We are learning about Autumn! Although the seasons changed back in September, we are just finally seeing the leaves in full color and really falling now. It’s the perfect time to explore the changes we see outdoors with a nature walk! Everyone had fun shuffling through the piles of leaves in our picnic grove and finding all sorts of Fall treasures- changing leaves, mushrooms growing, bark, pine needles, twigs and feathers.
Back in the classroom we read Leaf Man and used our treasures to create all sorts of creatures of our own. On the art table we used markers to color coffee filter leaf shapes and sprayed them with water to watch the colors bleed into each other and magically turn into “paint”. Some of us even tried creating leaf rubbings- it’s super tricky to hold the paper still and rub over the bumps at the same time! We also used giant leaf & tree stencils on the easel with crayons and dot markers.
The first step in learning to write is making strokes and shapes with the writing utensil. This week we used crayons to trace straight, wavy & zigzag lines to make the leaves “fall” in our fine motor journals.
There were forest animals and “tree” blocks in our block center and a campsite was set up in dramatic play- complete with marshmallows to toast!! Another new center in our room this week was the light table. Seeing the light shine through our leaf gems on the trees was mesmerizing…and calming. Some children also sorted the leaves by color and counted them.
We sang the song Bingo at circle time, but changed the words. This is how it goes:
There is a friend who’s in our class
And ______________ is his/her name-o
Then we put up a name card, identify it, and spell the name (J-A-C-O-B, etc)
It is very catchy and will hopefully help each child learn to spell their names. We point at each letter as we sing, to help make the connection between our words and the written letter. Everyone is excited about learning their name!!
Faye’s mom came to celebrate Faye’s 4th Birthday on Tuesday!! She read a Mercy Watson book to us- Faye’s favorite pig🐷 Happy Birthday, Faye!
Remember Monday, Nov. 11 is Veteran’s Day and CCP is closed.
We will also be closed Nov. 27-29 for Thanksgiving. We would like to have a small celebration of sharing and thankfulness in our classroom on the Mon/Tues before Thanksgiving. If each child can bring 1 piece of fruit (or small cup, if your choice is berries or something similar), we can create a Friendship Fruit Salad to share with each other during snack. I will send a reminder when the time comes.
Please mark your December calendar…We will have our Preschool Christmas Concert on the last day of preschool before Christmas. It will be on Wednesday , December 18 at 9:30am in the Sanctuary.
Have a wonderful weekend with your sweet Ladybugs!