This got me thinking about how activities like this can support children’s ideas about money and how much things cost.  You can set up your own lemonade stand with the kids, break out the cash registers, use real or pretend money and let the commerce begin.

If you are in a neighborhood that has a little foot traffic, you might be able to set up the stand in front of your program.  If that is not a choice, set it up in the front room of your program and allow the children to be the buyers and the sellers.  You can keep it running until the end of the day and then sell to the parents as they arrive to take their children home.

Last week we talked about change and how to prepare children for it, so this week I thought we could talk again about how to celebrate the end of summer with a few “special” activities that children can really look forward to as you wind down.

My son Louie’s favorite summer activity when he was in preschool was when the teachers set up a car wash.  They filled buckets and kiddie pools with water, pulled the hose out, provided a bunch of scrub brushes and sponges and lots and lots of bubbles.  Now don’t get worried – there were no real cars.  The children rode the ride ’em bikes through the car wash.  They took turns being patrons and washers.  They exchanges money and made change.  Another favorite was the end-of-summer lemonade stand.  The children and teachers readied the stand for families at pick-up time.  The children made the lemonade, decorated the table, set up the cash register and had a celebration for the end of summer.

Marking the passage of time commemorates the beginnings and endings of time and events.  Try to make traditions that children and families will always remember.