Week of January 31st

This week, we took a trip to Whole Foods, practiced observational drawing, explored clay with wire, did a science experiment, and made cheddar rosemary crackers.

Specialists

Spanish - we sang “Cinco Patitos” (Five Little Ducks) and “Viejo Macdonald” (Old Macdonald). We practiced counting and went over farm animals in Spanish.

Cooking - we made a salad with lettuce, peppers, and carrots with a side of lemon and lime.

Soccer - we played an “ice cream cone” game where the children had to do little kicks to get the traffic cone in the saucer cone.

Music - we sang, danced, and read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.

Gross Motor/Literacy/Math

On Monday, we took a trip to Whole Foods to find ways to make our classroom store more realistic. We learned so many things! We stopped to notice all the letters and numbers in the store. As a group, we decided that we need price tags and item signs. We even had the chance to chat with the cashier. We’re excited to revamp our store and continue to incorporate literacy and math throughout.

Observational Drawing

On Tuesday, we practiced observational drawing with pictures of different foods. The children talked about details of the picture, including shapes and different colors. Then, they worked to draw what they saw. Observational drawing encourages children to slow down and notice details. We’re excited to add these food drawings to our grocery store.

Clay

On Wednesday, we explored clay, wire, rollers, and scissors. They used the various materials to mold and make their own creations:
Amalia: challah
Nate: a birthday cake
Cooper: beading
Nicole: a pancake
Oliver: a happy birthday cake
Maddy: a house

Clay has so many possibilities! Manipulating clay and wire engages children’s fine motor muscles and promotes creativity and dramatic play. It also facilitates dialogue between the children as they discussed the different creations they made.

Science

On Thursday, we did a sink or float experiment. We filled up our sensory bin with water and asked the children to make predictions on whether certain items would sink or float. Then, we tested each one! We learned that light objects float, while heavy objects sink. As we do more and more science projects, the children are demonstrating the ability to make predictions. This science project also doubles as a fun sensory activity!

Cooking

On Friday, we made cheddar rosemary crackers. The children took turns smelling, looking at, and adding the ingredients. We put it in a blender, then engaged our fine motor muscles and kneaded/rolled out the dough. After, we baked the crackers in the oven and enjoyed them with lunch - they loved them!

The recipe is posted on Nurish if you’d like to make them at home!

Reminder: The BMS Science Fair is on 2/8 from 10-12.

Have a great weekend!

Friday, January 24th

This week in 2B, we added to our grocery store, engaged in observational art with clay, started our science fair experiments, continued using our Spanish vocabulary, and celebrated Chinese New Year. We also said goodbye to Charlie and his family, who are moving to North Carolina. We’ll miss you!

Specialists

Spanish - We went over the days of the week, farm animals, and the sounds animals make.

caballo - horse

burro - donkey

oveja - sheep

gallo - rooster

pollito - chicken

cerdo - pig

pato - duck

vaca - cow

Cooking -  We made a salad with radishes, cucumber, and carrots. We then made a dressing with olive oil, vinegar, and honey!

Soccer - we played a new game where the children were instructed to do “little kicks” to get the ball over to the saucer cone. Then, they sat on their bottoms and used their legs/feet to try to get the ball into the cone.

Music - we sang the sleeping animals song, danced, and marched around the classroom.

Dramatic Play

On Tuesday, we revamped our classroom grocery store! We worked with our recycled materials, containers (thank you so much for donating!), and tissue paper to create food. As the children explored the materials, we had discussions about the various shapes and colors of the foods we wanted to create (spinach, strawberries, eggs, blueberries, etc.) This was such a great activity to get the children involved in making their dramatic play even richer and engaging their fine motor skills. It encouraged them to engage in memory recall, as well as shape and color recognition.

Observational Art

On Wednesday, we engaged in observational art, using clay. At the table, the children noticed clay, grapefruit, and avocado. Before we began creating, we talked about the different shapes we saw. Then, the children worked to recreate the items using clay. Observational art is a great way to get children to slow down and notice details, gain a deeper understanding, and ask questions.

Science

On Thursday, we did part 1 of our science experiment. The children were encouraged to use their sense of touch (no peeking) to describe/guess what was in the box. The mystery boxes included: faux fur, Velcro, a bag of hot water, ice, and pinecones. They used descriptor words such as hot, cold, smooth, bumpy, scratchy, hard, and soft to make predictions about what was in the box!

On Friday, we did part 2! The children were blindfolded and asked to try different foods. As they tried each item, the children were encouraged to describe and guess what they were eating: pretzels, grapefruit, dried mango, avocado, and pickles. They used descriptor words such as cold, crunchy, salty, tasty, soft, sour, and sweet.

The children have been making such great predictions and have been working on answering questions. We’re excited to continue these experiments next week!

Spanish/Literacy

Throughout the week, we continued going over our vocabulary from last week while talking about foods in Spanish. We also read the book “La Oruga Muy Hambrienta,” where we discussed all the different foods the hungry caterpillar ate.

Chinese New Year

In preparation for Chinese New Year, we created red and gold paintings. On Friday, Nicole’s dad, Justin, came in to celebrate with us! We made lanterns to hang in the classroom and read the books, Bringing in the New Year and The Great Race. Justin also brought in traditional red envelopes with gold coins. Celebrating was so much fun!

We’re going to have a school wide Lunar New Year celebration/parade on Monday. If your child has any red articles of clothing, feel free to dress them up for the Holiday. Have a great weekend!

Friday, January 17th

This week, we played a literacy matching game, did a science experiment, worked in our grocery store, and continued learning Spanish!

Specialists

Spanish - we learned our colors, went over the animals from last week, and played a peek a boo game with different colored fabric.

Cooking - we made a cabbage and carrot salad. We took turns smelling the various ingredients, made the dressing, then mixed it up and enjoyed.

Soccer - we practiced hand eye coordination and balance through a new game - kicking the shirts up in the air and trying to catch them!

Music - we sang the book, “Head to Toe,” danced, and sang a song about colors.

Literacy

On Monday, we talked about the first two letters and letter sounds in our names. The children worked to match their letters to their pictures, then used gemstones to trace! This activity gave the children the opportunity to practice letter recognition, letter sounds, and tracing. As the children become more and more comfortable with their letters, we’re working to challenge their literacy skills.

Science

On Thursday, we made a volcano! We combined water, baking soda, and dish soap. We then added vinegar to watch it explode. The children loved watching the solution bubble over. As they felt it, they noticed the color (pink for our first experiment, blue for our second) and the bubbles that formed. This fun sensory activity allowed the children to practice answering questions and making predictions as we get ready for the science fair.

Social Emotional/Dramatic Play

Our grocery store has transformed this week - thank you for all of your recycled materials donations! The children have continued engaging in role play, exploring the materials, and running the store. Amalia and Nate were interested in creating a “grocery list,” so we added a clipboard and pen to the store. The children also wanted to use paint to create a sign for the store. We’re excited to continue to add elements of literacy, math, and social emotional learning.

Spanish

This week, we practiced and expanded our food vocabulary. Feel free to practice these words at home during mealtimes:

fresa - strawberry

banana/platano - banana

piña - pineapple

manzana - apple

uvas - grapes

naranja - orange

bocadillo - sandwich

brócoli - broccoli

pasta - pasta

gandules - peas

zanahorias - carrots

galletas - crackers

arroz - rice

frijoles - beans

pescado - fish

queso - cheese

yogur - yogurt

aguacate - avocado

Reminder: School is closed on Monday, January 20th for MLK Jr. Day.

Please don’t forget to bring in food items by Wednesday for the science fair!

Have a great weekend!

Friday, January 10th

We had a great first full week back in school! We began a new grocery store study, explored clay, painted ice, and made a fruit salad.

Specialists

Spanish - we practiced the days of the week and words to describe the weather, as well as learned new animals with a matching game:

ballena - whale

zorro - fox

reno - reindeer

oso polar - polar bear

orca - killer whale

Cooking- we squeezed lemon juice and tried different colored grapes. While eating, we counted the number of grapes in Spanish and talked about which color was our favorite.

Soccer- we practiced our hand eye coordination with a game where the children kicked the saucer cones over to the traffic cones and tried to balance it on the traffic cone.

Music- we sang along to the books “Never Feed A Yeti Spaghetti” and “Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See?” We also danced to the Hokey Pokey (as per Cooper’s request).

Social Emotional/Dramatic Play/Math

The children love to engage in imaginative play in the kitchen: finding ingredients, cooking, setting the table, and eating meals together. In order to extend this play and further our cooking curriculum, we decided to create a classroom grocery store. In order to figure out what we needed, we took a trip to the store to do research. We decided on all the materials and items we would need, built our store, and began to play! The children took on the different roles of the grocery store: customers and cashiers. We talked about our real life experience in grocery stores, such as choosing and paying for items, waiting in line when we check out, counting money, and being kind to other customers and workers. The children practiced turn taking, role playing, patience, counting, and a little bit of Spanish!

Fine Motor/Sensory

On Wednesday, we engaged in a full body clay experience today! The children began by exploring the clay with their feet. Nicole explained that the tarp was “water” and that we needed toys for it! The children grabbed the letter connectors and used them to further explore the clay. This activity allowed the children to engage their fine motor skills and create play scenarios.

Science

On Thursday, we explored a big block of ice. As we began the conversation surrounding ice, the children recalled that freezing water makes ice. They enjoyed feeling its smooth texture, then used droppers with water colors to paint! They noticed that the paint dripped down the ice cube and created a puddle. This was such a fun sensory activity that engaged the children’s fine motor skills, hand eye coordination, and fostered creativity.

Literacy/Spanish

Throughout the week, we have been working on incorporating more Spanish into our curriculum. During lunchtime, Chloe (Amalia’s Mom/Buckle My Shoe Staff Member) read several books in Spanish to us. We used this time to practice new food vocabulary and relate it back to the children’s lunches. We’re excited to continue this learning! Here are some words we learned this week that you can practice at home:

queso - cheese

helado - ice cream

manzana - apple

sandía - watermelon

naranja - orange

frijoles - beans

limón - lemon

piña - pineapple

arroz - rice

lechuga - lettuce

tomate - tomato

numbers 1-10 in Spanish

Cooking

On Friday, we took another trip to the grocery store to buy ingredients for a fruit salad. Before we left, the children collectively decided that we should buy oranges, green apples, and watermelon. When we arrived back at school, the children used plastic knives to cut up our fruit. We also talked about how to say orange (naranja), watermelon (sandía), and apple (manzana) in Spanish. After, the children took turns mixing while we counted to 5 in Spanish. Then, we enjoyed! This cooking activity allowed us to do more grocery store research, engaged their fine motor muscles, and gave us a chance to practice our Spanish and counting.

Reminder: if you have any containers, boxes, or jars at home, please bring them in!

Have a great weekend!

Friday, December 20th

This week in 2B, we created with loose parts, made cookies, and explored instant snow, and engaged in animal play.

Specialists

Spanish - we sang Holiday songs in Spanish!

Cooking - we used cucumber and peppers to make a menorah!

Soccer - we played a new game this week. Coach C created a “fire pit” with cones, and asked the children to throw shirts inside to ignite the fire!

Music - we sang the words to “Head to Toe” by Eric Carle and copied the moves from the story.

Loose Parts

On Tuesday, we engaged our fine motor muscles and creativity with loose parts - animals, tree cookies, dreidels, and tongs! Some of the children were inspired to use the tongs to pick up the various parts, while some children used the parts to care for the animals (feed them, give them ice, and put them to sleep). It is amazing to see how children can take various materials and create so many different play scenarios. This type of play promotes problem solving and collaboration, as well!

Cooking

On Wednesday, we baked sugar cookies for our classroom Holiday party. We added the ingredients, mixed the dough, rolled it out, then used cookie cutters to cut the dough into holiday shapes. The children incorporated math by counting out the ingredients and identifying the various shapes. Then, we enjoyed sharing the cookies with families and decorating them with icing at our party.

Science

On Thursday, we did a science experiment in our sensory bin and created instant snow. The children were amazed when we added the water to the powder - they watched it swell up and become snow! After, they immediately touched the snow to see what it felt like. Many noticed its “soft” texture and recalled the snow from the day before. The children were interested in adding the toy people to the snow, creating a play scenario in which there was a snow storm! This play really engaged the children’s senses and facilitated imaginative play.

Social-Emotional

On Friday, the children noticed a new material in the block area - a dollhouse! The were immediately interested in putting the animals and people in the house and caring for them. Then, they took fabric from the basket and used it to put the animals to sleep. The children love to take on these caregiver roles. They even sometimes work collaboratively to engage in this play. We’re excited to see what other play scenarios they dream up in the block area.

Reminder: School is closed next week and will reopen on January 2nd. See you then!

Friday, December 13th

This week in 2B, we worked on literacy with sand trays, explored loose parts, created with clay, measured our bodies, and made muffins!

Specialists

Spanish - we continued to practice cold weather clothing words.

Cooking - we made snowy cereal (Cheerios, coconut, and raisins). The children noticed that the cereal was crunchy, while the raisins were soft.

Soccer - we learned a new game where we had to grab a shirt from Coach C’s pocket and put it in the washing machine (goal).

Music - we learned new songs and played freeze dance.

Literacy

On Monday, we practiced our letters using sand trays. The children studied the different letters on the table, then used their fingers or paintbrushes to practice writing the letters. The children were also inspired to draw different shapes, such as circles or triangles. This literacy activity not only encourages the children to practice letter recognition and writing, but is also a great fine motor/sensory activity!

Loose Parts/Social-Emotional

On Tuesday, we explored loose parts. At the table, the children noticed animals, tree cookies, gems, and little blocks. They began to care for the animals by feeding them, building them homes, and making ice packs for them. Later, many of the children were interested in incorporating fabric into their play, using it to put the animals to sleep. The children were inspired to dream up multiple scenarios. They each took on caregiver roles, seemingly inspired by their everyday lives. Loose parts allow for more open-ended play and creativity, and engage fine motor muscles!

Clay/Fine Motor

On Wednesday, we explored clay with loose parts. The children have been interested in making vehicles, so we provided various caps and gemstones. They were inspired to make wheels and lights for their clay cars, trucks, and airplanes! This open ended play allows for creativity and problem solving. It also incorporates Math through counting and shape recognition.

Science & Math

On Thursday, we did a Science experiment! First, the children made predictions about how tall they are:

Cooper: 6

Rajen: 1

Maddy: 1

Nicole: 25

Oliver: 5

Amalia: 2

We outlined their bodies with marker, then measured their height with a ruler. They were so excited to see how many inches tall they were! We talked about measurement and descriptor words such as “taller,” “shorter,” “compare,” “inches,” and “feet.” We’re excited to finish our measurements next week and compare them to one another!

Cooking

We continued with our Cooking curriculum on Friday - we made apple sauce muffins! The children noticed that some of the ingredients were white, while some were brown. The children took turns looking at and smelling each ingredient, then added them together and mixed. We incorporated Math by counting how many ingredients we had, and counting to ten each time a child mixed the batter. The children also practiced patience, problem solving, turn taking, and collaboration. The recipe is posted on Nurish if you’d like to make them at home!

Reminder: Please sign up for our classroom Holiday potluck on Nurish!

Have a great weekend!

Friday, December 6th

This week in 2B, we explored literacy with modeling clay, explored numbers, made cloud dough, and introduced a kindness jar.

Specialists

Spanish - As Winter approaches, our wardrobe changes! We learned the different types of clothing we wear in the colder months:

chaqueta - jacket
bufanda - scarf
gorra - hat
botas - boots
pantalones - pants

Cooking - We made a fruit salad. The children mixed together peaches, pears, apricot, banana, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. The children had the opportunity to add and pour the different ingredients and mix it up!

Soccer - We worked on kicking, balancing, and strength!

Literacy

On Monday, we offered the children modeling clay and letter cut outs. They were excited to identify the different letters they saw, with many noticing letters in their name. Nate was interested in finding an “A for Amalia!” They pushed the letter cut outs against the modeling clay, noticing the letter indentation that formed. This hands on activity encouraged children to engage in letter recognition (which will further their interest and knowledge in literacy), while incorporating fine motor skills!

Math

On Tuesday, the children explored number recognition (1-5). They helped to identify each number, count the number on our fingers, then worked with the colorful gems to trace the numbers. This activity incorporated counting, one to one correspondence, and tracing numbers! As the children become more comfortable with these numbers, we will begin to introduce many more.

Science

On Thursday, we made cloud dough! We put eight cups of flour and one cup of baby oil into the sensory bin, and the children mixed it up with their hands. They were amazed at the texture, noticing that it was “soft” and "felt good.” Cooper said, “it’s snow!” and Charlie enjoyed rolling the dough into balls. This sensory material facilitated dialogue and creativity, engaged their fine motor muscles, and promoted play and socialization!

Social Emotional

We introduced a “kindness jar” this week. When the children engage in an act of kindness, such as sharing, helping a friend, or inviting a friend over to play, they can add a pom pom to the kindness jar. When we fill up the jar, we’re going to have a classroom celebration! This type of positive reinforcement can teach compassion, empathy, and encourage socialization between the children.

Reminder: Please sign up for our classroom Holiday potluck on Nurish!

Have a great weekend!

Friday, November 29th

Happy Thanksgiving! This week, we shared our Home Fun pictures, went to the park, and made sweet potatoes! We also said goodbye to Mikey, whose family is moving to New Jersey next week.

Specialists

Spanish - we learned the names of different Thanksgiving side dishes:

el pavo: turkey

zanahorias: carrots

salsa de arándanos: cranberry sauce

maíz: corn

puré de papas: mashed potatoes

chícharos: peas

Cooking - we made cranberry sauce with pineapples.

Home Fun

Thank you for sending in your Home Fun pictures! The children had so much fun sharing and hearing about all of the different meals. They were able to make connections about similar foods on their plates, as well as discuss foods they’ve eaten before.

Cooper: “This is my rice and this is my food…hummus and strawberries and carrots and a kitty cat spoon…and what’s this…oh, chicken. I like it.”

Oliver: “It’s broccoli, kebab, tomato soup, and rice…kebab is meat…protein makes me strong.”

Nicole: “Rice…white…meatballs, green beans…I had it for lunch…my favorite was the green beans.”

Charlie: “Pasta…red pasta…a restaurant…with my Daddy.”

Nate: “I have apple sauce and these…oh, nuts…and broccoli and cauliflower…I ate at my house…for dinner…with Mommy.”

Amalia: “I had sweet potatoes for lunch, I had beans for lunch and cucumber and muffin.(Pointed to the muffin) do you have this before?…and corn.”

Washington Market Park

We enjoyed the warmer weather on Tuesday with a trip to the park! The children played in the jungle gym and worked on their gross motor skills- sliding, jumping, and climbing!

Cooking

On Friday, we made sweet potatoes with cinnamon. We began with boiled, peeled sweet potatoes (softer for cutting purposes). The children had the opportunity to look at, smell, and touch the potato. Many children said the potatoes felt “good,” “soft,” and “slimy.” Next, the children worked on their fine motor skills and started cutting! They cut the potatoes into small pieces and dumped them into a bowl. We added cinnamon and cooked them in the oven. We enjoyed our cinnamon sweet potatoes with our cranberry sauce from earlier in the day. Many children were interested in dipping the potatoes into the sauce, combining the two tastes and textures.

We’ll miss you Mikey!

See below for this week’s Home Fun:

Have a great weekend!

Friday, November 22nd

Thank you to everyone for an amazing Curriculum Breakfast! It was so fun to integrate families into our project work. We hope you all enjoyed the activity and learning more about our classroom curriculum.

This week in 2B, we used loose parts to count, went on a neighborhood walk, and made puffy paint!

Specialists

Spanish - we learned numbers, emotions, and family members!

Cooking - We had celery, carrots, and different colored tomatoes.

Soccer

Music

Loose Parts

On Tuesday, we integrated loose parts and math. At the table, the children noticed different numbers written out: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Next to each number, there were a corresponding amount of circles. After we talked about which numbers we saw, we explored various loose parts: counting bears, tree cookies, pom poms, gems, and pine cones. We encouraged the children to identify a number, count that number of items, and use one to one correspondence to put the items in the circles.

Incorporating Math in this open ended approach makes the learning more authentic and fun. It also allows children to think creatively and experiment with the materials. We’re excited to continue incorporating counting and numbers into our curriculum!

Neighborhood Walk

On Wednesday, we went on a neighborhood walk. On our first stop, we went to Boomerang Toys to deliver our “Thank You” card for celebrating Halloween with us! Next, we stopped at Morgan’s Market to look at and smell all the flowers. Before returning to school, we checked out two different construction sites noticed none of the workers were there!

Puffy Paint

On Thursday, we made puffy paint. We combined glue, shaving cream, and red food color to create 3D paint. The children were so excited to add each ingredient and get started on painting. As they painted, each child explained what they were making:

Oliver: a bus

Cooper: baby Lucas

Charlie: Cooper

Mikey: a circle

Rajen: trick or treat

Nicole: a birdie

Nate: a bus

Feel free to check out the paintings displayed in our classroom!

Curriculum Breakfast

Other activities this week included:

• Using chairs to build trains

• Exploring model magic

• Creating letters with clay and gems

• Working with magnets

• Painting

• Exploring letters

Reminders:

• School is closed next Thursday 11/28 and Friday 11/29.

• Our classroom Holiday Party will be on Wednesday, 12/18 - more details to come!

• The giving tree is set up for everyone to take from. You can choose one or two envelopes and buy presents for underprivileged children in the Bronx. Gifts must be wrapped and brought back to school by December 9th.

• Please send us your Home Fun pictures!

Have a great weekend!

Friday, November 15th

It was so great seeing all of you 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.

We had a short, but busy week in 2B - we explored literacy, made beads, and did a collaborative yarn painting.

Specialists

Spanish - We learned colors, numbers (1-5) , and animals!

Soccer

Music - we had a combined music class with 2A.

Literacy

We really dove into literacy this week! The children have been interested in letter recognition and writing, so we offered literacy rocks, tracing letters with gemstones, white boards, and name cards. Many of them enjoyed recognizing their names, as well as their friend’s names, finding familiar letters, thinking of words that start with particular letters, practicing writing letters, and tracing. We love coming up with fun and authentic ways to engage the children in literacy. If you have any suggestions for activities or projects, please feel free to let us know!

Beading

Last week when we worked with clay, the children were interested in rolling it into balls. On Wednesday, we offered the children clay, and encouraged them to break off small pieces and roll them into different shapes. After this, we poked holes in the clay to make beads! We let them dry and started to paint on Thursday. The children color mixed blue, pink, and yellow to create their own colorful beads.

The children love molding and manipulating clay! They were so engaged and focused on this beading activity. Next week, we’re going to string the beads with wire. Stay tuned!

Yarn Painting

On Wednesday, we created a collaborative yarn painting. The children used scissors to help cut up pieces of yarn. They then dipped the yarn in paint and placed it/dragged it across the paper. They quickly noticed that the yarn created lines of paint on the paper. Yarn painting is a great sensory activity. It allows children to really explore the materials, and create something amazing!

Other activities this week included:

• Compiling our smoothie ingredients for the Curriculum Breakfast

• November self portraits

• Creating sensory bottles

• Show and tell

• Using scissors

• Light and shadow

Reminder: Our Curriculum Breakfast is on 11/22. Please sign up on Nurish - we look forward to seeing many of you there!

Have a great weekend!

Friday, November 8th

Happy Friday! We had a busy week in 2B - we explored clay and transportation, played with light and shadow, took a trip to the store, and made smoothies!

Specialists

Spanish - We learned about different animals and the sounds they make.

Cooking - We made Chex Mix with raisins and cinnamon - it was a big hit!

Soccer

Music

Clay

The children have been very interested in transportation! On Wednesday, we offered pictures of different vehicles (helicopter, police car, ambulance, airplane, bus, subway, motorcycle, SUV, and dump truck) with clay and tools. As the children studied the different pictures, they decided what they wanted to create:

Oliver: police car

Cooper: subway

Charlie: helicopter

Amalia: airplane

Mikey: bus

Nate: dump truck

We used this opportunity to also incorporate a shape study! Many of the children decided they wanted to make wheels and tires, so we asked, “what shape are they?” They shouted, “circle!” and we began to break off small pieces of clay and roll them into balls. We also noticed other parts of the vehicles: wings, lights, and windows, which looked like rectangles!

This activity was so much fun! The children drew inspiration from their favorite vehicles and used their fine motor skills and imagination to create.

Light & Shadow

On Thursday after Soccer, the children were amazed when they arrived back in the classroom to a new provocation! They noticed that the lights were off and a bright light was shining from an overhead projector. They immediately when up to the wall and noticed their shadows being projected. Some children went over to the projector and began placing animals on it, noticing new shadows! They continued looking around the classroom for other materials to place on the projector: legos, blocks, and people! They were mesmerized by the different colors, shapes, and how items became bigger and smaller .

Light and shadow is such a fun concept, especially at this age. It helps children to become very aware of their bodies, depth, and the shadows they can create. They were inspired to expand on light and shadow and found different materials to project. We will definitely continue this light and shadow study in 2B!

Smoothies!

On Friday during Morning Meeting, each child took turns telling us their favorite fruit:

Maddy: blackberries

Cooper: watermelon

Nate: watermelon

Amalia: pineapple

Nicole: apples

Oliver: bananas

We complied a list and chose two fruits to purchase from Morgan’s Market: pineapple and banana! We took a trip on the buggies, purchased our produce, and went back to school. Each child received a knife and plate, and started chopping up the bananas. We added the chopped banana, pineapple, and yogurt, and blended! The children noticed that the smoothie turned yellow, and many thought it smelled “good.”

The children then drank their smoothies - they were a big hit! Many of the children explained that their Moms and Dads drink smoothies at home. We love when children make these home/school connections. It really serves as a bonding experience for children and their peers!

Other activities this week included:

• Stamping

• Watercolor painting

• Exploring play dough

• Practicing literacy with white boards and name cards

• November self portraits

• Exploring lights

• Letter recognition

• Exploring water and rocks

We’re looking forward to seeing many of you next Friday at Parent Teacher Conferences. Have a good weekend!

Friday, November 1st

Happy Friday! This week, we took a trip to Washington Market Park, celebrated Halloween, and made scented play dough!

Specialists

Spanish

Cooking

Music

Washington Market Park

On Monday, we took a trip to the park! When we arrived, the children immediately noticed the carved pumpkins and decorated skeletons. When we made our way to the field, the children were interested in running, jumping, and climbing on the stacks of hay!

Halloween

On Thursday, we celebrated Halloween with a school wide parade and classroom party! Thank you to everyone for your support and participation - it was so much fun and the costumes looked amazing!

Play Dough

On Friday, we made pumpkin spice play dough!

The children took turns smelling and and touching each ingredient, taking guesses as to what they thought it could be. We mixed it up, let it cool, then explored our creation! The children each felt the play dough, noting that it felt “warm” and “soft.”

• 2 cups AP flour

• 2 tbsps coconut oil

• 1/2 cup salt

• 2 tbsps cream of tartar

• 1-1.5 cups hot water

• Turmeric for color

• Pumpkin pie spice
  

1) Mix the flour, salt, cream of tartar, and oil in a large mixing bowl.

2) Add turmeric to hot water. Mix with dry ingredients.

3) Stir continuously until it becomes a sticky, combined dough.

4) Allow it to cool down then take it out of the bowl and knead vigorously for a couple of minutes until all of the stickiness is gone.

After the play dough cooled, we explored it with rollers and hammers.

Other activities this week included:

• Finishing Halloween costumes

• Lemon & lime observational painting

• Apple stamping

• Celebrating Diwali

• Painting with spoons

• Making jack-o-lanterns

Have a great weekend!

Friday, October 25th

This week in 2B, we took a trip to Morgan’s to buy mini pumpkins to paint, created our Halloween costumes, made sensory bottles, and cooked healthy pancakes!

Specialists

Spanish

Cooking

Soccer

Music

Pumpkins

On Monday, we went on a neighborhood walk to Morgan’s Deli. The children took a vote: should we buy one big pumpkin to carve/cut open, or mini pumpkins to paint? They decided that we should buy mini pumpkins! We paid for our pumpkins, and went back to school to have lunch. While they ate, the children discussed what color they were going to paint their pumpkins, what expressions their pumpkins would have, and what shapes they were going to incorporate.

On Wednesday, we started painting! The children chose which color paint they wanted, and we poured that color into a cup. They dripped the paint onto the pumpkin, then used a brush to continue painting.

Halloween Costumes

Thank you for all of your help with our Halloween costumes! The children are so excited to wear their “If You Give A Pig A Pancake” costumes.

Sensory Bottles

On Thursday, we made sensory bottles! The children have been interested in exploring our classroom sensory bottles, and wanted to make their own. The children began by filling up plastic bottles 3/4’s to the top with water. Then, we added a little bit of baby oil. The children then chose a glitter color (or two) to add to their bottles. Lastly, we twisted the cap on and gave it a shake! We can’t wait to keep adding materials to our sensory bottles.

Sensory bottles are an amazing tool for the classroom, as well as at home. When they create them, children have the opportunity to engage their fine motor muscles, as well as make choices about what they want to put in their bottles. Sensory bottles can often be used as a calming tool, offering children the opportunity for steady breathing and self-regulation.

Cooking

On Friday, we made healthy pancakes! Amalia’s Mom, Chloe, came in to help us cook. We talked about the different ingredients we were going to use, and each child had the chance to smell, taste, and look at some of the ingredients. The children were fascinated when we added the vinegar - they noticed that it started bubbling! Then, we cooked the pancakes, and enjoyed.

Vegan Pancakes

·       1 cup rolled oats

·       Any milk of choice (we used dairy-free pea milk)

·       1 medium banana 

·       1 tbsp baking powder

·       1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

·       1 tbsp maple syrup (standard or sugar-free)

·       1 tsp vanilla extract

·       1/2 cup blueberries fresh or frozen

Instructions

1.  In a high-speed blender or food processor, add all your ingredients, except for the blueberries, and blend until a thick batter remains. Fold in the blueberries but do not blend.

2.  Preheat a lightly greased pan on medium heat. Once hot, pour a quarter cup portions of the batter in the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the edges start to brown. Flip and cook for a further minute or two. Repeat until all the batter is used up.

3.  Serve and enjoy!

Other activities this week included:

• Using sensory blocks

• Exploring clay

• “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” in the gym

• Seashell exploration

• Finishing our Fall painting for the front windows of BMS

• Exploring bubble wrap

• Changing our fish tank

• Observational painting

• Carving a pumpkin
  
  

Reminders

• Please let us know if you or your caregiver will not be able to come to the Halloween parade on Thursday, October 31st. Find the parade route below:

• Please sign up for a time slot for conferences. Note that there will be teaching staff available to watch your little ones as you attend your conference.

Have a great weekend!

Friday, October 18th

We had a great week in 2B! We collaged with natural materials, went pumpkin picking, made puffy paint, and made baked apples with spices!

Specialists

Spanish - Our teacher’s name is Ernestina.

Soccer

Music

Collaging With Natural Materials

The children have been interested in exploring all of the natural materials we’ve been collecting! On Tuesday, we put out the various materials (leaves, branches, acorns), paper, and glue. They noticed the different colored leaves, the textures of the acorns, and the sizes of the branches. The children worked to apply glue with popsicle sticks and paste down the materials, creating their own individual artwork!

Collaging with natural materials provides such a wonderful sensory experience for children! They have the opportunity to explore different textures and colors found in nature, and assemble those materials in their own unique way. 

Pumpkin Picking

On Wednesday, we took a trip to White Post Farms to go pumpkin picking! We also had the chance to see and feed different animals, as well as go on a hayride.

Puffy Paint

For Science Thursdays, we made puffy paint! We combined glue, shaving cream, and food coloring to create something completely new! Each child had the opportunity to participate in the experiment, adding ingredients, as well as stirring. We noticed that the paint did not look puffy, so we experimented and added more shaving cream!

After we were done, we poured the paint on paper, and the children used paintbrushes to explore their creation. They all agreed that the paint looked “puffy,” and loved using it!

Ingredients:

• Glue

• Shaving Cream

• Food coloring

1) Add equal parts glue and shaving cream in a bowl.

2) Add food coloring and mix well.

Cooking

On Friday, we kept with our Fall theme and made baked apples with spices! Before we began, we talked about the different ingredients we were using: apples, nutmeg, and cinnamon. The children had the chance to smell each ingredient, and describe what they thought of. Mikey and Cooper decided that the cinnamon smelled like peanut butter. We also made several predictions!

“Are the apples crunchy or soft now?”

Cooper & Oliver: "They’re crunchy.”

“After we put them in the oven, do you think they’ll be crunchy or soft?”

Cooper: “They’ll be soft…and hot.”

Oliver: “Soft.”

Nicole: “Soft and hot.”

Next, we offered the children plastic knives and plates so they could begin cutting the apples! They worked on holding the knives correctly and safely, and using their muscles to push down hard! After, we tossed the cut apples in a bowl. We added cinnamon, then nutmeg, and mixed it all up. We then put the apples in the oven to bake for about 20 minutes. We let them cool, and enjoyed. Most of the children loved them!

Other projects this week included:

• A Fall inspired collaborative painting

• A matching game

• Continuing meditation

• Using our placemats

• Hide & seek in the gym

• A neighborhood walk scavenger hunt

• Starting our Halloween costumes!

Reminder: Please RSVP and sign up for an item to bring to our Halloween party. Also, please let us know when you’d like to come in next week to help your child make their Halloween costume. If you can’t make it in, don’t worry! Just please let us know and we can work with your child on their costume.

Have a great weekend!

Friday, October 11th

We had a great week in 2B! We welcomed two children, Oliver and Rajen - we’re so excited to have them in our class!

We continued our Specialists and met our new Spanish instructor. We also went on a leaf hunt, made slime, and did a taste test.

Specialists

Cooking - We had apples and apple butter!

Spanish - We learned some new songs in Spanish and met El Tigre and El Mano.

Soccer - We learned some new games!

Music

Leaf Hunt!

On Monday, we took our first trip to Washington Market Park! The children have been interested in natural materials and the changing seasons, so we decided to go on a leaf hunt! They suggested bringing a bag to hold all of our leaves, so that we could explore them when we got back to school. When we returned back to school to have lunch, we discussed the different colors, textures, and sizes of the various leaves we found. We can’t wait to further explore the leaves and other natural materials!

Making Slime

On Thursday, we made slime! Laura’s daughter Gabby graciously wrote down her secret recipe:

Each child had the opportunity to add an ingredient if they chose to. We noticed the slime was very sticky, so we added more detergent. Unfortunately, we added too much! Our slime did not turn out perfect, but it was so much fun to make! The children had the opportunity to watch the combination of different ingredients form something completely new. We can’t wait to do more Science experiments.

Taste Test

We noticed that the children seem to love taste tests! They like to engage in dialogue about the different colors, textures, and tastes. On Friday, we offered the children two sour items: lemons and limes. Each child had a turn to examine both, noting their shape, color, and texture. Before we tried each fruit, we made several predictions: Will it be sweet or sour? What color will be on the inside? Will it be juicy? Will it be crunchy?

When the children tried the lemon and lime, they all definitely agreed that they were both very sour and juicy! After, we took a poll on each child’s favorite of the two. Read below for the results!

Lime Lemon Neither

Oliver Nate Charlie

Nicole Cooper

Amalia Maddy

Other projects this week included:

• Exploring pictures of fruits and veggies

• Continuing October self portraits

• Incorporating play dough and kitchen tools

• Exploring sea shells

• Making placemats with watercolor paint

• A visit from the local dentist - we practiced brushing the dinosaur’s teeth!

• Composting in 3B

Reminder: Please bring in a pink sweatshirt for Halloween if you haven’t already!

Have a great weekend! BMS is closed on Monday, so we’ll see you all on Tuesday.

Friday, October 4th

We had a short, but busy week in 2B! We started three of our specialists (Cooking with Diane, Soccer, and Music), explored ice, took a trip to the farmer’s market, and continued our cooking adventures!

Specialists

Cooking - Our cooking teacher’s name is Diane. On Wednesday, we made apples with honey!

Soccer - Our soccer coach’s name is Coach C!

Music - Our music teacher’s name is Mr. Andrew!

Farmer’s Market & Cooking

On Wednesday, we took a trip to the Farmer’s Market. As an extension of our herb study, we wanted to cook with the herbs, and make a beet and dill salad. When we arrived at the market, the children had the opportunity to look at some of the produce - we even saw pumpkins! When we located the beets, we brought them to the cashier, paid for our produce, and carried the bag home.

On Friday, it was time to cook! Before we started, each child had the opportunity to smell and touch our ingredients: lemon, beets, and dill. Amalia recognized the beets and dill, while Nate recognized the lemon. We talked about the colors and textures the children saw. After, it was time to chop! Each child used a plastic knife and a plate to cut up the beets. They started to notice that their hands were turning red! After we were done chopping, we added our beets to a big bowl. Then we chopped up some dill, and added it to our salad. Lastly, each child added a squeeze of lemon. We mixed it up and enjoyed our salad. It was (mostly) a big hit!

This cooking experience was so much fun! We explored different smells, textures, colors, and tastes. Some children had the opportunity to try new foods, and they had the chance to engage their fine motor skills with cutting, picking the dill off the stem, and squeezing the lemon. We can’t wait to continue cooking!

Ice Popsicles

Last week, during our ice exploration, we learned that the children are very interested in ice - particularly, touching ice, and the magical concept of ice turning into water. On Thursday, we offered the children “ice popsicles” and mats. Amalia started by tapping her popsicle on the mat. Charlie and Cooper did the same, and noticed that a piece of ice broke off. Each child was interested in putting the ice in their mouth. Nate, Maddy, and Charlie explained that it tasted “cold,” while Amalia said that it tasted “good.”

Then, we noticed that the ice was getting smaller and water was dripping out. Cooper explained that “when you lick it, it gets smaller.” We then talked about the concept of ice melting! The children were mesmerized by such a simple concept of melting ice - we can’t wait to continue these Science activities!

Other projects this week included:

• Movement - we created obstacle courses in the gym!

• Kinetic sand

• Watercolor painting

• October self portraits

• Talking about kindness and respect. We created a 2B class agreement, which includes rules such as “keep our bodies safe” and “we don’t grab, we can ask!”

• Choosing our Halloween costumes! The children voted and we’ve decided to be pigs from the book, “If You Give A Pig A Pancake.” We will be making the costumes in school, but are requesting a pink hoodie for each child. If you have a pink sweatshirt at home that you want to use, please feel free to bring that in. If not, here is an amazon link. We recommend sizing up!

  • https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PCRGO9M/ref=twister_B00PCRFFFG

Reminder: Our Pumpkin Picking & Hay Ride field trip will be on October 16th at the White Post Farms of Melville. You can RSVP with the link below!

https://permission.click/GLMD0/us

Have a great weekend!

Friday, September 27th

We had a great week in 2B! We took our first walks outside, explored a loose parts project, did an ice exploration, had a special visitor, and more.

We’re also excited to share our classroom intent/project for the year: using our senses in cooking. We will be focusing on using our sense of smell, touch, taste, sight, and hearing to study different foods and ingredients. These activities give us the opportunity to incorporate so many different domains - math, literacy, science, social emotional, and fine motor - in a fun and authentic way! If you have any ideas or questions, please let us know. We love volunteers!

Neighborhood Walks

On Tuesday, we ventured outside for the first time this year! We started by taking a practice walk around the school, working on getting acclimated with holding on to the rope, keeping our eyes up, and walking safely. After, we took our walk outside! We walked around the block, noting the different things we saw and heard:

Cooper: “I hear a garbage truck.”

Amalia: “Cars!”

Charlie: “Cones.”

Mikey: “Lights.”

Cooper: “A ladder…we’re walking to Mom’s work.”

Maddy: “Bike.”

Many of the children also noticed the sound of the subway train passing by underneath us!

We’re excited to take more walks around the neighborhood - to the park, the farmers market, and more!

Loose Parts

On Tuesday, we put out water bottles and various loose parts (ribbon, pipe cleaners, pompoms, and feathers.) Each child practiced their fine motor skills by taking turns putting the loose parts into a water bottle. Many of the children started by using pompoms and feathers. Several children noticed that the pipe cleaners were too long, and could not fit in the bottle. Cooper had the idea to fold the pipe cleaner in half, which Charlie soon followed. Amalia then folded up the ribbon and put it in a bottle, which Mikey enjoyed doing also. Nicole, Amalia, and Maddy decided to fill up their bottles with loose parts, put the caps back on, and shake them. Charlie enjoyed taking all the loose parts, throwing them up in the air, and watching them fall down!

We love incorporating fine motor activities that are fun and engaging for the children. These types of activities encourage children to engage in open ended play, practice patience and problem solving, and work to grasp materials. These skills continue to develop over time, offering children the confidence to complete everyday tasks such as dressing themselves, drawing, writing and more!

Ice Exploration

On Thursday, the children were curious about a new item in our sensory bin: a huge block of ice! Amalia touched the ice, then began playing with the water. Charlie touched the ice, then tapped it with a water bottle. Nate rubbed the side and said, “feels good.” Amalia asked, “Is it ice?” to which Nate responded, “It’s ice.” Cooper touched the ice and said it was “soft” and “cold.” Mikey agreed that the ice was “soft.” Nate brought pipe cleaners over and dipped them in the water. After, the children brought the cars over. They drove them across the water and up and down the ice. We posed the question: “Why is water coming out of the ice?” Nate explained, “because we’re breaking it off.” Amalia said, “the water is flavor of ice.”

At the end of the day, Amalia, Nate, and Mikey were curious about the ice in the now-covered sensory bin. Amalia noticed that there was “more water” and that the block of ice was smaller!

The children seemed to be very excited about this science project. Next week, we are going to continue our ice exploration, and further investigate why water comes out of ice - stay tuned!

Cooking!

On Friday, we had a special visitor in 2B - Amalia’s mom, Chloe! She brought in a recipe and ingredients for healthy apple cookies. Each child had the opportunity to learn about and taste some of the ingredients, add the ingredients to the bowl, and stir the batter. After the cookies baked in the oven, we enjoyed them with our lunch - they were a big hit!

Apples & Honey Breakfast Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 c. quick oats

• 1 ripe banana

• 1 c. sunflower butter

• 1/4 c. apple butter

• 1/4 c. honey

• 1/2 tsp.salt

• 1 tsp. cinnamon

• 1/4 c. raisins

• 3/4 c. dried apples, diced

• 1/2 c. shelled roasted pumpkin seeds

• 1/4 c. ground flaxseed

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine ingredients in a large bowl. Bake for 15 minutes.

Other projects this week included:

• Coffee filter art

• Expanding our building structures

• Creating and assigning classroom jobs

• Naming our fish!

• Practicing with scissors

• Tape art

• Exploring sensory bottles

• Face/name cards

• Collaging with loose parts

• More reading! Right now, the children are loving books by Laura Numeroff (If You Give a Pig a Party, If You Give a Pig a Pancake, If You Take a Mouse to School). These books are giving us inspiration for our Halloween costumes - we will take a vote sometime next week on what we should be. Stay tuned for details!

Just a reminder that BMS will be closed on Monday, September 30th and Tuesday, October 1st, in observance of Rosh Hashanah. See you all on Wednesday!

Friday, September 20th

We’ve had such a great second week of school in 2B! The children are growing more comfortable in the classroom and starting to grow their interests and relationships. We’ve also been able to introduce more activities and project work!

This week, the children continued working on their self portraits. This year long project is so incredible to watch and document. As the children grow, so do their portraits. Details are added and changed throughout the year, offering an amazing visual comparison from September to June.

Maddy looked at her reflection in the mirror and said, “that’s my!” She pointed to her chest, then pointed to her cheeks. She began her portrait by drawing lines, then added in several circles.

Mikey looked at his reflection in the mirror and said, “that’s me…I see Mikey” He began his portraits by drawing dots, then added lines and circles. After he finished his work, he said, “I made it!”

Cooper looked at his reflection in the mirror and said, “me.” He touched his nose and hair. He began his portrait by drawing lines, then shading those lines in.

Nicole smiled at her reflection in the mirror. She began her portrait by drawing a big circle. She then added three little circles. She stopped periodically to look at her reflection again.

Nate looked at his reflection in the mirror and said, “me…hair…eyes and nose…I have two eyes and two ears.” He began his portrait by drawing lines, then shading those lines in.

Amalia looked at her reflection in the mirror and said, “I see Amalia. I have a bow…eyebrows.” She began her portrait by drawing lines and dots. She continued, “me…A for me…a circle…M for Mommy.”

Charlie looked at his reflection in the mirror and made silly faces. He said, “me!” He began his portrait by drawing a circle, then continued into drawing lines. After he finished his work, he said, “It’s me!”

Stay tuned for our October portraits!

On Tuesday, the children explored a loose parts provocation: different colored assorted materials (pipe cleaners, bottle caps, feathers, pom poms, and tissue paper). The children spent time exploring each material, noting the color and/or texture. Cooper wondered if “the feather will blow.'‘ He blew on it, and noticed that it moved. The other children noticed this, and began blowing on other objects such as tissue paper and pom poms. Nicole was interested in placing different colored bottle caps on paper. We’re excited to continue exploring open ended materials and loose parts!

On Friday, we celebrated Laura’s birthday with a smell/taste test! We put apples, bananas, and sun butter in a cup covered with perforated foil. As the children smelled the mystery food, they took guesses as to what could be in the cup:

Amalia: “Smells like peanut butter.”

Cooper: “Peanut butter…bananas…blueberries!”

Nate: “Peanut butter…Blueberries!”

Mikey: “Blueberries!”

After the children explained their guesses, they were able to try each food! We also offered the children veggie sticks, which Amalia and Cooper explained were “crunchy!” The children also discussed which food they liked better, apples or bananas. Charlie, Nate, and Cooper preferred bananas, while Amalia liked the apples better. Many of the children tried different combinations of foods, such as veggie sticks + sun butter, apples + sun butter, and bananas + sun butter. It was so fun to watch the children use their senses and engage in dialogue to discuss the taste, texture, and their preferences of different foods. We can’t wait to try more!

Other projects this week included:

• Collaborative paintings

• Color mixing

• Dot Paint

• Foil painting

• Exploring natural materials

• Collaging

• Drawing with oil pastels

• Building with Legos

• Cotton Pad Art (pipettes + watercolor + cotton pads)

• Reading! Some of our favorites this week were Subway, If You Give a Pig a Party, and Room on the Broom.

Have a great weekend!

First Week of School! - Friday, September 13th

We had a great first week of school in 2B! Thank you for all of your support! The children are transitioning so wonderfully and getting acclimated with the space and each another. We’ve really enjoyed getting to know each child - their likes and dislikes, their personalities, and watching how they interact with us and the other children. Their interests have started shining through in one short week! As a class, the children are very interested in building and creating, sensory activities, practicing their gross motor skills in the gym, and working in the dramatic play area. As the children become more comfortable, we’ll only learn more about their interests and we will be able to build project work based on those interests.

Each week, in addition to our on-going projects, we will also be focusing a little bit of our time on: Language and Literacy, Loose Parts, Science, Cooking, and Clay.

We started off the week with sand in our sensory bin. We incorporated different materials such as shovels, funnels, magnet letters, and people. The children enjoyed dumping, pouring, burying, and feeling the sand. On Thursday, we swapped out the sand for water with blue water color. We added shovels, funnels, and donated seashells! Mikey used the seashells to scoop the water: “It holds.” Charlie noticed how Mikey used the seashells and followed along, using them to scoop up water: “Seashell!” Charlie then tried to fit the seashell through the funnel, quickly noticing it would not fit. Nate decided to incorporate cars into his water play. Cooper explained, “These are crab shells… they’re bumpy… you pick up the shells and put them back in the water.” Amalia enjoyed touching the seashells and explained that the water was “cold.” Maddy and Nicole both decided to use the shovel to scoop up the seashells.

The children of 2B appear to be very interested in sensory play, specifically water play. Sensory play is so prominent in Early Childhood Education because children are constantly using their senses to explore and try to make sense of the world around them. Sensory activities facilitate exploration and naturally encourage children to use scientific processes while they play, create, investigate, and explore. These activities also promote collaboration and dialogue, and encourage children to make connections to lived experiences. We cannot wait to continue this sensory play in 2B!

On Friday, the children continued to explore their senses (specifically their sense of smell and touch) with a fresh herb study! During circle time, the children all took turns smelling a rosemary plant. They were also interested in touching the leaves and feeling the dirt, noting that it was “soft.” We later moved to the rectangle table to explore more fresh herbs - sage, dill, and tarragon. After smelling and touching the tarragon, Cooper mentioned, “It feels good” and he also noticed that each herb was green. Nate explained that the dill “smelled good.” Charlie said that the sage was “soft” and that he “liked the smell.” Nicole showed us that she liked the smell of the tarragon more than the dill. Amalia explained that she has had dill before: “I made tuna fish with dill!” She also said that we should cook with dill in school.

This herb study gave the children the opportunity to use several of their senses in order to participate in the activity. Using their senses encouraged them to use descriptive words and make connections to their home lives. We can’t wait to introduce more herbs, incorporate them into cooking, and work on taking care of our new classroom rosemary plant!

Other explorations this week:

• Role playing in the dress up area

• Self portraits & taking portrait photos

• Painting

• Drawing

• Reading books

• Sitting at circle time together

• Exploring play-dough using rollers, popsicle sticks, and scissors

• Playing with animals

• Building structures with wooden blocks

• Building train tracks

• Practicing independence - putting materials back in their place, putting snack/lunch away, and throwing away garbage

• Empathy and kindness

• Some of our favorite books this week include: I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean, Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, Not a Box, The Pigeon Needs a Bath, and Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Sight . . . and a whole lot more!

  Have a great weekend!