Wednesday

To complete today's activities, you will need:

something to draw on

something to draw with

small stones, buttons or beads

a small ball or rolled up socks

optional - playdough

  • a collection of small objects

  • a plastic or butter knife

  • ingredients to make a sandwich and some fruit

Mindfulness

Learning goal: Children mindfully connect to nature and are mindful of their environment.

  1. Sit with your legs crossed.

  2. Close your eyes and stay very still.

  3. Listen carefully.

  4. What can you hear? How many different things can you hear?

  5. Stay still and listen as long as you can.

  6. Now go outside.

  7. Close your eyes, sit very still and listen again.

  8. What sounds can you hear in the environment? Can you hear any sounds of nature?

A girl sits with her eyes closed

CC0 Public Domain maxpixel.net

Too hard?

Sit still, close your eyes and count ten breaths.

Too easy?

As you sit, also notice what you can feel and smell.

Name writing

Learning goal: Children use approximations of letters and words to convey meaning.

  1. Have a look around your home. Where can you find your name?

  2. Ask someone to write your name in large letters.

  3. Trace over your name a number of times using different colours.

  4. Which letter does your name start with? Make the letter your name starts with.

  5. Look around you, what things can you see that start with the same letter as your name? For example, Sam starts with 'S'. Sun and smile also start with 's'.

The name Abbie written on paper
The letter A made by lined up rocks
The letter A moulded from play dough

Too hard?

  • Ask someone to write your name in very large letters. Trace over each letter with your finger.

  • Place small objects over the first letter of your name.

  • Make the first letter of your name using play dough.

Too easy?

  • Write your name by yourself. Write your surname also.

  • Write the names of people in your family.

  • Say funny things using the first sound of your name. For example, Sam smiles at the sun, Jasmine jumps on jelly.

Overarm throw

Learning goal: Children develop the fundamental movement skill of overarm throwing.

What you need:

  • a target, such as a mark on a tree or something hanging from a clothesline

  • a small ball or rolled up socks.

What to do:

  1. Watch the video to learn how to do an overarm throw.

  2. Stand back from the target.

  3. Throw your ball or socks at the target using an overarm throw.

NSW Health (14 June 2017) 'Overarm throw - Munch & Move' [video], NSW Health Channel, YouTube, accessed 30 August 2021.

Too hard?

  • Use a larger target.

  • Stand closer to the target.

Too easy?

  • Stand further away from the target.

  • Throw using your other arm.

  • How many times can you hit the target out of ten throws?

Take a break

Here are some things you might like to do:

  • have a drink of water and a healthy snack

  • play or have a rest

  • go to the toilet and wash your hands.

Singing

Learning goal: Children sing songs.

  1. Watch the video of Julia singing, 'Little Miss Muffet'.

  2. Follow Julia's instructions to crawl like a spider.

  3. Follow Julia's instructions to tap the beat.

Too hard?

  • Simply listen to the song and enjoy!

Too easy?

  • Sing 'Little Miss Muffet' without any help.

  • Listen to the song again. What rhyming words did you hear?

Halves

Learning goal: Children develop an understanding of fractions through play.

  1. Make a sandwich.

  2. Cut the whole sandwich into two halves.

  3. Check if the two halves are equal.

  4. Is there a different way you could have cut your sandwich into two halves?

  5. With help from someone, try cutting other things in half, for example, a playdough snake or a piece of fruit.

A sandwich being sliced in half with a knife
A long length of play dough being sliced in half with a knife
A slice of watermelon being sliced in half with a knife
A strawberry being sliced in half with a knife

  1. Now try dividing a collection of objects in half. You could use collections of things like small toys, pegs or paper clips.

  2. How did you divide the collection in half? Were any things left over?

  3. Is each half equal? How do you know?

A jumbled collection of plastic dinosaurs
A collection of dinosaurs sorted into two equal groups
A jumbled collection of clothes pegs
Clothes pegs sorted into two equal groups

If you want to learn more about halves, watch this video, Who's got the biggest half?

Too hard?

  • Make different playdough shapes, use a knife to cut each in half.

Too easy?

  • Cut things into four equal parts, these are called quarters.

  • Divide collections of objects into four equal groups.

Helping your family

Learning goal: Children respect and care for natural and constructed environments.

Pick one of these jobs to do to help your family:

  • when the washing is dry, match the sock pairs together

  • help make a meal

  • pack your toys away

  • help in the garden by watering the plants, raking leaves or pulling out weeds

  • feed your pet or refill their water bowl

  • sweep your verandah or a path outside

  • put bottles, tins or cardboard in the recycling bin.

A small boy brushes dust into a hand held pan

Image by theloushe is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

You might find other ideas from the everyday routine cards on the resources for families page.

Extra learning activities

Have fun with some ABC Kids games.

Child voice