Good Afternoon!

Zoey started off her morning with floor time where she rolled from her back to her stomach with no trouble! She propped herself up using her arms and preceded to reach for toys with her hands.

She is becoming more aware of her hands and feet. Her hands have been in her mouth and she’s been feeling her toes.

This morning, our children focused on their gross motor skills by climbing on the jungle gym, sliding down the slide, and jumping once they got off the slide.

P.K. is becoming a huge fan of our newest gross motor activity! He slides down on his belly and walks down the steps. He is more confident in the moves that he does and when he does fall, he gets right back up!

Chloe played peek-a-boo with her friends today! She loved hiding and then jumping up and saying, “Here I am!”

Miss Marty took a few friends on an exciting ride! They bounced along while singing songs.

P.K. and Clara made sure to use nice touches with one another today! Clara gave P.K. a hug and P.K. leaned in to accept it.

There are gorgeous flowers blooming in the back yard! We talked about the different colors of each flower and made sure to smell them with our nose. Marina thought the pink flower smelled pretty. P.K. used soft touches with the sunflower.

Marina and Chloe rode along side each other as they peddled on their tricycles. They both used their leg muscles to push themselves forward.

Clara and P.K. opened and closed the door and window to the pretend house outside. P.K. looked up in the sky to see a plane that was flying by.

Marina and Chloe each got on a teeter totter and preceded to ride them together. They both sang, “teeter-totter, teeter-totter.”

For breakfast, our friends had cheerios and oranges. Everyone loves oranges! AM snack was corn. Lunch consisted of tuna sandwich, blueberries, and carrots. PM snack was honey graham crackers and raisins.

Have a terrific evening!

-Mindy

Parents:

A quick reminder that for all of next week (July 16-July 21) Tami will be on a wilderness canoe trip with her daughter. If you need to connect with her please do so before Friday.

Oh, Say can you see…

….and hunt for/count/study/identify/pledge/salute…

…by the dawn’s early light?

Today we studied the flag of the USA. Lisa began our study by reading The Pledge of Allegiance. She taught Wee Friends how to stand reverently with their hands over their hearts as they spoke the words. A few of our older friends knew the pledge and led us!

After we read the book, Melinda reminded us that a house down the street had their flag at full staff. We walked outside and down the block to see it. We recited the Pledge, sang “You’re a Grand Old Flag” and then decided to go on a USA flag hunt! We walked around the block and saw many flags and other red, white and blue objects.

When we got back to Wee Friends, we began creating our own flag using red, white and blue tape.

We danced to “You’re a Grand Old Flag” and as always, creative music was made with singing, dancing, instruments and a wide variety of musical repertoire. From Donny’s “Puppy Love” to Whitney’s “Star Spangled Banner” to The Music Man, we let the music move us, calm us and help us better understand counting and rhythm.

As many friends chose to move outside, one stayed curled up enjoying the comfort of the meditative music (“Where Are You Going?” from Godspell).

Tami built a weaving window inside our puppet theatre. Friends love this fine motor and collaborative experience of weaving thread in and out, to and from, up and down. Other friends have begun sewing projects using felt, thread and embroidery hoops.

Apart from these intentional, emergent activities, friends stayed busy indoors and outdoors with their work.

Lisa uses a clapping, counting system to help friends move the water fountain line as well as cultivate an understanding of patience.

      (tuna)

Have a great day.

Happy Monday!

We welcomed our newest friend, Emma, to Wee Wee Friends today! She fit right in and loved meeting her new friends.

While everyone was on vacation, a few new toys showed up at Wee Wee Friends! The most popular toy of the morning was a new gross motor toy. One side has stairs and then it turns into a slide. Children loved walking and crawling up the stairs and then sitting on their bottoms to go down the slide. We talked about taking turns and waiting until other friends are done.

We also got a new baby mirror to put up near the front entrance. Kids loved crawling and sitting in front of the mirror to admire themselves! We talked about reflection and how you see yourself in the mirror.

Emma found another mirror. She loved looking at her reflection. She sat down and stood up to look at herself at different angles.

Zoey had a great day and was all smiles this morning! Even over the break she became much more observant and is rolling over nonstop! Her friends love talking to her while she sits in her baby chair.

We headed outside where our friends took part in various activities such as riding bikes and playing in the pretend house!

Our older Wee Friends took their turns at hitting a piñata! Different colored confetti came out and Chloe picked various colors up to show her friends.

Unfortunately, our basketball hoop broke over vacation! We believe it got so hot outside, that it melted the plastic. We talked about this with our friends and asked questions about the weather that they experienced over vacation.

For breakfast, our friends had Chex and banana. AM snack was oranges. Lunch consisted of whole wheat noodles with melted cheese and cream cheese, mixed vegetables, and watermelon. PM snack was whole wheat crackers and string cheese.

Have a great evening!

-Mindy

WELCOME BACK!!!!

Today we officially welcome Sophie and Elizabeth to Wee Friends!

(From Tami) “One of our Wee Friends alumni, Emily Sibilla, is home from college for the summer and is looking for some extra cash before she heads back to Valpo for her studies in meteorology. She is an awesome person and would be great as a babysitter! Her number is 574-850-8690. She can babysit up until the 13th of August.”

We kicked off our first morning back with an WF original tune: “I Miss My Mommy”. We gathered in the music area and sang along to the beat of a tambourine. Friends caught the melody and we changed lyrics to reflect each friend’s feeling.  This led us to a dance session rotating upbeat and slow tunes. We added musical shakers and listened carefully so we could follow the prompts from the song.

We celebrated our first day back with the piñata! For the week leading up to our break, friends worked very hard on creating a piñata, out of Paper Mache, in the shape of a star, . This morning, we filled it with surprise goodies and each friend took a turn hitting it with Kai’s baseball bats.

 

And your garden is growing beautifully!

WHAT DID YOU DO ON YOUR VACATION?

Max: I fed the fish in the lake. Boppy caught nine fish (one day) and then he got 10.

Arleigh: We went to a water park.

Jane: I flied on an airplane and I went to Grandpa’s house.

Jada: I went to work with my mommy and daddy. I saw fireworks at my friend’s house and the lights were on in the pool.

Viv: I went to Milwaukee and played at the water park.

Sydney: I stayed home with a babysitter, some of the time.

Taylor: I went to the pool with Gabi and I went to my Grandma and Grandpa’s lake house.

Macy: I went to the pool. Washed my bike and little car. I went to Grandma and Grandpa’s lake.

Cassie: I spent time with my mom and listened to my music.

Nate: I played with some trucks, outside, in my sandbox. It was not a school day.

Lea: I went  to Chicago. It was far away and, actually, vacation is far away too.

Kai: I went to Mammoth Cave. We went to a hotel with a pool.

Ada: I played doctor. We put a firecracker on a stick and turned it around like this.

Finn: I went to the island.

Elliott: I went on a boat.

Wee Sprouts: Carrots and cherry tomatoes. Breakfast: Cheerios and bananas, Lunch: whole wheat penned pasta with cream cheese, watermelon and mixed veggies. Snack: goldfish and cranberries.

Have a great day.

Happy Thursday!

**Just as a reminder, Wee Wee Friends will start summer break tomorrow which is Friday, June 29th. We will return Monday, July 9th! Have a terrific vacation!

We started off our Thursday spending quality time with each other since we’re going to go a WHOLE week without seeing our friends! We brought the colors of 4th of July into the classroom this morning. Children painted with blue and red paint. Some chose to use the paint brush while others painted their hand and made hand prints. Our friends all did an amazing job at painting on the picture and their interest levels were peaked for an extended period of time! Some of us even painted our faces. .

Zoey had a great second week at Wee Wee Friends. She’s getting use to her surroundings and the different sounds that occur throughout the day. Our friends love to play with her and give her nice, soft touches on her feet and legs. She enjoys this very much!

Clara and Ellie sat and read books. Clara talked to herself as she looked at different colors. Ellie read our small book collection and made her way through all the books within no time.

Clara was very photogenic today. Here’s her take 1, take 2, and take 3 of saying, “Cheese!” She made sure to show those pearly whites!

For breakfast, our friends enjoyed blueberry muffins with bananas and pears. AM snack was oranges and corn. Lunch consisted of whole wheat tortilla filled with refried beans and melted cheese, mixed vegetables, and blueberries. The blueberries were a BIG hit! Our friends requested “more” several times! PM snack was pretzels and string cheese.

Have a great weekend and summer vacation!

-Mindy

 

Wee Sprouts: carrots, cucumber and kohlrabi (thanks, Pete!), Breakfast: Cheerios and bananas, Lunch: Whole wheat tortillas with refried beans and cheddar cheese, roasted green beans and carrots and applesauce. Snack: (thanks, Matt!)

See everyone Monday, July 9th!

Happy Wednesday!

We had a nice surprise today! Olivia and Aiden came to visit their Wee Wee Friends. Olivia stayed with us for a while this morning. It was great to see her!

This morning, Marina enjoyed stacking blocks to see how high they would go. They kept falling over so she kept rebuilding the tower. She showed great persistence as she tried it over and over until she built it up to her head!

Sydney read a ‘touch and feel’ book to Marina which she greatly appreciated!

We tested out a new sensory activity! Not only was it fun to manipulate but it made the entire house smell like Ivory soap! First, we took bars of Ivory soap and put it in the microwave. We waited patiently while the soap was in the microwave.

When the soap was ready, our friends used their hands to roll it and break it up into small pieces. It turned into a light play-dough substance that the children enjoyed exploring.

We turned it into snow! Children brought imaginative play into their sensory play. Children pretended it was snow and cars were driving through it. They became very involved and creative with their play using their sensory material.

Chloe joined Olivia underneath the tent where they scooped pebbles with cups and spoons. Their measuring and pouring skills are growing everyday which will help them at the table when they can serve themselves!

The log cabin was a popular hang out spot this morning. Clara climbed one log and held on with their hands. Marina sat and observed her friends playing in the house.

Ellie continues to work on her balancing skills while outside. One of her favorite activities is to walk along the longs. She’s understanding the different things that need to happen so you don’t fall off such as watching your feet and keeping your arms at your side.

Clara really enjoyed working in the sand this morning. She used a shovel and plate to transfer sand onto the logs.

Marina wanted some shade so she decided to head to the deck where again, she built a tower! Only this time, she used Legos instead of blocks. She made sure to snap the legs on tightly so it didn’t break.

Chloe and Marina joined Clara in the sand box where they buried their feet and poured the sand onto different surfaces such as towels and trucks.

For breakfast, children enjoyed English muffins with butter and cinnamon along with bananas. Lunch consisted of turkey on whole wheat bread, carrots, and bananas. PM snack was blueberry muffins and oranges.

Have a great evening!

-Mindy

 

“What Do the English Say?”

Sweets. Alexandra taught us that the English would say, not candy or dessert, but sweets. And everyone at WF is talking about them! On the playground this morning, two groups of friends spent an extended length of time selling strawberry ice cream and smoothies.

With sand as their material and plastic plates and buckets for tools, friends scooped, stirred and dished out serving after serving of ice cream. Shouts of “Ice cream! Who wants ice cream?!” were heard across the yard.

Inspired by Simon’s tarts, we decided to make another batch!

Lisa invited friends to create more baked yummies with green sparkly Play-Doh. They sang as they molded, cut, pressed, squished and rolled!

There were lots of games being played today. Jada, Sloane and Lea initiated a collaborative game of “London Bridges”.

With Melinda’s guidance, they played several rounds of the game singing and laughing along!

 

Kai, Viv, Simon and Max played “Hot Lava”. The ground was hot lava and they found any and every ledge, stone or mat they could, to walk safely across the lava. Max created his own obstacle (and solution!) by placing a chair close to a rock and moving carefully between them.

And…….base!

With Alexandra’s poster board full of familiar images with English names, we created a game called “What Do The English Say?”. (Thanks, Alexandra!) Friends rolled dice and landed on a picture. After practicing a proper English accent, we would ask, in unison, “What do the English say?”. If the WF answered correctly, she could stay on the picture. If not, she moved back to start!

One round took us nearly 45 minutes to play! And like every proper Englishwoman and Englishman, (and Wee Friend!) we shook the winner’s hand…and discussed how important good sportsmanship is!

Wee Sprouts today are cucumber slices and carrots. Breakfast was grits and cranberries. For lunch we ate turkey sandwiches on whole wheat bread, carrots and bananas. Snack: Grape tarts!

Have a jolly good day.

Parent Reminder:

• We are closed this Friday, June 29-Sunday July 8 for Summer Break. We will re-open Monday, July 9.
• This Thursday, we are planning on having water play. Please make sure your Wee Friend has a swimsuit at school. Thank you so much!

DID YOU KNOW that “when you put Ivory soap into an operating microwave, the soap and trapped water absorb the microwave energy and heat up. Eventually the water turns to steam. Steam takes up much more volume than the equivalent quantity of liquid water, and this drives the expansion of the soap bar. In addition, the air in the trapped bubbles expands as it is heated, contributing to the expansion.”

SO…..We thought we’d try to create our own Soap Soufflés.

With Melinda at the helm, each WF chose a bowl of ivory soap shavings and took turns watching as they expanded into a mountain of fluffy peaks.

After watching the explosion, friends went to the table and, using an eye dropper, added water color.

Lisa worked with each Wee Friend as they wrote and mailed postcards from London.

Laurie taped six paper hearts to the rug. She read Mother Goose’s “The Queen of Hearts”, turned on Juice Newton’s “Queen of Hearts” and waited to see what happened.

We danced a bit, learned how to curtsy and bow, and invented a Queen of Hearts version of “Duck, Duck, Goose”. Then the hearts became stones on which to cross over hot lava. As Juice sang, friends walked carefully from heart to heart, being careful not to fall into the hot lava. When the music stopped, the friend who was in the lava sat down.

Sydney shared a few circle games and taught us how to play them. Instruments started slowly appearing, so we set out baskets of more for friends to choose from and began creating music.

There were three requests: Arleigh: the slow/fast rhythm song by Hap Palmer. Elliott: “Puff the Magic Dragon” and Finn: “Dynamite” (“Because I have super moves!”).

A few friends sat together looking for the Queen of Hearts in a deck of cards. Simon created the rules and carefully instructed his friends on how to play. Friends identified hearts, triangles and certain numbers.

Wee Sprouts are cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and green beans. Breakfast was Malt-O-Meal with applesauce. Lunch was ham rolls stuffed with cream cheese, corn and orange slices.

Have a great day.

Good Afternoon!

Our friends started their morning off by coloring with markers. They talked about different colors and the images that they were drawing. Marina pointed and said, “Daddy!” Elizabeth concentrated as she drew multiple green squiggly lines. Ellie stayed focused as she tried to put the marker back where she found it.

Children pulled different books from the shelf that they found interesting. Clara requested a book to be read to her that talked about different parts of the body such as hands, nose, and feet. Ellie sat quietly reading her book while talking to herself. P.K. pointed out Dora and many of her friends. Clara joined and they read the book together.

Outside, Ellie pushed the basket while P.K. and Clara headed for the blue dogs. Sydney helped Clara along the circle path.

Marina used her strong leg muscles to climb to the top of the wooden house! She stuck her shoulders out and smiled at her friends. We talked about the easiest way to get down. She said, “It’s hot!” Miss Mindy told her that when the sun hits the wood, it becomes hot.

Clara sat in the sand box where she filled an egg up with sand and gently poured it over her leg. She enjoyed the warm sand falling on her leg.

Our Wee Friend Sydney was nice enough to give a few of our friends a calm and gentle ride around in the basket. They relaxed as the warm sun hit their face.

Elizabeth joined Marina inside the wooden house where they worked on scooping rocks and pebbles. They put the stones and pebbles on the tree stump. Their goal was to get as many rocks on the stump as possible!

Friends gathered over by the house where a few friends were dishing out ice cream! Everyone made sure to put in their orders so they would receive the ice cream of their choice. Elizabeth and Ellie worked together as they prepared the ice cream for their friends. Marina went back and forth between the sand box and the house to retrieve more sand which they were using as the ice cream.

For breakfast, our friends enjoyed cheerios and oranges. Our friends LOVE oranges! AM snack was cucumbers. Lunch consisted of ham and cream cheese roll-ups, corn, and banana. PM snack was rice cakes with cream cheese and raisins.

Have a great evening!

-Mindy