1-5 Farm unit

We had a wonderful day today. We started a new unit - Farm!  I worked hard over break to turn our room into a farmyard wonderland and I'm thrilled with how it turned out.  I think the kids were too.  :)

During story and song time I introduced the new theme and we talked about what makes a farm, farm animals and their sounds, sang songs about farmers and learned the letter "F."  Then the kids made a picture of their own farms with stickers.  So cute!

They decided where they'd put the barn, tractor, etc.  

After the craft we went up to the classroom for centers.  It was so much fun to see their happy faces when they saw the room.  Made all the work worth it.  😀

This is Bessie, our class cow.  The kids got a kick out of "milking" her.  It's just a sergical glove.  😂

In our sensory area we have a little fake garden for them to dig and arrange vegetables in.  

This is our farmers market.  They can buy and sell vegetables here.  

This is the barnyard.  I made plush animals for them to care for.  

They can hunt for eggs under the hens and then sell them at the farmers market.  

During individual instruction I pulled out some farm themed file folder games.  

This is a fun sensory center.  The children have to match the smells.  - essential oils.  

Center time is fun!

Snack time!  Thank-you to all of you for sending snack.  Whenever it is someone's turn they are always so excited to share.

We played with playdough.  Again, cutting the dough with scissors is good pre-cutting practice. 

All in all, a wonderful day.  

Christmas Party 12-17

I didn't get nearly as many pictures as I would have liked but there was just too much going on.  We had such a lovely day together.  Perfect way to send them off for Christmas.  After circle time we came over to the kitchen and made sugar cookies to share with our moms when they came.  

 The children did everything.  They rolled the dough, cut the cookies out, and placed them on the baking sheets.  They are getting really good at taking turns. 

 After centers we came downstairs for our elf supper.  It was so sweet.  The kids really loved it.  We have a tradition in our family to have a special dinner to celebrate that the elves have finished their work and can now rest. I decided it would be really fun to share this tradition with them and they loved it.  I found these tiny cups - just right!

 The children were so excited to see the table all set with their elf feast.

 Thank-you so much to everyone for donating the treats.  The children felt very special.

 After everything was cleaned up and we were ready for our moms to come, we made a special ornament.

I hope you enjoyed our little Christmas presentation.  The kids were so excited to sing for you.  I can see clearly that each of them is loved and cherished very much.  Merry Christmas!

12-10: Christmas Unit

C is for Candy Cane!  We had a great day!  We started our day outside as usual for some playtime.  I love how the leaves are changing on the trees.  I wish that had happened last month for our Autumn theme.  Oh well.

 After circle time and story time we headed over to the table to make C shaped Candy Cane Cookies!  So fun!  The children added the ingredients, mixed it up, and rolled the cookie shapes on their C mats.  I am so proud of them!

 We added butter, water, and vanilla to the red and then the white mixes.  They worked in pairs and did very well at taking turns stirring.

 The dough becomes a lot like playdough so the children rolled out a piece of each color like a snake, then twisted it together and then shaped it like a C.  They followed each step so well.

 After we made our cookies we went upstairs for centers.  I am always so happy to see them enjoying themselves and learning in the process.  I have mentioned this in an earlier post but I felt it again today.  I play soft lullabies while the children do center time and with the sound of the water from the fish tank, it really is a peaceful time.  I love it.

 In individual learning the children did a do-a-dot of a candy cane.  They had to put a dot only on the lower case c's.

 My husband and I made this plinko board and the kids are having fun with it.  I love putting out a few new things each month.  It really helps to keep their interest.  I change out the books each month also to follow the theme.

 Our classroom is decorated for the season.  There is our Santa!

 After centers we went down to sample our candy cane c cookies.  The kids thought they were great!

 It was such a beautiful day outside, we decided to do some of our work in the back yard.  I was impressed at their level of concentration when it was so tempting to run and play.  What great kiddos!

Christmas elf party!

On December 17th our class with have an elf supper.  I do this every year with my children and their friends and I'm so excited to share it with your little ones.  Our elf supper is a celebration that the elves throw because their work is complete.  I have a little poem that I read to the children, we will make crafts, and eat together.
Please send an elf-sized food item to share.
Also: Please come to pick up your child at 10:45 on December 17th.  The children have prepared a few songs to sing to you.
Thanks!!!