End of the Year!

Thank you all for an amazing year! We have truly loved getting to know each and every one of your children, and are so proud of how much they have learned and grown over the last ten months. Laura and I are so grateful for your support, especially during distance learning. Though challenging, we managed to share countless laughs, learn, dance, and come together as a community.

Even though the end of the school year looks a bit different than we would have hoped, we’re hopeful that we can have a proper goodbye in the near future.

See below for highlights from this week. We made party hats, made bracelets, had our school wide signalong, did a walking water experiment, and made fruit kebabs!

Have a great summer, everyone! We’ll miss you so much!

Friday, June 12th - Virtual Classroom

Literacy

Letter Recognition Memory Game

We played a letter matching memory game. We cut out ten squares, then wrote out two sets of five matching letters (we chose A, B, D, L, and Z). We turned them over and tried to match the letters. This is a great game for practicing letter recognition, as well as recall. You can also encourage your children to practice writing the letters.

Cognitive/Movement

Charades

We played another game of Charades this week! We took turns acting out different jobs, while the others tried to guess what we were: a zookeeper, a ballerina, a doctor, a pilot, a chef, a gymnast, and a baseball player. This game encourages us to recall and use creative thinking.

Sensory

Marble Painting

We created marble paintings this week! We taped a piece of paper down in a cardboard box, then added globs of paint to the paper. We placed the marble inside, and start shaking! It created such beautiful marks - you can encourage your child to notice the different lines and colors that form. This is such a fun, no-mess sensory activity that allows children to express themselves.

Cooking

Banana Sushi

We made banana sushi! We cut up a banana, smeared on peanut butter, and dipped it in various toppings. The children had so much fun sharing their creations, and of course, eating them!

Materials for next week:

• We will be doing themed days to celebrate the last week of school. Your child can dress for morning/afternoon meeting to represent the theme:

  • Monday: Pajama Day

  • Tuesday: Hat Day

  • Wednesday: Favorite Toy Day

  • Thursday: Sunglasses Day

  • Friday: Favorite Outfit Day

• toilet paper rolls

• loose parts to decorate

• food coloring

• fruit of your choice

Have a great weekend!

Friday, June 5th - Virtual Classroom

Cognitive

Self-Portraits

We created our June self-portraits together! The children took time to notice and recreate details such as the shape of their face, eyes, mouth, hair, etc. This is a great cognitive activity that encourages children to engage in observational drawing and notice shapes and lines.

Sensory

Weaving

We practiced our fine motor skills with a weaving activity. We started by cutting a piece of cardboard into a shape. Then, we poked holes around the perimeter. After, we used a string to weave through (over and under) the holes. This is a great activity to practice shape recognition and fine motor skills, and to learn a new skill!

Sensory Bags

We used household items to make sensory bags and bottles. We used equal parts baby oil and water, plus a few drops of food coloring. You can also add loose items such as glitter or rocks. Sensory bags/bottles are an easy, mess-free tool to encourage children to explore, learn, and discover.

Movement

Field Day, Red Light Green Light, Charades, Balloon Baseball, and Bowling

We had a movement filled week! It’s so fun to play games (new and familiar) virtually. These games require few materials, teach children about collaboration, turn taking, and following directions, and get their bodies moving! What games do you like to play at home?

Materials for next week:

• ingredients for slime: glue, baking soda, and contact solution

• a marble or small ball

• a small cardboard box

• clay or play dough

• flashlight

• ingredients for banana sushi: bananas, nut butter, and any toppings you would like (cereal, nuts, chocolate, coconut, chia seeds, cinnamon, etc.)

Have a great weekend!

Friday, May 29th - Virtual Classroom

Cognitive

Loose Parts Self-Portrait

We used clay and various loose parts to make self portraits. The children noticed and recreated details such as eyelashes, hair, eyes, cheeks, and more! Open ended materials allow for freedom of expression and creativity.

Science

Germ Experiment

We did a germ experiment this week! We added pepper to a bowl of water. We put our finger in, and noticed that the pepper stuck to it. Then, we put soap on our finger, and noticed that when we put it back in the solution, it repelled the pepper! We learned that the soap protects us from the pepper a.k.a germs.

Building

“Not a Box”

We engaged in some open ended building time! We read the book “Not A Box” and then used various materials to transform our boxes into amazing creations! We made a T-Rex, ratones, an airplane, a computer, and a house. This is a great activity for fostering creativity and imagination through the use of open ended materials.

Cooking

Mason Jar Ice Cream

We made Mason Jar ice cream! This recipe was so easy and fun - you can even add pureed fruit, chocolate, nuts, etc. We can’t wait to see how yours turned out!

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar

• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

• A pinch of salt

• A 16 oz Mason
  Yield: About three servings.

Steps

1. Pour the cream, sugar, vanilla and salt into the jar, and screw on the lid tightly.

2. Shake vigorously, until the cream thickens and almost doubles in size, which should take about five minutes. You’ll know you’re done when the mixture doubles in volume and is about the consistency of brownie batter.

3. Freeze for at least 3 hours.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/09/at-home/virus-make-ice-cream-in-a-mason-jar.html

Materials for next week:

-cardboard

-ribbon, yarn, or string

-balloons

-paper towel rolls

-toilet paper rolls

-glue

-baking soda

-contact solution

-marble or some kind of small ball

-paint

-small box (can be a cereal box, cracker box, shoe box, etc.)

-clay, play dough, or model magic

Have a great weekend!

Friday, May 22nd - Virtual Classroom

Literacy

Bingo

On Monday, we worked on fun literacy activity - Bingo! We showed the children a letter, asked them to identify it, then put a marker down on their board. The first one to get four in a row wins! This game is a great way to get children excited about letter recognition. You can even incorporate letter sounds and vocabulary by asking them to name a word that starts with that letter.

Collaborative Story

We used puppets to create another collaborative story. Each child had the opportunity to name their puppet, then insert them in the story with a sentence or two. We had so much fun creating this story about Buckle My Shoe and the grocery store. This activity encourages children to think creatively, engage in language development, listen to details, and work collaboratively.

Cognitive

Building with Recycled Materials

We used various recycled materials to build something amazing! Nate decided to use cardboard to create a parking garage. Then, he used caps and cardboard to create a stop light (red, yellow, and green included). This activity is a great way to encourage open ended play which can promote creative thinking, language development, and give children autonomy over their play.

Sensory

Cutting Lines with Scissors

We practiced our cutting skills! We drew different kinds of lines and shapes, then used scissors to cut them out. This activity engages fine motor skills, strengthens hand muscles, and practices hand-eye coordination.

Science

DIY Kinetic Sand

We did a demonstration of how to make DIY sand! This is a great sensory material - you can add recycled materials to scoop, pour, and mold.

You will need:
-2 cups flour
-oven safe tray
-1/4 cup water
-food coloring
-3 ozs vegetable oil

1) Add flour to an oven safe tray.
2) Add food coloring to 1/4 cup water (you will need a lot of food coloring to dye the white flour).
3) Add food coloring mixture to the flour. Mix it with a spoon.
4) Thrust the flour with your hands. After, pat it down.
5) Bake for 10 minutes in a 300 degree oven.
6) Once it's cool, thrust it with your hands to break it up.
7) Add vegetable oil.

Materials for next week:

-clay or play dough

-loose parts such as leaves, branches, caps, etc.

-pieces of cardboard

-white crayon

-watercolors

-natural materials such as flower petals, twigs, leaves, etc.

-cardboard box

-heavy cream, sugar vanilla extract, salt, and a mason jar - recipe for homemade ice cream

*Reminder: In observance of Memorial Day, we will not be holding morning or afternoon meetings on 5/25.

Have a great long weekend!

Friday, May 15th - Virtual Classroom

Math

We practiced color sorting with a graphing activity! We asked the children to identify the colors and the corresponding number of caps. After, we talked about which color had the “most” and which color had the “least.” This activity gave children the opportunity to practice counting, color recognition, one to one correspondence, and language development.

Social/Emotional

We introduced a feelings chart at morning meeting. This gives children the opportunity to express and share their emotions with their peers and teachers. Learning to express their feelings such is an important concept for children. It can help them increase their emotional intelligence, practice empathy, build self-awareness, and manage interpersonal relationships.

Sensory

We engaged in a color mixing activity with water and food coloring. We combined different colors to make orange, green, and purple. The children practiced making predictions and observations, which is an important scientific and social emotional skill. As we continue these color mixing activities, the children will become more familiar with identifying the colors we create.

Science

We practiced a sink or float experiment, which is an amazing science and sensory experience. The children took turns making predictions about various items, then testing out the item to see if it sank or float. We learned that for the most part, light items float and heavy items sink. However, when we filled a cup with water, it sank! This activity gives children the opportunity to practice language development, make predictions and observations, and learn about cause and effect.

Parent’s Day

We had so much fun celebrating Parent’s Day with parfaits, a picnic, and a read aloud. We hope you enjoyed this special morning!

Materials for next week:

-egg carton

-watercolors

-droppers

-coffee filters, cotton pads, or paper towels

-flour

-food coloring

-vegetable oil

-materials to make a puppet (sock, paper bag, loose parts, etc.)

-loose parts (leaves, branches, buttons, pom poms, etc.)

-dish soap

-pepper

Have a great weekend!

Friday, May 8th - Virtual Classroom

Thank you for the love for Teacher Appreciation Week!

Sensory

We did a printmaking activity on Monday! The children dipped various objects, such as pipe cleaners, rolled up foil, plastic wrap, corks, and toilet paper rolls in paint and created beautiful prints. We made observations about the various shapes and colors we saw.

Literacy

We did a letter scavenger hunt! Nate helped to write down the word “firefighter” on post its, then went around to find the different letters and worked to put them back together. This is a fun activity that combines letter recognition, letter sounds, and gross motor skills.

Math

Bingo

We played a game of Number Bingo. The children worked to identify the numbers drawn and the numbers on the board. The first one to get four in a row wins!

Number Sort

The children worked to identify a number, then counted out the corresponding number of loose parts. The activity gave children the opportunity to practice number recognition and one to one correspondence.

Cooking

On Friday, we had a pizza party! The children added the ingredients and toppings and while the pizza baked in the oven, we read Pete the Cat and the Perfect Pizza Party. Thanks for joining!

Materials for next week:

-egg carton

-watercolors

-food coloring

-baby oil or hail gel

-paper and markers

-ingredients for a parfait: yogurt, granola, and fruit

Have a great weekend!

Friday, May 1st - Virtual Classroom

Literacy

On Wednesday, we asked the children to make their own puppets to serve as characters for a collaborative story. They used their imagination and creativity to build their own unique puppets out of various materials and loose parts. On Thursday, each child had the chance to contribute to a collaborative story! It was amazing to see the children feed off of each other’s details. Collaborative storytelling is a great activity that can promote recall, vocabulary, creativity, and listening skills. A video of the story is posted on the Google Drive for your reference.

Sensory

Bubble Art

We had so much fun creating bubble art! In order to make this, you will need:

1 tbsp dish soap
3 tbsp water
Food color

Create solution in a cup. Put down paper and use a straw to blow bubbles over the paper. Watch as the patterns emerge, and ask your child to make observations. This is such a great activity because it combines science, sensory play, and art. You can even create different color solutions to expand the experience!

Color Mixing

The children worked to mix colors to create new ones! We made orange, purple, green, and pink. Color mixing gives children to opportunity to explore paint, engage their fine motor skills, make observations, and practice cause and effect.

Science

We did a shaving cream rain cloud experiment! For this experiment, you will need:

a glass or jar
water
shaving cream
food color

1) Pour water into a glass. Stop about an inch from the top.
2) Add a thin layer of shaving cream on top of the water.
3) Add a few drops of food color to the shaving cream. Watch as the food color passes through the shaving cream cloud and drips into the water!

This is such a fun science experiment! You can ask your child to make predictions and observations, as well as practice their fine motor skills and independence with pouring.

Movement

Some songs the children enjoyed this week:

• Run, Baby, Run

• We Are the Dinosaurs

• The Goldfish

• Shake Your Sillies Out

• Party Freeze Dance Song

• Animals Freeze Dance Song

• Shapes Freeze Dance Song

• Baby Shark

• Fire Truck!

• Shake My Sillies Out

• Banana, Banana, Meatball

Materials for next week:

• egg carton

• construction paper

• paint

• ingredients for pizza: english muffins, pita, naan, etc., sauce, and cheese

• baking soda

• vinegar

• food coloring

• water colors

• zip loc bags

• flour

Have a great weekend!

Friday, April 24th - Virtual Classroom

Thanks for celebrating The Week of the Young Child with us! It was so great to celebrate the children and their families with diverse activities. See below for highlights from this week:

Music Monday

Music is an incredible learning tool for children. Music can help children develop and refine their social skills, express their emotions, and express their creativity. We loved learning about all of the children’s homemade instruments during morning meeting. After, we created a band and used our harmonica, shakers, guitar, and xylophone to play a song.

Tasty Tuesday

Tasty Tuesday was all about collaboration and sharing the special activity of cooking together. Cooking together is a great opportunity for bonding, practicing skills such as patience, and incorporating Math/Literacy/other languages. During morning meeting, we asked the children to make and describe their smoothies, as well as name them. It was such a nice sharing activity!

Work Together Wednesday/Earth Day

On Wednesday, we celebrated Work Together Wednesday and Earth Day. We asked the children to work collaboratively with a grown up to use recycled materials to build a structure. Building with recycled materials/loose parts allows for open ended thinking, creativity, and problem solving. We also celebrated Earth Day with a read aloud by Todd Parr, sharing artwork, and Earth Day treats.

Artsy Thursday

Children develop creativity, social skills, and fine motor skills with open-ended art projects where they can make choices, use their imaginations, and create with their hands. We asked the children to choose their own DIY, non traditional paint brush. They used: a cotton ball, q tips, a feather, a pipe cleaner, a toilet paper roll, and a fork. We noticed they all created different, unique lines on the paper. We loved seeing everyone’s creations!

Family Friday

On Friday, we celebrated Family Friday/Special Person’s Day. We loved having Nicole’s grandparents from Hong Kong, Amalia’s Mom, and Zoe’s aunt and Yaya join us for our morning meeting! We talked about what we like to do with our special people, did a scavenger hunt, read “The Family Book” by Todd Parr, and had a dance party. This was a great way to see the people who are an important part of your child's life and hear about what they love to do together.

Materials for next week:

-paint

-shaving cream

-food coloring

-materials to make a puppet (brown paper bag, envelope, a sock, popsicle sticks or straws, a balloon, etc + loose parts or markers)

-yogurt and berries

-egg carton + loose parts (pom poms, beads, pipe cleaners, rocks, gems, etc.)

Have a great weekend!

Friday, April 17th - Virtual Classroom

Thank you for all of your participation and support this week! We loved hearing about how families celebrated the Holidays together this past weekend. Please see below for highlights from this week:

Math

Cooper used banana grams to practice a counting game! This game gives children the opportunity to practice number recognition, counting, and one to one correspondence. He also engaged his fine motor skills by practicing to scoop and pour the tiles.

Nate incorporated Math into his everyday life! He used snack time as an opportunity to count out his cheerios. This type of learning is so authentic - it’s fun for the children and you can use anything to practice!

Literacy

This week, we made literacy name puzzles! We started by writing our names on a strip of paper. Then, we used scissors to cut the letters into puzzle pieces. After, we mixed up the pieces and challenged the children to arrange them to spell their name. This was such a fun activity that allowed children to practice letter and sound recognition, as well as matching.

Observational Drawing

We drew on inspiration from nature to engage in observational drawing this week. These drawings encourage us to notice details such as size, color, and shape.

Sensory

We did some planting this week. We started out by reading “Planting a Rainbow” by Lois Ehlert. Everyone brought different seeds: grapefruit, lemon, orange, avocado, radish, pear, and apple. We put the seeds in a damp paper towel, wrapped them up, then placed them in a zip loc bag. Be sure to tape the bag up to a sunny window - we can’t wait to see what grows!

Nate explored a soapy rainbow sensory bin! These are so easy to create with everyday materials and offer endless possibilities for sensory play.

Nature

So many of the children were able to get out into nature this week! They noticed signs of Spring, such as trees growing leaves, animals, flowers sprouting, and sunny weather. We’re excited to hear about more of your adventures!

Next week, we will be doing activities surrounding The Week of the Young Child, where we celebrate the children and you, their families. The schedule will be as follows: Music Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Work Together Wednesday, Artsy Thursday, and Family Friday/Special Person’s Day. We’re excited to celebrate!

Materials for next week:

-recycled materials: plastic bottles, toilet paper rolls, caps, etc

-loose parts such as beans, rice, beads, etc

-paint or markers

-smoothie ingredients

-supplies to send mail

Afternoon virtual meetings will resume next week. Have a great weekend and be sure to send in pictures!

Friday, April 10th - Virtual Classroom

We hope everyone is doing well! Although short, we had a great week - please see below for highlights:

Literacy

We engaged in several read alouds this week: “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish,” “Hoppy Passover,” and “Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late.” These are great opportunities for children to make observations, ask questions, learn new vocabulary. What books have you been reading at home

Movement

We spent plenty of time moving during our morning meetings this week! We played movement songs, giving the children the opportunity to dance, run, and jump. We also read the book, “My First Yoga: Animal Poses” and practiced several of the poses, including giraffe pose and monkey pose. These are great gross motor activities to get the children moving!

Nature

Some children were lucky enough to get out into nature this week! If possible during these times, it’s so nice to be able to get fresh air and notice your surroundings outside. Zoe found some natural materials and noticed ducks in the water. Cooper found beautiful flowers and Amalia spent time collecting natural materials in the park.

Math

We explored the Mathematical concept of symmetry with a painting. We folded a paper in half, added blue, red, and green paint to one side, pressed the paper down, and opened it up to reveal a painting! We asked the children to make observations and explain what they thought the painting looked like. They noticed: a butterfly, a giraffe, a lobster, an elephant, and a fish. Can you make our own symmetry painting?

Materials for next week:

-shaving cream

-glue

-paint

-paper

-markers

-a ripe banana

-two eggs

-seeds from fruit (apple, lemon, orange, etc.)

-bubble solution

-plastic straws or bubble wands

-please continue to collect recycled materials!

Next week we will resume all morning meetings and Google Classroom activities. Please keep sharing all of your hard work and sending us videos of your week.

Have a great weekend! Happy Passover and Happy Easter to those who celebrate!

Friday, April 3rd - Virtual Classroom

We had a great week! Thank you for sending in pictures and videos - see below for highlights from this week:

Storytelling

We practiced storytelling and make observations while watching live streams on different animals. The children noticed things such as the colors of the jellyfish, how many gorillas there were, what a baby and a mama panda were doing, and how tall a giraffe was. We’re excited to explore the other animals!

Scavenger Hunt

We did two scavenger hunts this week. For the first hunt, we asked the children to find a big item and a small item. For the second hunt, we asked the children to find a noisy item and a quiet item. They were so excited to show and share their findings! Scavenger hunts are great for practicing problem solving, exploring, and practicing new vocabulary.

Observational Drawing

Cooper practiced observational drawing this week with a drawing of his Dad and a painting of Venus and the moon.

Gross Motor

Nate and Zoe created their own obstacle courses! These are so easy to make - all you need is tape or chalk. Obstacle courses are a great way to practice following directions and balancing. You can even add elements of literacy and math!

Sensory

Nate made his own paint this week! He made the colors of the rainbow, then painted a colorful picture on paper - he even engaged in some body painting! This is a great science and sensory experiment, especially during times when you don’t have paint accessible.

Literacy

Nate worked on his letter recognition and recall with this alphabet memory game! This is a fun way to get children even more interested in literacy.

Materials for next week:

• clay or play dough

• chalk

• construction paper

• paint

• seeds (can be from fruit such as lemons or apples)

• zip loc bag

• markers

• please start collecting recycled materials such as toilet paper/paper towel rolls, cardboard, caps, plastic bottles, containers, etc.

Have a great weekend!

Week of March 27th - Virtual Classroom

Thank you for your continued support and collaboration these past few weeks! See below for highlights from this week, as well as as materials you may need for next week:

Morning Meeting

We had so much fun seeing and interacting with the children this week. We continued our “letter of the day,” listened to read alouds, played games, shared work, and had fun with movement and dancing!

Observational Drawing

The children continued observational drawing this week with family portraits and landscape pictures. They used various shapes to represent their ideas and continue to include amazing details.

Spanish

We played a Spanish colors game and went over verde, negro, azul, verde, amarillo, anaranjado, and rojo. Keep practicing these at home!

Our shape and color hunt this week was:

-cuadrado blanco (white square)
-rectángulo marrón (brown rectangle)
-circulo azul (blue circle)

Nate found squares on a bag, wheels on a car, and a piece of cardboard.

Literacy Week

We celebrated Literacy Week with books by the author Mo Willems. We read the books:

“Can I Play Too?”

“There is a Bird on Your Head!”

“I Love My New Toy”     

“Happy Pig Day”

On Friday, the children dressed up as their favorite animal to read “Happy Pig Day.” We hope everyone enjoyed engaging in the activities posted on the Google Classroom. If you didn’t get a chance to do some of the activities and want to do them over the weekend, please send us pictures!

Materials for next week:

• Paint (watercolors and any other kind)

• Salt

• Flour

• Food coloring

• Paint brushes

• Q tips

• Toy cars

• Paper

• Markers

• Tape

• Bin or bowl

• Items for sink or float (some ideas are: coins, rocks, utensils, bowls, toys, legos, keys, pens, etc.)

Have a great weekend & stay safe!

Week of March 20th - Virtual Classroom

We hope everyone is staying healthy and safe! We know it can be difficult to keep your little ones busy and in the flow of school at this time, so we hope that these activities help. We welcome any and all feedback - just e-mail us! Please see below for highlights from this week, as well as as materials you may need for next week:

Morning Meeting

Our virtual morning meetings have been going SO well! Thank you for all of your support during these - it’s such a great way to maintain some normalcy and social contact throughout the week. We hope to continue parent read alouds, so please sign up if you can! We enjoyed chatting about what the children have been working on, seeing their work, hearing stories, going over the calendar, having show and share, singing, doing “letter of the day,” and reading books.

Observational Drawing

Nate engaged in observational drawing this week! He observed various fruits and noticed details such as line, colors, and shapes.

Cooper engaged in observational drawing as he drew a portrait of his family! He noticed and recreated details such as hair, eyes, noses, mouths, arms, and legs.

Dramatic Play

With the help of some props, Zoe recreated our classroom at Buckle My Shoe. She took on the role of the teacher, while her dolls took on the role of students. It’s so great to see the children bringing some of 2B home with them!

Clay

Nate used clay and loose parts to recreate the Empire State Building! He engaged his fine motor muscles in order to mold the clay and noticed details such as shapes, lines, and sizes.

Literacy

Nate practiced his letter recognition and tracing with loose parts! He used unifix cubes to carefully trace various letters of the alphabet.

Materials Needed For Next Week:

• baby oil

• flour

• cornstarch

• construction paper

• markers

• milk

• bananas

• mango

• pineapple

• paint

• a ball of any kind (tennis, soccer, bouncy, etc.)

Thank you for your continued support and flexibility! Keep sending in pictures and let us know if you have any questions!

Week of March 13th

It was so great talking to you all at Parent Teacher Conferences! Thank you so much for your continued support and dedication this year - we really appreciate the partnership! Please let us know if you have any further questions.

This week, we celebrated Holi, played a shape matching game, and engaged in storytelling.

Holi

We had so much fun at our Holi celebration!

Math

On Wednesday, we worked on a shape recognition and sorting activity. The children worked to identify the shape of the button, then matched it to that shape’s bowl. This activity also gave us a chance to practice color recognition and counting.

Literacy

The children have been interested in storytelling this week. We decided to make a collaborative story and write it down on paper. Before we started, the children agreed that the story should be scary. We’re excited to continue collaborative storytelling, and eventually asking the children to write their own stories.

Have a great weekend!

Week of March 6th

This week, we took a trip to the Community Garden, practiced observational painting, played a shape matching game, and made hamantaschen.

Specialists

Spanish - we learned about primavera (spring):

flores - flowers

hojas - leaves
petalos - petals
tallo - stem
mariposa - butterfly

Cooking - we made smoothies with coconut water and strawberries.

Soccer - we played a game where the children pretended they were on the “train” and did little kicks in between the cones to score a goal.

Gross Motor

On Monday, we took a trip to the Community Garden at Washington Market Park. The children noticed all of the different things growing: flowers, grass, and plants. We discussed what plants need to grow - sun, water, rocks, dirt, and lights. Cooper even suggested that we should start growing our own plants. We’re excited to start this new project!

Observational Art

This week, we did an observational painting activity with greens and purples to represent our new classroom flowers. The children were able to slow and down and notice details such as shapes, lines, and colors. They also incorporated Math by counting the number of flowers in their picture.

Math

On Wednesday, we played a shape matching game. The children studied the shapes on the paper and looked around for the matching shape to put down. The children engaged in shape recognition, as well as using comparative words such as “bigger/larger” and “smaller.”

Cooking

On Thursday, we celebrated the Jewish holiday, Purim, with Amalia’s Mom, Chloe. We rolled out the dough, cut out circles, added jam, and folded the edges to make hamantaschen! We incorporated Math by counting the number of times each child rolled the rolling pin.

Reminders:

• Our Holi celebration will take place on Monday in Washington Market Park at 11 AM. The colored powder will stain clothing so please dress your children accordingly!

• Parent/Teacher Conferences are next Friday, March 13th. Staff will be available to watch your little ones during our meeting.

Week of February 27th

This week, we took a trip to the park, color mixed with our bodies, and made yogurt parfaits.

Specialists

Spanish - we talked about different feelings and played a matching game.

Cooking - we made banana and coconut milk smoothies.

Soccer - we played a game where the children were asked to run around on the colored dots, then freeze on a dot when Coach C counted down from 5.

Music - we sang the books, “An Octopus Followed Me Home” and “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.”

Gross Motor

We enjoyed the warm weather on Monday with a trip to Washington Square Park. The children enjoyed playing in the sand, climbing on the jungle gym, sliding, and running. We can’t wait for the warmer weather!

Art/Sensory

This week, we read the book Mouse Paint. The children were inspired to recreate the story! They dipped their feet in paint and used their bodies to color mix. They were so excited to slip, slide, and mix to create purple, green, and orange. This sensory activity gave them the opportunity to use their bodies to explore the paint and create new colors.

Cooking

On Friday, we made parfaits. The children took turns exploring the different ingredients - yogurt, granola, raspberries, and blackberries. Then, they used spoons to layer each ingredient into a cup. As they tasted their creations, the children noticed several observations: “cold,” “crunchy,” and “soft.” This cooking activity is great for engaging fine motor muscles, making observations, and engaging in dialogue with each other.

Reminders:

- School will be closed on Friday, March 6th for staff development.

-Please sign up for Parent/Teacher Conferences on Friday, March 13th.

Have a great weekend!

Week of February 21st

We had a short, but busy week in 2B! We explored clay and wire, practiced literacy in Spanish, did a magic milk experiment, and made guacamole.

Specialists

Cooking - we made red, white, and blue smoothies with strawberries, bananas, and blueberries.

Soccer - we played red light green light with soccer balls and practiced big kick goals, as well.

Music - we learned a new “hello” song and played a game of freeze dance.

Clay

On Monday, we worked with clay and wire, and used NYC landmarks as inspiration for our creations. This activity encouraged the children to notice and recall details, engage in shape recognition, and use their fine motor muscles to mold and manipulate the clay and wire. We’re excited to continue to incorporate NYC buildings into our play. 

Literacy/Spanish

This week, we started learning our letters in Spanish! The children were excited to learn the already familiar letters in another language. We’re excited to continue expanding this learning even more.

Science

On Thursday, we did a magic milk experiment. We combined milk and food color, then dipped q tips in dish soap to watch magic happen - the children were mesmerized by the effect and noticed that it looked like a rainbow. Experiments such as these give children the opportunity to develop their senses, learn to ask questions, and make observations.

Cooking

On Friday, we made guacamole. We talked about all of our ingredients (avocado, onions, tomatoes, lime, and cilantro), and the children made predictions about what were going to cook. Nicole guessed that we were making a salad. Next, the children chopped the ingredients and used utensils to mash and stir the dip. After, we noted all the different colors and textures, and enjoyed the guacamole with chips.

Reminder: Please sign up for Parent Teacher Conferences. Have a great weekend!

Week of February 14th

This week, we did a math/counting activity, explored ice, prepared for Valentine’s Day, and had our Valentine’s Day Breakfast.

Specialists

Spanish - we talked about all things Valentine’s Day:

Abrazo: hug
Corazon: heart
Flores: flowers
Beso: kiss
Amigo: friend
Te quiero: I love you

Cooking - we made tea sandwiches with apple butter, apricot preserves, and strawberry jam.

Soccer - we played a game where the children were asked to flip over the traffic cone, grab the shirt underneath, and toss it into the goal.

Music - we sang a muffin song and read the book, “Never Feed a Yeti Spaghetti.”

Math

On Tuesday, the children played a counting game! The worked to identify the number on the paper, then counted out the corresponding number of gems. After, some of them were interested in using the gems to trace the numbers. This activity gave children the opportunity to practice number recognition, tracing, one to one correspondence, and counting.

Science/Sensory

On Thursday, we engaged in ice sensory play! The children noticed the little hearts frozen in the cubes that came out when the ice melted. They also engaged their fine motor muscles as they used tongs to pick up the cubes.

Valentine’s Day

This week, we painted hearts, created gifts for families, collaged hearts, painted our valentines mailboxes, and made pancakes!

Thank you for coming in to celebrate with us - it was such a special day!

Reminder: School is closed Monday, 2/17 and Tuesday 2/18.

Have a great weekend!

Week of February 7th

This week, we took a trip to Washington Market Park, played a letter matching game, and made price tags for the grocery store.

Specialists

Spanish - we talked about all things invierno:

nieve - snow

muñeco de nieve - snowman

bufanda - scarf

chaqueta - jacket

gorro - hat

guantes - gloves

copo de nieve - snowflake

Cooking - we made a fruit salad with strawberries, blueberries, and lemon juice.

Soccer - we played a game with “beach towels” where the children had to jump over the shirts. Then, they kicked the mini soccer balls onto the shirts and did two kicks on the ball.

Music - we sang “Five Little Monkeys” and “The Firetruck Song.”

Gross Motor

On Monday, we took a trip to the park! On the way there, we named things we saw in Spanish (carro, blanco, amarillo). At the park, the children had so much fun running around, going on the slide, and climbing the jungle gym. We’re excited for the weather to warm up soon so we can continue our park adventures!

Literacy

On Tuesday, we played an alphabet matching game. We encouraged the children to match the foam letters to the letters on the board. As they matched the letters, the children related them to words such as, “Z for Zoe,” “M for mama,“ and “R for Rajen.” This activity gave children the opportunity to practice letter recognition and letter sounds.

Math

On Tuesday, the children decided on the prices for items in our grocery store:

Coffee - $10 (Oliver)

Baby spinach - $3 (Nate)

Eggs - $1 (Cooper)

Blueberries - $2 (Amalia

Ice cream - $5 (Nicole)

Ketchup - $5 (Rajen)

Cheese - $2 (Zoe)

Rasberries - $6 (Maddy)

After we decided on the prices, we practiced tracing the numbers. After, with the help of a teacher, they wrote the numbers to create price tags! This activity gave the children more autonomy over the grocery store. It also allowed them to practice number recognition, tracing, and number writing!

We’re looking forward to seeing many of you at the BMS Science Fair on Saturday 2/8 from 10AM - 12PM.

Reminders:

Picture day is Monday, 2/10. The backdrop will be teal!

School will be closed for President’s Day 2/17 and 2/18.