Kids love to play in water!  I added eggs, pom poms, silicone cupcake liners and scoops to the water.  During this activity they sorted, counted, squeezed, scooped and poured.  They are using all the muscles in their hands and wrists with this fun activity!  Keep it simple & keep it fun!

Birds build nests to have a place for their eggs to hatch, though not all bird species build nests.  Most hatchlings do not stay in the nest for very long, though bald eagle chicks (eaglets) stay in their nests for almost 100 days.  They created their own nests with baby birds!  For their name they tore paper to make a nest and cut out eggs.  I set out birds, nests and eggs for them to play and use their imaginations.  

When you think of an egg you may naturally imagine one that is white.  However, colors  of bird eggs range from plain white to rainbow of colors such as blue, green, ivory, tan, beige, gray, red and orange. During this Invitation to Create , children explored creating colors and designs on their egg using a stamping tool.  They chose the color or colors they wanted to use.  During this project, they used their own creative ideas to make a custom egg.  As children explored tools, colors and textures, they discovered that each egg was uniquely different from the others even when using the same art supplies. 
For their name they colored an egg shape and wrote or traced their name.  (They really did, even though you cannot see it in the picture!)
They colored the letter Kk, cut out and pasted in their journals.  
For literacy they were encouraged to select an egg from the nest, identify the letter and place the egg shape on matching letter.

I like adding in directed drawings throughout the year because it is a great listening activity and boosts the kiddos confidence with their artistic abilities.  They are so fun to do and even though it is a directed drawing they are all different.  Today we drew and painted a frog with cattails!  These directed drawings were all done by 3 and 4 year olds. 

Crawfish are sometimes known as "crayfish" or "crawdads."  They are nocturnal animals and live in bodies of freshwater like ponds, streams and rivers.  Crawfish eat y using their pincers, which are large claws that are specialized for defending themselves and cutting their food.  Today they made a crawfish clapper using cardboard and bingo chips inside to make a clicking noise.  They played with the pond sensory bins and made their own ponds!

One of my friends told their "mum" (grandma) last night today is my birthday.  It is not my birthday, she showed up today with a cake and card!  I presume yesterday's topic planted the seed. Thank you Mum, Calvin and Beatrice for baking a cake!  We decided today would be a good day to  celebrate all the Summer birthday's!! 

Amphibians, birds, fish, and most reptiles are types of animals that lay eggs.  We began our day reading the book Egg in the Hole by Richard Scarry.  When buying eggs at the store or farm, you may find only white or brownish-colored eggs.  Shell color is based on the breed of the chicken. We all looked at the Inspiration photo and discussed all the different colors and designs. During this Invitation to Create, children experimented with a white crayon and watercolor.  During the process of decorating their eggs, children discovered what happens when colored water and wax mix.  This cause-and-effect art project is exciting for children to engage in an incorporates science skills. 
For our names we made a nest with eggs. The children tore brown paper used blue ovals for the eggs.  
We drew lines in our fine motor journals and the older kids traced letters and numbers.
I made forest like sensory bins using split peas and beans, scoops, animals, paper towel rolls, twigs, stumps, letter tiles for literacy and let their imaginations run!  They all wanted an egg as well! 

We are easing into 2023 working in our fine motor journals!  We sorted letters O and P.  and traced the letter P. They cut paper and glued in their journals and drew lines.  A few kiddos asked if they could play with the letters and make words (this makes me so happy)!