Good Afternoon!

We’ve had a few requests for the tune, melody, and lyrics to the ‘ladybug’ song. Here is the link to the YouTube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjhSgMqsAfM

Enjoy!

Our Wee Wee Friends started off their morning with drawing using markers. Many of our friends sat at the kitchen table where they drew with markers on white paper.

 

Chloe used an orange marker to color with. After she was done, she pointed to the picture on her paper.

Ozzie was very concentrated in the kitchen while playing with cars. Not only was he working with cars but he was also working with numbers. A pretend parking lot was made out of construction paper. Numbers were put on the top of the cars that corresponded to the numbered parking spot. We talked about matching and using the numbers to figure out where each car was supposed to go.

Sloane later joined in on the action. Sloane and Ozzie worked together to figure out where each car should park.

We headed outside where out friends found a surprise in the backyard! It was the special car that our Wee Friends used in their play last night (which by the way was AMAZING)! Our friends did a great job at taking turns driving the car and letting their other friends have turns.

Olivia, Sloane, and Marina went and got bouncy balls to bounce on. They were different sizes and colors. As they were bouncing, Miss Paulina went and grabbed her guitar. She started singing, “We’re gonna…bounce, bounce, bounce…!” Our friends listened to her words and stopped when she said stop! They were really listening with their ears.

Ellie grabbed the blue ball and used it for a variety of things. First, she laid on top of it and bounced a little. Then, she put it on the ground and kicked it with her foot! Ellie sure did kick the ball hard. Her leg muscles are growing and her coordination was fantastic!

Clara sat on the bench watching her friends play and then decided to go play with P.K. in the house. P.K. went into the house and they were playing hide and seek through the window!

Chloe rocked on the teeter totter. She balance herself in the middle so she wouldn’t fall off. Her gross motor skills are blooming and continually improving.

Aiden had floor time on the cork floor. He’s been testing out different kinds of floor such as carpet, cork floor, and our number mat underneath the jungle gym. He’s beginning to get on all fours and rock. His verbal language is increasing. He likes making different sounds and using his lips and tongue to make noises.

Our breakfast consisted of eggs and toast. AM snack was cucumbers. Lunch was chicken salad, pita bread, pineapple, and corn. PM snack was string cheese, snap peas, and a little something special from “Chef Breania”…… strawberry cupcakes, with fresh strawberries on top. 

Have a great evening!

-Mindy

The WF teachers cannot express how delightful it was to share the evening with all of the WF/WWF kids, families and friends!  This morning has been busy, so I thought that I would just share some pictures from last night.  Everyone should have gotten notification of the videos that Charles blogged earlier today. (THANK YOU TO MY WONDERFUL HUBBY WHO SKILLFULLY HANDLED OUR TECH LAST NIGHT AND POSTED THE VIDEOS THIS MORNING!!!)

Breakfast was corn chex and raisins.  Lunch was hummus on whole wheat tortillas, cucumbers and apple slices. 

Happy Monday!

We spent most of our morning outside! Sloane and Olivia played in the house together while Ozzie practiced his balancing skills on the tree stumps. P.K. sat near plants and the tree stumps. He observed different nature objects around him. He felt the tree stump and the leaves with his hand.

  

While outside, Ellie laughed at someone she thought was very funny! Marina and Olivia stood along the railing and used their arms to hold them up along with their legs.

  

Aiden and Clara had the house all to themselves while their older friends slept! Aiden loved playing in his bouncy seat while Clara stood beside him. Clara also played with the toys on Aiden’s seat. They were laughing together and Clara retrieved a couple toys for Aiden which was very thoughtful!

 

Clara worked with the felt board using different felt shapes.

 

Aiden had floor time where he moved himself over to the bouncy seat where he felt the floor of his seat. The bottom is rigidity with line marks. He moved his hand across the lines multiple times. Clara sat with Miss Mindy and read books. She helped turn the pages in the correct direction and even pointed at some of the pictures.

 

Also, don’t forget about the potluck that is taking place tonight! It will start around 5:30 with our Wee Friends putting on a special performance at 6:00! Food will follow the performance. We look forward to seeing you there!

Breakfast this morning was cheerios and apples. AM snack was carrots and broccoli. Lunch consisted of English muffin with cream cheese and melted shredded cheese, apples, and mixed vegetables. PM snack was crackers and apples.

Have a great evening!

-Mindy

 

 

“Spring Joy!” is the buzz today at Wee Friends! For those of you who haven’t seen it, Rich Honchell designed and built an incredible practical car for our play! THANK YOU RICH! It has a moving steering wheel, headlights and license plate! Gone were the blue and red rehearsal chairs as friends piled in and played in the car all morning long. While groups switched out for gymnastics, we had small group discussions about the parts of a car, namely, the license plate. We learned what the plate is for and headed to the art table to create our own with numbers and letters. When we got to the car’s front grill, we explored crayon sketches with paper over the grill. Friends thought it felt and sounded bumpy, not smooth.

   

 

Viv was taken quite by surprise when she walked in to see a big black car in the middle of housekeeping!

Our final rehearsal went brilliantly! Melinda created and passed out each friend’s costume piece and the actors got used to the way it felt.

               

               

           

       

Here’s where YOU, the audience, come in!

5:30-7pm The Chris Wilson Pavilion @ Potawatomi Park Look for Tami to drop your food off at the picnic table in front of the stage. “Spring Joy!” begins promptly at 6pm. Dinner to follow.

Wee Sprouts: Broccoli, carrots and cherry tomatoes, Breakfast: Oatmeal Corn Squares and bananas, Lunch: Whole wheat English muffins with cream and melted cheddar cheeses, mixed veggies and bananas.

See you tonight!

Happy Friday!

Aiden started his Friday in his bouncy seat. He likes touching and playing with the various toys. He has even started to use his legs to bounce. He then moved to the floor where he practiced sitting up with the assistance of a teacher.

 

Marina, Olivia, P.K., and Jada travelled to the kitchen where they took an interest in play-dough. They practice pushing the play-dough down with their hands and using different tools.

  

Once outside, Olivia and P.K. retrieved balls and tried to put them in the basket. But..the balls were too big! They both found this funny and kept trying over and over!

The balls also served another purpose: bouncing! Marina, Sloane, and Olivia chose to bounce on the balls while holding onto the fence. They used their legs to bounce on the balls and their upper body to hold onto the fence.

 

A group of children sat on the swing and sang various songs! Miss Mindy took requests from the children as to the song they wanted to sing.

Ellie decided to show her teachers and friends how she ‘stares’! She had the kids and teachers laughing very hard! This was Ozzie’s stare! He took this very serious!

 

We have a small sandbox in the corner of the backyard where our little Wee Wee friends can play if they choose. However, it was in need of a lot of sand! So, our friends helped us fill it up! We made many trips from the big sandbox to the little sandbox. Children used shovels and pales to fill up and transfer the sand.

  

Once Chloe was done helping transport the sand, she used a plate to put sand on and brought it to her teacher! She said, “food” and gave it to her teacher! She was being very courteous.

 

For breakfast, our friends enjoyed cheerios and apples. Lunch consisted of whole wheat penne pasta salad with chicken, peas and broccoli, and apples.. PM snack was cantaloupe and graham crackers.

Just a reminder that our potluck is Monday (May 14th) at 5:30. Please ask if you have any comments or questions!

Have a great Mothers Day weekend!

-Mindy

A special thank you to the Garden Growing Committee and the families who came out last night to finish planting the garden! We are so grateful to you for the time and energy you’ve put into this project!

When Simon’s dad, David, dropped him off this morning, Wee Friends attached themselves to his leg, forcing him to drag them around the classroom just like…..parasites! This offered us a perfect segue to our Creepy Crawler study: parasites. (Thank you, David!) After David left, we pulled out our book and read about the different kinds of parasites. We discussed how some parasites suck juices out of their ‘host’. This led to an exploration asking “What can you suck through a straw?” We experimented with sucking water, applesauce, paper, peas and finally, a cloth napkin.

Afterwards, Melinda set up tracks and friends had ball races using straws (and a lot of air!)to move the balls.

A few friends lingered at the art table continuing to suck water with their straws.

We had a long rehearsal for Spring Joy! and are so excited about sharing this and dinner with everyone Monday night, May 14th, 5:30-7p. Here are a few updated details:

1. Please bring your dish (and serving spoon if needed!) to the park. Here’s a change: We will be setting up and eating on the picnic tables next to the Chris Wilson Pavilion at Potawatomi Park.
2. Spring Joy! will begin promptly at 6pm and run about 20 minutes.
3. Teachers will aim at leaving WF at 5:30 in order to make it to the park in time!
4. Melinda has taped a simple costume request to each cubby for you to take home.

Please talk to us with questions or concerns and thanks again for all your support for this special evening!

Wee Sprouts today are broccoli crowns and carrots. Breakfast was Oatmeal Squares and pear slices. for lunch, Lisa made whole wheat penne pasta salad with chicken, peas and broccoli and pears.

Have a terrific Mother’s Day weekend!

 

Good Afternoon!

Our friends started off their morning having quiet reading time. After breakfast was served, children went and retrieved books that they read by themselves and with other friends and teachers.

 

Sloane enjoyed her train book that she selected. Marina got comfortable on the chair while Olivia chose to sit on the floor and read her story.

During music time, Aiden was given a streamer by a friend. He studied it for a long time and observed the different colors within the streamer.

 

A group of friends gathered in the kitchen where they had sensory time with play-dough! Marina formed a big mound of play-dough and stuck various straws in there. Jada built “momma and dadda”.

Olivia and P.K. took an interest in the felt board. They helped each other stick the felt pieces on the board to build different things such as a house!

While outside Ellie, Olivia, Marina and Ozzie kept each other company on the swings by singing songs.

There were balls behind the shed that Sloane noticed. She said, “balls back there!”

P.K. and Clara played together in the house outside. They laughed together and followed each other in and out of the house.

Marina, Sloane, and Ozzie sat in the ball bins. They laughed and giggled together! After they got out, they went and retrieved balls and put the balls back into the bins!

 

For breakfast, we had Rice Krispy’s and apples. AM snack was tomatoes. Lunch consisted of scrambled egg roll ups, cantaloupe, and carrots. Our afternoon snack was rice cakes with cream cheese and carrots.

Have a great evening!

-Mindy

*Don’t forget that tonight the Garden Growing Committee will be working in the WF backyard starting at 5:30. Bring a brown bag supper and enjoy the fun!

Making the Most of Sand Play

(By Sandra Crosser Ph.D., associate professor at Ohio Northern University, Ada, Ohio.)

“Children have always been intrigued by sand play. They dig in sand, sift it, build with it, pour it, enjoy the feel and smell of it, pretend with it, and explore how it moves. Balke (1997) contends that, “The culture of children is threatened by mass media and overproduction of plastic playthings that are ready-made and demand nothing of the child” (p. 358). Sand, on the other hand, is well-suited to the explorative and imaginative nature of young children.

Why Play in Sand?
There is no right way to use sand. It invites participation; it permits children to make and test hypotheses; it stretches the imagination; it provides a potentially soothing sensory experience; and it is an excellent avenue for children to learn physical, cognitive, and social skills.

Because sand play is open-ended, the child determines the direction and path of his or her own play. This freedom then clears the way for the child to build developmental concepts.

According to constructivist theory (Piaget, 1945), children have an inner drive to build an understanding of their world as they explore and interact with materials. Concepts about how the world works are built gradually and become increasingly complex as the child enters a rich learning environment and exercises his or her freedom to play.”

We spent all morning outside! Initially, friends chose to spend their time in the sandbox. Then in other parts of the yard, they played chase…..

…..pushed the swing…

….explored bugs and earthworms with magnifying glasses…and recorded findings on a clipboard…

….created bug art using wooden spools, construction paper, stickers, pipe cleaners and popsicle sticks.

We rehearsed Spring Joy! and enjoyed every moment exercising our bodies and minds in the sunshine!

Breakfast this morning was Cheerios and pear slices. For lunch, Lisa prepared scrambled egg roll ups on whole wheat tortillas, carrots and pear slices.

Parent/Child Communication Starters:

• Where do earthworms live?
• Which part do you play in Pigs in the Mud? What is your line?
• Does sand feel wet or dry? Hot or cold? Hard or soft?
• What’s more fun than a rock?

Good Afternoon!

First off, Happy Birthday to Clara Rose! She turned 1 year old today!

 

Our friends were given a ride on Miss Paulina’s legs this morning! They laughed and giggled as they bounced up and down with their friends.

 

Chloe and P.K took toy cars and pushed them on the window sill together. Then, they both pushed their cars off and said “Oh, No!”

Marina was being self sufficient when she was taking her shoes and socks off this morning. She was asked if she needed help and she said, “No, I do it.”

Aiden spent some time standing up together. He was held up in the standing position and moved his legs and feet showing increasing gross motor skills.

 

This morning, we went for a stroller and wagon ride. Our friends enjoyed looking around and the trees and we saw many dogs outside!

When we got back from our walk, children went to the backyard to play. Jada pushed her grocery cart while Olivia sat and talked with Aiden and Miss Marty.

 

Jada and Clara were involved in a sensory activity where they used moon sand. Jada looked closely at the moon sand to see the different pieces that had fallen apart. Clara touched the moon sand with her hand and moved it around within the tub.

 

For breakfast, our friends enjoyed English muffins with butter and apples. Lunch consisted of rice with chicken, corn, and pineapple. PM snack was special birthday fruit that Clara brought in! It was a mix of watermelon, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, grapes, and pineapple.

Have a great evening!

-Mindy

Please note…our sidewalk replacement have a firm start date of Wednesday, May 16th. (The rain pushed it back again)

At the farm today, we:

Took a very close look at the baby squirrels.

 

Thoroughly investigated the painted turtle.

 

Wandered the prairie.  (Ok, the teachers wandered, the kids created a game where they would choose a spot ahead of where we were and would ask to “run” to it and wait for us. They did this for most of our nature walk!)

At the pauses, we investigated crawfish mud homes.

Found spiders in mud puddles.

Got muddy in mud puddles.

In the woods we looked under logs for bugs.  There were lots of cool looking fungi and squirmy worms.

We spotted an enormous snapping turtle sunning on a log in the marsh. (You can see it on the log in the pic below.)  Ada was the one who noticed him in the distance!

Some of the more ambitious kids carefully treaded across a shaky log in search of more frogs.  It took a lot of balance to make it.  Arleigh got stuck at the end and Kai gallantly held her hand and helped her come back.

Back at WF,  Miss Laurie read a book, The Creepy Crawlers that inspired a really cool thread spool art project.  While painting the spools, Finn remarked that his brown spool was a bumpy brown bug.  To follow Finn’s interest, Miss Lisa led the children through the steps of creating a a classroom story of The Bumpy Brown Bug.

The children then illustrated the story they created.

Wee Sprouts were carrots and cauliflower.

Lunch was brown rice with pork, pineapple and mandarin oranges and corn.

Have a great day!

Tami