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If you have been in the Arrows & applesauce community for any length of time, you know I love morning basket time. Starting our day reading together as a group is such a sweet time of conversation and learning. Group learning is not only a huge time saver when educating multiple ages, but it’s also so rewarding to see how much the younger ones grasp. And it’s so encouraging to witness the bond formed between siblings. I’m always looking for ways to enrich this morning time together and I think the new addition of our Morning Menu is going to be a great fit. And it’s an editable file, so you can join in with us!
What’s a Morning Menu?
A Morning Menu is a selection of simple skills laid out in a daily format for little ones to practice. Plastic menu covers (yep, just like at restaurants) are used to make the daily activities dry-erase and easy to wipe clean. Just slide the pages in and you’re able to cover multiple topics quickly and effectively. I really like these dry-erase markers to use with them because they have thinner tips and an attached eraser.
Here’s what we will cover in our Morning Menu:
Weather
Daily weather predictions are exciting since Flash and Little Dude (ages 5 and 7) are super interested in this topic! Squeaks loves to record daily high and low temperatures. I offer multiple weather activities but this one is perfect for a simple dry-erase pocket. Plus the crazy cute little weather artwork is pure sunshine no matter what the weather outside is like. There’s also a section for recording the current season. I’m sure my kids aren’t the only ones who ask weekly if it’s summer yet.
Calendar Work
Reviewing the months of the year and days of the week is good practice, along with writing out the date (fully written and abbreviated) and practicing telling time. Just solid daily skills! My Apple Snacks monthly subscription pages include a traceable monthly calendar that will easily slip into this routine as well.
Vital Information
Things like writing out their full name (basically a mini version of my full editable name activity set), address, and important phone numbers- again, important life skills and a matter of safety if you ask me. Every child should know their vital information in the unfortunate event of an emergency. And just an FYI, all of this is easily editable. Just type in your info. to fit your needs using the free version of Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader.
Also included is birthday practice! Another frequently asked question- “How many weeks until my birthday?”. Now easily answered along with a little extra date writing and penmanship practice.
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Daily Emotions
I’m not one to give emotions a lot of weight in daily conversations. However, helping kids recognize the way they’re feeling and addressing it in a solidly Biblical way is helpful. Should they circle the angry face – Proverbs 15:1 “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” James 1:19-20 “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” Not just throwing Bible verses at them, but being able to recognize and address their emotions appropriately. Self-control is definitely a life skill. Being able to witness and rejoice when they feel loved, confident, and even silly helps me to be an encouraging mom!
Memorization
Also included in the Morning Menu set are multiple pages for working on memorization. There’s a Bible verse page, a page for song lyrics, and a general memory work page for poetry, math facts, definitions- anything you’d like to practice memorizing. Each has a large area to customize to your needs. I will more than likely use the Bible verse page to practice our Awana verses each week. Music has been something I’ve always wanted to add to our morning routine and hopefully, this page will help us accomplish that a bit easier.
Get Your EDITABLE Morning Menu Set Here!
Really I think this Morning Menu set will be the cherry on top of our morning basket sunday and a perfect compliment to my Apple Snacks pages (again, that traceable calendar fits right in, and the coloring activities are perfect for keeping little hands busy while I read aloud). I’m excited to add this into our routine and sharpen these important skills!
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