We have been finding and collecting such great treasures this week outside and on our daily walks. Today the children helped to make leaf crowns and pinecone people. Yellow and golden leaves have been gathered in the backyard to make artful designs in between clear contact paper to hang in the windows. Working, shoveling, arranging rocks, watering plants, and riding new tricycles have been favorite activities as well. Several tea parties and picnics on the grass are taking place many times and go along perfectly with our new circle time themes.
Important learning happens all the time as new discoveries and observations are made in the garden, watching the chickens, finding bugs, designing treasure maps, collaborating with friends on the details of fort building, gathering and sorting branches, sticks, and rocks, arranging by categories such as size, color, and shape, and creating original pieces of art. The children get a deep feeling of satisfaction when they are allowed the time and space to carry an idea through to a finished product of their own making. These are the daily celebrations that bring beauty and a sense of wonder to all of our lives. We are reminded again of the gift and honor of having these young ones with us.
Circle time:
Let's go on a picnic - the sun is shining bright
Let's go on a picnic - the weather is just right
And let's call our pony so strong and so true
He'll pull the wagon, that he can do
But look, he comes limping so slowly along
Let's look at his foot and see what is wrong
My little pony needs a pair of shoes, how many nails must I use?
One, two, three, tie him to a tree
Let him have a bag of hay
Then he will not run away
Pitty patty polt
Shoe my little colt
Here a nail, there a nail
Pitty, patty, polt
And what shall we pack in our picnic basket
To take on our picnic today?
How about some apples
Rosy apples grow Rosy apples grow
Pick them, wash them, rub them, shine them
See how red they glow
And we put the apples in our basket."
Regarding the importance of circle times:
"One of the great gifts we receive as teachers is a deepening and enriching of the experience of the course of the year. For busy adults, it is all too easy to become caught up in the pressures of "clock time". Through singing and moving with the children in these seasonal circle plays, we nurture their natural, heartfelt participation in all that lives in the world of nature. At the same time, we rediscover our own connection with that world and the spirit which weaves in and through it. With the children, we enter the realm of the natural cycles of time, as experiences in music and movement. This experience is nourishing to both children and adults, and helps to create the mood of joyful serenity which we seek in the preschool.
There are several festivals we will be having over the course of this new school year and our first one will be happening on Saturday, November 7. Please join us for our second annual Lantern Walk. We will gather for some fall singing, warm cider, homemade baked treats, and a walk around the neighborhood with lanterns aglow. Check out older posts for some words on the importance of festivals. Looking forward to sharing the evening with all of you.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
NEW FACES
Greetings.
There are many new faces here and lots of changes going on and I am so thankful for your patience and support during this transition.
Our new teachers are Meghan and Tesa and they add such inspiration to our day
The group is growing and this is so exciting as it makes for many new opportunities in our creative play, friendship possibilities, and circle/story times.
A new play and art space will be ready within 3 weeks and this will allow us extra room for more activities and a special place for age appropriate learning and discovery.
We have been enjoying the weather these past few days and spend most of our time outside. Picnics on the grass, parachute play, hoola hoops, observing creatures with magnifiers, making paper airplanes, collecting walnuts in buckets and then setting up "stores" are just a few of our recent adventures. It is so fun watching and listening to the children negotiate, plan, and carry out their own ideas with each other and involving the younger ones in their scenario.
Having a wonderful week....
There are many new faces here and lots of changes going on and I am so thankful for your patience and support during this transition.
Our new teachers are Meghan and Tesa and they add such inspiration to our day
The group is growing and this is so exciting as it makes for many new opportunities in our creative play, friendship possibilities, and circle/story times.
A new play and art space will be ready within 3 weeks and this will allow us extra room for more activities and a special place for age appropriate learning and discovery.
We have been enjoying the weather these past few days and spend most of our time outside. Picnics on the grass, parachute play, hoola hoops, observing creatures with magnifiers, making paper airplanes, collecting walnuts in buckets and then setting up "stores" are just a few of our recent adventures. It is so fun watching and listening to the children negotiate, plan, and carry out their own ideas with each other and involving the younger ones in their scenario.
Having a wonderful week....
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Welcome to Addi
We have a wonderful new little girl joining our group this week!
Addi is 2 and will be sharing in our daily adventures. Her parents are Anthony and Grace and we want to extend a warm and joyful welcome to them also.
Some new discoveries happening in the past weeks include magnets at the water table, talking about what floats, observing and holding caterpillars, playing with lots of cars, making colorful roads and hopskotch designs with chalk, and eating fresh green and purple beans!
The story lady from the library, Amber, will be reading to us tomorrow morning at 10 a.m.
If you haven't already, be sure to pack sunscreen and large sunhats for the outdoors to keep little heads shaded.
Looking forward to another great week with all of you!
THE TIRED CATERPILLAR
A tired caterpillar went to sleep one day
In a snug little cradle of silken grey
And he said, as he softly curled up in his nest,
"Oh, crawling was pleasant, but rest is best."
He slept through the winter long and cold,
All tightly up in his blanket rolled,
And at last he awoke on a warm spring day
To find that winter had gone away
He awoke to find he had golden wings
And no longer need crawl over sticks and things
"Oh the earth is nice," said the glad butterfly
"But the sky is best, when we learn to fly"
BUTTERFLY
Come, bright butterfly, close to me,
Your beautiful wings I should like to see
You fly like a bird, you sip like a bee,
But you're really a flower the wind set free
Addi is 2 and will be sharing in our daily adventures. Her parents are Anthony and Grace and we want to extend a warm and joyful welcome to them also.
Some new discoveries happening in the past weeks include magnets at the water table, talking about what floats, observing and holding caterpillars, playing with lots of cars, making colorful roads and hopskotch designs with chalk, and eating fresh green and purple beans!
The story lady from the library, Amber, will be reading to us tomorrow morning at 10 a.m.
If you haven't already, be sure to pack sunscreen and large sunhats for the outdoors to keep little heads shaded.
Looking forward to another great week with all of you!
THE TIRED CATERPILLAR
A tired caterpillar went to sleep one day
In a snug little cradle of silken grey
And he said, as he softly curled up in his nest,
"Oh, crawling was pleasant, but rest is best."
He slept through the winter long and cold,
All tightly up in his blanket rolled,
And at last he awoke on a warm spring day
To find that winter had gone away
He awoke to find he had golden wings
And no longer need crawl over sticks and things
"Oh the earth is nice," said the glad butterfly
"But the sky is best, when we learn to fly"
BUTTERFLY
Come, bright butterfly, close to me,
Your beautiful wings I should like to see
You fly like a bird, you sip like a bee,
But you're really a flower the wind set free
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
OCEANS
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!
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!
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
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