No More Snow Pants!

We’re still getting the question on a daily basis, do we have to wear snow pants today? What a treat to return from vacation to warm dry weather. We’re officially eating snack outside every day, which means a shorter inside play block, circle time, then outside for the rest of the morning.

This week we started a unit on music and sound. Thanks for the many donations! Here are a few of the highlights so far:

Instrument making: shaky eggs, harmonicas, and rhythm sticks
Composing songs and writing music using jars of colored water (see the blog for pictures)
Group song writing about spring sounds
Lots of song books, including The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night, Little White Duck, and There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

In the next couple of weeks we hope to build a larger “sound garden” out in the woods, complete with pots and pans to bang on, a wooden xylophone, and wind chimes. Music is so much fun!

Snack update: because we’re eating outside, and small wrappers are starting to litter our woods, we’re asking families to stop sending juice boxes or drinks with plastic straws. No matter how hard we try those little wrappers just fly away! We always have water available for kids.

Math Practice: Counting

Counting is one of the most important foundations of mathematical development. You can infuse counting into every day routines.

Count objects: Give your child opportunities to count whenever you can. Count food items, how many places need to be set for dinner, or the number of cars you pass on the road.

Count verbally: kids delight in counting to high numbers - do it with them! Counting in the teens is so tricky, and require a lot of practice. Count while you brush teeth, walk up and down stairs, or to time how long it takes to get dressed.

Our first snack outside since the fall!

digging, digging

"I found sprouts!"

This team excavated a large rock - such amazing teamwork!

Children tapped on the jars to hear the different tones. Then they wrote "songs" by coloring in boxes on a piece of paper. After they wrote their song they gave it to a friend to see if they could play it.