Letters I and J

Okay, so the letter "i" was really difficult for me to think of activities, partly because from letter "i" to now, we have been really busy and I didn't have much time to think!  That is why I am joining letters I and J!

Letter I activities:

•  Insects - look at insects with a magnifying glass.  Capture them and put them in a bug catcher (look online for instructions on how to make a bug catcher! - the easiest one that I used to do as a kid is a clear jar with holes punched in the lid).  Make an insect out of paper - I got this pattern from http://www.first-school.ws/theme/animals/insects.htm and used the "B is for Bee" link.
• Inside/outside - we have a turkey blind that is somewhat broken (or at least unable to use while hunting, according to my husband, who had to buy another one).  It's huge and like a really big and fun tent.  It just pops up!  So we popped it up in the kitchen and went inside the tent, then outside the tent!  Asher had a blast!
• Ice - do lots of ice experiments - put an ice cube in warm water and one in cold water.  Which melts faster?  Put an ice cube outside on a warm day and time how long it takes to melt.  Freeze some colored ice cubes with food coloring (use primary colors - red, blue and yellow).  Melt the red and yellow together and predict what color the water will be.  Do the same with red and blue, and blue and yellow.
• Make some ice cream - there are tons of homemade ice cream recipes.  Use an ice cream maker, an old crank ice cream maker, or just some easy ice cream in a ziplock bag.  Look online for lots of ideas!  Look at my other blog post for a snow ice cream recipe!
• Igloo - make an igloo with sugar cubes and frosting.  Just build with brick (sugar cubes) and mortar (frosting)!

Letter J activities:

• Make a jellyfish - I found this idea in Family Fun magazine.  Just take an old fruit cup (the clear plastic kind) and poke a hole in the top.  I used a small nail and gently hammered it in.  This was kind of hard for me, so my hole looked more like a broken top.  But it still worked.  I would probably suggest putting the cup right side up so the bottom is against a piece of wood before hammering a hole.  Then it might not break as much.  Anyway, then you take pieces of blue tissue paper and modpodge it around the inside of the cup.  Then take several shades of blue yarn and ribbon, all cut to relatively the same length, and tie a large knot at the top.  Put the knot in the cup and pull one string through the hole.  Hang up with that string!
• Jump in various places.  Discuss how it feels different to jump on the bed or couch versus the floor or grass.
• Jump in the leaves - if it's fall!
• Make Jello Jigglers
• Eat jelly on something
• Teach your child a knock-knock joke