Week of Jan 20, 2010

Social Development

We shared a lot of hello-handshakes and hi-fives during morning circle time this wee. Circle time is a great way for children to get a sense of community with other kids their age and enhance their social skills and improve their attention span.

Sensory Develop/Gross Motor:

Exploring fruit: We explored three types of fruit. A lemon, apple, and kiwi. The children were fascinated by the texture of each fruit. Touching and manipulating objects with different textures helps development.

This week we had a full house of friends including a visit from Catalina (Francesca in 3A’s sister). The children loved engaging in all our group time spent together including time with specialists like Music with Andrew and Spanish. There was a lot of gym time where we had fun climbing and many sensory activities we explored. Friends are beginning to sit up, and even stand using objects in the room to help them.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Week of Jan 13, 2020

Motor Skills/Fine Motor Skills

The infant A room stared the week off by getting messy!! The children enjoyed painting on the canvas. Hand painting builds color and shape recognition skills, allowing the children to explore their sense of touch with different textures materials. it is also great for the fine-tuning their motor skills, as they paint moving their hands around the canvas.

Language Development:

During our afternoon circle time, we sang Old McDonald Had a Farm!

Singing helps children to develop their skills by paying attention for periods of time and sustaining their concentration. It is also a very powerful tool to assist the children to learn language.

Visual Tracking/Object Permanence:

Peekaboo stimulates a baby's senses, builds gross motor skills, strengthens her visual tracking, encourages their social development and best of all tickles their sense of humor. Peekaboo teaches object permanence: the idea that even though the infant can't see something (like your smiling face), it still exists.

Enjoy your weekend everyone! We will see you next Tuesday!

Week of Jan 6. 2020

Social Emotional development:Social interaction

We stared off the week by sharing a beautiful moment together as we welcome our new friends Juliette and Anthony by singing our favorites Spanish songs during circle time.

Circle time encourages listening, talking, and sharing among the children and modeling opportunities for the teacher. Also, it encourages the development of social skills by providing daily, structured social interactions.

Fine motor/Gross motor skills

The infant A students explored clay, they were fascinated to manipulate, squish, squeeze and push the piece of clay with their small hands.

Clay helps children develop their large and small :muscles-improving dexterity. it also fosters eye-hand coordination and builds a child’s ability to focus and builds attention span as well.

Sebastian Mehtani leaned against the classroom furniture, supporting his weight and balance as he manipulated the learning materials on top of the shelf. Sebastian is strengthening his legs as he supports his weight, while manipulating the materials . He is also practicing and strengthening his balance. This is the beginning of cruising and soon first independent steps.

Home Fun

This week we had a lot of fun exploring different sensory activities. One of the provocations that the students explored was clay. They loved it!

Home Fun: Parents please make sure to take home the clay, that will be placed in your child’s cubby. We would love for you to explore the clay with your little ones and take pictures of their reactions. Have fun!

Enjoy your weekend!

Week of Dec 2, 2019

Hand- Eye Coordination/ Fine-Motor Skills

We stared the week off by getting messy! The Infant students were fascinated to feel the paint in their hands and admired their reflection in the mirror. While using the paint babies and toddlers develop hand to eye coordination and use their fine motor skills.

Fine Motor Development

The sensory nature of play dough allows babies and toddlers to be naturally curious and explore the world around them using their senses. It is also beneficial for fine motor development and strengthening little fingers, hands and wrists. The children gently squeezed the texture of the play dough with their hands and enjoyed the soft feeling.

Sense of Self/ Attention Spam

Sebastian was very focused admiring and kissing his reflection in the mirror. Mirrors are a great way to help babies to explore. Eventually, they will learn that they are seeing their own face and start to recognize their reflection.

Science and Discovery

Giving children the opportunity to explore light is a brilliant way of supporting critical thinking skills and curiosity. The Infant friends were very intrigued and excited to touch the shining light. This was an amazing new experience for them.

Enjoy your weekend!

Week of Nov 27, 2019

Science and Discovery

Exploring the cold, frozen, slippery and wet ice, was a new experience for Sebastian. Touch is a sense used to interact, interpret and understand the world around them.

Gross motor skills/ Literacy Development

Today we did a lot of drawing! it was remarkable to see our Infant A friends get excited as they held the crayon trying to manipulate over the paper. They carefully observed the scribbling of the crayon on the piece of paper. When a child holds a crayon they are working on the intrinsic muscles of the hand.

Happy Thanksgiving every one! I hope you guys enjoy it with your beloved families. See you guys back on Monday!

Week of Nov 22, 2019 Thank You For Coming!

This week was a busy week, the infant A classroom got to do a lot of fun and different activities. They enjoy exploring sticky glue, creating our scent fruit collages, they paint on canvas and explore flour, which they love it!. Feeling the cool and soft texture of the flour in their feet was a delightful and new experience for them. Also Today we had our breakfast curriculum celebration, where the students and their parents were able to engage in a collaborative smush painting and getting a little messy with hand print art. Such a vital part of being an infant is exploration through the fingers and hands. We had a lot of fun!

Exploring Sticky Glue!

After exploring sticky glue we continued our exploration of dried fruits. We used the sweet scented fruit to create fruit collages!

Painting On a Canvas

Exploring The Cool and Soft Texture of Flour!

Curriculum Breakfast Celebration

Hand Prints and Smush Painting!

Thank you parents for attending today and sharing this extraordinary experience with your babies. It was lovely to see our infant A friends enjoying the activities with you!

Enjoy your weekend!

Week of Nov 12

This week was a short one with holidays and conferences and although we didn't get to do as much the infant A students were still amazed with some of the activities we did in the classroom. On Tuesday, our friends got to do their first finger paint of the school year! They were delighted with the feeling of the paint in their hands for the first time. Enthusiastically, they brushed their hands over the paper while creating beautiful shapes. On Wednesday, one did drawing and the other one hand print on a piece of model magic. Sebastian Mehtani was so excited as he held the crayon trying to manipulate over the paper, he carefully observed the scribbling of the crayon on the piece of paper.  On the other hand, Sebastian Daza was so happy enjoying the soft feeling of the model magic as he gently pressed his hand on it. Also, on Thursday, our friends investigated dried fruit while enjoying the feeling of its texture and the sweet scent of it.  They love it!

My first finger painting of the year!

Drawing and hand print on a piece of model magic!

Investigating Dried Fruit

Enjoying it’s texture and sweet scent!

Amazing Job infant A friends!

Enjoy your weekend!

Week of Nov 7, 2019

This week in the infant A classroom we had only one friend. Nonetheless, Sebastian Daza was very interested and enjoyed all of the activities we did. On Monday we did colorful sensory bag exploration, on Tuesday we had Spanish class and on Thursday we explored our reflection. Sebastian got to practice tummy time while reading!

Colorful Sensory Bag!

Spanish Class!

Admiring My Reflection!

Tummy time while reading!

Good job Sebastian!

Enjoy your weekend!

Week of Oct 28, 2019

This week was a really busy week but we had so much fun! We explored rainbow ribbons, colorful sand and of course we went to our Halloween Parade and enjoyed our Halloween party!

Rainbow Ribbons 

We started our week with our rainbow ribbons activity. Our friends were very excited from the start of the activity. They watched the colorful ribbon move from one side to the other while hanging on the mobile. 

The students tried to reach and grasp the ribbons, which will help to develop their motor skills. This will also develop their ability to track objects with their eyes as they watch the colorful ribbons move. 

Colorful Sand

On Tuesday we got to explore different color sand, our friend Sebastian Mehtani was a little bit hesitant to touch the sand at the beginning of the activity as it was his first time touching the sand with his hands. However, after a few seconds he was very engaged in the exploration, tapping and grasping the sand all over the container. 

Sebastian Daza stared at the sand for a moment and then he carefully tried to grasp the sand with his hands. They both had a wonderful experience, exploring the sand by using their hands for the first time. Good job everyone!

Happy Halloween!

It was a beautiful parade! Our little ducks looked so adorable in their outfits. Thank you parents for coming and sharing this wonderful day with us. We enjoyed being with you most of all!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Week of Oct 21, 2019

Exploring dry sponges, water play with sponges, bubble wrap painting and fall leaf exploration were some of the interesting and fun activities we did in the infant A classroom during this week. The students were more than fascinated to experiment with these new sensory exploration activities.

Exploring Dry Sponges

Water Play with Sponges

As we did the activity I noticed our infant A friends were very concentrated on what was happening, they were feeling the water and squeezing the sponges with their little hands. Both seemed very intrigued by the new soft texture of the wet sponge. 

Through this activity, children begin to understand concepts like wet, dry, full and empty. Children learn that sponges can absorb water and that the water can be released by squeezing the sponge.

Bubble Wrap Painting 

On Wednesday, we tried bubble wrap painting. The students hesitated a little bit at the beginning but after a few seconds, they were enjoying the activity. They tapped on the bubble wrap and the paint, feeling the bubbles very carefully. As they became more comfortable they took the learning a step further and began to tap a little bit faster all around the canvas, moving their hands up and down. This helps them to develop fine motor skills and build their finger strength. 

Fall Leaves Exploration 

On Thursday we explored fall leaves. Fall is such a lovely time of the year! One of our favorite aspects of fall is all of the amazing leaves of different sizes, shapes, and textures.

As we did the exploration in our classroom, our Infant A students proved to be very interested in the activity. They grabbed the leaves with their hands and stared at them intensely for a few seconds. They had such an enjoyable experience!

This was a fun and interesting week, we accomplished and learned so much!. Without a doubt, our Infant A friends did an amazing job!

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Week of Oct 15, 2019

Spanish Class!

For the first time on Tuesday our infant A friends enjoyed Spanish class. They were very excited and concentrated by listening and staring at the teacher who was singing and talking to them in Spanish. They showed more interest when the teachers started singing “The Five Little Ducks” (“Los Cinco Pequenos Patos”) , which is one of our daily favorite songs. 

Learning languages helps children from a young age improve their self-esteem, boosts problem-solving, critical-thinking, and listening skills, in addition to improving memory, concentration, and the ability to multitask. Children proficient in other languages also show signs of enhanced creativity and mental flexibility.

Smoosh Painting

Who doesn't like painting? Our Infant A friends love it! They were very inerested in the activity, tapping and squeezing the different colors to paint on the cardboard. Little by little, they created a shape form which they stared at constantly.  

 Children love to ooze and squish things, making this type of painting perfect for them, no matter what their age. It exposes them to basic symmetry and color, while encouraging them to look at their paintings in detail.

Practicing My Tummy Time Skills

Have a lovely weekend!

Week of Oct 7, 2019

This week the Infant A friends explored pom-poms, discovered new sounds and explored sensory bags full of water, glitter, and buttons. They were very engaged and enthusiastic about all of the activities!

Exploring Pom-poms

On Monday, our friends explored pom-poms, they were fascinated with the activity as they were grabbing and squeezing it with their hands. The soft round form and the different colors of the pom-poms seemed to really catch heir attention. 

This activity helps the children to enhance fine motor skills. By grabbing and squeezing the pom-poms they are able to move and exercise the small muscles of their hands.

Discovering Different Sounds  

Our little friends were very concentrated as they listened to the different instruments sounds. They followed with their eyes the instrument sound as the teachers moved it from one side to the other. We used shakers and tambourines for this activity.

Music helps the body and mind work together, stimulates thinking and expressive skills, and enhances creativity.

Exploring Sensory Bags Full of Water, Glitter and Buttons

Enjoy your weekend!

Week of Oct 2, 2019

Puppet Time

On Wednesday, our infant A friends got to enjoy puppet time. They were very interested in this new activity. As the teacher held the puppet in her hand, they were concentrated and smiling looking at the puppet move from one side to the other. It was an extraordinary and exciting activity for our friends to come back to school. 

Puppets are a great way to engage the attention and imagination of children of all ages. It can increase children’s communication and social skills by providing structured opportunities to interact with them. Puppet play also promotes children’s learning of new skills and concepts.

Sticky Paper and Sand  

Our Infant A friends enjoyed investigating sticky paper and sand. They were very focused on the new feeling of the sticky paper and the sand mixed together in their hands. They grasped their hands around the sand from one side to the other one and stared at it very engaged.

As I was doing the activity with them I noticed it helps them to soothe them. They looked very calm and concentrated!

The Infant A Socializing!

This week it was so lovely to see our two friends discovering themselves and each other during our afternoon circle time. They started by making eye contact and smiling at each other to then attempting to grab each other’s hands. It was clear they were fascinated to see each other's faces. They were very happy and excited while holding their hands for a few minutes. It was an amazing and beautiful interaction between the two friends!

Have a lovely weekend!

Week of Sept 26: Exploring sensory activities

This week the infant A students enjoyed exploring water play, sensory bottles and they made their first foot print! They were very interested in and focused on each of the activities we did. It was an amazing and fun week of new experiences and discoveries!


Water Play

The students were fascinated by the water going through their legs and feet.T hey were clearly engrossed by the activity as they were splashing and tapping their feet around the water. The feeling of the warm and soft water was very interesting for them. Water play is one of our favorite activities! Good job everyone!


Water play gives many opportunities to develop fine and gross motor skills across age ranges. Children will increase their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination through actions like pouring, squirting, scrubbing, stirring, and squeezing. It’s an amazing sensory experience introducing them to textures and temperatures.

Sensory Bottles Exploration

The sparkling and shining colors of the discovery bottles definitely caught the attention of our infant A friends. They were very focused on the activity. As the teachers shook the sensory bottles their eyes were staring at the different materials that were inside the bottle. Their reaction was amazing!

The most obvious benefit of sensory bottles would be their direct connection to sensory play. Sensory play is a hands-on way to expose children to the world around them and allow their brains to make important connections. Sensory bottles address a wide range of skills and concepts and can be adapted to meet the needs of the children using them.

Foot Print 

Yesterday, the infant A students had the opportunity to do their first footprints, They were very excited and amazed to feel the paint being brushed through their feet. It was obvious they were enjoying the activity since they were consistently staring at the different colors of paint we used.

Making a footprint is an excellent tactile experience. It stimulates the child’s senses of touch, sight, smell, and taste (edible finger paint). It also helps a child’s intellectual development. The mixing of colors teaches the child about their colors and how to create new colors. It strengthens the feet and toes which helps with motor skills.

What an amazing week we had, the children got to explore different and exciting activities each day. They are learning so much together.. Great job infant A friends!

Enjoy your weekend!

Week of Sept. 16 Sensory Exploration

This week the infant-A students explored sensory paint bags and sand and bubble wrap. It was clear to see that they enjoyed their first sensory activities at school as they were very engaged in the new and different textures.

Paint Sensory Bags 

Our friends loved feeling and touching the sensory bag full of paint. They were so engaged in the activity as they stared and grasped with their hands, feeling the texture of the sensory bag. The different colors that were used caught their full attention as well. The concentration on their faces was incredible!

Sensory bags are good for tactile input. It helps infants to develop their attention-span building, hand-eye coordination, visual scanning, and sensory exploration. It also helps to develop their language skills.


Sand 

Sand exploration, without a doubt, is an amazing and fun sensory play activity for infants! On Tuesday, the infant A friends explored sand with their feet, it was obvious they enjoyed feeling the texture of the sand as they were kicking and tapping their feet very enthusiastically.

Sand play promotes physical development,: eye-hand coordination and small muscle control improve as children learn to manipulate sand accessories. Sand play also promotes social skills. 

Bubble wrap paper

The students were able to explore bubble wrap paper, they were very focused on touching, seeing and hearing the popping and crinkly sounds the bubble wrap made. They brushed their hands lightly over the bubbles and tried to grasp them. They were fascinated!

By providing a variety of baby-friendly, open-ended activities and through the use of every-day materials, they have the opportunity to discover how their senses work through imagination-based play and new experiences.

This week was full of new discoveries and experiences for our infant A friends. From birth through early childhood, children use their senses to explore and try to make sense of the world around them. They do this by touching, tasting, smelling, seeing, moving and hearing.

Looking forward to more fun and exciting activities in the coming weeks!

Enjoy your weekend!

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The first week of school

This week the infant-A students explored their reflections in the classroom mirrors, explored tissue tissue paper and engaged in tummy time. They are transitioning beautifully!

Mirrors

Sebastian Mehtani and Sebastian Daza enjoy admiring their reflections in the bubble mirror, located in their classroom.

Mirrors are a great way to help babies explore. They may even reach out to touch the “baby” in the mirror. Eventually, they will learn they are seeing their own face and start to recognize their reflection.

Tissue Paper:

Yesterday we explored with tissue paper. The infants enjoyed the material by grabbing and squeezing with their hands. It was clear that they were interested in the activity as they remained engaged for quite a few minutes (that’s a long time for infants)!

This type of activity helps develop the senses, touch and feeling in particular. Exploring various textures increases their awareness and knowledge.

Tummy Time!

Tummy time is an integral skill for infants to work on. It helps to strengthen their backs and necks and their bodies overall. We incorporated this important developmental activity with our tissue paper experience. A little bit of fun and a little bit of exercise too!

Upcoming:

As we begin the school year our focus is on helping to create an environment where the students of Infant A feel safe, cared for, and loved so that they are able to learn and engage happily! We are excited to begin doing lots of art and sensory play as we get more and more comfortable in the classroom!

Have a great weekend!

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