Potions and Portraits

Dear Parents,

We began our week mixing potions of glue and water, and Borax laundry detergent and water, to make Gloop. We added red to one bowl and yellow to another. The class guessed we would get purple or orange when we mixed them together. 

During circle we wrote a list of what everyone did during our break. Some said they went skiing, several went to a new play space,  someone sledded in snow, one friend said they lived in a beautiful hotel that looked like a castle, someone else said they went to Harrison’s house, another went to Pennsylvania, and another to Spain with her dada.

In preparation for our self-portraits, everyone looked in mirrors as we asked, “What shapes do you see?” The children said they saw circles, triangles, squares, half-circles, and straight and crooked lines. Then we worked on our drawings. When we were finished, one person thought he looked like a skeleton, and another said he looked like Harry Potter. The portraits are hanging above the cubbies.

On Thursday after circle and snacks, we went into the big room to ride wheels, climb on the jungle gym, and use our rice table. Everyone wanted a turn to pour rice using cups and funnels. We also poured rice over a water wheel. Some said they were making a rice cake. 

On Friday we spent more time playing with our Gloop. The first day we made it, several children did not want to touch it but were surprised the next day when they did touch it, that the Gloop was not sticky. “It feels dry,” someone said. Everyone agreed that it is different from play dough. 

Our first tumbling class with Casey was a success. We saw children balancing on a beam and tumbling across mats. While half the class was tumbling, in the classroom we played an animal bingo game. The children worked in pairs to identify baby animals from different habitats. 

Have a calm weekend,

Therese

Happy New Year

Dear Parents,

We began our New Year going over the calendar and realizing we have a new year, a new month, and a new season. We changed all of the above on our calendar and talked about the months and seasons repeating, but that the year does not. At least one person wanted to know why.

Someone asked, “What is dirt made of?” We guessed. Children guessed it was made of soil. Are dirt and soil the same, we asked. We talked about our Halloween pumpkin that we left in the yard and what’s happening to it, and that food and animals decay. During circle we read about the differences in dirt and soil. 

After snacks, we went into the big room to play Red Light, Green Light. We used a red STOP sign and a green GO sign. The children used their sense of sight and sense of hearing to play the game. During the game we ran, hopped like bunnies, galloped like horses, stomped like elephants, and slithered like snakes. Then we played with blocks and rode wheels. 

On Friday, we played Duck, Duck, Goose. As usual, it was a hoot. 

Have a wonderful weekend,

Therese