elephant city

Building can be a quick task or it can be more deliberate, intentional and complex. Today is an example of the latter. One cool thing about team work is the collaboration and language that is taking place. Many ideas coming together. Negotiations and compromise are a must. It usually starts out with a few children building, then others join in and add their part, and then before you know it you have an elephant city or a skyscraper. (They couldn't quite agree on what it should be called).

The process is important.
Each piece has its place.
Deliberate. Intentional. Complex.

Getting there. But not quite ready.

I was ready to take the picture
and then a child decided it needed more...
so the orange cones were added.
This is when the discussion of what
it should be called was occurring....
Team work. Collaboration!!

Getting fancy

Some children were getting all fancy in the house area on Thursday. They got all dressed up and were ready to go...... but hadn't quite decided where it is they were going, but they were ready!!

The expressions here are priceless. 

Teachers need to get all fancy too.....

worms

Big, fat, juicy ones. Oh how they wiggle and squirm. Some children dug right into the dirt and others stood back, cautiously watching. Overall they were very fascinated with the little critters. 

24 squiggly, wiggly night crawler worms.....

Let me just look first and then I'll touch them. 

The teacher was strongly encouraged
to pick one up, but the child bolted. 

granola peanut butter balls

We were introduced to these yummy snacks a few years ago, and they have been a hit ever since! Here is the super-duper-easy-healthy-no bake recipe:

1 cup of oats (quick oats work best)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup ground flax seed
1/3 cup coconut
A dash or two of chia seeds 

Mix together. (I use my hands.) Roll into balls and place on cookie sheet. 
Refrigerate overnight and enjoy. Really tasty with milk. (or coffee! :))

Fingers and Pillows

Let me explain. I just introduced a new song to the children (in both sessions) and it is called Fingers and Pillows. It is a great way to help children learn how to use the tripod hold when they are using a writing utensil. It can be implemented at home as well. All you need are your hands, a cotton ball (the pillow) and a writing utensil....and paper of course! 
It takes a lot of practice and fine motor skills to get the tripod grasp. Don't worry if your child doesn't get it right away. And don't feel pressured to do this at home; sometimes children resist doing any "work" at home. If you make it fun and playful and not a task, that often makes children more eager to participate. 

If you hear your child singing this song, then you will understand what it is about! Here are the words to the song:

Fingers and Pillows

By Marianne Gibbs, EdD, OTR/L (http://www.writeoutofthebox.com/home.html)

(sung to the tune of Oh my Darlin’)

I have two hands with ten fingers – I have five on each hand

First is Thumbkin, then Pointer, then the tall one, Middleman.

These 3 are special, they are busy, and they love to play

They play with toys and hold a pencil in just the right way.

Next is Ringman and Pinky – they are sleepy little ones

They hug a pillow and stay sleeping so the busy fingers

can have fun!

(Visit http://www.writeoutofthebox.com/home.html for more ideas on fine motor skills to use at home!)

Here we are practicing it during group time:

We have our pillows and markers ready to go.

There is the tripod hold we are aiming for!
(I like the excited one in the back....yawn,
what's all the fuss about holding the marker
a certain way....)

Music!

We ended our campus tours on a "high note".... ha ha
We visited the Keim Center for Performing Arts Education Building, which was formerly named Northlawn. (It's named after former President Howard Keim and his wife, current education faculty, Tami Keim) We had a fantastic time joining the Bel Canto singers as they sang (and we joined along too)! 

KEIM Center!

Waiting for the college students to arrive for
Bel Canto practice/class.

They sang a song for us --
they sang high and low and it was
loud!! But they were very good. 

Do Re Mi.....

It was a special time.
Mr. Bel Canto director and daughter.

A movement song where everyone got
involved!

A great camp song - 
Jesus is a friend!

The building has an open stairway with
a lot of stairs that leads to the lower part.

Green Gables replica.
Green Gables was a building on campus that
has been gone for a number of years. It
housed the preschool (in the basement) and was
where I learned how to be a teacher when I was
a student at HC!!

Hesston College Nursing Facebook post!

Hesston College Nursing added 3 new photos.

October 13 at 3:26pm · 

Nursing Instructor Heather Hosford showed visitors from Hesston College preschool the simulation lab to see where and how nurses learn. It was great to see their excitement with the mannequins and their eyes light up when they touched a stethoscope! #ourfuture

Here is the link:  https://www.facebook.com/hesstonnursing/

Playground fun!

The children were pretty excited about going to play at a different playground. Ours is pretty cool, but the one across campus (next to Hesston Mennonite Church) is way cool. We walked across campus and just had a blast! And it was a perfect Fall day!!

These bell/chimes were played the entire time
we were at the playground.

This circle spinny thing was a hit!

There was always a line for the slippy slide.

The leaves are beginning to change
and are gorgeous!

Hello there, buddy!

Happy Fall Day!!

Physical Education

We came back from Fall Break ready to go! Today we just walked across the street to visit Yost Center, which hosts Volleyball and Basketball games. It is such a big, cool gym! 

There was pictures of this little guy in his dad's office.
The children were very fascinated with looking at those.

They even coordinated their shirts!

A quick lesson in movement - learning
the electric slide. The children were not
quite sure about it - too many steps.

Hesston College Larks!
Go Larks!!

Nursing

Today we visited Lemons Center on campus - the nursing and science building. (It does not have any lemons inside.) One of our preschool moms is an instructor in the college's nursing program. We visited a classroom and simulation lab they use to help nursing students gain skills before they work with actual patients. A great experience for the children. 

Lemons Center -
I did mention that if they wanted to be a
nurse someday, they could come to school here! 

A fake arm to practice starting IV's.

A fake baby
(or doll when I explained what we might see)

They were fascinated with these fake people.

This fake kid had hands going in his mouth.
He had a tongue and teeth!

This fake person was actually breathing.
We also got to hear him cough and throw up.

Trying out a stethoscope.
Future nurse?

Children got to wear real stethoscopes to
hear the "patients" heart and breathing. 

Mom and daughter

This building also has some cool science displays.
Stuffed birds, including eagles, hawks, ducks, etc. 

And cool rocks to touch!

We had a super great day at 

Lemons Center!