Rainy Days

It has been a rainy week in Jackson which has resulted in a soaking wet playground and children that have had to stay inside. In Big Bird Buddies we decided to bring some outside activities indoors...

Sidewalk Chalk Drawings: We brought a big piece of black paper into the classroom and laid it on the floor. Instead of coloring on the sidewalk, we colored all over the paper!

Picnic: We filled a picnic basket with plastic food, plates, and silverware, spread a blanket across the floor and practiced having a picnic. Why would we practice having a picnic? Monday, weather permitting, we will be having a picnic with real food and silverware on the playground.

Farm Day: We pulled our farm animals off the shelf and borrowed Ms. Ciera's barn. We made animal noises and played pretend. Then we used foam to make our own farm animals.

Music and Movement: We listened to Dr. Jean's "Bear Hunt" song. We marched around the room on a bear hunt. We went through a swamp and into a cave. We moved our bodies in various ways, listening and responding to Dr. Jean's instructions.

Though we have enjoyed a fun week indoors, we are certainly ready for warmer, drier weather!

Spring Break in Kanga's Kids

During Spring Break, the teachers in Kanga's Kids completed their home visits. Thank you to all of our families that welcomed us into their homes!

In early April, we explored and learned all about pets. We ate like pets, moved like pets, and most exciting of all, we made our favorite pet noises. Woof, Woof! Meow!

Bugs have become the latest trend in our classroom. We placed a spider into a small bug cage inside our classroom and observed it for a short time. The children were careful to remember that it would need something to climb on and a place to hide.

The children have been enjoying the warm, Spring weather. During outside time, our kids can be found riding bicycles, searching for bugs, running races, or playing pretend.

Take time to explore the outdoors with your children! It provides many learning opportunties!

Bubbles and Flyswatters?

Sesame Street spent the week using a wide variety of materials to explore bubbles.

The children were encouraged to pop the bubbles using several different body parts; hands, elbows, feet, and heads.

During another exploration, bubble solution was poured into a pan and the children used some interesting household supplies to blow bubbles; flyswatters, bubble wands, cookie cutters, stacking rings, and a sifter.

The children in Sesame Street discovered that their puppets love to eat bubbles! As Ms. Ciera blew bubbles the children caught them in the mouths of their puppets.

They observed bubbles as they popped on paper. They painted with bubble solution and used straws to create bubbly rainbows on coffee filters.

Key Developmental Indicators from this exploration:
Moving in locomotor and nonlocomotor ways, moving with objects, pretending and role playing, drawing and painting, describing objects, creating and experiencing collaborative play, using something in several ways, observing things from different viewpoints.

Looking for a fun at home project? Put your bubble solution into the freezer for an hour. Take the solution out, blow bubbles, and observe.

What will happen? Your bubbles will last longer in the air and they will also have a cracked appearance!

You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives. ~Clay P. Bedford

Mini March for Cystic Fibrosis

We are pleased to announce that our second annual Mini March for Cystic Fibrosis was a complete success! We have raised $575 to support research and treatment and money is still being donated.

The children were sponsored to walk laps around the playground for one half hour. Between 10:45 and 11:15 am the children could be seen walking, marching, or running around the orange construction cones that marked their path.

Cystic Fibrosis is a condition that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States. In the 1950's, children diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis could only expect to live to see elementary school. Through medical advances and research funded by walk-a-thons just like this, the life expectancy of someone with Cystic Fibrosis has dramatically risen to the 30's, 40's, or beyond!

We are honored to have been a part of fundraising for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Decorating for Spring

Pooh Corner has been busy creating decorations for hanging around the classroom and welcoming spring! Our most recent project involved bingo dobbers, yellow finger paint, and paper plates. The infants used these materials to make buzzing baby bumblebees!

A few of the babies found the most excitement by using their touch and taste senses to explore the paper plates.

When Ms. Amber introduced the finger paint it went unnoticed by many of the babies. Unnoticed that is, until their fingers "accidentally" touched it.

It was exciting and amazing to watch the wonder in their eyes as the plates and their hands changed colors!