Signs of Spring

Theme: Spring

Choosing Time: Little People Village, Duplos, Dinosaurs, Flower Garden Dramatic Play

Music & Movement: Popcorn Popping, Tiny Tim, ABC, On A Golden Springtime

AM Snack: Fruit Snacks

PM Snack: Carrot Sticks, Pretzel Sticks, & Red Grapes

Science/Lesson: Signs of Spring Walk: We had a grand time walking around the block to spy signs of Spring. We laid down on the sidewalk to notice tiny green things trying to grow. We learned to be careful where we step to protect the living plants. We identified Hyacinths, Daffodils, Jonny Jump-Ups, Crocus, Lamb's Ear, Lichen, Forsythia, "Popcorn" Tree Blossoms, & many other buds forming on trees & bushes. I envited them to pick as many Dandelions as they liked. I told them that people even eat the Cleaned Dandelion Leaves for salad. We enjoyed smelling flowers, watching ants, and feeling the warm sun on our faces. It was a beautiful day! When we came back to school I showed them a small bird's nest I'd found once while on a walk, keeping my eyes open. We touched the nest. I explained that I only brought it home because it had fallen out of a tree and was empty.

Art: Watercolor Painting

Books: The Roly-Poly Spider by Jill Sardegna & The Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown

Remembering Vincent Van Gogh

Theme: Sunflowers

Choosing Time: Cars, Trains, Dress-ups

Art: Sunflower Masks
We had fun swirling colors together.

AM Snack: Apples, Pretzels, Peanut Butter

PM Snack: Sunflower Seed Sandwiches With Apple & Orange Slices
Music: You Are My Sunshine, I'm A Little Sunflower, Tiny Turtle
Movement: Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes, See My Sunflowers All In A Row, & Hokey-Pokey

AM Video Clip: "A 6 year old interview with Van Gogh" Van Gogh's Birthday is tomorrow. He painted some lovely things. He was an Impressionist painter. We learned that his favorite color is yellow because it reminds him of light. He likes painting Sunflowers because they follow the light.

Lesson: Sunflowers are amazing! Some fun facts: Sunflowers' roots can be up to 9 feet deep. Sunflower seeds are tasty for us and birds. We can make oil from the seeds. We can use the seeds on a salad, in cookies, in bread, or just eat them. Sunflowers follow the sun.

Science: We compared sunflower seeds with and without their shells. We tasted them. We planted one in my yard and will see if it starts to grow. Each child was given some seeds to plant at home.

Cooking: We made some tasty Sunflower seed cookies.

Under The Sea

Theme: Under the Sea
Choosing Time: Shells, Dramatic Play with "Boats & Telescopes", The ABSeas Game, Pop-Up Pirate Game, Animals, Sea Puppets, & Sea Mural Drawing
Movement: Parachute Game with Fish, Moving as Different Sea Creatures, & Moving "S" Ways (ex. sway, stomp, swirl, stop, stand, sink...)
Music: If I Were A Fishy, Twinkle Little Star, A Crab, The Whale, Octopus, Tiny Tim
Art: Rainbow Fish
In the AM Class we tried an experiment with vinegar. We painted our fish with vinegar and then pressed tissue paper squares on top. When the vinegar dries, the paper comes off supposedly leaving the stain of the color on the paper. Sadly, this did not occur...I tried to do it on two different kinds of paper after class and still the colors didn't bleed...I had thought perhaps the paper plate just wouldn't absorb the colors...now I have no idea what went wrong.
AM Snack: Goldfish Crackers & Sea Creature Fruit Snacks

PM Snack: Fruit Snacks, Carrots, & Goldfish Crackers

Circle Time: We went fishing of course! Each fish had a corresponding activity.
Books: Swimmy by Leo Lionni, The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister, The Owl & the Pussycat by Edward Lear/Jan Brett, & Commotion In the Ocean by Giles Andreae

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Theme: Letter "S"

Choosing Time: Square Foam Blocks, Pattern Puzzles, Square Peg Boards, Animals
Science: "Can You Guess What This Smells Like?" I had several small cups filled with different scents. We each had fun smelling and guessing. It was funny to see how many kiddos wanted to peek to ascertain if their sniffers were correct. Most of the children loved the peppermint the best and the pickles the least.
AM Snack: Square Wheat Thin Crackers & Sea Animal Fruit Snacks

PM Snack: STICKS! Cheese & Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods...yum!

Movement: Shake the Sillies Out (Along with other actions that begin with "S" such as swirl, slide, stomp...)

Book: The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash by Trina Hanks Noble

Lesson: We had a great time with our Letter "S" Show & Tell Today! We had fun seeing snakes, Star Wars Figures, Light Saber, Stop Sign, Spoon, Slinky, Spiderman Jacket, Spring Rain Boots, Swim Shorts, Slide-On Shoes, Silly Faced Sam, Stomping Susie, Soft Dog, Spring Flower, Super Creation, Specially Painted Toes,....We loved sounding out many "S" words and Sharing our items that we brought!

Writing: We practiced writing letter "S"

Art: Sticker & Stamp Pictures
Special Activity: Shaving Cream Finger Painting (We also practiced writing "S" and drawing silly faces & snakes.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Theme: St. Patrick's Day Party

Choosing Time: Puzzles, Dinosaurs, Blocks, Trio Blocks, Dress-Ups

Movement: Ring Around the Leprechaun Hat, Head Shoulders Knees & Toes

Art: Rainbow With Pot of Gold & Beading Lucky Charms
Books: Green Wilma by Tedd Arnold & Jaime O'Rourke and the Big Potato by Tomie de Paola

Game: Who Has the Shamrock? & Rainbow Ball

Music: Little Leprechaun, Rainbow, If All the Raindrops, Chubby Snowman, ABC, 5 Little Shamrocks
AM Snack: Green Apples, Cucumbers, & Juice Boxes

PM Snack: Green Milk, Green Ice Cream, & Goldfish Rainbow Crackers

Treasure Hunt: A Leprechaun snuck in and hid some pretend gold around the house for us to find. We had fun collecting it. We then found a big black pot with some lucky charms in it for us to bead.

No Dogs Allowed!

We had a wonderful time at the play, "No Dogs Allowed!" All the children were so well behaved! It was more fun for me to watch them watch the play! Each child was engaged in the story. Thank you parents who came along!