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Week of June 8th 2020

This week we will focus on In the Garden

Getting Ready

We know that children thrive with routine, especially when there are big changes around them. World at

Home lesson plans have been designed to bring the comforting rhythms of our Bright Horizons® child

care centers right into your home, with guided learning opportunities that follow a similar schedule to

that of our classrooms. We know there is a lot here to digest. Our intent is for you to use what works for

you. Think about all the things you need to accomplish while you are at home, and add in as much

activity as you feel supports your child’s needs and your own. Change the schedule to meet your needs,

choose activities you think your child will love and skip the others, or follow this plan as it is. Our goal is

to support your child’s learning, even while you are safely at home.

Helpful Resources

All of our World at Home resources https://worldathome.brighthorizons.com/

World at Home Family Guide (https://www.brighthorizons.com/-/media/BH-New/WorldatHome/324Content/WorldatHome_FamilyGuide2)

Tips on scheduling your day https://www.brighthorizons.com/-/media/BH-New/WorldatHome/324Content/WorldatHome_SchedulingTips2

World at Home Family Webinar schedule https://worldathome.brighthorizons.com/webinars

This week: Language and Literacy Learning and Supporting Your Child’s Special Needs

Family resources for life at home – including stress management and talking to children in difficult times https://www.brighthorizons.com/life-at-home

Table of Contents

Weekly Materials

Toddler Schedule

Preschool Schedule

Kindergarten Schedule

©2020 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC

In the Garden – Weekly Materials

Weekly Materials List (In addition to items from the General Materials List posted here.)

Old kitchen items (muffin tins, spoons, pots, etc.)

Ice cube tray

Fruit/veggies (in a variety of colors)

Yogurt or ranch dip

Large bowl or bin

Potting or garden soil

Seeds

Shoe box lid or tray

Sand

Small rocks

Plastic fork

Small, smooth stones

Spray bottle

In the Garden Week

Children are inspired by everything In the Garden, so it makes it the perfect place to support learning

in all areas! Of course, there are plenty of brain building activities as children explore scientific

concepts, but there is also the opportunity to encourage a love of nature, explore new language, and

be inspired by art and music. This topic, and the activities that support it this week makes for the

perfect excuse to get outside, get dirty, and have a ton of fun while your child explores what’s In the

Garden!

Weekly Prop Box and Open-Ended Materials

Spark your child’s creativity and imagination with a pretend play garden nursery or florist shop.

Materials

Use small, shallow boxes to create flower or vegetable planters.

Kid-sized gardening tools like garden gloves, a trowel, and a watering can

Pretend fruits and vegetables

Fabric flowers

Plastic pots or bottles for arranging flowers

Have a play cash register for “check out” or make one with paint and a cardboard box.

©2020 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC

In the Garden for Toddlers – Monday

Early Morning

Prepare for the day

Early Morning

Breakfast

Mid-Morning

Language: “Scarlette Beane” by Karen Wallace

Late Morning

Art: Nature Art

Late Morning

Get outside!

Noon Lunch

Early Afternoon

Quiet time – nap, read, or listen to an audio book

Mid-Afternoon

Cooking: Apple Bird Feeders

Late Afternoon

Social-Emotional: Musical Garden

Questions and Extension Activities

Extend the Learning

Today we are making apple birdfeeders to invite the birds to our garden. Think about what other animals might live in or visit the garden. Visit a garden if you can and see what you can spot.

Open-ended questions to start the day

In the book, “Scarlette Beane,” you are going to hear the names of all kinds of vegetables. Ask toddlers to name the vegetables they recognize and, if there are new ones, repeat their names after you. What colors are the fruits and vegetables? What do they taste like?

Conversation around the dinner table

After reading “Scarlette Beane” might be the perfect time to try taste testing a new vegetable or two. Involve your child in choosing a new fruit or vegetable and let them watch you prepare them – perhaps they can help by washing them off first! Try it together around the dinner table.

©2020 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC

In the Garden for Toddlers – Tuesday

Early Morning

Prepare for the day

Early Morning

Breakfast

Mid-Morning

Sensory: Paint Chip Exploration

Late Morning

STEM: Mud Pie Fun

Late Morning

Get outside!

Noon Lunch

Early Afternoon

Quiet time – nap, read, or listen to an audio book

Mid-Afternoon

Language: Nature Walk Bracelets

Late Afternoon

Movement: Balance Beam

Questions and Extension Activities

Extend the Learning

Encourage your child to make several mud pies and compare them. See if they can find the biggest mud pie and the smallest. Count how many mud pies they made altogether.

Open-ended questions to start the day

Today you are going to make mud pies! What do you think we will need to make mud? What do you think it will feel like before we add the water? What about after?

Conversation around the dinner table

Make it a pizza night! And point out all the different colors of your toppings and challenge your child to name them. You can discuss how the sauce is made from red and yellow tomatoes and the crust is made from a golden plant called wheat.

©2020 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC

Early Morning

Prepare for the day

Early Morning

Breakfast

Mid-Morning

Music & Movement: Plant a Little Seed

Late Morning

Art: Sticks, Rocks, Shell Painting

Late Morning

Get outside!

Noon Lunch

Early Afternoon

Quiet time – nap, read, or listen to an audio book

Mid-Afternoon

Language: Snack Time Fun

Late Afternoon

Social-Emotional Learning: Animal Transformations

In the Garden for Toddlers – Wednesday

Questions and Extension Activities

Extend the Learning

Show your child a seed if you have one and then go on a walk together. Point out the different things that grew from seeds – from the tiniest flower sprout to the tallest tree.

Open-ended questions to start the day

For snack, you are going to try different fruits and vegetables. Ask your child to name the food, tell you its color, or model words to describe the food’s taste and texture. Is it hard or soft? Sweet or bland?

Conversation around the dinner table

Open the windows tonight or take your dinner to eat outside if you can and listen to the sounds of approaching summer. What noises does your family hear? How would it sound different in the fall or winter?

©2020 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC

In the Garden for Toddlers – Thursday

Early Morning

Prepare for the day

Early Morning

Breakfast

Mid-Morning

Let’s Read: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

Late Morning

Sensory: Leaf Prints

Late Morning

Get outside!

Noon Lunch

Early Afternoon

Quiet time – nap, read, or listen to an audio book

Mid-Afternoon

Math: Window Art

Late Afternoon

Yoga & Mindfulness: Yogi Says – Animals

Questions and Extension Activities

Extend the Learning

While you create with window art today, encourage your child to name the shapes and colors that they see. If they need help, say it first for them to copy.

Open-ended questions to start the day

In “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Did You See?” there are many animals! What kind of animals did you see? What were their colors? Are horses really blue and cats really purple? What color are they in real-life?

Conversation around the dinner table

You saw all kinds of animals today! Discuss with your child which ones they saw and what sounds do they make. Ask your child if they have seen any of these animals in their garden or backyard.

©2020 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC

Early Morning

Prepare for the day

Early Morning

Breakfast

Mid-Morning

Music & Movement: Seasons Song

Late Morning

STEM: Mud Pie Fun

Late Morning

Get outside!

Noon Lunch

Early Afternoon

Quiet time – nap, read, or listen to an audio book

Mid-Afternoon

Science: Suncatcher

Late Afternoon

Social-Emotional Learning: Animal Transformations

In the Garden for Toddlers – Friday

Questions and Extension Activities

Extend the Learning

Add a bit of science to your child’s mud play by adding the water slowly. By adding one cup at a time, mixing, and testing it out, children can discover for themselves how the amount of water changes the consistency of the mud.

Open-ended questions to start the day

Go on a texture walk outdoors or in your garden and ask your child to describe the different things they feel. How does the grass feel when you sit on it? What does just one blade of grass feel like? What about a piece of bark or a flower petal?

Conversation around the dinner table

Your toddler has been learning a new song this week about the four seasons. Ask them to sing it to you and talk about the different seasons. What do they look like? What do they feel like? What happens to the plants?

©2020 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC

In the Garden for Preschool – Monday

Early Morning

Prepare for the day

Early Morning

Breakfast

Mid-Morning

Let’s Play: Gardening Pretend Play with “Scarlette Beane”

Late Morning

Art: Van Gogh’s Sunflowers

Late Morning

Get outside!

Noon Lunch

Early Afternoon

Quiet time – nap, read, or listen to an audio book

Mid-Afternoon

Cooking: Apple Bird Feeders

Late Afternoon

Social-Emotional: Chalk Obstacle Course

Questions and Extension Activities

Extend the Learning

Today we are making apple birdfeeders to invite the birds to our garden. Think about what other animals might live in or visit the garden. Visit a garden if you can and see what you can spot.

Open-ended questions to start the day

In the book, “Scarlette Beane,” you are going to hear the names of all kinds of vegetables. Which ones have you tasted and which ones have you not had before? What do you think ‘parsley’ or some other vegetable might taste like? What do you think it looks like?

Conversation around the dinner table

After reading “Scarlette Beane” might be the perfect time to try taste testing a new vegetable or two. Involve your child in choosing which new foods to try and let them help in preparing them. Try them together around the dinner table.

©2020 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC

In the Garden for Preschool – Tuesday

Early Morning

Prepare for the day

Early Morning

Breakfast

Mid-Morning

STEM: Easy Window Garden

Late Morning

Toward a Better World: Nature Journal

Late Morning

Get outside!

Noon Lunch

Early Afternoon

Quiet time – nap, read, or listen to an audio book

Mid-Afternoon

Language: Bird Homes

Late Afternoon

Movement: Balance Beam

Questions and Extension Activities

Extend the Learning

Combine your window garden experience with your child’s nature journal, by asking your child to draw a picture of their newly planted seed. After it sprouts, they can draw another picture and continue drawing periodically as it grows. Add a date to each drawing and your child has created a record of their plant’s growth over time!

Open-ended questions to start the day

What do plants need to grow? How do you think this plant is growing without soil? Make a prediction of when you think it will sprout, bloom, and so on.

Conversation around the dinner table

Make it a pizza night! And encourage your child to think about where each ingredient came from? Did the pineapple come from farms in Hawaii? Or did you grow the peppers in your own backyard? Even if your child’s favorite topping is just cheese, there are still so many ingredients that go into making pizza sauce and crust.

©2020 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC

In the Garden Preschool – Wednesday

Early Morning

Prepare for the day

Early Morning

Breakfast

Mid-Morning

Language: Story Stones

Late Morning

Art: Musical Spring

Late Morning

Get outside!

Noon Lunch

Early Afternoon

Quiet time – nap, read, or listen to an audio book

Mid-Afternoon

Science: Color Mixing

Late Afternoon

Social-Emotional Learning: Zen Garden

Questions and Extension Activities

Extend the Learning

In addition to making your own story with story stones, let your child recreate one of their favorite books. Help them choose the most important characters and props of the book and paint them on their stones. Once dry, they can play out the different parts of the story as well as reading it.

Open-ended questions to start the day

In Vivaldi’s “Spring” from the Four Seasons, you recognized the different sounds of spring in a piece of music. Go on a walk today and listen to the outdoor sounds as we get closer to summer. What sounds would you want to hear in a summer musical piece? What do you think they would sound like?

Conversation around the dinner table

Open the windows tonight or take your dinner to eat outside if you can and listen to the sounds of approaching summer. What noises does your family hear? How would it sound different in the fall or winter?

©2020 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC

In the Garden for Preschool – Thursday

Early Morning

Prepare for the day

Early Morning

Breakfast

Mid-Morning

Let’s Read: Blueberries for Sal

Late Morning

Science: Lemon Volcano

Late Morning

Get outside!

Noon Lunch

Early Afternoon

Quiet time – nap, read, or listen to an audio book

Mid-Afternoon

Math: Marshmallow Building

Late Afternoon

Movement: Aaron Copeland’s “Hoedown”

Questions and Extension Activities

Extend the Learning

While building with marshmallows today, challenge your child to build something that they think might be helpful in the garden – perhaps a fence to keep the rabbits out or a greenhouse to grow plants year-round.

Open-ended questions to start the day

In “Blueberries for Sal,” Little Sal’s mother wanted to pick blueberries to can for the winter. Have you ever picked blueberries before? What does it mean when she said, “can them”? What are some other ways that we preserve fruits and vegetables to keep them fresh and safe to eat?

Conversation around the dinner table

You ended your day with Aaron Copeland’s song, “Hoedown.” Discuss with children how the music made them feel or if it reminded them of any other music they have heard before. After dinner, play the song again and they can show you how they danced or you can listen to more of Aaron Copeland’s work.

©2020 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC

Early Morning

Prepare for the day

Early Morning

Breakfast

Mid-Morning

Music & Movement: Seasons Song

Late Morning

Math: Mud Pies Big, Bigger, Biggest

Late Morning

Get outside!

Noon Lunch

Early Afternoon

Quiet time – nap, read, or listen to an audio book

Mid-Afternoon

Science: Suncatcher

Late Afternoon

Social-Emotional Learning: Zen Garden

In the Garden for Preschool – Friday

Questions and Extension Activities Extend the Learning

Challenge children to find objects that move in certain ways. Look for objects that spin, bounce, and roll.

Open-ended questions to start the day

Today, you are going to create bowling pins so you can go bowling. How can you make the pins so they would be easier or more difficult to knock down? Does it matter how far apart they are spaced? How is it different to play on grass or carpet instead of tile or hardwood?

Conversation around the dinner table

After today’s bowling experience, brainstorm with your child other games or sports that are played with a ball. How does the ball need to move differently in soccer versus basketball versus tennis?

Questions and Extension Activities

Extend the Learning

Add a bit of science to your child’s mud play by allowing them to add the water slowly. By adding one cup at a time, mixing, and testing it out, children can discover for themselves how the amount of water changes the consistency of the mud.

Open-ended questions to start the day

Go on a texture walk outdoors or in your garden and ask your child to describe the different things they feel. How does the grass feel when you sit on it? What does just one blade of grass feel like? How does that compare to bark or the petal of a flower?

Conversation around the dinner table

Today your child used a Zen garden to help them calm and relax. Discuss other ways that people like to relax – exercise, do yoga, color, journal, and so many more! Share what activity helps you wind down.

©2020 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC

In the Garden for Kindergarten – Monday

Early Morning

Prepare for the day

Early Morning

Breakfast

Mid-Morning

Let’s Play: Gardening Pretend Play with “Scarlette Beane”

Late Morning

Art: Van Gogh’s Sunflowers

Late Morning

Get outside!

Noon Lunch

Early Afternoon

Quiet time – nap, read, or listen to an audio book

Mid-Afternoon

Cooking: Apple Bird Feeders

Late Afternoon

Social-Emotional: Chalk Obstacle Course

Questions and Extension Activities

Extend the Learning

Today we are making apple birdfeeders to invite the birds to our garden. Think about what other animals might live in or visit the garden. Visit a garden if you can and see what you can spot.

Open-ended questions to start the day

In the book, “Scarlette Beane,” you are going to hear the names of all kinds of vegetables. Which ones have you tasted and which ones have you not had before? What do you think parsley is used for? What other herbs do you know of?

Conversation around the dinner table

After reading “Scarlette Beane” might be the perfect time to try taste testing a new vegetable or two. Involve your child in choosing which new foods to try and let them help prepare them. Give them a try together around the dinner table.

©2020 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC

In the Garden for Kindergarten – Tuesday

Early Morning

Prepare for the day

Early Morning

Breakfast

Mid-Morning

STEM: Easy Window Garden

Late Morning

Toward a Better World: Nature Journal

Late Morning

Get outside!

Noon Lunch

Early Afternoon

Quiet time – nap, read, or listen to an audio book

Mid-Afternoon

Language: Bird Homes

Late Afternoon

Movement: Balance Beam

Questions and Extension Activities

Extend the Learning

Combine your window garden experience with your child’s nature journal by asking your child to draw a picture and write a sentence or two about their newly planted seed. After it sprouts, they can draw another picture and note, and repeat this periodically as it grows. Add a date to each drawing and your child has a record of their plant’s growth over time!

Open-ended questions to start the day

What do plants need to grow? How do you think this plant is growing without soil? Make a prediction of when you think it will sprout, bloom, and so on.

Conversation around the dinner table

Make it a pizza night! And encourage your child to think about where each ingredient came from? Did the pineapple come from farms in Hawaii? Or did you grow the peppers in your own backyard? Even if your child’s favorite topping is just cheese, there are still so many ingredients that go into making the pizza sauce and crust.

©2020 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC

Early Morning

Prepare for the day

Early Morning

Breakfast

Mid-Morning

Language: Story Stones

Late Morning

Art: Musical Spring

Late Morning

Get outside!

Noon Lunch

Early Afternoon

Quiet time – nap, read, or listen to an audio book

Mid-Afternoon

Field Trip: Time-Lapse Plants

Late Afternoon

Social-Emotional Learning: Zen Garden

In the Garden for Kindergarten – Wednesday

Questions and Extension Activities

Extend the Learning

After the bramble time-lapse, encourage your child to think about what other plants might work for a time-lapse video. Plant some grass seed or a flower in a small cup and let your child start taking photos for their own time-lapse video project.

Open-ended questions to start the day

In Vivaldi’s “Spring” from the Four Seasons, you recognized the different sounds of spring in a piece of music. Go on a walk today and listen to the outdoor sounds as we get closer to summer. What sounds would you want to hear in a summer musical piece? What do you think they would sound like?

Conversation around the dinner table

Open the windows tonight or take your dinner to eat outside if you can and listen to the sounds of approaching summer. What noises does your family hear? How would it sound different in the fall or winter?

©2020 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC

In the Garden for Kindergarten – Thursday

Early Morning

Prepare for the day

Early Morning

Breakfast

Mid-Morning

Let’s Read: Blueberries for Sal

Late Morning

Science: Lemon Volcano

Late Morning

Get outside!

Noon Lunch

Early Afternoon

Quiet time – nap, read, or listen to an audio book

Mid-Afternoon

Math: Marshmallow Building

Late Afternoon

Movement: Aaron Copeland’s “Hoedown”

Questions and Extension Activities

Extend the Learning

While building with marshmallows today, challenge your child to build something that they think might be helpful in the garden – perhaps a fence to keep the rabbits out or a greenhouse to grow plants year-round.

Open-ended questions to start the day

In “Blueberries for Sal,” Little Sal’s mother wanted to pick blueberries to can for the winter. Have you ever picked blueberries before? What does it mean when she said, “can them”? What are some other ways that we preserve fruits and vegetables to keep the fresh and safe to eat?

Conversation around the dinner table

You ended your day with Aaron Copeland’s song, “Hoedown.” Discuss with children how the music made them feel or if it reminded them of any other music they have heard before. After dinner, play the song again and they can show you how they danced or you can listen to more of Aaron Copeland’s work.

©2020 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC

Early Morning

Prepare for the day

Early Morning

Breakfast

Mid-Morning

Music: Water Xylophone

Late Morning

Math: Mud Pies Big, Bigger, Biggest

Late Morning

Get outside!

Noon Lunch

Early Afternoon

Quiet time – nap, read, or listen to an audio book

Mid-Afternoon

Science: Suncatcher

Late Afternoon

Social-Emotional Learning: Zen Garden

In the Garden for Kindergarten – Friday

Questions and Extension Activities

Extend the Learning

Add a bit of science to your child’s mud play by allowing them to add the water slowly. By adding one cup at a time, mixing, and testing it out, children can discover for themselves how the amount of water changes the consistency of the mud. If you have small rocks, let them use them as bricks and challenge them to make the right consistency of mud for the ‘mortar.’

Open-ended questions to start the day

Today you are going to make a xylophone. What do you think a xylophone is? What does it sound like? What are some other materials that you could use to make a xylophone?

Conversation around the dinner table

Today your child used a Zen garden to help them calm and relax. Discuss other ways that people like to relax – exercise, do yoga, color, journal, and so many more! Share what activity helps you wind down.