Dear parents,
We began our week tracing our hands and then coloring them with crayons. We sang Open, Shut Them, and Where Is Thumbkin? We read Here Are My Hands and added watercolor to our handprints.
In circle we used our hands to clap some patterns, sort of, and read Wash Your Hands! We looked at our hands to see if we could see the “germs and the nasties” they spoke about in the book. We could not. The book said they’re smaller than alligators.
We asked the class, “What can you do with your hands?” They responded: pick up toys, play, grab, eat, touch, hold a balloon, touch an elephant, and make a shadow. The list is in the classroom. We read All By Myself and noticed all the things the child in the book did with their hands. We added eating apples to our list, during snack time.
Outside, we used our hands to dig in the sand. In the sandbox, children made a blueberry pie, a strawberry cake, and some pancakes for breakfast. We also used our hands to swing and climb the jungle gym.
We started Friday by taking turns at the Feely Box. Each person got to use their hands to feel an object in the box and guess what it was. Peoples’ guesses: a spikey, a person that connects, I don’t know, and a pinecone, among others. During circle, we talked about our five senses and which one we had just used. The children said we had used our sense of touch or feeling. Then we looked in the box to see what was there.
We used our hands to squeeze, squash, roll, and pat our play dough - great for strengthening our handwriting and pre-writing muscles. We created more watercolors and paintings at the easel.
Next week, we will talk about our feet and begin measuring everyone to track growth during the year.
Have a fantastic weekend,
Therese
Simon Says do Hokey Pokey
Dear parents,
We began our week by drawing in shaving cream. People drew circles, mostly circles, round and round.
During our morning circle, we shake our sillies out, we sing a song and read a book. After snacks, each day we work on puzzles. We have quite the puzzle-working group!
On Thursday we danced the Hokey Pokey. Also, children practiced hand-eye coordination at the water table by pouring water into funnels. While painting at the easel, some children noticed new colors when mixing paint. We added a new color to our play dough today, and made purple!
The class colored our Please Keep Off The Grass signs green. We placed them in the yard where our grass is still taking root.
We read Tiptoe Into Kindergarten; Mice Squeak, We Speak; One Happy Classroom; Everyone Poops; Hey! Wake Up! and many others books. After reading about animals, we growled like bears, barked like dogs, and slithered like snakes. We played Simon Says. He told us to reach up high, down low, and to hop up and down.
The swings are getting good use and encourage friends to use patience while waiting for turns. The sandbox is producing many cakes. Usually, it’s someone’s birthday every day. Also during this week, some children wanted to show us how high they could swing and how fast they could run. High and fast!
We have had five sleepers during quiet time. Shhhhh.
Next week, we will talk about our hands.
And that’s what it’s all about,
Therese