Oh, Dearest Mother, Sweetest Virgin of Altagracia, our Patroness. You are our Advocate and to you we recommend our needs. You are our Teacher and like disciples we come to learn from the example of your holy life. You are our Mother, and like children, we come to offer you all of the love of our hearts. Receive, dearest Mother, our offerings and listen attentively to our supplications. Amen.



Active Topics || Favorites || Member List || Search || About Us || Help || Register || Login
Nurturing the Years of Wonder
 4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Subject Topic: favorite things to do with 4 yr old Post ReplyPost New Topic
Author
Message << Prev Topic | Next Topic >>
mooreboyz
Forum Pro
Forum Pro
Avatar

Joined: March 16 2008
Location: Wisconsin
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 318
Posted: Aug 20 2008 at 7:21pm | IP Logged Quote mooreboyz

We did the 3 yr olds. Now, how about 4 yr olds? My son turns 4 in Sept and we had a really great Montessoi/CM style year. I've gotten some activities ready for him, but would like to hear what you all found to be hits. He really enjoys having his own work that he can do independently. He's getting bored with the stuff from last year. So, it is time to step things up a notch. Some things I have already are:

stenciling shapes like the mont. inset work
container of sand for letter writing practice
some pink series reading cards to match
beadwork for math skip counting and to start adding/subtracting

stringing beads (from last year)
magnetic/nonmagnetic sort (from last year)
letter sound boxes (from last year too)

I plan to have trays out for art, science, prac life, cooking, geography, sensorial, and fine motor that rotate. I will also have areas for math type work and letter/reading work with a variety of activities to choose from.

Please share any cool ideas you have. Thanks!

__________________
Jackie
7 boys - 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 15, 17 years
Back to Top View mooreboyz's Profile Search for other posts by mooreboyz
 
SuzanneG
Forum Moderator
Forum Moderator
Avatar

Joined: June 17 2006
Location: Idaho
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5465
Posted: Sept 05 2008 at 8:07pm | IP Logged Quote SuzanneG

Bumping this, as my 4.5 yo is driving me a bit bonkers these days and I'm looking for some inspiration!

Here are a few favs.....

sorting nature finds
puzzles
making letters with play dough
fingerpaints
tracing absolutely everything
i spy books
color boxes
fabric trays
matching numbers to number of objects
folding napkins and diapers
blocks
playing Blink
Sink and Float
Lacing cards and beads
Metal Insets

__________________
Suzanne in ID
Wife to Pete
Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
Back to Top View SuzanneG's Profile Search for other posts by SuzanneG
 
Maddie
Forum All-Star
Forum All-Star
Avatar

Joined: Dec 27 2005
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1804
Posted: Sept 05 2008 at 8:18pm | IP Logged Quote Maddie

What are fabric trays, please?

__________________
~Maddie~
Wife to my dh and Momma of 9 dear ones
Back to Top View Maddie's Profile Search for other posts by Maddie
 
ALmom
Forum All-Star
Forum All-Star


Joined: May 18 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3299
Posted: Sept 05 2008 at 9:24pm | IP Logged Quote ALmom

Ok, my child was 4 last year and typical of our house, very little from the reading section was of any interest. However, we had a set of numbers with pegs - one hole for 1, 2 holes for 2, etc. These line up in correct order. My son taught himself basic counting, and number concepts with this and began to add. He is almost 6 now and just starting to show interest in reading, so maybe we'll get a little interest in the pink reading.

Other things he liked at 4 - cutting, baster, polishing, brown stairs, pink tower, drawing/art. He did like some picture matching things (animal lotto type stuff) and nature observation with binoculars. He was also fond of washing windows.

He really liked the parts of a fish cards (cannot read yet, but since he has older siblings, he learned the names of the parts somehow). He is just now getting into doing the insets and identifying some shapes. He has also become a fan of a few of those workbooks where you color the pictures according to the color name on top of the page.

Caveat - I was not a Montessori mom presenter. Things were just too hectic last year so these are all things that either were presented because I saw him wrecking havoc (cutting his pants, clothes, etc.) or things that he ran with after an initial presentation to the family of practical life or a few things he asked for because siblings were doing them. I'm sure we could have done lots more if I had been able to be in the Montessori room more often. I did try to present some initial pink reading and it was just obvious that he was not ready. He ran with almost all the hands on math things I had.

Janet
Back to Top View ALmom's Profile Search for other posts by ALmom
 
Mackfam
Board Moderator
Board Moderator
Avatar
Non Nobis

Joined: April 24 2006
Location: Alabama
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 14656
Posted: Sept 05 2008 at 10:24pm | IP Logged Quote Mackfam

My little man turns 4 in December...and I'm constantly trying to keep up and provide work for him...

**Shallow tray of cornmeal and different (watercolor size) paint brushes and stylus for writing, brushing, making designs, tracing numbers and letters
**Tracing continent puzzle pieces
**Polishing activities
**Cutting papers into teeny tiny pieces
**Beeswax squishing
**Stamping anything! (Ink pad and rubber stamp)
**Emptying gadget drawers in kitchen
**Bounce and Drop from bed to pile of pillows
**Magna Tiles
**Vacuuming the kitchen - no kidding!
**Shape sorting games
**Marbles (soon to be put away - the baby's crawling)
**Hammering Shapes into Cork
**Sorting and counting beads from the decanomial bead box


__________________
Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
Back to Top View Mackfam's Profile Search for other posts by Mackfam Visit Mackfam's Homepage
 
CatholicMommy
Forum All-Star
Forum All-Star
Avatar

Joined: Feb 07 2007
Location: Indiana
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1254
Posted: Sept 05 2008 at 10:50pm | IP Logged Quote CatholicMommy

Maddie wrote:
What are fabric trays, please?


Fabric trays can be of two kinds: One is a set of matching pairs of different kinds of fabric (trying to be the same color if possible). The child feels them and matches them, preferably eyes closed to really get the feel of it. The second set is a series of fabrics all the same type but a different weave (so it might be different weaves of cotton for example), again in matching sets.

They help hone the tactile sense as well as provide new vocabulary for describing things.
Back to Top View CatholicMommy's Profile Search for other posts by CatholicMommy Visit CatholicMommy's Homepage
 
Maddie
Forum All-Star
Forum All-Star
Avatar

Joined: Dec 27 2005
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1804
Posted: Sept 05 2008 at 11:16pm | IP Logged Quote Maddie

Thank you, Catholic Mommy.

__________________
~Maddie~
Wife to my dh and Momma of 9 dear ones
Back to Top View Maddie's Profile Search for other posts by Maddie
 
mooreboyz
Forum Pro
Forum Pro
Avatar

Joined: March 16 2008
Location: Wisconsin
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 318
Posted: Sept 06 2008 at 3:51am | IP Logged Quote mooreboyz

We started back to school this week and so my almost 4 yr old got to try out some of the new things. It seems the activities have to have just the right amount of challenge or he isn't interested. Things that don't require much concentration haven't been touched. Here's some hits:

his calender work which is taken somewhat from here:
calender math

hanging washcloths on a mini clothesline

matching continent shapes

sharpening pencils

sorting twigs by length

sponge wringing transferring water between 2 bowls

addition using decanomial beads I made

counting to 1000 using number cards and beads/cubes

paper punching

matching pink series words to pics

and of course nature hikes






__________________
Jackie
7 boys - 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 15, 17 years
Back to Top View mooreboyz's Profile Search for other posts by mooreboyz
 

If you wish to post a reply to this topic you must first login
If you are not already registered you must first register

  [Add this topic to My Favorites] Post ReplyPost New Topic
Printable version Printable version

Forum Jump
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot create polls in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

Hosting and Support provided by theNetSmith.com