Saturday 28 December 2013

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J Summary (4Y9M22D) - December 2013

 
I hardly have the time to paint with J. J suggested to do so on 27 Dec. 2013. It was very nice to have the time and enjoy the day with J, also painting. I think it was the first time this year that we painted together, and thus I wanted to have this picture for memory.
 
December was a very hectic month, but also a very cosy month with lots of Christmas activities. We did many things (playing with geometric shapes, playing with Lego advent calendar, making pancakes, Christmas cookies, some Montessori, excavating crystals, making necklaces, performing at the Christmas concert for both Chinese school and music school, playground, candlelight Christmas service, visit to the Santa Land at Lyngby Store Center, playdates with Sebastien, Silas and Liam, etc.) Some pictures below pictures and more pictures here for memories:
 
 
 
 




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Fun with Homemade Crystal Excavation


Age: From 3 years old

Objectives: To give children a taste of archeology, rocks, stones and crystals in a fun way.
Materials:
1. Some playdough or clay enough to hide the crystals
2. 3-5 crystals or pebbles
3. 1 paint brush and 1 butter knife serving as "mining" tools
4. 1 tray

Directions:
1. To make your own crystal excavation activity, simply hide the crystal in a lump of playdough, and leave it standing for 3 days to dry completely.

2. Give it to your child and let him/her explore and discover the crystals hiding inside the clay of playdough.

Additional Information:
I got this idea from the commercial crystal mining toy. If you don't want to spend money buying the toy, it is quite easy to make it yourself. Actually J had the same idea, and we experimented using playdough to serve as the "plaster" containing the crystals for mining. J could not wait to excavate his homemade crystal mining set :-)

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LEGO Board Game: Shave the Sheep/Wild Wool



Age: From 4 years old (although package says from 5 years old)

Objectives:
1. Provide training for fine motor skills from building the lego items.
2. Teach turn-taking and sharing.

Directions:
Players try to steal wool and sheep from others, and the player with the most wool wins the game.

Here is how it is played:

1. First, build the 4 sheeps and a wolf from the lego bricks.

2. Next, build the dice.

3. Each player gets a sheep without the wool.

4. Each player takes turn to throw the dice:
- if one gets a white side, one gets to put 1 block of wool on one's sheep (if one gets 2x white, one gets to put 2 blocks of wool on one's sheep).
- if one gets a pink side, one gets to shave the sheep and keep the wool that adds to final count.
- if one gets a green side, one exchanges its sheep with another player's sheep.
- if one gets a grey side, one has to shave the sheep and return the wool to the wolf which deposits them back to the central pile.

5. Once the central pile of wool is depleted, the player with the most blocks of wool wins the game.

Additional Information:
I like the fact that this is both a Lego and a board game at the same time, providing dual benefits and giving value for money. This game is a good way to provide some wholesome family fun during family night or family week and easy for younger children to understand the game. It is a pretty cute game and provides the usual Lego fun of building the toy, and at the same time, provides a way to play with the built items as a board game. They are great as party presents too.

I bought this game to play with my nieces and nephews when we visit Singapore, but J saw it and repeatedly requested to (4Y9M23D) to play this game with Daddy today. Unfortunately, it was not such a good day for him, as he was overtired from the festive parties, and was rather cranky. He wasn't so keen to build the sheep or his own sheep (unlike the Lego Advent Calendar, where he was very interested to build the pieces). I stopped the game, when he threw the dice in a rather hard manner despite repeated requests to stop. He later regretted and wanted to continue the game, but faced the consequences that the time has gone.


You can read more from Amazon:


Thursday 26 December 2013

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Fun with Making Homemade Coins

 
Age: From 4 years old
 
Objectives:
1. Provide a fun way of training pencil grip and coloring.
2. Strengthen fine motor skills with cutting with scissors.
3. Provide a fun way to learn about money.
4. Finished work serve as toy money for "Supermarket" play or for a reward system in exchange for rewards.
 
Materials:
1. 1 white paper
2. A few different color pencils.
3. 1 hole puncher (optional)
4. 1 pair of scisssors
5. Some coins for tracing
6. 1 tray
 
Directions:
1. Demonstrate by tracing a coin with color pencil and cutting out the coin.
 
2. Encourage and assist your child to try.
 
Video Demonstrations:
  
 
 
Additional Information:
I gave J red packets with coins for Chinese New Year, which he saves in his piggybank. Recently, he asked when he would be getting more coins. I said that we have to wait until Chinese new year. He said that it is too dangerous to get real money and that he would like to have some toy money, which he learned to make at the kindergarten. It was the day after Christmas today, and I didn't have to wrok. So we sat down together and made some toy money together. This was a new way of doing it, which was different from his kindergarten. It was fun and we really enjoyed it.
 
I intend to use the toy money we made for Choices rewards. If J helps with family chores * at all such as assisting in washing the car, assisting in folding others' clothes, assisting in clearing table, etc. he will get a toy coin. He can accumulate it and exchange it for something in our "store" that we intend to set up. In this way, hopefully he will learn the value of labor and wise use of money.
 
* Note: This does not apply to his personal chores such as making his own bed, dressing up, etc. as it will be a bribery to earn money on what he is supposed to do.
 
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Fun with Marble Run

 
J got this as a Christmas present from farfar and farmor. He didn't that he liked it, but after it was set up, he had a lot of fun with it yesterday and today throughout the day.


 

 
Marble runs from Amazon:
 

Wednesday 25 December 2013

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Fun with Excavating Crystals


 


 Age: From 4 years old

Objective(s): To learn about archeology, rocks, stones and crystals in a fun way.

Materials:
1. Crystal mining kit consisting of 1 plaster block with natural crystals buried inside, 1 digging tool, 1 brush, 1 magnifier and 1 fact sheet

2. Some newspapers

3. A small container/pail containing water to wash the stones after excavation

Directions:
1. Simply spread newspaper out on the table and let your child have fun to hammer and dig into the plaster to find the crystal.

2. Study the crystal together.

3. Display it in a display case.

Additional Information:
J is into collecting stones. He will pick up pebbles and stones on the way home from the kindergarten, music school, etc. J got this Crystal Mining Kit as a Christmas present, so it is perfect. It is a holiday today and J (4Y9M20D) tried this. He had lot of fun with it. Here is a video of J having fun excavating crystal.


The process of excavating created a bit of dust, so remember to cover with newspaper before beginning and vaccumn after that. Dust can be reduced by doing this activity outdoor during summer time. J had his shower after that and enjoyed washing his crystals in his bath.

This is a fun and educational toy that I highly recommend :-) You can find it in Amazon here:


Don't be sad if you do not have the means to purchase all the different toys. This toy has given me inspiration on how I could create my own. Here is a post on how to create your own homemade crystal excavation set and it is very easy:

http://momlearnings.blogspot.com/2013/12/fun-with-homemade-crystal-excavation.html

Below are some more pictures of J for memories:



 
 
 
 
Updates 27 Dec. 2013 (4Y9M22D)
 
J asked to play with crystal excavation again today. This time, we ran out of newspaper to contain the mess. I set up the activity in our bathroom instead and gave him a bath after the play. He had a lot of fun with it. Here are some pictures:
 




 Updates 6 December 2014
 
J having fun with excavating crystals and at this age, he loves it even more. He asked for more packets...
We tried the set from Tiger Denmark, but it was super lousy. Just one knock and the dinosaur came out.
 
 
The 4M set is more challenging and provides hours of fun. It is available from Captoy (www.captoy.dk)
 
It is also available from Amazon:
 

Tuesday 17 December 2013

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J's Lunchbox


J's Lunchbox red pepper bell, carrots, mandarin orange, green peas, sweet corn, pan-fried fish with remoulde and pears

Monday 16 December 2013

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J Summary (4Y9M11D) - J's Very First Piano Performance at the Christmas Concert


 
 
I was off today and spent the day with J, instead of putting him at the kindergarten. We had a slow breakfast and breakfast devotion together, where I read from a book and the Bible. J opened his Christmas Lego Calendar after breakfast. He played with LEGO. We practised the piano and the 2 songs that he would be playing this evening at the Christmas concert. It went very well, and we did not have to spend so much time practising. J worked on the Teen Board & Beads, this time around in Danish. The next session hopefully sometime this week will be in English. We made pancakes together. J loves to help me with it. We ate the pancakes for lunch. Thereafter, we went to Lyngby Store Center to see the Christmas Village display. We also went to H&M and I bought him a pair of McQueen homeshoes. J loves McQueen. This was a reward for him for doing so well with his piano practice and Montessori Maths. He really put in good effort, although it takes quite a bit of repetition for him to remember the numbers in Danish. He is better with the numbers in Mandarin. We went for Suzuki piano class thereafter, and it went very well. The Suzuki-method teacher, Katrine, was very happy with him and gave him 30 points and a sticker. We went for the Christmas Concert, where J performed two pieces. It went very well. J played with slowly, calmly and smoothly, although it was not perfect, and he did make some errors, but he was very calm about it. His Finnish-method piano teacher, Kati, was very happy with him. I want to remember today. It was such a joy to be able to spend time with our child. I am very grateful to have this opportunity, although I am not sure how long this will last, and that I have to return to work full-time. I truely enjoy being with J and I pray and hope that my part-time arrangement will last.

Friday 13 December 2013

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Best Fun & Educational Toys (12 Years Old)


1. LEGO Technic

Technic is a line of Lego interconnecting plastic rods and parts. The purpose of this series is to create more advanced models with more complex movable arms, such as machines with wheels, in addition to the simpler brick-building properties of normal Lego. Gears have been included within Lego Technic sets as a way of transferring rotary power, and of gearing-up or down the speed. Ages 12 - 14:


2. LEGO Architecture



3. Electronics
 

 
4. Chemistry
 

 
5. Energy
 
 
6. Science
 
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Best Fun & Educational Toys (11 Years Old)


1. LEGO Technic



2. Algebra Balance

The Algebra Balance is an excellent toy which allows you to demonstrate that –1<0. Weights placed on the outer pans represent negative integers, and those placed in the inner pans represent positive integers, making it possible to demonstrate that (–1)+(+1)=0. The set comes with 4 plastic pans, 4 plastic canisters, a set of plastic weights and a Teaching Guide. Ages 11 up:



3. Magnetic Algebra Tiles

These magnetic geometric shapes are great for modeling algebraic principles. Students get to build geometric models of polynomials exploring firsthand the concepts related to them. Students will learn concepts related to the Zero Principle, Polynomials and Trinomials. Addition, multiplication and other math skills will be sharpened using nearly 30 algebra worksheets featured in this 48-page book. Teaching Notes included. Ages 11 to 17 :

 
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Best Fun & Educational Toys (10 Years Old)


1. LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 (8547)

Mindstorms, a Lego line of robotic products, can offer hours of fun for the inventive child. Your child will have a great start in engineering. As a bonus, your kid will be able to interact with people all over the world, while playing with it. Ages 10 - 18.



2. LEGO Technic



3. LEGO Architecture



4. Chemistry
 

 
5. Physics
 

 
6. Crystal, Minerals and Stones
 
 
7. Science
 

 
8. Power
 
 
9. Forensic
 
 
10. Geography
 
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Best Fun & Educational Toys (9 Years Old)


1. LEGO Technic

Technic is a line of Lego interconnecting plastic rods and parts. The purpose of this series is to create more advanced models with more complex movable arms, such as machines with wheels, in addition to the simpler brick-building properties of normal Lego. Gears have been included within Lego Technic sets as a way of transferring rotary power, and of gearing-up or down the speed.


2. Construction

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Best Fun & Educational Toys (8 Years Old)


1. LEGO Technic

Technic is a line of Lego interconnecting plastic rods and parts. The purpose of this series is to create more advanced models with more complex movable arms, such as machines with wheels, in addition to the simpler brick-building properties of normal Lego. Gears have been included within Lego Technic sets as a way of transferring rotary power, and of gearing-up or down the speed. Ages 8 - 14:


2. eitech Construction


3. Space



4. Physics



5. Chemistry


6. Electricity & Electronics



This toy is an excellent introduction to electronics. It is ideal for your child on the road to understanding electricity. Everything just snaps together like building blocks, and there's no need for screwdrivers, soldering irons, electrical tape or testers. Think of this as the "LEGO" approach to wiring. Ages 8 - 12.

7. Magnetism



8. Light



9. Energy



10. Air & Water Power



11. Solar Power



12. Wind Power



13. Renewable Energy



14. Biology



15. Archaeology


16. Making Weather



17. Human Body Anatomy Models



18. DNA

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Best Fun & Educational Toys (7 Years Old)


1. Microscope


2. LEGO Technic

Technic is a line of Lego interconnecting plastic rods and parts. The purpose of this series is to create more advanced models with more complex movable arms, such as machines with wheels, in addition to the simpler brick-building properties of normal Lego. Gears have been included within Lego Technic sets as a way of transferring rotary power, and of gearing-up or down the speed. Ages 7 - 14:



 
3. Excavating Dinosaurs
 
This would be a great Christmas gift to small boys who are crazy about dinosaurs.

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Best Fun & Educational Toys (6 Years Old)


1. Jigsaw Puzzles



2. Brick Constructions



3. Science Experiments



4. Rainbow Fraction Pizzas, Tiles or Tower

These toys provide a great kinesthetic way to reinforce basic fraction concepts. Ages 6 up:


5. Fraction Card or Board Game

More fun fraction card and board game. Learners enjoy the fun of traditional domino game play and master addition facts at the same time:


6. Montessori Multiplication Board

Montessori multiplication board provides a concrete way to teach multiplication:



7. Montessori Dividion Board

Montessori division board provides a concrete way to teach division:
 
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Best Fun & Educational Toys (5 Years Old)

 

1. Board Games



2. Science Experiments



3. Human Biology



4. Plant Science



5. Navigation Science



6. Magnetism




7. Montessori Hundred Board

Below are various variation of the Montessori Hundred Board. They are a good tool for introducing numbers 1-100 in a logical way, teaching number patterns, sequencing and place value. Ages 5 - 10.



8. Montessori Pythagoras Board

The child chooses a wooden answer chip, thinks of a multiplication equation that produces this product, then places the chip in the correct position on the ruled board. Ages 4 up:



9. Montessori Teens and Tens Boards

The Teen Boards - To make the association of the names 11-19 with written figures. When used with the teen bead box, it helps make the association between the numbers and the quantities 11-19. Tens Boards - When used with the tens bead box, the child learns to associate quantities with the figures 11-99. To gain a thorough understanding of sequence:




10. Montessori Decimal System

It enhances the understanding of place value, arithmetic, decimals, fractions, percents, money, maths and more:



This is similar to the Montessori elementary materials introduction to decimal system, which much cheaper:



Here is the interlocking version:



Here are some unit cubes that can be clinked together on all 6 sides to make into bars and thousand cubes:


11. Money Dominos

Teaching money in a fun way:



12. Magnetic World Map Puzzle

This is a great toy to teach about the different countries in the world. The fact that it is magnetic means it is difficult to lose the pieces. Games to play with it - I take away four countries and ask your child what they are. Gradually make it harder for the child as he gets older. Test each other on the flags and continents. Ages 5 - 10:



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