Sheepishly in Love

Ending the love month with more the chinese zodiac- sheep.

1. Out to See: Exhibit

SM Megamall, runs till March 5

Main artwork, presented as a stage backdrop as well

I chanced upon seeing the Chan Lim brothers artwork, here are some favorites.

Even saw a former classmate's work

2. Chinese New Year Activity:

Introduction to days, date, calendar & year

Excited to fill this up everyday

May the rest of the days be sunny, happy and bright!

Happy Year of the Sheep

Me and my husband are born in year of the sheep (a giveaway of our age :) )
Let's learn more about it.

1.The Chinese Zodiac : Sheep

Book:  Charlie Needs a Cloak.

It is about sheep's wool and how to make it.

An informative book, combined with very cute drawings of Tomie dePaola.

Recalling a Field Trip at the Zoo

I remember the sheep we saw at the zoo, it bleated as my daughter came near it. She kept on repeating saying baaaaaa and never forgot them.

Photo taken at Avilon Zoo

Playing and Learning

Before the new year arrived we were playing with our sheep toys together with a book of course!

daughter riding this sheep with a giddy-yup

Chinese Language

 Chinese Word Yang means sheep,
written at the red lantern little bear is holding

Suggested Field Trip:  

Once I saw a sheep being sheared, maybe one day I could bring my kids and see them.

Since it is not a common in our country, (we are a tropical country and we have more goats than sheep) you might feel a little uncomfortable when the sheep's being pinned down for shearing.

Photo from Wikipedia

2. Chinese New Year festivities

Glutinous Rice

This year we were not able to go to Chinatown, but bought Tikoy instead. Gave away to friends,  lucky to receive one they say.

bought a nearby Chinese store

Gold Chocolate Coins at the table

Best part of it? Eating the chocolates of course!

Happy Chinese New Year, may luck be with every decision you make!

Making Money & Guama's Birthday

We came to a habit of reading in line with upcoming events or whatever comes up with my daughter's ideas. If it is her idea, her interest is high, and learning is easy.

A grandmother's birthday is coming for Ruby and Max in this book.

Going out to buy, counting and spending with a budget was our main goal. The real shopping, we leave it for later. For now it is a pretend day!

1. Craft: Let's make money.

hope making real  money is easy as this

2. Math: Lets's count money

how much do we need?

3. Celebrations: Birthday and its significance

Gift for Guama (Grandmother)

4. Creativity: Pretend Play

my daughter said 'when my brother grows up, he'll be Max and me Ruby'
(book characters),  as of now, I am the stand in for Max

5. Experiencing it: Celebrating the day

excited for chocolate cake

Happy birthday to my Guama!

It's Fiesta!

Fiesta, a festival, a tradition we inheritted from the Spaniards, means food, dance and music and the don't forget the most important reason of its celebration is done in honor of a saint.

St John Bosco's feast day is 31st of January, hence celebrated on the nearest Sunday.

1. Read: Getting to know Don Bosco

Available at Don Bosco Makati Bookstore

2. Listen: Part of the celebration is the band that plays annually.

Several bands played around the Barangay

3. Movement: Learning to march

- daughter and I are marching around the house

left & right, walking in coordination as we practice to march like them

4. Read along book

- We read this before, and seeing the band play the instruments made my daughter smile even more.

The neighborhood enjoyed all the festivities, from the pageants, to bingo bonanza! 

But keep in mind the essence of the fiesta is to let the life of the saints be a reminder of how we can spend our life in the service of others.

On the Go!

We are so excited to share activities from the 'three years old' class as we call it. It is a month of vehicles, from boats to cars and trains.

In this class there is less parent interaction. The child is encouraged to be independent, follow instructions, listen and explore.

1. Book: The Big Race

supplied by Kindermusik

2. Traffic Rules: Stoplight and the Stop & Go sign

we did the online materials with a little modification

3. Singing & Movement: Walk, Run, Stop and Go

Going around with our home made train

4. Pretend Play: a train, on a boat, a plane

Playing around

5. Crafts: make your own train. 

Materials used:can, boxes, yogurt cup, dowel , 

water bottle caps (big and small), camera film cover, Yakult bottle

Paint: Tempera non toxic paint, washable, though you have to put top coat so it will not peel off

Sanding of the smooth surface needed for the paint to adhere

Wheels are working! Attach paperclip to box and insert the dowel.

 Use a glue gun to stick bottle caps to dowel

Test Run

6. Virtues: Helping

Both books in the story teaches about helping, here is my daughter eager to do her part 

7. Go Along Book

  

Faith the Pope Brings

There has been several writings, talk and reaction on how our country behaved at the arrival of the Pope.

Let's focus on the message he brings and learn:

1. Getting to know Pope Francis
    -download the pdf mini book from The Learning Basket

    -or get information from Wikipedia

   

getting to see the Pope's photo, cover of the Bible Diary and on TV

2. Strengthening our faith by reading Bible. 
St Mary's Press is the most interesting and complete Catholic bible for children I have seen so far.

complete Bible with selected highlight stories with activities

3. Praying

Teaching the habit of talking to God before we sleep.

Thanking for our meals.

a guilty smile when we forget to pray and start praying after a few bites

4. Values
Let us reflect on the Pope's messages. (for those who missed it, here is the link via Rappler)

My mom at UST with screenshots of the Pope
 and getting hold of a photo with the crowd

It doesn't have to take the Pope to be a clean organized city, we can do it for ourselves. Maybe the Pope's visit is a boost for us to keep trying and be the change our nation needs.

Book: My Blue Boat

We were excited to have this book. Why? Because it has been out of print, republished with a 20th Anniversary edition.

We are lucky to be one of the first 100 to have this and got an art cover with it.

Sailed 2 months to get here in the Philippines, now it is sailing in our evening readings.

Activities for it:

1. Art: Watercolor, style and technique

2. Play: Captain and the Pirate Sailing

3. Language, Drawing and Words: Water Vehicle Types

4. Vocabulary building: chanel, swell, harbor, fleet, beacon, lighthouse

5. Science: Animals - Whale and Dolphins

6. Go Along Books

Happy sailing to 2015!