We can share things like toys or food with others. When there isn't enough, we can still share so everyone gets some. Today, the children made friendship bracelets. I set out beads and pipe cleaners on the table and let them explore. They counted and discussed the different colors of the beads.
The empty air filter box turned out to be the most entertaining toy of the day!

#preschool #childcare #daycare #homedaycare #smallclass #learningthroughplay #ExperienceCurriculum ​

When we feel scared, we may also feel worried or sad. Some people hide when they are scared. Both people and animals experience fear.
The children started working on their "My Feelings" book and practiced the letter Hh. During free play, they had fun with magna tiles and superheroes.

Some people like to be surprised while others do not. Sometimes we are surprised by a loud sound or a surprise party.
Artist Pablo Picasso was born in Spain in 1881 and was one of the most famous artists of the 20th century. He is well know for co-inventing "Cubism," a form of painting that features simple geometric shapes. During this Invitation to Create, children built their own face using simple shapes. Children explored their spatial awareness skills by arranging, turning and flipping their shapes to create a desired design. Children found ways to connect the shapes and create their own masterpiece. ​

When we are mad, we might yell, stomp our feet, or cry. When someone feels mad, they can go to a quiet place and try to calm down. Today, we read A Kind Friend, and the children were encouraged to draw a picture of the bunny or someone else being kind. They shared their drawings with me and explained how the characters in their pictures were being kind.
For our letter work, they used stickers to create the letter "H" by placing stickers along the lines I drew. They also used dot markers to find the letter Hh. The letter search activity was such a hit that I created another one, this time focusing on the letter Ff!

When we are sad, we may frown or cry. When someone else is sad, we can comfort them by giving a hug or simply listening. How do your lips move when you’re sad? The children explored this by using mirrors to make different faces. They each created their own mirror to take home and play.
They used dot stickers to form the letter Hh and sorted letters Hh and Ff. They also colored a balloon blue (blue is the color of the month)  and drew a facial expression of their choice to reflect different emotions.

Understanding and identifying feelings is a crucial part of a child’s development. Learning to express emotions in a positive and healthy way helps build strong social and emotional skills, which better prepare them to resolve conflicts and navigate the world. For example, when we feel happy, we often smile or grin, and the word "happy" starts with the /h/ sound.
"H" is for "Happy Horse!" The children used the letter H to create their own happy horses, adding fine details to make each one unique. They also had a blast playing in our newly created sensory bin, which inspired lots of imaginative play and engaging conversations.
We also introduced the "Feeling Shapes Game Cards." The children took turns pulling cards from a bag, identifying the shapes, picking out matching tangrams, and tracing them in their journals. They used scrap paper and glue to practice creating the letter H by following the lines. To top off the day, they had fun dressing up, which is always a favorite activity!

We celebrated two more birthday's this last week. Happy birthday George and Logan!

I’ve put together a sensory bin to complement our Friends and Feelings Unit. It's simple, but I think the kids will really enjoy it! The bin includes pom-poms, small people figures, and tongs. The children can sort by color and use the tongs to place the people and pom-poms in the corresponding color houses.
Sensory bins are important because they allow children to explore textures, practice fine motor skills, and use their imaginations. This hands-on activity also encourages sorting, concentration, and even teamwork. I’m excited to see how they engage with it!

Friends meet in a variety of places, such as at school, work, home, playgrounds, church or stores. When we meet someone, it is polite to greet them and say "hello." We can play with others by engaging in games, outdoor play and other interactive activities. We can learn how to play cooperatively with others by sharing and taking turns. They created a friendship headband today. We discussed how should a good friend play? We brainstormed a list of nice ways to play together; be kind, share, listen and help others. 
They built the letter Ff with loose parts and colored an Ff book.
Finally, they made ice cream cones for their friends in the sand.