521 continued... Our NEW Hopper Balls

These pictures show how important it can be to have multiples of materials/toys. This is not only fun exercise, it also became a very social game. 

 Needless to say these children took very good naps today!

5210: Community Transformation Grant

http://www.letsgo.org/

We were very fortunate to receive an invite to participate in a Community Transformation Grant that promotes health and wellness in child care. The above image from the 5210 program is recommendations for a child's day. In my personal opinion, screen time for preschoolers should be much less, which is why we do not offer screen time here at preschool.

After completing  a self-assessment and setting some goals that would increase physical activity and help prevent obesity in children, we received a stipend for participating. This stipend was used to purchase materials that will help us meet our goals. The two goals that we decided to work on were serving family style meals and providing more variety of materials that would increase physical activity both indoors and outside.

Our first package arrived yesterday! It included dancing scarves, hopping spots and hopper balls.
Our second delivery should arrive next week which includes child-size Montessori style materials that will allow the children to serve themselves family style meals. (ie. tongs, pitchers, trays, glasses).

Let's GO!

JUMP!

Marching Marching.

Jumping

Throwing

Dancing.

Twirling.

Chaos.

More Twirling.

Rocking our babies to the slow songs.

And a rest.

More playscape photos

Fort of sticks that we built around a square of dirt.

Our new stumps

Fairy Doors

Rock is open for play!

Add caption

Friends Can...Build Together

Today we practiced building together. We focused on using the phrase, "WE are building a ____." and asking each other what "WE" were going to building TOGETHER.  Everyone was assigned to a partner that was not a usual playmate.  The partners moved through three different sets of blocks together. 

Some of the positive outcomes for today's activity:

1. They were encouraged to play with someone they were less used to.
2. They were exploring materials that they may not normally choose.
3. Working together and helping each other.
4. Communication to make decisions and problem solve.

MAGNA-TILES

They started off both building the same thing, separately.

I gave these two a mat to build on which made their working space smaller,
which resulted in more cooperation and language. They had an audience.

These two chanted at every station they went too,
"WE are buiding a tower, we are building a tower."

UNIT BLOCK

I did not suggest that they build on the table.
Thought it was interesting that they did.

These two continued the work of the other two. 

They had their own plan.

FOAM BLOCKS

Another example of a small building space to encourage
working together.

Into the Woods and Crocodile River

As you probably already know, we have been playing and working on our new Playscape. I am going to attempt to call it this, because it will not be a traditional playground. Although we may include a swingset or climber, most of the equipment and materials in this space will be more nature based.  I am hoping as it develops a little further and the children feel more ownership of the space, that they will help me pick the perfect name for our place of adventure. 

INTO THE WOODS

This weekend my husband was able to spend some time cutting down a few trees and clearing out some brush. We have a lot more work to do, but on Tuesday we made our first voyage down into the "woods"! (There is a house and yard just on the other side of these trees, but it feels like a forest to them)

We left this tree stump
attached to the ground.
 Not sure yet what its purpose will be.
 Potentially a table or seat. 

Unfortunately this small area may eventually be on
 the wrong side of the fence.
 :(

Moss is so magical. 

CROCODILE RIVER

This is how the river usually looks! 

This is how it looks after a heavy rain!

"Look at this walking stick"

After a trip into the woods.

Probably seemed like a good idea....

Not sure.

Fishing.

It started out as a Trout and the next thing you know its a SHARK!!!

His fishing pole is stripped piece of cedar bark. So cool!