Tag: The Very Hungry Caterpillar

“If I Were a Butterfly”…Days 52 and 53

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We ended our school week with two days of discovering insects and learning about the life cycle of the butterfly. The weather was sunny, windy and cool, so we spent time playing on the play set in our backyard, flying a kite and going on scooter rides. On Friday, we spread our wings and “Lived Generously” by putting some used books on our front porch to share with neighbors and by sneaking out of the house to deliver surprises to the dedicated teachers in my daughter’s life.

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The Butterfly Song, (If I Were a Butterfly)– When I was in college I taught kindergarten Sunday School at my church. My class loved singing  The Butterfly Song and requested it when we went to music class with Mrs. Becker. Some twenty-seven years later, I have found memories of singing the song and remember all of the motions Mrs. Becker taught us. I was thrilled when my daughter’s teacher sang it with her class during virtual circle time this month. I have taught my daughter all three verses but you can leave out some of them to make the song shorter. CLICK HERE to listen to the song and CLICK HERE to go to the official The Butterfly Song website.

THE BUTTERFLY SONG
(If I Were a Butterfly)
Words and Music by Brian M. Howard
If I were a butterfly
I’d thank you Lord for giving me wings
If I were a robin in a tree
I’d thank you Lord that I could sing
If I were a fish in the sea
I’d wiggle my tail and I’d giggle with glee
But I just thank you Father for making me, meCHORUS
For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile
You gave me Jesus and you made me your child
And I just thank you Father for making me, me

The Very Hungry Caterpillar– Perhaps the most beloved children’s book in my collection, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle, turned 51 years old this year! I first shared the book with my daughter when she was a few days old, so when it came to studying caterpillars and butterflies, we just had to read it multiple times! We also enjoyed watching Eric Carle’s 1993 animated short, based on the book. When I taught kindergarten I used to show it to my students. (on VHS tape) CLICK HERE to watch the film. We enjoyed making some caterpillar art by dipping a cup in paint and adding additional detail with markers.

We also made a caterpillar out of a paper towel tube and fed him the corresponding colored tiles while retelling the story. We used the cards from this webiste in our retelling and added dice and a color spinner to invent our own math game!

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Butterfly Symmetry Art– After folding a piece of construction paper in half and cutting out a caterpillar shape, we decorated it to look like a caterpillar, opened it up and it unveiled a butterfly! We talked about symmetry and painted on one side of the wings, folding the paper in half to discover upon opening it back up, that the other side looked exactly the same! My daughter really enjoyed this activity so we made some extras to give to her Nana and Maw Maw for Mother’s Day. CLICK HERE to view a demonstration.

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From “Caterpillar to Butterfly” and a Pop-Up Flower Shop…Day 51

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During the seven years l taught kindergarten, one of my favorite things to do with my class was to order Painted Lady caterpillars from Insect Lore. My students and I enjoyed watching these teeny, tiny caterpillars grow and change; first into a chrysalis’ and then transform themselves into beautiful butterflies! It amazes me that the entire metamorphosis took a mere 3 to 4 weeks!

The caterpillars in my daughter’s classroom have all changed into chrysalises and her teacher placed them into the butterfly net. The caterpillar cam has been turned off, for now, as the metamorphosis begins. While we wait, my daughter and I continued our study of butterflies with some exciting activities. Our day ended with back yard play and an impromptu pop up flower shop in the backyard.

A Butterfly Garden– After completing the Scholastic Learn From Home module “From Caterpillar to Butterfly,” we went outside and planted some wildflowers that are supposed to attract butterflies. My daughter loves the dirt and is looking forward to watering her flowers everyday.

“The Very Hungry Caterpillar Yoga”– There are extensive benefits of doing yoga with children! Yoga improves their physical, mental, emotional and social health. From helping to balance energy levels and calming the nervous system, to building sensory awareness, flexibility and balance, yoga is simply amazing! My daughter needs to develop these skills so doing activities like yoga do not come naturally and it’s difficult to get her to do it without a fight! Her teacher recommended Cosmic Yoga, engaging story based yoga for kids presented by storyteller, Jaime Amor. My daughter was resistant at firs, but after awhile, to my great surprise, she began to request Cosmic Yoga! Amor has created yoga stories for just about any theme you can think of. From “The Wizard of Oz,” to “Star Wars,” to “Frozen,” everyone will find something they like! CLICK HERE to do “Very Hungry Caterpillar” yoga.

Pattern Block Creations– We used pattern blocks to create caterpillars and then we made symmetrical butterflies. We also played a symmetry game found here. Young children have a strong intuitive sense of symmetry. Research shows that knowing symmetry helps us learn things like graphing, understanding negative numbers and how to simplify complex information.

Pop-Up Flower Shop– Being an only child my daughter effectively plays independently and benefits greatly from child-directed, free play opportunities. One of her favorite places to play, during the quarantine, is in our backyard. Today she created an impromptu flower shop after gathering wildflowers in the field behind our house. She got plastic containers out of her water play toys and used them as vases. She used her toy phone to talk to customers and solicited me as her number one customer! I gladly joined in and helped direct her imaginative play. I asked the following questions…How much do the flowers cost? What is the name of her shop? Can she created mixed bouquets? I provided paper and crayons and encouraged her to create a menu for her shop, listing the prices for her various creations. By guiding her play, I was able to introduce new vocabulary and incorporate literacy skills in a fun, engaging way. CLICK HERE to read a short article about the benefits of adult guidance in play (or learning).

Teacher Appreciation Week and a Magical Metamorphosis…Day 49

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This week is Teacher Appreciation Week and I want to personally thank all of the amazing teachers in my life (past and present) who give of themselves each and every day. With the onset of COVID-19, teachers around the world found themselves learning new technologies and brainstorming ways to best meet the needs of their students while they entered the world of virtual learning. I applaud all of them for their tenacity and grit during this time of uncertainty. The Zoom chats, weekly lesson plans and daily blog posts from my daughter’s preschool teacher, Mrs. Stanglein, is the familiar that is keeping us grounded during this time of isolation.

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Dedication to Mrs. Stanglein (Preschool Teacher), Mrs. Washburn (Preschool Aide) and Mrs. Haun (Zion’s Early Childhood Director)- I have a graduate degree in early childhood education and when my husband and I began looking at preschools for our daughter, I was worried we would never find an early childhood program, or a teacher, that met my rigorous standards. I prayed for guidance and God led us to Zion Lutheran School.Stanglein

Mrs. Stanglein, you are the perfect teacher for our little one. Over the past two years you have encouraged our little girl’s creativity, inspired her budding literacy skills and ignited in her, an everlasting love for nature, discovery and investigation. And you accomplished all of this while providing a safe, developmentally appropriate, Christ-centered environment. When we first met I knew you wouldn’t be intimidated by my high-standards and could “hold your own” with this Noteworthy Mommy! And I have learned from you, especially during this time of “home schooling” and virtual learning. Thank you for reminding me of the importance of play (free and guided), providing resources to help with my daughter’s propriproceptive development and always reminding us of Jesus’ love.

Washburn

Mrs. Washburn, your quiet demeanor and warm smile makes me feel comfortable leaving my little one in your care. You provide the children with assistance and support, so they can be successful at school. Thank you for treating your students as they are your own and teaching them about God through your love and compassion

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Mrs. Haun, I never dreamed of finding an early childhood center that was officially trained on The Project Approach! As I walk through Zion’s early childhood wing, your leadership and extensive knowledge on how young children learn is being demonstrated in every single classroom. Thank you for the extraordinary work you do to provide training, materials and overall support for teachers, staff, children and their parents. I benefited greatly from the parenting classes your provided during the Sunday School hour.

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My daughter with Mrs. Haun, Mrs, Washburn and Mrs. Stanglein, when Fred Bird came to surprise her at school!

From Caterpillar to Butterfly– On April 22, Mrs. Haun delivered Painted Lady caterpillars to all of her early childhood teachers. We have been tracking their progress from caterpillar to chrysalis through daily blog posts and a live caterpillar cam! My daughter has been documenting the changes in a butterfly journal.  CLICK HERE to download the Butterfly Journal. Whether it be the amazing changes a caterpillar experiences as it turns into a butterfly or the growth my little girl has shown during her preschool years, both are amazing metamorphosis’ created by God’s careful hands.

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