France Country Study with Worksheets

French Lessons and Worksheets for Homeschool or Classroom

If you homeschool like we do, you're probably teaching several grade levels at once. For this France Country Study Lesson, we've found worksheets and activities that work for toddlers to tweens to teens. Scroll down for Videos on the French Revolution, French Word Search Printables, Famous Artists, Art Projects, and Games they play in France. School teachers, you'll find fun classroom activities and worksheets that work in a classroom setting too. Enjoy!

This post contains Amazon and other affiliate links for your convenience.

France Country Study with Worksheets.

Quick Facts about the Country of France.

Learn to speak French for Free with the Duo Lingo App or these French Language lessons.

This French Flag bookmark craft project from, Start at 5, works for preschoolers to high school.

For Elementary and Middle School, Make a Passport like this one from De Su Mama.

Printable Passport Activity from De Su Mama.

Make an Eiffel Tower with bits of colored straws like this one from Cutting Tiny Bites. While this craft activity is fun for elementary, it also aides preschoolers in fine motor skills.

Eiffel Tower Kids' Activity.

French History Lesson

The French Revolution











The French Revolution on BrainPop. (Must have password.)

Online Educational Game: French Revolution Time Zone X Game

French Revolution Worksheet for Middle School and High School.

Choose a Famous French Scientist and write a Biography.

Games from France

Hopscotch: This game is played outdoors on a flat, paved surface, but you can paint an old sheet or use cardboard squares to play indoors. You can also purchase a hopscotch board for indoor or outdoor play. Each player needs a small item to toss onto the hopscotch squares. Rocks or quarters work well. Not sure how to play? Get the rules to hopscotch.


Petanque: How to Play Petanque





La Semaine or "The Week"  is  played with 1 or more children with chalk and a pebble (pennies work too). Use the chalk to  draw seven squares in a row. Label each square with a day of the week.

Now, a player throws their pebble into the Monday box. If they miss, it is the next player's turn. If they hit it, they must jump on one foot to get to the stone, pick it up while still standing on one foot, and then jump back to the start.

Players repeat for each day of the week (seven times). Repeat the task every time a mistake is made. For example, they trip or hop on two feet. Game is won when one player covers all squares and makes it safely back start.

French Cricket You will need a Cricket bat or tennis racket and ball. Players stand in a circle. The first player stands with their feet together, defending the 'stumps,' which in French Cricket are the batman's legs below the knees. Now, the players in the circle take turns to bowl at the 'stumps' and the batsman must hit the ball away from them. The bowler gets clever to distract the batsman.


If the batman's legs are hit, he's out. He's also out if he moves his feet at any time from the original position. If the bowler, or any of the fielders around the circle, catch the ball before it hits the ground, the batsman is also out. Everyone takes a turn until the batsman is out. The bowler who 'stumps' the batsman takes his place.  

Worksheets

Make your own French Word Search

Muguet du 1er Mai Elementary Coloring Worksheet (First of May)

Printable Language Arts French Quotes Project for Middle School and High School



Famous French Artists










Paint like Matisse with this Still Life Art Lesson for Kids.

After you've learned all about France, get a taste of their culture and celebrate by making French Recipes. Enjoy these French cooking lessons and recipes for kids.



Recommended:

French Word Search Books

French Games for the Classroom

Build a Lego Eiffel Tower

Books about France

Country Study Afghanistan

Country Study China

French Cook books for Kids

Fun PE Games for Kids: PE Activities Gym Exercise

 PE Games for Elementary Homeschoolers

Getting PE time in as a homeschooler is difficult. Sometimes, you have to get creative. Kids love to play tag! These physical education games for elementary focus on old favorites, but each one has a new twist. Learn the country of origin of many pe activities for kids. Kids will love to play these fun PE games indoors or outdoors. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.*

Fun PE Games for Kids: PE Activities Gym Exercise.

Sensory Play: Plan your Curriculum and Lesson Plan

Sensory Play Lesson Plans Link Up

Do you have Sensory Play Activities on your blog? Are you looking for Sensory Play Activity Lesson Plans or Curriculum to do with your toddler, preschool class, or day care program? These sensory activities make it easy to plan your curriculum and prep those lesson plans. Check back often for our Sensory Play Linky Parties. Enjoy!

Are you looking for sensory activities to do with a baby, toddler, preschooler, elementary age, or teen child? We've got you covered with a linky party. If you have a blog or website, please link up your posts in the comments. 

Older children with sensory processing disorders, such as Autism benefit in the same way younger children do. Children can explore their senses with these sensory activities and become accustomed to the sensation of cold paint on their fingers, the sound of crackling paper, the smell of scented dough or spice paints, the taste of edible crafts, and the visual impact of it all. 

 

Recommended Reading:

Art Develops Critical Thinking

Learning and Playing Outdoors: How to Plan and Create an Inspiring Outdoor Environment (Practitioners' Guides)

Transdisciplinary Play-Based Assessment, Second Edition (TPBA2)

Six Fun Things to do with Fla-Vor-Ice Pops: Recipes for a Cool Kids' Birthday Party

Fun Things to do with Frozen Pops and Shaved Ice for Kid's Party

Remember when you were a kid, and your mom sent you outside with a Fla-Vor-Ice Pop?  To cool down in the hot summer, we'd eat our pops and then run through the sprinkler. The best thing about Fla-Vor-Ice is they are "mom approved".  Did you know they are gluten free, low in calories, and sugar?  Each standard pop has just 5 grams of sugar.  Like Fla-Vor-Ice on Facebook for more information and tons of fun ideas. 

This post brought to you by Jel Sert.  All opinions are 100% mine.

Kids like Fla-Vor-Ice Pops, because they are a fun and refreshing treat with great tasting flavors.  They come in original fruit flavors, Tropical flavors, and even a sugar-free variety. There is a Fla-Vor-Ice Pop for everyone.  During summer camp, we always have a box of freezer pops in the ice chest.  Since  ice-pops are portable fun for everyone, you never know when one might come in handy for one of these fun things to do with Fla-Vor-Ice Pops.



1.  Make a homemade, rainbow slushy for your next summer party. 

Summer Party Recipe Ice Pop  Rainbow Slushy.

2.  Keep frozen Fla-Vor-Ice pops in an ice chest during outdoor play dates or summer vacations, and use them as a quickie first-aid ice-pack for head bumps and boo-boos. They also help with hydration.

3.  For a fun, outdoor game use ice-pops and party cups.  Line the children up, so each one stands two feet in front of a party cup, cut-off the end of their ice-pop, and count to three.  On three, everyone tries to squeeze their frozen ice into the cup without missing.  The winner is the one who flings the most frozen Fla-Vor-Ice into their cup.    

4.  Squeeze your frozen Fla-Vor-Ice into plastic Easter Eggs and then refreeze them to make a fun Easter Egg shape ice-pop treat like these from Play Eat Grow blog.

Picture from Play Eat Grow blog.  Hop over for more great ideas.

5.  Use Fla-Vor-Ice freezer pops in a homeschool science lesson about the changing states of matter.  Time the ice-pop to see how fast it freezes.  Compare it's freezing time with that of other liquids like milk, water, or yogurt.  Let it melt in a bowl on the counter, leave it out, and then track how many days it takes to evaporate.  Does it completely evaporate?

6. Before your freeze your pops, pour the liquid into fun ice cube molds, and use them to flavor your favorite clear soda.  Yum!

It's your turn, what will you do with your Fla-Vor-Ice pop? Hop over and share your ideas on Fla-Vor-Ice on Facebook! 

Recommended Reading:

55 Recipes for Ice Pops and Shave Ice
     

Home School How to play games and get your Kids Moving (Activity games for Kids)

You played these games in PE class, now teach your kids how to play games in Home School. 

Here are rules for 6 activity games for kids that don't take up too much space. Preschoolers love them, so do older elementary students. For a real hoot, play them at a Teen Birthday Party! We've added a little twist to some of these kid's activities so don't let the names send you away. Enjoy!

Kids PE Activities: Simon says, "Bark like a dog!" 
Change an old game up by digging in a costume trunk.

Musical Chairs
To play you will need chairs (or carpet squares); one fewer than the total number of players, music you can stop and go easily (for a twist designate someone to sing). Start with the chairs in a circle. When the music starts, the players will walk in a circle around the chairs. After a few seconds, the person who is controlling the music shuts it off, and all of the players scramble to sit. The player left standing is out of the game. The remaining players stand up again, one more chair is removed, and the music starts again. Repeat until there is one player left in the game. If you have a large number of children, as they get out move them to an inner circle, and let them play inside around a single chair to heighten the action moving in the opposite direction of the outer circle.


Duck Duck Goose
Who doesn't love a game of duck, duck, goose? We change it up for the seasons and play Ghost Ghost Goblin or Bunny Bunny Chick (Must hop around the circle) Have the participants sit down in a circle facing each other. One person is "it" and walks around the outside of the circle gently tapping each player on the head and saying either “duck" or “goose." When a person is tapped on the head and called “goose,” they  stand up and chases the person who is “it” around the outside of the circle, trying to tag “it” before the player can sit down in the spot where the "goose" was sitting. If the "goose" is able to tag "it," then the "goose" can return back to his seat.  "It" repeats the same procedure again. If "it" is sits before being tagged by the "goose," then the "goose" becomes "it" and the game starts again. 

Balloon Volleyball
Blow up one balloon, and locate a divider to serve as a net. A doorway, some kitchen chairs, a jump rope on the floor, or a fence make great 'do not cross lines'. Players hit the balloon back and forth across the “net” until someone misses. When one misses the balloon, the other scores one point. The first team to reach 10 points wins.

Simon Says
Mark a line on the ground (jump ropes work great or sidewalk chalk) and another line about 10' in front of the first. "Simon" stands on one line; and the players line up on the other line. "Simon" calls out directions to the players telling them actions or movements to make to move forward. For example, if "Simon" calls out "Simon says bark like a dog," then all of the players who bark like a dog get to move forward one step. If "Simon" does not start with "Simon says," then the players should not move. If a player does move, he has to return to the starting line and begin again. The first player to cross over the line where "Simon" is standing is the winner. For a fun twist, have a costume trunk nearby so the players can get in character. For example, for hop like a bunny everyone must grab bunny ears.

Red Light, Green Light 
Mark a line on the ground and another line 15-20' in front of the first. The person who is the "traffic light" stands on one line, and the players line up on the other line. The "traffic light" faces the players when it is a red light. When the "traffic light" turns his back to the players it is a green light, and the players can move towards the finish line. As soon as the "traffic light" turns back to face the players the light is red, and all of the players must freeze. During this time, no players are allowed to move. If a player does move on a red light; he has to go back to the starting line and begin again. The first player to cross over the line where the "traffic light" is standing is the winner. For a twist, add a yellow light where players must move slowly (they could even be required to crawl) or a blue light where players must walk backward. We always just shout out the light color.

Cherry Pickers
This stretching exercise requires the players to stand with feet shoulder-width apart and arms at sides. Then, the player will bend forward at the waist, reaching down and touching fingertips to the ground in front of his feet. He will then move his fingertips back so they are between his legs, and then back farther so they are through his legs. This movement should resemble picking cherries. The players stands back up, claps hands, and repeats the movements again. Pair two children back to back, and have them try to touch each other's fingertips.

Recommended Reading:

Great Big Book of Children's Games: Over 450 Indoor & Outdoor Games for Kids, Ages 3-14*

Games for Parties

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ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Cat Toys DIY Ideas for Homemade Fun

DIY Homemade Cat Toy Ideas

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MyPetMyStar #CollectiveBias

Cats! No matter their age, cats like to play. Even lazy, fat cats and old cats like to play. You just need to find their comfort level. We've been making our own homemade cat toys for awhile. We particularly like to use objects found in nature or the home environment. These cat toys are DIY and so easy to make at home. When your Kitties play with them, they'll know how much you love them. Enjoy!

Make diy, fun cat toys from natural objects.

We currently have three furry cat friends living in the house. Our cats range in age from about three-years-old to about sixteen-years-old. Each one has their own set of limitations. So, we adapt the way we interact with each one. For the cats, everyday is star treatment day. After all, they are cats. Cats are divas. If you treat them like anything less, they'll demand more from you.

Be sure to avoid cat stank face at all costs. Tidy Cats®  now features guaranteed TidyLock™ Protection that locks away the odors that can lead to Stank Face. What is stank face? Take a look at Tigger! How can he enjoy playing with his new homemade cat toys when the litter box smells?

Tigger's Stank Face.

Tidy Cats® litter solutions offers the antidote to poor Tigger's Stank Face. Tidy Cats’ wide range of products means never having to see another cat's Stank Face again. When the odor is gone everyone is happier!

Our youngest cat, Buddi, has Epilepsy and now has some hind leg paralysis. This doesn't stop her from loving to play! She likes any kind of cat toys, but cat toys that look like tiny creatures are her favorite to pounce. For a week, we gave her the star treatment by carrying her to the food dish and even to the litter box which is filled with Tidy Cats® Lightweight Cat Litter.

This is the best cat litter for a tiny princess kitty because it protects her from Stank Face. That's right, stank face isn't just a human affliction. Poor little Buddi shares the litter box with two male cats. You should see her stank face! And, Tidy Cats® Lightweight offers the same strength Tidy Cats® strength customers love, without all the hassle of hauling around a heavy container of litter up a flight of stairs.

Buddi is happy because the litter doesn't smell anymore.

RePete, our oldest cat, recently lost his twin brother (Pete). He's been lying around feeling depressed lately, but this doesn't stop him from playing when prompted! He especially likes the homemade cat toys made from natural items found outdoors. As an outdoor cat, he didn't use to get much indoor time, but since his brother passed, we've let him share the spotlight indoors. He can't smell so stank face isn't a problem for him. Good thing, because he is the stankiest of all!

RePete playing with homemade, diy cat toys.

Tigger, our middle cat, is like Garfield. He plays differently. So, we adapted the cat toy diy to his lazy ways. He loves to play as long as we are willing to do most of the work. Head diva always demands the most star treatment. Talk about stank face. Oh my. If the food is a day old, if the water is an hour old, if RePete has forgotten to bury his poo, Tigger makes certain we see his best stank face! #StopStankFace

Tigger "playing" with our homemade cat toys... okay, looking at our homemade cat toys.

Twig and Feathers Homemade Cat Toy DIY

Nothing could be easier than these twig and feather homemade cat toys, well, assuming you have access to twigs and feathers! We do. As much as we love cats, we love birds more. That's right, birds and cats! Everyone lives peacefully together. We have lots of spare feathers!

DIY Twig and Feather Cat Toy Tutorial.

You will need:
1 long, skinny, twig approximately 12" in length.
Bird Feathers
Paperclips or Safety Pins
Bottle Cork

Step One: Attach one end of the paperclip to the bottle cork and the other end to the stick.

Step Two: Attach the feathers to the bottle cork with hot glue.

Step Three: Enjoy!

Homemade Pinecone Mice Cat Toy

We've got a variety of Pinecones from a large yard full of trees. For this homemade cat toy, you will need: tiny Pinecones, a leaf, and tiny bird feathers (the softer, the better).

Step One: Cover the Pinecone with glue, (hot glue works best).

Step Two: Cover the glue with feathers.

Step Three: Attach a long feather to the widest end of the Pinecone to form a tail.

Step Four: Cut out two tiny ears from the leaf and glue to the Pinecone's skinniest end.

Step Five: Let dry and then toss the homemade mouse cat toy across the floor!

Catnip Leaf Pouches DIY Cat Toy

Cats love Catnip. We have our very own patch of fresh Catnip growing amid our herb garden. If you don't grow your own Catnip (you should) you can purchase dried Catnip or even Catnip plants in most grocery stores. We picked up some dried Catnip when we were shopping for Tidy Cats® Lightweight at our local Kroger store.

You will need:
Catnip (fresh or dry)
A Large Leaf or Two
Kite String or Yarn
Hot Glue

Step One: Pour or place Catnip in the center of the leaf.

Step Two: If using one leaf, fold it up like an envelope and glue the ends down. If using two leaves, place one over the top and glue at edges.

Step Three: Tie the string to the stem of the leaf pouch.

Step Four: Sit the leaf in the middle of a wide open space and wait patiently.

Look at that stank face! We had to make a run for Tidy Cats® litter.

TidyLock™ is the latest innovation in litter featured in all Tidy Cats® litter varieties. TidyLock ™ is the new and improved formula that now better locks away odors that can lead to Stank Face. Don't let it happen to you. Stop the Stank.

For more fun, follow TidyCats on Facebook, Twitter: @TidyCats, and YouTube.


Recommended:

Make a Chef Hat for Your Cat 

Purina Cat Food Review


















ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products. *We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

What She's Wearing Wednesday: Creative Play Leads to Self-Esteem: Mandy Mayhem 10/03/2012

Creative Imaginative Play and Dress up Leads to Self-Esteem

We attended a practice party for the race pit crew of Rex Norris. It was a special event, so it called for a special attire. Mandy Mayhem styled herself in sparkly, pink slip-ons, black leggings with silver glittery sparkle, a turquoise tee with silver and rhinestone buttons, and her Snow White costume from last year. Enjoy!

Upon, slipping the costume over her clothes she noted it had shrunk. This ability will become very useful later if she goes through a chubby stage. Remember, it is the dryer ~ not you. It always helps with self-esteem if you can blame someone else.

Creative Imaginative Play and Dress up Leads to Self-Esteem.



Her special accessory is a giraffe, perhaps Geoffrey from Toys R Us. She entertained anyone who cared to watch with a puppet show on the deck.

Mayhem is always allowed to dress herself no matter where we go. If the occasion requires specific attire; I give her choices. She is excellent at matching and pretty good at choosing the right outfit.

I never find her clothes embarrassing. I would be embarrassed if they were dirty or too mature for her age because that reflects on me, but fun, self-expression is healthy and makes for great self-esteem. "I can do it!" Allow your child to be themselves- your relationship will appreciate it.

Recommended Reading:

Imaginative Pirate Play Ideas

Great Big Book of Children's Games: Over 450 Indoor and Outdoor Games for Kids, Ages 3-14*

Plan an Indy 500 Race Theme for a Kid's Birthday Party or Special School Activity

Indy 500 Theme Race Party with Cardboard Racecars

The Play Connection, Inc. (my alter ego) did lots of fun preschool activities that are great for a birthday party or for kids' outdoor pe games. Due to the proximity of Indianapolis, an Indy 500 racing theme is always popular in May. Plan Indy 500 kid activities for a fun field day at school, and make your own race cars from cardboard boxes. Enjoy!

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience.*

Indy 500 Activities for Kids.

Use recycled household items as props- 
including a plastic milk jug for a gas can.

Ideas on how to plan an Indy 500 Race Birthday Party: 

• Purchase inexpensive, large, black buckets to use in a pit stop race game. 
• Recycle a milk jug, paint it black with spray paint or acrylics, and use duct tape or paint to spell out G-A-S.
•  Turn a milk crate upside down to use as a Winner's Circle.
• Hang a race banner (we got ours at the Dollar Tree).
• Make 9 colored race flags for a realistic race experience.

Trick out your cardboard car with paper plate wheels or 
fancy, cardboard fan wheels.

Wondering 'what do the flags mean or stand for in the Indy 500 race'?  

• Green means go! Of course, you already knew that! Just like shouting "Green Light", the green flag is waved to signal the start of the race. It is also used to for restarts after a caution flag.
• Yellow flag signals caution for a hazard. It could be an accident, debris, rain, maybe a silly goose got loose on the track. The pace car hops on the track to lead the other cars in safety. When we play Red Light, Green Light, we use yellow to signal walk very slowly.
• Red flag STOP! Do not pass go, do not collect $100 dollars. A red light means freeze in your tracks. It is for accident or rain conditions.  Head straight to the pits or stay parked. No repairs, tire changes, or gassing up allowed. In other words, no fair cheating!
• Red flag with a yellow "X" means the pits are closed to all vehicles.
• Black flag means a penalty to a car on the track. Don't break the rules! It's also used for mechanical failures.
• Black flag with a white "X" black-flag penalty.  Your car isn't keeping score anymore.
• Blue flag or blue flag with yellow diagonal stripe Get out of the way, slow poke, a faster driver is about to pass. We use a blue light in our game to signal to turn around and walk backward toward the finish line.
• White flag the end is near! It's the FINAL lap.
• Checkered flag  Hooray! We have a winner. This flag means the race is over.

For our race car game of Red Light, Green Light, we purchased dowel rods and squares of fabric from Joann's Fabrics. To attach, rub glue on the dowel, wrap one end of fabric around the dowel, and staple as close to the stick as possible.

Lay out aluminum foil, tissue paper, paper plates, and colored duct tape.  
Let the kids' diy imagination run wild.

On your mark, get set, go! Mark off a track with chalk, tape, or use cornstarch paint in the grass. Get your flags ready to wave. Have parents or helpers use a stopwatch to track each child's time. No need to compete against others. Race around several times for your best lap. Now the fun begins!

On your mark, get set, let the games begin!

How to Play Pretend Pit Stop

Get parents and teachers involved with the fun. Before the game begins, designate a pit crew for each "driver". 

During a caution flag, have everyone pull into the pits. One member of the crew must run around the car 4 times checking pretending to check tires. 

Another crew member will take the pre-filled milk "Gas" jug (water) and pour it into the black bucket. 

Then, the crew members must use a funnel to re-fill the jug. Have the driver time the crew for even more giggles. When all the water is gone, the drivers can take off again.

Measure the water in the jugs to see which pit crew wins a prize. Just pour it back into the buckets, and see which one retained the most water (gas).

A game of Red Light, Green Light is fun around the track too.


Recommended Reading:

Things to do in Indiana: Indy 500 Race Activities for Kids

Eat My Dust! Henry Ford's First Race* 

Hot Air Balloon Glow at the Indy 500

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ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Have a Natural Nature Based Circle Time Activity Game: Sensory Saturday Play Based Learning

Perfect for a play based learning Natural Circle Time Activity for kids: Nature's Treasures

Circle Time is a time for children to learn to pay attention, to make connections with each other, and to have fun. This nature based circle time activity is fun for kids of all ages for summer camp, but is ideal for preschool circle time.

Didi from Duck Duck Octopus (She's no longer blogging) shared this awesome nature sensory game for circle time.

We learn about the world through our senses. The tart burst of flavor from a fresh-picked blackberry is a tell-tale sign of summer; watching leaves swirl around the sky shows us it's windy; and pitter-patter sounds of rain tells us to put on our wellies for jumping in freshly made puddles. Our bodies absorb a constant stream of information that we assimilate into experience, but we seldom intentionally acknowledge the senses that deliver the information; the information is "just there".

Get your group together, form a circle, 

and play Nature's Treasure in circle time.

The Nature's Treasures mystery game is an activity that facilitates a hands-on exploration of the senses and nature. Kids get to experience how their perception of the world is altered when their senses are limited. The use of natural objects connects kids to their environment, and allows them to experience things they encounter every day in a new way.
 
Instructions

1. Gather an assortment of familiar natural objects (e.g. a dandelion, rock, shell, lobster claw, stick, cattail fluff, maple leaf, an animal bone, feather, dirt, etc.). Collect enough items, so each child participating has an item. Make sure your collection is gathered and stored out of sight of your kids. You don't want to spoil the mystery!
2. Place one mystery object in an opaque bag; brown lunch bags are great. Seal the bag with ribbon or a piece of tape.
3. Place the bags in a "treasure chest" (a decorated cardboard box), and bring the treasure chest out for the kids.
4. Introduce the activity by talking about the incredible diversity that may be found in nature. Have your kids offer examples of colors, textures and shapes they may find in nature (e.g. tiny snails; red, orange, and yellow autumn leaves; prickly porcupines; furry raccoons; bumpy shells, etc.).
5. Using the examples provided by the kids, make connections to how people use their senses to experience the world.
6. Explain that each mystery bag contains one object found in nature. They must try to guess what is in their bag without using their sense of sight, sound, or taste.
7. Encourage each child to choose a mystery bag, and tell them to keep the bag closed tight. No peeking! :-)
8. Each child gets a turn to fully explore their object with their sense of touch and smell. If they go to smell the bag, they have to keep their eyes shut, or use a blindfold to help keep the mystery object hidden.
9. The child exploring the item may tell the group about the object based on their sensory observations.
• For example, if the object is a dandelion, a child may describe it as follows: There is a fluffy, soft part on one end. It is round. The round, soft part is stuck to something that is long and skinny. It smells like grass.
10. Ask the child doing the direct sensory exploration to identify their mystery object.
11. Then open the inquiry to the group. Does anyone think the object is something else?
12. Reveal the mystery object. Hopefully, when the object is revealed most of the kids will know what it is right away. If they didn't guess correctly, this is a great opportunity to ask the kids how their sense of sight, sound or taste would have helped them solve the mystery.

This activity works well with a large group of kids in a circle time setting, and is also fun to do at home as a family. Sometimes, I'll deliberately put a gag item in the bag I explore, just to add a big laugh at the end (think rubber chicken). 
 
What is the most interesting object you found to include in your Nature's Treasures mystery game?

Didi is a fun mom who likes to make mud pies, stomp in puddles, and fingerpaint. She is also the founder of duckduckoctopus.com, a blog about play-based learning, outdoor adventures, and mindful-parenting.

Be sure to follow Didi on Pinterest. Learn some fun facts about the mind behind Duck, Duck, Octopus at Play Dr. Hutch.


Recommended Reading:

14 Circle Time Activities

Four Corners Circle Time Activity for Preschoolers*

Circle Time and Group Activities for age 3 to 6 yrs.*






ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Things to do in Indianapolis in Summer: Great Times

Have a Great Time this Summer in Indy

This summer has taken forever to get here, but we see the signs, and we're following them! If you are looking for things to do in Indianapolis this summer, we've got a fun activity for you. Don't forget to bring the BANANA BOAT® Sunscreen, you'll need it with all of the great, summer, outdoor activities. Indiana weather changes minute by minute. You never know what kind of weather you're going to get! We decided to spend the day exploring all of the fun things to do at Great Times in Indy. The best activities are the outdoor ones. That's why we stopped at Walmart to get some BANANA BOAT® products.

BANANA BOAT®  Sunscreen has products for swimming, sporting, and lounging on the beach.

BANANA BOAT® has a tons of products for kids. Whether you are sporty, swim in a pool, or on the beach, BANANA BOAT® has you covered. If your kids are like mine, they hate being covered in sunscreen, especially if they aren't swimming. The spray on sunscreen from BANANA BOAT® is perfect for kids in a hurry to get to the fun activities.

What is the best sunscreen for Summer Activities for kids?

So, you need to make it as fun as possible. We made up a song to sing while applying sunscreen. You've heard you are supposed to sing your ABC's to brush your teeth, why not sing to apply sunscreen too! Each time you reapply, be sure to sing the sunscreen song! The lyrics to our song are shared below. Make it a part of your sunscreen routine.

• Sunscreen, sunscreen, protect my skin while I play.
• Sunscreen, sunscreen keep me safe all through the day.

Did you know that sun protection requires 1 oz.every 2 hours in the sun? I didn't. Be sure to apply about 2 tablespoons of sunscreen to yourself and your kids' entire bodies 30 minutes before going outside and then reapply every two hours or immediately after swimming or excessive sweating.

So, now that we're all prepared for a great time in the sun, let's talk about Great Times Family Fun Center. We went on a Thursday and to our delight, all activities were all inclusive from 11-6 with the purchase of an $11.50 per person, three hour wrist band. Yep, we spent 3 hours in the sun! And guess what... You guessed it! No sunburn.

First, the bumper boats!

Bumper Boats in Indianapolis at Great Times.

Their favorite thing to do was ride the go-karts, the ride is nice and long. These are on an all concrete track in full sun, so don't forget to reapply your sunscreen.

Go karting at Great Times is a fun thing to do in Indy in the sun!

There's also a very cool miniature golf course.

Things to do in Indianapolis in Summer: Great Times.

After all of the fun in the sun, you can go inside for a bite to eat, play games, or climb through the maze room. We'll be spending a lot of time here this summer. Good thing we have our trusty BANANA BOAT® SPF 50.

Banana Boat® Sunscreen SPF 50 Kids Free.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Banana Boat® . The opinions and text are all mine.

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