Olympic Group Games

When we met with our Lemonhead Homeschooling Group

this past Friday,

we took part in our own mini Olympics.

Here are the games we played...

***

Pom Pom Curling

I was inspired by our children's church curriculum

(252 Basics)

for this game.

Using a kiddie broom,

the kiddos tried to sweep a pom pom

into the center of the painter's tape floor board.

***

Paper Tube Bobsled Races

 I found this idea over at

Make and Takes.

 What I liked was that the kiddos

decided to each choose a different country

to be...

(But in the end,

the USA sled took the gold!)

***

Snowball Ring Toss

 This idea was also from

Make and Takes.

Perhaps the biggest challenge for this game

was keeping the kiddos from

EATING

all of the snowballs before the game was over!

;0)

***

Olympic Bingo

You can find this Olympic Bingo game at

Classroom Jr.

***

And what Olympic games would be complete...

...without some gold medals

(aka Milky Way Caramel bars and chocolate gold coins)

awarded at the end?

A sweet time was had

by one and all...

:0)

***

Linking up at the

Olympic Activities and Crafts Linky Party

Despicable Me 2 Week: The Anti-Villian League's Top Secret Headquarters

In the Despicable Me 2 movie,

Gru has been recruited by...

...the Anti-Villain League

(aka the AVL)

to assist in catching a dastardly criminal. 

The AVL recruited Gru because of his criminal past-

he can think like a criminal,

therefore providing them with essential knowledge

for catching the bad guys.

Now,

I purchased the ebook version of...

...The Anti-Villain League Handbook

so the kiddos and I could learn the secrets behind

this crime fighting association.

(You can also purchase a copy of this book in paperback

by going HERE.)

Much info was divulged in the book,

but the location of the AVL's headquarters

was kept a secret.

However,

having seen the movie,

(and even after watching the movie trailer),

a person can surmise that the headquarters 

is located some where in the ocean.

Therefore,

I gave the kiddos...

...Crayola's Cling and Play Activity Scene:

Sea Discovery

to play with,

making them feel like they were 

on their way to the AVL's headquarters.

(I found this Crayola product at

Target's Dollar Spot,

packaged with two other sets for $3.)

We began our play with the set in the school room...

 ...but the fun quickly moved to the kitchen table since

little Miss Pretty Princess Pants

wanted to chew on all the pieces.  ;0)

(Doesn't she look adorable

trying to see what the older kiddos are up to?)

Since we moved near the windows,

it did not take long at all for the kiddos

to ditch the play mat

and move all the sea creatures...

...to the windows.

Baby Girl was very proud of this masterpiece...

She called it

"The Aquarium."

For such a low price,

the fun of these cling and play figures

has lasted for a few days-

I highly recommend them!

**********************************

Up next for our week of

Despicable Me 2 fun:

Evil Minion Target Practice

Despicable Me 2 Week: Disguise a Minion

 One of the activities the kiddos completed

during our

Despicable Me 2 week

was called...

..."Disguise a Minion."

I gave each kiddo a copy of this coloring page,

(which I found HERE),

some crayons and markers...

...and a sheet of stickers from...

...this Photo Booth Fun Sticker Book

I found in the JoAnne's Dollar Spot.

Using a minion figurine as a model...

...the kiddos colored their minions,

and then came up with sticker disguises

for them to wear on their next undercover mission...

Oh,

but the sticker disguise madness didn't stop there...

...the kiddos then used the stickers

to disguise themselves...

...along with these mustache finger tattoos,

which I found at The Dollar Tree.

(Bet ya didn't even know it was me, did ya?)  ;0)

Keep coming back the rest of the week

to see what else we did for

Despicable Me 2 Week...

Despicable Me 2 Week: Mad Science, Part I

Part of our

Despicable Me 2 week of learning

included some

"Mad Science" experiments,

honoring...

...the brilliant but aged 

Dr. Nefario.

Here are my little mad scientists,

ready to get their hands dirty...

Before we got started,

I read...

...Science Verse

by

Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith.

The first couple of science experiments

we did were kits I have had stored

for some time we needed a bit of educational fun.

 One day we played with these

fake snow kits from

The Dollar Tree.

You can read all about the Science

behind these kits

by reading THIS blog post.

We have done this experiment in the past,

and greatly enjoy it!

**************************************

Another day

(after I got the Half and Half we needed for the experiment)

we broke open the

Blizzard Maker...

...and Piggy made certain 

to wear his safety goggles during the process!

 After 10 minutes of "tortuous" stirring

the ice cream mix in the machine...

 ...the kiddos enjoyed eating...

...the fruits of their labor.

 The "mad science" behind this tasty treat

relates to the endothermic process,

which you can read all about 

HERE,

since this experiment is similar to making

"Ice Cream in a Bag."

Come back next week

to Science Sunday to see

the rest of our Mad Science fun...

Monsters University Week: Slime and Flashlight Play

Today was a good day for...

...slime!

What other substance is better fitting 

for a Monsters University themed week?

So,

after I read...

...Goblins in Green

by

Jos. A. Smith

to the kiddos,

I gave them each a little bit of...

...slime to play with.

(I gotta thank 

All Things Simple

for the recipe for the slime...)

************************************

Later in the day,

I read the kiddos another couple of books...

...Oliver and the Monsters

by

Tony Blundell

and...

...There's a Nightmare in my Closet

by

Mercer Mayer.

Since both of these books

discuss how a kiddo

confronted his fear of monsters,

I decided to let the kiddos decorate

 a flashlight-

a flashlight that will keep them 

safe from all those monsters that hide 

in the shadows...

(You can see how we decorated them
by looking at my
Father's Day Flashlights post.)

(He is SUCH a goof ball!)

************************************

Well,
tomorrow afternoon is
THE
day-
we will see
Monsters University!

I have a couple more posts
coming up about more
Monster themed fun, 
but if you want to see all of the other activities we 
have been doing this week until then,
just click HERE...

*************************************

Linking up with the
After-School Linky Party...