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Core Skills for Time & Space

Click on the skills below to see what you can do at home to help your child develop essential art skills.

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• Understand and use the language of time (e.g., day-night, today-tomorrow, etc.) (show details)

  Sample Core Knowledge Activities

  99 ¢		Always, Never, Sometimes Expert Created Activity Support your child's undersanding and use of the language of time with these yesterday, today and tomorrow picture.
  99 ¢		Talk About Time Expert Created Activity Support your child's undersanding and use of the language of time with these today and tomorrow picture sequences.

  Sample Activities

  FREE

  Fun with Melting Ice Parent Created Activity Kids will love this game of watching a toy slowly melt out of a block of ice. Begin by cutting the top off an empty, clean milk carton. ...more Put a toy inside and fill the milk carton with water -- you don't have to fill it all the way, just enough to comfortably cover the toy. Then put the milk carton in the freezer until frozen solid. Once it has frozen, peel the milk carton away from the block and put in a sink or bathtub. Watch the little ones anxiously wait until the ice melts so that they can get their toy!! (First time, it's pretty cute seeing the little ones not being able to grasp the concept that their toy is not easily accessible.) With older children, you can practice telling time by guessing how long it is going to take for the ice to melt. (less)

  Sample Books and Toys

  $29.95		Toy	Remote Control Moon in My Room How sweet is it that your adored little one actually thinks you hang the moon? Is there any chance we can make that notion last? Through maybe the dreaded ...more teenage years? Well, we are willing to try -- and, hey, if we just end up with the world's coolest nightlight, so much the better. This very realistic, dinner-plate-sized moon lamp hangs on your child's wall without cords (it runs on batteries, and we would advise buying some extra), and you can use the remote control to set it to various programs that cycle through the 12 phases of the moon. The one we like best goes through all 12 lunar phases in a minute and then shuts off automatically after an hour of repetition. This moon also comes with a CD that describes the moon and the rest of the universe, and there is a setting that you can use to illuminate the moon when your child's room goes dark. Your little one gets to sleep in the moonlight, all the while safely tucked into his wee little bed. (Extra bonus: When you read Guess How Much I Love You before bed, your child will be able to know exactly how far your love reaches.) (less) Review provided by The Savvy Source
  $5.99		Toy	Get Up and Go! Sleepyheads will wish they had Sammie the dog to hurry them along in their morning routines. Read along as Sammie builds colorful time lines to keep track of passing time ...more -- from a goodmorning snuggle to an off-to-school hug. (less) Review provided by Amazon

  

• Locate important geographic landmarks on a map or globle (e.g., the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the North and South Poles, the seven continents) (show details)

  Sample Core Knowledge Activities

  99 ¢

  Mapping Expert Created Activity Support your child's understanding of the world with this mapping activity that focuses on locating the continents, oceans, and poles.

  Sample Activities

  FREE

  Explore the World Parent Created Activity Hang a world map (or use a globe) and explore with your child important geographic landmarks such as the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the North and South Poles and the ...more seven continents. As your child begins to recognize these places, stick tiny stickers onto each landmark that your child can identify as a marker of where you've "been." Expand your explorations to places that you or a loved one has visited, or a place you and your child would like to visit. (less)

  Sample Books and Toys

  $19.99		Toy	World Map and USA Map Floor Puzzles Puzzles, like blocks, are one of the toys that experts in child development all can agree are highly beneficial. As the NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young ...more Children) website tells us, "puzzles help children build the skills they need to read, write, solve problems, and coordinate their thoughts and actions" as well as develop their mathematical and spatial thinking. Who knew? But what parents everywhere do know is the sheer glee and satisfaction that light up a child's face when he figures out how to put a jigsaw piece in the right place. These beautifully made map puzzles from Crocodile Creek will afford your little ones many such moments of joy in their puzzle-making abilities. And as they align the jigsaw shapes, they will be putting together some basic geographic concepts at the same time. What fun it will be to hear them say, Where's Mexico? Or, pass me Idaho! (less) Review provided by The Savvy Source
  FREE		Toy	Puzzle World World Atlas Educational Tray Puzzle Puzzle World World Atlas Educational Tray Puzzle. 12 Piece Puzzle. Ages 3 and up.

  

• Demonstrate an understanding of basic geographic concepts (e.g., identify land, water, river, etc.; name city, state and county) (show details)

  Sample Core Knowledge Activities

  99 ¢		In The Desert Expert Created Activity Support your child's understanding of basic geographic concepts and positional vocabulary with this desert scene.
  99 ¢		In The Ocean Expert Created Activity

  Sample Activities

  FREE

  Shoebox Diorama Parent Created Activity Almost all kids have little plastic animal figurines. This project gives your child something new to do with them. Take some old magazines and catalogs, and cut out ...more pictures of scenery -- mountain ranges, jungles, forests, etc. Alternatively, your child can draw his or her own scenery. Then glue your scene to the bottom of the inside of a shoebox, and turn the box on its side so that the image is facing out. Your child can then take her little animals and create a scene. This is a great project for an afternoon after you've visited the natural history museum. You can also, if you're really creative, use pom-poms, popsicle sticks, and pipe cleaners to create rocks, trees, flowers, and other scenic elements for your diorama. (less)

  Sample Books and Toys

  $6.99		Toy	Me on the Map "Using the premise that simple drawings can be maps, the book begins with crayon drawings of the floor plans of the girl's room and house. The concept becomes progressively more ...more complex, as her horizons expand from home to street, to town, to state, to country, and finally to the world".--"School Library Journal". Full color. (less) Review provided by Amazon
  $6.99		Toy	As the Crow Flies: A First Book of Maps Maps -- they help you get where you want to go. People use road maps to find their way. These maps show miles of highways that point out the right ...more direction. But what about the crow? What kind of map does he use? Or the eagle, the rabbit, the horse, and the sea gull? What's on their maps? (less) Review provided by Amazon

  

• Use simple maps of familiar environment (e.g., show own position with an 'x' showing furniture arrangement) (show details)

  Sample Core Knowledge Activities

  FREE		A Map Of Our Kitchen Expert Created Activity Support your child's ability to establish reference points in actual and represented space with this map creation activity with cut-outs.
  99 ¢		I'm Right Here Expert Created Activity Support your child's ability to establish reference points in actual and represented space with this map creation activity.

  Sample Activities

  FREE		What's the 411? Important Information about Where You Live Parent Created Activity Take a picture of your house and paste it on a piece of construction paper (older children can help with this). Cut out a picture of your state and paste ...more it on the paper as well. Then write out your full address, city, state, and telephone number. If you have space, include a few emergency phone numbers. This will help your child learn important information that they should know. Display the project on your refrigerator so that there are plenty of opportunities to see it. (less)
  FREE		Pirate Treasure Map Parent Created Activity This activity is a ton of fun -- both indoors and out! Begin by tearing the edges of the construction paper to give it rough edges. Then, crumple the ...more paper into a ball so that it is creased. Flatten the paper, and dip it in warm water. Put the wet paper on draining board or across a strainer and sprinkle a spoonful of coffee granules over it. Leave for a few minutes. Dab the stains with paper towels, then dip the paper in a bowl of warm water. Repeat staining on other side, and leave it to dry. Here's the fun part: Draw a treasure map on the "aged' paper. Be sure to add dangerous areas with a skull and crossbones and mark the hidden treasure with a big X. Older kids who love art project may want to create the treasure map themselves. Other kids may enjoy having you create a treasure map that they can follow to a treasure that you've hidden at the end. Use your imagination to have a fun afternoon game! (less)

  Sample Books and Toys

  $6.99		Toy	Me on the Map "Using the premise that simple drawings can be maps, the book begins with crayon drawings of the floor plans of the girl's room and house. The concept becomes progressively more ...more complex, as her horizons expand from home to street, to town, to state, to country, and finally to the world".--"School Library Journal". Full color. (less) Review provided by Amazon
  $6.99		Toy	As the Crow Flies: A First Book of Maps Maps -- they help you get where you want to go. People use road maps to find their way. These maps show miles of highways that point out the right ...more direction. But what about the crow? What kind of map does he use? Or the eagle, the rabbit, the horse, and the sea gull? What's on their maps? (less) Review provided by Amazon

  

• Establish reference points in actual and represented space (e.g., match halves of symmetrical objects to make a whole, color squares on a blank grid to reproduce designs on another grid) (show details)

  Sample Core Knowledge Activities

  99 ¢		Finish The Face Expert Created Activity Support your child's ability to establish reference points in actual and represented space as she uses cut-outs to complete the half finished face.
  99 ¢		Color The Squares Expert Created Activity Support your child's ability to establish reference points in actual and represented space as she colors the blank grids to match the colored samples.

  Sample Activities

  FREE		Natural Mosaics Parent Created Activity Next time you return from a nature walk with a pocketful of rocks and leaves, put them all out on your kitchen table and see if you can create a ...more mosaic from them. Sort them by color or shade and then arrange them into a pattern. You can glue it down for a keepsake or you can keep your nature items in a box to be pulled out for regular use. If you have a good-sized nature collection, you can find a pattern, like a mandala, or an image for your child to mimic in his mosaic. A rock or seashell collection is especially good for this project. (less)
  FREE		Pointillism for Preschoolers Parent Created Activity Seurat's got nothing on your kid! Cut out lots of small circles of colored construction paper. Then, give your child an image to recreate. Good ones to ...more start with are things like big ladybugs or flowers. See if your child can take the small pieces of paper and put them together to recreate the image on a separate page. When the work is done, you'll have your own piece of art, a la the pointillists. (Older kids can try a truer form of pointillism, with Dot-Dot markers.) (less)

  Sample Books and Toys

  $18.99		Toy	Pattern Blocks Includes 250 multicolored plastic blocks in 6 shapes and colors with plastic storage bucket!
  $16.99		Toy	Pattern Blocks and Boards These Pattern Blocks and Boards will keep children engaged for hours of rewarding play. They feature 10 simply designed, colorful patterns and over 100 pattern blocks in six different shapes ...more and colors to replicate the pattern shown. Contents store neatly in durable wooden case. Develops shape recognition and spatial relations. (less) Review provided by Amazon

  

• Understand and use the language of space (e.g., under-over, front-back, etc.) (show details)

  Sample Core Knowledge Activities

  99 ¢

  Lining Up Expert Created Activity Support your child's understandings and use of the language of space as he places the animal cut-outs on top of the fence.

  Sample Activities

  FREE		Itty Bitty Bye... About So High Parent Created Activity This is a great treasure hunt game that can be played indoors or out with older children and ones as young as 2. My 7, 5, and 3 year ...more olds love it. Pick an object to hide and show it to your child. Your child covers their eyes while you stash the object anywhere you like. When ready, you say 'Itty bitty bye, about so high' and show with your hand how high you hid the object. For example, if it's under the couch, let's say, put your hand down around ankle-height. Or if it's on a park bench, put your hand around knee-height. Your child then searches any possible hiding place at that height, and when the item is found they can either search again or take a turn hiding it themselves and letting you search. A simple game that can be as hard or as easy as you choose. With my older ones I add hints like 'you're getting warmer' or 'colder.' As with any hide-and-seek game, younger ones can perfect their counting skills while they cover their eyes. Remember, no peeking! (less)
  FREE		You're Getting Hotter! Parent Created Activity Find an object that you want to hide. An object that is small, but not too small, will work best -- something such as a small stuffed animal or ...more figurine. Hide the figurine somewhere in a room and take turns with your child being the 'finder' and the 'hider.' If you are the one who hid the object, explain to your child that he needs to search for the object in the room, but if he is moving farther away from it, you will tell him that he is getting 'cold' and if he moves closer to the object that he is getting 'hot'. If he is really far away, make sure to tell him that he is 'getting so much colder' or that he is 'freezing' and as he gets closer and closer to finding the object tell him how he is 'getting hotter' or he is 'burning up,' until he eventually finds the object. Your child will be so proud of himself for following directions and finding the toy. This activity is also a good way to teach prepositions -- over the couch, behind the pillow, through the door, etc. (less)

  Sample Books and Toys

  $15.95		Toy	Over Under
  $14.95		Toy	Up Above and Down Below Ants march on a picnic and turn it upside down, returning with treats for friends underground. Up above, the ants are taking over a picnic. But down below ...more is another story. Look closely and you'll find very different worlds living side by side, at a picnic, in the ocean, in the blazing desert, even inside the same two-story home. Sue Redding's bold, wonderfully detailed illustrations hide lots of fun and mischief -- keep an eye out for the red ant and green worm who have snuck into every picture! (less) Review provided by Amazon

  

• Orientation in time: today, yesterday; this morning vs. yesterday morning (show details)

  Sample Core Knowledge Activities

  FREE

  Yesterday, Today, And Tomorrow Expert Created Activity Support your child's understanding of today, yesterday, and tomorrow with this drawing activity.

  Sample Books and Toys

  $19.99		Toy	Melissa and Doug Deluxe Magnetic Calendar Teach kids about holidays and the months of the year with this colorful magnetic activities calendar. With a combination of magnets and wood, 140 pieces depict most holidays and childhood ...more activities. Includes a dry erase board. Measures 16" x 12" when closed; 16" x 24" when open. (less) Review provided by Amazon
  FREE		Toy	Carson Dellosa CHART YESTERDAY TODAY TOMORROW - 22 1/2" x 28 1/2" - 1 pc

  

• Know the days of the week and months of the year (show details)

  Sample Books and Toys

  $19.99		Toy	Melissa and Doug Deluxe Magnetic Calendar Teach kids about holidays and the months of the year with this colorful magnetic activities calendar. With a combination of magnets and wood, 140 pieces depict most holidays and childhood ...more activities. Includes a dry erase board. Measures 16" x 12" when closed; 16" x 24" when open. (less) Review provided by Amazon
  $19.99		Toy	Magnetic Calendar Preschool on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Gymnastics on Tuesday, playdate on Thursday. And don't forget the birthday party on Saturday. The schedule of a mere three-year-old can ...more sometimes be too much for a mommy-brain much less a preschool-brain to keep track of. And yet, preschoolers are of the age where they are learning not only to remember and recount the events of the past but also to anticipate future glories, like a birthday party, or a visit to the dentist. If your child is waking up every morning asking, "what are we doing today?" then this appealing magnetic calendar may be just the thing. Most preschoolers love magnets to begin with, so on the basis of its 139 illustrated magnets alone, this item is sure to be popular. There is one for every activity and holiday you can think of, and if some are not relevant to your family's routine, it is easy enough to restyle them. The calendar is undated, so with each new month, your kids can help you renumber the days and map out their fun-filled little futures. (less) Review provided by The Savvy Source

  

• Read a clock face and tell time to the hour (show details)

  Sample Core Knowledge Activities

  99 ¢

  Ferris Wheel Expert Created Activity Support your child's sense of clock-wise direction with this ferris wheel and accompanying cut-outs.

  Sample Books and Toys

  $9.99		Toy	Learning Resources Big Time 12-Hour Student Clock Learning Resources LER2095 Learning Resources Big Time Student Clock 12 Hour.
  $11.95		Toy	Big Hand, Little Hand Designed to teach toddlers how to tell time, an appealing set of verses on half-size pages above a clock face take kids through the day, from 6 a.m. to 12 ...more midnight. As preschool children follow the verses they can match the clock's hands with the clocks in each charming illustration. Full color. (less) Review provided by Amazon

  

• Compare duration of events: which takes more or less time (show details)

  Sample Core Knowledge Activities

  99 ¢

  Which Takes Longer? Expert Created Activity Help your child to distinguish between the duration of events with this "Which Takes Longer?" card game.

  Sample Activities

  FREE

  How Long Will It Take To.... Parent Created Activity Developing a sense of the passage of time is difficult for preschoolers. You can help them learn by doing this activity. Have your child estimate how long ...more it will take to do something such as walk to the park or drive to preschool. Use a watch or clock to time how long it really takes, and then compare your child's estimate with the actual time and discuss it with her. If your child estimates it will take 5 hours to drive to preschool, explain that it only took 10 minutes and that 5 hours is a really long time. Continue to do this over time, and your child will feel a sense of accomplishment as her estimates get closer to the actual time. (less)

  Sample Books and Toys

  $38.95		Toy	Time Tracker Keep students on track with programmable electronic timer. Set green, red and yellow lighted sections and six sounds to indicate time remaining. LCD and volume controls. Requires adapter (LPNLER2901), sold ...more separately, or four AA batteries (not included). (less) Review provided by Amazon
  $34.99		Toy	Primary Timers Grades K - 3. Handheld, display on a desk or wear around your neck. Includes storage case.

  

• Sequence events: before and after; first, next, last (show details)

  Sample Core Knowledge Activities

  99 ¢		What Did Joey Do? Expert Created Activity Support your child's ability to sequence events as before, after, first, next, and last with these cut-outs illustrating Joey's day.
  99 ¢		Before & After Expert Created Activity Support your child's understanding of before and after through discussion with these picture pairs.

  Sample Books and Toys

  $19.99		Toy	Melissa and Doug Deluxe Magnetic Calendar Teach kids about holidays and the months of the year with this colorful magnetic activities calendar. With a combination of magnets and wood, 140 pieces depict most holidays and childhood ...more activities. Includes a dry erase board. Measures 16" x 12" when closed; 16" x 24" when open. (less) Review provided by Amazon
  FREE		Toy	Four Step Sequencing Grades Pre K & up. A great way to help children develop skills in sequencing, ordering of events, memory, observation, storytelling, and logical thinking. This 18"W x 13"H portable table ...more top pocket chart set includes 100 thick sequencing tiles, folding stand, and activity guide. (less) Review provided by Amazon

  

• Demonstrate an awareness of the passage of time and of periods of time, as "The Past,The Present," and "The Future" (e.g., organize photos representing timeline of child's own life (show details)

  Sample Core Knowledge Activities

  FREE		Then And Now Expert Created Activity Support your child's understanding and use of past and present tense with these story sequences.
  99 ¢		Growing Up Expert Created Activity Support your child's awareness and understanding of the passage of time with the chronological cut-outs of a girl and her cat.

  Sample Activities

  FREE		Singing Memories Parent Created Activity Here's a fun way I have to help my toddlers remember holidays, visits with family, or outings in the city. I make up songs about each memorable event. ...more You don't have to sing on key to get your kids hooked on these personal songs. You can either create one song and keep adding verses or create different songs with different tunes for each event. (less)
  FREE		Memory Boxes Parent Created Activity This is a fun activity and the outcome is a clever keepsake. Help your child to decorate an old shoe box. You can cover the shoe box with ...more wrapping paper, paint it, or cover it with plain paper that can be decorated with stickers and markers. Once the base is finished, your child can cut out and glue on photos of themselves, their friends, and their family. Once the box has dried, your child will have a unique memory box to fill with small treasures and mementos. (less)

  Sample Books and Toys

  $5.99		Toy	Hanukkah: A Counting Book in English - Hebrew - Yiddish The black background of this book makes the glow of the rainbow-hued candles especially engaging for readers. What is especially clever about this book, though, is that it engages so ...more many different readers, at so many different levels. It can be a simple counting book that goes through the eight nights of Hanukkah, even using some cut-outs for the curious little hands of the youngest set. Or it can be a multilingual primer with languages, alphabets and transliterations all lined up for comparison, for an even more curious mind. Oh, and it also manages to fold in the entire story of the holiday along the way. Amazing! (less) Review provided by The Savvy Source
  $14.99		Toy	Big Book of Dinosaurs You already know how much we love nursery rhymes, so it won't come as a surprise when we salute this lovely collection of Latin American poems, songs, rhymes for children. ...more Many of the Spanish language children's books available today are translations of familiar English titles (Buenas Noches, Luna, anyone?) which is just fine. But it's ever so much more fun and instructive, we think, to read verse in the original (and an English translation is provided on the opposite page in case your high school vocab fails you). You tots will pick up a bit of culture as well as a bit of language, and greatly enjoy these rollicking rhymes and the sweet illustrations that go along with them. (less) Review provided by The Savvy Source

  

• Establish reference points in time (e.g., getting dressed, going to the park, eating dinner) (show details)

  Sample Core Knowledge Activities

  99 ¢

  Morning, Afternoon, Night Expert Created Activity Support your child's undersanding and use of the language of time with this morning, afternoon, night sorting activity with cut-outs.

  Sample Activities

  FREE

  Paper Plate Clock Parent Created Activity Write the numbers 1 through 12 on the outer edge of a white paper plate. Create hands for the clock by cutting off two half-inch wide strips of black ...more poster board. Make one strip three inches tall and the other five inches tall. Cut off two small triangles from the black poster board. Glue one to the end of each of the strips of poster board. Line up the ends of the two strips of poster board that don't have a triangle glued to them. Poke a closed paper fastener through the pieces of poster board. Then, poke a small hole in the center of the plate. Push the fastener through the hole and spread out the prongs on the back of the plate. Arrange the hands of the clock to the correct time and explain to your child that the shorter hand represents the hour and the longer hand represents the minute. You can use this tool to help your child learn how to tell time or you can set the paper plate clock to an important time (like when a friend will be coming over to play) and then set it next to a real clock so that your child can begin to understand the passage of time. (less)

  

• Name and locate the city, town, city or community, as well as the state where you live (show details)

  Sample Core Knowledge Activities

  99 ¢

  Where I live! Expert Created Activity

  Sample Books and Toys

  $6.99		Toy	Me on the Map "Using the premise that simple drawings can be maps, the book begins with crayon drawings of the floor plans of the girl's room and house. The concept becomes progressively more ...more complex, as her horizons expand from home to street, to town, to state, to country, and finally to the world".--"School Library Journal". Full color. (less) Review provided by Amazon
  $6.99		Toy	As the Crow Flies: A First Book of Maps Maps -- they help you get where you want to go. People use road maps to find their way. These maps show miles of highways that point out the right ...more direction. But what about the crow? What kind of map does he use? Or the eagle, the rabbit, the horse, and the sea gull? What's on their maps? (less) Review provided by Amazon