We were feeling the Halloween spirit today, so we added some Halloween-y activities to our morning:
Pounding golf tees into a giant pumpkin! Pounding gives the children’s hands strength that is critical to developing writing skills. In addition to this, here are just a few of the Indiana Academic Foundations met by this activity: F.6.11 Give reason for placement of objects. F.6.13 Use a tool in a new way. F.6.19 See a simple task through to completion. F.1.3 Observe and describe properties of objects. F.3.2 Investigate and talk about the characteristics of matter (e.g., liquids and solids, smooth and rough, bend-not bend).F.2.2 Follow simple directions.
It was not necessarily Halloween-y, but the children also pounded golf tees into playdough this morning and created golf tee cakes with birthday candles, picture frames, food items, and animals. F.2.10 Use objects as symbols for other things. (e.g., a scarf to represent bird wings or a box to represent a car) F.2.19 Use a variety of materials (e.g., crayons, paint, clay, markers) to create original work. F.2.12 Progress in ability to create drawings, models, and other art creations that are moe detailed, creative, or realistic.
The light table was of great interest as we added Halloween-y bats, ghosts, tombstones, moons, & ghosts. There isn’t an Academic Foundation that explains the incredible benefit of the children exploring how the light effects the objects on the table, but here are a few that are clearly connected: F.7.10 Use new vocabulary learned from experiences. F.7.7 Classify categories of words. F.7.8 Identify attributes of objects. F.2.15 Enjoy materials and activities to further explore, manipulate, and exercise the imagination.F.3.6 Describe differences and similarities in various physical environments.F.3.1 Participate in activities using materials with a variety of properties (e.g., color, shape, size, name, type of material).
Our music and movement time drew all of the children because of the little Jack-o-lantern ball that was the focus of our inside and outside group play. Inside, we sat in a circle and passed the ball around to the beat of the music. The children stopped the ball when the music stopped. You can see this in the short video I took: IMG_2309
Outside, Miss Melinda led the children through a variety of parachute activities. The favorite one was everyone going low to the ground, a child counting aloud, and everyone jumping up at once to launch the Halloween ball high into the air! Both the inside music and outside parachute activities met these 
Foundations (and more!) F.1.4 Perform basic rhythmical skills alone and/ or with a partner. (e.g., the child marches and dances to music or rhythmical sounds in free form or with simple adult directions). F.2.3 Follow rules for simple games and activities. F.2.1 Identify and use a variety of spatial relationships with objects (e.g., the child will move self and/or an object over, under, beside, and through as directed by an adult).5.1 Take turns during physical activities. F.5.3 Work together as a team toward a common goal. .5.4 Play cooperatively with others during physical activities. F.5.5 Treat others with respect during physical activities.F.1.3 Sing along to familiar songs.
For lunch we had brown rice with roast beef, avocado/banana/cranberry salad, and mixed vegetables.
Try not to let the dreary weather make you tired!
w weeks with the fairy tale cut outs. As the interest in this topic has waned, so has the interest in the light table. Today, we added a translucent orange plastic pumpkin cutouts, black construction paper, scissors and two copies of the book Five Little Pumpkins to the area. Children worked alone and together to create their own funny jack-o-lantern faces.
