Stopping with the bell, not playing with a friend, eating favorites and scribbling: WEDNESDAY I WEEK

This week we are using ink in a variety of forms and a lot of I statements. Our Coping Skill is scribbling-a perfect outlet for young children! Take a look at how we played today:

We will be learning about favorite foods this week during Snack Time and Story Time. In Feast for Ten a family shops, cooks and prepares for a big meal. In My First Thanksgiving, a little mouse has such a big day they fall asleep at the table. In More Spaghetti, I Say, we see just how much one character loves spaghetti!

I Week Activities

Here are some I things for the week you can look for in photos, conversations and backpacks!

Ink Masterpiece: children are using ink pens this week to create an ink masterpiece with instrumental music in the background. We sure feel like we’re in an art gallery!

Ink Pads and Stamps: We have an entire table set up with washable ink pads and a variety of stamps. We’ll use the ink pads for Journal Time this week too.

Ian the Inky I: Our Alphabet Friend will get in on Scribbling Time every day to get covered in his favorite thing: ink!

Ice Play: we have ice in the Water Table this week to hold, feel, observe and try to get it to melt! We also have ice cube trays in the Tub Table to pretend that Cloud Dough is ice!

Inches: there are rulers available for measuring this week. We have inch blocks which allow for counting and measuring to equate: 3 blocks = 3 inches. We also know that our floor tiles are 12 inch squares so that is another measuring reference.

I Like to Eat Apples and Bananas: along with this being our Song of the Week going through each vowel, it also fits in well to our daily conversation about our Favorite Foods.

Instrument Play: while we have instruments available all year round, this week they got a little extra focus along with new instruments available during Outside Time.

Last Week of November: Since we don’t have school next week, this is our last week with brown as our Color of the Month. We’re making new shades of brown with playdough this week and spending time with our brown Tiny Things.

Here are 3 questions to learn more about our day:

What did you eat for snack today?

In the morning we had pumpkin muffins, jello jigglers, sweet pickles, dill pickles, tomatoes and apples. Thank you for our feast, friends!

In the afternoon we had Doritos, mac and cheese with corn, apples and granola! Thank you friends!

What color did you use for scribbling?

Our Scribble Art is getting more colorful because children can use whatever color they like! Today children practiced stopping their scribbling when the bell rang. Very tricky!

Why did Minnie not play with Freddy in our story today?

She wanted to spend all her time eating spaghetti! This is a good reminder that when someone doesn’t want to play with us they might have other things to do!

Coping Skill of the Week: Scribbling

This week we are scribbling! This is a skill that young children usually find satisfying. If they don’t have the strength to press hard enough for pencils, crayons or pens, provide markers so even the slightest movement can create marks.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DChxWpBS3GH/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Black ink, turkeys on the table, eating favorites and scribbling: TUESDAY I WEEK

This week we are using ink in a variety of forms and a lot of I statements. Our Coping Skill is scribbling-a perfect outlet for young children! Take a look at how we played today:

We will be learning about favorite foods this week during Snack Time and Story Time. In Feast for Ten a family shops, cooks and prepares for a big meal. In My First Thanksgiving, a little mouse has such a big day they fall asleep at the table. In More Spaghetti, I Say, we see just how much one character loves spaghetti!

I Week Activities

Here are some I things for the week you can look for in photos, conversations and backpacks!

Ink Masterpiece: children are using ink pens this week to create an ink masterpiece with instrumental music in the background. We sure feel like we’re in an art gallery!

Ink Pads and Stamps: We have an entire table set up with washable ink pads and a variety of stamps. We’ll use the ink pads for Journal Time this week too.

Ian the Inky I: Our Alphabet Friend will get in on Scribbling Time every day to get covered in his favorite thing: ink!

Ice Play: we have ice in the Water Table this week to hold, feel, observe and try to get it to melt! We also have ice cube trays in the Tub Table to pretend that Cloud Dough is ice!

Inches: there are rulers available for measuring this week. We have inch blocks which allow for counting and measuring to equate: 3 blocks = 3 inches. We also know that our floor tiles are 12 inch squares so that is another measuring reference.

I Like to Eat Apples and Bananas: along with this being our Song of the Week going through each vowel, it also fits in well to our daily conversation about our Favorite Foods.

Instrument Play: while we have instruments available all year round, this week they got a little extra focus along with new instruments available during Outside Time. We also have new lacing cards with animals playing instruments.

Last Week of November: Since we don’t have school next week, this is our last week with brown as our Color of the Month. We’re making new shades of brown with playdough this week and spending time with our brown Tiny Things.

Here are 3 questions to learn more about our day:

What did you eat for snack today?

Everyday we will add to our “Someone likes…” food list during Story Time. What feasts we had today! Thank you, friends for sharing your favorite foods!

In the morning we had cottage cheese, strawberries, blueberries, baked apples with cinnamon, chocolate graham crackers, cupcakes and donut holes.

In the afternoon we had chocolate milk, pizza Pringles, strawberries, curly butter noodles, chocolate granola and blueberry muffins.

How did you know where to sit at Snack Time?

Our Turkeys were waiting for us and they were arranged the same as our cubbies!

What color ink did you use for your Ink Masterpiece?

Black! We had new black ballpoint pens for each child to use. What careful and intentional masterpieces they created.

Coping Skill of the Week: Scribbling

This week we are scribbling! This is a skill that young children usually find satisfying. If they don’t have the strength to press hard enough for pencils, crayons or pens, provide markers so even the slightest movement can create marks.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DChxWpBS3GH/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Watering holes, the bottom of a hole, going high on the swing and humming: THURSDAY H WEEK

This week’s activities are all about holes, humming and the humans who do them. We had extra singing using our big blocks as a stage, lots of puzzle work and Ms Brenda was back for the morning class today.

H Week Activities

Here are some H things for the week you can look for in photos, conversations and backpacks!

Story Time: We have a couple of Story Time books this week all from our local library: A Hole in the Road (Jakki Wood) and Sam & Dave Dig a Hole (Marc Barnett). Today we incorporated the vehicles from A Hole in the Road into our puzzle and kinetic sand play too.

Hole reinforcer stickers: We’re adding hole stickers to our journals and to Holly the H this week.

Hole Making: We are digging holes in cloud dough, kinetic sand and outside all week. We are making holes with hole punchers too. We also made holes with tunnels, blocks, paper, pillows and blankets. Holly the H was there for a lot of it.

Turkeys: We continue to work on our turkey place settings for next week’s Favorite Food Pot Lucks. Today we added holes to the feathers. Turkey Rob is still getting lots of love with a lot of color recognition and counting too. We also finished up our handprints which will turn into turkeys. Some went home today and some are drying to be ready for next week.

Dirt Pumpkin: We cut a hole in our pumpkin and added dirt. With the seeds still in the pumpkin, we’re hoping to grow some pumpkin plants. We’ll be watering it lightly and watching in carefully in the coming weeks!

Horse play: The big horses are at the Tub Table in the Cloud Dough, but baby and kid horses were ready to come get a a bath and a drink at the watering hole (our water table).

Here are 3 questions to learn more about our day:

What did you eat for snack today?

In the morning we had Huge grapes and Honey bear cookies from Max H and Gus! In the afternoon we had a 6 H word snack from our Golden Letter friend Heath .Thank you, friends!

What did you say might be at the bottom of the hole?

After reading about Sam and Dave digging their own hole, we drew a huge hole and took turns sharing what we imagine could be at the bottom of the hole. We’ve got chicken nuggets, a huge school, a shiny ball, 2 hearts, 2 big diamonds, a hope diamond, a couple of dinosaurs, a monster truck, a shoe, Ms Kristin, Rain the preschooler, a toy crocodile, a golden car, cookies and milk, chocolate milk, a fire fighter vest and a fossil. Great ideas!

How many friends can go on the swing at once this week?

Four! We also allowed pushing each other on the swing this week. The children are used to the Swing Plans changing and they seemed to enjoy this more active swing experience.

Coping Skill of the Week: Hum

This week we are humming! By 2-4 months of age babies can begin making this sound. It’s a common self soothing technique in children and one we can benefit from too.

Breathe in through your nose, and then breathe out on a hum ‘hmmm’ with your lips closed. You should feel the vibration on your lips.

Stimulating the vagus nerve through the vibration that the humming sound creates in your throat, activates the parasympathetic nervous system.

Dirt in the pumpkin, holes becoming things, spilled cereal and humming : WEDNESDAY H WEEK

This week’s activities are all about holes, humming and the humans who do them. We played hard today!

H Week Activities

Here are some H things for the week you can look for in photos, conversations and backpacks!

Story Time: We have a couple of Story Time books this week from our local library: A Hole in the Road (Jakki Wood) and Sam & Dave Dig a Hole (Marc Barnett).

Hand Painting: we’re painting with our hands and on our hands to make handprints.

Holes for water play: we had funnel and tube holes for indoor water play this week.

Hole Making: We are digging holes in cloud dough, kinetic sand and outside all week. We are making holes with hole punchers too. We also made holes with tunnels, blocks, paper, pillows and blankets. Holly the H was there for a lot of it.

Turkeys: We continue to work on our turkey place settings for next week’s Favorite Food Pot Lucks. Today we could punch holes in the feathers! We are also continuing to pluck Turkey Rob’s feathers and replace them in different orders. He’s very agreeable.

Fingerplay: This was a favorite a few weeks ago and the children remember it well. It has so many H words!

Here are 3 questions to learn more about our day:

What did you eat for snack today?

In the morning we had a birthday celebration snack for Sophie with cucumbers, raspberries, puppy chow, cheese sticks and Mickey Mouse Goldfish. Thank you for the party snack, Sophie!

In the afternoon we had warm chocolate chip sourdough bread made by Jensen’s mama and leftover snack mix from Cade. Thank you, Jensen and Cade!

Can we touch the dirt in the pumpkin?

Not anymore. The dirt was fine to touch until it got in the pumpkin, Now we need to keep it as still as a garden for our seeds to sprout. We’re hoping to see some plants pop through the dirt someday!

Your children may be able to show you how to tickle the ground for the roots and then put both hands up straight overhead to be the plant. We opened our hands to make leaves today too.

What color hole stickers did you use?

We had hole reinforcement stickers for our Journals today. They are bright colors and when they were all over the page they looked a lot like spilled fruity cheerios. Some friends were very intentional with color and placement of their stickers, even if it looked random!

Coping Skill of the Week: Hum

This week we are humming! By 2-4 months of age babies can begin making this sound. It’s a common self soothing technique in children and one we can benefit from too.

Breathe in through your nose, and then breathe out on a hum ‘hmmm’ with your lips closed. You should feel the vibration on your lips.

Stimulating the vagus nerve through the vibration that the humming sound creates in your throat, activates the parasympathetic nervous system.

A hole in the pumpkin, punching without hurting and humming: TUESDAY H WEEK

This week’s activities are all about holes, humming and the humans who do them (and a whole lot of other things too).

H Week Activities

Here are some H things for the week you can look for in photos, conversations and backpacks!

Story Time: We have a couple of Story Time books this week both from our local library: A Hole in the Road (Jakki Wood) and Sam & Dave Dig a Hole (Marc Barnett).

Holes for water play: we had funnel and tube holes for indoor water play this week.

Hole Making: We are digging holes in cloud dough, kinetic sand and outside all week. We also need to dig holes for the fence posts for the horses who are hanging out in the Tub Table. In addition to digging holes, we also made holes with tunnels, blocks, paper, pillows and blankets. And today we all used hole punches!

We all worked with hole punches today – talk about a hand strengthening task!

Hand painting: we’ll turn brown handprints into turkeys for all interested kids (paint on hands is not something everyone enjoys)

Turkeys: We continue to work on our turkey place settings for next week’s Favorite Food Pot Lucks. See your email for details about that.

Fingerplay: This was a favorite a few weeks ago and the children remember it well. It has so many H words!

Holly the H: this Alphabet Friend’s name gives us a chance to notice O making 2 different sounds when we say her name and we notice the holes.

Here are 3 questions to learn more about our day:

What did you eat for snack today?

In the morning we had halved hard boiled eggs and two kinds of honey cereal from Ruthie. In the afternoon we had snack mix and yogurt from Cade. Thank you so much, friends!

During Snack Time our Golden Letter friend got his Golden Letter!

Why was there a hole in the pumpkin?

During Circle Time today we saw a big hole in the pumpkin. It was there so we could add dirt to it. With the seeds still in the pumpkin, we’re hoping to grow some pumpkin plants. We’ll be watering it lightly and watching in carefully in the coming weeks!

How do you think the hole got in the road?

We read about a hole in the road but the book never told how the hole got there. We have ideas of our own:

Coping Skill of the Week: Hum

This week we are humming! By 2-4 months of age babies can begin making this sound. It’s a common self soothing technique in children and one we can benefit from too.

Breathe in through your nose, and then breathe out on a hum ‘hmmm’ with your lips closed. You should feel the vibration on your lips.

Stimulating the vagus nerve through the vibration that the humming sound creates in your throat, activates the parasympathetic nervous system.