Thank you to all families for contributing to our first charitable event of the year. Our bake sale was so much fun and such a success! We made $220.00 in two days! With some left-over treats, we will probably sell more tomorrow.

Dance and Movement with Ms. Alana: The children have been LOVING dance and movement class with Alana, who has a background in dance therapy. We have been dedicating a period every Monday to dance and movement class, however the children responded so well to it that we continued on Wednesday. This week, they have incorporated additional materials into their session, including rainbow streamers. It is so important for young children to get adequate time to engage their bodies in different kinds of gross motor activities. We often move our bodies during circle time, during transitions, and during the occasional dance party! During these moments, we are also strengthening receptive language skills, turn-taking skills, spatial awareness and so much more.

We also explored clay for the first time in small groups this week. Here are 3 major benefits of playing with clay. We will continue to explore clay all year!

1. It's therapeutic. Simply the act of molding clay in one's hands whether you're a child or an adult can be very calming. Remember those stress balls that were once so popular? Manipulating the clay can help relieve stress or even be an outlet for young children who physically express their emotions.

2. It's an outstanding sensory development activity for little hands. Young children are still working on fine motor skills and dexterity. Rolling, squeezing and forming the clay helps them in this area.

3. It's play based learning. You might not realize it, but playing with clay is promoting those little minds to get busy by thinking about what they're going to create and how they're going to create it. This type of creative play promotes imaginative problem-solving skills.

Slime Time! The children were fascinated with the stretchy, gooey, slime in the sensory table. Made with BioPutty solution and BioColor paint, slime awakens the senses and supports an enjoyable experience for children (and adults)!