FUN SHINE CAN

Ask your students to bring an empty can made from plastic or cardboard (Crystal Light, Pringle’s, icing).  Select 25-30 of the activities below (or create your own) and run off copies for each child.  Children can decorate their cans and then cut the activities apart and put them in the can.  Send the can home at the end of the school year so children can do the activities with their parents over the summer.

Note:  You can download these at drjean.org/May, 2009 monthly activities.

Read a story with your parents.  Tell what happened at the beginning, middle, and end of the story.  What do you think will happen next?

Play a rhyming game.  How many words can you think of that rhyme with “can”?  “Pot”?  “Book”?  “Coat”?  “Sheep”?  “Like”?

Trace around your hand and your foot.  What can you make out of them?

Count as high as you can.  Can you count by 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s?

Ask your parents to teach you a song they learned when they were your age.

Look in your kitchen pantry.  How many labels can you read?

How many ways can you move?  Can you hop, skip, jump, gallop, tiptoe, walk backwards?

Can you draw a circle, oval, square, rectangle, and triangle?  What other shapes can you draw?

Write a special letter to someone in your house.

Look at some of your baby pictures.  How have you changed?

Find something that begins with these letters:  B, H, S, M, L.

Draw a picture of your neighborhood.

Make a list of 5 things that are non-living.  Make a list of 5 things that are living.

Do you have a library card?  Visit your library and check out some books.

Do a job around the house.

Write your name on a piece of paper – first, middle, and last.  What are your initials?

How many toes does your family have?  How many thumbs?  How many noses?

Read a book together.  Retell the story in your own words.

Tell someone your whole address.  What city do you live in?  What state?  What’s the name of your country?

Have someone call out these letters, and see if you can write them:  W, J, B, K, N, S, T.

How many eggs are in a dozen?  How many days in a week?  How many months in the year?

Act out the opposites of these words:  hot, up, tall, fast, loud, front, sad, over, top.

Draw a person and put as many body parts as you can.

Can you say your phone number?  Can you write it?

Help your parents cook something for dinner.

Sing the alphabet song.  Can you sing it backwards?

How many nursery rhymes can you say?  Can your parents teach you a new one?

How many months are there in a year?  Can you name them?  When is your birthday?

Count backwards from 10 to 0.  Can you write the numbers?

Ask your parents to teach you a game they liked when they were your age. 

What does a plant need to live?  What do animals need to live?

Find an interesting picture in a magazine and make up a story about it.

Line up five of your favorite toys on the floor.  Tell someone which is first, second, third, etc.

Ask your parents to tell you what you were like when you were a baby.

How many days are in a week?  Can you name them?

Name five different vegetables.  Name four fruits.  Can you think of three things made from milk?

Guess how many doors are in your house, then count to see if you are right.

Finish this sentence:  “When I grow up, I want to be ____________.”

Make a pattern using silverware:  for example, fork, spoon, fork, spoon, fork, spoon, etc.

Share a puppet show or story you have made up by yourself with someone at your house.

Look in the mirror.  What do you like about yourself?

Draw a picture of the city.  Turn your paper over and draw a picture of the country.

Take a walk and use your senses.  What do you see?  Hear?  Smell?  Touch?

How many seasons are there in a year?  Name them.

Name three things in your house that are shaped like a rectangle.  Find four things shaped like

a circle.  Find five things shaped like a circle.

How many numbers can your write on a sheet of paper?

Act out how different animals move.  Can you fly like a bird?  Can you swim like a fish?  Can you hop like a kangaroo?  Can you walk like a bear?  Can you wiggle like a snake?  What other animal can you be?

Draw a picture of something you like to do with your family.

How many hours are there in a day?  Can you tell someone the numbers on a clock?

Work a puzzle with your parents.

Make word labels for five things in your house.

Look at a book and show someone these things:  a letter, a word, a sentence, and a capital letter.

Ask your parents to tell you three things they like best about you.

Count and see how many spoons are in your kitchen.   How many glasses?

Finish this sentence:  “I wish I were _________________.”

Play the “what if” game.  “What would you do if a stranger tried to take you for a ride in their car?”  “What would you do if someone tried to give you drugs?”  “What would you do if your house caught on fire?”  “What would you do if you found $20?”

Sing a song to your parents.

Find five objects that will fit in the palm of your hand.  Can you name five things that are larger than you?

Read a story together.  Can you tell who the characters were?  What was the setting?  What was the problem?  What was the solution?

Ask your parents how they use math in their job.

Watch the weather report together.  Pick out the clothes that you think you will need to wear tomorrow.

Get a ball and throw it with your parents.  Can you think of a game to play with the ball?

Say “please” and “thank you” all day.

Ask your parents to show you the coins in their wallet.  Can you sort the ones that are alike?  Which one is a penny?  Nickel?  Dime?  Quarter?  How much are they worth?

Find something that feels soft.  Can you find something that feels hard?  Rough?  Smooth?  Bumpy?

Draw a picture of a family vacation or holiday that you remember.

Hop 10 times on your left foot.  Hop 10 times on your right foot.  Can you walk forwards 8 steps? Can you walk backwards 8 steps?  Can you skip?  Gallop?  Can you jump up and down on two feet 20  times?

Play a board game or card game with your parents.

Get a paper sack and make a puppet out of it.  Use your puppet to sing a song or say a rhyme.

Look at a book with your parents.  What is the title?  Who is the author?  Who is the illustrator?  Can you tell what the story will be about by looking at the cover of the book?

Make a book.  Draw pictures of your favorite things in the book.

Play the game “I Spy” with your parents.  You can say, “I spy something (color),” and have your parents guess what it might be.  You can also play “I Spy” with shapes or beginning sounds.

Can you tell a joke to your parents?  Do you know a “knock-knock” riddle?

*Here’s an example of a note you could send with the Fun Shine Can.

         Dear ______,

        

Lucky me to get to spend this special year with your child!

(Child’s name) has worked hard and has grown in many ways.  One of my favorite memories is (something unique about the child).

I appreciate all the support and encouragement you have given

(child’s name) at home.  Behind every great student is a great family!

Saying good-bye is bittersweet.  “Bitter” because I will miss (child’s name), but sweet because I am so proud to have been a part of his/her life!  Please keep in touch because I know the future holds many wonderful things for your child and your family!

Here’s a “Fun Shine Can” with lots of great activities to do with your child this summer.  Remember to read and laugh every day!

Fondly,

(Teacher’s name)