Any ideas for topics/activites for an "Educational Summer Journal" for children ages 2-5?

Question

I am a current Early Childhood Care and Education Major and I work part-time as a substitute at a child care center, but over the summer I will be a nanny to my two cousins, ages 2.5 and 4.5. I was planning on doing a journal-type activity for the whole summer, with each day or every few days doing a certain topic. So far I have the Alphabet, #'s 1-20, shapes, colors, and the seasons. I was planning doing different activities with said topics. Like finding certain items, or a photo-scavenger hunt where (with my assistance) they can take a picture of something green or 3 ducks or a square, for example. Does anybody have anymore ideas that I could use? Ideas from a teacher or parent of young children would be even better. Thanks in advance!!

Answer 1

one thing I did was to buy a two for one coupon book and break the summer down in to the same subject the same day each week

june had a theme

monday - organizing - laundary - sort m and m's

                 everything to do with colors

                 play dough - sideway chalk - painting - coloring

tuesday - science = baking

                 everything that had to do physics

                 food experiments - measuring/pouring - field trip to              how ice cream or cheese is made - domonos fall

wednesday - play - play  mini golf - water park - movie -                  museum

thurday -  math - use the clock for cleaning and                         timing                  everything - have a stop watch

                 go on a walk count everything - count and sort

                 pennies/weigh then balance scale - make a pizza square and round

friday - reading and writing - school work book

             read a story - make a play about it - dress up - make the scene - write the signs

I could go no all day

break down in to month ideas then daily subject for the week it will seem easier.  good luck -

Answer 2

One thing I did at a summer camp was have a story themed week. One week was the three little pigs, so the first day i told the story in a fun way that got the kids excited. Throughout the week I had pig related activities, art projects, etc. There are many websites with the materials ready to be printed. I did Winnie the Pooh, Red Riding Hood, etc. You could have Disney theme, family, pirates, experiments, dinosours, etc.

Answer 3

If you want to stick to a journal theme you could buy them a scrapbook and/or notebook and let them take pictures of things about summer, green leaves, flowers, bugs, etc. And you could interpert that into the whole abc and 123 theme also, and let them put the pictures in their notebook so that they can go back and review them.