Mother's Day the Nature School Way
Hey Kind Families,
I hope you are all doing well! This year may look a bit different than usual for Mother's Day. Maybe you have been spending a lot more time at home with your family because of the the pandemic. Maybe you are an essential worker and have to spend even more time at work. Either way, moms everywhere deserve the honor and celebration for all they do all year round.
Becoming a mama myself totally changed the trajectory of my life in many more ways than I can count. I am not certain I would have decided to go into education if not for my first child being born. The moment I met my son for the first time, I knew I wanted to give him the world. I knew I wanted to make sure the world he was going to grow up in was as positive and inviting as possible, and I could not think of any better way to do that than to start with education. Not only of him, but of as many families as I could. Kind Academy was really born out of an intense desire to spread kindness in the world so that all of our children could grow up in a society that made them feel as loved and valued as they deserved.
Mamas; this week especially. I want you to know how much I honor you and the job we take on as mothers. I want you to remember how very amazing you are. I want you to understand that I know how much you put into this job of mothering even if it may not feel highly rewarding right now.
I know this year is different for a lot of families, as schools are closed. We usually make a special gift for our moms in our classes, but this year we are offering for you to be able to do that gift with your littles. Below you will find the plans for special activities to do this week. The kids at our nature school love learning about the various mamas and babies around the world, different mama and baby animals, and creating something special to give to the most important person in their lives; their mama. Remember though, moms can be Aunties, Grandmas, or even Dads so please don't feel limited in doing these activities with any children who may look to you as their MAMA.
Here is your learning guide for this week
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Science and Sensory
Our sensory bin this week is plays on a child's desire to search for items. Using pinto beans as a base, place the tea cup letter cards in the bin. Depending on a child's age, help them start to "hunt" for the letters. Talk about how the letters make different sounds. Also help them find specific letters like M-O-M to make the words mom. See how many words you can build together for a fun hands on literacy and sensory activity.
Art and Fine Motor Skills
Flower Arranging & Vase Decorating
Gather some flowers and have fun doing this fun activity with your child. In Montessori, learning how to put flowers together in a beautiful manner is used to increase fine motor skills, attention to detail, and concentration. The sensory experience that flowers provide is an added bonus for sure. For added fun, have your child decorate a vase with glue and tissue paper. It makes for such a beautiful gift!
Social Skills: Gift Giving
Our social skill activity of the week is to give the flowers we arranged to someone else (more than likely mom). The competency we would like to focus on this week is relationship skills. When children begin to think about the important people around them (and how wonderful it will feel to give them a gift), it helps them to appreciate them even more.
Poetry Study
Instructions: You can use this poem to recite, memorize, or even as copywork for older child.
Mom and Me
Best friends forever mom and me
picking flowers and climbing trees
a shoulder to cry on, secrets to share
Warm hearts and hands that really care.
-Anonymous
Books for this week
Eric Carle is an all around favorite here for me and my family! We love his unique artwork and use of nature in his illustrations. Check out his very cute book I love Mom with the Very Hungry Caterpillar
Are you my Mother by P.D. Eastman is a classic I remember reading growing up. I couldn't help reading it to my own children as well. It was one of those books you read over and over again and contains repetition, sight words, and simple illustrations that are lovely as a read aloud for littles.
I Love you, Mom by Maggie Testa is a short and sweet book featuring one of our favorites; Daniel Tiger. He makes it easy for kids to find ways to show their mamas how much they care about them. I love how Daniel Tiger always teachers social skills in stories and this one is no different.
Love You Forever by Robert Munsh and Sheila McGraw was read to me by my oldest when he was in preschool. He warned me that I may cry while they were reading. I guess his teacher had done this during their Mother's Day Brunch each year and wanted to make sure the kids understood they may see their moms cry tears of happiness. I cried during this reading and you probably will, too while reading this book with your kids. Definitely a keeper and necessary to remind us that those years go so quickly with our littles.
Where's My Mom by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler is my ultimate favorite book to read with the kids in our program each year for Mother's Day. This author duo wrote Room on the Broom and The Gruffalo, two of our other class favorites so I knew this one would not disappoint. I love reading books that have rhyme in them as it helps to build phonemic awareness skills and is just so easy to read and listen to. This specific books also has life cycles, mama and baby relationships, and a wonderfully happy ending that makes everyone say "awww" when they are done reading it. Definitely check it out here!
Want to see our entire list of books in honor of Moms everywhere? See it here.
Hopefully you all get what you really want for Mother's Day this year. I know a truly relaxing day is in my near future somewhere; maybe by the time my kids are 18 years old or so.
Want the Ebook Version for this theme and keepsake gifts for mom?
Check it out in our shop here
