We've been hard at work to prepare for our beach party on Wednesday! The children have bene decorating their t-shirts using spray fabric paint (easier than traditional tie-dye, and more creative control!). They also constructed palm trees from scratch, painted a giant sun, and began making umbrellas for shade on the beach..... awesome!!!
Two birthday celebrations this week! Happy Birthday, Carly and Spencer!
On Tuesday, we were fortunate to feature Mr. Gibson, Spencer's karate instructor. Together, they helped us learn some basic poses, moves, and ideas. The preschoolers really enjoyed the demonstration and participation, especially when Spencer broke a wooden board with his bare hand!!! (Mr. Gibson made sure we knew to only attempt that with him, or another black belt!)
We practiced making warrior faces, exercising our bodies, and had a great time! Everyone was also invited to come to a free class with Mr. Gibson at his studio. Thanks, Spencer + Mr. Gibson!
We also learned about 'big cats' with CJ and his dad. Now we can tell the difference between leopards and jaguars (the latter has small spots within the circular spots on their fur), and we know the proper name for a female lion (lioness). We played with some of these big cats (hyenas, too!) during freeplay... .Thanks, CJ!
Happy weekend, everyone!
...well, totally COOL !
[Disclaimer, this post is all about ducks. If for some reason you have a fear of ducks, or anything adorable, please close your web browser now.]
On Friday, the children got to hold the ducks!
Surely an unforgettable experience for the children, and the ducks! According to one baby duck, "Peep, peeeep!"
To catch you up since Saturday, the first day where a duck had completely emerged from its shell, here are some photos documenting their development.
Summary, 12 eggs:
7 live ducks
2 ducks fully hatched, then died
2 ducks began hatching but did not finish
1 egg showed no signs of hatching/development
Early last week, we moved a table close to the tank, to allow for a closer observation of the ducks. We used crayons, markers, and tempera paint. Some of their representations are hanging our door.. they look great!
Beginning on Thursday, the children started to work on their designs for our 'duck playground.' Using large paper, the children drew plans to illustrate their ideas for playground apparatus. Their ideas included: slides, swings, a trampoline ("to help the ducks learn how to fly"), and a rocketship (like the one featured in the apropos book "It's My Turn," which we read earlier that day).
On Friday morning, the children marked off our construction zone, and began to work in the center of our classroom. Using our large blocks, they built the playground for the ducks to use for fun and exercise. This was the first time the ducks were able to come out of the tank- freedom! !
The children had to ensure that the playground was secure and safe: no openings in the perimeter, and sturdy, balanced use of the blocks.
The ducks enjoyed running and jumping around parts of the playground, and usually stuck together, like a seven-headed yellow ball of softness.
We have enjoyed watching the ducks grow, eat, sleep, play, and poop! They drink about 2 jars of water daily. Next week, we will bid farewell to our friends, as they make the trip out to Long Island for their return to the farm from whence they came (circle of life?)
Here are a few other photos from last week:
Return of the Magnatiles!
The children practically salivate over these awesome building materials. They are great for encouraging sharing, understanding geometry, and visual planning.
Friday's weather was undeniably beautiful, so we were able to take a trip to a local playground in Central Park. Hippos are so cool!
Reasons why this is a great playground:
1. Walk there in 10 minutes
2. Clean, recently renovated
3. Climbing areas offer more challenging tasks
4. Open and airy, sunny and shady spots
5. Hippos and a rowboat!
Two birthday celebrations this week! Happy Birthday, Carly and Spencer!
On Tuesday, we were fortunate to feature Mr. Gibson, Spencer's karate instructor. Together, they helped us learn some basic poses, moves, and ideas. The preschoolers really enjoyed the demonstration and participation, especially when Spencer broke a wooden board with his bare hand!!! (Mr. Gibson made sure we knew to only attempt that with him, or another black belt!)
We also learned about 'big cats' with CJ and his dad. Now we can tell the difference between leopards and jaguars (the latter has small spots within the circular spots on their fur), and we know the proper name for a female lion (lioness). We played with some of these big cats (hyenas, too!) during freeplay... .Thanks, CJ!
