We were so happy to welcome our friends back to Smart Start this week. They were surprised to find that we have two residents joining us at Smart Start. We now have two Guinea pigs, Timmy and Buster, that our friends can observe and interact with. They have been very excited to pet them, with the help of a teacher and learn about the things we should and should not put in their habitat. Everyone wants to have them in our environment for a long time and have done a great job protecting them.
With the unexpected snow days early in the week, Wednesday and Thursday presented the opportunity for us to review letters we have learned, read books about snowy weather, explore some of our favorite things and use some tools and toys that was purchased for our classroom. Friends matched letters using ice cream cones and scoops of ice cream and others put together puzzles of the alphabet. Others focused on using tools to assemble gears to make them work together in different ways. Magnetic cubes were used to construct everything from faces to couches. We strengthened hand muscles by tearing newspaper which will be used for Timmy and Buster’s bedding. New tempura sticks were used to paint things beginning with letter sounds we have learned throughout the first semester. To explore creativity in visual arts our friends were given different shades of gray to paint the winter sky.
In our Imagination Station, we constructed different designs using big blocks and Lincoln logs. Other friends played with dinosaurs or used dot stickers to make snowflake patterns. We continued coloring and cutting snowflakes to make a snowy sky in our classroom and played with snow dough in the sensory bin. Our other sensory bin was filled with animals and a landscape resembling the wild terrain in which they would naturally be found.
The discussion of how we can be kind and help winter birds was the focus of Science on Wednesday. Bird feeders made of Cheerios and pipe cleaners were sent home to hang outside. On Thursday we predicted which would freeze quicker; hot water, room temperature water, or cold water. All were placed outside. Although it was less than 20 degrees, none were fully frozen by dismissal. They were observed and it appeared the hot water cubes were well on their way to freezing faster.
Wiggle Room was an opportunity to do some of our favorite moving and grooving. We brought out our Shaky Eggs and bells to dance and sing with some of our favorite music makers. We also played some of our favorite games: Hot Potato, The Floor is Lava, and Charades. The Snow Dance was brought back by request, and it look like it was successful once again.
Our journal entries included topics about our favorite experiences over Christmas break and what we like to do in the snow. We hope you get to enjoy all of those snowy day activities this weekend!
Look for the new snack schedule to be sent home next week!
Have a great weekend,
Ms. Leah, Ms. Jacquita and the Smart Start team
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