Here are some stuff I've done differently this time.
Nn for nest
Nathanael made 2 cards and gave one to his neighbor.
Making edible bird nests, just in time for Easter.
Watching 'Sid the Science kid' DVD on birds was something I've done with Zech. That episode inspired me to make a nest with Zech.
With Nathanael, the nest is bigger with plastic eggs. :)
The bird craft looks more elaborate too.
In this unit, Nathanel learned about perseverance. Stitching a foam dog requires patience. He managed to complete it in a day. Part 1 before his nap and part 2 after his nap.
He enjoyed being a turtle and pretended to hide in his shell when a predator (that's me) came along.
Another variation of a turtle. Not much space to hide though.
Making a trip down to the Live Tortoise Museum at the Chinese Garden was something I wanted to do with Zech but didn't get around to doing it.
As usual, his favourite activity was feeding the animals. He was very fascinated with how the tortoises have no teeth but have a hard beak that can bite off your finger. Feeding these reptiles allowed him to see the inside of the tortoises' mouth.
We caught two mating. An early lesson on reproduction for Nathanael.
The Chinese Garden is a great place for kids. Previously, it was recommended to me by an Australian mum. Haha! Such an irony.
I taught Nathanael how to make percussion instruments other than the usual shaker and tambourine. Inspired after attending a concert with Zech, I set out to teach Nath how to make a straw whistle and a guitar.
He turned out to be pretty good at it. :)
Together we made a personal album. Zech did this too but used an album I bought from the bookstore.
He started learning how to write his name during this time. As his name is long, I broke down the task for him. Writing 'Nath' is good enough.
As this unit focused on us, Nathanael started drawing people on his own. Something I'm very proud of because Zech couldn't draw at this age then!
Many many activities that can be done but I've pushed some of the activities to the mid-year holidays so that Zech can join us. The Natural History Museum as a field trip for the boys and dino fossils excavation are in line during the holidays.
What we've done differently so far from the first time I did it with Zech...
These are 2 of the 'high level' crafts I almost regretted doing. I did most of the work and I hate doing these but persevered for the sake of Nath.
Not that great a result but the process of learning definitely outweighs the final product.
There are some activities that deserve a second mention here.
Dino sensory play. Always a hit with the boys!
Nath's more creative than Zech definitely. Here's his version of a dino cake.
The volcano experiment with baking soda and vinegar. The boys were just intrigued by the effect.
As Nathanael approached his 4th birthday, we began on the unit on Oo octopus.
This was the time he learned how to write his entire name.
He can now write his name independently. This boy is going to be neater than his big brother I think based on his grip and strength when writing. He spends more time writing, doodling and drawing on his whiteboard and easel board too. Every child is really different.
To praise the Lord with a tambourine, we used and modified Nath's craft from Sunday School and turned it into a personalized tambourine. He enjoyed using it to sing and praise the Lord.
An octopus craft using paper plates and crepe paper.
We made a trip down to the Sea Aquarium just to see the octopus and to learn more about the marine creatures. The plus point then was I didn't need to buy a ticket for Nath as he was a few days short of 4 years. :)
The first thing Nath asked to see was the shark. He was here before just last year so this was his second trip.
Close up with the dolphins. Nath has always been confused between a shark and a dolphin. He has seen a pod of dolphins in Australia before but never underwater like this. A close encounter allowed him to tell the differences between the two creatures.
Was surprised there was a colouring corner near the Ocean Dome. Thought it was there only during the holidays.
And the star of the day is none other than the octopus! It's really an amazing creature.
Zech did this ocean picture too but he wasn't into drawing so I cut out shapes for him to paste. Nathanael is more into drawing and asked me to teach him how to draw a tortoise, jellyfish and fish. He used his hand prints to make the octopus. I cut out strips of green paper for the sea grass and guided him to glue some sand on the ocean bed.
Finally, we read the book 'Swimmy' and retold the story using the craft. We took turns to retell and pretended to be Swimmy and the big black fish.
Teaching the same content the second time allows me to recall, reflect and improve on my teaching style, based on a child's needs and learning style. Nothing is perfect and every moment presents a learning point and I'm humbled by that..
