Popcorn Jars

The boys have been busy getting ready for the holiday season, as we all have been.  Today's project was popcorn jars.  I love this project because it is simple, economical & a great gift that the boys can make themselves.  Our list has grown this year and I felt like the kitchen was a little factory at one point, but the boys enjoyed it all & since I didn't have time to make dinner, it became a pizza night (all the better in their eyes).

For this project we just needed a jar, a sticky label (for the front that the boys could decorate), some popcorn & then our secret ingredient (just kidding), a ziploc bag & cinnamon & sugar.  We mix some cinnamon & sugar together but it in the ziploc bag & then put it in the top of the jar.  This way when the receiver opens his or her gift then can have a sweet treat (the only trick is to add the cinnamon & sugar mixture when the popcorn is HOT!

This was a great project to work on measuring, stirring & pouring.  It also gives the boys a great sense of accomplishment to realize that they made this, all by themselves.

HIDE & SEEK BOTTLES

So, we had a little rainy day fun today.  We made hide and seek bottles and the boys loved them (the little guys I watch part-time - my two are a little old for this project).  

First we got some plastic bottles out of the recycle bin.  The boys chose which ones they wanted & were very excited to hunt for them.  We then gathered different little items that I had laying around.  You know all those little toys you step on in the middle of the night & wonder where they came from & why you let them stay in your house.

So, first we poured in the little toys and then we poured in the rice.  I actually glued the lids on just to make sure they did not come open (although a tight twist would have probably 

done the trick for these little ones). 

Then the shaking and the hiding and

the seeking began.   

This was a fun project and I have found that it is a great car toy!

The Building Museum, AGAIN!

We hit the National Building Museum again!  They have a great architectural exhibit with Legos.  This exhibit was awesome.  The first part of the exhibit had some great sculptures, like the Eiffel Tower, the Seattle Space Needle, the White House and many more.  The exhibit entailed how many hours it took to design the creation & then how long it took to build it, as well as how many Legos it contains.

The boys were quite amazed by all of this.  I think they were caught off guard by all the planning it took, which made for a great conversation about planning out things.

  

But the best was yet to come!  After "seeing" the exhibit, they got to play with the exhibit.  The museum had an entire room of Legos for the kids to play with.  The kids were in heaven & best of all.  The museum was basically empty when we were there (only 3 other kids in this entire exhibit).  The kids then built many different designs & then placed them on the "city grid".  They had a great time & could of stay there for half the day (but I dragged them out after almost 2 hours), alas we had to meet Dad for lunch (one of the perks of coming to DC for sightseeing is getting to meet up with Dad).

                     And yes, they are wearing their Halloween Outfits. 

The Montessori Method by Maria Montessori

I thought this book was very informative.  Although I could of never read it.  Thank goodness for audiobooks.  We have gone on a few road trips to visit family and friends over the last few weeks and this was a great thing to listen to.  A nice change from the music & the hum of the DVD player in the backseat (5 hours later).  

I really enjoyed finding out how all of this started & what was her motivation behind it all.  The best is that even after 100 or so years it is just as effective with today's kids, nothing like the basics.

Handwriting Without Tears

I just took the Handwriting Without Tears program.  It is one of the best programs around, in my opinion, for teaching proper strokes in a fun, developmentally appropriate way.  I have been using it with my sons, as well as some of my oldest son's classmates (on my volunteer days at his school).

For very young children  who are just beginning to understand the concept of what a letter is, the program uses wooden pieces that can be manipulated to form the capital letters.   The neat thing is that children learn that all capital letters are made up of big lines, little lines, big curves, or little curves. I have been using the wooden pieces along with some letter mats (control cards) that I ordered from the company.

You can see what I have set up so far for my sons.  I have a basket which contains the wooden pieces, the foam mat and the control cards for all the capital letters, and a tray with a magic slate and magnetic wooden pieces (more on this below).

To do this work, the child gets a rug and places the basket of wooden pieces on it along with the tray that has the foam mat and control cards.  The foam mat is placed on the rug.  Next to it they place the white mat for the letter they wish to make.  You can't see it well, but the HWT program uses a little smiley face in the top left corner to show children where to start their letters.  It is referred to as the "starting corner".  That is important, because so often children start their letters from the bottom and get into bad habits that are hard to reverse.

In case you are reading this wondering why it matters where they start the letters, I will give you my two cents.  In the finished product (finished letter on the page) it doesn't necessarily matter how they form it as long as it's legible.  However, the goal is being able to write fluently enough to be able to express yourself with handwriting.  Starting at the top and going to the bottom allows for the most efficient way to build such fluency.  If you are starting any old place when you  make any given letter, fluency will be affected or reduced which slows kid's way down & causes more of a struggle as they get older.

This is the Stamp and See Screen.  This is like a Magnadoodle for those of you who know what that is.  This one is made by the HWT company.  It comes with 4 magnetic wooden pieces (big line, little line, big curve, little curve).

In the first step I used the wooden pieces (with a magnetic side) to form
a capital D.  Once removed  they leave an impression on the screen.  This can then be traced with the finger or with the little yellow "chalk" piece that is attached.  The little yellow chalk is angled on the end and short to force little fingers to use a proper tripod grip when holding it.

For anyone (especially "Montessorians" reading this) who is wondering if I have abandoned teaching letter formation with the sandpaper letters, the answer is NO!  I still use the sandpaper letters to introduce the sounds and to practice correct formation of lowercase letters.  However, since I don't have any uppercase sandpaper letters, this will provide a nice balance to what I already have.  (Please see my previous entries on Sandpaper Letters).

SPOT IT

What a great new game!  This game is by Blue Orange Games and is a great easy portable "card" game.  It can be played about 4 different ways.  Although my guys can only handle one way right now.  It is recommended for kids 7 and up, but my guys are 4 & 5 and do well with the easiest version of the game.

There is one and only one matching symbol on each card.  The trick is to be the first to find it.  The trick is they are in a different order & a different size on each of the cards.  

This is a great game, it is quick & easy.  It is great for matching skills & visual perception. There is always sure to be laughter (from the kids towards the Mom when she can not find the symbol).  We love to take it out to dinner with us (makes waiting go just a bit quicker, although my guys can get a bit loud as they get wrapped up in the game).

Sandpaper Numbers & Matching

I love how little people can just come up with their "own" work of matching.  The other day one of the little guys I watch a few days a week decided that he wanted to get out the Sandpaper numbers (which he has done before) and work with them.  He then got out the "number sticks" as I call them (one of my thrift store finds).  These two items had never been presented together.  And actually the "number sticks" had never been presented at all, however, they are on the shelf next to the Sandpaper numbers.

These "number sticks" have a numeral on one side and the number of dots on the other side, each one is incrementally longer than the one before.

So, O got both items out and put them on the rug and began working.  His first order of business was to put the numbers in order.  He then used the "number sticks" and matched them with the correct number, starting at number one and working his way up, very systematically.

         

Let's Move Workshop Review

I participated in a Montessori Workshop a few weekends ago that was hosted by Washington Montessori Institute at Loyola.  It was great.  I am still fairly new to the Montessori community without any formal training, so when I go to these types of workshops I soak it all up.  I talk to tons of people, listen and take notes.  This workshop had about 80 people at it, from over 15 different schools, so before it even started I new it was going to be well worth my time & energy.  

The workshop was titled "Let's Move" and focused on the importance of movement in the classroom.  The morning speaker went over Walking the Line and the importance of doing it correctly. This is an important aspect of Practical Life lessons,  in learning to move carefully around the room. Children often carry things that must not be dropped.  When "Walking the Line" children are trying to carefully balance along a line on the floor, becoming aware of their ever changing body. This activity develops gross motor control. Further lessons involve walking on the line  heal to toe, while carrying flags, cups of water, bells and other materials. 

The afternoon session that I was a part of involved Aspects of movement in practical life, sensorial and the everyday life of the Primary community.  This covered some new preliminary exercises that would ready the children for more complicated tasks in the future (i.e. pouring pre-measured water from pitcher to pitcher - this could then lead to pouring out of a larger pitcher into a glass). 

Grace & Courtesy, Sensorial Games & movement in the everyday life of the class - small & large groups was also covered (i.e. fingerplays, clapping games, songs & poems).

A great day, lots learned, very excited about the next workshop in January.

Cooking with My Kid

My new favorite website!!!!

Coookingwithmykid.com 

This website is awesome.  It has all the things I like, most of what I already do, but it also has great recipes.  I am definitely a visual person & will never cook anything without a picture (My husband thinks this is completely nuts & makes fun of this, since he is a great cook.  He can open the fridge & create dinner in 30 minutes flat from any of the contents.  Yes, I did take that into consideration when marrying him, lucky me).   This website is great for step by step, good pictures of the finished product as well as pictures along the way.  My boys love helping me cook but they also like to look at the site and help decide what we are going to make.

 

 My boys and I have tried a few of the recipes, the latest being Turkey Meatballs.  So, if you are wondering what you should make for dinner tonight, you should give it a try.

Turkey Meatballs (recipe from website), sweet potato fries (baked with olive oil & salt & pepper), fresh spinach w/ tomatoes sauteed w/ a little salt & pepper.  Mmm goood (& better yet the boys ate it up).

Let's Move!

I am scheduled to attend another workshop.  This one is about movement and is being held by the Washington Montessori Institute @ Loyola.  I am very jazzed about this considering my love of movement & what a part in plays in mine & my children's lives.

Movement plays an essential role in the development of the young child, especially in cognitive learning. The workshop will look at the role of movement in learning, and the movement experiences of the child in the primary environment. We will also review walking on the line, how to make an ellipse and enjoy other movement activities. Teachers and assistants will work together throughout the day and explore ways to make movement an integral part of the child’s school experience.

Thanksgiving Placemats!

We have spent lots of time talking about Thanksgiving and the story behind it & how everyone gathers at the table to celebrate around a good meal.  That then led to a conversation about how "we" could make the table look pretty and inviting for everyone.

So that said we decided to make placemats for everyone (& they can even take them home if they want to).  This was a simple project that the boys absolutely loved (last year we did it & made Christmas trees).

I started with light canvas from the fabric store, pinking shears, brown yarn & paint.  I cut the canvas in the size of a placemat with the pinking shears.  Then I made a pattern in glue of the tree.  While I was doing this I had the boys cut yarn into long pieces & short pieces and separate them into piles. They did a great job, as we talked about sizes.

Then we started talking about different types of trees & what happens to them in the fall & winter.Then we were off, they had a blast with this project and they did a great job. We added a bit of color so everyone be on the look out for those purple and blue leaves this fall.  These will make a great addition to our Thanksgiving table.

We hope you have a great Thanksgiving with your family & friends!

The Montessori Method and the Exploration of the Montessori Classroom

I have been going to a series of workshops that were designed to introduce the historical development of the Montessori movement and its subsequent impact on education.  This included an introduction to the Montessori educational philosophy, an introduction to the Montessori classroom and an exploration of the carefully planned environment designed to foster the child's growth and development. 

I have found these workshops very informative and the kids have been benefiting directly (and immediately) from them. I can see the kids thriving from all of this, so it is all good in my book.

Roasting Pumpkin Seeds!

A popular sugar-free snack can be made by roasting pumpkin seeds.  The boys had a great time scooping these out and were anxious to know what they would taste like once we seasoned & cooked them (and they were delicious).

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

• Separate the seeds of one pumpkin from the flesh and ‘strings’
• In a large bowl of water, wash them well, rubbing them between your hands.
• Spread on paper towels to dry
• Preheat oven to 325F
• Spread dry seeds on a cookie sheet and lightly brush them with 4 Tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil
• Sprinkle with a mixture of 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of allspice
• Bake in oven for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown
• Let cool before eating

Camping in the Backyard

Yes, we have been camping in the great outdoors, much further then our own backyard.  But some of the best adventures are close to home.  The boys asked if they could help put up the tent in the backyard and I said "Sure!"

So, the boys actually helped set up the tent.  Explaining to me how the poles go together & where we should put the tent.  Once the tent was up they were quick to move in.  They seemed to think of it as a bedroom/playroom combined.  Sleeping bags, crayola glowboard, bedside table, books & of course rechargeable flashlights.*

The tent became their "Hid Ot" for a few days, complete with sign and all.  By the end of it (4 days), it was quite a task to clean it out.  As it had all the above named stuff plus some additional board games, clothes & toys in it. .

*These flashlights are from Brookstone  and they are awesome.  They are actually called a "Twist Light" and they are a little expensive at $25 a pop.  But my boys love them (they were a gift) and I don't have to replace batteries.  They are just the right size, not to little to lose, not big and bulky & always ready to go ( or sometimes only a few twists away).

The National Building Museum

The National Building Museum is awesome! Talk about a cool place to explore, this museum was right up my boys alley.  They instantly made themselves at home & started building.  As they built we talked about how tall things could be, how wide the base would need to be, what type of material is easiest to build with or which one is the sturdiest.  The boys are already asking when we get to go back.

Learning So Much

I am currently in an Orton-Gillingham Tutoring Course.  It is so interesting, the instructor is great and I am learning so much.  It will definitely be an asset when I re-enter the teaching world.

So far we have covered, the letter sounds (noisy or quiet).  We have been learning about the neuropathways  of the brain & how they need to be connected to work efficiently.  I am definitely adding to my little bag of trips (and my montessori experience will definitely come in handy).  Tonight the instructor was talking about Sandpaper letters (because some in the class had never heard of them).

Waiting for Superman

I went to see "Waiting for Superman" today and I have to say that as an educator (and a mom) it was very scary and very inspiring.  Scary in that my kids are going to be a product of the American school system. Inspiring in that I am an educator and I can make it better (in my own little piece of the world).  I wish the movie had talked a bit more about the middle class (although I know that would not have been as much of an attention getter).  

They did talk a little about one child that wanted to get into a charter high school (and she did).  I have to admit that I love the idea of Charter schools.  We just recently moved and my oldest son currently goes to our local public school because it is a good one, but when we lived in the city I was on the founders committee to one of Baltimore's first charter schools.  I am very proud of that school and all of the work that has gone into making it what it is.  There are times that I still wish we lived in the neighborhood, so my boys could go to such a diverse and committed school.  

I love the idea that parent's have such an invested stake in what goes on in the school.  Not that my son's current local school doesn't, because it does.  It also has parent volunteers like crazy.  My son's class has a volunteer every day of the week for the next two months (and I am only in there once every other week).  If I had that many volunteers when I was teaching I would have been doing backflips!

Anyway, if you are invested in your child's future (and I know we all are) you should see this movie.  It is an eye opener, even if it is a bit of a downer at some points (you want it to all be okay for everyone & it's not). 

Dinosaur Footprints

My youngest is way into Dinosaurs.  This is something I have encouraged right from the beginning since it is one of the first things that he showed an interest in on his own, without following his older brother's lead.  So needless to say we have lots of dinosaur books, puzzles (flat and 3-D), stickers, eggs, cookie cutters, etc...  This summer he even went to a half day dinosaur day camp at our local science center.  He had a bast!

So the other day as he was reading one of his books, he came across a project and asked if we could do it.  I thought it was an awesome idea.  Well, the first part of the project was "all Mom".  Unfortunately the potatoes were to hard to cut on their own (my older son definitely wanted in on this fun).  So, I cut the potatoes in half, drew the print on them and started carving.  I was actually amazed that I got through 4 prints and did not cut myself.

(Then my older son asked if I could carve out the letters of his name (which I thought was an awesome idea), so of course I did both the boys names & still managed not to cut myself.  If you knew me you would realize what an accomplishment this really is!)

At first I was just going to get out some of our large paper out of our art drawer, but remembered the roll of paper that I had in the basement.  So, I rolled the paper our onto the driveway & let the boys go at it.  WHAT FUN!

They printed one at a time, mismatched them up, printed two at a time & even though about attaching them to their feet and hands (but decided that they would probably break them & we were out of potatoes, so they couldn't make anymore (never mind the fact that Mom was not carving anything else, after carving 12 potatoes).

We even compared "our" footprints to Dinosaur footprints.  This was  a blast as my guys are always quick to paint themselves.  They had a great conversation between themselves about toes & shapes of feet & how Dinosaurs "real" feet would be lots bigger & what could we carve the footprints out of next time that would be bigger.  Every once in a while they would throw a question out to me.  Most of the time I didn't know the answer and let them know we would have to look it up in one of "A's" books or head to the internet.

What a great afternoon of fun!

Kid's Calendar

This calendar is great.  It is so hands on & the boys can add whatever they want to it as the month goes on.You can pick one up at Target for about $10.  Although I got this one at the thrift store (new) for $2.50.  And I have seen it there (not always new) multiple times.  

Anyway, every month we get to redo it, so it is great that we can talk about months of the year, days of the week and numbers.  We also get to discuss what fun stuff is coming up.  This includes, holidays, birthdays, parties, trips to the museum or the zoo.  It has been the perfect addition to our pantry door (right below "my" calendar).  The kid's then have the opportunity to reference it & see how long it will be until something comes up.

Little Jobs

I love that my boys love doing little jobs.  They give them a great feeling of satisfaction because they love to do them (because they ask to do them).  They are also now at the point of being very helpful (and actually time saving for me). 

This does take a little bit of foot work for a while.  What do I mean you ask?  Well you have to slow down and let them do "their job", at "their" pace & "their" way.  This took me a little time at first, because my instinct would be, "Let me do it, because I can get it finished quickly."  But what does that accomplish?  A disappointed child & a Mom who is tired because everything falls to me to do.

So, now I watch my sons do things like; put away their clothes (upstairs), feed the dog, clean up the playroom, "make" their beds,  bring their laundry downstairs,  gather up their library books, clear their dishes from the dinner table, fill up their own water cups, get their own snacks and help with the recycling.  

Now if I could just get them to go to the grocery store, make dinner and mow the lawn!

Struggling with Kindergarten

I wish I could homeschool our kids, I really do!  My oldest son, "J" went off to Kindergarten a few weeks ago and is really struggling.  I think it is a variety of things actually, but I find it very frustrating.  I have 2 sons that are 15 months apart.  We are a little threesome when Dad is at work.  We go everywhere together & do so much "stuff".  I have been lucky enough to be at home with both J & A since the day there were born.  But the plan has always been for me to go back to work when A is in kindergarten (which is next year, fall of 2011).

Anyway, we moved to a new neighborhood last year, which I love (not far from the city we were living downtown in). They have great schools, lots of parks, & plenty of kids all around.  I discovered the Montessori Method & realized how much I was already applying it to our family life.  My kids have gone to a playbased preschool two mornings a week (we had J there 2 full days last spring) for the past few years & I have done oodles with them at home.  They love to discover new stuff.

J has always been independent, so going to Kindergarten would be a breeze I thought.  I wish we could of done a Montessori school but they are all to expensive at the moment.  I am currently looking into employment at some of those schools to see what my possibilities would be for when I return to work next year (I was a teacher before being a SAHM).  Anyway, J is struggling.  He doesn't like being there all day (all-day Kindergarten is all that is offered in our state in public school), he doesn't like not being able to explore, he wants to be "doing stuff" with A & me. 

I try to down play what A and I do while he is gone, but he is smart & after 5 1/2 years of being on the go (museums, parks, libraries, activities, going to DC to visit Dad at work), he knows we don't sit around at home.  I feel so bad because I feel I am doing him an injustice.  I don't know whether or not I should homeschool him.  Should I give him some more time to adjust?  He doesn't really know a lot of kids yet.  I am not sure if I will keep them at this school or move them next year to wear ever I am teaching (it all depends on the job).

But the other day he came home with new pants on & I asked what happened.  He told me he wet his pants.  He is almost 6 (in Nov.) & I can't remember the last time he had an accident!  He has been fully potty trained since he was an early 3.  Not sure what to do, I hate feeling so up in the air.  But I don't want to create instability or teach him that I will solve every problem that he doesn't like.

Sandpaper Letters & Sand Tracing

1. Choose two letters that contrast in shape and sound. The letters  you choose should be very different so that they are easy to distinguish. For example, you might select "t" and "s." The letters should be placed in front of the child so that they can be easily viewed and touched.  

2. The letters should be traced in the direction that they will be written. Trace one of the letters with your pointer and index finger while saying the sound of the letter. Do this a few times so that it is clear to the child what you are doing. The student may start making the sound with you.  

3. Have the child trace the letter, just as you did. While he is tracing, continue to make the phonetic sound of the letter. The student may also start making the sound, but if he does not, that is okay. Once he has  done the first letter, do the same thing with the second.

4. Next test the child's recall. You can do this by placing both letters in front of him and then instruct him to, find the 't' (or 's') and feel it.  Repeat this step as many times as necessary. 

5. Now you are going to add in phonetic sounds. Place both letters in front of the child and have him feel each letter while he is making the proper sound. Let him switch back and forth or continue with one letter for a while, as he prefers. The important thing is that he is clear about what sound goes with what letter.    

6. This lesson can continue over subsequent days. Each day, you can add a few more letters. Your child should be working with an expanding repertoire of letters during each lesson. If he appears to be overwhelmed or gets confused, you can slow down and focus on the letters she already knows until he is more comfortable & confident.

7.  Once they are comfortable and confident in their letters and tracing them on the board itself.  More one to tracing the letters in the sand.  This lets them visually & independently transfer what they have been practicing on the board into the sand.

Learning to Read in Montessori

I found some great You Tube videos that I have been utilizing with my youngest son in regard to reading.  I have included the first link, however, there are 8 short videos (from 1 - 2 minutes).  They are great and will give you endless ideas on how to work with your young ones.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHfnRtSIhS4&feature=related

(Also under the name: Learning to Read in Montessori).

More Patterns!

This was a simple project for me to make & for my boys to do.  The one thing my son likes is that you can create patterns in more than one way.  For example, you can line the blocks up or you can build them upwards which A discovered & thought was really cool.

To make this set, all I did was take some old wooden blocks (that I found at a thrift store) & paint each side a different color (making for, 4 different colors & lots of pattern possibilities).  The other neat thing is that "two little" blocks  equal "one big" block.

Finding The Good Stuff

Counting Bears  (Walmart $4.00)

For many of us buying "authentic" montessori materials from one of the online stores is not going to happen on a regular basis.  However, I am quickly finding out that between a few online stores (such as MontessoriOutlet.com) a few websites with free print outs  (montessoriforeveryone.com or montessorimom.com) and my love for thrift stores is really paying off when it comes to collecting activities for my kids to learn & play with.

Wooden counting strips (found at a thrift store for $1.81)

I have found many games in thrift stores that are a fraction of what you would pay in Target or Kohl's & are in perfect shape.  I have also found many things that I am learning to adapt (trays (50 cents) for the sand for use with Sandpaper Letters) or blocks (that cost me $1.81) that I painted and used for working on patterns. I also went to Micheal's to get the supplies for a counting activity (wooden circles & popsicle sticks) & for the counting caterpillar.

Melissa & Doug Pizza ($3.50).  Great for sorting or dividing.

I am also a big fan of Melissa & Doug toys which I seem to find quite often at thrift stores (or on Craigslist).  I like there basic design, the fact that they are wood and that you have to use your imagination.  That said I have found a Melissa & Doug Pizza, Cake & Sushi.  I also have found Plan Toys animals & vegetables.  All of these have been great for playing kitchen or restaurant as well as learning to split things up (in half, thirds or sixths).

Orton Gillingham Training

I am excited to be enrolling in an Orton-Gillingham training course next week.  Orton-Gillingham is a multi-sensory approach to teaching reading, writing, and spelling.  It meshes beautifully with Montessori.  I really think this will enhance my educational background & give me even more skills to work with children.

I look forward to sharing some of the basics of phonological awareness, including activities and games, with everyone in the future, little by little as I continue my blog. 

BIG BOOKS!

I love big books and so do kids!  They are so engaging and for many kids they are a new novelty.  Just being able to see the pictures so big and in such detail alone can be so intriguing.

We have a few big books and every time we "read" them the boys find new things in the pictures.  We are big into picture reading, as well as finding "stuff" in the pictures.    

I often start with the questions and then the boys will quickly turn the tables on me and each other.  It is really fun to see them look so deeply into the pictures and dissect the story.

Our big books vary by subject, both fiction, non-fiction & scientific books.  Which have been great this summer as we have been outside exploring nature a great deal.  Many times we find ourselves outside in our "fort" reading.  What fun it can be to change your reading venue.  A new environment can bring up a whole new set of questions to relate to the story.

Go enjoy a good book with your kids right now!

Parachute Ball Play

FUN! FUN! FUN!

Playing with this ball is so much fun.  I remember playing with this ball in gym class as a child.  When I found one at an educational store I had to have it.  My boys and many of their friends LOVE this ball.  Everytime I get this ball out the smiles & cheers make my day (and from the sound of it, definitely theirs). 

This ball is great all the way around.  It keeps the kids active and running around the yard.  It also involves the older kids and the real young ones.  The older kids can hit this ball as hard as they want & it won't hurt anyone.  It is super lightweight (nylon material) & I fill it up with the hairdryer (on the cool setting).  It loses air every so often, (after about 10 minutes of hard hitting) but it is a quick fix with the hairdryer.

There are lots of games to play that work on gross motor skills.  Along with running and jumping (to get to and reach the ball), you can make it a hands only game (low net volleyball) or a feet only game (crab soccer).  

*This ball was about $25 at a local educational store.  Well worth it as we have been using it for about a year an a half.