HUGE binder full of activities and labs to do with Zachariah this summer….so stay tuned for more ideas…..as the days get hotter and hotter in Texas this summer!
Oh yeah….and we go swimming everyday after all our work is finished! Huge motivation activity!