A Week of the Letter "R"

For those you have been following the Howling Horn, you know that I like to post a week's worth of activities for each letter of the week. I like being able to expose my kiddo to a variety of words that start with the letter of the week and do some fun projects. Here is another fun week!

Monday - Reading


I have to say how excited that I found this letter of the week project for letter "R" on Pinterest because it teaches about two words instead of one word! I loved how I could teach Monkey about rain and rainbows. This project is really simple because you just need construction paper, cotton balls, black paint or black markers, glue, and scissors. I just cut out the shapes I needed (free handed) because it doesn't have to be perfect (your little one won't care). And, Monkey loved this project so much. I had fun myself.



Then we sat down to read My "r" book where I could teach about uppercase and lowercase "r" and the sound "r" makes. Monkey loves these books because they are so silly. I love them because they work really well at teaching the alphabet.


Note: throughout the week, I point out objects that start with the letter "r". You can do this in books, shopping, or being outside. You will be surprised by what you can teach your little one through just everyday events.

Tuesday - Science

Two words: rainbow milk. I did this for chemistry demonstrations when I belonged to the chemistry and biochemistry club at the university I attended. You can find the instructions on how to do this simple but fun activity at chemistry.about.com.

Monkey was so excited to play with milk and food coloring. I set the experiment up by placing some milk in a plate and adding the food coloring in separate areas. I put the dish soap onto Monkey's finger and allowed him to put his finger into the milk dish.



Because Monkey started to play with the milk, the experiment didn't turn out exactly the way it should of. But, it worked pretty well considering a 3 year old was doing it! Just goes to show how much Monkey loved this activity. For the explanation on the science behind this experiment, go to the same website.

Wednesday - Math

I decided to do things a little differently today. I wanted to do a game where Monkey could practice counting. So we did a paper plate ring toss. I got this idea from A Little Learning For Two. It is a really simple concept and really easy to set up. While Monkey colored some paper plates, I assembled the ring toss holder by using a paper towel cardboard tube and a small cardboard box for the base.



While Monkey threw the rings, I had him practice counting. It was a lot of fun. One thing I would suggest is using heavier paper plates! The cheap paper plates work okay, but you will need to add many layers so they are heavy enough to throw.





Thursday - Art

Monkey likes rockets so we did a rocket art project today. It is something I thought of because I wanted to have Monkey practice colors and shapes. Out of construction paper, I cut rectangles and triangles in various colors.

I love how he sticks his tongue out when his concentrating!!

Then, I attempted to show Monkey how to assemble a rocket. Before I could even finish, he quickly took over. He LOVED this activity. He had so much fun gluing and making rockets. Even though not all the rockets look like rockets, I was happy that he was able to be creative and enjoy himself. 



Friday - Physical Exercise

I taught Monkey about running and racing today while we played outside. I liked the idea of doing something simple. Monkey had fun racing me to different areas of our yard. I just have to say that sometimes the simplest activities and ideas are the most effective at teaching your kiddos. So don't be afraid or disappointed in yourself if you are doing things simple! Your kids will still learn so much.

Saturday - Music

Monkey enjoys listening to music so I allowed him to play with a radio today. I just let him change stations and do whatever he wanted to. Probably about half the time we listened to static music, but I didn't mind since Monkey was just so happy and excited. Monkey learns the best by using his hands so I tried to do my best to allow him some more hands-on learning. 



Sunday - Religion

I decided to teach Monkey more about reverence. Monkey is at the age where he is just so full of energy that sitting still or using indoor voices can be a challenge. I don't expect him to perfectly behave like an adult, I just want him to start learning that there are places where he needs to be reverent and respectful. I showed him a picture of a church and explained that at church we need to be reverent. I told him reverent means folding your arms, using indoor voices, being nice, doing your best to listen, and doing quiet activities. It was a short lesson, but I feel he understood it since he paid attention for the majority of the time.


Want more alphabet lesson ideas? Then check out our other posts!

Letter A   Letter B   Letter C   Letter D   Letter E   Letter F    Letter G   Letter H   Letter I   Letter  J

Letter K   Letter L   Letter M    Letter N   Letter O  Letter P   Letter Q