FROM THE ARCHIVES: Valentine's Day

Work on categorization by using Valentine items, pictures, decorations.  Have your child sort them by color (pink, red, purple), shape and size.

Cut out heart shapes of all different sizes and colors from construction paper.  Have your child glue hearts together to make people, animals, etc.  Have them decorate the picture and tell a story.

Candy conversation hearts are great for teaching children about 6-8 yrs of age about puns and figurative speech.  See if they can figure them out for themselves.

Make pink and red play dough and have fun with heart shaped cookie cutters.

Try hiding a red hot heart in your child's cheek.  See if they can remove or move it with their tongue.

See how many rhyming words your child can think of for the words, RED, HEART, ROSE, PINK, LOVE, etc.
Play a game by taking the word RED and change the letters R to B, what word will it become?

Hide Valentine surprises or candy around the house, give your child verbal instructions on how to find them.  Try to limit the number of gestures and visual cues and see how they do just using their auditory system.

For little ones, help build body awareness by putting heart stickers on their hand, tummy, cheek, foot, etc.  See if they notice them and remove them.  For more fun, try it in front of a mirror.

For toddlers, fil a bag with red things, let your child pull the items out one at a time.  Look at their reactions, ask them to name each item.

Make some red jello and hide pieces of fruit inside and have your child eat their way through it.

Summer Fun

Here are my tried and true favorites for things to do and see with the kids.   

Day Trips:

Chincoteague, VA
Annapolis, MD
Luray Caverns, VA
Shenandoah National Park, VA
Harper’s Ferry, WV – great for tubing!
Calvert Cliffs, MD – look for sharks teeth
Breezy Point Beach, MD – look for sharks teeth
Dinosaur Land, White Post, VA
Port Discovery, Baltimore, MD
National Aquarium, Baltimore, MD
Crayola Factory, Easton, PA
Herr’s Food- Potato Chip Factory, Nottingham, PA
Cotoctin Zoo, Thurmont, MD

Explore Local Parks/Sites:
Potomac Overlook, Arlington
Claude Moore Colonial Park, Arlington
Roosevelt Island (lots of shade!)
Mount Vernon, VA
Arlington National Cemetery
Lake Accotink, Springfield, VA – merry-go round, mini golf, paddle boats
Cabin John Park, MD – train rides
Great Falls – MD & VA
Huntley Meadows, Fairfax, VA
River Farm Park, Alexandria, VA
Winkler Botanical Preserve, Alexandria, VA
Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC
Haines Point, Washington, DC
Park at National Harbor
Pohick Bay Park
Glen Echo
National Building Museum
National Geographic Building
Franciscan Monastery, Washington, DC – check out the Catacombs
Union Station
Botanical Gardens
Bureau of Engraving
Bug Zoo at the Smithsonian
Planetarium and Nature Center in Rock Creek Park
Iwo Jima Memorial - Marine Corp Drill/Parade Tuesday evenings at sunset.
National Airport - look at the planes & run around inside.

Playgrounds:
Blue Park – Rosemont
The Pit – Beverley Hills
Fort Ward
Polk Elementary School
Lee Street – Old Town
Playground in Arlington – off 23^rd Street b/t Crystal City and Arlandria

Places in Alexandria:
Ivy Hill Cemetery – take a stroll in the shade, teach math skills
George Washington Masonic Memorial
Boat cruise on the Potomac
Jerome “Buddie” Ford Nature Center
Winkler Preserve