A map is an image of a specific area. It may include a "key" which contains symbols that represent real objects, such as a river or roads. Maps help us find out way when we are lost. We took a walk around the neighborhood to look for signs, trees, houses, and cars. Once we returned from our walk the kids were encouraged to draw a map of the neighborhood.
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We have started our Transportation Unit this week. Children begin to understand their world when they walk down a road or path. They may recognize an area by seeing a special tree, traffic signs, stores, parks or familiar homes. By exploring landmarks and finding them on a map, children increase their awareness of symbols. Roads make it easier for us to travel from place to place. Some may be curved while others can go on straight for miles. A road is a path that people or vehicles follow. Roads are usually made of dirt, gravel, concrete or brick. We always need to look both ways before we cross a street. The kids were given paper, sand, markers, tubes and an inspiration photo to build a road! They explored how to create roads using their own ideas and creativity. Children learn that there are multiple ways to create art and that there are no right or wrongs ways. Traffic signs give information to drivers and pedestrians. They are simple words, colors, symbols and numbers. Signs help us stay safe. We set out paper and markers and they made their own signs. We also made a traffic light and discussed what each color means. Today we read the book Pete the Cat and His four Groovy Buttons followed by an invitation to play with playdough. I gave the kids playdough, buttons, pony beads, shirt cookie cutter and rolling pins. We made Valentine bags, decorated cookies, played games and had a fantastic day! The kids picked a few valentine colors, I taped a heart shape to the canvas, the kids painted canvas and we took off the heart! Another busy day! We played in our Valentine sensory bin, salt writing trays and worked on our fine motor journals. We painted tin foil with q-tips. This painting activity works on so many skills for young learners. Toddlers are able to work on fine motor skills and explore color mixing! We also used q-tips to paint the first letter of their name. The kids cut the paper and glued the pieces inside the heart! Polar animals live in, under and top of the ice and snow. Polar regions have a lot of ice, snow and water. The kids colored a globe, used tissue paper on the North and South Pole to represent snow. Final step was punching holes and using a straw for the globe to be able to spin. Narwhal's are often referred to as the unicorn of the sea, narwhals are strange and beautiful creatures with one tusk protruding from their head. Narwhals live in the icy waters of the Arctic seas. Each child chose the colors they wanted to use, drizzled the paint onto paper and scraped it away with a credit card to reveal the colorful design. Once the paint dried I cut out the narwhal and they added the eye. They were all very colorful and unique! We had busy week learning more about arctic animals. We made snowy owls, penguins, polar bears and igloos! |
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