Almost FREE Homemade Water Table

Water/Sensory tables are popular these days with the little ones, but they can be pretty pricey.  There are some ways you can make a water table with pvc pipes or wood and storage bins, or you can make a water table almost free with a few cardboard boxes, tape, and a shower liner.  This water table may not be the most durable, and will probably only last one summer, but it is almost free and a lot easier to make than some of the other ways to make a water table.
Materials: Cardboard boxes, tape (Gorilla tape works best because it is stronger than the other kinds of tape), and a shower liner (you can buy a basic, cheap shower liner at the Dollar Store).
I stacked three boxes to make the size of table I wanted.  If I had a taller box, that would have worked, but because I didn’t I used the boxes I had.
 
I taped the boxes together to make a good base.  The top box and bottom box both had the flaps taped to the side for extra support and so when I taped the shower liner on the bottom I could tape into the box.  You don’t want your bottom box to be flat on the bottom, or the water that runs to the ground might make it’s way to the cardboard. Then your whole water table will be ruined!

I taped the flaps down on the outside of the box on top, so they would not get in the way of the water.  I taped the flaps inside the box on the bottom.

I put the liner over the boxes.  Before taping the shower liner to the inside of the bottom box, I taped it to the inside of the top box by rolling the gorilla tape, as I did with when I taped the boxes together.


Then I made the liner nice and tight over the boxes, and taped it to the inside of the bottom box

That’s it!  Easy and cheap!!

My toddler hasn’t stopped playing with it, since we put water in it!!

Winnie The Witch

Title:  Winnie the Witch

By Valeri Thomas

 

 

Click HERE to purchase the book on Amazon.

Subjects: Language Arts, Art, Colors, Science

Objectives: Adjectives, Problem/Solution, Creativity, Nature

Grade(s): Prek-2nd 

 Description: This is a fun book to use around Halloween time, but it is perfect for school because it doesn’t discuss Halloween or even mention it.  The book is about a witch who has a black cat, but always trips or sits on the cat because it is black like the rest of her house and possessions.  She changes the cat to green, but can’t see the cat outside in the grass because it blends in, so she then turns the cat several different colors.  The cat is embarrassed, so she turns it back to black, but changes the color of her house and possessions so she can see the cat again.

 

Remember this is not a complete lesson.  It is ideas on how to integrate the arts into Language Arts and other subjects that have to do with the children’s book.  Use and adapt as you like!

 

Lesson ideas:  

HOOK: (Get the students interested…) Put on a witches hat to read the story. 

1.     Art integration/Colors: This is a fabulous book to integrate finger paints and colors with.  After reading the book have the children paint something!!  You can be as specific as you want (better for younger children) or let the children be creative and paint what they want.  The catch is- they have to use the colors you tell them.  For example, if you are working with preschoolers and teaching colors, give them a coloring sheet, such as a house or something Halloweeny.  Then you tell them a color, and they use their fingers to paint that color on their picture.  For older children, you could have them paint on a blank canvas or piece of paper, but you still tell them the color they have to use.  They probably already know their colors at this point, but it makes the art activity more involved and fun, and allows the students to think more creatively and deeply as to how they are going to paint their pictures using only certain colors at a time. 

2.     Drama Integration Activity/Problem and Solution: This book is great for teaching young children about problem and solution. This activity would be best for 2^nd graders, but can be adapted for younger children.  While reading the book, discuss the problems the witch has.  Discuss how she solves her problems.  After the book, put the students in groups.  Give each group a problem.  The group then has to figure out a solution to the problem and act it out in front of the class.  Some possible Halloween problems you can use are: 

a.      The little ghosts lost their mother ghost during their midnight walk.

b.     The little girl wanted a big pumpkin, but they were all gone at the pumpkin patch. 

c.      The kids went trick or treating, but their friend was sick and couldn’t go with them.

d.     The witch lost her hat while she was on her broom flying around the city.

e.      The little spiders’ web got washed away from the water, so they didn’t have anywhere to live. 

3.     Art Integration/Graphic Organizer/Problem and Solving: This problem/solving activity is good for Kindergarten -1^st grade.  Before reading the book the children, create a big chart with two columns.  One side will be the problems while the other side is the solutions.  Make little pictures to go on your chart for each problem/solution.  The pictures you will need are: black house, black cat, grass, green cat, tree, colored cat, and colored house.  As you read the story, place the corresponding picture in the correct column.  For example, the first problem is that the black cat blends in with the black house, so put the black house on the problem side with the black cat.  As you read you can move the pictures to the solution side or back to the problem side if they become the next problem.  (If you choose you can make multiple pictures of the same things, and leave the current picture in its original place so you don’t have to move the pictures).  Now for the students’ activity: during small groups- choose another simple problem/solution book for each group depending on their reading level.  Read the book together, but this time the students will make a chart and color/draw little pictures to represent the problems and the solutions.

 

You can use the following pictures (found on Bing images) or find your own.  The blank cat is for the multicolored cat and needs to be colored after printed.

 

4.     Music Integration Activity/Colors/Science (Nature):  There are lots of fun color songs.  I found several YouTube videos with color songs!  Choose your favorite and teach the kiddoes the song!  You can show them the YouTube video if you choose. The videos all have lots of colors displayed in the video!

 

This video is great for pre-k.  My toddler loved watching it, as well.

 

This video is good for learning to read the color words, or incorporating colors into nature. Plus, it has a pumpkin, so another added bonus to use during October or November.

This video is fun for Kindergarten age children reviewing their colors.

At home Activity: Of course the above activities can be adapted to be at home activities, but another idea that would be great at home is to find all of the colors in your house to see if you have as many colors as Winnie does with her new colored house. 

If you have more school or at home ideas to go with this book, please share!!

 

 

Parts

Title:  Parts

By Tedd Arnold

To purchase this book from Amazon, click here!

 

Subjects: Language Arts, Media Art/Technology (photography), art, science

Objectives: Rhyming, poetry, sequencing, comprehension, creativity, fluency, human body

Grade(s): Any Grade

Possible Materials Needed: Camera, writing utensils, computers, chalk, or other materials. 

Brief Description: Parts is a poem in a book.  Therefore, you can use this book for teaching poetry and/or rhyming.  It is also a great book to get older students/children out of their comfort zone, and present the book as if they were the little boy “loosing” his parts (see Drama Integration Activity).  

Lesson:

1.   HOOK: (Get the students interested). Begin by reading the book in a dramatic way to the students (even older students).  Read it as if you were the main character.  Most likely students will think you are funny!

Choose one or more from the following activities:

2.   Media Art/Technology Activity: This activity can be done as a whole class, in groups, or as individual projects for older kids.  It can be incorporated when teaching sequencing, creativity, comprehension, or many other things depending on how you use it.  The activity: for each page of the book, take a creative picture of what the page is saying.  For example: On the second page the main character’s hair falls out in his comb.  You or your students depending on how you set the activity up-take a picture of someone holding a comb with hair in it.  After all the pictures are taken, you can have the kids put them in order for a sequencing activity.  If you did groups, you could have the students present their group media arts project about the book with the pictures.  There is a lot you could do with the pictures. 

I actually did this activity with my class when I was teaching 3^rd grade.  We did it to feature this book because it is one of my favorite books, and it is the book my students voted for to feature.  We did this as a class, and students took turns being in the pictures.  (I took the pictures).  When we were all done, we put the pictures on our classroom door, with a sign that said- “Can you guess the book?”  The students loved it, and it made them more excited to read other books.  Here are some of the examples of pictures I took.  (The kids were creative, and they chose what to do for the picture). 

 

3.   Drama Integration Activity: If you chose to use the “hook” for this book, this activity is exactly that, but it is what students will do and present.  You can use this book as an introduction/example, and have the students choose their own books, or you can have students read this book to the class, you, or in a group.  The Activity: have students read the book in a dramatic way- as if they were the little boy missing his hair, brain, etc.  This is a good way to help with fluency.   

4.   Art/Writing Integration: After using this book to teach poetry, have the children write and illustrate their own poem.  You can have younger children use writing utensils, or have older children create their graphics using technology: photography, a program like Paint, or other graphics. 

5.   Science Integration Activity: This is a perfect book to use when teaching about our bodies to little kids.  The book has reference to skin, bones, boogers, body parts (eyes and arm), teeth, and ear wax.  You could focus on any one of these things or all of them when introducing a unit on the body.  Some Art integration activities when using this book to teach the body is: self-portraits, skeleton bodies, or go outside with chalk and trace students’ bodies.  Let them draw their own face and clothes. 

At Home Ideas: Any of the above ideas can easily be done at home with a little adaptation.  Some may even be easier to do at home than in a classroom.

 

Where the Wild Things Are

Title:  Where the Wild Things Are

Story and Pictures by Maurice Sendak

 

     Click Here to purchase the book from Amazon.

Subjects: Art, Drama, Dance, Writing, Language Arts

Objectives: Character analysis, verbs, autobiography, presentation, creativity, comprehension 

Grade(s): Any Grade

Materials Needed: Depending on the activity you may need: paper, crayons or colored pencils, or other types of art material (colored chalk, paint, etc.), scissors, music, “Where the Wild Things Are” dvd, or other materials.

 Brief Description: This is a great book to use at the beginning of the year as a “Get to know you” ice breaker.  It also introduces presentation.  The lesson can be adapted depending on the age of the children.  The activities could be more in depth for older children, and simpler for younger children.  It can be used to teach character analysis and/or encourage creativity and critical thinking skills all while having fun with art, drama, and dance.  It can also be used as part of a lesson plan for an autobiography.

Lesson:

1.   HOOK: (Get the students interested.  Chances are they have read this book before).  Put a mask on your face that you made previously.  The mask should be a “Wild Thing” created by you.  The mask should indicate your own personality.

2.   While wearing the mask- read the book to the students.

3.   Talk about the book.  What happened?  Who were the characters?  Talk about Max’s character.  Why was he upset? What was his personality?  How did the “Wild Things” react to Max? etc.

Choose one or more from the following activities:

4.   Art Integration Activity: Have students create their own “Wild Things” mask.  For younger children you could have them color/draw their favorite animal, food, etc.   You may want to have pre-cut masks for younger children. For older children, encourage more creativity.  Students can tell a story about themselves in how they design their mask.   

5.   Dance Integration Activity: This is a great activity when talking about verbs or vocabulary in the book.  Some vocabulary words include: mischief, tumbled, gnashed, tamed, frightened, and rumpus.  Talk about what the words mean.  Put students in groups and give each group a vocabulary word.  Have each group come up with a dance that describes their vocabulary word.  Have the groups perform the dance in front of the class.

6.   Writing: Use the mask and book as part of a unit on writing an autobiography.  This lesson could be used as character development of yourself.

7.   Drama Integration Activity: Have students present themselves and their personalities using their masks.  To integrate more dramatics into the lesson- have students act out their “Wild Thing” story.

8.   Technology Integration: If you school allows it, you could watch the movie, “Where the Wild Things Are.”  This can be viewed before or after the activities.  If viewed before, it might be best to pause the movie throughout to talk about the characters and their personalities.  Why did they do certain things? Etc.

At Home Use:  You can use any of the classroom ideas with your children at home, or you can make a family of "Wild Things" using materials you have at home such as ribbons, sticks, leaves, etc.  You could also have a "Wild Thing" party and make "Wild Thing" food, and have a "Wild Thing" dance.