A Great Start to A Great Week

We have started a new week and I think it has gotten off to a great start!! It is Muffin Tin Monday. If you don't know what that is you can link over to Her Cup Overfloweth and read all about it, as well as some other great ideas she has. As you can see we had: Strawberries & Blueberries, Bologna, Salad, Crackers, and Cheese. We have some S foods in there and the kids were able to pick them our while they were eating.








This morning at circle I introduced the letter "S" for Snake. We will continue with our Pond/Animal Theme again this week and we decided that a Snake would go nicely with that theme. We also decided that at the art table we would make snakes... hum... but we decided it couldn't be just a boring old snake, it had to be a Slithery Snake, No... a Slithery Slimy Snake... Yes... What about a Slithery Slimy Squiggly Snake... Now we're on a role... We loved coming up with great S words to describe our Snake. When it was all through, Sydney decided her Snake would be best Cut into Little Tiny Pieces :)

Here is our Princess who decided to make a Snake that was "Sixty Hundred Times Big."

"It's the Silliest Long Snake Ever!!"



This is B's Snake... he wanted to have him slithering down the pond... that's why he looks upside down. He is prowling for frogs to eat :)

As you can see The Princess' snake Squirms all around the pond... not even noticing the frogs. But, B's Snake is Sneaking up on those frogs below and will Snatch one right up :) (At least that's what B said)





Here are those poor frogs... just waiting to be eaten :) We made them last week when we started our Pond Theme.

Here is an activity that the kids seem to have taken to. They are the Melissa & Doug Wooden Magnetic Doll Sets. I bought some at a consignment sale and a parent just gave me some more. We now have quite an assortment and the kids can make some pretty crazy ballerinas and firemen. They are having fun with them.

We also did some review of our past letters and numbers, we did some center work with Shapes and I added some games to the Math Center. The Sand Studio, Blocks, Art Table, and Magnetic Dolls still seem to be the most popular today, but we will continue to make the Math and Science Centers as Open Ended as possible. They really do like that style of learning better.

Have a Great Day!!!

Work for this Week

I put out some new fun work for this week. I was going through my December Theme Box and realized that I forgot some great works that I had out last year at this time. We have so much to do to get ready for our Holiday Program and of course all the crafts to be completed and done by the time each child leaves for Christmas Break that I sometimes forget about the opportunities for such fun learning. The kids were excited to find new work on the shelf... I was excited to see them use it :)

Well, this isn't really new... they just won't let me put it up

I got this idea from Ms Debbie who had a great basket with a Gingerbread Person and lots of knick-knacky stuff to go on it. Believe it or not I can't find all my stray stuff so this was the next best thing I came up with :)

Transferring and Patterning Activity

Transferring... Another idea from Ms Debbie to use the little presents... They loved them, so much so that they thought they could open them :) But I was prepared thanks to Ms Debbie... I bought a whole bunch!!

What's the Christmas Season if not about giving and receiving PRESENTS!! I set this "wrapping" station up for the kids. It was an idea I DID read on someones blog... and I thought I saved it, but I can't find it... So if anyone knows where I saw it, please let me know!!!

The kids LOVED it!! They loved finding little things to wrap up, then using the paper ALL BY THEMSELVES, cutting the tape... We Love Tape!! Then putting the gift under the tree!! They all decided that we would open them tomorrow... This center got a lot of activity today. Yeah!!

Preschool/Tot School Begins...

We will be beginning our "School Year" on Monday. I am looking forward to the routine and learning that will be happening. I have started rearranging the playroom furniture from Summer Play to Learning Play. We will be having our Montessori material in centers this year and hope this will help the kids in putting their work away. We have 3 preschoolers this year that will "graduate" to Kindergarten at the end of the year... OMG!!! I can't believe my babies will go to Kindergarten. How time flies... just yesterday it seems that they were in diapers and playing in the sensory table outside.

I think the kids are excited to get back to a routine also, they have been loving our summer circle time lately since I have been reading a theme book and doing a craft to go with that theme. They are eager to know what the new centers will be and what will be in them. I am excited for them to come on Monday and have a great morning.

Our Tot's will be having some fun too... Beth and I are carrying our Theme over to them and incorporating them into our School Time Adventures!!! It will be a learning process for us and the Tot's, but I think it will be worth it. They really love to be involved and touch the "big" kids work... so know we will offer it to them in a more age appropriate form. Beth and I are learning that just because the Tot's don't often sit through a whole story... they listen as they are playing. They may not finish an art project... but they come back to it time and time again throughout the day and touch it, look at it, smell it & of course try to taste it :) It is amazing to see the Tot's learn each day... everything is a learning experience... all their time is occupied exploring and experimenting. I am so happy that we can provide them with an environment that gives them those opportunities.

So... now I am off to complete my Math/Science Center... I think I want to introduce something in that center... just not sure what. I want to keep it small right now, until we all learn or relearn the rules of taking out, using, & putting back. I think it will be an interesting week :)