This morning Amanda from Paths to Quality came to Wee Friends for the annual rating visit. We are currently categorized Level Four (the highest rating) and after this mornings visit, Amanda recommended that Wee Friends remain Level Four. We are pleased!

Today Tami introduced nurse/doctor robes, ace bandages, 2 used thermometers, a doctor’s kit and a variety of band aids into housekeeping. There was a small (shifting) group of friends exploring and playing with the new materials for most of the morning. Using masking tape and a bathroom scale, we measured and weighed everyone recording our findings on the tape.

We also examined and charted eye color today.

Our friends are really enjoying the basketball hoop and new outside additions, not to mention THE SUN!!!!!!!!!

We are making headway with our potty and hand washing procedures. Gentle reminders are helping friends remember the steps. We will continue working on this Beginning the Basics activity next week.

As we end the week, Wee Friends and teachers are excited that the new lunch time routine is settling in naturally. It has created a more peaceful meal time environment and older friends are experiencing a sense of empowerment when helping their younger friends along.

Today’s lunch was whole wheat pizza with ham and cheese, bananas and fresh snap peas/carrots.

Have a fantastic, restful weekend!

 Tumbling Thursday!

 Tumbling is a weekly highlight at Wee Friends. From the car ride over to the one hour experience at the Y, the kids love it. Not only does Miss Patty instruct the children in tumbling techniques, she also infuses other curriculum areas as she goes along. Today on the high beam, she asked four toddlers “How old are you?”  one child’s answer: “3!” response: “can you clap 3 times for me?” The kids are then forced to muster up lots of courage (and balance!) and release their firm grip on the beam, clapping 3x. Today, as they walked across the beam, she placed 4 colored rings in front of them. When they encountered a ring, they had to pick it up, identify the color and place it on her neck! The courses she sets (stand on the white line, roll hula hoop in front of you, chase hoop, return to original spot following white line) encourage geometrical patterning. She often plays classical music that creates a calm energy throughout the gym. As she rolls the children back and forth on the circular ‘donut’, she invites recognition of family relationships by expressing “Say hello to Mom! Say hello to Dad!”. Our Wee Friends are getting a multi-curricular experience and having the time of their life!

Back at school, Melinda led a watercolor exploration and Laurie helped more friends apply medicine (lotion) to new ouchies. We also created a “What color is your hair?” chart. Friends studied themselves in the mirror and reported back blond, brown, red or black.

Have a terrific day.

Count down to Mother’s Day!

The older Wee Friends had a chance, this morning, to create three dimensional art with salt, chalk and a jelly jar! At the risk of giving the surprise away-here are a few pictures of their work! F.5.2 Follow steps in a simple routine. F.6.19 See a task through to completion. F.4.2 Identify attributes or characteristics for comparison (e.g., color, size, gender, shape).

“Look at my Ouchie!!!!

Our exploration of ouchies continued today with our toddlers! We started with the question: “Does anyone have a new ouchie to share?” We examined cotton balls and Q-Tips and talked about where friends have seen them and what they are used for. Using pretend medicine (kid friendly lotion) we used the cotton balls and Q-Tips to apply medicine to our ouchies. Some friends were very eager to help others, others wanted to tend to themselves only and, ok….some friends just wanted a pedicure/manicure using the Q-Tip. It led to a conversation about the ways in which we take care of one another. We then moved to the art table and used the cotton balls and Q-Tips to create art with tempera paints. F.4.2 Role play different types of occupations. F.5.9 Use interpersonal skills of sharing and taking turns in interactions with others.

We sang and acted out “Five Little Monkeys” and friends loved falling down and getting pretend hurt!

The second day of our new mealtime routine went very well with a few older kids reminding teachers “Hey-Addi is my buddy!”, reminding us that he/she was supposed to serve the food. We ate chicken and rice, green peas and apple slices.

Tami has moved our plastic basketball hoop outdoors to support our goal of making our playground a rich environment for play and exercise. She also added medium sized plastic balls which have generated lots of excitement! F.1.3 Manipulate objects by throwing, catching large balls with two hands, striking, swinging, and pulling at a basic level. (e.g., throws an object at a target with an overhand motion and trunk rotation, throws something upward and catches it, and jumps over a stationary object).

Have a great day!

Swimming Tuesday!

While the older kids were swimming a small group of toddlers began talking about and sharing their ouchies. We quickly got our doctor’s kit and began listening to each other’s hearts and further discussing ouchies and how friends got them. To the tune of “Are You Sleeping” we sang “Ouchie, ouchie, ouchie, ouchie….wah! wah! wah!…” The toddlers thought pretend crying was super fun! We moved to the art table and friends drew their ouchies on a stick figure sketch, placing a masking tape band aid over the sore spot. We jumped into math by counting the number of band aids! We worked in another math lesson when a friend counted 5 squares out as she used the potty!

We have started a new lunch time routine. In the past, we’ve had a big kid table and a toddler table. Today, Tami assigned lunch buddies (an older and younger child) and sat them next to one another. The older friend helped his/her buddy wash hands and then, after sitting down, with serving food and drink. They also began putting their plate/utensil/glass into the dishwasher. The kids were excited about their new roles and it went very smoothly.

For lunch, we served farm fresh scrambled eggs (on sale at WF for $3.50 a dozen!), whole wheat toast, carrots and bananas/mandarin oranges.

Yesterday, Tami added two baskets filled with plates and cups to the cottage climber. She moved a table and two chairs inside it. Our outside time has been filled with imaginative play using only plastic/aluminum dishes and pea gravel!

Have a great day!

FARM TODAY!

The older children had a great morning at Prairie Winds Farm. We started our trip by helping Ms. Charlotte water her garden starts and pot some plants that had been transplanted.

When that was done, Ms. Charlotte asked us to help thin out a bunch of overgrown Day Lily plants by the house. We were able to dig up and take 4 large boxes of Day Lilies to add by the slide and the upper bicycle ring at our WF playground!

While doing the gardening, the kids worked cooperatively at digging, sorting plants from weeds, and investigating the many different earth worms. F.1.8 Engage in a scientific experiment with a peer or with small groups of children using sharing/turn taking skills. F.4.2 Identify attributes or characteristics for comparison. F.4.3 Classify objects by an attribute (characteristic) and share their thinking with another. F.4.4 Participate in discussions related to their findings.

After our gardening, we took the WF scraps back and fed the pigs.  Then we helped move the chicken coops to fresh pasture, and fed and watered the chickens.

After our work was done, we were able to meet the two new 4 day old baby goats.  Everyone enjoyed cuddling them!  Probably the highlight (as you can see from the expressions in the picture below!) was when an adult goat went pooh in front of the children.  With this group of mostly 4 year old children, potty processes and humor is a hot topic.  Hmmm, I wonder how we can tie this into our Life Lesson series on WF potty habits???

We also carefully observed both the baby goats and the cow with her calf nursing and had a discussion about the milk that is produced for the babies.  F.1.9 Ask and answer questions about the world. F.3.9 Observe and explore a variety of live plants and animals.

The next thing we did was take a walk through the prairie and woods.  We stopped along the way to notice and identify blooming flowers, evidence of woodpeckers, crawdad mud houses, and insects.

We took about 20 minutes and the children swung on vines, roamed the wooded area and added sticks to child built wood “houses”.  On the way back to the barn, the children took turns riding the 3 horses on a brief trail ride.

Finally, to end our day, I helped Ms. Charlotte apply first aid to a wounded turkey.  We discussed the wound and I applied an antiseptic spray while Ms. Charlotte held the turkey.  Afterword, the kids had a rare chance to pet and carefully examine the turkey up close.  Turkeys are generally not tame, but this one has become accustomed to being held because of his injury.

All in all, I couldn’t be more grateful for this NON-rainy Monday and the chance to enjoy our farm this week!

Goop!!!!!!!!  Today Tami set up three bins and filled them with corn starch and water. Kids mixed, squished and stretched the goop, experimenting with texture and consistency! F.4.1 Use vocabulary that indicates understanding of scientific principles (e.g., sink, float, melt, solid, liquid).

A stack of robot books arrived today, gathered and delivered by Wee Friends personal librarian, Carol Barbour. Thank you Carol!! Friends ate them up, spending a large amount of time studying the pictures. We will dive into them next week and see if a study emerges. F.1.3 Name objects from a picture book. F.1.4 Hold book right side up, looking at pages and pictures. F.1.5 Turn pages from front to back.

Our cottage climber has been a huge hit! Older friends climb up down and all around and many of our younger toddlers are able to climb up and down the east side of the log house. We ask our smaller friends to stay on the east side when climbing because the west side of the house has a drop off that their feet can’t reach as they descend. It doesn’t deter them, however, as the view from the top is exciting and they are victorious! F.1.2 Perform stability skills alone and/or with a partner. (e.g., transferring weight so as to rock, roll, stand on one foot for six seconds and walk up and down steps with alternating feet, tumbling skill of somersaults and log rolls, and walking on a balance beam forward and backward).

Beginning the Basics life skills program will continue working with potty and hand washing procedures next week. This week Melinda and I heard a few friends singing their ABC’s while washing their hands! F.4.2 Show a growing independence in hygiene, nutrition, and personal care when eating, dressing, washing hands, brushing teeth, and toile ting.

Enjoy this beautiful day!