October, 2010 PARENT INVOLVEMENT FAMILY FUN CALENDAR
Sunday 31 It’s Halloween. Be safe if you go out trick-ortreating!
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday Thursday
Parenting Tip: Halloween can be scary for some preschool children. If you
want to join in the fun, and keep your child happy and safe, talk about pumpkins and scarecrows. Talk about autumn colors and falling leaves too. Talking about the months and seasons helps your child to understand time and how it progresses.
Friday 1 O is for October, octopus, orange, ostrich – draw an “O picture” with all the O words you can think of. 8 Funny Friday –Think of words that begin with F.
4 Play, “Where is my hat? Is it on the box, or under the box, or in the box, or beside the box?”
5 Ask your child what he or she likes best at school. Ask why.
6 Wonderful Wednesday! Think of words that start with W.
7 Take your kids to the grocery store. Let them choose one healthy food item.
11 Sit down with your child while he or she draws a picture for a friend or family member.
12 Terrific Tuesday. Think of words that start with T.
13 Put on some lively music and dance with your kids. It’s a great way to stay in shape!
14 Sing nursery rhymes with your child. Which is your favorite? Which is your child’s favorite?
15 Ask your child to set the table for dinner. How many people will be eating dinner?
17 Collect leaves in your yard or in the park. What color are they? Glue them onto paper.
18 Marvelous Monday! Think of words that start with M.
19 Make a simple dinner together. Grilled cheese or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are easy and fun.
20 Look for store signs as you drive or ride the bus. Notice the letters on the sign.
21 Make up a story about your child’s favorite toy.
22 Have a pajama party. Watch a favorite movie and discuss it with your child.
24
25 Look at pumpkins in the grocery store – what shape are they? What color?
26 Ask your child to draw an ENORMOUS pumpkin.
27 A pumpkin is orange. What else is orange? Draw or paint an orange picture.
28 Look at more fall fruits and vegetables in the grocery store. What colors do you see?
29 Play dress-up together. Let your child wear mom or dad’s shoes, scarves, or ties.
3 Take the kids to the park and play on the playground. Play with them – don’t just watch – it’s fun! 10 Take a nature walk or bike ride. Look for signs of fall in your neighborhood.
Play a board game.
Saturday 2 Take the kids to the library – find books about fall (ask the librarian to help). 9 Invite one of your child’s school friends to come and play. Help them prepare a snack together. 16 Make a shopping list together. If you don’t need to shop, just play at grocery store with items from the pantry. 23 sssSilly sssSaturday! Think of words that sssstart with sssss.
30 Take a walk around the neighborhood and look for pumpkins and other Halloween decorations.
Family Fun Facts
Did you know? Children who eat dinner around the table with their families do better in school. Children who take family trips do better in school. Simple, free trips to the park or library are as good as expensive trips away from home. Children who are read to frequently read earlier and better. Children who see their parents read regularly are likely to read more themselves. Spending 30 minutes a day with your child can help them to achieve better grades in school. Children love to spend time with their parents! (Facts from Harvard Family Research Project, wwww.hfrp.org) Websites for parents and educators: Florida Parental Information & Resource Centers (PIRCs): Florida PIRC at USF: www.floridapirc.usf.edu Florida PIRC of FND: www.floridapirc.org Project Appleseed: www.projectappleseed.org Be There Campaign: www.bethere.org Copyright 2009 Florida Partnership in Education (FL PIE). This document can be downloaded and reproduced without prior consent for non‐profit educational use only, provided the author/copyright holder is fully cited/credited and no modifications are made to the document. All other rights reserved. This document was produced, in whole or in part, with funds from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Innovation & Improvement, Parental Information & Resource Center program, under Grant # 84.310A. The content herein does not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Education, any other agency of the U.S. government, or any other source.