Reptile and Amphibian Fair

  The 20th Annual Reptile and Amphibian Fair will be at Lakeview Museum tomorrow, August 20th and Sunday, August 21st from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.   Admission is $3.

Home...School

Remember from preschool to high school-you are your child's first and most important teacher.  

Learning begins at home.

Siblings Without Rivalry

My boys are four years apart and I thought they would fight less than siblings closer in age.  Silly me!  If you have more than one child there are bound to be conflicts. Summer vacation is almost over. Do you feel you need a referee shirt and a whistle to survive the day? Here is an article to help you keep your sanity these last few days before school starts-
http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/08/02/sibling.rivalry/index.html?hpt=hp_bn8

Also, check out the books Siblings Without Rivalry and How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish

Wild Things

There is a lot to do in the Peoria area this week.  Chiefs are at home on Tuesday and Saturday, Brown Bag concert at the courthouse on Wednesday,  on Thursday you can listen to jazz at the CEFCU stage on the riverfront,  or head to the Metamora square on Friday for a free concert.  Don't forget the Metamora farmers market and other area farmers markets on Saturday.

In the mood for something really different???  The Peoria Zoo is have a Family Zoo Snooze on Friday night.  Start time is 7 p.m. and  the event ends on Saturday morning at 9 a.m.   The cost is $30 per person which includes a snack, breakfast and admission to the zoo on Saturday.  Children must be 5 or older and one adult for every five kids.  For more information or to register call 309/681-3513.

Preschool and Kindergarten

There is a lot going on during the school year in preschool and kindergarten.  We introduce and practice a wide variety of skills for kindergarten readiness.  By the time your child enters kindergarten, s/he should be able to-

*Identify letters of the alphabet
*Count to ten
*Count out ten objects
*Use art materials (scissors, crayons, markers, glue, etc.)
*Write name with upper and lower case letters
*Sort objects
*Complete patterns
*Identify basic shapes and colors
*Identify basic body parts
*Speak with complete sentences
*Recognize a few words
*Play independently
*Focus on an activity for ten minutes
*Care for personal needs (bathroom, washing hands, cleaning up, getting dressed) without help 

Don't stress out if your child does not have all of these skills mastered.  A lot of growing happens in kindergarten!

Time Capsule

Starting preschool? Starting kindergarten?  Want a fun activity for school age children?  Imagine your child ten, thirteen or fourteen years from now...a senior in high school. Crazy, right?  Time capsules are a fun activity to capture today's memories. What fun it will be to look at when your child is a senior in high school!  Hard to imagine, right? 

Here are some ideas-
*Select a container-a photo box, a shoebox, a paint container (you can buy these at most large building supply centers) or plastic container w/a lid.
*Decorate the box with paints, markers, stickers or photos.
*Gather small souvenirs of  your child's life-newspaper clippings, magazines, ticket stubs, photos, small toys.
*Write about your life now and in the future (see below for suggestions).
*Put everything in the container and store in a safe dry place.  Mark "DO NOT OPEN UNTIL SENIOR GRADUATION"

My Life Now-
Name, Age, Date, Address, Family Members, Pets, School, Grade, Teachers, Closest Friends, Favorites (book, food, drink, sport, movie, TV show, toy or game, school subject, song, band or musician, color, vacation), I Want to be a ....

My Life as a Senior-
How will I be different, How will I be the same, What sport will I be playing, Will I play a musical insturment, I will have learned how to,  My favorite subject will be...

You get the idea.  A quick Google search for 'time capsule for kids ideas' or 'time capsule questions for kids' should give you plenty of ideas.  Most of all-have fun with it!

Here's another idea from last year-
http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2010/08/high-school-graduation.html

There's Nothing to Do!

If you need some fun ideas to survive the last few weeks of summer vacation click here-http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2010/07/survivor.html