Happy Valentine's Day

The kids have been working hard at home over the last couple weeks to write out their valentine cards for their friends. We have also been creating mailboxes at preschool.

 I am always impressed with the amount of genuine manners and kindness that spreads around the circle as they are opening each note. 

Special of the Day: Messy Hand Day

We have been doing our Daily Specials for a couple months now and the preschoolers continue to enjoy them all.  Today I let the birthday boy decide which kind of day we should have. He chose messy hand day with clay. Some of the other kids suggested play dough instead and so I offered to take out both. The divide between the two tables was too extreme not to document, but both were full of social interaction and imaginative conversations.  Both groups stayed engaged at their tables for about 45 minutes.

At the play dough table the children were involved in a chain of play scenarios. At first they used heart cookie cutters of  multiple sizes to create their families. Slowly they starting creating families out of other things (balls and snakes).  Lots of dialogue and squishing, molding and rolling. 

Words were exchanged.

At the other table, we found the clay had dried out a bit. I gave the interested kids the bowl full of clay and added water. I told them they would have to get it wet to soften it up.  

They started out with exploration of the slippery clay.

 

Then it turned into a full body experience. At which point I had to take a deep breath and focus on all the things they were learning, especially the friendship that seems to be forming.  The dialogue was so creative and rich that it was fairly easy to take a step back and not think about the clean up process.

Leaving a slippery trail. Slippery trail. Leaving a slippery trail.

Adding more water.

To read more about some other Daily Specials: 

Special of the Day: Drawing Lessons

Drama Day: The Magic Kingdom

Project 365: Catching up.

It has been very busy at preschool with the arrival of our new practicum and intern students from the local university. I have kept up with taking daily pictures of our outdoor play, but got behind on sharing them on the blog. There were several days throughout these photos that we were unable to make it outside due to very low temperatures and wind chills. I always keep a few extra pictures set aside to use on those days and for the weekends.  Enjoy!

Day 21: Collecting Fairy Wands.

Day 22: Sledding Backwards.

Day 23: Tire Jumping

Day 24: Stuck inside again. Clear the room and Dance!

Day 25: This sound.

Day 26: Sun and shadows.

Day 27: I is for Ice

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Day 28: Running for five and back inside. Colder than it looked!

Day 29: Investigating.

Day 30: There is something wrong with the engine.

Day 31: Ice Jail.

Learning the Alphabet Backwards.

For the last couple weeks, we have been focusing on the alphabet. We started on the first day with Z, Y, X. I have found that kids find it more interesting and are paying better attention to the letters out of the expected order. 

Before we even started talking about the letters, I explained that letters are made out of curves and lines (horizontal, vertical, and diagonal). They have really enjoyed practicing and using the big vocabulary. The first five letters we learned were made up of only lines, which makes them easy to practice writing.  We do a lot of letter practice during circle time. We practice drawing the letters in the air with our fingers. We use the dry erase board. We check to see who has the daily letters in their name.  We are also working on their own alphabet books to take home when we reach the beginning of the alphabet. There are lots of other letters laying around the classroom. They are pointing out letters everywhere and of course diagonal lines!

Pages from one alphabet book. The choose what they want to draw that represents each letter. 

Thanks to our librarian, we have a wide range of alphabet books to look through right now. 

The box in the next two pictures was inspired by Happy Hooligan's post about their Cardboard Drop-Box . I have been wanting to make one for quite some time. I was excited when I had the thought to do an alphabet themed box. They love playing with it.

 


We usually use natural clay or homemade play dough in the classroom. For Christmas I received a few boxes of "Modeling Clay" or "Plasticine." This is a new medium for us and has been very popular. One of the first days it was out they were very interested in making letters. I helped them look closely and see what letters they should make if they wanted to create the whole alphabet.  Some of them also practiced creating their names.

Other fun around the classroom.

Upwords has proved to be a fun toy  for the preschoolers. We have two sets of the game and they use it on a regular basis. 

Drama Day: The Kingdom

Monday's Special of the Day was Drama, with a new twist. At circle time, I asked the kids to think of what kind of place or story they could pretend. I gave them a few examples and they decided on a Magic Kingdom. We talked about what kind of characters they might pretend to be or see there. Some of their ideas were: Knight, Princess, Horse, Dragon, Wizard, Witch, King, Queen, Chef etc... Oh and lizard. 

Me: A lizard?
Child: Well, a magical lizard, that can talk.

The conversation continued to moats, drawbridges and "why did they have knights if they had drawbridges and moats to protect them?"

We also talked about what kind of things and people you probably would NOT see: astronauts, dinosaurs, motorcycles, bicycles and teachers. 

Me: I don't know. Do you think that there would be teachers in a castle?
Most of them: Noooo!....
Me: Are you sure?
Child: Yes, to teach the princesses and knights!

So after we finished our conversation they set off to their kingdom. I reminded them that Drama Day was a day to work together and talk with their friends to make a plan. 

While most played in one large group together, there was a couple that were paired up on the other side of the room (in the stable). Both groups did intermingle after a few minutes of play.

The kids' favorite part of Drama Day is that they are allowed to use to whole classroom for dramatic play and not just the dress up area.  

The majority of the group stayed with the game for over 45 minutes. At that point a few chose to join me at the art table, while the rest continued playing for at least another 30 minutes. They stayed within the same story line the entire time. I did not get involved in the play, but stood back, snapped photos and recorded some of their dialogue that I was able to hear. 

What struck me the most when looking at the photos was how few props, costumes and toys they were using in their play. 

The baby queen receiving medical attention.

"Quick! We have to protect the castle."

"We have to put leaves and branches over the moat. 

They will step on it and fall in the water."

"There is 58 dragons and 58 bad guys!"

"There is 100 dragons and 100 bad guys!"

"There is a million dragons and a million bad guys!"

A Princess.

"Close the gate!"

The Stable: Home of the horse and talking lizard.

The potions the dragon drinks to change its fire.

A Red Dragon.