Read.Explore.Learn.-Fire Safety

Welcome to Read. Explore. Learn! This meme was designed to be a place for you to share the learning opportunities, crafts, field trips, and other activities you have done this week that tie-in to children’s books. I look forward to seeing what you have done.

Steps:

•  Link your activity below. 

• Please place the Read.Explore. Learn. badge on your post or create a link back to this meme.

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• Please try to visit as many of the other links as you can. I will visit each of you and leave a kind comment.

My Book Tie-In of the Week

We read Chief Rhino to the Rescue by Sam Lloyd. Chief Rhino thinks he sees a fire in the window of a nearby apartment building. He mobilizes he fire crew only to find out that Great-Granny Wrinkle is having a 100th birthday party with a cake full of candles.



We also read Miss Mingo and the Fire Drill by Jamie Harper. Miss Mingo's class is afraid of fire and each animal student reacts differently to just the discussion of fire. The proboscis monkey honks loudly and his nose grows big. The elephant stomps his foot and trumpets his nose. Finally Miss Mingo and a visiting fireman teach the class about fire safety and getting ready for a fire drill.

Cooking Project

JDaniel helped me put together this graham cracker fire truck. I put on the icing and he helped with the wheels and windows. The icing got all over everything.

Field Trip

The story time JDaniel attends focused on fire trucks and firemen this week. The librarian read Meeow and the Big Box by Sebastien Braun. She walked the children through the steps Meeow used to create a fire truck with a cardboard box.

 First he painted one side of the box red.

 Then he cut a hole in the box.

Finally he added wheels, a ladder and lights.

We also got to see a fireman in all his fire gear and climb on his truck.

Chicken and Cow Get Hurt Fighting Fires

JDaniel has misplaced the fireman that go with his fire truck. There were three firemen that came with the truck and they can’t seem to be found anywhere. One day JDaniel decided to use some of the farm animals to drive the fire truck and fight the fires that are popping up continually in the hallway outside his room. For several days they did a wonderful job. They returned from each fire unscathed and safe.

A few weeks ago there seemed to be accidents happening right and left. The chicken fell off the ladder while trying to reach a burst of flames on the top of the hall table. The pig fell off the truck and broke a hoof. The cow had some kind of accident the filled him with pain. I’m really not sure what happened to him.

Each time the animals have an accident JDaniel requests I come out to the hallway with his ambulance and load the injured animal into it. The animal is then taken into JDaniel's bedroom by ambulance with sirens blaring to the hospital. It really isn’t a hospital. It is more of an end table that has a shelf of the bottom. The bottom shelf is where all the doctors wait for incoming patients.

Most of the time Dr. Frog is the duty doctor and he inspects the patients with the x-ray scanner in his mouth. Dr. Frog is a very gifted linguist. He can speak to each farm animal in their native tongue. Most to the time he quickly determines that they really just need bed rest back on the farm. JDaniel many times tries to override Dr. Frog’s decision. He feels they need to stay in the hospital overnight. Thank goodness the farm animals have great health insurance. They are in and out of the hospital all the time.

Now if I could only find the firemen!

 

Fire Truck Prayer and a Cool Fire Truck Photo

 

 Lord,Please be with those firefighters. Help them to get where they are going safely.Give them wisdom to know how to save those in their care. JDaniel and I pray when we hear a siren or see a fire truck. We also say a prayer for ambulances.  Disclaimer: The photo was created uploading a picture of the newest fire truck in our town to PhotoFunia. I learned about this cool free photo editting tool on a wonderful blog called Bungalow'56.   

Time for Tots- Colors Travel Kit Review

I was searching Etsy looking for wonderful learning materials when I came across a new shop called Time for Tots. Time for Tots looked like a great place to find hands on materials that help your children develop a strong learning foundation. I didn’t realize that the shop owners were two bloggers whose blogs I have been regularly visiting for almost a year.  I had heard from The Activity Mom  that she and The Shafer Family were starting a shop. I didn’t know what it was going to be called. It was a thrill when I was asked to select one of their learning kits to review. It was a challenge to decide which set JDaniel and I would explore.

I finally decided on the Color Travel Kit and would love to share our impressions of it with you. JDaniel fell in love first with the case the kit comes in. He loved that the whole thing fit easily in his hands and he could tote it around house. It took a few minutes to convince him that there were wonderful things inside the case. The Color Travel Kit comes with five activities help you learn your colors in a fun ways.

The first activity we looked at in the kit was an activity called Color Paddles. They were the first thing I noticed while exploring the kits available on Time for Tots. These four paddles can be used to explore your house for things that are that color, see the world through a colored lens, teach primary and secondary colors by layering them and so much more. A list of ways to use them was included with the paddles.

The second activity we looked at is called Match the Button. JDaniel loved trying to line up the buttons just right on the shadow mat. We spent time talking about the shapes and their colors. I love that the buttons are just the right size for JDaniel’s . Smaller buttons would have been a  him a challenge in picking them up.

Color Match is the third activity we explored. JDaniel has struggled with colors that are close together on the color spectrum. He struggled a little with telling me what the colors were when I held up the pieces that had the illustration with color. He needed try to match the cutouts on the matching edges to decide what some of the color were. This is really good practice of him.

JDaniel loved the Color Sort with Tiny Objects. The tiny clothes pins were hard for him to open on his own. I think with practice he will get better at it. He loves the tiny objects. The grapes and red rose are his favorites.

The final activity was JDaniel’s favorite. He loves the die that came with the Gumball Roll. He loves using the colored erasers to cover the black dots on the die as much as he likes adding them to the gumball machine mat. Each of the activities came with clear easy to follow directions. Each work mat is laminated and easy to clean if you have used a marker to help your child with an activity or guide them through it.

All of the materials are well made and will last hours of learning. We have played with this kit for hours. JDaniel requests that we work on all the activities in the afternoon when we do “schoolwork”. It is so reasonably priced that I would have purchased it if I hadn’t been asked to review it. I just may have to visit Time for Tots and purchase a kit that helps with letters next.

  

Muffin Tin Monday- Lions and a Bear

Although my theme for the week is Fire Safety, the theme for Muffin Tin Monday is the circus. I found a lion and bear on a Parenting. com Bento post and decided to try to recreate them. JDaniel loved them. The macaroni and cheese with chicken nugget lion went over as well as the mini meatball bear. The veggies eventually disappeared too.

 

Kays Simply Homemade-Gourmet Pretzel Giveaway

Kays Simply Homemade carries the yummiest treats. They have cookies, scones, bread and so much more. I am someone who likes things sweet and salty at the same time. It is for that reason that I fell head over heels with her Gourmet Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods just by looking at the picture of them in her shop. Her site mentions that she uses only the freshest and best products in everything she makes. I bet she also adds a lot of love. Her products have that something special about them.

I thought someone would love to have these for a Halloween party or special fall event. Kays’ has agreed to give the winner of this giveaway 1 Dozen Gourmet Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods. It bet they will be the hit of any gathering you have this fall.

How to win?

*Go to Kays Simply Homemade and tell me something else she sells. ( 1 entry)

For additional entries you can do any or all of the following:

*Heart her shop on Etsy. ( 2 entries)

* Tell me something you learn on her shop’s site. ( 1 entry)

*Follow me on Facebook or Networked Blogs (3 entries for each)

*Write a blog post about this giveaway. (3 entries)

*Enter another giveaway I am hosting. ( 1 entry for each giveaway)

*Leave a comment on Mom Loop (A BlogFrog community I am a part of) (1 entry per day)

*Follow me on Twitter. Copy and paste:Gourmet Pretzel Giveaway @JDaniel4's Mom http://www.jdaniel4smom.com/2010/10/kays-simply-homemade-gourmet-pretzel.html#giveaway (1 entry per day)

*Add my button to your blog. Please leave a link to your site.(3 entries)

*Add me to your blogroll. Please leave a link to your site. ( 3 entries)

*Leave comment on non-giveaway blog post. (1 entry)


This giveaway begins  October 2nd and ends October 13th.That is 11 ways to win. The winner will be selected randomly using Random.org.

   

Great Posts I Came Across This Week- October 2

Fun Post to Read

Sitting on a Oak has a wonderfully fun post to read called "A" thought or two. It is well written and filled with joy.

the Goodlife wrote a terrific post called little by little. It is about God's reminders.

Adventuroo has a post that all parents can relate to. If you have a picky eater, you will love this post. It is called Turn Your Baby into a Food Critic.

Recipes

Almost Unschoolers has a great post on the cutest fall themed cookes. The post is called Owl Cookie- A Family, Fall Tradition.

Gourmet Mom on the Go has great snack called Doughnut Seeds.

Maddycakes Muse has a great recipe for an owl themed treat. Her treat is called Owl S'mores.


Child Related

Indietutes has a wonderful multi-use play canvas idea.

Let's Explore has a wonderful Scarecrow Felt Board+ Game. I think JDaniel would love it.

Two Southern Girls have wonderful ideas for a Kid- Friendly Halloween Party. I am not sure if I am ready to hang JDaniel up on string.


Connecting with Other Bloggers

No Time for Flashcards has a great meme called Sunday Best Meme. You are invited to link up your best post of the week.

Do you remember the giveaway I hosted for a personalized plate from Spiffy Kids? Well, they just launched a website for their plates and placemats. They would make great presents.