The owls continued learning about apples today. We began our morning mixing up a batch of applesauce which cooked in the crock pot all morning. Our room smelled heavenly! The children added the apples (I peeled and cut them), the sugar, water, squeeze of lemon and spices themselves. Then we set it to cook while we got down to more apple business. Once the crock pot was on we busied ourselves by making apple prints, learning some simple patterning and working those ever important fine motor skills. By the end of our morning the applesauce was finished. The girls seemed to really enjoy it while the boys tasted it but decided if wasn't for them. I hope you all enjoy your weekend. Next week we will be exploring bats!
Fall is the time of year I miss most from New England. The trees change such beautiful colors and the air is cool and crisp. For most, fall means a trip to the apple orchard and then home to make a host of apple treats. This morning we looked at apples, smelled them and even tasted one. During our morning centers time we had an opportunity to explore apples in a variety of fun ways. We worked hard flexing our fine motor muscles with an assortment of different tools. The children had many opportunities to paint today. Some worked with red and green paints at the easel. Then we stamped some apples with paper tubes and used our fingers dipped in green paint to be the leaves of our apples. One of the stories we read today was Ten Apples Up On Top. After reading it we acted it out with felt apples and some animal figures. It was great to hear the counting going on as the children piled the apples on! Of course we ate apples too! We used our five senses to observe an apple before we cut it open and enjoyed a tasty treat!
We also had fun painting with nontraditional paint brushes. We finished our day with an activity which incorporated all five senses. We made popcorn! And then there are just a few random but super cute pictures from our day. Have a wonderful weekend!
Preschoolers are naturally curious beings and this week we are focusing on our five senses (sight, touch, taste, smell and hearing). Hands on learning at its best! This unit encourages the children to use their senses to gain information and explore the world around them.The five senses lend themselves beautifully to a host of scientific explorations. This morning we explored different textures with our hands, listened to musical instruments, smelled various scents and looked at some new sensory bottles. Overheard today... "I can make music!" "This puzzle makes animals noises, mooo!" "I felt money inside." "Listen to the rain." "I smell the animals. Yuck!" "This is a yummy snack!" "The rug is rough." "I see two flowers." "Look, it is raining." During our art time today we made some beautiful paintings. We added a sensory twist by tying jingle bells on the ends of our paint brushes. We listened as we painted. Our sensory tub was filled with water beads. These are irresistible to both little and big hands alike. I added some ice cream making props and the children had a great time. Their little hands loved feeling the slimy, wet spheres running through their fingers. If you are interested in trying these at home you can find them at the Dollar Tree in the floral section. The preschool also had a very special visitor today, The Zoo Man. He brought in a wide variety of animals for us to see and learn about.
This afternoon we combined a bit of science and fine motor fun. We made our own bubble wands and bubble solution for our table time activity. The children enjoyed a big book about bubbles first. Most had never seen such a big book! We talked about bubbles being circles and sang a song about bubbles. "B" is for Bubble, that's good enough for me. "B" is for Bubble, that's good enough for me. "B" is for Bubble, that's good enough for me. Oh, Bubble, Bubble, Bubble, starts with "B". "P" is for Pop-um, that's good enough for me. "P" is for Pop-um, that's good enough for me. "P" is for Pop-um, that's good enough for me. Oh, Pop-um, Pop-um Pop-um, starts with "P" Once our bubble wands were made we mixed up some bubble solution and headed outside. This was the highlight of our afternoon. On top of the bubble fun we also had some great fun making our own owls out of rocks. We colored, glued and decorated one of a kind feathered friends. Next week we will be discovering our 5 Senses. Looking forward to more fun!
Today was spent exploring owls. We flexed our fine motor muscles a lot today. These little muscles are so important for preparing our owls to write as they get older. Watching them try to figure out the clothes pins was a "HOOT". But before long most who tried it mastered it with little or no frustration. The children read about owls, counted owls and learned that owl starts with "O". After reading, "Owl Babies", we thought we would try to make some of our own. We used kitchen scrubbies to make our Owl Babies During our circle time we even played a game where we learned how to organize an owl family from greatest to smallest in size. I left it up and later in the day several children returned and had a go at it on their own. What preschool day would be complete without some fresh air and outdoor time?
We had an exciting morning exploring the activities, art, scissors and our first visit to Chapel! After Motor Skills we returned to the class for our first science experiment. This activity was also an exercise in fine motor control. The goal was to learn how to use the pipettes. We use them for a wide variety of activities all year. Learning to control the pipettes is tricky at first but the Awesome Owls seemed ready for the challenge. Not only did we experiment with the transfer of water from one cup to another but we discovered the properties of absorption when water landed on our napkins. Heard today: "Look, I did it!" "My water is moving on the paper!" "I can make bubbles in my cup." "This is fun, can I have more water?" "Look, I'm pinching it!" For some, the water transfer activity turned into an exploration of pouring. A perfectly natural and highly encouraged progression for a curious preschooler. Children learn by doing and exploring on their own terms. I try to provide experiences where the children can take the lead. This simple activity can easily be replicated at home for even more practice and fun.
Our new school year started off on the right foot today, very few tears and many confident children ready to spread their wings and fly! I am so excited to get to know this new bunch of kiddos! This morning was spent exploring the different areas of the room, meeting new friends, being introduced to new routines, singing songs and reading books. We spent some time introducing scissor skills. It is interesting to me how children new to scissors almost instinctively hold scissors in the most awkward ways. We will be doing a lot of scissor work this year and their growth will be amazing to see! The children were also very excited to explore the playground! A very successful first day of preschool! Welcome Owls!
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Why Blog?Here you will find little snippets of our days together. When my children were in preschool and would come home I would always ask, "So, what did you do today?". All they ever said was, "Played." That didn't tell me much. I hope this blog will be a place to share what we have done and help you ask more directed questions of your child. You will see first hand just what we do after you kiss your little one goodbye in the morning. It will also be a great place to visit and see just how much your child has grown and learned throughout the year. Archives
May 2023
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