This week, we “traveled” to Japan, South Korea, Thailand, China, and Vietnam! We learned about each country and explored the many ways they are unique. The children shared what they learned about each country and discussed how it is different from our own country. We explored different cultures and traditions and discovered what makes each country special. The children also got to see chopsticks from Japan, China, and South Korea. They had fun practicing how to use Chinese chopsticks by picking up pom-poms instead of food! This hands-on activity gave them a chance to practice their coordination while learning about a different cultural tradition.
The children made a list of words that begin with the letter Hh, practiced writing the names of the countries we explored, and learned new words in different languages. They also practiced writing in Hangul, the Korean writing system, and had the opportunity to try writing Chinese characters used in Mandarin Chinese.
The children practiced counting the dots on dominoes to find ones with a total of seven. We also played Uno, which the children loved because it gave them a chance to practice recognizing numbers and colors. We reviewed numbers 0–30 and explored patterns using red and yellow, which are also the colors of Vietnam’s flag! The children practiced creating patterns with stamps, too. In addition, they sorted items by size, identifying small, medium, and large objects.
The children created flags from Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam. They also made paper lanterns as they continued exploring the art and traditions of different countries. These creative activities gave the children an opportunity to express themselves while learning more about the cultures we explored this week.
We also talked about the importance of keeping our hands to ourselves and respecting each other’s personal space. We discussed how to use gentle hands, make safe choices, and show kindness to our friends. We will continue practicing these important skills as we learn and play together!
Each country is beautiful in its own way, and the children shared how they would love to visit these places someday. Our journey around the world helped us appreciate the many different cultures, languages, and traditions that make our world so special. We can’t wait to see where our learning adventures take us next!
Looking Ahead to Next Week!
We have an exciting week ahead! Next week, we will be heading to Playhouse Square to see the Clifford the Big Red Dog musical! We are also looking forward to our upcoming Halloween Celebration. Please keep an eye out for an email with more information about next week’s activities!