Family week continues with a Dinosaur Train campout, an animal charades game, family interviews, and some good, old-fashioned, messy play!
Watch Together
In this episode of Dinosaur Train, (“Mom’s Campout,” Season 4, Episode 4), Mrs. Pteranodon and the other moms pack up their kids for a campout, where they connect with nature in new ways. Ask your child: What kinds of things would the dinosaurs have to pack for a camping trip? How did the families connect with nature? How do you like to connect with nature?
Join in the game from the Dinosaur Train episode by playing “Think Like an Animal.” Have your child pretend to be an animal, reminding him/her to base their movements on that animal’s particular features, (slithering like a snake because they don’t have legs, catching flies like a frog because of their long, sticky tongues, etc.). Guess which animal your child is imitating, and then switch roles.
Junior Journalist
Interviews are a great way for children to build language and social skills! Invite your child to interview you and/or other family members about their camping experiences, using the printout interview sheet below, or with questions of their own. If your child can’t write yet, encourage him/her to still jot down “notes” after each question. Play writing is still beginning writing! After the interview, encourage your child to share his/her reports with the rest of the family over a meal.
During the “Mom’s Campout” episode, the dinosaurs discovered getting dirty was all part of the fun of connecting with nature. Try out one of their nature connections by digging a hole, seeing who can make the biggest splash in the water, or going on a bug hunt. Be sure to share your pictures with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram by using #HensonAtHome !
Coming up next…
We wrap up family week with everyone’s favorite grandma witch, Strega Nona!