This week we had a Penguin toy that has an iceburg base and red and black penguins. We've been working on patterning quite a bit lately as a group in circle time and Mrs. Magee and I were curious what would happen in independent play.
Look at all those adorable penguins Audrey lined up. Do you see some patterns?
Check out this awesome scissor grip. Dawson has his thumb in the small hole and his next two fingers in the big hole. His thumb is on top and he's got a relaxed shoulder which allows him to aim the scissors away from his body to cut. He guides the paper along with his other hand. You can see that he's made many sizes of cuts. Some are snipping and some are a series of longer consecutive cuts. After I snapped this picture, he kept going until there was quite a pile. Super Duper!
At SLC we have a whole huge closet full of consumable materials - mainly recyclables. We love (LOVE) this closet and the inventory changes all the time as we use items and "new" things are donated. But every now and then we have something that gets overlooked, maybe because it's hidden or maybe because we aren't sure just what to do with it. Such was the case with these papier mache' triangle thingies shaped like pyramids. I knew they'd make fabulous iceburgs. The kids absolutely loved them! We had a waiting list to get to the art table!! The Bunnies painted their iceburgs with white paint and glue, then they sprinked them with glitter "snow" and added die cut penguins. I'm not quite sure exactly why these were so attractive to the children, but I'm going to keep investigating. Perhaps it was the 3D aspect??
The Bunnies had a great time exploring winter and winter animals. They painted with "paint pops" at the easel. (Guess what? You can freeze paint!) They had opportunities to play "Penguin Pick Up" a game for two players involving color matching and the always important turn-taking. They played with polar bears and penguins in their natural habitat - the sensory table full of ice! They used tongs and a small rake to keep their fingers from getting frost bite. Brrr!
Check out these two handsome fellas! 
It's an annual event - Upside Down Day. It makes the children giggle - more than usual. 
Aaron is our second four year old. In our class, we have a Birthday Bag that goes home around birthday time. The child's family journals a bit about their family celebrations and attaches a photo or two. Sometimes they toss a favorite book from home in the bag. When the child brings the journal back, we read it and show the pictures. This is a fabulous way to celebrate growing up and a great way to share family traditions. We all have birthdays, but we all celebrate them very differently - from parties to simple prayers. Happy Birthday, Aaron!
Ever wonder what happened to those puzzle pieces your children made at home? Here they are! We get them out every few weeks and work our puzzle in a variety of designs. The kids really like it, and they've started to recognize whose piece is whose. Fun!
Since we have been back from Christmas we have been reading books about Jesus' life. Surprise - Jesus grew to be a little boy! And guess what - he didn't have his own bed or his own room or a refrigerator or a sink in his house. He probably slept on the floor on a woven mat. He probably watched his mommy sew or weave mats and she probably taught Him how. I wonder if Jesus enjoyed sewing as much as the Bunnies...
We use a large quilter's hoop and a big plastic needle to make it as easy as possible. The children chose some yarn, unrolled a long piece and snipped it. Mrs. Magee and Mrs. O'Connor threaded the needle and tied some knots. After some very quick directions, the children were able to sew.
All they needed was a steady hand to hold the hoop - and perhaps a little reminder to go "up from the bottom and down through the top."
Clever Isabella was not satisfied with just one color of yarn. She wanted TWO. So in a few places on our mat, you can see two threads twisted together and stitched. So cute!
People stayed focused on puzzles and games. William liked this egg shape matching game.
As always, Sofie can be found in the kitchen. Her creativity shines in the area of domestic arts. I think she missed our dishes.
This week I brought in a toy that I knew would be very popular. We have more than one of these garages in our inventory of cool toys, but I only brought one. I knew there would be strife over the ramps and elevator and gas pumps. Strife is an opportunity to teach compromise, and I was ready. 
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. I'm thrilled that the holidays will continue for another week or so with lots of time to continue creating memories. While all the hustle and bustle is fun and exciting, remember that young children are easily overwhelmed - even by fun and excitement. They will need time and space to process all of their new experiences into strong memories. Try to find time for "islands of calm" for children (and for Mommies and Daddies, too). Believe it or not, I'm taking my own advice - our calendar is remarkably clear for the next week. 
Clever Mrs. Magee suggested a festive science experiment - Disappearing Peppermints. Each child put a peppermint in a little cup and Mrs. O'Connor poured water on each one. Right away, the water turned pink. In just a few minutes, little fizzy bubbles began to rise from the peppermints. We left them in the window and when we returned from the playground - surprise! The peppermints had disappeared or "vidolved" as one child said. We were left with red water that smelled soooo good. I think everybody tasted it, too. It was Peppermint Water!
Today, we had a special visit to the church to hear the nativity story. Mrs. Thompson, who has been part of our school family for many years, likes to come retell this special story. She sat in front of the creche and asked the children questions about the story. She was delighted that the Bunnies knew so much already! The children loved watching Mrs. Thompson place a baby doll in a special manger as she talked about Mary and Joseph and their new little baby boy.
Here's how it all worked out. Notice the piles of dinosaurs and some extras that didn't seem to fit any other group. Guess what? It's division with remainders!
Now I must confess, this was completely spontaneous on Mrs. Magee's part. She suggested this sorting activity simply to get a sad child engaged in play. Nowhere in my lesson plans did it say that we would work on division. This fantastic opportunity was just a whim! We plan for many math concepts, but more importantly, we capitalize on the teachable moments.
The warming tray reappeared this week - this time over at the woodworking table. The Bunnies had a great time making ornaments. 
We've officially reached the good place - the place in time within a class when five children can play contently with the same toys, and not even glance up when the adult walks by (with a camera). It's a good place. I'm glad we're here.
We've played with this cute park mat many times in the classroom. It's perfect for driving cars and creating zoos. The kids request it!
That's right! Suddenly Mrs. Magee and I noticed a huge blob/parachute on the floor accompanied by wild giggling.
I've said it before and I'll say it again - Three year olds are hilarious!
