There was more than just a "pretend" sleepover that we focused on with our book. We also did a craft. A great way to test our 'scissor skills', while also letting the kids enjoy ANYTHING that enables the use of glue and color!
Here is how what may appear to be a simple craft has use in so many more ways.
First, we read the book. Asking questions after the book enhances comprehension skills and encourages the kids to think about what happened. Then during center time, each child received time to use scissors and cut out a crescent shaped moon; scissor skills.
Learning how to handle them, use them properly and efficiently is a task that can be extremely frustrating for a 4 year old! I teach them to make sure their thumbs are facing up instead of attempting to use scissors at a horizontal angle. Their other hand should be holding the paper, also with their thumb up on top of the paper to assist in guiding the paper and turning it if needed. (You will see a lot of scissor cutting skills coming home next month).
Then each child had to find their name on a sheet of labels to put on the back of their paper. Name recognition is a HUGE thing at this age! Seeing it in another's handwriting is different and although they may know how to write it (some of us), we may not always recognize it. Recognition is beginning reading and writing. Next, with the use of a crayon they drew a cow (the cow jumping over the moon). This allowed for conversation about body parts and other features that could be drawn to indicate a cow is different from a person or plant, etc. Finally we used yellow bingo dotters to make stars or make a yellow moon. This was a lesson on gentle vs a heavy hand. The heavier they pounded the blotter, paint would splatter. But if we were gentle, they were perfect circles.
Crafts are for fun, AND for teaching opportunities!
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