Red, white, and blue!

This week Room 5 had a fully saturated America-themed curriculum! We used red, white, and blue colors in our art, in our building and color matching, even in our special snack!

We read “The Scrambled States of America” by Laurie Keller and discussed the many names for where we live, and the states where we may have friends and family members. Our youngsters’ geography lesson was accompanied by acknowledging what Memorial Day is really all about. We talked about the soldiers, the pilots, all the Armed Forces which serve and protect America- some of whom are also our Mommies, Daddies, Uncles, Aunts, Grandpas, etc. As we enjoy our long weekend, it’s good for our youngest friends to begin to understand why we have these important holidays- to celebrate and remember our fallen soldiers!

For a healthy, patriotic treat we enjoyed red ripe strawberries, fluffy white cream cheese, and fresh juicy blueberries. Red, white, and blue!

The leftovers were lovingly fed to our bunny rabbit, Mopsy. Happy Memorial Day, Mopsy!

We pray everyone has a safe and happy weekend.

God bless America!!!

Super Scientists!

Room 5 is getting all mixed up this week in our new science station!

During our morning curriculum we’ve taken over our main table with science experiments. Multi-colored test tubes offer an exciting new vehicle for combining reactionary ingredients like baking soda and vinegar to make bubbly explosions right before our eyes. The children are learning about cause and effect as they carefully measure out varying amounts of each substance into their tubes. While they work on their fine motor skills using our 2-year-old friendly eye-droppers and measuring spoons, they are also observing and reporting the outcome of each “trial” in their work stations!

As we add colored vinegar to the experience we will learn about color blending, and continue to discuss more/less, full/empty and other measurable opposites in this messy and thrilling project!

Mixing up explosions in our color coded test tubes!

Explorations in Splatter Paint!

Room 5 took paint outdoors this week. We had a blast trying out different ways to do splatter paint, while reinforcing the unit on Jackson Pollack’s style of painting from Mrs. Monica’s Art Studio last week. Our young friends took full advantage of this messy and challenging method- putting all their strength and focus into their work. We used gross motor skills to throw the sponges and pom-poms, as well as shake the brushes!

We practiced hand-eye coordination to aim and hit the various paint vessels onto each paper, and we had a great time getting messy too! In the end our little artists created one-of-a-kind pieces of artwork that they put their whole heart into.

Fruit Friday at the Preschool!

Friday was the culmination of the “Week of the Young Child” here at the Preschool. It’s a very special week wherein all the staff and students celebrate the spirit of childhood by donning silly outfits and exploring fun themes. On Fruit Friday we appreciate the fruits of God’s beautiful Earth! Each room celebrates in their own way but we all get to partake in at least one common activity- eating lots of fruit! It’s truly a delicious and nutritious day.

Room 2 made a delectable berry shortcake!

Room 3 created a very healthy fruit salad!

And Room 5 dissected each fruit on its own and tasted the rainbow!

We all want to thank the parents who participated and contributed so graciously to this very special week at school. Everyone benefits when we all embrace our inner child from time to time!

“Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” -Mark 10:15 (NIV)

Life Science and Earth Month!

Room 5 has been celebrating Earth month with fervor and excitement! We took circle time out doors to the older pod’s back yard and had a picnic on the grass, complete with a nature walk afterwards! We planted our own personal grass pods and have been exploring the elements of the earth around us.

We are watching our silkworms eat, grow, and spin their silk webs. Story time also provides a great opportunity to talk about caring for the great earth God gave us and what we can do to be responsible for it!

Growing in His Grace

Room 5 is a class full of energetic toddlers! We take our outdoor play time seriously. Thanks to Team 6 and the awesome outdoor learning environment they provide- our young friends can indulge in every outlet of learning and discovery in a special way- out doors!

Running, climbing, sliding, and testing their bodies’ abilities safely boosts their sense of autonomy as well as physical development. When they crave some quiet time outside, our friends like to work in the peaceful garden. Finding a connection with nature and the beauty of God’s creations is an important building block of faith as well as being a responsible member of society. As we approach Earth Day this month, Room 5 will be encompassing the concept of the Earth as a planet and a real place that God instructed us to take care of. “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” – Genesis 2:15 (NIV)

Lucky Little Ones in the Younger Pod

Room 5 mixed it up with our cooking activity this week. We opted for a healthy recipe given to us by one of our wonderful families, with a celebratory twist. We made GREEN banana soft-serve “ice cream”! The ingredients were simple and healthy and our friends had a good time hopping up in Mrs. Erin’s arms to hold down the blender and watch the ingredients transform into a delicious treat!

The ingredients are simple and sweet: frozen bananas, hemp milk (to make it lactose and soy free), vanilla, and honey. We just added a few drops of green food color to make our treats fittingly festive!

Out on the patio the younger pod enjoyed St. Patrick’s themed activities like crafting shamrock crowns, free paint with tones of green, and of course- green goop in the sensory table! It was a wonderful way to spend the holiday together. We are some lucky folks!

In the Spirit of Spring!

Spring is a wonderful time in preschool. We can focus our lessons around the concept of new life and new beginnings as we watch the children in our beloved classrooms turn another year older and another year wiser! In Room 5 we have included touches of spring in every corner. Our sensory table has a St.Patrick’s Day-meets-Easter motif, we have papier-mached and hand-painted our own Easter eggs, and our brightly colored connector flowers have inspired some friends to show off their fine-motor, matching, and building skills during morning activities!

(click on the images in the mosaic for a closer look!)

While friends at the sensory table are practicing classification, size, ordering, cause and effect, and new vocabulary, their classmates at the egg painting table are learning beginning geometry, working on their motor skills and hand-eye coordination, and increasing their self-esteem through their artistic expression-of-self! Check back for many more snap-shots of our springtime fun in preschool. But, before we end this post- here is an encore of our waffle-creation-station because these little guys are just too sweet to fit into one post (the subjects and their treats)!

Our Waffle Creation Station!

Room 5 had a blast last week making nutritious and delicious choices at our morning waffle-creation-station! Students were given the choice to add as much or as little of the toppings on the table as they liked. We feasted on gluten-free waffles topped with cool-whip, blue berries, pineapple, candy-coated sunflower seeds, yogurt chips, bananas, and more! Each child took turns helping themselves to their desired toppings and then passed the bowl to the next friend at the table. Their use of shared space and shared materials was fantastic and they each made their own healthy choices for snack. Thanks to all the parents who chipped in and made this yummy activity possible!

Busy and Blessed in Room 5!

The friends in Room 5 have been hard at work as they grow more and more each day in their skills and abilities. Everyone’s success in potty training has skyrocketed in the past weeks! Their excitement and support of one another in their bathroom triumphs has done most of the work for us- these youngsters really know how to rally each other! We thank the Lord each day for blessing us with the happy and compassionate children who have bonded so well in this class. We owe it to their loving families that they care for themselves and others with such sincerity.

Our Valentine’s Day party was a sweet success!

And everyone remains very engaged honing their math, social/emotional, and fine motor skills in the dramatic play bakery!

KODAK Digital Still Camera

We are getting ready for March with a brand new feature in our sensory table…

Green sand! The class dyed their own sensory sand green with Mrs. Erin and poured it into the sensory table. They are having a blast using the sifting scoopers to pour and measure the sand, sort through the coins and gems, and practice those early math and science foundations!

We are also integrating Bible foundations through art and storytelling. While we read about Noah’s Ark and God’s Promise at circle time, we created several beautiful rainbow murals for our classroom! We used ordering and sequencing with the song “Make God’s Rainbow Bright” to memorize the colors of the rainbow in order. We worked on color matching and building listening skills as everyone collaborated to make each rainbow.

The blessings of the Lord just keep raining down upon us, showering our classroom with love and laughter each day. As the friends in Room 5 become just that- we are blessed to see the bonds begin to form between our happy classmates and know they will cherish these friendships forever. Thank you to all the parents who have helped out so much to make this month so spectacular for these little ones at school!

“For the fullness of His grace, we have all received one blessing after another.” John 1:16