Just a Few Things Around the Room

After another 3 day weekend, due to MLK Day, we are back and ready to work. Actually eager. The kids were excited to see the environment set up in centers today. We have been so out of sorts due to the weather, school agers home, and sickness that we haven't really had a lot of planned learning going on, just the spontaneous stuff (which is also good).

The light table is a favorite activity, but the 2's have a tendency to walk away with anything they find on there. I have to keep a close eye on what is going on over there :)

I found this in the middle of the floor. We received some Melissa & Doug Magnetic numbers and I had this 100 poster that I had to take down because I moved a cabinet. So, someone (not sure who) matched numbers 1-9 and left it there for me to find. I just love that!! The enjoy using the pointers and counting to 100. It is a great exercise for my preschoolers, and the 2's enjoy being their "students" and will even try to count along.

The play dough table is always a hit. I love the exercise their little hands and fingers get by manipulating the play dough, but man, cleaning it up is always a task I don't look forward to. I try to only put out 2 containers each week, and if they let it dry out they have to wait until the next week to get more. But, I don't like to punish the preschoolers when it is usually the 2's that leave it out. I try to keep on top of that center too, but can't always "catch" the ones leaving the play dough out. It is amazing when you only have 4 kids who use the play dough, but not 1 of them played with it when I ask ;)

I don't know if you can make it out in the picture, but Princess is spelling her name with the "hair" she made with one of the play dough tools. I was very proud of her. She made me take a photo of her whole name when she was done. I will have to get it printed and give it to her.

Ahhh, the water table. Our sensory table has been out of commission of late due to a crack in the plastic container. I finally got another and today we put some water in it. First cold water, we then talked about how it felt on our hands and fingers. We talked about how we could make it warmer on our tippy fingers. There was guesses of heating the container (which Princess said would probably not work because it would melt) and then Princess said, "Shell, just get hot water from the sink. That would work you know." How smart is she.

Little Man wasn't feeling great today, but you wouldn't know it by looking at him. He was so excited to be on the floor checking out the light table. He banged his hands on it, moved around the colored blocks, and even laid his little head on it. The big kids spent a lot of time "showing" him all the things that could be done, and applauding him when he did something spectacular... Like finding toys, under the table...

Love this photo!! What a happy boy!!

We also went for our daily walk around the neighborhood. The snow is melting in the yard and we can use it as long as we wear our boots, but the mud was particularly slippery today, so we took a hike to the nature park and enjoyed the sights. We even got to meet up with Little Miss M's cousins and ran around their front yard yelling, throwing left over snow, and jumping into the snow. It is always fun to see cousins and friends!! It is also really fun to get outside and be able to run, jump and scream!!