Hammering

Looking for an easy fun activity at home? Let me tell you, kids love hammering!! One of the best ways to introduce hammering is to use a piece of styrofoam, a small lightweight mallet and golf tees. Any thick styrofoam will do - especially the weird pieces that come as packaging in large boxes. Sometimes we add the challenge of beads. The beads in the photos have a very large hole and the golf tee fit right in. The Bunnies had to hold the golf tee and bead still long enough to hit it with the mallet. It's super-fun and the materials are easy to gather. Try it at home!!

Firetruck Visit

The annual firetruck visit is a BIG event at School for Little Children! It's very exciting to see such a huge vehicle up close. The firefighters were quite chatty this year. It's always a highlight to see the big ax and hear about chopping down doors and roofs to let smoke out. One of the firefighters showed us how he puts on his uniform - slowly, piece by piece. He compared it to dressing in a costume for Halloween. It's a gentle way to help the children understand there is a real person under all that gear! Then Kade was brave enough to try on the boots, coat and hat. To extend the learning in the classroom, we had a set of fire station legos and lots of firefighter costumes. I feel perfectly safe with all those cute little firefighters and their plastic fire extinguishers in our midst!!

The Great Pumpkin Experiment Update 1

After two weeks, much to our surprise, our pumpkin grew.
Stay tuned...

Pumpkin Play

The Bunnies had so much fun exploring pumpkins before Halloween. We covered so many math, science and literacy concepts that I couldn't begin to list them all! Each photo is described below so you can see how many ways we can incorporate one thing - a pumpkin - into our learning.

• At the woodworking table, the Bunnies had opportunities to hammer nails into our pumpkin.
• Our orange glittery playdough was absolutely perfect for making pumpkin faces. We used our regular cookie cutters and our imaginations to create silly pumpkins.
• Quite a few people used the warming tray to make pumpkins with a huge orange crayon.
• Squash, small pumpkins and corn were available to explore in the science area.
• The Bunnies used shape sponges to create faces on large paper pumpkins.
• Fiction and nonfiction books about pumpkins were available on the bookshelf. Some we read as a group, some were for individual exploration.
• We measured our pumpkin, and we measured ourselves.
• Mrs. Magee made a pumpkin patch and Weston B. cut all the "grass" for the garden.
• Sofia had fun fingerpainting with orange glittery fingerpaint.
  

Toys in Mouths

In our class this year, we have several Bunnies who are still in the stage of putting toys in their mouths. I want to let you all know how we handle this at school.

In a classroom of three and four year olds, we have some games and toys with small pieces. Putting toys in mouths is a danger times two! Of course we want to prevent choking, but also, we want to prevent transmission of germs as much as we can.

In class, we have had many, MANY chats about what goes in your mouth and what doesn't. Our consistent message is: Only FOOD goes in your mouth. If we see a child put a toy in his or her mouth we promptly send him or her to the bathroom with the toy to "give it a bath" with soap and water and dry it off. We remind the child to keep toys out and only put food in. We even sometimes add in words like, "You put this toy in your mouth. I'm so sorry you had to stop playing to come wash this toy." We want to point out the natural consequence - it's not so fun to stop what you are doing to wash toys.

Please help us by reinforcing this message at home. We can have a bigger impact if we work as a team.

Sew Wonderful

Here's something we've not seen before in the Bunny class - someone who sews hole by hole in a running stitch. Most Bunnies choose to stitch is a completely random pattern. Susannah's going to love it when we sew on burlap with yarn. Stay tuned for that project - it's always popular.

The Warming Tray

The children have learned a new way to create art. They have learned to use the warming tray. It's just what you think it is - an old fashioned kitchen warming tray just like the one your grandma has. We cover ours with layers of paper to keep little fingers safe, but still let the warmth come through. The children put slick paper on the tray, and draw with peeled crayons. The heat melts the crayons and the children can create ribbons of smooth color across their paper. It's very soothing, and the Bunnies loved it!

The Great Pumpkin Experiment

We have a pumpkin experiment in the works. Last week, the children were very curious about what was inside a pumpkin, so Mrs. O'Connor cut our pumpkin open at the top. The pumpkin had a interesting scent and ooey gooey stuff and seeds inside.

We didn't bother to clean out the pumpkin (who likes that anyway?? ewwww). Everybody took turns filling up our pumpkin with dirt. Don't be concerned with all the nails you see hammered into the pumpkin - that was a completely different activity!

When the pumpkin was all full of dirt, we took it outside to the porch to water it. Plants need water and sunshine to grow, you know. I think I've mentioned before, using a squirt bottle is a great way to water plants without overwatering. Oh yes, we all took turns.

We think our pumpkin seeds will sprout right through the dirt. What do you think?

Leaf Man

Leaf Man is a really neat book. In it the illustrator uses leaves to create other people and animals, and the story tells of their adventures. We decided to make our own Leaf Men. Of course, some of them were Leaf Girls! Karis had a great time making her Leaf People with many, many googly eyes. In our class, we are not concerned with number of eyes. Creations with multiple eyes are welcomed and encouraged! The second photo shows Ava's Leaf People. Notice one of them has an umbrella (sweet gum ball). She made a whole group! This is the perfect time of year to make Leaf Men/Girls/People. Try it at home!

Signs, Signs

Each year, each class is different. I've seen a lot of cool things happen in the "office" which is what we call our literacy center. Until this year, I have never had children make signs. I love it!! Seems simple, right? Think about what's involved: drawing and/or writing, using the two hole punch and orienting the paper just so, cutting yarn to length and threading it through the holes, and asking a grownup to tie the yarn. Not so simple after all. If a sign makes it to your house, please display it proudly!

Phone Conferences

It's phone conference time. Mrs. O'Connor will be calling over the next couple of weeks to briefly check in on your child. Get your questions ready!

Saying Good-bye

This week we had to say good-bye to Simon. His family is moving out of our area. I'm not sure the Bunnies really understood, but I think they'll figure it out when we introduce them to a new Bunny. That's right - we'll have a new Bunny, Weston, starting soon. What are the odds of having two Westons!!

Apple Tasting

In Bunny class we've been learning about plants. Guess what? You can eat plants! Generally this is surprising to little children. So we had a taste test. Each Bunny got a slice of a red, a green and a yellow apple. They chose which they liked the best and we displayed the results on a graph - and I use that term loosely. We counted how many people liked each color and compared the amounts. Most people liked yellow!

Playground Fun

Want to know what the Bunnies do on the playground? They build their motor skills! Running, climbing and pedaling are the three main activities. At this point in the year, the children don't play together all that often. They primarily explore the toys, sand, and structures independently. This is normal. Later in the year, they are going to move in packs roaming from place to place and activity to activity. All the while their muscles will be growing. Nothing beats time to run and play!!

Music

On Tuesdays, we now have a music teacher, Miss Cruise, who visits our class to sing and play. She has come twice and she is teaching the Bunnies some darling songs. The children are starting to learn the motions to go with the songs. From our standpoint as teachers, who aren't particularly musically gifted (wink, wink) it is really nice to have a professional come to the room. Mrs. Magee and Mrs. O'Connor are picking up some tips and tunes.

Jello Oceans

We wrapped up our experiences with ocean life by making Jello Oceans. It was our first cooking project this year, and the Bunnies seemed to really love it. On Monday, we made a batch of blue jello and poured it into clear cups. Each Bunny added 1-2-3 gummy fish to the cup and put it in the refrigerator. On Tuesday, they gobbled it all up!

God Created the Oceans

Continuing our learning about the world God made for us, we've spent lots of time exploring the oceans and all the creatures in them. We've had big bins of ocean animals to play with on the rug, several books about oceans with photographs of the real animals, rubber stamps of ocean animals in our office, and sand and shells in our sensory table.
We read the Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister. It's a neat story about a fancy fish who has trouble making friends. He learns from the wise octopus that he needs to share a bit of himself. He shares some of his shiny scales with the other fish and in so doing, gains friends. In art we made our own rainbow fish with colorful scales and shiny (aluminum foil) scales. We also acted out the story. We listened to Aquarium and "swam" around the room. The children had two shiny scales taped to their shirts - one to keep and one to share. It was a great way to practice a really hard skill!

Beauty Shop

Our homeliving center is transformed on a regular basis. So far this year, it has been a Chinese restaurant, a pizza parlor, a regular kitchen, and a beauty shop. That's right - with doll heads, brushes, barettes, spray bottles, ribbons - oh yes, we did hair!

Who Needs Cheering Up?

I have no idea who made this, but doesn't it make you smile?!

Architecture

In the Bunny Rabbit class, the children have opportunities to build with a variety of materials. Here at the beginning of the year, we are giving them the chance to explore only one type at a time. This allows the children to learn about each material and its options (and how to put it away!) without interference from other building materials. You can see three options in these photos. Mason told us he built a horse house with some small farm blocks. Simon and Kade built roads and drove their cars on their roads made from huge blocks in unusual shapes. Noah built the big house from traditional blocks and fully described each part of the house including where water drips down the roof. In a few weeks, we will begin combining materials. You'll be amazed at some of the creative structures the children produce. Basic principles of architecture begin in preschool!

Camera Shy - Not!

Mrs. O'Connor and Mrs. Magee always have a camera handy. These little Bunnies are well documented! They have a camera to play with, too, and they use it daily. Luckily three year olds are generally delighted to have their picture taken.

Growing

We're doing our best to grow milkweed and other butterfly loving plants from seed. The containers are 2 liter coke bottles repurposed as planters. Each day the children have the opportunity to observe the growth and water the plants. We use a squirt bottle for watering. It helps control the amount of water each plant gets (ahem!) and it's excellent for building hand strength. If you would like to have help watering your plants at home, give your little Bunny a squirt bottle and a smile!

Creation

We have been learning about God's story of creation. We've read several version of the creation story in some beautifully illustrated books. The Bunnies have been exploring the story through art as well. The children painted using toothbrushes in white paint on black paper and added silver glitter to make sparkly stars for the concept of light and dark. They also made a giant Earth by squeezing pipettes of green and blue watercolor onto huge coffee filters. The colors blend beautifully to look like the Earth. We also sang "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands". We will continue to explore the story of creation over several weeks.

First Fire Drill

We had our first fire drill this week. We walked out to the back parking lot and stood on one of the yellow lines (more or less). I think a few Bunnies were disappointed that firefighters were NOT coming to school.

Puff Paint

We are continuing to slowly introduce the children to a variety of art materials - one at a time. It's important that they gain experience with one type at a time so that later when we present them with multiple materials, they won't go nutso. This is puff paint. The recipe is simple: a squirt of shaving cream, a squirt of glue, and a squirt of liquid watercolor. Whisk, then paint.

Magnetism

Today the children were interested in a magnetism activity. Each colored disk is a magnet with poles - positive and negative. When the disks are threaded on the stands, they either attract or repel each other. There are pattern cards to go with this activity and tons of vocabulary to learn related to magnets, but we didn't do any of them. The best way to introduce new concepts is to let the children first fully explore the materials on their own. That way they get to make some of their own discoveries.

Parent Orientation

Next Monday, September 14 will be Parent Orientation. Please plan to meet in our classroom at 6:30. I'll share lots of information about our school year. You can browse around the room and ask questions and visit with other parents. A fun evening just for grown-ups.

Tricky Snake

Today a few of us worked to create this colorful snake. We started with the head and added sections to the snake by matching patterns. Easy for some kids, quite challenging for others. To add the next section, each child had to find another piece with a matching pattern AND orient it to keep the snake from curling onto itself. Tricky snake indeed! We got to a point where no other pieces would work, so we stopped, put on the tail, and counted. Our snake was 20 pieces long. Maybe next time we can make it even longer!

An Illustrator

We have a Bunny who loves to draw. In a short time Monday, he produced three or four drawings at the easel. He quickly learned how to hang up and take down paper, and how to put it out on the porch so it won't blow away. I have a feeling our markers are going to get a workout this year! Delightful!

Three Great Books

Over on the right side of this blog, there is a section of favorite books. Here you will find books that we have read in class that had a great message OR that the kids just particularly loved. Way, way, way down at the bottom of this blog is a bookshelf. On it, you will find the books mentioned and you can see what the covers look like. Right now there are three books. Two of them are about school and adjusting to school. One is about rabbits. Since we are the Bunny Rabbit class, we tend to read bunny books frequently. If you are looking for fresh books to read at home, try checking the favorites list for ideas. Happy Reading!

Playdough, Paint and Sushi

The Bunny Rabbits had a great first day! Everyone explored what there was to do in the room - and there was LOTS to do in the room. Playdough is always a big hit and we will have it every day. We painted big bunnies in art. Watercolor was a new experience for a few Bunnies. Our Chinese restaurant had lots of customers and chefs today. Yum!

We also began establishing our routines - washing hands upon arrival, playing with one thing at a time, asking another child for a turn, and cleaning up. It will take many weeks for the routines to become, well...routine. We're off to a strong start!

Welcome Bunnies!

We're so excited you are here! It will be a great first day.

One Week to Go!

Mrs. Magee and I have met ten of our new little bunnies, and we love them already! We will meet two this week and two more yet to be assigned to our class. I expect we will start the year with 14 Bunnies. This week, the teachers will gather for inservice, for worship and for planning. By this time next week, we'll be ready to roll!

Waking Up

It's been a delightful summer - hot, but delightful.
Now it's time to get excited about a new group of Bunny Rabbits! I have my class list in my hands, and I'm ready to start calling my new families. The first order of business is to schedule classroom visits. Yea!

Naptime

It's naptime for the Bunny Rabbit blog.

Come back in August to see all the preparation and excitement for a new class of Bunnies.

Night, night!

With a Grateful Heart

I absolutely LOVE my scrapbook! Each page is darling and truly shows the personality of each precious Bunny. I appreciate the gift cards, too, and I know I'll have fun choosing something special. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Water Play Day

Our last big hoorah of the year was Water Play Day. We spent the entire morning outside getting wet. There were so many activities, the Bunnies hardly knew what to choose! We had shaving cream and watercolor on bubble wrap, fishing, bathing babies, a car wash, an ice pool (brrr!), watering the garden, and a water slide. By far, Callie and Parker had the most fun. Those two tried it all. They were wet, gooey and smiley for three solid hours! Mrs. Magee named them "Number 1 Water Boy" and "Number 1 Water Girl".
We wrapped up the fun with popsicles on the porch - the best part, we all agreed!
Most were disappointed to learn they couldn't wear their bathing suits again the next day.

Sorting

We had a chore to do, and it turned out Bradley was guy to get it done! We had a large stack of books to return to the library. Bradley sorted the them by the colored tape on the spines of the books and put the books into piles. He made shelving them much faster for Mrs. Magee and I. Thanks, Bradley!

Gingerbread Day

Gingerbread in May? Certainly! We spent some time reading the story of the Gingerbread Man - in various versions. We decided to make our own gingerbread man. Gabriel's mom prepared the dough. The children pressed the dough into the huge cookie cutter and then decorated our guy with raisins. Then Gabriel's mom took him to the oven for us. While he was baking, we read the Gingerbread Girl. Her story turns out quite differently than her brother's. After the story, we went to the oven to get our big cookie, but guess what?!!! He was gone!!!

Our gingerbread man left us a clue to find him. We chased him to the big blue barn on the playground, but we just missed him. We chased him to the library and to the Seahorse classroom, but he was just too fast for us. Our last clue suggested we go back to the Bunny room. There he was! Right on the table waiting for us!!

He made a delicious snack. We gobbled him up like hungry foxes!

Patience

At the end of the school year, it is amazing to see what the children can do. Most of them have turned four by the end of May and, in general, their level of patience and perseverence has grown significantly. Look how many buttons Sarah has strung on this necklace. She kept going long after I took this picture, too.

Catching Up

The last few weeks of school really got the best of me and I fell down on my blog posts. Summer's here, but I'm going to get caught up anyway. Adventures from May still to come. Stay tuned!