Discovery Center: May News
“Children are NOT a distraction from more important
work. They are THE MOST important work.”
-C.S. Lewis
Lake Area Discovery
Center
Volume 17, Issue 9
May, 2017
Improving Kids’ Social Skills
By Cheryl Lock
(adapted from http://www.parents.com/kids/development/social/
improving-kids-social-skills/)
Determining the Stages of Social Development
In general, kids will have developed certain social skills and social cues by these ages:
2- to 3-year-olds: able to seek attention from others, initiate social contact with others both verbally (saying "Hi" and
"Bye") and physically, look at a person who's talking, have the ability to take turns talking, and laugh at silly objects and
events.
3- to 4-year-olds: are able to take turns when playing games, treat a doll or stuffed animal as though it's alive, and initiate
verbal communication with actual words.
4- to 5-year-olds: are able to show more cooperation with children, use direct requests (like "Stop"), are more prone to
tattling, and pretend to be Mom or Dad in fantasy play.
5- to 6-year-olds: are able to please their friends, say "I'm sorry," "Please," and "Thank you," understand bad words and
potty language, are more strategic in bargaining, play competitive games, and understand fair play and good
sportsmanship.
Improving Social Development
Playdates are a crucial part of growing up, but kids with social issues can have a hard time making plans. Discuss ahead
of time any situation that could be uncomfortable.
To enhance your child's social development further, Lawrence Balter, Ph.D., child psychologist and parenting expert,
suggests the four strategies below.
 Teach empathy: Run through different scenarios by asking your child how other people might feel when certain
things happen, and substitute different situations each time.
 Explain personal space: Tell your child that it's important for everyone to have some personal space to feel
comfortable, and practice acceptable ways to interact with someone during playtime.
 Practice social overtures: Teach kids the proper way to start a conversation, get someone's attention, or join a
group of kids who are already playing together. These are all situations that can be discussed and brainstormed
at the dinner table, or in the car on the way to school or activities.
 Go over taking turns: Sit with your child for at least an hour a day and play with him to explain what it means to
wait, take turns, and share.
Reinforcing Specific Social Skills
Activities and games can provide additional help in developing specific skills, and you can reinforce your child's social
development and interaction.
For nonverbal skills: Help kids recognize facial expressions and body language by watching kid-friendly TV shows with
the sound off and observe what characters are doing and what certain movements
might mean.
For attention span If your child has trouble staying on point, pick a topic and say three
sentences -- two related to the topic and one random. Then ask your child to pick the
sentence that's off-topic.
Frozen Caterpillars
Materials Needed:
 Wooden Skewers
 Grapes (Green and
Black)
 Cantaloupe
 Bananas
 Freezer Bag
1. Cut the cantaloupe into small chunks and slice
the bananas.
2. Have your child decide what kind of caterpillar
to make (all green, black and orange, yellow
and black, etc.).
3. Have your child put the fruit on the skewers in
the pattern and colors of his/her chosen
caterpillar.
4. Put the finished skewer in a freezer bag and
place in the freezer for at least 2 hours.
5. Enjoy the healthy snack on a hot day.
Five and Five Eggs
(From http://www.preschooleducation.com/sfarm.shtml)
Make Your Own Cloud (STEM at
Home)
Materials Needed:
 Glass Jar with a Lid
 ½ Cup Hot Water (Boiling Works Best)
 Aerosol Spray (Hairspray Works Great)
 Ice Cubes
Five and five eggs
(Hold up hands)
That makes ten
Sitting on top is mother hen
(Fold one hand over the other)
Crackle crackle crackle
(Clap hands three times)
What do I see
(Fingers around eyes)
Ten fluffy chickens
As yellow as can be
(Hold up ten fingers)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Pour the hot water into the jar.
Quickly spray the aerosol spray into the jar.
Put on the lid with ice cubes on top.
Watch closely as the cloud begins to form.
After a few minutes, remove the lid to get a
closer look at the cloud.
Explain that the cloud forms when water vapor (or
the steam from the hot water) turns to water
drops and sticks to small particles in the air (like
the aerosol spray. When many water drops join
together, they form a cloud.
Saint Helena Discovery Center
May 19-20: ABC Bike-a-thon!! Bring your bike and helmet to for our ABC
bike days. We’ll be celebrating our learning of the alphabet!
May 22: Field Trip to Westwood Hills Nature Center
May 29: Closed, no school or child care. Memorial Day
June 1-2: No School or Child Care, preparing for end of year events, and
Summer W.O.W.
June 1: Graduation and End of Year Picnic (more information to come)
May 2017
Sunday
Monday
1
Unit of
Learning:
Farm: Home
on the
Range!
Letter ‘X’
7
Unit of
Learning:
Farm:
Animals and
Gardening
Letter ‘Z’
21
Unit of
Learning:
‘Wiggle,
Jiggle,
Creep and
Crawl’
28
Unit of
Learning:
Camping
Wednesday
3
Thursday
4
Friday
5
Planned Experiences: Xylophones and X-rays on Letter X, Paper Plate Rooster,
Bean Planting, Farm Animal Measuring, Mother’s Day Gifts, Root Vegetable
Prints, Whip Butter, 3D Paper Plate Chicken
Snack: String
Cheese ‘X’ with
Cucumbers,
Milk
Snack: String
Beans, Milk
Snack:
Pretzel Stick ‘X’
with Raisins,
Milk
Snack:
Root VeggieCarrot Sticks
& Hummus,
Milk
Snack:
Homemade
Butter,
Saltine
Crackers,
Milk
12
8
9
10
11
Snack:
Planned Experiences: Yarn and Yellow Pom Pom on letter Y, Wrapping Mother’s
Snack:
Day Gifts, Horsing Around Handprint, Seed Sorting, How Many Eggs? Math
Snack:
Activity, 5 Little Piggies Hand Art, STEM Haystack Challenge, Fingerprint Sheep
Snack: Yogurt,
Milk
Snack:
“Yellow Gorp,”
Milk
Snack: “I Can
Eat a Plant!”
Snack, Milk
Snack: Piggie
Bagel, Milk
Snack: Farm
Fresh Apples,
Milk
15
16
17
18
19
Letter ‘Y’
14
Unit of
Learning:
‘Wiggle,
Jiggle,
Creep and
Crawl’
Tuesday
2
Planned Experiences: Z is for Zig Zag, Buzzing Alphabet Bee Hive, Z is for
Zebra, Fly Swatter Art, Father’s Day Gift, Superhero Letters, Letter Bugs, and
ABC Bike Days to Celebrate the End of Our Letter of the Week Curriculum!
Snack:
Z Bars, Milk
Snack:
Zucchini, Milk
Snack: ABC
Cheese-It
Crackers, Milk
Snack:
Graham
ABC’s, Milk
Snack:
Graduation
Hats, Milk
29
30
Snack:
Cucumber and
Carrot
Caterpillars, Milk
31
Snack:
Butterfly
Snack, Milk
Snack: Ants
on a Log, Milk
1
2
Planned Experiences: Wrap Father’s Day gifts, Shaving Cream letters &
numbers, Camp Class Graphing, Life Cycle of a Frog
NO SCHOOL
Snack: Apples
and Milk
Snack:,
Cucumbers and
Milk
Dramatic
Play: ‘Home
on the
Range’
13
Dramatic
Play:
‘St. Helena
Farm’
20
Dramatic
Play:
Rainforest
Snack:
Bananas,
Milk
22
23
24
25
26
Planned Experiences: Graduation Stolls, Roll a Ladybug, Graduation Hats,
Who is Sleeping in the Tent? Graduation Décor Art, Symmetrical
Butterfly/Caterpillar, 3D Caterpillar Art. Ant Picnic Basket, Roll an Insect Scene
Snack:,
Ladybug Apple,
Milk
Saturday
6
27
Dramatic
Play:
Preschool
Campground
3
Dramatic
Play:
Preschool
Campground