This week’s theme was Hanukkah 🕎 and the children enjoyed learning about this special holiday through stories, music, movement, and hands-on exploration.
🗣 Language Development
We read a variety of books about Hanukkah, reviewed Hanukkah vocabulary words, and practiced writing on chalkboards with chalk and on boogie boards. We also sang Hanukkah songs and used picture visuals to help the children connect words with meaning.
🧠 Cognitive Development
The children counted candles, explored shadows using LED lights, compared small and large dreidels, and mixed blue and yellow paint—traditional Hanukkah colors—while experimenting with cause and effect.
🏃 Motor Development
We rolled on mats like spinning dreidels, peeled and stuck Hanukkah stickers onto a poster board, walked along taped lines while carefully carrying a menorah, and practiced fine motor skills by threading beads onto pipe cleaners.
😊 Social & Emotional Development
This week, we practiced taking turns spinning dreidels and talked about family traditions. The children also enjoyed looking at photos of Hanukkah celebrations, helping them connect classroom learning to real-life experiences.
🎨 Art
Our art activities were full of creativity and texture! We finger-painted with blue and white paint, painted with potatoes, created designs using tissue paper on contact paper, and experimented with painting using candles.
✨ Looking Ahead to Tomorrow:
To wrap up our Hanukkah theme, we will:
- Language Development: Write on paper using Hebrew letters
- Cognitive Development: Sort blue and yellow pom-poms
- Motor Development: Dance with scarves
- Social Studies: Watch videos of different Hanukkah celebrations from around the world
- Art: Stamp stars onto paper