there is no school on thursday (2/21) due to snow and ice.

if you’re looking for some fun in the snow…here are a few of our family favorites from the last few years:

bring some inside! more photos here.

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freeze some snowballs. we kept these for months!

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make ice cream.

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make chairs out of snow and have a coffee break there.

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a huge family favorite:  make a snow fire!

we’ve done a few of them. the first one micah was only 4 and went out in his pajamas wrapped in a blanket.

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we’ve used up all the snow in the front yard to make bricks with dish pans.

we’ve used our trampoline as a roof for a snow fort.

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we sprinkled jello on snow…some liked it and some didn’t.

the kids poured dr pepper on snow.  everyone liked that.

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we made a slide on the steps!  i have one started now and hope there really will be more snow overnight so we can finish it.

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here’s a 2009 memory that needs no explanation.  only a washing machine, a warm bath and hot chocolate.

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go snow! go snow! and when we have preschool again (and if the snow hasn’t melted), bring snow friendly clothing and sleds along!  we have a hill!

 

this dear slide has been on my front porch for years.

( 2009)

it’s been moved to the trampoline and propped against the cherry tree.  it has been wedged on a slide and soaped up for water play.

(2010)

when laid flat it was used to be a pool for playmobil people. it’s been covered with snow and used with sleds.

(2011)

it’s been hauled to the curb and propped up on a stump after impressive rainstorms.

(2012)

we used to put a pillow at the bottom of it just because they were so small and the ground was so hard. but now my kids are older.

(2009)

my baby who is nearly eight most often chooses the steps instead of sliding down. when water collects at the base of the slide, it dries up before anyone plays in it.

(2010)

and i happen to know 41 little friends who i think would choose a slide over stairs.

so, happy 2013, i brought our dear slide to preschool.

and it has been fun.

spending time with little ones reminds me of my own all the time.

the first week the slide was on the staircase coming down to the classroom.  we had padding duct taped to the wall at the bottom.

it was needed…especially if you were wearing slick clothes!

this week the slide was moved into the classroom and rested on top of a low shelf.

this made for a much more subtle slide experience which meant there was experimenting to see what could make one go faster.  blue blankie worked well:

you can imagine that there is also climbing up the slide, walking down the slide, hiding under the slide, sending cars down, sending baby dolls down, even a slide infused puzzle time (“send me the next piece!”).  over all, really fun.  and no injuries so far!

i’m grateful that i can relive some of my most sacred days…

(2010)

happy valentimes to you all!

we’ve had a wonderful week of red and pink, talk of emotions, all covered with the promise that even if you don’t bring any valentines, you will get some!

we read the old favorite, valentine’s day grump…and practiced our own grumpy faces. these pictures make me giggle…

 our copy is big book size, so we lay on our bellies around it with the rule that no one touches the book except me. and of course, move if you can’t see. or if you’re crowded. or if you’re squished. or if you are getting smooshed….

then we acted like tippy from the book and wrote a valentine letter to our grown ups at home. this is always an opportunity to talk about the different parent figures in a child’s home or homes. and since it is about their core safety place, i try to choose every word carefully.

we’ll continue on today and tomorrow with more parties….this means red and pink clothes, stories, food, valentine passing out, games, ukulele songs and lots of love.

better late than never, eh?

to me a “child centered” classroom means allowing the children to take things to another level…

instead of just using one piece of paper to write her name, she wrote the names of her entire family…

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bringing chairs from the snack table over so they could make their tower higher…

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adding scissors to the magnet corner to complete the “mouse trap…”

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using family corner cups in the tub table…

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moving the “store shelf” to better serve mr matt breakfast…

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permitting messes to be made and left until clean up time…

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bringing a cat to school…and playing “find the cat…”

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dumping out all the legos and using the box for a game “two girls covered the box and left it covered until everyone guessed what was in it when really there was nothing in it…”

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we call it “work time”…we encourage the children to “go play”…we love to see busy minds and bodies…