Class Blogs

Class Blogs
All About Fathers - Older Toddler
|
Father's Week
Tuesday- Swimming
Wednesday- Coach Charlotte
Thursday- Classroom outside
Art
Making special gifts and cards for Dad's all week
Math
Animal print sorting tubes with people(dads) in different roles for sorting by size, naming size and explore how tubes fit inside of various tubes, colander with Q-tips to practice counting each time the children put the Q-tip in the hole of the colander(one-to-one), Fish number matching to practice number recognition, numbers they know by finding the matches and putting them together, and Friday the children will use mini Uno cards with colored pins to practice naming colors and matching with the same colored pins.
Motor Development
Fruit and vegetable counters w/ corn on the cob trays and tongs to practice finger grip, squeeze and eye-hand coordination, Lemon/watermelon lacing cards- the children used pipe cleaners to practice lacing with a sturdy grip to later graduate to shoe strings for easy weaving in and out of the lacing holes, Fish bowls w/ fish/tongs to practice grip and open and close motions to grasp the fish, pick it up and place it in the bowl and Friday, we will use plastic clothes pins to place all around yellow plates to create rays.
Sensory Table
Colored rice, fruit bowls. scoops and Safari animals
Book
"A Day with Daddy",I Love My Family, How Do I Love You, and I Love you Stinky Face
Songs
"Daddy" sung to Bingo tune, "I Love My Daddy" and "Happy Father's Day"
Social/Emotional
Cover you cough/sneeze- Model and review steps to practice: Cough and sneeze in your elbow, use tissue to wipe nose and wash your hands after each
Thursday
We made chocolate chip cookies outside
Under the Sea Week - Older Toddler
|
Under The Sea Week
We introduced the theme with various Sea Animal pictures cards with a brief description of what they eat and how they feel. We also named new and familiar Sea Animals in a book called "Sea Life". During the week we will watch short videos of various Sea Life in action.
Tuesday-Swim day
Wednesday & Friday Classroom outside
Art
Starfish- The children glued cheerios on an Orange starfish pattern and sprinkled white glitter sand, We made Whale's by gluing on pieces and painting blue, Thursday- Seahorse glued colorful scales and shimmer dust and Friday we will make a Crab by gluing on pieces
Math
The children sorted Sea Animals by color and placed then in square tin containers, Science-Magnet shoe Horse rings, sea animal balancing boards to practice patterning and counting, and tomorrow the children will use nets to count how fish they put in their net.
Motor Development
We worked with tongs to pick up tropical fish and place them in the clear plastic cups to work on manipulation/eye-hand coordination/grip,, Connecting colored fish to snap together with fingers, Octopus bottles with clothespins/colored craft sticks to drop, dump and clip, sea animal counters with clear containers with lids to practice twisting/turning to open and close the lid, and tomorrow we will explore with play dough and sea animal cookie cutters to make animal impressions.
Sensory Table
Green water and Sea Animals
Added bath bombs for experiment to watch the fizz and color change
Today, Thursday we made Mango smoothies-Fresh Mango, yogurt and OJ
Health & Wellness
We will briefly discuss the importance of drinking water
Animal Graph.... "What's your favorite Sea Animal"?
Watermelon- Does it sink or float in water?
Superhero Fun - Older Toddler
|
Superhero week
During group time, we introduced the popular well known Superhero's Spiderman, Batman and Wonder Woman with pictures and print on the Word Wall. We named each Superhero and the children pointed to their favorite Superhero.
Art
The children made "power Cuffs" by decorating with lightening Boltz and glitter on sentence strip colored paper, Crowns by gluing on stars on purple crown paper, Spiderman webs- glued black yarn on red/blue paper with hand prints, and tomorrow the children will make a Super hero shield and decorate with stars/blue/red paper pieces on paper plates.
Math
The children practiced colors and counting with small colored bear counters with number dot grid to place on top of the dots and count during activity, Bubble Gum machine grid with colored coins for counting bubble gum balls and matching the same colors, button shapes/color grid for matching, naming colors they know. work on colors they don't know along with shapes and tomorrow, the children will work on number foam puzzles with teacher help.
Motor Development
We used colored various size rubber bands and foam cups to stretch over the cups and layer as many rubber bands as the children could-this allows the children to use their fingers/hands and eye -hand coordination to stretch the rubber bands as wide as they can to make them fit around the cups, Star stringing- the children practiced stringing with star lacing cards and shoe strings to begin the process of grip and multi-tasking by holding materials in both hands to begin to string, we strengthened our fine motor skills by using Nuts-n-Boltz to practice twist and turn motions.
Sensory Table
Rotini noodles, colored buckets and shovels
Social Emotional
Friday
We will make mango smoothies- The children asked to make smoothies and the vote was Mango.
Songs
"what it's like to be a Super hero" and If I were a Super hero"
Circus Week - Older Toddler
|
Circus Week
What a great learning experience this week! Mostly all the children did not know about the "Circus". We watched short videos of all the circus acts, animals and yummy food you eat at the circus. By the end of the week, the children were naming animals, foods and the famous "Ring Master".
Art
The children made paper plate clown and clown hats by gluing materials to make a clown face and decorations for hats, we made popcorn bags and glued the word "popcorn" and decorated with red/white striped paper and red glitter, and the children made "cotton Candy" tubes gluing on cotton balls on paper tubes.
Math
The children practiced counting with jumbo plastic popcorn counters and popcorn paper bags for one-to-one counting, we used colored ice cream scoops and ice cream bowls to stack, count , name colors and make color patterns with the scoops, clown hats with dots and colored chips for matching colors and counting how many chips on filled the hat and circus paper cone hats and pom-poms for filling and counting, dumping and naming colors, and Bingo matching grid boards.
Motor Development
The children practiced with opening and closing animal chip clips and clipped them on popcorn buckets, scoops with popcorn counters and popcorn boxes to practice working the handles by open/clos motions, we used circus tickets to drop in circus box to push in with fingers, pull out and lift boxes to gather the tickets, and small colored stacking plastic glasses to make towers/pyramids/building/castles etc....
Sensory Bin
Popcorn, circus marshmallows peanuts, scoops and popcorn buckets
Circus Performance
We watched all the Circus acts on IPAD/Computer for 1-2 minutes each act
Friday
We will watch the Pre-K Circus in AM in great room
Walk the tight Rope
Crawl through flaming hoops
Take popcorn bags home filled w/ popcorn
Camping - Older Toddler
|
Camping Week
We started the week with singing "A Camping We Will go", named camping item and foods, and talked about Camping stories. Many children took mac & Cheese camping and took a boat to get there.
Art
The children painted with Jumbo marshmallows , made their own fire pit by gluing on logs and sponge painted on top of the logs to resemble fire, star cookie cutter stamping w/ blue paper to resemble a starry night of camping, we decorated colored tubes with food stickers to make Binoculars and tomorrow we will make Lanterns by stuffing green clear cups w/orange/red/yellow tissue paper and pipe cleaner for a handle.
Math
The children counted cotton balls and placed them in between brown paper to make pretend S'mores, we practice color/shape matching with shape grid, mini marshmallow counting w/ fire pit cups-count the marshmallows using spoons, colored coin matching w/ foam sorting tray to match same color coins/same size coins by separating them into the sections in the tray.
Motor Development
The children explored with pretzel sticks and small/large marshmallows by creating their own structure- the children were very creative, animal print paper and toddler scissors/preschool scissors were at the manipulative table to practice holding both pair of scissors and manipulate how they both work and Hook the fish w/ magnet wands- name numbers on fish you know, bracelet/rings with cones -see how many you can fit on cone or arm.
Sensory Bin
Mini marshmallows, straws, small plates/small clear containers and graham crumbs
Social Emotional
We have a tent and pretend fire pit/camping food/Smores/ cups and picnic food plates. Song: A Camping we will Go!
Friday
We will make S'mores, crazy cube activity outside
Gardening Week - Older Toddler
|
Gardening Week
We started the week by naming various tools we use for gardening posted on the word wall. The children repeated the words and pointed to the pictures when asked to find a Gardening tool.
Art
The children painted with plastic forks to make flowers and glued on stem/pedals, we painted with real branches from tress, the children painted small rocks with paint to take home and put in garden or flower pots, we stamped with spatula's to make sunflowers and tomorrow, the children will make lady bugs by using Loofah's.
Math
The children practiced their numbers/recognition by pushing flower number picks into egg cartons and naming the numbers they knew and counted while pushing flowers into cartons, we used small flower counters and small flower pots with scoops for counting each time the children picked up a flower counter and placed it in pot, during activity time, the children manipulated number wooden blocks by stacking them on top of each other and naming numbers they knew, another activity we did was veg. and fruit naming, counting and matching colors of veg./fruit to the colored buckets, and tomorrow, we will practice number/color matching with colored circles to make a caterpillar.
Motor Development
During activity time the children practiced stringing with pipe cleaners and cheerios to make caterpillars, we did leave rubbing instead of tree bark rubbing- the children colored over the leaf in the folded white paper to be able to see leaf with vigorous coloring back and forth, the children used real sticks to poke through large boxes to strengthen their fine motor grip/strengthen to be able to poke holes into boxes, today the children made their own bubbles by whisking water and bubble solution to make bubbles in their bowl- this required the children to use whisk rather quickly to make bubbles form and tomorrow, we will practice line/circle tracing with dry erase boards to increase early writing and work on goals.
Social/Emotional
Friday- we will introduce "Ring Around The Garden" using veg./fruit names
Make Vegetable soup with the ingredients the children named- Potatoes, tomatoes, corn, carrots, celery, broccoli and squash.
We will explore the insides of an egg plant
All About Mothers - Older Toddler
|
Mother's week
Art
The children have been working on Mother's Day gifts and Cards!
Math
The children practiced naming flowers/colors by placing them into a large vase to fill up to make a Bouquet , small color family counters with colored rubber cups to match same colors in each bowl. we used real ice cream cones and large colored pom-poms for scooping, counting , filling and naming colors as the children put them into the cones, The children practiced opening and closing Jewelry boxes by lifting the locks and snapping them back down while counting coins and Friday, the children will work with number foam puzzles-naming numbers and finding where they fit in the puzzle board.
Gross Motor
The children manipulated flower tooth picks/number flower crafts sticks by pressing them into round foam blocks, colored cupcake liners w/ shape links to match one-to-one, The children made Mother's Day cards by coloring with markers and gluing on "paper mom figures" we had cottages with family small counter people for manipulating and Friday the children will practice using chop sticks to pick up the colored pom-poms and fill up their Won Ton boxes. We have only used chop sticks one other time, so this is new and challenging.
Sensory Bin
Colored rice, small watering cans/scoops
Songs
We have been singing/practicing "Happy Mother's day To You" sung to Happy Birthday Tune
Cinco De Mayo song with Maracas
Social/Emotional
*During group time, Miss Brenda asked all the children "what does Mommy do to make you happy? "responses were written down exactly what children said about their Mommy's. Will post in parent corner for all to see..
*Friday- We will introduce "Duck, Duck Goose' by sitting in a circle and have the children go around and tap teach child's head and say "Duck". After the children have this part down, we will introduce the "Goose" part.
*Hop-pity Hopscotch outside on the play ground
Things That Go! - Older Toddler
|
Transportation
We introduced the theme with various Transportation vehicles by having the children walk up to the Word Wall and point to a vehicle, name it and how it moves. We asked the children "How do you get to school?" to hear their different responses in Transportation.
Art
The children made a paper plate car by coloring it and gluing on various car parts, painted w/ match box cars by rolling across paper and, Traffic light by gluing on red, yellow and green circles to paper to make own light and Koosh ring painting on blue paper and added boats
Math
The children practiced color matching with small colored vehicle counters and matching paper and number trucks with roads on table top to practice following lines/directions.
Motor development
We used various size plastic coins with containers with lids with slits to work fingers to get the coins in and drop, Zooming cars w/makers attached to the cars to make lines/marks pictures on paper by moving cars in various directions, The children matched and problem-solved with vehicle puzzles as they figured out where the pieces fit, and Vehicle felt lacing with shoes strings to practice eye-hand coordination/lacing by manipulating hands/fingers.
Boat Experiment
Pear float boat- Will the boat sink or float?
Block area
Added various vehicles with cones
Sensory Bin
Construction trucks, beans and rocks
During group time, Miss Diana asked the children "If you had a Big Blue boat, where would you go"? the children's responses were written down and will be posted in parent corner for you to see.
Learning About Recycling - Older Toddler
|
I introduced the theme by asking the children if they knew what was "Recycling"? to my surprise a few children knew by saying "My mommy and daddy recycle, and I help recycle too! "I recycle paper". We talked abut the materials we recycle and where they go.
Art
The children made a flower collage out of old magazines, stamped with empty plastic pop bottles, sponges painted with green/blue paint on paper plates to resemble the Earth, glued water cans on paper and used finger prints to represent rain drops and Friday we will hand print large poster board for Earth Day.
Math
The children practiced color matching/naming by using closes pins and containers with colored sticker dots to help with matching colors, sort the mail- the children placed paper in paper trays for sorting/counting, Number/ABC small and large blocks for counting as they build, make patterns and arrange according to size and Friday, we will make flower cookies- measuring, mixing, pouring.
Motor Development
The children peeled stickers and placed them on colored paper tubes to work fine motor/fingers, cork drop by pushing corks into clear plastic containers, then shake upside down to get them out, Blue play dough with heart picks to make stand and press down ,and we worked on using tongs to pick up green/blue craft stick to practice open and close motions.
Recycling Practice
We practiced putting various re-cycling materials in their bins- paper, glass/plastic " I can Reduce, Reuse, Recycle"
Songs all week on recycling with some videos of how recycling works and, what we should do.
Cookies- Friday, we will make Flower sugar cookies
Easter Week - Older Toddler
|
Easter Week
We introduced the "Easter Bunny" last week to prepare for this week and all the activities we will be doing. At group time we talked about and named some foods we eat at Easter and what we do- Easter Egg Hunt, Easter Bunny visits and Family.
Art
On Monday the children made an Easter Egg by painting with colored Karo syrup and sprinkling on colored rice, Tuesday, we made Baby Chicks- fork painting with yellow rice and adding googly eyes, feathers, beak and feet- Wednesday- the children stamped with "Bunny" cookie cutters and added cotton balls for a "Bushy tail". Thursday- We marble painted with real eggs and Friday we will make "Carrots" by gluing on orange tissue paper/squares and green hand prints for stem.
Math
The children practiced counting with colored eggs and Easter baskets by placing them in one at a time, naming colors and filling and dumping, We used bunny sorting egg trays and jelly beans to separate colors, make patterns and fill egg spot . we made cupcake cones -mix. measure, pour and decorate, and Friday, we will decorate eggs to take home.
Motor Development
The children worked their fingers/hands practicing opening/closing plastic eggs and filling with jelly beans, Manipulated Rubik Cubes to practice twisting/turning motions, the children used tongs to pick up plastic carrots and place in carrots bags, put fingers in loop of string pulled closed and practiced opening by pulling top part with both hands-great fine motor practice/strength, the children made Bunny or Chick felt decorations by placing all materials on felt piece using fingers and Friday, the children will use shimmery eggs on sticks/flowers w/foam blocks to make stand and use eye-hand coordination.
Experiment
Put peeps in Microwave and water- watch what happens, Balloon blow up- fill water bottle with vinegar , dump baking soda with balloon and watch balloon inflate.
Social/Emotional
Jelly Bean walk Easter Egg Hunt outside on play ground
Songs all week:
Here comes Peter cotton tail, We Wish You A Merry Easter, If You Like The Easter Bunny and B-U-N-N-Y.