Parents

In January, kiddos learned about gold and its importance in American history and panned for fool's gold. There are many places in Colorado to take a day trip and try your luck at panning for gold yourself! For instance, gold has been found along the South Platte River near Denver, and if you want to travel a little further, Clear Creek is also known for gold panning.

Travel west along I-70 to Idaho Springs or Georgetown, bring your pan and begin your search for gold! Find a spot along the water’s edge where the water is not too deep and moves quickly enough to keep the water clear from the panning. Make sure the water isn’t moving too fast! Fill your pan about half way and submerge 2/3 of your pan in the water. Shake it vigorously and search for gold flakes or gold nuggets. It is more likely you will find gold flakes so keep a close watch.

During Wild West Month, children dressed up as outlaws and made wanted posters. Playing dress up is a timeless activity that encourages imagination, enhances language and develops fine motor skills in children.

Some great items to have in a dress up box are hats, aprons, scarves, sunglasses, ties, shoes, crowns, costume jewelry, purses and vests. Follow your child’s lead in dramatic play by joining in on the fun. Let him or her pick out your dress up outfit. After dressing up, try putting on some music and dancing at a pretend ball! This activity will spark laughter, imagination and great memories to last a lifetime.

During the January program, families sang songs around a kid-friendly campfire. Cowboys are known for sleeping under the stars and telling stories, so try having your very own Ol' West bedtime with your child! 

Cut out stars of all shapes and sizes and let your child glue tin foil to the stars to make them shine. Help your child hang the stars from the ceiling above his or her bed. When bedtime comes around, gaze up at the stars together and try an “add-on” bedtime story.  The “add-on” story starts with you. For example, “Back in the Ol' West, there was a cowboy who rode a _____ , ” and your child fills in the blank.  Your child can add the next part of the story, and then it can go back to you. Take turns to make a silly and imaginative story together. This can become a great bedtime tradition!

 

In January, kids created a quilt block. Quilting is just one of many types of fiber arts. You can explore other fiber arts by creating your own fabric dye with this simple Kool-Aid Fabric Dye recipe.

You will need 2 to 4 packs of unsweetened Kool-Aid, a 1/2 cup of white vinegar and one gallon of cold water. Then follow these directions:

1. Presoak fabric in room-temperature water for 20–30 minutes.
2. Stir Kool-Aid, vinegar and cold water in a pot large enough to hold fabric and dye mix.
3. Place fabric in dye and the pot onto the stove. Bring to simmer for 15-30 minutes until desired color appears. Let sit until it cools to room temperature.
4. Once cooled, fill large bowl with room temperature water, place dyed fabric in bowl and squeeze fabric to rinse. Continue with clean water until fabric squeezes out clear water.
5. Line/flat dry and enjoy!

In Make Believe Matinee, we brought the Wild West to life. You can write and act out your own cowboy and cowgirl stories at home. First, you will need 7 pieces of paper; each page will have a purpose:

1. Cover page
2. Author page (to write their own name)
3. Page one should be a picture of the author
4. Page two will explain where the story takes place (Cowboy town)
5. Page three describes the problem (bank robbed, etc.)
6. Page four explains how to fix the problem
7. Page 5 tells whether the problem was solved

When the story is written, the play can begin. Act out the story by using your imagination and see what other parts of the story come about! The play can be repeated, but its sure to be different every time.