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.

Cooperation Island Game

This was a game that I found on Cooperative Games for Preschoolers. Until I had read this article, it had never occurred to me that games like musical chairs could easily be about sharing versus competing. In the past I have played musical chairs with enough chairs for everyone, but it always seemed a bit boring. 

We started with three "islands" and 8 preschoolers. They were able to dance around to the music, but when it stopped they all had to get onto the islands. 

I reminded them that because we are working as a team it is was important to make room and encourage their friends to climb in with them. They also needed to help their friends stay in the ring, because it was going to be crowded. 

I was so amazed and impressed with their ability to hold on to and take care of each other. It really was heart-warming to watch their smiles and hear their communication.

I noticed that they hurried to get into the rings with the children that they trusted the most and had the closest relationships with, but were not excluding others.

The bigger kids had no problem encouraging the littler friends who were more unsteady and needed a hand to climb in.  

Eventually after a few rounds of dancing and island crowding, I increased the challenge to two islands and 8 preschoolers. 

They simply amazed me how well they were able to work together and help each other. 

Plus, who doesn't love a group hug! 

Back to school

Watching for the school bus to bring back our friends. 

It's that time of year. All the big kids have gone off to the "big school."  Time to get back into the preschool routine and work on our new community. This month we are focusing on 

Community:Working Together and Helping Each Other

We are preschoolers!

Team work. 

We have had a lot of conversations about what it means to be a group. Wolves have packs. Birds have flocks. People have families, teams, groups, communities, schools, tribes and more. 

They were so proud. They built two houses and hooked them together into one. 

We have been chanting and clapping. "Working together, helping each other. Commm-muun-ity" Ask your child and I am sure they can sing it for you. This is a chant created by my former co-teacher Ms. Sidel. I'm hoping to include a video before the month is over.

A new set of tracks arrived and everybody wanted to play at the same time. They did a great job working together. 

We have been reading lots of books about friendship. We have also been noticing even in books that are not about friendship there is a lot of teamwork and helping. 

Working together on one tower.

We have also been talking a lot about how our group is made up of a leader, elders and youngsters. 

Everybody has a part in making the community work!

This tube was a donation from a family! Thank you. This was a great project for
working together and helping each other.