At Wee Friends, when a friend is in need, helping hands are all around. Friends generously give their time and expertise to each other in all sorts of ways.

We show friends how to draw a certain type of flower:

We buy yummy chocolate ice cream from a friend’s ice cream stand:

We get nails for a friend at the workbench:

 

We work together to build a truck:

And give friends a special haircut!

Have a great day. –Jessica

Wee Sprouts: Broccoli. Breakfast: Cheerios and oranges. Lunch: Whole wheat tortilla sandwiches with hummus, tomatoes and bananas. Snack: Cheese sticks and whole wheat crackers.

Good Afternoon!

Hope everyone had a terrific weekend.

What may just look like “play” to some, is actually our friends becoming their own person; learning about themselves, their friends, and the world. Children learn about emotions as well as having empathy for others.

Maya and Nahla used their BIG squeezes on their baby dolls this morning. Maya noticed that her baby had a boo-boo on her hand. She kissed it and proceeded to give her a hug. Play is where children learn.

I found this quote and thought it was appropriate:

“For a small child there is no division between playing and learning; between the things he or she does ‘just for fun’ and things that are ‘educational.’ The child learns while living and any part of living that is enjoyable is also play.” ~ Penelope Leach

For breakfast, children had english muffins with butter and banana. Lunch consisted of whole grain noodles with chicken, apples, and broccoli. PM snack was goldfish and blueberries.

Have a terrific evening!

What do Wee Frienders do after a weekend at home? Jump right into playing and learning, of course!

We read stories in the morning light and play catch with playground balls:

We build secret hide-outs with 360 degree lookout views:

We move and groove our bodies on the Blue Bus:

We put freshly washed sheets back on the naptime cots:

We create at the art table:

We search for numbers during a “number hunt”:

And when our friends are gone, we write them special notes [Ellie: “I love you Maddie you are so sweet like a cookie”] and talk to them on the phone [Daniel talking to Eren in housekeeping].

There is so much love in the Wee World.

Also, we would like to welcome IUSB student teacher Victoria Wiler to our Wee Friends classroom! She is majoring in Elementary Education with a concentration in Early Childhood and is expected to graduate in December 2015. During her Fall 2014 semester Victoria spent 20 hours observing at WWF. She will be with us from 8:00am-12:30pm through June 12th. Welcome Victoria!

Happy Monday! –Jessica

Wee Sprouts: Carrots. Breakfast: Whole wheat toast with butter and pear slices. Lunch: Whole wheat pasta with chicken, broccoli, and apple slices. Snack: Whole milk yogurt and oranges.

This morning we tried the rhubarb popsicles some friends made yesterday. There were a variety of reactions:

                         

Some friends didn’t finish theirs, while others asked for seconds. Most everyone agreed the popsicles were cold and sour!

The rain last night proved to be good for bug hunting. Roly polies were all over the backyard today, bringing joy to the Wee Frienders:

                        

     

While we were planting our new plants from the farmer’s market in the garden, Laurie stumbled across a huge potato. Tami cut and fried it up and each friend tried a slice at lunch.

So yummy. Gotta love eating food from our garden!

Have a great weekend. –Jessica

*Notice: Miss Laurie has 2 beautiful parakeets (Lenny & Squiggy) who are looking for a new home. Healthy, happy and chirpy—you can have the birds/birdcage and a box of food!

Wee Sprouts: Cauliflower. Breakfast: Malt-O-Meal and strawberries. Lunch: Cheesy brown rice, cherry tomatoes, pea pods and a watermelon fresh from the Farmer’s Market! Snack: Cheese sticks and homemade popcorn.

Happy Friday!

We want to wish Tate aka Tater Tot/Taters a great, big Happy Birthday on Sunday! Where has the past two years gone?! We love you!

For breakfast, children had toast with no-nut butter and banana. Lunch consisted of brown rice with cheese, oranges, and peas. PM snack was pretzels and string cheese.

Hope everyone has a terrific weekend!

Today we went to the farmer’s market to buy some tomatoes for our Wee Friends garden!  Friday mornings are a great time to go and explore the market with a small group of children because it’s much more mellow than the normal hustle and bustle of busy Saturday mornings.  As we walked through the market, we were greeted by many friendly vendors.  One of them, Healing World Crystal and Minerals, generously let each Wee Friender pick out a beautiful rock to take home!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we went through, we smelled delicious smells.  The kids readily recognized all different sorts of flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables.  Owen noted the trillium flowers in pots matched those we see in the woods at Prairie Winds Farm! 

We stopped at the Vites’ booth and Ms. Diana helped us pick out tomato and sweet pea pod plants to finish our garden.  She was very kind to our group and generously offered each child their own plant start to take home and grow! Please remember to grab your child’s plant to take home with you this weekend!

Finally, after a quick vote, it was determined that we needed a market watermelon to bring back for our lunch. And we fortunately chose a juicy and delicious one!

Have a great weekend! (The classroom blog will be posted later!)

Tami

Today was an excitement-filled day.

First, we got a visit from Naia’s new baby brother, Truman! Friends crowded around, asked questions about Truman and shared many stories of their own siblings and/or themselves as babies.

Friends were eager to get a look at Truman. We noticed his dark hair and eyes and tiny fingers. And when he stuck out his tongue! Thanks for visiting Jaime and Truman 🙂

After Truman’s visit, Laurie led a portrait-making project and invited friends to make a face based on their own eye and hair color.

 

The other exciting discovery this morning: new chalk! Friends gathered in awe at the 48 colors and got right to work using them all.

Later this afternoon, we peeled, chopped, and microwaved the rhubarb from our garden to make rhubarb popsicles.

We added applesauce and a little bit of sugar and popped them into the freezer for the night. They should be ready for tasting tomorrow!

Have a great afternoon. –Jessica

Wee Sprouts: Grape tomatoes. Breakfast: Cheerios and fresh strawberries. Lunch: Whole wheat flatbread sandwiches with almond butter, cucumbers, and bananas. Snack: Fresh red grapes and cheese slices.

Good Afternoon!

It was an absolutely gorgeous morning. Maya and Tate went straight for the bikes! Maya and her friends always attempt to ride the bigger bikes. It’s great when children push themselves outside of their comfort zone. This is where learning happens (among many other places ).

Nahla helped Miss Jessica plant a few seeds this morning. We’re anxious to see the vegetables that will grow soon!

Something that started out as simple and easy turned into a great musical lesson! A piece of grass was used to make high and low pitch sounds. What started out as a few friends listening in quickly became a group of ten. Nature items can be used for a number of things! This is where creativity is born!

It was a sibling kind of morning. Tate and his older sister Sloane love getting to spend time outside together while Anna’s big brother Owen ran straight up to her when she came outside.

For breakfast, children had cinnamon raisin bagels with butter and banana. Lunch consisted of egg and cheese rollups, corn, and watermelon. PM snack was peaches and crackers.

Have a lovely night!

We love to spend time in our backyard, as the outdoors is an incredible place for learning to naturally occur. Nature encourages observation, exploration, and movement.

Each day, there are new things to see: a bush that has bloomed, a leaf that has fallen. Soon we will have plants to watch grow!

                                         

There are always new things to hear: birds tweeting, rocks smashing, sand pouring. Today Mindy showed us how blowing on grass can make some HILARIOUS noises. This drew a huge group of friends, laughing with every sound.

Our backyard also lets us experience new tastes. Today we harvested some rhubarb from our garden, which we are planning to use in some recipes this week.

We’ll let you know how it tastes! –Jessica

Wee Sprouts: Cauliflower. Breakfast: Rice cakes with peanut butter and fresh pear slices. Lunch: Whole wheat flat bread roll-ups with scrambled eggs and cheddar cheese, pea pods, and watermelon/orange slices. Snack: Refried beans and blue corn chips.

Good Afternoon!

It was a sensory filled morning as kids worked with shaving cream!

Friends enjoyed taking it in their hands and moving it around. Tate squeezed his hands so that the shaving cream burst through his fingers. He laughed which caused all of his friends to join in!

We went outside after bundling up. It was a little chilly! A friend from next door shared her chalk with her friends. Maya commented about how big the chalk was.

For breakfast, children had blueberry Kashi and banana. Lunch consisted of english muffins with melted cheese, blueberries, and mixed vegetables. PM snack was string cheese and pretzels.

Have a great night!