Happy Thursday!

Our Wee Wee’s started off the day playing with cars. They pushed them across the table to their friends.

Children concentrated as they used their hands to carefully guide the cars to friends or teachers. We talked about the different colors of each car.

We headed outside where we took a walk in the garden. All of the vegetables are gone but there are a lot of leaves to look at!

We had a dance part in the flower garden! Friends bounced, jumped, and twirled with one another.

We loved walking around and looking at the different leaves. Children threw them up in the air and watched them fall to the ground.

Clara enjoyed the cool air as she lay on the porch.

When naptime was ending, friends played with the blue tubes. Emma and Clara watched as Miss Melinda tipped the tubes all together at one time! They found it amazing that all of the material moved at the same time.

Friends practiced pretend as they put a bucket on their head!

As Zoey looked at her reflection in the mirror, Clara gave her an abundance of kisses!

The mirror is always a hot spot in the room. Children love to look at themselves and the different facial expressions that they make.

Gross motor time occurred in the afternoon where friends crawled through holes and jumped up and down as they worked out different parts of their body.

Zoey helped Eve as she played the piano. Eve did a great job at sharing her piano.

We have a toy that allows younger friends to work on their fine motor skills. Children have to push, press, and shift different buttons for Disney characters to pop up!

For breakfast, children had corn bran and pears. Lunch consisted of whole wheat tortillas with melted cheese and ham, peas, and bananas. PM snack was string cheese and animal crackers.

Have a great evening!

-Mindy

Breakfast: Corn Chex and bananas. Lunch: Toasted turkey and cheese on whole wheat tortillas, pea pods and bananas. Snack: Cheese stix and crackers.

Have a good day.

Hello!

The Wee Wee Friends house was quiet this morning which allowed our friends to have a gentle and easy transition into their day!

Zoey was crawling everywhere. She followed friends to their play activities and joined right in!

We got out the blue tubes with different materials inside each one. The materials include feathers, bouncy balls, bells, foam shapes, and plastic play pieces. There are some that make loud noises and a few that can’t be heard at all. Clara enjoyed the bouncy balls. She wanted them out of the tube! We explained that they had to stay in there so they didn’t get lost.

Miss Melinda brought over her accordion. Our friends were a little skeptical at first but they warmed up to the idea and enjoyed the music.

Clara enjoyed helping Miss Melinda play the music. She used her fine motor skills to press each key and heard a different note each time!

She also enjoyed dancing to the music. Miss Melinda played ‘Baby Beluga’ which is one of our favorites!

Eve took a stab at playing the accordion. It was a new experience for her at Wee Wee Friends but she tried it which was great!

Clara wanted to hold the accordion herself. Throughout the day, she enjoys doing as many things on her own as possible. She’s showing many signs of becoming an independent one year old! Miss Melinda held it along with Clara and she soon realized that it was heavy! She did play a few notes however .

All of the music made Eren very happy! Instead of diving right in to play the instrument, he enjoyed sitting back and really listening to the music. He bounced up and down to the different tunes that were being played.

Zoey ended her day with a pretty impressive milestone here at Wee Wee Friends. While her older friends were sound asleep, Miss Mindy looked over at Zoey and she had pulled herself up with the help of shelves to hold onto! She stood there for 30 seconds! She smiled and was so proud of herself!

It’s amazing when we get to witness certain milestones and important events in our friends lives! The Wee Wee’s are growing and growing up quick!

For breakfast, children had cheerios and pears. Lunch consisted of whole grain rice with beef, corn, and juicy pears. PM snack was hard boiled eggs and pretzels.

Have a great evening!!

-Mindy

*We are planning to go to the Matthys Pumpkin Patch (57754 Crumstown Hwy, SB 46619. Tele: 574-287-1935) tomorrow as scheduled. If it is cold and raining, we won’t go, but if it’s cold and dry, we will! Please have your WF to school by 8:15 tomorrow if they’d like breakfast OR 8:45 (no breakfast). Prepare your child for chilly weather! If you are planning on transporting your child to the farm, please let Tami know as she prepares car seats. Many thanks!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Lea! Today, Lea turns three. To celebrate, she brought her friends homemade Zucchinicakes and wore a spectacular sparkly, sea foam green dress!!! Love!!!

Our abundant summer garden has grown, overgrown, withered, fallen and is now all done.

Amy C. suggested we cover the soil with fallen leaves.

Today, we built a lesson around preparing the soil for winter (and spring!). Using The Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman, we talked about hibernation.

Then we explored what it might feel like if we hibernated in the same way a bear does.

We discussed that by blanketing the garden with leaves, we are giving the earth food so that when we are ready to grow our next garden, the soil will have had lots of healthy vitamins and minerals. Then we got to work covering our dear old garden up for the long winter.

And what a glorious day to be living and playing on the earth.

Indoors, Tami set out The Five Little Pumpkins finger play book, orange and brown watercolor and white paper. Friends created vibrant, interpretive pumpkin art.

The Band of Boys and Birthday Girl requested the Pumpkin Pound.

In the music are we carried on with our hibernation exploration, we created a Snowflake Meditation, listening to the soft, sparkly sounds of snow falling and tickling our cheeks and fingers lightly as we rested our bodies. And then The WF Boy Band requested Dynamite.

Wee Sprouts: Carrots. Breakfast: Cheerios and bananas. Lunch: Whole grain rice with beef, corn and apple slices. Snack: Lea’s Zucchinicakes and orange slices.

In the other gardens
And all up the vale,
From the autumn bonfires
See the smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over
And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes,
The grey smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright in all!
Flowers in the summer,
Fires in the fall!

-R.L. Stevenson

Good Afternoon!

Zoey started her morning off bright and early! She didn’t waste any time though for play! She had her teachers laughing so much this morning. She makes a face that looks like a kissy face/fishy face! She loves the sound that comes along with it as well .

Friends enjoyed starting their day and ending their day with a good snuggle and story. Emma’s favorite book lately is ‘The Wheels on the Bus’ and every page she jumps up and down. One of the pages refers to the passengers going ‘bumpity bump’. She loves the movement associated with the book.

Emma smiled as she saw her reflection in the mirror.

Children took turns using various cars and bikes. Some friends pushed while others pedaled.

Eren and Eve played with each other in the pebble area. Eren shared his strainer with Eve.

Clara invited Eve to play in the log house. They made food that consisted of pebbles. It turned out to be an amazing cake.

Clara used all her strength to try and climb the log house. She didn’t get to the top but she tried her best and went back again and again.

Our newest little friend enjoyed a few laughs today! She continues to love floor time and the baby jungle gym.

While Eren was playing with different toys, Zoey played hide and seek with him around the corner!

They played for a while with one another. Zoey was sure smiling big when Eren did something funny!

For breakfast, children had cheerios and banana. Lunch consisted of ham and cheese tortillas, green peas, and pears. PM snack was string cheese and graham crackers with soy butter.

I’ll leave you with possibly the biggest smile at Wee Wee Friends in a while!

Have a great evening!

-Mindy

“Sleepy school children make crabby classmates, while students who get plenty of sleep are better behaved, according to a new study published this week in the journal Pediatrics.”

Did you know that  kids who sleep more cope better? I saw this article this morning and thought that is is such a good reminder for those of us with children and wanted to share it on the blog today. (http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/15/kids-who-sleep-more-cope-better/)

While this research study is specific to elementary aged children, I have found that behavior issues and lack of overall performance of the child is also true for sleep deprived early childhood children.  The study found that, “Students who were sleep-deprived not only seemed overly tired, but were more impulsive and irritable than their well-rested classmates. They were quick to cry, lose their tempers or get frustrated. The children who got plenty of sleep had a better handle on their emotions and were more alert in class.”

From this research, it is clear that only small amounts of additional sleep (27 minutes per day) or small amounts of less sleep are what really can make a difference. 

What can parents of young children do to help their child get enough sleep?

1.  Make sure children are allowed bedtimes and wake up times that allow them to get the recommended amount of sleep (http://www.webmd.com/parenting/guide/sleep-children):

1-3 Years Old: 12 – 14 hours per day (While toddlers need up to 14 hours a day of sleep, they typically get only about 10. Most children from about 21 to 36 months of age still need one nap a day, which may range from one to three and a half hours long. They typically go to bed between 7 and 9 p.m. and wake up between 6 and 8 a.m.)

3-6 Years Old: 10 – 12 hours per day (Children at this age typically go to bed between 7 and 9 p.m. and wake up around 6 and 8 a.m., just as they did when they were younger. At 3, most children are still napping, while at 5, most are not. )

7-12 Years Old: 10 – 11 hours per day (There is still a wide range of bedtimes, from 7:30 to 10 p.m. The average is only about 9 hours.)

2.  Use a predictable bedtime routine each night and for naps
Do approximately the same activities each night or at nap time, in the same order. This is what will help your child develop sleep cues, so that over time just doing the routine makes your child sleepy.

3. Put your child down awake: Children older than four months have the ability to soothe themselves into sleep. There are a variety of things that children may do as they relax, and these skills are hidden inside your child, too, waiting to be discovered. They may include:

• Sucking a thumb or hand
• Gently moving her head from side to side
• Rhythmic kicking or arm movements
• Holding a lovey or stuffed animal
• Finding a favorite comfy position
• Singing or talking
• Sliding his head to the top of the crib for comfort
• Twirling her hair

4. Protect sleep environment to ensure healthy sleep: Remove whatever is in or around your child’s crib or bed that doesn’t contribute to sleep–or is a potential safety hazard. To prevent early morning wakings and to help your child take good naps, make sure the room is darkened (8 to 9 on a scale of 10, 10 being dark), and use white noise (such as an appliance that makes a steady hum, or environmental sound machine) if you have a busy household (other children playing, dogs barking) or neighborhood (traffic sounds outside your child’s window). (suggestions 2-4 from http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/18274933/ns/today-parenting_and_family/t/tips-get-your-kid-sleep/#.UH2IP8XA-So)

This morning the YMCA swim teachers reported another fabulous class.  Jane jumped in all by herself for the first time!  Ada, Jane, Finn, Elliott and Macy all learned sitting dives. 

The children at WF spent a lot of time enjoying the sunshine!  Inside there were several activities that revolved around the new younger children favorite story: Clap Your Hands.

Breakfast was cornflakes and apples.  Lunch was whole wheat tortillas with ham and cheese, peas, and bananas. 

Enjoy your day!

Tami

Happy Monday!

A big welcome to our new friend, Eve! She is 17 months and had a great first day! All of our new friends have been very welcoming .

We headed outside this morning. Clara and Eren ran around with one another to get warmed up.

Friends tested out different parts of the backyard. It was still wet from the rain earlier in the day so friends helped Miss Mindy clean the slides off!

P.K. has been fascinated with worms lately. He’ll go to every corner of the yard in search of worms. He found one this morning and immediately went to his friends to show them. Throughout the entire morning, he found two worms!

Clara worked on her balancing skills. It’s great when our friends get to work on different skills while enjoying the outdoors. For example, balancing skills and jumping. Our Wee Wee’s love to jump down the hill and the steps.

The pebbles were a popular place for our friends to work on filling and dumping.

P.K. enjoyed playing in the house by himself this morning. He was talking a lot to himself before his friends decided to join in on the fun!

Our newest little friend enjoyed floor time today. She’s really working on tummy time. While laying on the floor, she lays on the baby jungle gym. She is fascinated with the different toys that are hanging above her head.

Zoey is crawling all over the place. When she gets to her destination, she pulls herself up using the shelves and gets different toys out. She is becoming so mobile and she’s loving being able to crawl to where her friends are at.

Zoey also enjoyed riding the lion today with Miss Mindy’s help.

Everyone pitched in this afternoon to help build a train track. We all did a great job with sharing and taking turns.

For breakfast, children enjoyed bagels with soy butter and pears. Lunch consisted of whole wheat macaroni and cheese, green peas, and applesauce. PM snack was crackers and string cheese.

Have a terrific evening!

-Mindy

Today the older WFer’s travelled to down town South Bend to tour WNIT, our local PBS station.  Angel Hernandez, Vice President of Production led us through the station.  While a trip like this wouldn’t normally be age appropriate for 3-5 year olds, because of our recent time in the lime light, it was just right for us! 

We started with introductions and then did a quick run through of the station.  We saw the Master Control Room where they were monitoring a program that was “On Air”.

In the below shot, we were in the production room and we met the director of the show being aired and the sound guy.  The kids were shown the teleprompter and they learned all about the green screen. Notice the background screen, the lady and the screen, and the lady with the green screen. 

Lastly, we went to the Production One Room where we viewed our 5 segments that WNIT filmed at Wee Friends.  They are AWESOME!  I have NOT been cleared to release them to families yet as they are awaiting final approval.  As soon as I get the final segments, I will be able to share them with you and you will be able to share them with friends and family!

While at WNIT we also met editing room people and saw them in action, we saw the props room and met one of the producers that spent some valuable time explaining his job to the children.  It was a great experience and it really rocked viewing our TV spots at the television station! 

 

Back at the ranch:

Wee Sprouts: Celery. Breakfast: Whole wheat bagels and orange slices. Lunch: Homemade mac-n-cheese with whole wheat penne pasta and  creamy cheddar/cream cheese sauce, peas and orange slices. Snack: Hardboiled eggs and whole wheat crackers.

Have a good day.

Happy Friday!!

Children enjoyed being involved in individual play this morning. Friends went off on their own and started an activity that they found interesting. Clara sat by the door where she worked with a toy using her fine motor skills. She moved the different shapes with her fingers. Eren pushed a school bus around the room.

Emma joined Eren who was at the abacus. Emma pointed to different animals and yelled out the sound the animal made. She pointed to the dog and said, “Woof!”

Friends jumped, crawled, and slithered around the jungle gym. It’s always a great place for friends to come together to have a few laughs. We also use it as a look out place for children who are waiting for their Mommy and Daddy’s to pull up .

P.K. spent time with Marty this morning where they read books together. P.K. has been a big fan of animals and trains lately! His recognition between animal and the sound they make are great!

Children ventured into the kitchen where they played with brand new play dough! Friends used their fine motor skills to stick straws into the play dough.

Not only did our friends use straws but rollers and hammers too!

Everyone was so proud of their creations.

During naptime, Zoey and Emma invested news toys. We have long tubes with different materiasl inside such as bouncy balls, feathers, bells, and rubber shapes. Emma took her tube and rolled it on the ground, watching the balls move and make noise. Zoey concentrated hard as the different shapes moved about.

Zoeys very curious about real life items such as phones and cameras! At Wee Wee Friends, we have cameras and phones for our friends to play with. Zoey sees cameras and phones in the real world and loves being able to learn more and investigate the gadgets more!

For breakfast, children had whole wheat toast with soy butter and pears. AM snack was green peas. Lunch consisted of turkey and cheese on a whole wheat bagel, applesauce, and carrots. PM snack was hard boiled eggs and pretzels.

Have a terrific weekend!

-Mindy

 

Special Note: Today on your Wee Friend’s cubby, you will find two field trip permission slips for: 1) WNIT on Monday October 15th (older farm group  kids) 2) Matthys Farm Market on Thursday Oct. 18th (all Wee Friends). Please sign and return at your earliest convenience. Thank you!

Wee Sprouts: Carrots. Breakfast: Cheerios and oranges. Lunch: Toasted cheese/turkey/roast beef on whole wheat bagels, applesauce and carrots. Snack: Apple slices and animal crackers.

Have a great weekend.