Having fun with our ocean theme this week.
Many different types of shells are on display and give us good opportunities to discuss textures, sizes, shapes, patterns, and colors.
Today we created an ocean scene with sandpaper, shells, and blue watercolors, played a deep sea diving game where each "diver" held their breath and went under the blue ocean (as we all held a blue sheet over them and waved it) and collected as many shells and treasures as possible before coming up to breathe, read Ocean Babies, Eyewitness Shell, Octopus Under the Sea, and First Words at the Aquarium, we listened to Meditative Ocean and Handel's Water Music, and went fishing at the water table outside.
Friday we will be eating Salmon for lunch...
Wishing all our traveling friends a safe, peaceful, and memorable journey.
Elias is currently away with Per and Stephanie in Sweden for the next month.
Katie and Collin have now moved to Rolla with parents, Scott and Laura. We will miss your family dearly and hope you will come back sometime for a visit!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
OUR BEANS ARE GROWING.....AND SO ARE THE CHILDREN
Bean pods
Pea pods
Poppy pods and
Seed pods
Split when they ripen
And they open with a POP!!!
Lots of growing activity around here as well.
We carefully water our plants each morning and then have our singing and circle time out on the grass.
Big trucks have been a recent big attraction and we walked up the street for a closer look at all the noise and work being done.
Working with the story, Tiki Tiki Tembo, we have created pictures with wooden ladders, acted out the brothers helping each other, and made a salt dough mountain complete with a working well.
After reading Pete's a Pizza, we made our own creative pizza's out of paper, acted out the story by rolling each other out across the floor and added toppings, and then made our own pizza from scratch.
Next week we will be talking about the ocean, all the creatures who live there, playing a special fishing game outside and sampling some seafood.
Thanks to Beth for bringing in some more sign language books and to Finn's dad, Jason, for giving us wonderful logs and stumps! These have added significantly to the children's play opportunities outside.
Appreciating all your encouragement and support.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Pea pods
Poppy pods and
Seed pods
Split when they ripen
And they open with a POP!!!
Lots of growing activity around here as well.
We carefully water our plants each morning and then have our singing and circle time out on the grass.
Big trucks have been a recent big attraction and we walked up the street for a closer look at all the noise and work being done.
Working with the story, Tiki Tiki Tembo, we have created pictures with wooden ladders, acted out the brothers helping each other, and made a salt dough mountain complete with a working well.
After reading Pete's a Pizza, we made our own creative pizza's out of paper, acted out the story by rolling each other out across the floor and added toppings, and then made our own pizza from scratch.
Next week we will be talking about the ocean, all the creatures who live there, playing a special fishing game outside and sampling some seafood.
Thanks to Beth for bringing in some more sign language books and to Finn's dad, Jason, for giving us wonderful logs and stumps! These have added significantly to the children's play opportunities outside.
Appreciating all your encouragement and support.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROMAN!!
ROMAN, WE HOPE YOUR DAY IS FILLED WITH WONDER AND JOY!
IT HAS BEEN SO FUN HAVING YOU HERE.
IT HAS BEEN SO FUN HAVING YOU HERE.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
What we ate this week
Our basic menu stays fairly consistent as we use a specific grain each day and then use a variety of ideas during snack times. This was the menu of the past week.
Monday: Rice with no-wheat tamari sauce
rice cakes with almond butter
grapes
Tuesday: Oatmeal with raisins and maple syrup
strawberries
Wednesday: Millet cakes
banana bread
Thursday: Vegetable and barley soup
yogurt with fruit and granola
Friday: Rye Wasa crackers with cheese
apple cinnamon muffins
kiwis, and broccoli, green beans, and bell peppers with hummus
Monday: Rice with no-wheat tamari sauce
rice cakes with almond butter
grapes
Tuesday: Oatmeal with raisins and maple syrup
strawberries
Wednesday: Millet cakes
banana bread
Thursday: Vegetable and barley soup
yogurt with fruit and granola
Friday: Rye Wasa crackers with cheese
apple cinnamon muffins
kiwis, and broccoli, green beans, and bell peppers with hummus
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIERRA!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIERRA!
We had a morning full of storm adventures in the basement on Friday and then settled into a peaceful bustle of activity during the remainder of the day. Birthday wishes sealed into a special book for Sierra made by all her friends, followed by the making of delicious apple cinnamon muffins, singing, and a story just for her were joyfully shared together.
Thankyou Sierra for the sunflower, watermelon, and pumpkin seed cups you gave to everyone...this will be greatly enjoyed.
Thanks also to Elias, Stephanie, and Per for the colorful scarves and big shapes puzzle!!
We had a morning full of storm adventures in the basement on Friday and then settled into a peaceful bustle of activity during the remainder of the day. Birthday wishes sealed into a special book for Sierra made by all her friends, followed by the making of delicious apple cinnamon muffins, singing, and a story just for her were joyfully shared together.
Thankyou Sierra for the sunflower, watermelon, and pumpkin seed cups you gave to everyone...this will be greatly enjoyed.
Thanks also to Elias, Stephanie, and Per for the colorful scarves and big shapes puzzle!!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Play Under Siege
From the book, Free to Learn by Lynne Oldfield:
"Play Under Siege
Childhood without play seems inconceivable....or does it?
Adults work..children play...or do they?
Inappropriate early childhood practice in the form of a downward thrust of literacy and numeracy performance and assessment continues relentlessly to erode the boundaries of early childhood. Five year olds are expected to perform as six year olds had previously performed, and four year olds are met with the challenges previously presented to five year olds.
Parents frequently describe their four and five year olds as 'coping' rather than 'flourishing' in the early years of school experience. One significant sacrifice to this trend is the child's access to the world of creative play. The willingness of educational policy makers to dismantle and undermine this activity is due, in part, to a rapidly disappearing understanding of the nature of play and its contribution to later achievements and developments.
Once upon a time...Let's pretend...You be....and I'll be....With these words children take a step into a world without boundaries, rich with potential learning opportunities, and an essential stage in their development. Observe children play. Watch and listen. Be prepared to be astounded by what you will see and hear.
The child's need to play must first be acknowledged. The adult's work presents itself from "outside"; the child's play arises from 'within' as an impulse to integrate her experiences. The child needs his will-reaction, his play, in order to assimilate his experiences and make them fully his own.
Here is an example. The older brother of a four year old girl had died. The day after the funeral she began to make a mound of blankets and pillows into which she burrowed. These were the 'clouds' and she was going in 'to bring her Jacob back'. Teachers working in areas of deprivation - war torn environments - will observe children literally 'playing out' their anxieties, with a corresponding easing up of tension as they come to terms with their situation through the activity of play. Play therapy is a standard practice for professionals working with abused children. When a child is unwell, play activity will cease; its return will signal that the child is well again.
A child at play is a child at peace.
Children are also dreamers. There is something almost spiritual in the imagination of a child, who picks up bits and pieces of its surroundings and its memory and finds out how they fit together in a slow, dreamlike process of discovery. They don't do this playing a computer game. They do this when they are allowed to sink down into themselves...they do it when they have time. Time is what we have taken away from our children.
Misunderstanding the Nature of Play
The inner source of play decisively undermines a growing contemporary trend toward 'structured play' in early childhood settings. This concept of directing play from 'outside', with an imposed intention - for example, to develop a concept of the number 5 through the use of five teddy-bears having a picnic - fails in any way to meet the true definition of play, which must by its very nature, arise from within the child and have no purpose other than to satisfy the original impulse. This impulse might arise from the need to 're-play' the image of men laying water pipes, or to come to terms with abuse. It might arise from the need to 're-live' a fairy tale told by the teacher - or simply, once again, to experience the joy and intensity of 'the love of action'. For play is also a will activity and a further revelation of the extent to which young children are impressed by their environment; for it is also an act of imitation."
This chapter will be be included in its entirety within the next week.
"Play Under Siege
Childhood without play seems inconceivable....or does it?
Adults work..children play...or do they?
Inappropriate early childhood practice in the form of a downward thrust of literacy and numeracy performance and assessment continues relentlessly to erode the boundaries of early childhood. Five year olds are expected to perform as six year olds had previously performed, and four year olds are met with the challenges previously presented to five year olds.
Parents frequently describe their four and five year olds as 'coping' rather than 'flourishing' in the early years of school experience. One significant sacrifice to this trend is the child's access to the world of creative play. The willingness of educational policy makers to dismantle and undermine this activity is due, in part, to a rapidly disappearing understanding of the nature of play and its contribution to later achievements and developments.
Once upon a time...Let's pretend...You be....and I'll be....With these words children take a step into a world without boundaries, rich with potential learning opportunities, and an essential stage in their development. Observe children play. Watch and listen. Be prepared to be astounded by what you will see and hear.
The child's need to play must first be acknowledged. The adult's work presents itself from "outside"; the child's play arises from 'within' as an impulse to integrate her experiences. The child needs his will-reaction, his play, in order to assimilate his experiences and make them fully his own.
Here is an example. The older brother of a four year old girl had died. The day after the funeral she began to make a mound of blankets and pillows into which she burrowed. These were the 'clouds' and she was going in 'to bring her Jacob back'. Teachers working in areas of deprivation - war torn environments - will observe children literally 'playing out' their anxieties, with a corresponding easing up of tension as they come to terms with their situation through the activity of play. Play therapy is a standard practice for professionals working with abused children. When a child is unwell, play activity will cease; its return will signal that the child is well again.
A child at play is a child at peace.
Children are also dreamers. There is something almost spiritual in the imagination of a child, who picks up bits and pieces of its surroundings and its memory and finds out how they fit together in a slow, dreamlike process of discovery. They don't do this playing a computer game. They do this when they are allowed to sink down into themselves...they do it when they have time. Time is what we have taken away from our children.
Misunderstanding the Nature of Play
The inner source of play decisively undermines a growing contemporary trend toward 'structured play' in early childhood settings. This concept of directing play from 'outside', with an imposed intention - for example, to develop a concept of the number 5 through the use of five teddy-bears having a picnic - fails in any way to meet the true definition of play, which must by its very nature, arise from within the child and have no purpose other than to satisfy the original impulse. This impulse might arise from the need to 're-play' the image of men laying water pipes, or to come to terms with abuse. It might arise from the need to 're-live' a fairy tale told by the teacher - or simply, once again, to experience the joy and intensity of 'the love of action'. For play is also a will activity and a further revelation of the extent to which young children are impressed by their environment; for it is also an act of imitation."
This chapter will be be included in its entirety within the next week.
Everyone is healthy and we need raingear!
We have seen a great improvement in everyone's health lately and I just want to encourage you to use this time to be even more vigilant in your efforts to boost immunity. THIS is the time to take it a notch higher so that your little ones will be more prepared the next time a little bug comes our way. Be consistent with cod liver oil on a daily basis. It is very simple to add this to cereals, yogurt, smoothies, etc. and make sure there is one tablespoon in the first few bites of a meal. Nordic Naturals is a very dependable company and can be found at Mama Jeans market. Keep all sugar out of the children's diets if you are not already doing this and eat lots of GREEN foods every day. Again, this is easy to mix into smoothies. Another fun thing is to make your own popsicles using vegetable and fruit juices mixed together in a juicer or processor. These steps will really help form a protective barrier that will be quite strong by the time next fall and winter roll around and your efforts will reap great benefits. Remember, when just one child comes here with an illness, even if it's just a cold, it impacts everyone.....parents included. It is important that we all work together on this.
It has been very rainy lately and clothes, socks, shoes, etc. are getting very wet and muddy.
We go out in the morning and again in the afternoon and when there is only one change of clothes available this is not enough if we get wet and muddy both times.
If it is possible, your child needs a full rain suit here at all times. That includes rainboots, rain pants, raincoat and a hat or hood made of same rainproof material. This will help us avoid a huge wet and muddy mess with wet and muddy clothes piling up by the back door.
I will post possible resources for these items in a future post. I know that Hanna Anderson has good raincoats and boots. A place like Target may also have these things. Let others know if you have found a great place to find the raingear as well. Post a comment here anytime to suggest ideas that have worked for you. I want this to be a place where we can "gather" and communicate.
We are hard at work digging out a sand area in the backyard and the children are really enjoying the new discoveries of shoveling, finding worms, rolly poly bugs, and other little creatures.
The books we have been reading are centering around gardening, seeds, and vegetables.
A few of the titles we have enjoyed are:
Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
Carrot Soup by John Segal
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming
One Watermelon Seed by Celia Barker Lottridge
Dahlia by Barbara McClintock
To Be Like the Sun by Susan Marie Swanson
Zen Ties by Jon J Muth
The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
It's Spring by Linda Glaser
Spring Song by Barbara Seuling
And the Good Brown Earth by Kathy Henderson
A Gardener's Alphabet by Mary Azarian
Mrs. Rose's Garden by Elaine Greenstein
Thankyou to Sierra and Amy for bringing in several new puzzles to share with everyone. The children are really enjoying these!
Thankyou also to Finn, Jason, and Jennifer for giving us many clay pots to use in our upcoming planting projects!
Donations are always gladly accepted and greatly appreciated. Old small tools, buckets, shovels, cut up "tree blocks" from thick branches, baskets of every kind, scarves, hats, necklaces, sandpaper, etc. are some of the ideas I have at the moment. The children love carrying things in baskets, loading them up, and doing various types of activities with them.
I will post items weekly for new ideas.
It has been very rainy lately and clothes, socks, shoes, etc. are getting very wet and muddy.
We go out in the morning and again in the afternoon and when there is only one change of clothes available this is not enough if we get wet and muddy both times.
If it is possible, your child needs a full rain suit here at all times. That includes rainboots, rain pants, raincoat and a hat or hood made of same rainproof material. This will help us avoid a huge wet and muddy mess with wet and muddy clothes piling up by the back door.
I will post possible resources for these items in a future post. I know that Hanna Anderson has good raincoats and boots. A place like Target may also have these things. Let others know if you have found a great place to find the raingear as well. Post a comment here anytime to suggest ideas that have worked for you. I want this to be a place where we can "gather" and communicate.
We are hard at work digging out a sand area in the backyard and the children are really enjoying the new discoveries of shoveling, finding worms, rolly poly bugs, and other little creatures.
The books we have been reading are centering around gardening, seeds, and vegetables.
A few of the titles we have enjoyed are:
Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
Carrot Soup by John Segal
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming
One Watermelon Seed by Celia Barker Lottridge
Dahlia by Barbara McClintock
To Be Like the Sun by Susan Marie Swanson
Zen Ties by Jon J Muth
The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
It's Spring by Linda Glaser
Spring Song by Barbara Seuling
And the Good Brown Earth by Kathy Henderson
A Gardener's Alphabet by Mary Azarian
Mrs. Rose's Garden by Elaine Greenstein
Thankyou to Sierra and Amy for bringing in several new puzzles to share with everyone. The children are really enjoying these!
Thankyou also to Finn, Jason, and Jennifer for giving us many clay pots to use in our upcoming planting projects!
Donations are always gladly accepted and greatly appreciated. Old small tools, buckets, shovels, cut up "tree blocks" from thick branches, baskets of every kind, scarves, hats, necklaces, sandpaper, etc. are some of the ideas I have at the moment. The children love carrying things in baskets, loading them up, and doing various types of activities with them.
I will post items weekly for new ideas.
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