Sensory exploration

The last few mornings while playing in the sand pit the children worked together to dig a ditch. Using their strong muscles they dug out loads of sand. 

Once the ditch was finished they jumped in testing the depth of the ditch deciding it was deep enough.

Using teamwork the children would give their friend a hand out of the hole.

As the play continued the children added boards to make bridges to walk across and to perfect their balancing skills.

Some children added water to the ditch creating a new sensory play. They began to create with the wet sand.

The play continued taking on a different direction of making rivers for the water to flow through.

  As the week continues it will be interesting to see where the play goes.

Written by Mrs. Balharry 🙋🏻

The baby bunny🐰

This morning a little furry friend came for a visit. All the children gathered to see it was a baby bunny!!!! 

The bunny hopped out from underneath the deck and ran along the wood chips.It was the size a child's palm.  As the children spectated, us teachers gave some important rules to our friends watching

1.Use quite voices. We do not want to scare the bunny.

2. Sit and watch. By sitting we can truly observe the bunny.

3. Listen.  We can discover and learn any sounds the bunny makes. 

 These rules helps the children respect animals in nature. Build on listening and patience skills. This observation helps children experience nature first hand making memorable moments

Written By: Miss Santillan 🙋🏻

My buddy🐛

Well although the tent worm caterpillars may not have been a hit with the adults, they sure have been a hit with the children this spring. There has been so much learning taking place around the caterpillars. Children talking about where they live, what they eat, how big they grow, and how they cling to things. The children have even made personal collections of the caterpillars giving them names and making homes for them. And a few have even snuck the little critters home in their pockets. Nothing like a surprise for moms and dads. One of our children searches each day for some caterpillars. Once he's found a few he starts placing them on his hat.

 He then returns to play checking every few minutes to make sure that all his caterpillars are accounted for.

Yup they're all there.

He then puts his hat back on making sure not to lose any caterpillars.

Knowing how much he likes caterpillars his peer joins him in his search for more. They notice one crawling in the rock and add it to the collection. The two share the fun of trying to find more. This turns out to be a peaceful way of spending the morning.

Written by Mrs. Balharry 🙋🏻

Shadow Puppets

Today during nap time some of the older children were quietly looking at books. It was dark in the nap room so Miss Santillan got a flash light and propped it up to give them light. They looked at books for a few minutes, then one child noticed the flash light was projecting light onto the cupboard doors. She stood up and started waving her hands around in front of the light. When she did that she saw the shadow of her hands on the cupboard doors. Then she swayed her body back and forth watching her every move magnified on the door. Then she decided to try and make puppets with her hand. She held up 2 fingers and move her hand up and down like a bunny hopping. She continued for several minutes trying different things with her hands and body. 

This play experience builds on children's creativity through experimenting. Building confidence by expressing themselves freely through movement and natural curiosity about light and shadow.

Questions to ask to expand on children's learning and thinking. 

"Do you think the shape of the shadow can change?"

"How can you make a shadow?"

"How can you make your shadow longer?"

Written by: Mrs. Zilkie 🙋🏼

Speed Stacks

This morning one of our children saw something interesting that he wanted to try. It was a game called Speed Stacks. He quickly got to work gathering all the cups and making a plan for how to stack them! It started with a couple smaller stacks but that wasn't enough, he wanted a bigger challenge so he began to add all the small stacks into one tall stack of cups. One by one the cups went up, some fell down and the stack even tipped over once but that didn't stop the fun - it only made the challenge more interesting. So he kept picking the cups up and laughing the whole time until all the cups were in one big stack. Then he cheered and said "look at, it's mine, I made it!" With perseverance and joy he knew if he kept trying he could get all the cups stacked up just how he wanted them!

Written by Mr.Reimer

Flex's outdoor week

       

Well today concludes the end to our first outdoor week. We just wanted to give our families a big thank you. You were all so prepared for this week which helped in making things run smoothly. Taking part in these outdoor weeks gives the children such a different opportunity for play. Peers who some times do not spend a lot of time together begin to build friendships. Quieter children come out of their shell and become more adventurous. Best of all children learn to slow down and take notice their environment around them. 

Written by Mrs. Balharry 🙋🏻🌿

Two Boys and a Baby

Our outdoor week has given some of the boys a new experience. After lunch on the deck the boys discovered the baby and diapers.

These two boys are tending to their baby. As the boys play they try and figure out how to put on the diaper. They try different ways backward, upside down,and right side up. They even tried to place the diaper on the baby head.

" our baby is poopie".     "You need to to change him..... I have the diaper."    

  

"I can do it."                       "Our baby is a boy!"   

The boys wouldnt usually be attracted to this play experience inside because there are too many toys to distract them. On the deck there was only a few activities so the boys had no choice. These babies broaden  their play and encourages different development skills.

Written by Miss. Santillan 🙋🏻

Outdoor Week (day #2)

Day 2 in our outdoor classroom: 

The children started there day outside exploring nature. Some went caterpillar hunting, while others dug in the sand box. 

 

Below are some pictures to show what we have been up too:

    "I'm going to mix in the flour for our muffins"

We enjoyed our lunch on the deck

The children enjoyed being free with nature and the outdoors. They used their imaginations to extend their play. Some children thought it was pretty cool we had a "sleep over outside". 

I'm sure by the end of the week the children will be exhausted from all the play and fresh air. 

Written by: Mrs. Zilkie🙋🏼