Learning with George: Circles

Keeping a three year old entertained and stimulated can be a tricky business. There's also a lot of guilt involved. Some days you feel completely useless. George is at the stage where he is a sponge for information, everything you say and do he soaks it up. It means we have to be very careful what we say, it also gives us the opportunity to teach him really fun things.

In the past week we have talked a lot about circles. Spotting them on our walks and in bedtime stories. On a daytrip to London and eating them.

Our trip to The Obliteration Room was perfect. Circles everywhere!

George was so proud of himself for spotting the clock face circle on Big Ben.

.. and the little circles on the blossom. He calls trees with blossom "snow trees".

 This photo is refusing to load the right way round! 'Spot the circle' (Puy Lentil) soup and circle bread.

 So many circles in London: Train/car/bus wheels, gates. fences, statues; we ate Polo mints on the train and spent a long time looking at each other through our straws at lunchtime. Such fun from something so simple.

Circle Activities:

Circle Shopping 
Use an old shoe box or basket and go shopping round the house for circles. Find things like CDs, money, selotape, lids, watches/clocks, cookie cutters; anything circular. Then talk about them; point out details like the circle inside a circle on a DVD, about size differences etc

Possibly lay them out inside a big hula hoop.

Circle Spotting
Come up with a circular treat- chocolate buttons are perfect and give one either every time they spot a circle on a car journey or if they find more than say, 5 circles on a walk.
Talk about wheels, clocks, coins etc


Circle Food
Bake a cake or biscuits and talk about the tin shape and the final product.
Use a circular cookie cutter for sandwiches/toast
Slice vegetables such as carrots/courgettes/cucumber etc
Make your own pizzas

We've really enjoyed circle week. Every now and then I might share other themes with you. If you think it's fun. It also reminds me to make sure we do it.