Anna from The Measured Mom

About Anna from The Measured Mom

Anna taught eight years before she began her career as a stay-at-home mom. She has four children - a girl (5) and three boys (4,2,1). She enjoys teaching them at home and after her daughter's morning at kindergarten. Anna blogs at www.themeasuredmom.com.

Z is for Zebra: Letter of the Week Preschool Craft

By Anna from The Measured Mom 10 Comments

I’m Anna from The Measured Mom, and it’s been so fun sharing letter of the week crafts and learning ideas with you at Crystal & Company!

This is our final week in the series. We’re wrapping it up with letter Z — for zebra, of course!

LETTER OF THE WEEK CRAFT: Z is for Zebra

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

large letter Z cut from white paper (see this pattern: Z is for Zebra pattern)

black nose (see pattern)

triangular ear (see pattern)

googly eye

small black strips

glue stick

black marker

plain construction paper

1. Glue down the Z in the center of the paper. Add the black nose.

2. Add the googly eye.

3. Give your zebra a triangular ear.

4. Glue the stripes all the way down the zebra. (Your preschooler may need help making the stripes go in the right direction.)

5. Use a black marker to add the zebra’s mane.

I just love them!

RHYME FOR LETTER Z:

Say this rhyme in a sing-song chant. Be sure to say that last line with a shout!

Zoom, zoom zoom,
We’re going to the moon.
Zoom, zoom, zoom,
We’ll be there very soon.
So if you’d like to take a trip
Just step inside my rocket ship.
Zoom, zoom, zoom,
We’re going to the moon.
Zoom, zoom, zoom,
We’ll be there very soon.

10 – 9 – 8 -7 – 6 – 5 –
4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – BLAST OFF!

SONG FOR LETTER Z:

Sing this to the tune of “Do You Know the Muffin Man?”

Oh do you know the zookeeper,
The zookeeper, the zookeeper?
Oh, do you know the zookeeper
Who works down at the zoo?

BOOKS TO READ FOR LETTER Z:

If I Ran the Zoo, by Dr. Seuss

I couldn’t leave out this classic rhyming tale by Dr. Seuss. Kids will enjoy this zany story about a little boy named Gerald McGrew – and all the changes he’d make to the zoo.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee, by Philip C. Stead

I just fell in love with this beautiful story about a kind old zookeeper named Amos. He takes time for each of the animals – and he is their dear friend. But one day Amos is sick and can’t be at the zoo. So the animals come to him! The award-winning illustrations will steal your heart!

Anna taught eight years and received her MEd in Curriculum & Instruction with a focus on literacy. In 2007 she began her career as a stay-at-home mom. She has four children – a girl (6) and three boys (5,3,1). She enjoys teaching them at home and after her daughter’s day at school. Anna blogs at www.themeasuredmom.com.

More Alphabet Resources

Handwriting Tracing Kit For Preschoolers

Y is for Yak: A Letter of the Week Preschool Craft

By Anna from The Measured Mom 12 Comments

I’m Anna from The Measured Mom — and I can hardly believe it, but my preschoolers and I are almost done sharing weekly letter of the week crafts with you at Crystal & Company! This week we found an adorable craft over at Pinterest: Y is for Yak. Be sure to read to the end for rhymes and books to go with the letter Y.

LETTER OF THE WEEK CRAFT: Y is for Yak

I like the credit the sources of my crafts when they’re not original, but I couldn’t track down the creator of this one. We loved it – and my boys had a lot of questions about yaks as we completed the craft!

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

Letter Y cut out of brown construction paper (see this pattern: Y is for Yak pattern)

two large tan circles (see pattern)

two small black circles (see pattern)

large tan oval (see pattern)

two tan horns (see pattern)

glue stick

black marker

red marker

white construction paper

1. Glue down the Y in the center of the white paper. Add the horns on either side.

2. Make the eyes by gluing down the large tan circles first. Then add the small black circles on top.

3. A little farther down, glue down the oval for the nose and mouth.

4. Use the black marker to make two lines for the nostrils.

5. Add a big red smile!

Aren’t they fun?

SONGS FOR LETTER Y:

Most of us love this silly favorite!

Yankee Doodle went to London
Just to ride a pony.
Stuck a feather in his hat
And called it macaroni!

I know I’m stretching it here, but the letter “Y” is a seriously hard letter to find in children’s songs!

You put your whole self in,
You put your whole self out.
You put your whole self in
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey Pokey
And you turn yourself around.
That’s what it’s all about!

BOOKS TO READ FOR LETTER Y:

Yo! Yes? by Chris Raschka

This simple story of just 34 words is a unique story of friendship. When two boys meet on the road, one timidly offers friendship. (“Yo!”) As they continue to talk in one or two words a piece, the boys excitedly agree to be friends – sealed with a “Yow!” This is a great story about friendship — filled with letter Y words!

Extra Yarn, by Mac Barnett

This book won a Caldecott Honor Award (honorable mention for best pictures). It’s a gentle story about a girl in a dreary, black-and-white world who finds a box of colorful yarn. Her town is transformed as she covers its inhabitants with beautiful knitwear.

OTHER LETTER OF THE WEEK CRAFTS:

A is for Alligator

B is for Butterfly

C is for Car

D is for Doghouse

E is for Eagle

F is for Frog

G is for Goat

H is for House

I is for Ice Cream

J is for Jellyfish

K is for King

L is for Lamp

M is for Mouse

N is for Night

O is for Octopus

P is for Penguin

Q is for Quilt

R is for Rainbow

S is for Snake

T is for Tree

U is for Underwater

V is for Vase

W is for Watermelon

X is for Xylophone

LETTER OF THE WEEK SNACKS:

A is for Airplane (graham cracker airplanes)

B is for Butterfly (grape butterflies)

C is for Car (apple cars)

D is for Dirt (dirt cups)

E is for Eggs (candy eggs)

F is for Fishing (cupcakes)

G is for Green (green crispy treats)

H is for Heart (waffles)

I is for Ice Cream

J is for Jellybean (jellybean trail mix)

K is for Kite (oranges and graham crackers)

L is for Lollypop (apples)

M is for Monster Bars (a sweet homemade treat)

N is for Nest (a nest for a sweet candy treat)

Anna taught eight years and received her MEd in Curriculum & Instruction with a focus on literacy. In 2007 she began her career as a stay-at-home mom. She has four children – a girl (6) and three boys (5,3,1). She enjoys teaching them at home and after her daughter’s day at school. Anna blogs at www.themeasuredmom.com.

More Alphabet Resources

Handwriting Tracing Kit For Preschoolers

X is for Xylophone: A Letter of the Week Preschool Craft

By Anna from The Measured Mom 9 Comments

If you are working on teaching your little one their alphabet, doing letter of the week crafts you are going to love these letter crafts for your young child.

This X is for Xylophone craft is super cute and the kids will have so much fun with it. Children learn with alphabet crafts like these that help them associate and remember.

And… we even have handprint art, snack and book list to go along with it. You will find links to all of that below.

LETTER OF THE WEEK CRAFT: X is for Xylophone

We love that these crafts incorporate fine motor skills for child development. Craft ideas like these are always so much fun for toddlers and preschoolers!

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

xylophone sidebars printed on plain white paper (you can get it in our letter of the week pack here)
four colored strips (use page 2 of the above pattern for sizing)
two small black strips (see pattern)
two small black dots (see pattern)

1. Find the largest colored strip. Glue it across the bottom of the bars.

2. Keep adding all the paper strips until you’ve reached the top of the xylophone.

3. Glue down the two black strips in the shape of an X. Add the black circles at the ends of the mallets.

And here they are!

SONGS FOR LETTER X:

You’ll be happy to know I’m not going to give you songs about x-rays and xylophones! Instead you’ll find some rhymes with letter X within the words.

Here’s a preschool favorite.

Six little ducks that I once knew,
Fat ones, skinny ones, fair ones too.
But the only little duck with the feather on his back,
He led the others with a “Quack quack quack, quack quack quack, quack quack quack,”
He led the others with a “Quack quack quack!”

And here’s another classic song which is really fun to sing:

A hunting we will go, a hunting we will go,
Heigh ho, the derry-o, a hunting we will go.
A hunting we will go, a hunting we will go,
We’ll catch a fox and put him in a box,
And then we’ll let him go.

Jessica’s X-Ray, by Pat Zonta

My kids loved this story because of the real X-rays printed on mylar, sprinkled throughout the book. When Jessica breaks her arm, she’s taken to the hospital to get a cast. While there she gets a tour of the hospital and learns all about X-ray technology. This book is actually written by a professional X-ray technologist!

My Mom Has X-Ray Vision, by Angela McAllister

Kids will love this silly story told by a boy named Matthew, who is convinced his mom has X-ray vision. How else would she always know what he’s up to? The lively illustrations by Alex T. Smith combine with the fun story to make this an engaging book.

OTHER LETTER OF THE WEEK CRAFTS:

A is for Alligator
B is for Butterfly
C is for Car
D is for Doghouse
E is for Eagle
F is for Frog
G is for Goat
H is for House
I is for Ice Cream
J is for Jellyfish
K is for King
L is for Lamp
M is for Mouse
N is for Night
O is for Octopus
P is for Penguin
Q is for Quilt
R is for Rainbow
S is for Snake
T is for Tree
U is for Underwater
V is for Vase
W is for Watermelon

LETTER OF THE WEEK SNACKS:

A is for Airplane (graham cracker airplanes)
B is for Butterfly (grape butterflies)
C is for Car (apple cars)
D is for Dirt (dirt cups)
E is for Eggs (candy eggs)
F is for Fishing (cupcakes)
G is for Green (green crispy treats)
H is for Heart (waffles)
I is for Ice Cream
J is for Jellybean (jellybean trail mix)
K is for Kite (oranges and graham crackers)
L is for Lollypop (apples)
M is for Monster Bars (a sweet homemade treat)

Anna taught eight years and received her MEd in Curriculum & Instruction with a focus on literacy. In 2007 she began her career as a stay-at-home mom. She has four children – a girl (6) and three boys (5,3,1). She enjoys teaching them at home and after her daughter’s day at school. Anna blogs at www.themeasuredmom.com.

More Alphabet Resources

Handwriting Tracing Kit For Preschoolers

V is for Vase: A Letter of the Week Preschool Craft

By Anna from The Measured Mom 6 Comments

I’m Anna from The Measured Mom, and for this week’s letter of the week craft we’re sharing a fun printing activity for the letter V. V is for Vase — and how will we make our flowers? With vegetable prints, of course! This was a great craft for our family to do at the end of summer, because we are swimming in a garden overflow! After you’ve checked out the craft, be sure to find the songs and book list at the end of the post!

LETTER OF THE WEEK: V IS FOR VASE CRAFT

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

Letter V cut from construction paper (get the pattern here: V is for Vase pattern)

plain white construction paper

glue stick

vegetables that are good for printing, like broccoli and peppers

washable tempera paint

newspaper

1. Glue the V down on the center of the paper. This will be your vase.

2. Choose a vegetable to start with. Dip it very gently into the paint.

3. Add some lovely flowers by making vegetable prints at the top of the vase.

4. If you’d like, switch colors and try a new vegetable.

5. Keep going until your bouquet is complete! The idea is to keep the flowers above the top of the vase, but you may find that your preschooler gets a little carried away, as my three-year-old did :)).

Aren’t they beautiful?

SONGS FOR LETTER V:

Did you know it’s extremely hard to find rhymes and songs for letter V? If you know of a nursery rhyme, let us know in the comments, because I couldn’t find one! Instead, I made up my own. I’ll have to credit myself :), since these first appeared on The Measured Mom.

V is for Vacuum (to the tune of “I’m a Little Teapot,” original rhyme © The Measured Mom)

I’m a little vacuum,
Hear me vroom,
Over the floor and
All across the room.
When I get all revved up,
See me work,
Cleaning up the carpet
And sucking up the dirt.
VROOM!

V is for Volcano (to the tune of “Are You Sleeping?” original rhyme © The Measured Mom)

Big volcano, big volcano,
Getting hot, getting hot!
Now the lava’s coming,
Now the lava’s coming
Out the top! Out the top!

BOOKS TO READ FOR LETTER V:

The Viper, by Lisa Thiesing

Both you and your kids will love this adorable book. Peggy the pig has a simple, unworried life until the day she receives a scary phone call. “I am zee Viper. I vill come in 1 year.” When Peggy learns that a viper is a poisonous snake, she becomes more and more terrified. When the year has finally ended, Peggy has her doors bolted and locked — only to discover that zee Viper isn’t so scary after all. You’ll love the completely unexpected ending!

Tops and Bottoms, by Jan Stevens

This is a folksy tale about a hard-working rabbit family that outsmarts a lazy bear. Rabbit’s family has fallen on hard times, so he approaches his neighbor, Bear: Rabbit’s family will do all the work in Bear’s neglected garden and share the produce. Rabbit will get the tops, and Bear gets the bottoms. You can guess what kind of vegetables Rabbit plants! On it goes until Bear finally learns his lesson: to plant his own garden from now on!

Looking for more Letter V learning? Check out this link.

OTHER LETTER OF THE WEEK CRAFTS:

A is for Alligator

B is for Butterfly

C is for Car

D is for Doghouse

E is for Eagle

F is for Frog

G is for Goat

H is for House

I is for Ice Cream

J is for Jellyfish

K is for King

L is for Lamp

M is for Mouse

N is for Night

O is for Octopus

P is for Penguin

Q is for Quilt

R is for Rainbow

S is for Snake

T is for Tree

U is for Underwater

LETTER OF THE WEEK SNACKS:

A is for Airplane (graham cracker airplanes)

B is for Butterfly (grape butterflies)

C is for Car (apple cars)

D is for Dirt (dirt cups)

E is for Eggs (candy eggs)

F is for Fishing (cupcakes)

G is for Green (green crispy treats)

H is for Heart (waffles)

I is for Ice Cream

J is for Jellybean (jellybean trail mix)

K is for Kite (oranges and graham crackers)

Anna taught eight years and received her MEd in Curriculum & Instruction with a focus on literacy. In 2007 she began her career as a stay-at-home mom. She has four children – a girl (6) and three boys (4,3,1). She enjoys teaching them at home and after her daughter’s day at school. Anna blogs at www.themeasuredmom.com.

More Alphabet Resources

Handwriting Tracing Kit For Preschoolers

U is for Underwater: A Letter of the Week Preschool Craft

By Anna from The Measured Mom 18 Comments

I’m Anna from The Measured Mom, back for my weekly post at Crystal and Company to share a letter of the week preschool craft. This week we made a quick and simple project: U is for Underwater. We love to extend the learning with books and rhymes, so don’t miss those additional learning ideas at the end of the post!

LETTER OF THE WEEK: U IS FOR UNDERWATER CRAFT

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

1 piece of plain construction paper

letter U printed onto construction paper and cut out (get the pattern here: Letter U pattern)

colorful circles and triangles cut from construction paper

glue stick

school glue

googly eyes

blue paper with waves cut across the top

1. Use the glue stick to attach the blue paper to the piece of plain paper.

2. Glue down your letter U in the middle of the water.

3. Use the circles and triangles to make little fish. Use the school glue to attach the googly eyes.

4. Here is our underwater collection!

SONG FOR LETTER U:

Pull out this familiar verse from “Wheels on the Bus.”

The people on the bus
Go up and down,
Up and down,
Up and down,
The people on the bus
Go up and down,
All through the town.

ACTION RHYME FOR LETTER U:

Try acting out this fun rhyme!

Here goes a turtle up a hill –
Creepy, creepy, creepy, creepy.
Here goes a rabbit up a hill –
Boing, boing, boing, boing!
Here goes an elephant up a hill-
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
Here goes a snake up a hill –
Slither, slither, slither, slither…
And here comes a rock down the hill
–
Boom, boom, boom, boom,
CRASH!

BOOKS TO READ FOR LETTER U:

Great Day for Up, by Dr. Seuss

You can’t go wrong with Dr. Seuss’s crazy rhyming fun. With people going up on every page, your little one will get lots of exposure to the sound of “U.”

Unlovable, by Dan Yaccarino

This is an adorable story about a little dog named Alfred who is told by the cat and the parrot that he is unlovable. Alfred longs to be a bigger, more impressive dog instead of an unlovable little pug. One day he makes a friend through the the fence — but Alfred isn’t truthful with his new dog friend. He says he’s a golden retriever! When the two dogs finally meet, Alfred has a wonderful surprise.

OTHER LETTER OF THE WEEK CRAFTS:

A is for Alligator

B is for Butterfly

C is for Car

D is for Doghouse

E is for Eagle

F is for Frog

G is for Goat

H is for House

I is for Ice Cream

J is for Jellyfish

K is for King

L is for Lamp

M is for Mouse

N is for Night

O is for Octopus

P is for Penguin

Q is for Quilt

R is for Rainbow

S is for Snake

T is for Tree

LETTER OF THE WEEK SNACKS:

A is for Airplane (graham cracker airplanes)

B is for Butterfly (grape butterflies)

C is for Car (apple cars)

D is for Dirt (dirt cups)

E is for Eggs (candy eggs)

F is for Fishing (cupcakes)

G is for Green (green crispy treats)

H is for Heart (waffles)

I is for Ice Cream

J is for Jellybean (jellybean trail mix)

K is for Kite (oranges and graham crackers)

Anna taught eight years and received her MEd in Curriculum & Instruction with a focus on literacy. In 2007 she began her career as a stay-at-home mom. She has four children – a girl (6) and three boys (4,3,1). She enjoys teaching them at home and after her daughter’s day at school. Anna blogs at www.themeasuredmom.com.

More Alphabet Resources

Handwriting Tracing Kit For Preschoolers

T is for Tree: A Letter of the Week Preschool Craft

By Anna from The Measured Mom 8 Comments

I’m Anna from the Measured Mom – and I’m back at Crystal & Company to share a preschool craft and other learning ideas for the Letter T. After painting with spaghetti for letter S, we’re doing a neat and simple paper craft this week. (You’re welcome :)). Be sure to check out the rest of the crafts in our Letter of the Week series!

LETTER OF THE WEEK: T IS FOR TREE CRAFT

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

Letter T pattern printed onto cardstock (get it here: T is for Tree pattern)

small green squares cut from green construction paper or cardstock

tree trunk cut from brown paper (to fit the bottom part of the T)

buttons of one color

school glue

1. Glue down the tree trunk.

2. Spread glue all over the top of the T.

3. Add the green squares for leaves. Place them so that they overlap each other.

4. Put down dots of glue and add buttons for fruit.

Normally my Four likes to do these crafts as well – but he was so involved in his lego project I couldn’t bear to pull him away. 🙂

SONGS FOR LETTER T:

Don’t miss these classic childhood songs!

Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
How I wonder what you are.

I’m a little teapot, short and stout!
Here is my handle,
Here is my spout.
When I get all steamed up,
Hear me shout,
“Tip me over and pour me out!”

NURSERY RHYMES FOR LETTER T:

Nursery rhymes are notorious for not making much sense. Maybe that’s why kids love them so much!

Little Tommy Tucker
Sings for his supper.
What shall we give him?
Brown bread and butter.
How shall he cut it
Without a knife?
How shall he marry
Without a wife?

Be sure to find the tune for this classic nursery rhyme if it’s a new one for you.

A tisket, a tasket,
A green and yellow basket.
I wrote a letter to my love,
And on the way I dropped it.
I dropped it, I dropped it,
And on the way I dropped it.
A little boy picked it up
And put it in his pocket.

BOOKS TO READ FOR LETTER T:

Letter T is such a great letter. I could have recommended twenty books, but for your sake I picked just my favorites. 🙂

The Tub People, by Pam Conrad

This is one of my favorite children’s books of all time. The wooden tub people are lined up, expressionless, at the edge of the bathtub. But when it’s bathtime, they love to play. They ride on the floating washcloth and have water races — until the day the tub child disappears down the tub drain. Nothing is the same as the tub people silently mourn their lost child. But a happy ending is coming! Don’t miss this precious book.

Trashy Town, by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha

I don’t know how many times I’ve heard my three-year-old recite the book’s refrain,“Dump it in, smash it down, drive around the trashy town!” He loves the simple story of Mr. Gilly picking up the trash. It’s a predictable story which makes it perfect for kids to read along.

Duck in the Truck, by Jez Alborough

I’ve heard my preschooler recite nearly all of this book while riding in the van as we do our errands. He loves the story of Duck and his truck that gets stuck in the muck – so much that he would beg for it every time we drove past the library. After getting it for his third birthday, he can now enjoy it as much as he wants. 🙂 Be sure to check out Alborough’s other Duck books, too!

For many more ideas for teaching the letter T, visit this link.

OTHER LETTER OF THE WEEK CRAFTS:

A is for Alligator

B is for Butterfly

C is for Car

D is for Doghouse

E is for Eagle

F is for Frog

G is for Goat

H is for House

I is for Ice Cream

J is for Jellyfish

K is for King

L is for Lamp

M is for Mouse

N is for Night

O is for Octopus

P is for Penguin

Q is for Quilt

R is for Rainbow

S is for Snake

LETTER OF THE WEEK SNACKS:

A is for Airplane (graham cracker airplanes)

B is for Butterfly (grape butterflies)

C is for Car (apple cars)

D is for Dirt (dirt cups)

E is for Eggs (candy eggs)

F is for Fishing (cupcakes)

G is for Green (green crispy treats)

H is for Heart (waffles)

I is for Ice Cream

J is for Jellybean (jellybean trail mix)

K is for Kite (oranges and graham crackers)

Anna taught eight years and received her MEd in Curriculum & Instruction with a focus on literacy. In 2007 she began her career as a stay-at-home mom. She has four children – a girl (6) and three boys (4,3,1). She enjoys teaching them at home and after her daughter’s morning at school. Anna blogs at www.themeasuredmom.com.

More Alphabet Resources

Handwriting Tracing Kit For Preschoolers

S is for Snake: A Letter of the Week Preschool Craft

By Anna from The Measured Mom 21 Comments

I’m Anna from the Measured Mom, bringing you yet another activity in our Letter of the Week craft series at Crystal and Company. This is one of my kids’ favorite crafts to date – I hope your kids love it too. Who wouldn’t love painting with spaghetti? Be sure to head to your library to check out the book recommendations at the end of the post. Try to find some time for those rhymes and songs too!

LETTER OF THE WEEK: S IS FOR SNAKE CRAFT

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

letter S pattern (get it here: Letter S pattern)

snake tongue cut out of red construction paper

2 googly eyes

washable paint

kitchen tongs

cooked spaghetti

glue

one piece of plain construction paper

box lid

3 cereal bowls

tape

1. Use the kitchen tongs to put the cooked spaghetti into three different bowls. This is great fine motor practice – but if your preschooler likes to get messy, turn it into sensory play instead and let him scoop it with his hands!

2. Choose three colors of paint. Squirt a little into each bowl. (Mom did this step at our house :)).

3. For fine motor practice, lift the spaghetti with the tongs and drop it back in the bowl. Repeat a few times until the paint is mixed in. For messy sensory fun, mix with your hands!

4. Tape the S into the box lid.

5. Dump the spaghetti into the lid!

6. Tip the box back and forth until you’ve painted the S with spaghetti.

7. Let your painting dry.

8. After a few hours,cut out the S and glue it to a piece of plain construction paper.

9. Add the googly eyes.

10. Add the tongue, and you’re done!

11. Here they are! All our S’s look the same because each of the kids chose red, yellow, and orange. 🙂 Those colors do make pretty snakes!

NURSERY RHYMES FOR LETTER S:

This was a new rhyme for me. It’s so fun to say!

Sippity sup, sippity sup,
Bread and milk from a china cup.
Bread and milk from a bright silver spoon
Made of a piece of the bright silver moon.
Sippity sup, sippity sup,
Sippity, sippity sup.

Here’s a classic nursery rhyme that all kids should know:

Simple Simon met a pieman
Going to the fair.
Said Simple Simon to the pieman,
“Let me taste your ware.”
Said the pieman to Simple Simon,
“Show me first your penny.”
Said Simple Simon to the pieman,
“Indeed I have not any.”

Lots of letter S’s in this one!

Sally go round the sun,
Sally go round the moon.
Sally go round the chimney pots
On a Saturday afternoon.

BOOKS TO READ FOR LETTER S:

Swimmy, by Leo Lionni

Swimmy is a little fish whose friends are swallowed up by a giant predator. When Swimmy joins a new school, he helps his friends swim together in the shape of a giant fish so that they can outsmart their enemy. It’s an engaging story with a great lesson – work together to make the best of a bad situation!

Stone Soup, by Marcia Brown

My six-year-old still can’t get enough of “Stone Soup” variations. This old folktale tells of hungry travelers who ask a woman for food. When she refuses, they decide to make stone soup. A stone goes into the pot – but it needs just one thing more. When the woman is tricked into providing one thing after another, the stone soup becomes hearty and delicious!

The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats

This vintage story is by that master of childhood, Ezra Jack Keats. Children enjoy the simple pictures and can relate to Peter’s day making snow angels, catching snowflakes on his tongue, and throwing snowballs — unless they live in a very warm climate. In that case, this book will make them wish they had snow!

OTHER LETTER OF THE WEEK CRAFTS:

A is for Alligator

B is for Butterfly

C is for Car

D is for Doghouse

E is for Eagle

F is for Frog

G is for Goat

H is for House

I is for Ice Cream

J is for Jellyfish

K is for King

L is for Lamp

M is for Mouse

N is for Night

O is for Octopus

P is for Penguin

Q is for Quilt

R is for Rainbow

LETTER OF THE WEEK SNACKS:

A is for Airplane (graham cracker airplanes)

B is for Butterfly (grape butterflies)

C is for Car (apple cars)

D is for Dirt (dirt cups)

E is for Eggs (candy eggs)

F is for Fishing (cupcakes)

G is for Green (green crispy treats)

H is for Heart (waffles)

I is for Ice Cream

J is for Jellybean (jellybean trail mix)

K is for Kite (oranges and graham crackers)

Anna taught eight years and received her MEd in Curriculum & Instruction with a focus on literacy. In 2007 she began her career as a stay-at-home mom. She has four children – a girl (6) and three boys (4,3,1). She enjoys teaching them at home and after her daughter’s morning at school. Anna blogs at www.themeasuredmom.com.

More Alphabet Resources

Handwriting Tracing Kit For Preschoolers

R is for Rainbow: A Letter of the Week Preschool Craft

By Anna from The Measured Mom 17 Comments

I’m Anna from The Measured Mom, here to share more alphabet learning with our Letter of the Week craft series. This week we’re doing a fun multi-media craft for the letter R. Be sure to find the suggested songs and book list at the end of the post!

Letter of the Week: R is for Rainbow Craft

Here’s what you’ll need:

letter R pattern printed onto cardstock or construction paper (get it here: R is for rainbow pattern)

school glue

blue marker

cotton balls

Fruit Loops-type cereal

1. Choose three colors for your rainbow, and sort the cereal.

2. Glue the cereal within the lines to make a rainbow. Use dots of glue or a long stream.

3. Glue cotton balls for clouds.

4. Grab the blue marker and draw rain. This will look different depending on the ability of your child. My three-year-old drew long lines and his version of a rain drop (pictured).

My four-year-old drew rain drops.

And here they are!

SONGS FOR LETTER R:

Teach the sound of letter R with these familiar songs:

Row, row, row your boat,
Gently down the stream.
Merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.

It’s raining; it’s pouring.
The old man is snoring.
He went to bed and bumped his head,
And he couldn’t get up in the morning.

NURSERY RHYMES FOR LETTER R:

There are many versions of this popular rhyme:

Rub-a-dub-dub,
Three men in a tub,
And who do you think they be?
The butcher, the baker,
The candlestick-maker,
All put out to sea.

Here’s a silly one!

Rub-a-dub-dub,
Three men in a tub,
And how do you think they got there?
The butcher, the baker,
The candlestick maker,
They all jumped out of a rotten potato,
‘Twas enough to make a man stare.

BOOKS TO READ:

A Rainbow of My Own, by Don Freeman

In this story, a little boy looks for a rainbow after a storm. When he doesn’t find one, he creates one in his imagination. They play together until the boy goes home and finds a rainbow of his own – the sun has made a prism on his goldfish bowl. Some people are bothered by the fact that the rainbow’s colors are incorrect in the illustrations– if that’s not an issue for you, go grab this book. 🙂

Planting a Rainbow, by Lois Ehlert

In this bright book, a child and his mother plant a colorful flower garden. This story might inspire you to get out the seed catalog yourself!
Red Riding Hood, by James Marshall

My only complaint about James Marshall’s fairy tale retellings is that I wish he’d made more! We love the goofy pictures and funny dialogue. This book is read over and over at our house – it’s definitely one to own. Also check out his other titles: Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, The Three Little Pigs, and The Three Bears.

OTHER LETTER OF THE WEEK CRAFTS:

A is for Alligator

B is for Butterfly

C is for Car

D is for Doghouse

E is for Eagle

F is for Frog

G is for Goat

H is for House

I is for Ice Cream

J is for Jellyfish

K is for King

L is for Lamp

M is for Mouse

N is for Night

O is for Octopus

P is for Penguin

Q is for Quilt

LETTER OF THE WEEK SNACKS:

A is for Airplane (graham cracker airplanes)

B is for Butterfly (grape butterflies)

C is for Car (apple cars)

D is for Dirt (dirt cups)

E is for Eggs (candy eggs)

F is for Fishing (cupcakes)

G is for Green (green crispy treats)

H is for Heart (waffles)

I is for Ice Cream

J is for Jellybean (jellybean trail mix)

Anna taught eight years and received her MEd in Curriculum & Instruction with a focus on literacy. In 2007 she began her career as a stay-at-home mom. She has four children – a girl (6) and three boys (4,3,1). She enjoys teaching them at home and after her daughter’s morning at school. Anna blogs at www.themeasuredmom.com.

More Alphabet Resources

Handwriting Tracing Kit For Preschoolers

Letter of Week Preschool Craft: Q is for Quilt

By Anna from The Measured Mom 16 Comments

Have you been following along with us for our Letter of the Week craft series? I’m Anna from The Measured Mom, and this week I’m sharing a simple craft for the letter Q.

Are you looking for even more alphabet activities for preschoolers? You’ll find suggested nursery rhymes and books at the end of this post.

Letter of the Week Preschool Craft

This week we made a very simple craft that all three of my big kids enjoyed (and each was done in less than 5 minutes!).

Here’s what you’ll need:

letter Q printed onto heavy cardstock or construction paper (use this pattern: letter Q pattern)

scrapbook paper cut into 1 1/2 inch squares

glue stick or liquid glue

This was a great way for me to use up some of the piles of scrapbook paper I once used to create beautiful scrapbooks – before I had kids. The paper has just been begging for a use!

Attach the squares to the letter Q to make a quilt. My three-year-old wanted me to use a gluestick to put glue on the squares. Then he attached them. My six-year-old (above) put a stream of liquid glue around her Q and then stuck her squares on. That’s the efficient way. 🙂

And my four-year-old put on the stream of liquid glue and put more glue on each piece. This is the thorough way. 😉

This was a very simple and quick craft – but the kids really enjoyed it. And it does a great job of reinforcing the letter’s shape and sound -which is the goal of all our Letter of the Week crafts.

NURSERY RHYMES FOR LETTER Q:

Pussycat, pussycat,
where have you been?
I’ve been to London
To visit the queen.
Pussycat, pussycat,
What did you there?
I frightened a little mouse
Under her chair.

The Queen of hearts,
She made some tarts,
All on a summer’s day.
The knave of hearts,
He stole the tarts,
And took them clean away.
The king of hearts
Called for the tarts
And beat the knave full sore.
The knave of hearts brought back the tarts
And vowed he’d steal no more.

BOOKS TO READ FOR LETTER Q:

Quick, Quack, Quick! by Marsha Arnold

It’s a challenge to find books for letter Q! But this Step into Reading book is a great choice. Little Quack is always last – because he’s distracted by the many interesting things on the farm. His mother admonishes, “Quick, Quack, quick!” The illustrations are beautiful, and the story just right for preschoolers – as well as for any mom who has a child who just won’t keep up!

Giggle, Giggle, Quack, by Doreen Cronin

When Farmer Brown goes on vacation, he leaves his brother Bob in charge – with a warning to “Keep an eye on Duck. He’s trouble.” Sure enough, Duck changes the instructions so that the farm animals get just what they want. This is a fun sequel to the popular book “Click Clack Moo.”

The Quiltmaker’s Gift, by Jeff Brumbeau

I can’t say enough wonderful things about this book. It’s a true treasure that every child should hear over and over again. At our house, this book becomes loved when the kids are about age 4. It’s a long book which requires some thoughtful listening – but try again if your little one isn’t ready for it!

The king has everything anyone could ever want — so many presents he has lists of his presents. But there’s one thing he doesn’t have — one of the extraordinary quilts made by the Quiltmaker. She refuses to give or even sell one to him, because her quilts are just for the poor. The King tries to take revenge on the Quiltmaker, but finally he concedes to her requirement: to give away all his precious things. With each item he gives away, she will sew one patch on the quilt. Besides the compelling story, each each page is a work of art. A must read!

OTHER LETTER OF THE WEEK CRAFTS:

A is for Alligator

B is for Butterfly

C is for Car

D is for Doghouse

E is for Eagle

F is for Frog

G is for Goat

H is for House

I is for Ice Cream

J is for Jellyfish

K is for King

L is for Lamp

M is for Mouse

N is for Night

O is for Octopus

P is for Penguin

LETTER OF THE WEEK SNACKS:

A is for Airplane (graham cracker airplanes)

B is for Butterfly (grape butterflies)

C is for Car (apple cars)

D is for Dirt (dirt cups)

E is for Eggs (candy eggs)

F is for Fishing (cupcakes)

G is for Green (green crispy treats)

H is for Heart (waffles)

I is for Ice Cream

J is for Jellybean (jellybean trail mix)

Anna taught eight years and received her MEd in Curriculum & Instruction with a focus on literacy. In 2007 she began her career as a stay-at-home mom. She has four children – a girl (6) and three boys (4,3,1). She enjoys teaching them at home and after her daughter’s morning at school. Anna blogs at www.themeasuredmom.com.

More Alphabet Resources

Handwriting Tracing Kit For Preschoolers

P is for Penguin: Letter of the Week Crafts

By Anna from The Measured Mom 12 Comments

Are you ready for a new Letter of the Week Crafts? We hope you love this P is for Penguin craft

Each week we share a new letter and will continue to do so until we make it to the letter Z. With each craft we always share rhymes and songs that go with the letter of the week as well as books to read as you explore the alphabet with your preschooler.

Fun crafts like this help build fine motor skills in young learners.

We have a craft for each letter of the alphabet!

Letter of the Week Craft

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 piece of colored construction paper
letter P cut from black construction paper (see this pattern: P is for Penguin pattern)
1 penguin belly cut from white paper (see pattern)
2 penguin feet cut from orange paper (see pattern)
1 beak cut from orange paper(see pattern)
1 googly eye
glue stick or liquid glue

Siasky 700 Pcs Mixed Wobbly Wiggle Googly Eyes with Self-Adhesive for DIY Scrapbooking Crafts (Assorted Sizes)Elmer’s All Purpose School Glue Sticks, Washable, 6g, 8 Count (E5004)

These are all supplies you will use over and over again for so many craft ideas!

1. Glue down the letter P.

2. Add the penguin tummy.

3. Glue down the penguin’s feet.

4. Add the beak.

5. Finish with the googly eye.

And here are our finished penguins! What a fun way to learn the letter P.

Crayola Construction Paper, 240 Count, 2-Pack (total 480 count)Epson Expression Premium XP-6000 Wireless Color Photo Printer with Scanner & Copier, Amazon Dash Replenishment Ready

RHYMES FOR LETTER P:

Can you say this one?

Peter Piper picked a peck
Of pickled peppers.
A peck of pickled peppers
Peter Piper picked.
If Peter Piper pickled a peck
Of pickled peppers,
Where’s the peck of pickled peppers
Peter Piper picked?

This nursery rhyme has always struck me as a little odd!

Peter, Peter, pumpkin-eater
Had a wife and couldn’t keep her.
He put her in a pumpkin shell,
And there he kept her very well.

12 Pieces Polar Animal Figurines Toys Polar Animal Figures Set Includes 6 Pieces Polar Bear Family Figurines and 6 Pieces Emperor Penguin Family Figures for Birthday Christmas Party Favor Learning Resources Color Play Penguins, Penguin Bath Toys, Bath Toys, Color Matching Toys, 12 Pieces, Ages 18mos+

BOOKS TO READ FOR LETTER P:

Tacky the Penguin, by Helen Lester

Tacky is an unusual bird. He’s not neat, orderly, or serious like the other penguins. He’s tacky. But the other penguins find that Tacky’s odd ways come in handy when a team of hunters arrives!

Pigs Love Potatoes, by Anika Denise

We’re big fans of this adorable counting book. As more pigs come in the door, Mama Pig must add more potatoes to the pot. A short story with a lot of appeal!

The Three Little Pigs, by James Marshall

We’re in love with James Marshall’s retelling and illustrations of the familiar fairy tales! The funny dialogue and goofy illustrations mean that this oft-repaired book is requested again and again.

CRAFTS FOR EVERY LETTER OF THE ALPHABET

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