Today we spent time playing in the gross motor area…

Enjoyed some fresh air while keeping cool in the shade…

Stacked stackers (and also discovered they make great hats)…

And worked together to make a tall tower!

Breakfast was Whole Grain Cheerios and blueberries. Wee sprout was corn. Lunch consisted of whole wheat tortilla with refried beans and cheese, strawberries, and corn. Afternoon snack was fruit smoothie popsicles and crackers with cream cheese.

Link to photos: https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtTCDmdhjIuliJ8NZtzNhZNBGNfwtQ

Have a good night!

Amanda

This morning was a gymnastics day in the habitrail.  A group of friends built a balance beam with the large plastic blocks. Many friends tried it out walking across it or even getting down on one knee to show off their balancing skills. The trapeze bar was a big hit as well as the children practiced hanging up side down and flipping over.

Friends enjoyed a good book either from having it read to them by a teacher or looking at it themselves.

The art table and workbench were popular places where children worked on their creative creations.

We then headed outside to enjoy a shorter than normal outside time due to the heat.

Breakfast: Whole grain Cheerios and kiwi/strawberries.

Lunch: Refried beans and cheese on whole wheat tortillas, plums and cherry tomatoes.

Afternoon Snack: Homemade Strawberry/Banana/Yogurt Smoothie Popsicles and mozzarella string cheese.

Wee Sprouts: Snap peas.

Have a great night!

Rebekah

Link to pictures:  https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtTCDmdhjIuliJ4342QKPixECDMawg

Good Afternoon!

**Please clear out your child’s ART cubbie at pickup. Thank you!

In large group, we read ‘Three Cheers for Tacky’. For a couple weeks this summer, we’re welcoming back some of our Wee Friends alumni! They were filled in on our love for Tacky the Penguin.

After we read the story, we came up with a list of things we see on a map, which we’ll be talking about this week. We came up with several items and Elliott explained some of his answers including continents vs. countries.

The art area was busy this morning as Elliott taught some of his friends how to do origami.

We planned a water day for today! Our older friends helped Miss Melinda set up before we all headed out.

There were various water activities that friends could engage in depending on their comfortability level with water.

ARTICLE ABOUT BENEFITS OF WATER PLAY IN THE EARLY LIFE:

http://ideastations.org/science-matters/ideas-parents/water-play-and-your-childs-growing-brain

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The water table was put together which included funnels and hoses. Most of our younger friends played at the water table for most of the morning!

A circular sprinkler was put out at the bottom of the yard. Franklin and Anna were the first ones to run through it, making frequent stops to get wet. It was also a good place for friends to clean dirt off of their bodies from the sand box.

Enter: sand box. Buckets, hose, and shovels were put at the top of the sand box to use. “Look! I’m taking sand and water and making mud!” It was QUITE the sensory experience.

Breakfast– Whole wheat toast with butter and PPC grapes.

Lunch– Whole wheat pasta with chicken, oranges, and cauliflower.

PM snack– Whole milk yogurt with strawberries.

Wee Sprouts– Carrots.

Have a great night!

-Mindy

Link to pictures: WF 6/12

Water play is just what we needed on this hot day!

Breakfast was whole wheat toast with sweat pea butter and blueberries. Lunch consisted of whole wheat pasta with chicken, corn, and grapes. Afternoon snack was organic whole milk yogurt and strawberries.

Link to photos: https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtTCDmdhjIuliJxy_UOUQMOQRtHnEw

Have a good night!

Amanda

Good Afternoon!

**As a reminder, please make sure your child has a swim suit here on Monday since we will most likely do water play at least one day next week. Thanks!

Today is Tate’s last day at Wee Friends. We’ve so enjoyed watching Tate grow these last four years, forming bonds with various friends. We’re going to miss seeing you everyday along with your family. Stay in touch, Sampson family!

Our Friday was full of hands on activities including:

Building with wooden blocks.

Reading a story with Miss Kaylee (it’s her last day too! ) and constructing a map of the inside environment at Wee Friends.

AND enjoying a beautiful morning full of baby dolls and bug hunting.

We hope you have a terrific weekend.

Breakfast– Rice cakes with no nut butter and blueberries.

Lunch– Homemade egg salad on whole wheat tortilla, banana, and cucumbers.

PM snack– Cheese and grapes.

Wee Sprout– Peppers.

-Mindy

Link to pictures: WF 6/9

Please bring in a bathing suit for water day next week!

Enjoy the pictures and have a wonderful weekend!

Breakfast was Kix and strawberries. Wee sprout was peas. Lunch consisted of egg salad, whole wheat tortilla, strawberries, and peas. Afternoon snack was pretzels and blueberries.

Link to photos: https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtTCDmdhjIuliJtWYcq36RG2LYX0CQ

Have a good night!

Amanda

We started our day jumping on the trampoline…

Moved into the kitchen and created cool things like worms and airplanes out of playdough…

Afterwards we went outside and explored nature with goggles, magnifiers, and bug containers…

And after nap, friends read books to Daniel!

Breakfast was Kix and strawberries. Wee sprout was mixed veggies. Lunch consisted of whole grain brown rice with cheese, banana, and mixed veggies. Afternoon snack was wheat crackers with sweet pea butter.

Link to photos: https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtTCDmdhjIuliJpFNyXqCvrsKpC_Xw

Have a good night!

Amanda

Good Afternoon!

This morning, a few friends requested that we play a round of ‘Sorry’! Anna, Lulu, Lucy, and Maddie sat around the circle table as we went through a couple of the important rules. We helped each other count the spaces as well as helping younger friends recognize the number that they drew.

Throughout the game, children focused on counting each space using their one to one correspondence skills. Lucy sat next to Anna and helped her do this when it was a higher number. A few friends also talked about not getting upset if you don’t win; “you get what you get and you don’t throw a fit.”

It was an absolutely gorgeous morning. Our older friends played a game together all morning long. They ran around the outside environment, forming a straight line as they ran.

“Play is the answer to how anything new comes about.”

-Jean Piaget

Breakfast– Kashi Blueberry Clusters and oranges.

Lunch– Brown rice with shredded beef and cheese, kiwi, and cauliflower.

PM snack– Sweet potato crackers and roasted garbanzo beans (chick peas).

Wee Sprout– Cauliflower.

Have a great evening!

-Mindy

Link to pictures: WF 6/8

Please note: The weather next week is going to be hot and we’re planning on having a water day! Please bring in a swimsuit for your child.

Enjoy the photos!

Breakfast was Cheerios and bananas. Wee sprout was corn. Lunch consisted of farm fresh eggs, whole wheat toast, banana, and corn. Afternoon snack was blue corn chips and string cheese.

Link to photos: https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtTCDmdhjIuliJl-TyaW8pakbqjiGw

Have a good night!

Amanda

Good Afternoon!

**The weather forecast is calling for HOT weather next week. Please make sure that your child has his or her swimsuit here next week as we will most likely do water play at least one day! Thanks!

For morning sign in and during large group, we focused on our community and the places that are available to us.

After reading ‘Thidwick the Big Hearted Moose’, we talked about how Thidwick helped his friends by giving him a place to live on his antlers. So, we had a discussion about who helps us; police officers, doctors, and chefs! When a friend would offer a suggestion such as ‘bug finder’, we would talk about how that person helps us.

The multi-age classroom is a wonderful thing. This is just ONE of the relationships that we saw this morning that involved a younger friend and an older friend. Addi and Rosemary talked for a while, discussing their favorite food, what they like to do for fun, and how important ‘hugging’ is . As teachers, we often learn from them while they learn from us. It’s the same with our friends; each child brings something so important to the table each and every day that is different from their peers.

We all have had different experiences and adventures in our young lives that make the classroom such a rich and loving learning environment full of different ways of thinking.

I’ve attached an awesome blog by Teacher Tom that goes into the history of single aged classrooms vs multi age classrooms. He also shares his thoughts based on his own personal experience in the field.

http://teachertomsblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/place-they-are-confident-they-belong.html

A few more snapshots of our day.

Breakfast–  Whole grain oatmeal with honey and PPC cantaloupe.

Lunch– Farm fresh scrambled eggs with shredded cheese, whole wheat tortillas, cantaloupe, and mixed vegetables.

PM snack– Air popped popcorn and apples.

Wee Sprout– Cherry tomatoes and cucumber.

Have a wonderful night!

-Mindy

Link to pictures: WF 6/7