Sweet E has been obsessed with one particular episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse called "Goofy on Mars." So we decided to do a G is for Galaxy theme this week! Click on the links below to take a look back at similar themes, or keep scrolling to see what we did this week:
Books
We borrowed four toddler-friendly books from the library this week, and included one from our own collection about rockets. The text is simplistic in each of these, and the pictures are bold and bright. She always loved pointing out the red planet where Goofy went! 😂
Stickers
I found this sticker sheet at the Dollar Tree, and just set her up with a sheet of black construction paper while I was busy in the kitchen one day.
She enjoyed placing the stickers, and we ended up using her creation in another activity later on!
I cut it down to fit around a small coffee can, and taped it on.
Outer Space Sensory Bin
I provided Sweet E with a bucket of dried black beans and colorful star beads, as well as our coffee can, some scoopers, tongs and a pipe cleaner.
Isn't that pretty? I love when sensory bins are also visually stimulating. (Hello, rainbow spaghetti, I'm looking at you!)
Sweet E began scooping beans and stars into the coffee tin!
She also explored with her hands.
And gave the tongs a try.
She filled the coffee can all the way to the top, and then poured it back into the bucket!
Threading Star Beads
Later, I suggested she try threading the stars onto the pipe cleaner.
She loves doing this, and asked me to make it into a bracelet when she was done.
Letter Recognition
I wrote a large G on a sheet of paper, and for her letter recognition activity we just placed lots of black beans and stars along it! Super simple!
Alphabet Review - Sticky Wall
For this activity, I wrote the letters we have covered so far onto paper stars.
And then I asked her to match them to the ones I had written on black paper, and hung to her wall behind contact paper. She remembered most of their names, and can already identify the G as well!
She completed them all!
Rocket Scavenger Hunt + Color Review
I knew I needed to include Sweet E's rocket in our theme this week. And if someone is flying inside, it has to be Goof! First I cut out some circles from construction paper, and then I hid them around the house.
Sweet E had to take the rocket and fly around looking for all eight planets! First she came upon the brown one. She'd identify the color, and Goofy would come out and explore.
Then she would make a mark beside whichever planet we found!
Off to the next planet! 3...2...1...blast off!
And she continued this way until we found all eight.
Super fun game. 😊
Smashing Moon Rocks
In addition to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, one of Sweet E's favorite things right now is her toy hammer! Most of the time she's pretending to fix toys, and just hammering random things around the house. And sometimes between themes I offer her some Styrofoam and golf tees, as a quick activity. Today I did something I've seen on Pinterest via Pre-K Pages, where you smash hardened cotton balls! First you dip them into a flour and water mixture, tinted gray. Then you bake them in the oven for 45 minutes. So this took a little bit of prep in advance!
Moon rocks!
She was excited for this activity! She tried crushing them with her toy hammer, and sometimes with her hands too.
They'd smoosh down, and crack open very satisfyingly.
They were a bit too hard for her toy hammer, so I let her borrow Daddy's!
Which was very effective!
She completed the whole tray, and asked for more. So I prepared a second tray with the remaining flour/water mixture, but this time kept it in the oven for half the time, to see if they'd be easier to smash. While it was in the oven we played with Frozen toys and clothes, so here is Elsa beginning to work on tray #2!
Easier to crush, for sure!
She switched off between her hammer and Daddy's. Both were just as fun!
Puffy Paint Earth
I didn't want to finish our galaxy week without doing a planet Earth craft! So we took an idea from No Time for Flashcards, and made one with shaving cream paint!
It was so thick and puffy!
And it dried nicely. Super cute!
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