Connecting Colors

We began our week working in the classroom, connecting and disconnecting math manipulatives. These toys fine tune fine motor skills, hand-eye-coordination, and learning colors, shapes, and counting. They also helps to hone sharing and listening skills. While playing on the carpet, some also chose play dough or the drawing table. 

Play dough strengthens hand muscles needed for fine motor skills. Holding small crayons does the same. We are still mixing colors with our play dough, it takes many days of squeezing and squishing to get a new color. Most of our play dough is still red or yellow. 

On Tuesday we played with shaving cream at the table. The children drew on the table using hands, fingers, and fingernails. We made circles, straight lines, and a few letters. The children said the shaving cream felt warm, soft, and sticky. The next day we added yellow, and blue or red, to get two new colors. 

We are still learning each others' names, how to share, keeping our hands on our own bodies, and listening eyes and ears. 

In circle we read books about fall and leaves turning colors. Many children said they had seen the fruit of the sweetgum tree, some had not. We looked at a picture of it in our book. Someone said, "It's spiky."

On Friday we read Little Blue and Little Yellow. We talked about when we mixed blue and yellow at the easel. It was just like in the book when little Blue and little Yellow hugged. We looked around to see who was wearing green. Many.

Have a green weekend,

Therese

Mixing Colors and Bouncing Balls

Dear Parents,

On Monday we began our week mixing two colors into our white play dough. The children had a choice of adding the color of a tomato, or a lemon, to their play dough. We squeezed and squished to mix the colors. 

Everyone took turns using our easel. Some could hardly wait for their turn. It takes a couple of days for everyone, but eventually we all get many turns. 

In the big room we have been tricycling, bicycling, running, pushing grocery carts, kicking balls, bouncing balls, and climbing all over the jungle gym.

Outside we have been digging in the sandbox, climbing in the jungle gym, and swinging up to the trees, or on our bellies, on the swings.

We are working on: sitting on the toilet even if we think we don’t have to pee, waiting our turn, listening to friends’ words, keeping the sand low to the ground so we don’t accidentally spill it on a friend, holding onto the rail, and following in line when going up and down to the yard. 

It is a new routine for many, and repetition is the name of the game. We are learning routines and practicing repeating them, over and over. We are learning each others’ names, and looking at body language to see what our friends are feeling, in addition to speaking up to each other. 

We are off to a good start!

Have a great weekend,

Therese