"Hands on" Learning

This week, following a child's request, we have started researching BONES. I couldn't decide if it was appropriate or cutesy to be focusing on skeletons for the two weeks before Halloween, but I'm guessing the interest stemmed from some of the skeleton reading material that has been around the classroom.

At circle time we read a couple books about bones and the importance of the skeletal system. We learned that the hands has 27 bones in all. 

It sure is easy to find skeletons this time of year. The kids enjoyed comparing it to the book.

I filled a rubber glove full of water to show the kids what a hand would feel like without bones. A similar activity can be found here. We used the hand to try and hold a book or a marker, but it wouldn't work.

I saw an x-ray handprint activity on pinterest from this blog and expanded the activity from there. I painted the bones on their right hands and we stamped them onto paper. While I painted we counted the finger bones (One, two, three annnnd a long one to the wrist). I then traced their left hands for them and they drew the bones on with a marker while counting (one, two, three annnnd a long one to the wrist). 

I can't wait to see where our research takes us next week. 

October

This Month we will be focusing on Autumn/Fall. We have already been very busy doing art and math projects around the classroom. We have been reading bunches of Fall books and learning Some new songs too. 

Cork Painting : Fall Trees

Sorting, patterns and counting

Our Autumn Gnome Playscape

Gluing leaves

Sunflower Seed "soup"

Taste testing apples and making a chart.

More matching and counting.

First week of Fall

We went for a walk to look for all the signs of Fall.

The new bird toys were a big hit.

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We had an owl drawing lesson.

We made pumpkin soup. (two out of six kids ate it)

International Fairy Tea Party: September 20, 2013

I feel so blessed to be connected with so many educators and play advocates worldwide. I have nothing but Facebook to thank for it. Recently two inspiring forces came together to create a new play holiday around the world. As a lover of all things wild and magical I knew I could not pass this up.

Here is their story:

A quote from the International Fairy Tea Party Facebook Page

Once upon a time...Interaction Imagination and Fafu had an Idea. After seeing an old shoe beautifully made into a fairy house they started thinking. And you all can guess what their idea was can't you...let's make our own Fairy houses!!! But they then decided that wasn't enough, so International Fairy Tea Party was born. 
Their idea was to get as many children from all around the world to have their own parties, with houses for Fairies, decide what they would eat(the fairies) and so many other things...a day of all things Fairy. They had to then decide on a day...20th September(not long now) the Equinox. We have got so many countries, and so many children involved already....but we want more!!! You still have time to join this fun filled day, let us know what country you're from and we will put in on the map which will be posted here on the 13th(this coming friday) Please get the children involved and make the International Fairy Tea Party the biggest Fairy day....EVER......J & S

Here is our story: 

We didn't do much planning or prepping for the event. On Friday morning I told the children all about the special day and how many children all over the world would be celebrating. I asked them if we should prepare a tea party FOR the fairies or if we should pretend we were fairies and have our own tea party. I got a VERY enthusiastic "BOTH!"

We gathered up our newly arrived sunflowers and headed to the woods!

A couple children went to work building this fairy house and gathering food for the fairies' tea party. When they checked back later they were pretty sure that they had seen some real fairies flutter out, that were gathering nectar from the sunflower. 

If You See A Faery Ring

~ William Shakespeare

If you see a faery ring

In a field of grass,

Very lightly step around,

Tip-toe as you pass,

Last night faeries frolicked there

And they're sleeping somewhere near.

If you see a tiny faery,

Lying fast asleep

Shut your eyes

And run away,

Do not stay to peek!

Do not tell

Or you'll break a faery spell.

Then we went to work creating our jumbo-sized fairy house.

The fairies went off to play.

A little child, a limber elf,

Singing, dancing to itself,

A fairy thing with red round cheeeks,

That always finds and never seeks...

-Samuel Taylor Coleridge

The Little People

Dilys Evans

Just because

You can't see me--

Doesn't mean that I'm not there!

Actually I'm right beside you. 

Faery folk

Are everywhere...

This photo above may be one of my favorites. I used my zoom so I have no idea what was going on, but the look of amazement on their faces is priceless. Maybe they saw a fairy.

Fairy Picnic Lunch:

Peanut/Almond Butter and Jam Sandwiches

Carrots, Tomatoes, Green Peppers

Fig Newtons

The Pack

Most of my preschoolers have been here for at least a year with the exception of a couple new friends. This group has never expressed a lot of talk of "best friends," and I have always wondered why that was. I worried that they were not bonding and clicking with each other the way that other groups in the past had. 

Fall is full of changes.

Over the last month some children's schedules changed. 

We said good-bye to a couple friends and hello to a couple more.

 We have talked a lot about being a community 

and what that means. 

Working together and helping each other.

Suddenly in the last week I've noticed....

Practically inseparable.

All Together.