Nature Walk

Last week we were able to take advantage of the great weather and head outside after breakfast for a nature walk.  Our mission was to gather natural materials for a collage - we also wanted to see if we could spot any of the baby ducks that have recently hatched!  

We gave each child a bag to carry any items they found on the ground that hadn't been planted.  They chose mainly dandelions, grass, leaves, seed pods, small flowers in the grass, sticks, duck feathers, and walnut shells.  

Everyone enjoyed taking a peek in the large hole in this tree.

We observed insects and watched a red winged black bird in the marshy area at the corner of Medical Campus drive and Elmwood.

 The kids really enjoyed exploring the new trail and bridges along Kids Creek in front of the visitor's parking lot.

After collecting a bag full of items, the children brought them back to the classroom to create collages.  In addition to gluing on the items they found, they also used textured paint.  We added dirt to brown paint and grass to green paint in keeping with our nature theme.

Following are a couple of the awesome collages!  Some children chose to only add the items they collected, while others mixed the paint and their found "treasures".

We all loved being able to spend out morning outside.  Sometimes a change of pace is just what we all need!  We are looking forward to many more outdoor adventures this summer!

**We didn't spot any ducklings but we will keep watching for them!

All About Seeds

For the past couple of weeks we have been getting our hands dirty studying seeds and gardening.  The arrival of spring and the appearance of flowers around us has had many of the kids talking about planting flowers and vegetables so I thought we would incorporate this interest into our classroom.  We started by reading The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle and then exploring many varieties of seeds.  We looked at several vegetable and fruit seeds and then tried to guess what they would grow and match them to their packets.  We spent the rest of the morning sorting and mixing them.

We added bean seeds and soil to the sensory table to pretend plant.

A few days later they sprouted!  

We planted the bean seeds and they are currently growing on our windowsill.

After exploring the seeds we began with they were all mixed together so we added playdough to them.

The kids had a great time with this activity and created some impressive things!

We also spent some time with The Carrot Seed.  In addition to reading it several times, discussing it and retelling the story, we did carrot themed activities for a week.

The children cut and balanced (lightly) cooked carrots.

We planted carrot seeds after graphing our guess as to how carrots grow.  We learned through pictures that carrots grow underground so we planted these seeds in clear containers in hopes of seeing the carrot form.  These are also growing in our windowsill!

The kids painted hand print carrots and still life carrots (not pictured - I forgot to snap a few photos before sending them home!).

They also painted with carrots.

We introduced a "Hide the Carrot" game at circle time in which a seed is hidden behind a numbered carrot.  Children take turns asking to look under a number.  They enjoyed playing this game themselves too!

We talked about the parts of a flower and then the kids used foam parts, seeds and yarn to recreate.  The child who did this also made a sun and added seed "rain drops."

A fantastic flower garden!

Pipe cleaner and tissue paper flowers provided some additional small motor practice.

While planting carrot seeds, another child was playing in the coffee bean and flower sensory bin.  This little boy wanted to try planting a coffee bean to see if it would grow.  It is also in our windowsill but, as you can probably guess, nothing has happened!

The kids and I have had a great time with this study.  I'm thinking a few more gardening activities might show up in the next couple of weeks!

New Friend!

We've recently had a new addition to our classroom!  Say hello to Alvin the dwarf hamster!

Alvin lives in our science area.  He's a little shy (and a lot nocturnal) so when we want to play with him, we need to dig him out of is bedding.  The kids really enjoy stopping by his cage throughout the day to search for a glimpse of him.  They have also been helping to clean Alvin's cage an like to drop in a carrot or piece of celery for him to nibble.

So far, Alvin likes running on his wheel and is starting to get the hang of his ball.  We put him in the ball and once the kid's excitement dies down, he has some room to roll around the room.  We usually find him under a table or the bathroom sink!

Alvin has proven to be very gentle but he is a very good jumper!  Feel free to search his cage with your child for a peek!

  

Small Group Time

Over the past few weeks we have started a more regular schedule of small group time.  I usually plan two to three activities and break the kids into two or three small groups.  Everyone works for ten to fifteen minutes on a specific task.  One group works with me, one group works in their journals, and if Ms. Carrie is with us, she works with a third group.  Over the years I have tried several different approaches to small groups and this seems to be working out the best.  The children aren't interrupted during their self directed activities and they aren't distracted by the play of others in the classroom.  I'm happy to say that many kids ask throughout the morning when small group time is!

We matched letters while talking about their characteristics and sounds.

We sorted and counted items and then chose the correct corresponding numbers.

We measured items with legos.

We worked together using wooden blocks to fill a shape.

In our journals we have worked on tracing and writing our names.  We use stickers, stamps, markers. crayons and pencils.  

As part of our seed study I glued a seed to a journal page and the children drew what their seed grew.  They either dictated what they wanted to write about their drawing or wrote the words with help from a teacher.

The following are samples from some of the children's journals.

Please feel free to check out your child's journal at any time.  We will be sending them home when your child moves on to the Prairie Room!