Homeschool Theme of the Week: Birthday!

With birthdays on the brain - how could we not have a week dedicated to such a fun theme. One of the activities we worked on throughout the week was "My Birthday Thumbprint" book. The basic idea was to have one thumbprint become the focal point of each page which showcased something you might find at a birthday.

To make this, you place one thumbprint on a paper that will be at the end of your book, then punch circles on the other pages where your thumbprint will show through.  Enjoy the end results below plus a couple of extra activity ideas and pictures!

(I apologize for the unadorned cover page - my daughter had not started coloring it when I took these pictures!)

Side note: I wish I could make this book available for free download but have no idea how to do so. Sorry!



This is a very easy and fun graph to make for your birthday theme. Just draw or type up the names or first initial of each month, then graph birthdays using a candle for each person in the family.

I often try to post words related to our topic in a pocket chart for the week, but this time I decided to do something a little different.  I saw the idea somewhere of painting by dipping paper towel rolls (or tp rolls) in paint and setting them on paper (thus making colorful circles).  I thought it might be fun to use this technique to make birthday balloons and then brainstorm a birthday related word to write inside of each balloon.  So that is what we did!  :)

A fun snack and creative art opportunity would be to give each of your children an english muffin and tell them it is a birthday cake that they must frost and decorate.  Give him/her items such as peanut butter, jam, nutella, cream cheese, raisins, string cheese circles, chopped fruits and veggies, etc. to "decorate" it.  Don't forget to add a candle and REAL sprinkles!  Here is a link to a similar snack activity I did with my child several weeks ago (only in this case it was a "wedding" cake):
http://thenatureofgrace.blogspot.com/2011/07/decorate-your-own-wedding-cake-aka.html

MORE birthday theme related ideas:

*Read birthday related books.

*Insert a birthday related word inside a balloon and blow up the balloon.  Do this for several words and fill up the classroom.  Take turns popping the balloons and reading the words - place in a pocket chart or tape to an area of the room.

*Paint a birthday picture using REAL balloons.  Just dip small balloons in paint and dab on a picture to make circles.

*Paint using different birthday candles.  Use candles with different textures on them (spiral, dots, stripes, etc.).  Dip these in paint and roll on paper.

*Use real candles (not lit) on a paper cake to make up math story problems and math sentences.

*Make a paper birthday cake and cut into slices to practice fractions or story problems.

*Place a sparkly birthday hat in a literacy corner and call it the "thinking cap" of the week.  Child may wear the hat while writing a story, brainstorming, etc.

Enjoy!
Michelle

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