The One with April Plans, Week 3

Let's get going on week 3!

Here is the April calendar of activities!

Xx Dot Art:
Directions: print file. Introduce the letter of the week: X!  Allow child to decorate the uppercase and lowercase x. (You can use circle stickers, dot stampers, play dough pieces, or pom poms) You can read Dr Suess's ABC book and demonstrate which letter is big X and which one is little x. I have included a video of my kids doing this along with me pronouncing the /x/ sound correctly. Phonetically, the /x/ sound is in words like fox, box, and six, (and not like xylophone!)  This is more difficult for children to identify because it is most commonly found as a medial or final sound (rather than the typical initial sound.) 

(I'm not sure what a tarx is...? Ha!)

Diamond Sponge Stamping
Directions: Cut a plain sponge into the shape of a diamond. Use the sponge as a fun stamp! We made our diamonds purple because it's the color of the month. This is simple and easy for young toddlers to do! Encourage them to count the sides and corners of the diamonds. 

Flower Play Dough Digging
Directions: Pretend to plant flowers in some play dough! I used small Dixie cups as pots, brown play dough as dirt, and some fake flowers to plant. My girls LOVED this activity. I gave them some small play shovels and empty watering cans to really encourage creative play. We discussed that plants need dirt, water, and sunshine to grow. The girls dug, planted their fake flowers, and pretended to water them over and over. 

X Snack: Pretzel Stick X's
Directions: So simple! Give your kiddo some pretzel sticks and ask them to make you some x's. "How many pretzel sticks do you need to make an X? ...2? Right! Now show me how to make an x! Can you make a big X and a little x?"

X-Ray Cotton Swab Craft
Directions: Using a white crayon or chalk, draw simple human body outline onto a black piece of paper. Cut apart many different sized cotton swabs and ask your kiddo to make the bones out of cotton swabs! Now you have an adorable little x-ray! X is for x-ray! :)

Potato Stamping Tulips
Directions: Cut a potato in half. Then cut a tulip shape into the potato piece. (see picture). Dip the potato into purple paint in order to make fun flower shapes. Draw stems and leaves as you discuss the parts of a flower. 

X Letter Recognition
Directions: Print file. Discuss that this is an ox, and that it makes the /x/ sound at the end of the word. "Can you see any letter X's hiding on this ox?" Ask the kiddos to mark the letter X's using dot art markers, stickers, or simply just circling the letter. 

(My printer ran out of ink mid-ox!) 

Number 9 Play Dough Mat
Directions: Print file. This month our number is 9, so here is a play dough mat all about 9! (Laminating it will make it more durable for future use!) Encourage your preschooler to roll out some play dough like a long snake in order to make a 9. Older kiddos can trace the letters in the word "nine". Count out nine pieces of play dough to place onto the circles. This all is just a great way to explore the number nine in a tactile way! 

Here are all the printables:

Xx dot art

Xx letter recognition

Number 9 Play Dough Mat