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

 

Good Afternoon!

**There has been some confusion about the picnic that is scheduled for next Monday at 5:30. It is for BOTH sites meaning that everyone is invited! Please feel free to ask any questions that you may have about this event. We look forward to seeing you there!

Marina and Olivia started their mornings off by looking at their reflection in the mirror. Olivia watched the movement of her lips as she opened her mouth wide and then closed it. Marina did different body movements as she looked at herself in the mirror while saying, “Me!”

 

We borrowed two activities from our friends next door at Wee Friends. The first was a wooden container that had sets of each letter. Marina, Ozzie, and Olivia enjoyed taking the letters out and laying them on the felt board. They yelled out the names of each letter and a name or object that started with that given letter. Ozzie thoroughly enjoyed a train number puzzle. He put the entire thing together. When he was done, he went through the different numbers as such: “one train, two train, three train, etc.”

 

 

Ellie and Chloe participated in baby yoga this morning. They both chose to sit quietly and listen for directions. Miss Paulina was doing a yoga move with a few children and Ellie enjoyed that!

  

While doing the bear walk, Marina got down on all fours and moved forward using different muscles in her arms and legs. Her gross motor skills were being used while doing this activity. Clara sat on Miss Paulina’s legs as her jumped up and down. She liked the motion and being able to use her legs to push her up.

  

After baby yoga, our friends participated in music time where the shakers were a big hit! Ozzie, Clara, Chloe, and P.K. decided to move their musical shakers up and down to make noise.

  

Miss Paulina sang a new song and Chloe listened intently.

While his friends napped, Aiden became curious when he saw his reflection in the mirror. He saw his face and pointed to the mirror and giggled.

 

For breakfast, our friends enjoyed toast with butter and pears. AM snack was cucumbers. Lunch consisted of whole wheat tortillas with melted cheese, cantaloupe, and green peas. PM snack was rice cakes, bananas, and pears.

Have a great evening!

-Mindy

Parent Info:

On Thursday, May 10th, the sidewalk repair project is scheduled to start, weather permitting. If you pull up at drop off and there are cones, please park in the church parking lot. Same with pick up. Thanks so much!

Also, on Thursday, May 10, the Garden Growing Committee is meeting at 5:30, in the backyard, to finish planting. We’d love your help if you are able to make it! Bring a brown bag dinner!

When the swimmers departed, in honor of yesterday’s slug discovery, we made Goop (1C water, 2C corn starch). A rotating group of friends spent the whole morning squishing, scooping, poking, flipping, crumbling and stirring the goop. They explored how the goop started solid and became slimy once it touched their hands.

Wee Wees Jada, Olivia, Sloane and Ellie spent the morning  playing with us.

Wee Sprouts today are cucumbers and celery sticks. Breakfast was Lisa’s Malt-O-Meal and bananas. For lunch, we are serving melted cheddar cheese and chicken on whole wheat tortillas, peas and pears.

Have a great day!

Happy Monday!

We started off our day at Wee Wee Friends with interactive play. Olivia, Elizabeth and Marina joined one another in the kitchen where they worked with play-dough. All three girls put their purple play-dough into black circular bowls. They used their hands and utensils to push the play-dough down.

 

We brought out the linking stars for the children to investigate. Marina put two of them together while Jada was surprised when she linked three together. Sloane went under the jungle gym where she could concentrate while linking the stars.

  

Jada, Sloane, and Chloe sat in the jungle gym where they practiced linking the stars together.

  

Miss Marty opened up the beauty shop and got our friends hair all pretty!

  

Aiden has been pulling on the different toys hanging on his floor gym. He continually rolls from side to side.

 

For breakfast, our friends had chex and craisins. AM snack was cucumbers. Lunch consisted of whole wheat penne pasta with red kidney beans, cucumbers, and cantaloupe. PM snack was carrots and banana.

Have a great night.

-Mindy

Parent Information:

• Just a reminder that Lisa is working on a food sign up sheet for our Potawatomi Potluck/Spring Joy! scheduled for a week from today, Monday May 14 from 5:30-7pm. If you are interested in bringing a simple main, vegetable, fruit dish or dessert connect with Lisa and she will sign you up.
• Swimming as usual tomorrow, with the Weehicle pulling out at 9:30.
• Farm trip on Wednesday and Tami will be taking the older group. 9:30 departure.
• VERY IMPORTANT: This Thursday the sidewalk repair is scheduled to start, weather permitting. If there are cones set up when you drop off your child, please park in the church lot. Same goes for pick up. Thank you!

From shortly after the time they arrived to mid morning, Jane and Macy charted everyone’s favorite color. With their knowledge and understanding of tally marks, they went from friend to friend asking “what is your favorite color?” and recording their findings.

 

When Simon asked “Can I work on math?”, we pulled out the poker chips, dice and a muffin tin. Simon rolled a die and placed the corresponding number of poker chips into the muffin tin. When the tin was full, he rolled again and took that many away. Lea, Macy and Jane joined the work.

Afterwards, Simon got a piece of paper and drew a muffin tin with 12 cups. He also drew several dice and put different numbers on them. He then colored the corresponding number of muffins on his paper tin.

Our earthworm study continues to grow and today Lisa read Creepy Crawlers (Lynn Huggins-Cooper). Friends researched and learned about spiders, flies, beetles and lots of other creepy crawlers.

Ada found one such creepy crawler as soon as we headed out this morning: a HUGE SLUG!

Everyone was so excited about it, they immediately went on their own creepy crawler hunt looking under rocks, mats and deep in the dirt.

They found spiders, doodle bugs and earthworms.

Nate and Alexandra first created a block structure and the worked peacefully together to put the blocks away.

During our small group time after lunch, Lisa sang our Hello Song with friends, working on lyrics and rhythm. Laurie worked with the older friends on writing the opening sentence  of their books.

Our Wee Sprouts today are carrots and green bell peppers. Breakfast was Oatmeal Squares and bananas. For lunch, Tami made whole wheat penne pasta with red kidney beans, cucumber slices and bananas.

Parent/Child Communication Starters:

• Let’s sing Jackhammer Joy together! You can teach me the words!
• Is a slug hard or soft? What other words can you think of that would describe how it feels?
• Where do slugs live?
• Why do doodle bugs curl up in to balls?
• Let’s look around us and name all the orange things we see! What about blue?

Have a great day.