Good Afternoon!

PREK1 kids came to the sign in board this morning where they combined ice cream with a little math! They got to choose how many scoops of ice cream they wanted on their cone: one, two, or three. When they chose, they were told that each scoop costs two dollars. For those that only chose one scoop, they took two dollar bills out of my hand to “pay” for their ice cream. The friends who wanted three scoops formed three groups of two dollar bills. They counted up the dollar bills and decided that they would need six dollars to pay for their ice cream!

Social Studies: K.4.1 Explain that people work to earn money to buy the things they want. Introduce money names and values.

We read ‘Froggy’s Lemonade Stand’ in PREK1 group today. Froggy wants to have a lemonade stand to make money to buy new toys. After he’s done making the lemonade, he accidentally drinks all of his ‘profits’ while he’s waiting for customers. At the end of the book, Froggy didn’t end up making any money. This led into a conversation about what we can do as kids to ‘earn’ money. A few friends shared about jobs or chores that they have at home that they either get paid for or do for ‘free’.

In the art center we have been experimenting with water color painting.  We tried making paintings of unusual shapes.  Several kids became intrigued with making very long thin paintings.  After the paintings were dry, friends enjoyed drawing back into them creating mixed media artwork.  Since many kids enjoy making wearable art, they noticed that this shape lent itself to making crowns, hats, belts, sashes, bracelets and anklets!  They spent the morning making these things.  Projects like this allow kids to think outside the box and follow creative impulses using their problem solving skills.  Kids are developing critical thinking, fine motor, attention and focus as they create.  All of this builds the foundation for higher thinking.

PREK2:  In group today we read the book “How Do You Spend?”.  After the story, we talked about how we might spend our money if we had some.  One friend felt that it might be a good idea to buy more money.  If only it worked that way.  Great thinking!

Breakfast– Kix and fresh honeydew melon.

Lunch– Peanut butter on whole wheat bread/tortilla, fresh watermelon/cantaloupe/honeydew, and fresh cucumber/carrot.

PM snack– Whole wheat bagel with cinnamon and butter.

Wee Sprout– Fresh cucumber/carrot.

Have a lovely night.

-Wee Friends Teachers

Link to pictures: 2025-05-13

Happy Monday!

Paige is FIVE! We celebrated Paige’s birthday with her today and loved her popsicle birthday treat! We hope you had the best birthday, Paige!

 

We kicked off our week by talking about money for our PREK1 sign in. Children were told that they had ten dollars to work with. They were given three pieces of clothing, all with different dollar amounts. They had to sign in under the article of clothing that they could afford to buy!

Later on in PREK1 group, we read, ‘How Do You Spend?” which talks about how and what we spend money on. Terms that were brought up in the book were want, need, cheap, and expensive. We worked at identifying these words and coming up with examples of things that we NEED verses things that we WANT.

We had a day packed with hands-on science, reflecting the rich spring season!  We were able to begin a life science project observing tadpoles.  We talked about the word “metamorphosis” and what it means.  We thought about animals that go through metamorphic change as they mature and those that do not.  We talked about our ideas as a group as we watched the tadpoles.  We also shared what we observed as we looked closely.  We made observational drawings of how the tadpoles looked to us.

Outside we explored more hands on science with a “fossil dig”.  One of our kids has been finding fossil crinoids in our gravel area and has been very interested in fossils.  I happened to have a personal collection of fossils from the ancient Michigan Devonian sea.  I hid these fossils in a sand filled tray for the kids to hunt.  They used sieves and brushes, collecting the fossils.  As they found the fossils, we talked about what kind of sea life they had been long ago.  The word “ancient” was our vocabulary word during this activity.  What fun learning can be!

PREK2: Today we read the book “From Tadpole to Frog”.  We talked about what we saw when we observed the tadpoles in class today.  Everyone added their observations to our class list.

Breakfast– Whole wheat english muffins with butter and fresh pears.

Lunch– Whole wheat pasta with shredded beef, fresh pears/banana/cantaloupe, and fresh broccoli/cucumber.

PM snack– Whole milk yogurt with Paige’s birthday fruit popsicles.

Wee Sprout– Fresh cucumber.

Have a lovely night!

-Wee Friends Teachers

Link to pictures: 2025-05-12

We hope all of our mothers had a great Mother’s Day yesterday!

This morning we began by acting out the movements to Listen and Move by Greg and Steve.

We then engaged in making music with the pianos and xylophones and looking at books independently on the reading steps.

We then headed into the kitchen to scoop in the rice and bird seed sensory table.  Miss Bekah also added some of our big plastic bugs for us to use in it as well.  We were covering our bugs up in the mixture and then finding them.

We then headed outside to enjoy another beautiful day.  Cece engaged with her toys on the blanket, Clark drove cars down the ramp, Eleanor explored a fossil activity in the blue tray, Charlotte drew with markers at the art table and several friends engaged in water play at the water table.

Breakfast: Whole grain wheat bread toast with buttery spread and cinnamon/sugar mixture and bananas.

Lunch:  Whole grain wheat penne pasta with shredded turkey, fresh cantaloupe and red bell pepper slices.

Afternoon Snack:  Whole milk yogurt and graham crackers.

Wee Sprout:  Cucumber.

Have a marvelous evening!

WWF Teachers

Link to pictures: 2025-05-12

Happy Friday!

Don’t forget to take home up your child’s handmade Mothers Day gift at pick-up.We hope all of our mom’s have the BEST Mother’s Day.

“You are exactly the mother your children need. They were meant to be yours, and you were meant to be theirs.”  -Unknown

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This morning a book writing project emerged naturally as two older friends announced that they were making books.  Teachers offered assistance if needed.  We talked as a group about what we would find on the cover of a book.  Many of us remembered that we would need to add a title and the authors name.  There is a wide range of developmental levels among our Wee Friends.  Our youngest author made a picture book with her name on the cover.  In between we had friends dictating what was in the story, asking for help sounding out words then writing themselves all the way up to our oldest who needed absolutely no assistance.  It’s wonderful to see all this growth taking place.  Each child is able to learn at their own rate and follow their own interests!

We offered a loose parts welcome activity this morning which invited friends to think about different jobs adults might have.  We picked out some wooden people and observed what they were wearing.  We thought about what job each character might have.  We found doctors, teachers, ballet dancers, ship captains and more.  The kids were challenged to build a place for their people to go to work.  Hannah picked a ballet dancer and a ship captain.  I asked what kind of place she was thinking of building for them.  She had an amazing idea that was totally feasible.  She made a cruise ship that people would sleep on.  The captain drove the ship and the ballerina danced on a stage to entertain people.  Arthur picked a builder who was building a house.  The house was both his home and place of employment! 

Everyone has been thoroughly enjoying using natural materials in our outdoor spaces for imaginative play.  Not only do natural materials give kids a rich integrative sensory experience, they also provide difficult terrain to navigate.  Much like a walk through the forest, kids are challenged to pay close attention to their bodies as they bend, step and crawl through log forts and stick roads.  This focused body awareness and deliberate movement is integral to proper brain development and integration.

Breakfast– Brown rice cakes with cream cheese and banana.

Lunch– Homemade chicken avocado salad on whole wheat bread, fresh honeydew/oranges, and fresh cucumber/pepper/snap peas.

PM snack– Pretzels with block cheddar cheese.

Wee Sprout– Fresh cucumber/snap peas/pepper.

Have a wonderful weekend!

-Wee Friends Teachers

Link to pictures: 2025-05-09

Happy Friday!

This morning we were busy climbing on the habi-trail ladder, watching the fish swim around and dancing with dress up hats.

We then headed into the kitchen to engage with Magna-Tiles on the light table.  The friends were busy looking at the variety of colors.  Eleanor built a “house”  with all of the isosceles triangles.  She also took a square and added an equilateral triangle on each side of it and then found the matching triangles and put them together.

Even though it was a little cooler this morning, we enjoyed getting some fresh air and sunshine on our faces and engaged in our favorite activities.

Cece enjoyed playing with the housekeeping items.  She even reached up for a plate that she wanted to pull off the counter.

Breakfast:  Whole grain brown rice cakes with peanut butter and bananas.

Lunch:  Chicken avocado salad, whole grain wheat tortillas, fresh honeydew melon and fresh cucumber

Afternoon Snack:  Whole grain Ritz crackers and mild cheddar cheese slices.

Wee Sprout:  Cucumbers/Red bell peppers.

Have a great Mother’s Day weekend!

WWF Teachers

Link to pictures: 2025-05-09

Good afternoon!

Several friends spent their morning in the housekeeping area. Eleanor used her imaginative play skills to cook in the kitchen and held up a piece of bread, sharing that it was “pizza.” Another friend worked on their self-help skills by dressing their baby doll.

We brought down the magnetic Mix-and-Match animals for our friends to explore again. We worked on identifying the name of the animal that our piece belonged to.

We went outside to enjoy another beautiful morning. Our friends drew with markers at the art table, took turns going down the slide, and pushed cars on the balance beams.

Breakfast: Whole grain Kix cereal with fresh oranges.

Lunch: Whole grain brown rice with black beans, fresh mango and cooked peas.

Afternoon Snack: Sunflower seeds with whole grain Wheat Thins crackers.

Wee Sprout: Cucumber.

Have a great evening!

WWF Teachers

Link to pictures: 2025-05-08

Good Afternoon!

We had an eventful and educational trip to the farm this morning!  We spent a lot of time with animals today.  Farmer Charlotte and a veterinarian were working on cleaning and filing the horses teeth today.  We got to watch the entire process and farmer Charlotte explained everything that was happening as it unfolded.  We also spent time with the chickens and a baby bunny, which everyone loved!  After our time in the barn, we went for a nature walk.  We worked on “walking in the woods”.  This seems simple, but it takes focus, body awareness and practice.  We traversed logs, sticks and bushes.  We practiced walking carefully around plants and problem solving our way through a tricky spot.  This is so good for kids as it improves their balance, focus and body awareness.

Yesterday afternoon, one of our friends found a crinoid fossil in the gravel under the log house.  He has been very interested in fossils and often looks for them.  He wanted to know what animal it came from and what it looked like.  We talked about the extinct sea lily that this fossil came from and we looked up pictures of it.  Today I brought some fossils of this extinct creature for the kids to look at.  We talked about how the large round part is the “flower or head” and the small disks, like the one found outside are the parts that make up the “stem”.

While several of our older kids were exploring the farm this morning, we headed outside early to take advantage of the nice, cool morning. Children immediately asked if we could get out markers down at the art table. Our newly rebuilt log house was sure used today!

We love offering semi-risky play opportunities in our indoor environment as well as our outdoor environment. Inside, our habitrail is meant for gross motor work such as climbing and jumping. Outside, our log house is great for getting those muscles moving but because it’s higher up, children quickly become aware of movements that are safe and unsafe while that high up . The log area is another favorite area for children to explore as they navigate standing on and carrying long branches and logs. When children are given the opportunity to indulge in risky play, they’re more likely to become more aware of their body, how it moves, and how to stay safe.

Below is a short PDF about the importance of risky play and possible terminology to use when communicating with children and identifying their goals during risky play!

https://www.bu.edu/childrens-center/files/2020/07/Risky-Play.pdf

PREK2: During group we read the book “Goodnight Construction Site” in response to the interesting construction going on outside this morning.  We talked as a group about all of the different jobs we have seen construction vehicles working on.  After the story, we sorted situations that would need a construction vehicle and those that would not.

Breakfast– Toasted oatmeal squares with fresh pineapple.

Lunch– Brown rice with shredded pork, fresh pineapple/mango/apple, and fresh pepper/cucumber/carrot.

PM snack-Whole wheat crackers with peanut butter, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds.

Wee Sprout– Fresh cucumber/pepper/carrot.

Have a wonderful night!

-Wee Friends Teachers

Link to pictures:2025-05-08

Good Afternoon!

We continued focusing on jobs that people do as well as the tools that they need to do their job! Our PREK1 sign in asked friends to choose a card from the bottom of the sign in board that had a tool written on it. We read the word aloud and then matched it to the corresponding job that uses that tool! A few younger children hung around the sign in board, soaking up everything that PREK1 group kiddos were working on!

Social Studies: K.4.2 Identify and describe different kinds of jobs that people do and the tools they use.

Our welcome activity today was a cornucopia of materials with a wide range of possibilities.  There were several friends who wanted to build structures for animals on the building rug, so this activity grew from that interest.  The kids became interested in making ladybug homes using silk plants and flowers.  Someone asked if birds ate lady bugs.  Finding out that some birds might eat lady bugs since bugs make up the diet of several kinds of birds, the kids quickly began forming ideas about how they might build a more protective home for their lady bugs.  Some made gardens that the lady bugs could hide in.  Others made homes that had strong enclosed structures creating an impenetrable fortress for the bugs.

Some friends became interested in smelling all of the silk flowers.  It ay have been a placebo effect…but the kids swore up and down they silk flowers smelled wonderful:)  

PREK2:  Today we read the story “Albert the Fix-it Man”.  We talked about situations where one would need to use tools.  At the end end of the story, we drew a card from the basket.  As we listened to the scenario on the card, we decided whether it was a situation that required tools or if it if it was not.

Breakfast– Overnight oatmeal with cinnamon and fresh watermelon.

Lunch– Farm fresh scrambled eggs with whole wheat tortilla, fresh mango/pineapple/oranges, and fresh green beans/carrot.

PM snack– Air popped popcorn with butter and raisins.

Wee Sprout– Fresh pepper/green beans/carrot.

Have a lovely night!

-Wee Friends Teachers

Link to pictures:2025-05-07

Happy Wednesday!  What a beautiful day!

Enjoy the pictures from our day.

Breakfast:  Overnight oatmeal with cinnamon/sugar mixture and fresh strawberries.

Lunch:  Farm fresh scrambled eggs with shredded mozzarella cheese, fresh cucumber and pineapple slices and whole gran wheat bread.

Afternoon Snack:  Refried beans with shredded mozzarella cheese and white corn tortilla chips.

Wee Sprout:  Mini sweet peppers.

Have a wonderful evening!

WWF Teachers

Link to pictures: 2025-05-07

Good afternoon!

Reminder:  Wee Friends will  be closed Monday, May 26th for Memorial Day.  Thank you.

Our friends engaged in a variety of activities this morning. Cece rolled around the classroom while holding her mouse. Eleanor explored the big, wooden trucks and worked on placing Little People characters inside them. A friend also rocked in the rocking chair.

Our friends were eager to build with the waffle blocks again this morning. They asked Miss Tina how to connect the pieces and then tried doing it themselves. A few friends identified the color of the waffle block they were holding.

We enjoyed a wonderful morning outside. Our friends pushed trucks in the rock area, swept the sidewalk with their dust pan set, rode bikes and looked through the gaps of the log climbing house to share a smile.

Breakfast: Whole grain Corn Chex cereal with fresh strawberries.

Lunch: Whole grain wheat tortilla with peanut butter, 1/2 mozzarella cheese stick, green beans and watermelon slices.

Afternoon Snack: Whole grain wheat bagel with cream cheese and fresh apple.

Wee Sprout: Cucumber/ Sugar snap peas.

Have a beautiful evening!

WWF Teachers

Link to pictures: 2025-05-06