Ocean in a Bottle

We just finished our Creatures of the Ocean class. Here are the instructions for making an ocean in a bottle. If you want to down load the Slippery Fish/Octopus song we used in class click HERE. The song is called Octopus and is on Charlotte Diamonds, “10 Crunchy Carrots” album.


What you need:
•  Empty 2 liter plastic bottle with a lid
• Clear vegetable oil or mineral oil
• Water
• Funnel
• Blue food coloring
• Small star fish, shells and other sea creatures
• Glitter
• White craft glue
• Hot glue (get an adult to help with hot glue)


Steps:
1. Wash and dry 2-liter bottle and remove all labels.
2. Fill bottle halfway with tap water.
3. Add a few drops of blue food coloring and swirl around to mix.
4. Add a little glitter.
5. Add sea cratures.
6. Using funnel, fill the bottle the rest of the way with vegetable oil.
7. Make sure the rim and cap are dry, then apply white craft glue around the rim. Seal cap.
8. Have an adult use a layer around the outside edge to keep it from leaking.
9. Turn the bottle on it’s side and gently rock the bottle to create your very own waves!

Source:  http://funschool.kaboose.com/fun-blaster/summer/crafts/ocean-bottle.html

Creativity & Kindermusik

The importance of developing childhood creativity is discussed in the July 10^th issue of Newsweek.  The article affirms what Kindermusik parents already know, that pretend play helps develop a child’s creativity.  In Kindermusik we are nearly always pretending.  The article states, “Preschoolers who spend more time in role-playing (acting out characters) have higher measures of creativity: voicing someone else’s point of view helps develop their ability to analyze situations from different perspectives.” The article also discusses how role-playing helps a child explore and understand emotions.  Singing about emotions is a safe and appropriate way to learn about being, sad, frustrated, angry, etc. and also about happiness, fun, and love, etc.

Kindermusik’s home materials offer your child a chance to pretend play and explore emotion every day.  To help them explore and understand emotions have them sing songs showing different emotions with their faces and through their voices.  Encourage them to change the words to the song to better communicate emotion and give the song additional meaning.  You can also use musical play to help develop creativity. You are improving your child’s problem-solving abilities every time you help them explore an instrument or the various sounds an object can make, (What is another way you can play the sticks? While driving in the car, your children can explore the different types of body percussion they can produce. Make sure they explore making quiet body percussion or they might drive you crazy!)  Many Kindermusik songs naturally encourage role playing with movement, (How else can you move like a monkey?) When we explore props in class we’re always trying to figure out new ways to use the prop, (What else could this hoop be, how else could you move it?).  Participation in Kindermusik fosters the development of creativity, problem solving, and emotional understanding!  

To read the actual article click HERE.  (It’s a bit long but has some points worth thinking about.)