Cultures

by Savannah Hendricks

photo by Abigail Doyle

Cultural traditions are a part of families, big or small. Let’s start sharing.

1. Talk to your child about your culture. Describe the things that you love best about your culture. Tell them about your family’s cultural traditions that you continued. Maybe you have changed things slightly, to create parts of your own culture, if so discuss those. Is there a part of your culture that you don’t like? If so explain why.

2. Discuss other cultures and some of their traditions. Do friends have different cultures? Co-workers? Describe some of the well-known cultural traditions with regards to holidays and religion.

3. Talk about how different cultures came to be in different parts of the world because of immigration to and from other countries.

Questions for Your Child:

1. What are your favorite cultural traditions during holidays?

2. What cultures are your friends from?

3. What other culture would you like to experience?

Key Words: culture, traditions, immigration, countries, holidays, religion, cultural traditions, family culture.

Scariest Moments

by Savannah Hendricks

Turn scary moments into understanding and growth.

1. Talk to your child about what the word scare/scary means. Describe the way scary can make people feel.

2. Describe a scary moment you had. Explain how you handled the scariest moment. Tell your child if you would have handled it differently.

3. Tell your child about the things that would be the scariest to you in life. Do other family members have scary moments? If you have a family pet is it scared of anything?

Questions for Your Child:

1. What things scare you? Snakes? Spiders? The dark?

2. What do you do when you’re scared?

3. What are some ways you can overcome your fears?

Key Words: scare, scary moment, scariest, frightened, afraid, handling scary moments.

The Ocean

by Savannah Hendricks

from Wikipedia Commons

Waves, seashells, and seaweed. Let’s have fun talking about the ocean!

1. Describe the waves, the sound they make as they crash onto the shore. Talk to your child about all the oceans that cover 71% of the earth; Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Southern and Arctic.

2. Discuss with your child why you would or would not live by the ocean (coast). If you currently do, tell them why. If you have ever taken a trip out in the ocean explain your experience.

3. Talk about the ecosystem of the ocean. Discuss how the ecosystem is made of living and non-living organisms. What animals live in the ocean—from the splashing gray whale to a pinching crab.

4. Name some reasons that families, people, and friends go to the ocean. What items might they take with them? Discuss what things you might find near and in the ocean.

Questions for Your Child:

1. What do you think is the best part about the ocean?

2. What do you think it looks like below the ocean?

3. If you visited the ocean, what would you do there?

Key Words: ocean, beach, coast, water, ocean ecosystem, Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Southern, Arctic, ocean animals, waves, seashells, seaweed.

Climates

by Savannah Hendricks

from Wikipedia Commons

This world has many different climates that make Earth one of a kind. Let’s explore!

1. Describe to your child the current climate you live in. Explain to them what you like about your climate and what you don’t like. Talk to your child about what your favorite climate would be if you could make one all your own.

2. Explain the different climates across the United States and the rest of the world. Describe how the climate of each area affects what animals and plants can live there. Explain how people in different climates must dress to keep warm or cool.

3. Describe the five different climates (Tropical, Temperate, Dry, Cold, Polar). Explain the equator and the northern and southern hemisphere. Talk about the three basic climate groups, low latitude, high latitude, and middle latitude.

Questions for Your Child:

1. How many different climates have you visited? What was your favorite?

2. What climate would you like to experience?

3. How could you create different climates at home?

Key Words: climate, hot, cold, tropical, temperate, dry, cold, polar, equator, hemisphere, clothing for climates, climate talk.

Counting Numbers

by Savannah Hendricks

from Wikipedia Commons

1, 2, 3…let us count the ways to count numbers.

1. Grab objects from around the house and count them in front of your child. If you are making dinner or doing laundry and your child is near, count aloud as you add each piece of clothing to the washer or each potato to the pot. Use everyday chores as ways to count aloud to your child.

2. Use everyday activities as an opportunity to count with them, such as while dressing your child or walking down the hall. Count in different ways, such as in sets of 5’s, 10’s, 100’s. Count backwards from 20.

3. Count on your fingers and your child’s. Try out “This Little Piggy.” Then try singing as a way to count, connect it to your favorite rhythm. Count your child’s age in months.

Questions for Your Child:

1. How high can you count?

2. What kinds of objects can you use to count with?

3. Why is counting important?

Key Words: numbers, counting, counting in sets, This Little Piggy, months, days, pieces, counting aloud, rhythm.

Parks

by Savannah Hendricks

Hot Springs National Park - Hot Springs, AR

Time to talk about the fun of parks.

1. Talk to your child about the different types of parks. National, local, hiking, beach, dog, amusement, and water parks.

2. Describe the activities that happen at a park. Talk about picnics, finding bugs, looking for items, playing games, camping, barbeques, walks and hikes, animals playing, water slides, rides, food,  and fun.

3. Tell your child about your favorite park or parks and describe why you enjoy them so much. If you have taken your child to a park tell them about that experience.

Questions for Your Child:

1. What do you like to do at the park?

2. What type of park would you like to visit?

3. What would have in your own park if you could create one?

Key Words: parks, national parks, water parks, beach, local parks, hiking parks, dog parks, amusement parks.

Instruments!

by Savannah Hendricks

from Wikipedia Commons

Instruments can come in traditional and non-traditional forms to make music. Bang Bang, Toot Toot!

1. What instruments in school did you play? Discuss what you liked or didn’t like about the instrument. If you didn’t play an instrument explain why.

2. Discuss the different instruments, brass/woodwinds, stringed, and electric. Talk about what makes them different or similar.

3. Have fun with making noises with your mouth or hands and explain how those can be instruments too. Discuss how Tupperware and other items such as paper towel rolls or spoons can be used to make music.

4. Discuss bands and orchestras and how instruments come together to make music. Talk about a conductor and how a conductor makes sure the instruments flow together to the music.

Questions for Your Child:

1. What instruments have you played?

2. What things in the house could you use as instruments?

3. If you could play any instrument, what would it be?

Key Words: drum, violin, tuba, accordion, brass, cello, flute, piano, keyboard, electric guitar, guitar, music, instruments, homemade instruments, woodwinds, orchestra, conductor.

Blankets

by Savannah Hendricks

Cuddly and cozy on a cold day, comforting and soft when a child is scared. Let’s talk blankets.

1. Did you have a favorite blanket as a child? If so describe to your child what it looked like, how it made you feel, and what you liked about it. Tell your child where that blanket is now.

2. If your child has a special blanket explain to them how you went about picking out or making the blanket. Maybe the blanket was a gift from a family member or friend, talk about how that makes it important.

3. Discuss the different textures and types of blankets. Hand sewn, quilt, knit, store bought, fleece, thick or thin, fuzzy, wool, comforters, small blankets, big blankets, colors and patterns. Discuss how a blanket keeps you warm when you cover up in it.

4. Talk about how you can use blankets on a bed, on the couch, or to make a fort.

Questions for Your Child:

1. Where do you use blankets?

2. If you didn’t have a blanket, what could you use instead?

3. What do animals in the wild use as blankets?

Key Words: blanket, textures, comforter, colors, warmth, comfort, bed, hand sewn, quilt, knit, fleece, fuzzy, wool, soft, cozy, cover.

Eyes

by Savannah Hendricks

One eye, two eyes. Let’s explore our eyes!

1. Describe the color of your eyes to your child, and then describe the color of your child’s eye and other family member’s eye colors. Then talk about the shape of an eye.

2. Discuss the parts of an eye. Describe how dark and light affect the pupil. Talk about the iris, whites of the eye, eye lid, and eye lashes. Talk about the importance of putting on sunglasses to protect our eyes from the bright sunlight.

3. Explain how animals, insects, and mammals have eyes and how they are different from human eyes. If you have family pets talk about the color and shape of the pets eyes. Discuss why animals have a third eye (nictitating membrane) and humans do not.

4. Describe the things you see with your eyes that make you happy. Talk about how when it’s time to sleep you close your eyes. Then talk about how when you wake you open your eyes.

Questions for Your Child:

1. What color eyes do your friends have?

2. Why do some people wear eye glasses?

3. What are some ways you can protect your eyes?

Key Words: eyes, eye color, eye shape, animal eyes, human eyes, pupil, sunglasses, nictitating membrane, eye lid, eye lashes, whites of eyes.

The Book You Are Currently Reading

by Savannah Hendricks

Once upon a time…what are you reading?

1. Tell your child the title and author of the book you are reading. Describe to them the meaning of the words in the title. Talk to them about the author of the book and if this is the first book you have read by this author.

2. Describe the book’s genre and what it is about. Let your child know what you think about the book so far. What do you think will happen next? Can you guess the ending? Do you like the characters?

3. Describe to your child why you picked the book. Was it the cover that caught your eye, a recommendation, sale, a movie based on it, author, subject? Read to your child from your book (if appropriate).

Questions for Your Child:

1. What book are you currently reading?

2. What do you like about the book?

3. Why did you decide to read that book?

Key Words: book, genre, author, title, subject, characters, cover, currently reading, endings, beginnings.