HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010

Dear Parents and my beautiful KG1 Africa children,
First let me wish you all the very best for the new year....let's hope & pray that it comes with love, peace, good health & stability. 2009 was a strange and an unusual one for all of us - but we made it. Let's keep working together and supporting each other in all our endeavors.
I hope you all have found the sheets and the power point presentations helpful in your efforts to keep your child's education up to date. Let's wish that 2010 will be more stable for their sakes.

Below are some ideas for home activities to deepen your child's understanding and to keep their interest alive in the wonderful world of learning - let them explore, ask questions and experiment with different things.
Have fun together.

FOOD HUNT FOR SEEDS
Put a selection of fruits and vegetables out. Ask your child to tell you which ones have seeds inside them. Next have your child sort them into 1: seed and 2: no seed groups. Open them up to see what you find out. ( you can keep the seeds for other activities.)
Slice the fruits and vegetables and enjoy!

Or you could:
Take a selection of fruit, such as Kiwi, Peach, Pineapple, apple etc., A bowl,
Sharp knife, Cutting board...For safety the fruit should be cut be an adult
1. Before cutting the fruit, let your child feel and smell them.
2. Ask what are the names of the fruit.
3. Talk about shape, size, smell and texture.
4. Put the fruit into groups, ex: smooth skinned or those that are round in shape.
5. Ask your child to guess what color the fruit is inside.
6. Peel and cut open the fruit, and talk about you can see.
7. Are there any seeds?
8. If you cut the fruit in a different way, does it look different inside? Apples
are great for this.
9. Make the fruit into a fruit salad and taste the fruit.
10. Discuss which fruit your child prefers.

MOLD GARDEN
For some reason children seam to love watching mold grow. Here is a safe way to experiment with mold.
Give your child a small zip-lock bag (one that is sealed air-tight when closed) and a piece of bread.
Have them place the bread into the bag and then add a teaspoon of water. Zip up the bag and set out the bag to observe. After a few days, mold will appear on the bread.
Discard bags unopened, when experiment is over.
Variation: You may want to repeat this experiment, but this time make two bags of water and bread and put one in the center and one in the refrigerator. Which one grows mold the fastest?

COIN MONEY MAGIC
Set out a zip-lock bag, some salt and some vinegar.
1. Help your child measure out one tablespoon vinegar and one teaspoon salt and place it in the bag.
2. Put out 1-4 dirty coins and have your child place them into the bag.
3. Zip up the bag and let your child gently shake the bag.
Children love watching the dirty coins slowly turn shinny and new.

There are many activities that can be done especially in science (and math) but I think these should keep you busy for a while - I know it kept my daughter busy, interested and curious with many 'WHY?' questions -

STIMULATE A SENSE OF WONDER
• Ask open-ended questions like, "I wonder what might happen if..." or ….. “What do you think will happen?"
• Answer their questions by asking, "How might we find out?" Encourage predictions.
• Offer materials for experiments. Test out ideas. Discuss results. Ask more open-ended questions.
What you need is curiosity, a little planning, some interesting "stuff," and pleasure in watching young scientist develop.

ENJOY.

English Activities:

Riddles about winter clothing.
Children try to guess these items of clothing –

Remind your child - or watch again the ppt about winter and winter clothing
Ask your child these riddles - giving clues:

‘I am long, made of wool & I keep your neck warm...what am I?'.......a scarf.
'I sit on your head & keep your head & ears warm...what am I?........a hat.
'I am thick and have a zipper or buttons and you put your arms in me....what am I?'...a jacket or winter coat.
'There are two of me and you put me on your hands...what am I?'.....gloves / mittens.

Hope you enjoy these activities -
Hope to see everyone on Sunday....

Happy New Year.