P is for Pumpkin

This week is all about pumpkins.  Both classes made a book called Growing Pumpkins.  The children learned that from a pumpkin seed a vine will grow.  A flower then grows from the vine.  A green pumpkin will grow from the flower, and lastly the green pumpkin will turn orange.

 

At the sensory table the children took turns scooping the pulp out of our classroom pumpkins.  I will roast the seeds from our pumpkins and on Friday we will have a pumpkin seed taste test.

The children are also enjoying the pumpkin play doh that I made for them at the writing center.  I have included the recipe for your enjoyment at home!

Pumpkin Play Doh
~ 2 cups of flour
~ 1 cup salt
~ 4 tsp. cream of tartar
~ 1/4 cup cinnamon
~ 2 Tbsp. cloves
~ 2 Tbsp. nutmeg
~ 2 tsp. ginger
~ 2 cups water
~ 2 Tbsp. oil

To Make: 

1. Mix the flour, salt, cream of tartar, and spices together in a mixing bowl.

2. Add the water and oil to the dry ingredients and mix together well.

3. Transfer mixture to a medium sized saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly.

4. The dough will begin to thicken and form. When it becomes difficult to stir and is more solid, remove from heat and carefully knead the dough. {Note: dough will be hot!}

5. When dough has cooled, have fun playing ~ this is great for the holidays!!

Last Day Fun

We ended the school year with some fun.  To begin the day the children partook in their regular morning circle and playtime routine.  For centers today we went outside for field day fun.  Some of the games we played included Spoon Zoom(with a marshmallow), Sack Races, Sponge Races,  Hippity Hop, and Drip-Drip-Drop.

 Now I know my ABC's.
Colors, shapes, and days.
I sang some songs,
Learned some poems, rhymes, and finger plays.
I played outside on sunny days,
And inside when it rained.
My little hands and feet were busy every day.
My teacher was Mrs. Meyer.
I kept her on her toes.
She tied my shoes, combed my hair, and even wiped my nose.
But now it's time to say "Good-bye"
To all my 4K friends.
School is over, summer's here.
But learning never ends!

Bubbleology

Almost every thing we did today revolved around bubbles.  Our read aloud was titled Pop! A Book About Bubbles.  From this story we learned that bubbles are shaped like a sphere.  With Grandma Sue today the children went outside when the rain let up and experimented with various utensils to make bubbles.  Inside they bubble painted.  To do this they used a straw to blow in a cup that had a mixture of soap, paint, and water.  When the bubbles reached the top of the cup they placed their paper on top of them.  This process makes beautiful pictures.  Lastly, the children played a math bubble pop game.

Camping

Today we started our new theme "camping."  Our classroom now has its own campsite.  Here the children can gaze at the stars, roast marshmallows, or look for animals.  During centers the children went on a hike to find items they would need to use while camping.  When the children found an item they identified its beginning sound and recorded it on a recording sheet.  The children also drew their final self-portrait for the school year.  For snack the children had s'mores.

Almost Kindergartners

At center time today the children wrote a letter to their future kindergarten teacher.  No matter where each child goes to kindergarten they will always hold a special place in my heart and in the heart of Zielanis School.  Here is the outline of the letter:

Dear Mrs.

My name is

and I am excited to be in your class next year!

My favorite thing to do in 4K was

 In Kindergarten, I want to

 I am really good at

 Here is a picture I drew for you:

 

See you in September!

Love,

 

The common theme in each letter written this year and in years past is the idea that the children's favorite part of 4K, what they want to do in kindergarten, or what they are good at is playing.  As we enter the season of summer please reflect on the following from the Illinois Early Learning Project:

It has been said that play is children's work. Children work hard at their play because they can make it up themselves. The best part about children's play is that they learn a great deal while having fun. Here are some things to keep in mind about play.            

"Play" can be any spontaneous activity that is fun.

Spontaneous play occurs when children do an activity freely. If children organize a ball game, dramatic play, or a game of hide-and-seek, they are meeting their needs for spontaneous play. Spontaneous play is different from enrolling children in little league or signing them up for dance lessons. Children benefit most from a balance of activities adults plan and lead and activities that children plan and lead on their own.

Play can be an effective and enjoyable way for children to develop skills:

• Language skills when they play name games, sing songs, and recite jump rope rhymes.
• Thinking skills when they construct a block tower, follow directions to a game, and figure out pieces to a puzzle.
• Small-muscle skills when they string beads, make clay figures, and cut with scissors.
• Large-muscle skills when they play ball, roller skate, and run relay races.
• Creative skills when they make up stories, put on a puppet show, and play with dress-ups.
• Social skills when they team up to play ball games, discuss rules for a card game, and decide who will play what part in dramatic play

It is important to remove barriers to children's opportunities to play, such as:

• Too many structured activities. When their lives are overscheduled with activities, sports, and lessons, children do not have time to themselves and for unstructured play.
• Too much television. When children watch too much television, their play too often mimics what they see on TV (or on the video or computer screen). TV watching also robs children of valuable time to play.

If a child says, "I'm bored," she may need more unstructured time for play.

Parents often hear children complain about boredom when activities are not scheduled for them. Children need "down time" and time to be alone. These are the occasions when children's imagination and creativity take hold. These are the times when children experience the full benefits of play.

Bookworm Gardens

We had a wonderful time visiting Bookworm Gardens and searching for signs of spring.  We toured a barn with Charlotte's web, we sat in Papa Bear's chair from the story Goldilocks and the Three Bears, we looked through insect compound eyes, and we even fed the fish.  I have included pictures from our trip as well as a link to learn more about the exciting learning opportunities that take place at the garden. http://www.bookwormgardens.org/

Zoo Day

To begin the day the children listed to the story Zoo Day Ole! A Counting Book.  This book ehlped us learn to count to ten in Spanish.  Things did not go well at our Zielanis Zoo today.  All of the animals got out.  It was the children's job to count them all and make sure they got back.

 Did you know that a kangaroo can leap 30 feet in one bound?  The children counted how many hops it would take them to travel 30 feet.  For some children it took 21, 18, and even 16 hops. 

Did you know that when a baby giraffe is born it averages 6 feet tall. The children compared their height to a baby giraffe's and recorded their results on a graph.