Monkeys!

Posted by ChrisN on

Monkey Facts

Monkeys are omnivorous. They eat plants and animals. Eg. Leaves, fruits, nuts, lizards, spiders.

Monkeys can walk on two legs and they have thumbs like us

Most monkeys have prehensile tales that they can use like a fifth hand.

 

 

Monkeys are very intelligent. They use tools like we do. (The kids watched a video of the monkeys smashing open a palm nut with a rock.)

 

 

The Howler Monkey is one of the loudest animals in the world. The Red Howler Monkey lives in Trinidad Rain forests.

 

 

Monkeys are very social, they live in groups called troops. Just like we live with our family.

 

Like us, monkeys love to play. They also love to relax. Snow monkeys take baths in natural hot springs. That’s like taking a nice warm bath.

 

A few monkeys have been to space. The first Monkey astronaut was named Albert.

Colouring Page.

Be sure to point out the monkey’s prehensile tail in this picture while your child is coloring.

 

[ Are you looking for the best of preschools in Trinidad? Plan a visit to Zenith Preschool in Couva and see if they are the Preschool for you! Contact us at 739-3503]

Igloo Craft

Posted by ChrisN on

Today we spoke about various homes.
Igloos are structures made out of ice usually made by the Inuit of Canada’s Arctic and sometimes Greenland.

Igloos are made from blocks cut out of the ice and patched with snow.

This inside of an Igloo is warmer than the outside.

Today your kids will be making Igloos out of construction paper.
While making the igloo please try to involve the names of the 2D shapes used.

Material

  1. 2 sheets of paper
  2. Scissors
  3. Glue
  4. Colour Pencils

Procedure

  1. Have your child draw a bunch of rectangles on white paper. (You can call the paper ice if you like)
  2. Cut out the rectangles.
  3. Draw the outline of your Igloo as shown above on a non-white sheet of paper or another sheet of paper colored blue.
  4. Begin gluing on the rectangles as shown above.

They can use the below image as a guide.

[ Are you looking for the best of preschools in Trinidad? Plan a visit to Zenith Preschool in Couva and see if they are the Preschool for you! Contact us at 739-3503]

The Moon

Posted by ChrisN on

Today we spoke about the moon.

The moon gives us light during the night.

The moon is bright but it has some dark spots, these are craters.

The kids watched a video of asteroids crashing into the moon and making the craters.

The moon can be a whole circle when it is full but is can also be a crescent.

Here is our moon craft which shows all the phases of the moon.

Materials:

  1. 1 sheet of dark construction paper for sky (like black or blue)
  2. 1 sheet of light construction paper for moon (Like white or yellow)
  3. Scissors
  4. Colour Pencils
  5. Glue

Procedure:

Divide the paper into 4 and cut out one quarter.

Fold the larger piece in half and cut out a circle.

Fold the larger piece in on itself and glue it down as shown. 

You should end up with this.

Use the strip of blue paper to measure a quarter of the white paper. Cut this white strip off.

Use the blue strip to cut out a circle slightly larger than the first one.

Glue it onto the white paper near to the center.

Cut off a small piece of the blue tube.

Insert the white strip into the blue tube. Decorate  with stars and clouds as you like. Pulling on the white strip will move the circle on the inside creating the appearance of the moon going through its different phases.

[ Are you looking for the best of preschools in Trinidad? Plan a visit to Zenith Preschool in Couva and see if they are the Preschool for you! Contact us at 739-3503]

Boats

Posted by ChrisN on

Today we spoke about all sorts of boats and ships.
Our craft for the evening will be to make actually buoyant boat craft.


Material

  1. Juice box
  2. Straw
  3. Paper
  4. Scissors
  5. Scotch tape
  6. Liquid Glue (Optional)
  7. Paint (optional)

Procedure

  1. Make sure the juice box is empty and clean
  2. Place the juice box on its side as shown in image
  3. Put a small piece of tape on the straw hole.
  4. Use the scissors to start a small hole (Smaller than the straw) on the top surface.
  5. Put the straw into the hole and push in until the straw can stand on its own
  6. Cut a triangle from the paper to make your sail
  7. Use the tape to join the sail to the straw

Optional

  1. Use some liquid glue around the base of the mast to make the hole air tight.
  2. Use paint to decorate the juice box and sail if desired.

 

Make sure to chat with your kids about boats while making the craft.

 

Include the word buoyant when talking about the boat being able to float.

 

Point out the Triangle shape when making the sail.

 

-If you would like to turn the craft into a science and technology activity, try different shaped for the sail and test to see which one is best at catching the wind by blowing on them.

-If you would like to turn it into a buoyancy, try putting a full juice box in the water to see if it floats. Chat about it with your kids.

Snails

Posted by ChrisN on

Today we spoke about snails!
Snails can live on land, in the sea or even in fresh water.
Most snails are herbivorous but some snails hunt and eat fish (or even other snails!).

 

We singled out three facts that we want our kids to remember.

  1. Snails have shells. (Additional: for protection)
  2. Snails make mucus. (Additional: Mucus can help them slide on rough surfaces OR climb up surfaces like walls)
  3. Some people cook and eat some kinds of snails. (Additional: In Trinidad- Conchs. In France- Escargot)

 

Here is the craft for today. It requires no printing. =)
When working on the craft with your kids focus on the shapes. Today’s shape was the circle. Point out how you turn the circle into a semi circle by folding it in half.

Enjoy!

Non Verbal Communication: Signs

Posted by ChrisN on

Now that we’ve been using the ‘mute’ feature in our online classes the use to non-verbal communication has been on the mind. This is a great opportunity for your kids to learn about communication outside of talking. The plus side is that they are going to learn to read these words very well as they’ll be required to use them instead of saying or gesturing ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

Use the weekend to make this simple craft and have your child come to class with them on Monday.
Get a regular piece of paper, the size isn’t that important but we used A4.

Fold into quarters and crease, then unfold.
Cut along the dotted lines.  Take one of the smaller piecesAnd fold it in half as shown.
Unfold and write ‘YES’ on one half then
Flip the page and repeat for the other side.
Get something to use for the handles. A pallet stick or something flat would be best. If you can’t get your hands on those, be creative. Maybe a pencil, sqewer or even a heavily folded piece of paper. Just make sure that you have two more or less identical objects.

Glue the handle onto one half of the unmarked side then put glue across the remaining unmarked area. Fold shut and press.
Repeat for the ‘NO’ sign.  Use as tools and not toys. We will be using these daily from now on in our online classes so make sure to keep them in a safe space. It is important that the only real difference between the ‘YES’ and ‘NO’ are the words, otherwise they may use other differences to distinguish the two and miss the chance to learn the words ‘YES’ and ‘NO’.
You child should be involved in this craft but you should personally write the words (In the same colour, style and size).

Thanks!

[ Are you looking for the best of preschools in Trinidad? Plan a visit to Zenith Preschool in Couva and see if they are the Preschool for you! Contact us at 739-3503]

Should My Family Wear Face Masks UPDATED!

Posted by ChrisN on

Cloth ones, unless you’re a healthcare worker.

Once you’re going out, mask up.

Make them at home from old clothes or use bandannas.

Still, these will not make you virus proof so stay inside unless you absolutely need to leave.

Please keep abreast of the news to see when advice changes. As the research continues on the disease advice will change. This is not an inconsistency on the part of research but rather just an update.

Keep positive and keep doing your part to flatten the curve. You’re all heroes!

[ Are you looking for the best of preschools in Trinidad? Plan a visit to Zenith Preschool in Couva and see if they are the Preschool for you! Contact us at 739-3503]

Restaurants are closed now, time to train your little chef!

Posted by ChrisN on

With all restaurants closed some families are wondering what to do for meals.

Those of us working still might be much more inconvenienced than others, especially health care workers. With long hours of work and no time to prepare food for your family, do not let anyone shame you for using frozen dinners and instant meals.

A pack of Ramen can become super nutritious with the addition of some quick veges and a couple eggs and it’s a favorite of mine. Here’s a cool video for ideas to upgrade your ramen.

For the rest of us who have time, use it to make meals with your kids.
It could be as simple as cheese paste sandwiches or as complex as pelau. The trick that you need to master is looking at a recipe and figuring out which things your children can do.

Before you start, lecture your children about kitchen safety. Stove safety and knife safety should be paramount! Washing hands and keeping a clean kitchen should come next. Check this out for some good ones.

There should be no tolerance for breaking rules.  

Stirring and mixing, measuring, seasoning, fetching things from the cupboards and carrying things to the sink.

These are safe tasks that will gratify your kids so much. Feeling like they’re helping and learning about cooking can be such great experiences for them .

They’ll be developing:

  1. Gross motor skills
  2. Fine motor skills/dexterity
  3. Concept of proportions
  4. Concept of measurements (THE MOST IMPORTANT CONCEPT EVER!!!) (Maybe I’m biased…)
  5. Sense of responsibility
  6. Discipline
  7. Sense of contributing to the house hold
  8. Patience
  9. An interest in cooking
  10. A stronger bond with their cooking partners

Want some ideas for what to make? Here are some easy ones.

  1. Chow
  2. Cheespaste sandwiches
  3. Deviled eggs
  4. Fruit salad
  5. Bake/roti
  6. Mashed potatoes
  7. Jello
  8. Cookies
  9. French toast
  10. Porridge

Want more of a challenge? Check out this link for some nice ‘kid friendly’ recipes. 

[ Are you looking for the best of preschools in Trinidad? Plan a visit to Zenith Preschool in Couva and see if they are the Preschool for you! Contact us at 739-3503]

Should my family wear face masks? (OUT OF DATE ADVICE)

Posted by ChrisN on

Good morning everyone,

The advice in this article is no longer applicable. Please see an updated article here.

(Check out a fun little project at the bottom of the article!)

Gold stars to all of you either staying at home to flatten the curve or carrying out your essential  services. 

 

With the lock-down going strong, those rare days where we have to venture out for groceries or other essentials can be frightening, especially if you have to take your kids with you. So what should you do, buy face masks and gloves? Hazmat suit? Giant bubble?

The WHO (World Health Organization) has recently recommended that the general public use cloth masks. This is because face masks are limited and doctors need it more than we do.

So cloth masks? 

Well not necessarily…

“Some studies have shown that any barrier that limits the spread of respiratory droplets from coughs and sneezes can be helpful,” says Aimee Ferraro, Ph.D., senior core faculty member for Walden University’s Master of Public Health program, but they aren’t required for everyone.

WHO recommends face masks be used by those who are:

  1. Covid-19 positive
  2. Those exposed to positive cases (eg. caregivers)
  3. High risk people (eg. elderly, asthmatics)

Check out their advice directly here

 

So you may not need to wear  masks and gloves when you go out but you do need to:

  1. Avoid touching your face
  2. Wash your hands properly when you return home
  3. Stand 6 feet away from other persons as much as possible
  4. Not go out if you do not need to!!!

 

Also even though you might not need to wear a cloth mask, you can. =)

 

 

Okay, now…what is a cloth mask?

It could be a bandanna or shawl or pashmina, just wash your hands and wrap it around your nose and mouth. When you get back home put it to wash.

Here’s a nice article if you’d like to read more.

 

Keep up the Zenith philosophies and Don’t Panic, especially around your kids. Also keep up with the latest releases; as more is learned about the disease, recommendations may change.

 

Wanna make a cute face mask for your kids?  Doesn’t matter if you need one, your kids would probably be excited to wear them. Well once you have a needle and thread you can use this Youtube video. No need to go out to buy cloth, you can make them out of old clothes. Even better if they have fun patterns!

Stay safe guys!