Eggucational Fun

Today I spent some time trying to come up with some fun ways to work on reading and math using an Easter theme.  I had lots of plastic eggs and plenty of the plastic Easter grass so just started playing around with ideas(literally).  I took into account what  activities have worked best for Junior in the past and then went from there.

Here is what I came up with and I think Junior will enjoy it. The more "active" the learning is the better he does and he is able to stay focused for longer.
   
First I filled one side of Junior's sensory table with Easter grass(I folded up a table cloth under it all so I wouldn't need tons of grass, I found the grass at Walmart though for .33 cents a bag so very little cost).    I forgot to take a pic before I added the eggs so here is the sensory table after I got them all done. 

I then pulled out Junior's current list of reading words and wrote each one on a piece of card stock.  I cut the words out and put each word in an egg(the picture shows only about half of his words).  For beginning readers you could just put a letter in or on the egg and have the child match it to the same letter on a paper.  You could also have a letter in an egg and have them figure out which word it is the beginning letter/sound for(or ending or middle letter).  Lots of options for this. 

 I then got on his ipad and proloquo2go and made a board with a picture for each word.  When we do this activity I will have him "find" an egg then match the word in the egg to the picture(these are symbols/pics he knows).  I am also going to use boardmaker on the computer to run off some hard copy sheets with the pictures so we can play some eggucational bingo(adding a little competition is something Junior loves).  If he really likes this I am going to add some short sentences to the eggs as well and have him match those to pictures(I will probably need to use the larger eggs for that). 
These pics of course only shows a few of the pics/symbols that are programed onto the ipad for this activity.  If Junior were mobile I would likely hide the eggs around the room and then have a paper with the pictures printed on it for him to match.  It is all about adapting for what your child needs. 

*** update on 3/18/13- Junior trying out the egg reading activity today.
This first pic he "found" the egg with the word sheep in it, the angle of the pic isn't great but he is looking right at sheep on his ipad. 

 yes, spiderman was one of this months reading words.

 To change this up a little so we could also use the eggs for a math activity I used a sharpie marker and wrote a number on each egg.

For the math activity I will have him "find" an egg then look to see what number is on it.  We will then put a number with the same number as the egg on the felt board.  He will then "find" a second egg to see what we are adding or subtracting from the first number.  He will then choose the answer to the problem using his ipad.  Again these can all be adapted for needs.  In Junior's case everything needs to be up in front of him at eye level. 

  

Snow and Easter eggs, Junior can't wait to get into this. 

 

There is a blog called Play at Home Mom which is awesome and such great ideas.  It is where we got the idea for using finger lights to make some light up objects.

 Just or fun I put some finger lights in the larger Easter eggs and we will hide those in the grass for him to find.  Perfect for some sensory fun.

 One last picture for the night.  This is Junior with his Easter tree today. He loved helping take off all the Valentines decorations and putting on the Easter stuff.