Just a quick heads up about an illness going through Wee Wee Friends. There are possible cases of hand foot mouth disease. It is ok for your child to go to school as long as there is no fever or if the blisters are oozing. However, if it is clear that they are feeling unwell and miserable, we would prefer that they stay home.

Happy Monday!

A couple of important announcements:

*PLEASE make sure that your child comes to school prepared to go outside every day. The following are needed for each child, every day: winter coat, hat, gloves (preferably not the cloth ones as they tend to get wet easily), snow pants, and WINTER boots. If we could get all winter gear labeled so that it’s easy to decipher each child’s belongings, that’d be great! Thanks for everyone’s cooperation.

**Children need updated shot records by the beginning of the new year (except those who were enrolled this past Fall). However, if those families still want to get an updated shot record, please feel free! For those of you who have turned them in, thank you!

First, a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Riley who turns 5 today!

Friends moved throughout the environment this morning. There were many stories read while some children chose to tackle floor puzzles!

We headed outside this morning to get some fresh air. This group sure did get their water quota for the day .

A few children noticed that their muscles look bigger in their winter coats.

Since we didn’t have a whole lot of snow, we chose not to get the sleds out. A few friends figured out a way to still go down the hill; body sledding!

In large group: we read a fairy tale story that transitioned into talking about different holidays. We constructed a web on the chalk board to figure out which holidays children were aware of! Throughout the week, we will look at different holidays as well as how different cultures celebrate important events.

Breakfast– Whole wheat bagels with cream cheese.

Lunch– Whole wheat pasta with cheese and marinara sauce, oranges, and cherry tomatoes.

PM snack– Riley’s birthday strawberry bars and whole milk yogurt.

Wee Sprouts– Cherry tomatoes.

Have a great night!

-Mindy

Link to pictures: WF 12/5 Happy Birthday Riley!

Today we took turns playing with a variety of stackers…

Jumped around on the sensory circles…

Read our favorite stories together…

And cooked a lovely meal!

Breakfast was toast with butter and cinnamon and pear. Lunch consisted of whole wheat pasta with marinara sauce and cheese, peas, and apples. Afternoon snack was organic whole milk yogurt and pear.

Link to photos: https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtTCDmdhjIulh4VLQLNQGwdiUlkyBQ

Have a great night!

Amanda

We got into the Christmas spirit today by decorating a Christmas tree. Our friends enjoyed sticking ornaments all over the felt tree and making it festive! They’re ready for the holidays!

Breakfast was toast with butter and banana. Lunch consisted of whole wheat tortillas with sweat pea butter, pears, and corn. Afternoon snack was cheese crackers and banana.

Link to photos: https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtTCDmdhjIulh4RnFv5MPLQGYuMYbw

Have a great weekend!

Amanda

Happy Friday!

Block play is the farthest thing from simple. It’s complex. It’s child initiated. It’s one of our FAVORITE activities.

I’m on an article kick, I know but this is a simple article that shows the importance of block play in the early childhood environment .

Link: http://www.naeyc.org/yc/10_things_children_learn_block_play

We had a great day and we hope you did too!

Breakfast– Rice cakes with no nut butter and banana.

Lunch– No nut butter tortilla sandwiches, green beans, and banana.

PM snack– String cheese and pears.

Wee Sprout– Cherry tomatoes and cucumbers.

Have a GREAT weekend.

-Mindy

Link to pictures: WF 12/2

Today we crawled through tunnels…

Played dress up…

Raced down the habitrail slide…

Baked a birthday cake together…

And played peek-a-boo through the fish tank!

Breakfast was toast with butter and cinnamon and banana. Lunch consisted of whole grain brown rice with cheese, bananas, and peas. Afternoon snack was pretzels and string cheese.

Link to photos: https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtTCDmdhjIulh4N7f9s02m_xSH522g

Have a great night!

Amanda

Good Afternoon!

It is already December..enough said.

**By the welcome message board and time sign in sheet, there is a sign up sheet for our Christmas Concert. We want to gage how many families will be filling our crowd so if you’re certain you’ll be able to attend, please add your families name to the list! (Just a reminder, it’s Tuesday, December 20th at 4:00 pm)

On this first day of December, we observed as friends broke off into groups or pairs. There was collaboration happening in the building area as friends worked together to complete a common goal or task while others used props they found throughout the environment to use in their pretend play.

The art table was turned into a holiday festival as we designed snowmen, trees, and candy canes. Most children chose to decorate multiple items.

As we sat around the table (listening to holiday music might I add), we found out that none of our creations looked alike. Friends used different colored markers and dot paints to create their own holiday staple.

The finished product! A few friends helped me string them up after we were done, following the pattern of Christmas tree, snowman, candy cane, and so forth. As we sat and ate lunch, children looked up to see if they could spot the one that they made.

Movement. Motion. Gross motor. Rough. And. Tumble.

“Movement is one of the most important aspects of a young child’s life.” (taken from this article which talks about why movement is important in young children): https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/The-Value-of-Movement-Activities-for-Young-Children

Throughout the day, we incorporate movement in many aspects of each child’s experience. Whether we’re running outside, involved in a music activity, or simply taking advantage of the beloved habitrail area, we are MOVING.

Then there are times where we simply need to cuddle up and listen to a good story.

Breakfast– Brown Rice Crisps (cereal) and pears

Lunch– Organic, brown rice with shredded cheese and chicken, cantaloupe, and cucumbers.

PM snack– Wheat thins and pumpkin seeds.

Wee Sprouts– Cucumber.

Have a lovely night!

-Mindy

Link to pictures: WF 12/1

We see letters in print all through out our day. We find letters in the books we read, on our mailbox in housekeeping and even on the maps we use during our play.  Maddie was sounding out the word start.  As she said the word she spelled it by what she heard, STRT.

It is hard to believe it is the last day of November and we were able to enjoy another great day outside.  We were very busy riding bikes around the circle, digging large holes in the sand and sliding down the slide.

Breakfast: Oatmeal and pears.

Lunch: Scrambled eggs, whole wheat bread, bananas and cauliflower.

Afternoon Snack: Blue corn chips and refried beans.

Wee Sprouts: Cauliflower.

Have a great night!

Rebekah

Link to photos:https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtTCDmdhjIulh4IrlolqijNzcIP8aw

We spent the morning in the kitchen painting! Our friends painted us red and green pictures to hang up in the classroom to decorate for the holidays, and also paintings using a mix of other colors to take home.

 

We enjoyed our time outside. Bikes were brought out and Mack was happy and excited to get a ride around the track! We also had a surprise visit from Miss Tami’s puppy!

In the afternoon, our friends played with alphabet squares. Ruby recognized the letter “O”!

Breakfast was Kix and blueberries. Wee sprout was corn. Lunch consisted of farm fresh eggs, whole wheat bread, blueberries, and corn. Afternoon snack was blue corn chips and colby jack cheese.

Link to photos: https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtTCDmdhjIulh4FTUr49avNpemv-7A

Have a great night!

Amanda

This morning, all the puff balls were dumped out of their basket and spread out onto the kitchen floor. Our friends found little bowls and enjoyed tossing and sorting the puff balls into them.

We were all happy to get outside and enjoy the fresh air! After running around and exploring the backyard, all of our friends gathered in the sandbox to play.

After snack, we got down the musical instruments. The shakers were the most popular and were used to tap against the wall xylophone.

Breakfast was Whole Grain Cheerios and blueberries. Wee sprout was peas. Lunch consisted of whole wheat tortilla with hummus, pears, and peas. Afternoon snack was whole wheat bagels with cream cheese.

Link to photos: https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtTCDmdhjIulhv9xPCgbmuiEQ-57-A

Have a great night!

Amanda