BYC 2013, Friday

Friday

Dip 'n' Dye

(Fold a paper towel and dip the corners into a variety of colors of food dye)

Beading bracelets

Juice can shakers

Bendy Stix

At the easels--chalk drawing on black paper.

And then the rain came.

I just love this.  My kids thought they would rescue the dip 'n' dye from the edges of the canopies (they were getting wet, it's true) and hang them...under the bush.  Clearly this wasn't a dryer place, but the line they rigged up looks cool.

Since my system of canopies just isn't quite big enough, we opted for the garage.  

I was amazed at how much fun we could have in there!

We got out the instruments and practiced keeping the beat and repeating a variety of rhythms.  We also played and sang "Old MacDonald had a Band."

We learned "Go in and out the Windows," a folk dance.  We also did "London Bridge" and  the kids learned "Floating Down the River."  This song has a calm, quiet verse and a lively chorus all about jumping!  It is probably my favorite folk dance because the kids can't get enough of all that jumping.

 We're floating down the river...

Four in the middle and you can't jump, Josie....

Eight in the middle...

London Bridge

And that's a wrap!

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We had a very fun week with your darling kids!

Thank you so much for being a part of our program.  We hope to see you again soon!

BYC 2013, Thursday

Thursday

Fold painting

Paint one side of the paper, fold, press, and voila!  Two sides painted!

Beading

Making bracelets out of beads and pipe cleaners

Popsicle stick animal puppets

Bendy Stix sculptures

Today we practiced our Giant John story, complete with the fairies playing

 real instruments and using real boxes for our castle.

We also went on a walk and searched for tiny treasures in nature to go in our contact paper necklaces. 

Here we are paining those boxes grey so we can transform them into the castle.

Our last adventure of the day was dancing around the Maypole.  

Circling the Maypole.

Adding a few twirls.

Dancing with a friend.

And wrapping the pole as far as we can go!

BYC 2013, Wednesday

Wednesday

Marble Painting

Roll a painty marble in a box with a sheet of paper on the bottom

Lacing cards

Paper plate masks

Clay--leaf prints

Evie and Sally enjoy easel painting and drawing.

Sophia too.

Working on paper plate masks.

Sydney sews.

Marty prints.

Today we split into two groups.  Each group got a chance to come to our "nature center" 

and look at a real bird's nest, dried seed pods (that rattle!), and a neat rock collection.  They also went on a walk with their T.P. telescopes and found items to do nature rubbings with.

A leaf rubbing.  They also tried rubbings on lots of different tree trunks.

Today we learned an old American folk dance, Jump Jim Joe.  

We also practiced our story, Giant John, and played Ring around the Rosie. 

Did you know someone wrote a completely silly second verse to that song?

Cows are in the meadow, eating buttercups!  Thunder, lightning, we all stand up!

BYC 2013, Tuesday

Tuesday

Bubble wrap prints

Paint the bubble wrap, print on paper

Nature Stick

A Native American tradition:  

Wrap a stick with beautiful threads (or in our case, yarn) and feathers and "plant" it in the ground 

to thank the Earth for all its gifts!

T.P. Telescopes

Clay: Snakes and snails

Today we talked about spiders, went on a spider web search, and made a giant web out of yarn! 

 (You may have to click on the picture to see it better).

Spiders Evan and Sydney are eating their yummy bug lunches (Brecken and Laiken)!

Time for The Chicken Dance!  Translated from German, "The Bird Dance."

The big collapse after Swedish, Hurry Scurry.  Yes, it's exhausting!

Perfect day for the parachute.

BYC 2013, Monday

Welcome to Back Yard Club 2013!

Each morning we begin BYC with a variety of songs and stories followed by art time!  

Every day drawing and painting is available at the easels, along with 4 other projects.

Monday

Foil Painting

The paper: Aluminum Foil.  The brush:  A q-tip!

Weaving yarn on a cardboard loom

Bean collages

Clay--playing with textures--wall hangings

Here we are at snack time.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  A very popular book!  

But  the great part about this picture is the brother-sister cuddle in the back!

Today we went on a nature scavenger hunt. 

Not only did we find plants and such, but bugs were aplenty!

Marty was often found with a bug in each hand.  (Here he's caught a cicada and a cricket.)

Abby and Brecken.

Lexi finds an apple...check that off our list!

 We were so lucky!  We saw a cicada clinging to its old exoskeleton.

Here we are taking a good look at the cicada.

Reggie and Sally

After our scavenger hunt we learned some folk dances:  

Seven jumps from Sweden and The Farmer in the Dell.

Lastly, we had a good time running up the hill and coming down like birds, rabbits, elephants, 

and well...who can resist rolling when you get the chance!?