Tether Ball and Pajama Day

Dear Parents,

We started our week playing with our train set, drawing with crayons, and playing with magnets. During circle we read Mooncake, Trash Trucks!, and Trashy Town. Trash Trucks! has been on repeat all week. 

After snacks we played in the big room and everyone took turns playing with our tether ball. The children were excited for their turn, with many wanting two turns. The game uses hand eye coordination and encourages awareness of body space. 

On Wednesday when the children returned from gymnastics they told us Larisa had changed the balance beams and course to make it “spicy". In the classroom, while others tumbled, we played with magnets. 

Pajama Day was sleepy. We pretended to sleep during circle. When we woke up, we read The Snowy Day and  Why Do Grownups Have All the Fun?  The Snowy Day sparked a conversation about the difference between big kids and little kids. Children talked about their older siblings and cousins. One person reminded us that her cousins are “crazy”! They also compared themselves to younger siblings. Someone said the boy in the book was a toddler, like them. 

On Friday we played with our parachute. We sang London Bridge Is Falling Down as friends took turns sitting in the middle of the parachute. We sang I’m Being Swallowed By A Boa Constrictor and pretended that the parachute swallowed us all up. We bounced balls and bean bags in the parachute until they flew out-- which produced lots of laughter and shrieks. 

Have a marvelous weekend,

Therese

3-2-1 Blast Off!

Dear Earthlings,

This week we prepared for our Blast Off. We read and reread Roaring Rockets by Tony Mitton and Ant Parker. We climbed aboard our ship, practiced getting our oxygen tanks and helmets on, and planting flags on the moon. We saw a picture in one of our books showing that real astronauts practice too. 

On Wednesday while some children tumbled with Larissa, the rest of us worked on Valentine’s Day cards. We pointed to our hearts, and the children said hearts are red. We asked, “What is the red for?” Someone shouted, “Blood!” Another person said, “Hearts are for love.”

Our Blast Off! went off without a hitch. We planted our flags on the moon, and after saying goodbye to our families, we had some real freeze dried astronaut ice cream.  One of the children asked if it was going to be cold.  It was not. It was Neapolitan, and crunchy. 

On Friday we had another family share. Afterwards, we played on our planet. We asked the children if there were baby chicks on any other planet. “Noooooooo!” they all shouted. 

We asked the class, “Is there life in outer space?” before reading a book by the same title. Seven children said “Yes.” Two said “I don’t know.”   Five said “No”. 

Have a peaceful week off,

Therese