Blog

March 20 – March 24

This week we will be talking about rain and umbrellas… last year during rain week we had nothing but sunshine – this year Mother Nature appears to be in line with our theme!  We will be outside working in our garden – Thank you to Hilary, Nate, and Porter / Bears class for getting our garden ready for planting.  They were out in the rain on Saturday.

The children had fun building Leprechaun houses last week and we will begin working on our fairy houses — adding imagination play in our natural space.  We will be monitoring our rain gauges and moving them around to see where it rains the most and where it rains the least.  Wednesday’s class was able to make the rain painting project and I am hoping that we can do the rain project with the other classes this week.

Gardening is one way to teach the children empathy for living things.  When they garden they learn responsibility as they care for their plants.  Being outside in nature is allows children to see living things in their environment.  As we work in our garden, and observe the worms, bugs and birds in the play area, we are developing a community that has an interest in caring for plants and wildlife.  The preschool garden is a certified a Wildlife Habitat through the National Wildlife Federation and we will continue to build up the garden to support the urban wildlife in our neighborhood.  Last year our garden attracted songbirds, hummingbirds and butterflies. As the children are learning to protect living things in our garden they will be learning empathy and respect for all living things.

Kahn (1997) proposes that children can develop empathy toward both nature and people, and that empathy in one domain can generalize to another domain.  This conceptualization suggests that as children demonstrate prosocial behaviors such as caring and empathy toward animals and plants, their understanding of perspectives, needs, and feelings of people can deepen as well. 

The rain is raining all around,
It falls on field and tree,
It rains on the umbrellas here,
And on the ships at sea
– Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1895)

Can You Hear The Rain?

“Pitter-patter, pitter-patter,” can you hear the rain?
“Pitter-patter, pitter-patter,” on the window pane.
“Pitter-patter, pitter-patter,” let’s go out to play.
I just love to jump in puddles on a rainy day.
Little raindrops, “Splashing, splashing,” all across my face.
Little raindrops, “Splashing, splashing,” splashing every place.
– E.B. (1938 – ) MotherGooseCaboose.

The Rain

Pitter-patter, raindrops,
Falling from the sky;
Here is my umbrella
To keep me safe and dry!
When the rain is over,
And the sun begins to glow,
Little flowers start to bud,
And grow and grow and grow

Thunder Crashes

Thunder crashes.
Lightening flashes.
Rain makes puddles,
I make splashes.

Rain

Rain on the green grass,
And rain on the sea,
Rain on the house-tops,
But not on me!

March 13 – March 17

March is National Umbrella Month!

We will be learning about rain, clouds, rainbows this month.  This week we will start with the “rain” themes with umbrellas.  As we explore rain and clouds we will talk about umbrellas and rainbows in Circle Time as well as activities in the classroom.  As you talk about the rain you can ask your child about ways to stay dry in the rain and what happens when things get wet.  During our outside time we will be doing experiments with water and a variety of materials to see what happens when they get wet/how to keep them dry.

Rainbow Songs and Fingerplays

New Umbrella (Tune: I’m A Little Teapot)
Here’s my new umbrella,
Wide and high.
It keeps me cozy, warm and dry.
If the rain starts falling from the sky,
Just open me up and you’ll stay dry

Rain on my Umbrella (Tune: Frere Jacques)
Drip, drip, drop, drop,
Drip, drip, drop, drop.
Drip, drip, drop,
Drip, drip, drop.
Rain on my umbrella
Rain on my umbrella,
Never stops.
Drip, drip, drop.

Under my Umbrella
Under my umbrella, I am dry. (Make umbrella shape with hands)
When it’s raining, my oh my. (Wiggle fingers like rain)
I wait until the raindrops stop. (Clap hands on stop)
Now no umbrella on my top! (Hold up Hands)
Wait until the raindrops stop (Clap hands on stop)
Now no umbrellas on my top? (hold up hands)

RAIN
Rain on the roof tops
Rain on trees
Rain on the green grass
But no rain on me!

March 6 – March 10

We will have frogs that jump at table toys and frogs in the sensory table and at playdough.  You can talk to your child about the different shades of green, the difference between hopping and walking, what is green and growing in your yard as well as in the preschool garden.  At Circle Time we will be talking about sounds – frogs make noise and turtles do not.    This month we will be talking about things that are green…turtles, frogs, grass, plants and shamrocks.

Three Little Frogs
Three green and speckled frogs
Sat on a speckled log
Eating some most delicious bugs (mmm, mmm!)
One jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool,
Then there were two green speckled frogs. (glub, glub)

Big Frog

Aloop said the great big frog one day

ALoop said the great big frog

Aloop said the great big frog one day

And his eyes went glump glump glump

Five Little Froggies
Five little froggies sat on a shore
One went for a swim then there were fou
Four little froggies looked happy as can be
One went swimming and then there were three
Three little froggies said “What can we do?”
One jumped in the water then there were two
Two little froggies sat in the sun
One swam off and then there was one
One little froggie said “This is no fun!”
He dived in the water and then there were none.

Little Turtle

I have a little turtle who lives in a box

He swims in the water and he climbs on the rocks.

He snapped at a mosquito and he snapped at a flea. 

He snapped at a minnow and he snapped at me.

He caught the mosquito and he caught the flea.

He caught the minnow but he didn’t catch me.

LEAVES

Here is a leaf and here is a leaf.

And that you see makes two.

Here is a flower that will bloom

Just for you.

February 27 – March 3

We will be talking about turtles this week and where they live.  The art project will be turtles with color dots on their shells. We will learn a new rhyme about colors:

I can name these colors, all so very bright.

Red, yellow, blue, purple, green, brown and white

Don’t’ forget the color orange and the color black

These are the colors of the dots on my turtle’s back.

We will be hiding ping pong  ball ‘turtle eggs’ in the sensory table.   The contrast of green and white will be in several areas of the preschool this week.  Maybe even outside if the forecast is correct and we get some snow! 

As we talk about turtles we will have conversations about contrasts: fast/slow, soft/hard, smooth/bumpy, wet/dry, round/flat.  When you are on a walk, or sitting at the dinner table, ask your child about what is the same and what is different about an object, feeling or the weather outside.

Turtle, Turtle (Tune:Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)

Turtle, turtle moves so slow,
Crawling, crawling, watch him go.
At the pond he looks around,
See his head move up and down.
Turtle, turtle wants to swim,
Now he slides and dives right in!

A little turtle
There was a little turtle
He lived in a box
He swam in a puddle
He climbed on the rocks
He snapped at a mosquito
He snapped at a flea
He snapped at a minnow
He snapped at me
He caught the mosquito
He caught the flea
He caught the minnow
But he didn’t catch me

This is my turtle
This is my turtle.
He lives in a shell.
He likes his home very well.
He pokes his head out when he wants to eat.
And pulls it back when he wants to sleep.

January 30 – February 3

Skidamarink

Skidamarink a dink a dink,
Skidamarink a doo,
I love you.
Skidamarink a dink a dink,
Skidamarink a doo,
I love you.
I love you in the morning
And in the afternoon,
I love you in the evening
And underneath the moon;
Oh, Skidamarink a dink a dink,
Skidamarink a doo,
I love you! .

Love Somebody, Yes I Do

Love somebody, yes I do
Love somebody, yes I do
Love somebody, yes I do,
Love somebody, but I won’t tell who.

Love my Daddy, yes I do
Love my Mommy, yes I do
Love my Grandma, yes I do
Love my Grandpa, yes I do

January 16th – January 20th

January 3rd – January 6th

Welcome back to school. I hope you have enjoyed time with family, friends and had some time to get outside to play in the snow.
We will be talking about snow, snowflakes and snowmen in the next several week. We will have songs, poems and stories about cold weather and snow. I love that the children have had a chance to see actual snow…and maybe had an opportunity to make a snowman.

This week will continue to be sunny and very cold. We will be making ice sculptures in class. If you have anything you would like to add to your hanging sculpture please send it to class with your child. The ice sculptures can hang outside a window and you can watch as the sun shines through the ice and reflects on the items in the ice sculpture.
At home you can talk about ice, cold, water, snow and warm clothing.

Winter Songs and Poems

It is Snowing

It is snowing, it is snowing

All around, all around

Soft and pretty snowflakes

Soft and pretty snowflakes

On the ground, on the ground.

Snowman

I’m a chubby snowman short and fat

Here is my broomstick and here is my hat

When the sun come out and shines all day

I just start to melt away….

Oh no I’m a puddle!

Baby Beluga

by Raffi and Debi Pike

Baby Beluga in the deep blue sea,
Swim so wild and you swim so free.
Heaven above, and the sea below,
And a little white whale on the go.

Baby beluga, baby Beluga, is the water warm?
Is your mama home with you, so happy.

Way down yonder where the dolphins play,
Where they dive and splash all day,
The waves roll in and the waves roll out,
See the water squirting out of your spout.

Baby beluga, baby Beluga, sing your little song,
Sing for all your friends, we like to hear you.

When it’s dark, you’re home and fed,
Curl up snug in your water bed.
Moon is shining and the stars are out,
Good night, little whale, goodnight.

Baby beluga, baby Beluga, with tomorrow’s sun,
Another day’s begun, you’ll soon be waking.

Baby Beluga in the deep blue sea,
Swim so wild and you swim so free.
Heaven above and the sea below,
And a little white whale on the go.
You’re just a little white whale on the go

Mitten Song

Thumbs in the thumb place, fingers all together.

this is the song we sing in mitten weather

When it is cold it doesn’t matter whether

mittens are wool or finest leather

Thumbs in the thumb place fingers all together

this is the song we sing in mitten weather.

December 12 – December 16

This week is Star Week.  We will be singing songs about stars and talking about shiny things.  The play-dough will have glitter added to it and the sensory table will have shiny white sand in it. They will be painting star shapes with glitter paint.

Star Light Star Bright
Star light, Star bright
First star I see tonight
I wish I may, I wish I might
Have the wish I wish tonight. 

Hey Diddle Diddle
Hey diddle diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon.
The little dog laughed
To see such sport,
And the dish ran away
With the spoon. 

10 Little Stars

One little, two little, three little stars,
Four little, five little, six little stars.
Seven little, eight little, nine little stars,
Ten stars in the sky

Star Poem

At night I see the twinkling stars
And a great big smiling moon.
My mother tucks me into bed
And sings a good-night tune

Star Song
Sung to Mary Had a Little Lamb
Stars are shining in the sky
in the sky, in the sky
Stars are shining in the sky
Way way up so high.

December 5 – December 9

It is hard to believe we are starting Bell Week – December is here.

As we start the ‘holiday season’ (even though the stores have been in holiday mode since Halloween or before!)  we will be staying “the same” at preschool.  We will start singing our bell songs but Jingle Bells will be the only ‘holiday’ song we sing.  It is nice for the children to know that preschool will be the same as always – familiar and what they expect.  It may be comforting for you, as well, to know we will be low key and without a lot holiday hubbub going on.  We will switch from gobble- gobble to ring-ring and the children will be excited to play with the bells.   It is an exciting time of the year and hopefully we can catch some of that excitement while maintaining a calm atmosphere at preschool.

Bell Songs:

Ring, ring, ring your bells

Ring them loud and clear

To tell the children everywhere

That Circle Time is here.

Did you ever ring your bells, your bells, your bells

Did you ever ring your bells over  your ______

….under your ______, on your ______, next to your ______

Jingle Bells

Dashing through the snow
On a one horse open sleigh
O’er the fields we go,
Laughing all the way
Bells on bob tail ring,
making spirits bright
What fun it is to laugh and sing
A sleighing song tonight

Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh

Motion Rhyme

Shake, shake, shake and stop

Shake, shake, shake and stop!

Stop, stop, stop and SHAKE!

November 28 – December 2

I hope everyone had a nice time visiting with family and friends during the Thanksgiving holiday.  We will be exploring the world of food this week.  At the art table we will be mixing up cinnamon dough and making ornaments.  These ornaments can be hung on a tree or as a potpourri in any room you choose.  We used to hang them in the kitchen – they smell wonderful. The pre3 classes will also be painting with vegetables during art.

Fun Activities for Home

Because we have so many wheat and dairy allergies this year we will not be making smoothies or toast at school. The children love cooking and these are two easy, fun and nutritious activities you can do at home with them.

Toast

Smoothies

In a blender add yogurt of choice, ice cubes, milk or juice, any kind of fruit you like (veggies too). 

The children can cut up the bananas with a plastic knife, wash the blueberries, pull the grapes off the stem. 

Let the children measure, pour and push the buttons on the blender.  😉

Blend and enjoy!

Songs & Rhymes

I Can Eat a Rainbow

RED as an apple
ORANGE as a carrot,
YELLOW as a banana,
GREEN as grapes,
BLUE as blueberry,
PURPLE as a plum,

One Potato, Two Potato

One potato, two potatoes, three potatoes, four
Five potatoes, six potatoes, seven potatoes more!

Patty Cake

Patty cake patty cake,
Baker’s man, bake me some a cake as fast as you can.
Roll it, pat it, mark it with a B
And put it in the oven for Baby and me

Jelly Song

(Sung to : The Farmer in the Dell)
Jelly in a Bowl, Jelly in Bowl
Wibble Wobble Wibble Wobble
Jelly in a bowl.

<repeat as you like – Jelly on a spoon, Jelly on my toast, Jelly in my tummy>

I like apples and bananas.

<sing each line twice>
I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas
I like ate, ate, ate aepples and baenaenaes
I like to eat, eat, eat eeples and beenenes
I like to ite, ite, ite ipples and binini
I like to ote, ote, ote opeles and bononos
I like to ute, ute, ute upples and bununus
I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas