Take Me Out to the Ball Game

I have spent my share of summer afternoons and evenings in a lawn chair with a diet soda and bad nachos watching my boys play baseball.  We are baseball fans and love attending major league games.  This summer we plan to attend some local minor league games and add one more major league stadium to our 'bucket'  list (the goal is all and we are a third of the way there). Minor league baseball games are local fun and usually pretty affordable for families. 

In central Illinois---
Peoria Chiefs---http://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t443
Normal Cornbelters---http://www.normalbaseball.com/home

Baseball books---http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2014/06/home-run.html

Grab some peanuts and Cracker Jacks and attend a baseball game with your child!

Farmers Market 2015

On my summer 'to do' list are visits to area  farmers markets.  This is a fun activity for you and your child. For a list of area markets and ideas---http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2014/06/farmers-market-2014.html

The More that You Read...

Summer books---
http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2013/06/books-for-summer.html

My favorite books---
http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2014/05/my-top-108-childrens-books.html

More ideas---
http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-books-of-summer.html

Enjoy the summer reading with your child.

Hooked on Fishing

Fishing is not an escape from life, but often a

deeper immersion into it.

Harry Middleton

What a fun morning we had with our friend, Dan, and his friends at Hooked on Fishing.  We had ten friends with their mommies, daddies and one grandpa meet at the Hooked on Fishing facility in East Peoria.  We had so much fun!

It was cloudy and cool but the fish didn't care and neither did we.

We learned how to put our line in the water and watch our bobber.   All of the friends caught fish.  Some friends caught three fish and some friends caught seven fish!  We were able to see the fish and then throw them back into the pond to swam away!

 

 

The geese were fun to watch, too!  Do you see the goslings?

Hooked on Fishing is a not-for-profit organization that is providing children, senior citizens, veterans and special needs groups a wonderful fishing experience in central Illinois.  Hooked on Fishing provided our friends everything we needed---poles, bait and the fishing pond.  We provided our new friends with snacks!  If you are interested in fishing with your child, open fishing is on Sunday from noon-4 p.m.   If you are interested in donating or want to attend one of the many events being held at the park, go to---http://hookedonfishingpark.com/

or 'like' Hooked on Fishing on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/hooked.onfishing.5

Watch for pictures of our friends on Hooked on Fishing's Facebook page.

Summer Calendar for Kids

I found this idea in the May 2013 issue of Family Fun magazine.  It's a great way to be reminded of the places you want to go and things you want to do over the summer. Here are some ideas to get you started---

*Visit local parks
*or local museums
*or local pools
*Walk along the riverfront
*Go fishing
*Visit some local nurseries and
*Plant flowers
*Visit local zoos
*Shop at the farmers market
*Locate star constellations in the summer evening sky
*Attend a Chiefs game or your favorite local sports team
*Many cities have free concerts in their parks over the summer, attend one or two
*Make homemade ice cream with this easy recipe---http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2012/07/heres-scoop.html
*or chocolate covered bananas---http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2012/06/go-bananas-go-go-bananas.html
Here is the article and 'how to'---
http://www.parents.com/fun/arts-crafts/kid/summer-crafts-ideas-for-kids/#page=8

Enjoy the summer with your child!

June, July and August

Looking ahead at my calendar, I cannot believe how much I have going on in June, July and August.  I love it.  I love planning out my summer and when the boys were little I loved planning out things for us to do and places for us to go plus all the lazy summer days in between.  Start putting a little thought into things you can do with your child this summer or otherwise you'll be walking down the store aisles seeing school supplies and wondering where the summer went!

Here are some ideas to get you started---
http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2012/05/summer-bucket-list.html

http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2012/05/summer-bucket-list-part-2.html

Plan ahead and create some summer memories for you and your child.

Thanks, Mom

Children make your life important.
Erma Bombeck

Thanks Mom for always making me feel important.

2013---http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2013/05/ten-questions-to-ask-your-mother-now.html

2012---http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2012/05/when-god-created-mothers.html

2011---http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2011/05/mothers-day.html

2010---http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2010/05/happy-mothers-day.html

The MCP Class of 2015

The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lifetime. 

Robert M. Hutchins

Congrats to the MCP Class of 2015!

Feeling Gratitude

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it, is like wrapping a present and not giving it.

William Arthur Ward

Last year I wrote these two posts and they  best express how thankful I am to be a part of Metamora Community Preschool!

http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2014/05/thank-you-x-infinity-1-grateful-teacher.html

http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2014/05/a-grateful-teacher.html

Space Camp

Our MWF preK classes created a solar system that is out of this world.  First they painted a large piece of cardboard.

 

 Circles were available in the art center to create planets (an opportunity for our students to cut out basic shapes)

Students added glitter glue and star stickers.  Rockets were available in the art center to color and add to deep space.