Rectangles!

This week the shape we learned about was rectangles.  (I'm going to be honest, I like slowing down and spending a week on each shape, but it does get harder and harder to come up with good activities for the less common shapes.).   Our window art for rectangles was similar to the circle shape art.  We used contact paper and I found a packet of colored plastic file folder pockets for .67 cents.  I cut them in rectangles and voila.  It is very pretty in the day when the sun shines on it and makes color spots on the table and floor.  :).   We also talked about books that are often in rectangle shapes and I read a shape book to them during calendar. The rectangle song involves yelling so of course it was a big hit:
There is a shape that has four sides but it is not a square, NO!
It's a rectangle, it's a rectangle, it's a rectangle, it is not a square NO!
Two sides are long, two side are short, it is not a square NO!
It's a rectangle, it's a rectangle, it's a rectangle, it is not a square NO!

Day two of rectangles was trains!   We talked about train cars and how they are often in the shape of 

rectangles.  I also pulled out the new train toy which the girls all had a lot of fun playing with and learning to share and take turns with.  :).   They did a simple train art complete with LOTS of glue!

The third day of rectangles was flag day!  We watched a video of the song Grand Old Flag and we also watched a video clip of a college flag color guard in a parade.  We then made our "spring flags". I found some white fabric in the scrap material and we colored them with sharpies.  I duct taped them to wooden dowels) And had an outside parade marching up and down the front sidewalk and singing and waving our flags.   It was lots of fun and there were plenty of people driving by staring at us.  Hopefully they were thinking "what a fun Spring Day activity", but they were probably thinking "what's that crazy lady up to with those girls now?" Lol.  :).  

Third day of rectangles was door day!   Hooray for messy painting.  This was truly a masterpiece.  My DH put the door out on the porch and we were out there at least a half hour painting.  I used the left over paint from the kitchen and dining room.  Their favorite part was holding the soaked paint brushes above the door and drizzling it all over.  It is Beautiful!   The door is the one we are using for the classroom door.  It really brightens up the room.  :)

Day five of rectangles was table day.  I hid the picnic table in the bathtub so the girls had to find it.  They loved it.  The table is adorable and just their size.  (Thank you Uncle Allen).  We set it up in the dress up/play kitchen room.  While they were taking their nap I took it out on the front steps then they had to find the table again for their snack.  So much FUN!  We also put stickers on our shape books this week.  I will have to try to remember to get a picture of that before the end of the shape unit.

Bonus pictures... I don't know how this came to be, but all this week and last week, if the girls had to wear their coats they wanted them on backwards.  So, here are the crazy backward coat girls.  (Yet another reason for the neighbors to wonder what that crazy lady is going to do with those girls next. ). ;)

Squares!

The second week of our shape theme was filled with lots of fun square activities.
On day one we made the window hanging shown above.  I put masking tape on the sticky side of contact paper then the girls painted it with tempera paint. (they painted the sticky side). I love the way it turned out.  I have a pic of both the circle collage from last week and the squares from this week.  Our dining room is starting to look beautiful.  :)
Our shape song this week was sung to the Blue Danube Waltz tune:
A square has four sides, one two three four
And they're all the same, one two three four
A square has four sides, they're all the same
That's why it's called a square
We sang that everyday during calendar time and did a square chant while moving around a square on the carpet made with masking tape.
The square chant:
A square is a shape with 4 equal sides (repeat)
One, two, three, four
A square is a shape with four equal sides
Lets march in the shape of a square, lets gallop in the shape of a square, etc.
They love this part of calendar time.

Day two of squares was box day!   Yay boxes.  My husband found this great huge box for the girls to play in.  First they wanted to just sit and climb in it, then they asked me to turn it into a house.  Throughout this week it has been a circus, a store, a firehouse, a doctors office, a pirate ship, a trampoline, and a ball pit.  I'm sure I missed a few play themes too.  :). What a magical box. I had other activities planned for that day, but we never got to them, the box was too much fun.

Day three of squares was block day.  I found a nice block set with wagon that the girls enjoyed building towers, lining up, finding letters, building houses, and spelling words with.  My husband also made some wooden cubes that I just colored with Sharpies and the girls did some cube color matching activities.  I made letters as well as shapes for this activity.

Day four of square day was sandwich day.  We of course had sandwiches for lunch, but I also made a simple sandwich shop out of felt and foam sheets.  The bread, bologna, onions, ketchup and mustard are foam, the ham, lettuce, tomato and Swiss and cheddar cheese are felt.  This was very easy to make and the girls loved taking orders and making sandwiches for each other.

The Lego game was also very simple to make and is a great game for counting and color recognition.

Day five of squares was hopscotch day.  I made this inside/outside roll away hopscotch board using a roll of cupboard liner and green duck tape.  We have rolled it up put it down, moved it to numerous rooms, (even the bathroom, do t ask me why!) and it is holding up very well.   

We also made this shape art.  I just set out various sizes/colors of shapes, glue, and brushes.  They are all very unique and beautiful modern art masterpieces.  :).   

Hooray for squares!!