Playdates for Playgroups

Friday

Why use playdates and playgroups for your children?
Playdates are great for kids! They learn how to interact with other kids, they learn how to share, and just how to get along in general. And it gives parents a great opportunity to connect with other adults to talk about parenting, but also to talk about things totally unrelated to being a parent, which is refreshing.”

Using a playdate as an opportunity for parents and children alike is important, experts say. But before you get out your calendar and start making calls to other parents, it's important to understand playdate etiquette. Remember that there’s more to it than just scheduling a time, date, and place to meet. Age, frequency, and location are just a few of the important factors to take into consideration when you’re planning your little one's social calendar.

Use the links on the right to search topics such as Holidays, Seasons, Handprint Art, Little Learners, Lil' Chefs...etc. I have been a playgroup organizer for over 3 years now, my daughters are 4 this year. I love every minutes of it. Hosting fun and imaginative playdates for the moms in my group lets me find the inner Martha Stewart...even though I have no creatvie skill I can follow Family Fun's directions no problem! We have regular park playdates, fieldtrips, and no theme in home playdates as well.

I've posted the descriptions of past playdates for all to use. Please modify them to suite your group! If your looking for a playdate idea, have questions on how to start one, or have something to add....Leave a Comment! I'll get back to you as soon as I can. I Love Comments!

Yay! Featured Blog of the Week!!!!

Join me at Feed Me Friday for this fun Blog Hop! I have found the BEST blogs from this hop...come by and check it out and join up, I'd love to see what your writing about!

Network Blogs Facebook Blog Hop

Let's get a little Facebook luv to our Pages! Please share the luv and follow as many network blogs as you can and get a little karma and follow back!

This is my first Linky so forgive me if its not done right! Feel free to grab my Network Blog Hop button to post on your blog as well....Link Up!

Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...

Wednesday

Thanksgiving Feast with Friends and Family Playdate

Thanksgiving is a time

For reviewing what we treasure,

The people we hold dear,

Who give us so much pleasure.

Without you as my friend,

Life would be a bore;

Having you in my life

Is what I’m thankful for.

By Joanna Fuchs

This group has been such a joy to my family. I would love to celebrate this wonderful holiday of giving thanks with all of our fabulous friends we have made. Bring your family and please come celebrate with us.

Turkey will be our main course and supplied by the hostess. Please RSVP with how many people and what side dish you will be bringing to share. Feel free to bring what you are famous for in your family or something you have always wanted to make, but you couldn't because you had to bring what you are famous for! This is a great trial run for a new recipe as well....we'll happily be your guinea pigs!

*And if you do not cook, you can always bring a cooler with ice, some waters or juice boxes, 2 liters of pop or even some rolls!

We'll have crafts for the kids and holiday music to boogie down to.

Keepsake Craft to do with the kids in the group:

Use paint to make this handprint turkey instead of tracing. Add a few details to the turkey and some fall leaves and you have a beautiful work of art to display at Thanksgiving time.

Supplies:
Paint (various colors)
Foam paint brushes for each color
Paper
Markers
Colored paper for leaves
Glue stick

Instructions:

Paint your child's hand with different paint colors. I used brown for the "head and body" (thumb and palm). Use different colors for the "feathers."
Let the child stamp their handprint on the paper before the paint dries.
Repeat with the other hand.
Add details such as legs and a beak with markers.
Write the child's name at the top of the paper.
Cut out leaves from colored paper.
Use a glue stick to attach leaves to the paper.
Hang and enjoy!

Pinecone Turkey Craft

This fun and easy Thanksgiving craft is the perfect thing for kids to do while waiting for dinner at your Thanksgiving feast with a few inexpensive materials and some pinecones from the back yard. Your guests will have a blast gathering the pinecones and then turning them into these little turkeys to show off to friends.

Materials:
• pinecone turkey craft pattern
• pinecone
• red tissue paper
• yellow tissue paper
• orange tissue paper
• yellow card stock or construction paper
• brown card stock or construction paper
• glue
• scissors
• wiggly eyes

Instructions:

1. Using the pattern as a guide, cut 3 triangles from each color of tissue paper, using the attached pattern, or create your own. When you’re done you should have 9 triangles total.

2. Gather the base (long side) of the triangle together so that it leaves a point on the other end to form a tail “feather.”

3. Put a dot of glue on the gathered end of the tissue paper.

4. Gather the base of another triangle together (use a different color to alternate colors in the tail). Stick the base of this tail feather into the spot of glue you put on the first tissue paper feather, so the gathered ends overlap and are stuck together by the glue.

5. Repeat the process until you have all 9 feathers fanned out in a half circle, all attached together at the base.

6. Spread some glue on the base of the tail feathers where they’re all overlapping, and press the base into the wide end of a pine cone (see photos). Set the body-tail assembly aside to let the glue dry.

7. Using the pattern as a guide, cut out the turkey’s head from brown card stock.

8. Using the pattern as a guide, cut out the turkey’s beak from yellow card stock.

9. Glue two wiggly eyes onto the top of the head to for the turkey’s face.

10. Fold the beak in half, and glue it on the head, below the eyes with a small dot of glue.

11. Tear off a small piece of red tissue paper and use it to make the gobbler by gluing it around the turkey’s beak.

12. Glue the head to the pine cone. Allow to dry.

Amazing Mom’s Tip:
Let your children help you make these ahead of time and insert a name card between the scales on the pine cone. They can be place holders at the dinner table, and the kids can each take one home for a party favor.

Tuesday

Scarecrow Craft Playdate

Join us for a fun-filled fall morning! The playdate will be outside so we can enjoy the gorgeous weather and have fun with our friends!

The kiddos will color scarecrow coloring pages, make a fun scarecrow to take home and burn off some energy running around the park.

Our hostess will provide everything we need for the craft.

The playdate is limited to 10 kiddos so please be sure to RSVP for the number of children attending.
1 Child= RSVP+0 guests;
2 Children= RSVP+1 guest...

We will have mini deli sandwiches, fresh fruit, sweet tea and lemonade, but please remember to bring your little ones sippy cup!

Also please bring a todder friendly snack to share, and indicate what you're bringing in the comment section of your RSVP so we don't have duplicates.

Scarecrow Necklace for Autumn Playdate

How to make this craft

His job is to scare the birds and fill their hearts with dread. But your job is easier, to choose which to eat first: his arms, legs, or head.

INGREDIENTS
Wrapped round taffy or caramel (head)
2 Tootsie Flavor Roll Twisties (arms)
2 rolls of colorful candies (legs); we used Sprees; Smarties work too
1/2-ounce box of raisins (body)
Low-temperature glue gun
Ruler
Scissors
Small bundle of raffia

DIRECTIONS
1. Keep the wrapping on all of the candies and glue the head, arms, and legs to the raisin box body. Parents may want to supervise use of glue gun...you can use regular glue but it just wont stay together for a long time.

2. Cut five 4-inch pieces of raffia. Tie four pieces into a bunch by knotting the fifth piece around the center of the bundle. Glue the knot to the top of the body at the base of the head as shown. Trim the raffia if you like.

3. Cut a piece of raffia long enough to fit over your child's head. Glue the center of the strand to the back of the box. Tie the ends together, and your edible neckwear is ready.

How to make this craft

There are a lot of steps but my almost 3 year old breezed through it, we talked about the shapes, and each body part as we added them . You will notice that my shapes are way less than perfect, but if they are clearly recognizable you are golden. Time is short for anyone caring for young kids, don’t fret over your shapes being perfect!

Gather your materials. You will need 5 different color pieces of construction paper ( you can use scrap if you want for all but one) we used orange, green, yellow, neutral and light blue , 2 large googly eyes, a marker, scissors and a glue stick.

Start by drawing a scarecrow head and mouth. Cut out.

Next cut out ( or have your child cut out) a triangle hat and rectangle shirt and arms from the green paper.

Cut out many smaller rectangles from the yellow paper for hair.

Cut out a orange triangle for the nose and 3 orange circles for the buttons.

Start gluing. Now you can just let them at it but to me this isn’t a creative project at all, it’s too structured for that, to me this is a shape lesson really. Here is what I do. Show your child the shapes and ask them what they look like. I help up the large rectangle and asked my son if he thought this was the scarecrow’s head, ” no it’s his belly!” Glue it on. Don’t forget to ask what each shape is or label the shape for them.

Next add the head… I suggested this was an arm. Don’t forget to have fun!

Keep labeling, and adding the shapes to build your scarecrow. Here he is adding the hair.
Add the arms.

If you are doing this with young toddlers don’t forget to label the colors as well! Add your hat!

Add the eyes and nose.

Add your buttons.

Let dry!

Toddler Sign Language Playdate/Learning Date

ASL Learning Playdate!

These Learning Playdates are a bit different then our usual free play playdates! Please see the lesson plan below to see if you child is at a level where they will grasp at least half of the lesson. Since all children develop at differently we will not be putting an age requirement on these. Just use your best judgment for your children.

Please list what snack you will be bringing for our snack time and list any allergies as well.

Lesson Plan Idea

Spring Rain Lesson Plan
Sign Language: Spring Rain, Flowers colors
Developmental concept: Pincer grasp, Pre-writing, color recognition, matching

Free Play:
• Bag Kite activity - tie the plastic bag handles together with a string then allow for a longer string for the child to hold onto while running. Usually 2 feet works fine.

Clean up transition song - use bring your favorite one to share!
Story Time:
• Welcome Song
• Introduce signs: Bugs, Colors, Rainbow, Rain, Windy, Clouds, Sun, Flowers, Warm

• Read ‘’Bugs, Bugs, Bugs’

Music & Movement:
Play cd and introduce rain stick

Transition song or activity to craft

Craft:
• Flowers

• Give each child flowers

• Use glue stick on flower, have child take tissue paper, crumple and place on flower

• Focus on requesting , pincer grasp, etc.

Wash hands

Snack time
Show signs for: Eat, Hungry, Cracker, Drink
Focus on requesting and turn taking

Closing Circle
(Filler) Read book again or have each child try out the rainstick again
Goodbye song: Goodbye____, Goodbye________, Goodbye________,
We’re sad to see you go!

Since we are doing colours this week we discussed the Spanish words for each colour as well as the ASL sign for them as well:

Yellow - amarillo

ASL The sign for "yellow" is made by forming the letter "y" with your right hand. Shake your hand from the wrist, and move it to the right.

Green - verde

The sign for "green" is made by forming the letter "g" with your right hand. Shake your hand from the wrist, and move it to the right.

Blue - azul

The sign for "blue" is made by forming the letter "b" with your right hand. Twist/shake your hand from the elbow (the wrist doesn't bend on this sign).

Purple - morado

Shake a "P" twice. Use a movement that pivots from the elbow.

Red - rojo

The sign for "red" is made by stroking your lips one time with the tip of your index finger.

Flowers - morado

Touch a "squished O-hand" to your cheek on one side of your nose and then the other.

Mom - mamá

Make the sign for "Mother" by placing the thumb of your right hand against your chin. Your hand should be open.

Grandma - la abuela

The sign for "grandmother" is made by touching your chin with the thumb of your dominant hand, as when signing "mother." The dominant hand should be open. Move your hand forward in two small arches.
Note: Many people just move the hand forward without the arches.

Family - la familia

FAMILY: The hands trace the shape of a circle. As if representing a family sitting around a dinner table.

Love - el amor

The sign for "love" is made by crossing both hands over your heart.

(Middle of your chest.) Your hands may be closed or open, but the palm side should face toward you.