Summer Adventure Box: Birds

Last year we did our first Summer Adventure Box on dinosaurs. This year, Jack wanted to learn about birds. Instead of making a huge box like I did last year, I went with the nestiest (?) looking basket I could find. In the basket this year will be:

Books! Birdhouse for Rent is a cute one that we actually found at the library last summer. When this book makes its way into the basket it will be accompanied by a paint-your-own bird feeder I got at Michael's. We'll also read Birds and A Nest Full of Eggs and work on some reading skills with the Birds reader we found at Barnes and Noble.

And more books! I picked up the DK Guide to Birds at the Scholastic Warehouse Sale last month. I found the Backyard Birding for Kids in the gift shop at our museum. I also pulled out our Bird Songs book, which Jack enjoys.

Jack always likes stickers.

I found this cute little hummingbird puppet at Let's Explore. We filled our feeder this weekend and are waiting for our first visitor. Jack found the wind-up parrot at the zoo gift shop. The Beanie Baby was one I had from years ago. Jack was excited to see it, and apparently Boris was, too, because he kept taking it from the basket.

Some other odds and ends: Professor Noggin's Birds of North America game, state birds magnets, a bird puzzle, a bird call, and a butterfly and bird bush.

A cool Find It game--this should keep him pretty busy!

Jack opened this Playmobil bird set this weekend. It is really cute!


A couple of other things I have my eye on:

• A "How to be a Birdwatcher" shirt
• Birds of the World Rubbing Plates

I will also put in some field guides we have as well as a new camera for him to use when we go on walks--as soon as I can walk for more than ten minutes without having to go pee. Also coming up, our library will be hosting a pigeon day, and later this week the parks department is hosting a series of nature walks downtown.

When Jack first said he wanted a box about birds this summer, my first thought was to go more academic--maybe learn about different birds around the world, do some literature studies, etc. Then I realized that a) he's only four, b) I'm having a baby, and c) he also has requested that we learn about all of the Night at the Museum characters. So we're taking it easy. He really enjoys watching the birds in our yard, and I think this is a topic we'll revisit many times.

If you are interested in going deeper, Heather posted a great link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as well as a robin unit study we may have to try next spring. Also, Ami has several great resources over at HomeschoolShare: a Backyard Birds Lap and Note, Storks, Ostriches, and Eagles, just to name a few. And of course there are great FIAR books with birds like Owl Moon and Make Way for Ducklings.

Happy birdwatching!

Butterflies

The last unit study we did this spring was on bugs. I never posted about it since we did not do a lot to take pictures of, but above is a butterfly life cycle (using different types of pasta) we made. Jack must have been paying attention, because he knew most of the answers already when we went to a class on butterflies at the zoo on Saturday.

They used old overhead pages and glued on tissue paper squares.

The result was really nice!

Later we got to go into one of the "behind the scenes" rooms and see some of the butterflies that had just come out of their cocoons.

The teacher showed the kids how to release them onto the plants.

Jack was a little unsure about the butterfly when it started walking on his arm. A few seconds more and I think he would have smashed it.

Safe at last!

I Made It!

There are only three more hours until June rolls around, so I feel safe in saying that I am having a June baby again!

More posts soon on what we've been doing the last week...

38 Weeks: Baby Signs

Movie Time

Today I finally took Jack to see Monsters Vs. Aliens. He has wanted to see this since we saw the previews in December, but we kept putting it off. Since Jay had to be gone this weekend, I decided doing something that would both entertain Jack and let me sit still was the best plan. While I waited in line for our tickets, Jack was standing in front of the movie poster quoting all the lines he knew to himself. Yes, he got a few strange looks.

We went early to get the tickets and had lunch at the theater diner before show time.

Jack was not sure about wearing the 3D glasses at first, but he seemed amazed when they started showing things in 3D. We saw a preview for Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and he reached out and grabbed for the food several times. He sat on the very edge of his seat for the first hour of the movie and has been playing with his movie toys all afternoon, so I guess he would give this one two thumbs up!

A Star is Born

Jack has been taking a drama class for the last couple of months. He has really enjoyed it, and today was the class performance.

First, they showed off some warm-up stretches.

Jack and Milo were the two little kittens.

Having some pie--and soiling their mittens.

Going to wash their mittens.

Taking a bow!

Playing a pretend game.

I was surprised at how serious he was when he was up on the stage. He didn't act goofy or anything. I think maybe he was a little bit nervous, but he did a great job. Afterward, we all went to lunch at Zio's and Jack got to play on the playground, so any stage fright was well rewarded!

One More

Just because I like it.