snow, snow, SNOW!!

We finally got what we've been wanting --- SNOW! We've been chanting our "Winter chant" for a long while, which begs for some of the white stuff.

(Winter, Winter, come our way

Bring some snow for just one day

Make it cold and make it white

Snow would be a lovely sight!)

And it finally came!

It was lovely.
(This was taken at my house - we had 3.5 inches!!)

All aboard!

Last week Ms. Danielle planned neat activities focused around Trains. One of the main focuses was setting up the wooden steering wheel with chairs behind it as a passenger train. Add a conductor (with hat and vest), train tickets, passengers and you have yourself a passenger train ready to travel!
The children really enjoyed it. Ms. Danielle helped with turn-taking because everyone wanted a chance to be the conductor and hole punch the tickets of the passengers. 

ALL ABOARD!!

The train is ready to leave the station.
What happened after this picture taken was pretty cool. If passengers were tired or hungry, their every need was met. "Beds" were available for sleeping. (Play) food was provided and I believe there was even a bathroom. :) 

The main part of wanting to be the conductor was hole punching the tickets!

Both groups really enjoyed it.

hello Spring!

The spring came suddenly, bursting upon the world as a child bursts into a room, with a laugh and a shout and hands full of flowers.

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Spring is here. But somehow Winter missed us this year. :( 

It's beautiful to walk outside and see blooms bursting open. So pretty. 

Mexico day!

Both Thursday and Friday we learned about Mexico. One of our preschool families shared items from Mexico and I brought sombreros and a few instruments I had. And most importantly, we listened to "La Cucaracha" on my iPad, which was a fun animated rendition of the song - dancing cockroaches. It was quite a hoot to watch! :) 
If you want a song to be stuck in your head forever, this is the song to listen to....here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yfka9m6NhzE

Sombreros are fun to 

wear anywhere and with anything!!

Insert La Cucaracha here.....

Items from Mexico.

Wednesday was Brazil day!

We learned about Brazil on Wednesday at preschool - the Amazon River (it's not the same "Amazon" as where parents order things from....:) ), various animals (including the anaconda....), music and much more! We also learned a few Portuguese words. It was a great day.

Coloring the Brazilian Flag

Wearing a shirt with the Brazilian flag on it.

Wearing a futbol (soccer) jersey

Kicking the futbol!

This is how you do it!

pine cones and cornmeal

I realize that this is a strange combination and have nothing to do with each other..... 

They were the highlight of today's learning at preschool. 

There is something soothing and therapeutic about playing in the sensory table, no matter what is in there, kids are in it! (and teachers, too!!) 
It's so neat to watch them - pour, scoop, dump and sometimes even get messy - there is a lot of measuring (Math) going on even if the children don't realize they are gaining these skills. Another great thing about the sensory table is the social play that is going on - give and take, waiting a turn, conversation, language. As well as imagination and creativity.

This week there is cornmeal in the sensory table. I try to explain what it is, some children call it corn starch. Today they were making ice cream, cake, etc. Oh, the imagination!

I love how it ends up on their faces
and makes it look like they've been baking.
Most of the kids never left the entire choice time.

And now on to pine cones. While we were outside today, some children started gathering loads of pine cones in their hands. I pulled out the sand buckets for them to carry these prickly, pokey things around. We scrounged for every last one of them on the playground...and then there were none. But, Ms. Larisa discovered more on the other side of the fence. Ms. Anna came to our rescue and filled about 5 buckets of them and then handed them over to Ms. Larisa, who then scattered them on the ground for children to pick up. It was quite the action, but everyone was all smiles for more pine cones!! 

Pine cones! Pine cones!

Flat Stanley

Some of you may be familiar with Flat Stanley, a story by Jeff Brown for elementary age children. I have a niece who lives in Arkansas and I received a lovely manila envelope from her with Flat Stanley and a letter included. So, for the next month, Flat Stanley will be visiting our classroom. I introduced him to the MWF class today and the kids loved it. One child immediately took him and dressed him in doll clothes. He even sat at the art table and played with us at the "rocks and trees". Such fun! 

Apparently he enjoys reading,
so he listened to our story during circle time.

Just to clarify. You are seeing OU correctly.
Our family are Sooner Fans!!! :)