Getting Creative with Winter.

Our mountain has been very slippery for climbing and too hard for sliding down. It was starting to be common to find children just lounging and eating dirty snow. They need to be moving their bodies for the short period of time we get out each day!

 So on Wednesday I took action. Time for some new equipment.

I grabbed my metal spade and chiseled out some holes to create five "ladders," so they could climb up easier. The holes were very small and barely big enough for the toes of their boots.

 I was impressed with their coordination and climbing skills. Soon they had created up-ladders and down-ladders and were crawling all over the mountain again. 

No worries, winter was brand new again for preschool after receiving over a foot of fresh snow the next day. 

This post is linked up with The Outdoor Play Party.

 To check out some other outdoor fun click on the link below. 

Just Playing: Pompoms and Pails

Two sensory tables were set up very close to one another. One was filled with soft circles and pompoms. The other has tiny wooden flower pots. Four tin pails were also included in the area.

Do you see any learning taking place here?

Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

This post is part of the "Just Playing?" Blog Hop!

If you are looking for more of our “Just Playing?” posts and resources from around the globe, please visit our Pinterest Board.

Are you a blogger? Would you like to join the JUST PLAYING? blog hop community?

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or please contact Amy from Child Central Station for more information.

Mexico!!

For the month of March we are focusing on Mexico and the Spanish language. 

During last week's drama day the theme agreed upon was travel and airplanes. The purpose of drama day is for the group to make a plan together. The teacher is not usually involved once the plan has been made. The preschoolers usually stay engaged with their game/scenario for about 45-60 minutes. 

The pilot hard at work.
(By the way, I was told this airplane is so big that it has a kitchen)

Drawing a map of the route.

Packing bags.

Did you know there are treasure collecting cowboys in Mexico?

Eating lunch during the flight.

Studying the map.

We also received three postcards from a new friend named José last week. He told us that he was traveling to our preschool from Mexico to teach us some Spanish. 

He gave us a few hints about himself. He said that he was shy and sometimes curls up into a ball....  

In his postcards he taught us to say "Hola, adios and amigos," which means hello, goodbye and friends.

Our postcards

When he arrived on Friday, some of us were very surprised to find out that José was actually an armadillo!

We all introduced ourselves with some Spanish. José is very shy and will only whisper in the teachers ears. He taught us to say "Me llamo (insert name)," which is another way to introduce yourself in Spanish. 

We also learned to ask "How are you?" or "Como estas?"

José told the children he was very tired from his long journey and one child suggested that he needed a bed.

José sleeping off his jet lag.

Over the next few weeks we will be exploring Mexican culture. We will be learning Spanish words for food, colors, clothes and general conversion words. Towards the end of the month we will "travel" to Mexico to return José to his home.