Week of May 4, 2020
Y KIDS NEWS
When school’s out, the Y is in! We hope you enjoy this edition of Y Kids News, a newsletter with games and activities you can do from home!
THIS WEEK'S THEME:
STAR WARS
Hey Y Jedi! Today is our day — May 4th! Which means — the time has come to prove yourself as the ultimate Star Wars aficionado!
Vocabulary check: What is an aficionado?
Definition: A person who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about an activity, subject, or pastime.
JEDI OBSTACLE COURSE
Test your Jedi skills with an exciting obstacle course.
Directions:
- Create obstacles Jedis must work their way through using the Force by going over, under, through and around; using balance, hitting a target, crawling and jumping!
- Be creative by using boxes, chairs, balloons, string, balls, Hula-Hoops or other objects you find around the house.
WRITE A LETTER
- Create your own Star Wars design on a piece of paper, and write a letter to a friend you haven’t seen in a long time — the Rey to your Finn, the Chewbacca to your Han Solo, the C-3PO to your R2-D2. Ask for help getting an address, and mail your letter to them!
- BONUS: Include a joke you read from a Y Kids newsletter!
POOL NOODLE LIGHT SABER
Materials:
- Pool noodle
- Scissors
- Black and silver duct tape
- Sharpies (optional)
Instructions:
- Find the center of the pool noodle and cut in half with scissors.
- Start with the base of the handle, and cut two strips of black duct tape and overlap each layer.
- Wrap three widths of tape up from the bottom of the pool noodle — with each section of duct tape slightly overlapping the one before it.
- Now comes the fun part! Customize the handle of your light saber anyway you want, either by using a Sharpie or more duct tape.
CHEWBACCA PAPER BAG PUPPET
Materials:
- Brown paper lunch bag
- Two large googly eyes
- Black and white construction paper
- Black crayon
- Glue
Instructions:
- Start by cutting a diagonal strip of black construction paper for Chewbacca’s holster. Glue in place.
- Trace a set of teeth on the white construction paper.
- Cut out your teeth and glue under the flap of the paper bag.
- Glue your googly eyes onto the flap.
- Cut four rectangles out of the white construction paper and glue onto the black holster.
- Add fur to your Chewbacca using a black or brown crayon.
- Finish him off by adding a black nose!
EWOK CATAPULT
Materials:
- Craft sticks (seven for each catapult)
- Plastic spoons (stronger spoons work best)
- Small rubber bands
Instructions:
- Stack five craft sticks on top of each other, and secure both ends with a rubber band. (We used some of the colorful loom bands that seem to be everywhere in our kitchen.) This will be your crossbar.
- Next, stack two craft sticks on top of each other, and secure one end with a rubber band.
- Carefully open up the two craft sticks and slide your stack of five in between them.
- Lay a plastic spoon on top of the top craft stick, and secure both ends of the spoon to the craft stick (see picture above).
- Finally, crisscross one more rubber bands around the area where the craft sticks intersect, holding it all in place.
MILLENNIUM FALCON MARSHMALLOW SHIP
Materials:
- Marshmallows
- Toothpicks
Instructions:
- Attach marshmallows to the ends of the toothpicks to create what resembles the Millennium Falcon
See answers below
COOKING CORNER:
LIGHTSABER PRETZELS
Ingredients:
- Pretzel rods
- Candy wafers
Instructions:
- Place a handful of red candy wafers in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Heat them for 10 seconds at a time, stirring each time.
- Using a silicone spatula, cover the bottom two-thirds of the pretzel rod with melted candy.
- Place the Lightsaber Pretzels on a cookie sheet coated with wax paper to set.
GRAPE LIGHTSABER
Ingredients:
- Grapes
- Kebob sticks
Instructions:
- Wash a handful of grapes, stick onto kebob stick.
- Add aluminum foil to the bottom.
Star Wars Jokes:
What kind of car does a Jedi drive?- What do you call Chewbacca when he gets chocolate in his fur?
See answers below.
Star Wars Trivia
- What is the name of Han Solo’s ship?
- How many members are there in the Jedi Council?
- In the Star Wars film, what invisible power binds the galaxy together?
See answers below.
MORE STAR WARS FUN
- Have fun with this Star Wars Word Search (PDF).
- Try making this paper-plate version of the Millennium Falcon from Jumble Tree.
- This recipe for LEGO Star Wars Lightsaber Slime from Little Bins for Little Hands glows in the dark!
ACTIVITIES AT HOME
With Esme and Pana
TENNIS
Esme P. from Jackie Robinson Family Y shows you her fun Stay at Home Tennis game. Don't have a racket? No worries! Esme's got a plan for that!
PENNY BOAT CHALLENGE
Take the Penny Boat Challenge! See how many pennies your boat can hold (and still float)! Pana H. from Mission Valley YMCA shows you how.
Good luck! You could be featured on our social media channels when you share your picture or video!
FAMILY FUN
FAMILY WORD WORKOUTS
Our Y families are staying active and having fun with Family Word Workouts. Each letter of the alphabet represents a different exercise! This week, we're challenging you to an Star Wars workout every day:
- Monday: GALAXY
- Tuesday: SKYWALKER
- Wednesday: LIGHTSABER
- Thursday: EMPIRE
- Friday: CHEWBACCA
Also, check our social channels (@YMCASANDIEGO) throughout the week for more get-you-moving words. Download your alphabet workout sheet.
FLIP FOR GYMNASTICS!
Y Kids are having fun learning gymnastics tricks and practicing skills with coaches from our branches through our new YMCA of San Diego Gymnastics Facebook group. You can get in on the fun, too! Take part in weekly challenges (like handstands and pushups); learn skills (like parkour and balance beam) and get access to crafts, puzzles and more. Note: A Facebook account is required to participate in this private group.
JOKE AND TRIVIA ANSWERS:
Joke answers:
- A Toy-YODA
- A Chocolate chip Wookie!
Trivia answers:
- A Millennium Falcon
- 12
- The Force
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