Saturday

#50: Origami

Origami is folding paper into animals or other objects.



This is how to make a doggie like shown above. You will need two small, square pieces of paper about 15cm by 15cm or 5 inches by 5 inches.

Fold the two pieces like shown below. The purple is the body and the pink is the head piece. Attach the two pieces with tape or glue when you are done folding. Woof, woof!





This activity promotes fine motor skills and following complex instructions.

Friday

#49: Hockey

Play hockey!
She shoots, she scores!

If you don't have ice to play on, you can play field hockey or street hockey (watch for cars--in fact, the best place for street hockey is somewhere like a basketball court so you don't have to worry about cars).



This activity promotes group/team cooperation, physical activity, motor skills and coordination.

Thursday

#48: Play 'What If?'

What would happen if…an elephant ran the town instead of the mayor?

What if aliens abducted your teacher? (What would school be like then?)

What if you were famous or your parents were famous?

What if your dog could talk?




There is no limit to the ‘what if’ questions you can ask yourself or a friend. If you are playing with a friend, build on each other’s ideas and get completely silly!

Hint: Answering 'what if' questions are a good way to start writing short stories and poems.


This activity promotes imaginative play which assists in problem resolution skills.

Wednesday

#47: Make Clay

To make your own clay, you will need:
250 mL (1 cup) flour
75 mL (1/3 cup) warm water
60 mL (1/4 cup) salt
Bowl
Spoon
Baking sheet
Food colouring (for coloured clay)

Mix the ingredients. (If the dough is too dry add more water.) Create a hand print or use a mould (something that you put the clay into to make a shape or form). You can also sculpt something from the clay using your hands or sculpting tools.


Once you are done, have an adult bake your clay creation at 65 C (150F) for 1-2 hours on a cookie sheet to harden it. Let the oven dry the clay completely. Once your creation has cooled, you can paint it.


This activity promotes kinesthetic (touch) development as well as shape manipulation.

Tuesday

#46: Make a Sundae

It doesn't have to be hot out--or Sunday--to make a delicious sundae!

Scoop some ice cream into a bowl, sprinkle it with your favourite toppings and voila! A yummy sundae.


Topping ideas: nuts, sprinkles, candies like Smarties or M&Ms, cherries, blueberries, or other fruit (add bananas to make a banana split!), and of course, syrup.


This activity promotes creativity and culinary (cooking) skills.

Monday

#45: Buy Some Flowers



Can't wait for spring? Tired of the winter blahs? Spring is in sight, but if you need a 'pick me up', buy some flowers. They will brighten you right up!

If you buy some in a pot (not cut), they will last longer and will bloom again and again!


This activity promotes mood awareness.

Sunday

#44: Visit a Museum

There are art museums, dinosaur museums, airplane museums, gopher museums, children's museums (lots of fun--everything is made for kids to touch!), music museums, war museums, ocean museums....



What are you interested in seeing and learning about? What is close by? Type your province/state and 'museums' into a search engine and see what is close. Maybe there is a small, interesting, museum you didn't know about waiting to be discovered.


This activity promotes knowledge development.