June 23: Resources

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share some resources that may be helpful for you over the summer.

First, Autism Calgary has a list of COVID-19 online resources that includes contact info for support groups in Calgary, FSCD info, sites for children, and mental health resources: https://autismcalgary.com/covid19resources/

Autism Calgary also has a Keeping It Together (KIT) Mother's Group and Father's Autism Network (FAN) Group: https://autismcalgary.com/kit/
https://autismcalgary.com/fan/

The Autism Awareness Centre website is another great resource to find info on upcoming conferences and training sessions, books and products, and articles and blog posts from Maureen Bennie, creator of the Autism Awareness Centre and mother to two adults with autism in Calgary: https://autismawarenesscentre.com

Between Friends has a list of at-home resources for families: https://betweenfriends.ab.ca/at-home-resources-for-families/

Finally, Calgary's Child Magazine has a list of summer camps with at-home and in-person options: https://calgaryschild.com/resources/summer-camp-program-guide-2020

June 16: Art activities

Check out some fun summer art activities below!

1. Sidewalk Chalk Paint

Materials needed:

• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 2/3 cup water
• Food colouring

Steps:

• Mix together the water and cornstarch and stir until the cornstarch dissolves.
• Divide the paint mixture into the wells of a muffin tin or similar painting tray.
• Add Food colouring to achieve desired colours.
• Have fun painting the sidewalk!

2. Shoe fish

Materials needed:

• Shoe
• Pencil
• Piece of paper
• Crayons or markers
• Watercolour paint (optional)

Steps:

• Have child trace shoe onto paper.
• Using the shoe outline as the fish, decorate the fish by adding fins, gills, eyes, mouth, and scales.
• When drawing is complete, colour the fish with markers or create a crayon resist drawing (painting over crayon).

3. Fruit and Vegetable Painting

Materials needed:

• Paint or ink
• Sponges
• Cookie tray 
• Paintbrushes
• Water 
• Fruits and vegetables of all kinds (some good ones are: mushrooms, cauliflower, tomatoes, peppers, apples)

Steps:

• Dip fruits and vegetables into paint or ink and stamp them onto paper.
• You may instead wish to apply paint or ink directly to veg/fruit with a paintbrush.
• Have fun making cool patterns!

4. Pool noodle sailboats

Materials needed:

• Pool noodles
• Paper for sails (cut into triangles)
• Straws
• Large plastic container (to put sailboats in)
• Water
• Scissors

Steps:

• Cut pool noodles into 2-3 inch segments.
• Cut straws in half.
• Cut two small slits into triangle pieces (one near the top and one near the bottom to slide straw through).
• Slide straw into triangle piece (sail).
• Push sail into pool noodle.
• Place boats in water and sail away, Captain!

June 12: Art activities

Hi everyone,

I want to spend the next few blog posts sharing some fun and easy summer art activities you could try at home with your child.

1. Painting with various objects

Materials needed:

• Washable Paint

• Open containers to put paint in

• Water balloons (half full)

• Fruit/vegetables 

• Toilet paper rolls (bottom half cut in strips)

• Any stamp you would like to use

• Paper to stamp on

Steps:

• Set out multiple containers with various paint colours in them.

• Dip your chosen stamp into the paint and stamp onto your paper.

• Be creative and create your own masterpiece!

2) Coffee filter butterlies

Materials needed:

• Tissue paper (cut in small squares/all colours)

• Coffee filters (round) or white paper (cut into circles)

• Water

• Spray bottles or paint brushes

• Pipe cleaners

NOTE: Some tissues papers are non-bleeding. You want the paper that is labeled "colours bleed when wet".

Steps:

• Take coffee filter (or paper cut to shape) and have children spray or paint completely with water.

• Place squares of tissue paper on wet paper or coffee filter.

• Let dry about 15 minutes.

• Remove tissue paper and the colors will remain.

• Take the pipe cleaner and wrap it around the center of the filter and bend ends to look like antenna. Cut to length and glue (if using the paper).

• You could also have children put tissue paper on one side only, fold paper in half and have the colours transfer from one side to the other with the coffee filters…one placed on top of the other (with tissue paper in between) will also transfer the colours from one to the other spray bottle and paint brushes give the children different small motor experiences.

3) Rock Painting

Materials needed:

• Rocks
• Paint
• Sharpies

Steps:

• Pick smooth, flat rocks.
• Wash and dry the rocks before decorating them.
• Paint your design on top using coloured sharpies and apply several coats. Let dry between layers.
• Use thin tip sharpies for details.

June 4: Predictable chart writing at home

Before classroom closures, our students were participating in a daily literacy program called predictable chart writing. CBE's support services for inclusive learning have created a document for families to try and do predictable chart writing at home with their children. I will share that information below: