The Wee Friends morning began with Emotion. After identifying the many different moods and emotions swirling around our classroom, we all sat down to read My Many Colored Days by Dr. Suess. The book matches an emotion with a color. We acted out the different emotions and then played a game in which one friend pulled an emotional mask out of an imaginary bag and put it on their face. Other friends named the emotion and put that mask on (happy, sad, very sad!, angry etc…) too. Afterwards, we went to the art table to create Emotional Masks. Each friend chose the color they identified with and decorated their mask with markers.

Enter the sticks. Our friends LOVE sticks and truthfully, there are endless conversations about stick safety: when we can use sticks and when we can’t: how we can use sticks and how we can’t. We know that sticks are one of nature’s jewels and we also know that sticks can be used in an unsafe way. So. We began by offering each friend a stick on which to tape their mask.

Then, Lisa invited friends to the oval rug for Emotional Mask/Stick Improv! A fairy tale emerged in which forlorn princesses fainted. Lisa guided friends to discover a solution. Friends used their masks as wands, fans and fairy dust sprinklers.

Finally, we poured a huge bag of sticks on the kitchen floor and waited. Kai identified large/small, thick/thin sticks and used his strong muscles to try and snap them. Ada chose small sticks and pulled brittle limbs off. Arleigh stoked a fire with her stick. Marta played drums.

Finn joined our work and exclaimed “Let’s build a fire!”

Stephen played the guitar.

Arleigh searched for something to use as a marshmallow! She found it!

Lisa showed us how to blow out the fire when our marshmallow is done roasting.

Stephen found a container and was the leader on gathering the sticks and putting them away for next time.

He and Finn dragged the bin out to the back porch where our stick bin will be stored.

And Arleigh brought her marshmallows.

Success with Sticks. Satisfaction.

Our Wee Sprouts today are cucumber slices. For breakfast Melinda served whole wheat English Muffins with butter/cinnamon and bananas. For lunch, Lisa has prepared farm fresh scrambled eggs with ham and cheese, carrots and apples.

Enjoy your day.