Evergreen STEM Challenge

What a fun time we had with our latest challenge!

The children began creating in a very typical and safe way. They were building flat trees and playing with the playdough the way they know how.

I watched. I listened. Then I asked a question... "Do you think we can make the trees stand up?!?" Oh my, hold on cause here we go...

Check out some of the final products!

These kids know how to think outside the box!!

There is nothing more satisfying than watching young children approach a problem or challenge. They are not intimidated in the least and have amazing ideas!! We can all learn a thing or two from little people:)

Festival of Lights

Today the prekindergarten children had a visit from Mrs. Tooley... the 'Art-in-a-Suitcase' lady. She is an artist and historian who has traveled the world. She brought in her 'Festival of Lights' suitcase and shared a few Christmas customs from other countries.

The first country we learned about was Sweden. St. Lucia Day is celebrated there. The oldest daughter serves Lucia buns and wears a candle crown.

The boys are called star boys and wear cone hats and hold a star wand.

We moved on to Mexico  and learned about the celebration of Las Posadas. On the 9th night before Christmas, children get together after dark and 2 are the leaders of the procession. This symbolizes Mary and Joseph. Everyone holds a candle and walks down the street of their own neighborhood. They knock on the door of a house and reenact the story of Joseph and Mary looking for a room in Bethlehem. 'Any room at the inn?'  Each house says "no" until the last house and then they are let in. At the last house there is a pinata shaped like a star filled with treats for the children. They have this procession for each of the 9 nights before Christmas. 

There is a mountain town in New Mexico that lights up 5 miles of highway roads with luminaries on Christmas Eve symbolizing the candle procession of Las Posadas.  It takes the whole town to help with the lighting.

Next, we traveled to Israel and learned about Hanukkah which is celebrated around this time of year. It is known as the 'festival of lights' but is not the story of the birth of Jesus. 

A long time ago the light in the temple burned with oil. The Jewish people never let the light go out. One night, a bad army ruined the temple and put the light out. A brave Jewish man, named Judah the Macabee, took back the temple. The miracle happened when the tiny amount of oil that should have only lasted for 1 night, burned for 8 days without going out. Hanukkah is celebrated by lighting 8 candles on a menorah, one each night. Special foods are eaten in celebration... potato latkes... mmm!
Also, special games are played like dreidl.

Now, Mrs. Tooley told us we had to light up the darkness with our smiles:) We each drew a self-portrait with a big smile and then used a yellow oil pastel to show the shining light around our head. We framed these and will add sparkles to the frame to add even more glitz and shine. We will hang them in the hallway to light up our school during this season of light!

Be the light for others... share your smile:)

Fun with Environmental Print

Reading print from the world around us is one of the beginning stages of literacy development. It is the first print that a child learns to 'read' and this excites children and helps build confidence. 

The 4K children are becoming masters reading the environmental print we have in our room. Thank you to so many of you who have sent in packaging for us to use. We use this wall to 'spy' letters we know and practice writing them as well. Where do you start your letters? (At the top!")

We are in the process of creating an alphabet book using candy wrappers, so... if you happen to eat any candy, please send the wrappers in for us to use. Can we find at least one piece of candy beginning with each letter of the alphabet?!? Sounds like a good challenge.

The children have engaged with a variety of games utilizing environmental print. We play Bingo-type games 'reading' and matching the packaging to our game boards.

 Our poetry center has predictable text with a variety of different environmental print labels to insert at the end. The kids are becoming quite proficient.

The children are also practicing 'reading to a friend' as they 'read' our environmental print books; one has only labels to read and the other has a predictable text format with a variety of labels. 

A fun activity you can do at home with your child is to make an environmental print book using your child's favorite snack foods or cereals, or even favorite restaurant signs. You can find lots of good stuff to cut out in the Sunday ads:) Have fun listening to your child 'read' his/her homemade book.

Feasting with Friends

The children went down to music class while our muffins were baking and when they came back... POOF... a banquet table emerged!

Everyone was invited to the table and we thanked our friends who brought the beautiful snacks for us to share. 

Can you say festive?! Wow! So fun!!

First, we made a toast!

Then we feasted:)

Thank you, God for friends!

Let the games begin!!

Bring on the party centers:)

 'I am Thankful' turkey puppets!

'I Spy' Thanksgiving items.

Building our very own feast plate.

'Stuff the Turkey' tossing game.

Painting cornucopias.

What a fun morning!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!