Q: A Quail with a Tail

Theme:  Letter Q

Choosing Time:  Search for the "Queen's Jewels", Letter "Q" Memory, ....

Snacks:

• "Quackers" & "Quookies"
• Quesidillas
• Rainbow Cupcakes
• Bananas, Oranges, Cheese Sticks, & Crackers
• Popcorn & Apples
• Popcorn Shrimp & Fries

Books: Quacker's Crackers & The Queen Couldn't Sleep

Music & Movement:

• 3 Little Ducks
• "Q" Movement--Move Quickly, Quietly, Quack Like a duck, Throw like a Quarterback, Wave like a Queen...

Science:  We observed a short clip of a real quail.  We learned a little bit about these birds.

Art: 

• "Q" Quail painted with Q-tips
• Painting Shamrocks with eyedroppers.  We discovered what happens when you mix yellow & blue.

Games:

•  "Quilt, quilt, who's under the quilt?"
• Quarter toss on Q/q

Field Trips:
Thank you to Scott & Sarah Wiley for a wonderful music experience!  The T/TH PM class was so fortunate to visit Scott's recording studio.  We loved playing the pianos, hand bells, & drums.  We saw some instruments that we've never seen before.  And, all the children loved hearing their voices over the microphone.  It was so fun, educational, and exciting!  

The AM class was able to go to Red Lobster for a fabulous tour and yummy snack.  We loved touching the lobsters and watching them hold crayons.  We enjoyed watching the fish in the aquarium eat.  We learned that the puffer fish can only puff up 7 times and then it will die.

Pirates & Princesses!

Theme:  Letter "P"

Choosing Time:  Search for "P" things in a bucket of sunflower seeds, Pop-up Pirate Game, Letter "P" Matching Game, Pirate Puppets, Puzzles, Potato Heads, Pigs, Penguins....

Snacks:

• Pretzels and Cheese Sticks
• CaPri Sun & Cookies
• Pretzels, Cheese, & Pears
•  Popcorn & Panda Fruit Snacks
• Popcorn & Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels
• Pizza

Music & Movement:

• Peanut Butter
• P-O-P-C-O-R-N
• Popcorn Popping
• Move like a Penguin (Waddle, tiptoe, slide, swim...)

Science:  We learned about penguins.  We learned that there are penguins that live where it is very cold and others live where it is warm.  We talked about some of the penguin's predators and some of the food that the penguin likes to eat.  We learned that an Emperor Penguin is 45 inches tall.  I showed the kiddos how tall that is and then we took turns seeing how tall we were in comparison.

Special Activity:  Peanut Butter Play-Dough

Art:

• Penguin Finger Puppets
• Pirate & Princess Hats
• Letter "P" with Pistachio Shells & Popcorn 

Books:
 

Oh!

Theme:  Letter O
Letter "O" makes two sounds.  We practiced making the sign for "O".  We had a very fun time searching for "O" shapes in our classroom.  I couldn't sway the enthusiasm!  "O" is everywhere!  I enjoyed the "O" shaped objects that several of the children brought in to show.  Some of these included: a Bracelet,  a box of Ritz, a Juicer, Eyes on stuffed animals, wheels on a Rescue Bot,  a Hula Hoop, a book with an "O" in the title, a doll with a large "O" head.....If your child didn't bring something, never fear, I asked them to share something they saw in their homes that had circle shapes and the funnest one was, "a knob that I'm not suppose to use, but I do when my mom isn't looking."  :)

Choosing Time:  Ocean Shells & Animals:  Water Fun, "O" builders, Tinker Toys, Cars, Octopus "O" Game, "O" Memory

Math:  Ocean Animal Race Dice Game (I told the kiddos they could play it again at home, just use a different color to mark the animals as you roll the dice.)

Music & Movement: 

• Hi, My Name Is "O"
• Ring-Around-the Roses
• Octopus Swim in the Ocean
• "Sally" Goes 'Round the Sun

Books: The Five Octopuses,
 


Reading:  Our new words are "on, off, no, & not"


Science: We learned about Octopi.  They have 8 arms called tentacles.  The arms have suckers.  They can change colors (brown, grey, white, red, & orange).  They squirt ink to frighten predators.  If an Octopus looses a leg, he can grow a new one. Mother Octopus lay 1000 eggs.  After the eggs hatch the mothers die.

Art:

• Octopus
• Fish with Scales
• "O" Print Painting
• "O" Creations--What picture can you make with  circle shapes?
  

Snacks:

• Crackers & Cheese Sticks
• Healthy Oatmeal No Bake Cookie Drops
• Chocolate Pretzel O's & Fruit Snacks
• Fruit Snacks & Oranges
• Granola Bars
• Big "O" Crackers & Apple Slices

Nighty-Night

Theme:  Letter N
Letter N is fun to write.  You start at the "ground", climb the "Ladder", slide down, and hurry back up. "Nurse Nina" introduced "N" to us.  We practiced some "N" words such as "nut, nurse, net, no, nothing, night, now, nice, never,.."  Letter "N" sounds similar to "M".  We practiced both the names and sounds of both letters. 

Cute Sayings:

• I thought it was really cute because after we'd finished singing a song, one little girl looked up and said, "Naughty says 'N'."  I replied, "Yes, and so does 'Nice.'"  :) 
• "Oh, do that again!  'N' on its side makes a 'Z'!"

Choosing Time:  Number Games, Number Puzzles, Number Magnets, A Squirrel Math Game, Letter "N" Memory, Letter "N" Nest Game....

Science:  What does nocturnal mean? What are some nocturnal animals? 

Art:

•  Little "n" going Nighty-Night in the Night Sky

Writing:  

• Name Necklaces
• Practiced "N/n"
  

Math:  Numbers begin with "N".  We practiced number sequencing, and the values associated with the Numbers 1-9

Music & Movement:

• 10 Happy Children
• 10 Exercises
• I'm a Nut 
• "N" in the Nest
• Dancing Numbers

Books:
Who is in the Nest?



Snacks:

• Orange slices, Pretzels, Cheese Sticks
• Noodles
• Nilla Wafers & "Night Crawlers"
• Nilla Wafers, Apple Slices, & Fruit Snacks

Lots of Love

Theme:  Valentines
Our reoccurring discussion this week revolved around the concept that one can never have too many friends.  Love expands and invites.  We are all friends.

Choosing Time:  Valentine Chain Game, Valentine Memory, and some of our favorites:  ponies, bionicles,...

Art:

• "My Art Belongs to You" Valentines
• Heart Stamping
• Heart & Initial Necklaces (this was a great pattern activity)
• Heart Art (What can you make with Hearts?)

Snacks:

• Heart Jigglers, Strawberries, Crackers
• Valentine Cupcakes
• Popcorn & Craisins
• Valentine Cookies
• Go-gurts & Heart-shaped Marshmallows

Birthday:  Happy birthday Elizabeth!  We had a fun time hearing our friends say what they love about Lizzie.  Some of those comments included:  "I love it when she plays with me."  "I love her hair."  "She is pretty." We all love you!


Party Fun:  Everyone had the opportunity to decorate a party bag.  Some of us had a heart painted on our face.  For our carpet time I had 10 numbered colored hearts in a special Valentine Box.   Each child took a turn choosing a heart and then we did a corresponding activity....When we were all done we arranged the numbers in order to practice counting and number recognition.

1. Sang "Skidamarinky-dinky-dink"
2. Read a story
3. Played "Heart, Heart, Who's Got My Heart?"
4. Ate Snack
5. Played Valentine Bingo
6. Sang & Played a Game Called "You're A Special Friend of Mine."
7. Played a game called "Don't Eat Val!"
8. Played a color recognition game called "Dancing Hearts"
9. Sang "Love isn't Love 'till You Give it Away"
10. Exchanged Valentines--Of course this was a highlight and all were excited to go home and look them over :)  Thank you for sharing so much love with me!

Books:
  This is a fun one for us to read together, since they can "read" the pictures :)
Who can resist puppy love?  and flying dogs?