May 7th through 18th, 2018
May 20th, 2018
Hello!
Here is a recap for you of our past two weeks, info about this coming week, and info about one preschool spot for this fall, too.
Thanks for reading and have a great Sunday!
Anine : )
~~~~~
FYI One MWF Spot Left…
I promised to get back to a couple of families this weekend on whether or not there are preschool spots left for this fall. This past week we did have one new friend sign up to join our group this next school year, and when I map out everyone’s schedules for fall, that leaves us with one MWF spot left. (One friend will be four days a week with Mondays off, one friend will be four days a week with Wednesdays off, and one friend will be four days a week with Fridays off; which creates the MWF spot.) Thinking about teacher/child ratio, ages, etc. this potential new preschool friend would need to be three or older by the end of August. Thank you to each of you who have been sharing my name this spring, and feel free to keep sharing, if you don’t mind! FYI I will be out of town May 25th through June 3rd (with limited cell phone reception, I believe) so if someone contacts me during that time, there may be a slight delay in my replying.
FYI This Week…
Monday: Monday we plan to enjoy some backyard games, and to put the finishing touches on our Father’s Day cards & gifts.
Tuesday: Tuesday we plan to try out some “Sink or Float” mini science experiments, and to celebrate two of our friends’ birthdays a little bit early. Both friends have their birthdays over this coming summer. We also plan to start sending Father’s Day cards and gifts home on Tuesday.
Wednesday: Wednesday we plan to enjoy water play on and off all day, weather permitting. You are invited to sunscreen your child at home that morning before arriving, and then I have a bottle of SPF 50 spray that I can use to refresh their sunscreen during the day. The kids can bring a swimsuit and towel if they like, or just an extra outfit if they would rather.
Thursday: Thursday is our Scooter and “Bike” Day. Each of the kids is invited to bring a scooter or bike that morning that is easy for them to use. Each child should bring a helmet as well. I believe I will have some help that morning from Grandma Bente, and possibly from our oldest son. We will spend some time enjoying scooters and bikes in the backyard, in the driveway, on the sidewalk in front of the house, and may go for a short walk in the neighborhood, too. If you can label your child’s bike and helmet before they arrive, that would be great, and if you don’t have time to do that, then I will have some tape and a Sharpie marker ready for us to use as you arrive that morning. We will put all the bikes and scooters in the garage to start the day. Sunscreen will be a good idea again on Thursday. You are invited to sunscreen your child at home that morning, too, and then I will plan to refresh their coverage during the day.
~~~~~
May 7th through 11th Activities…
Monday, May 7th Activities…
Butterfly Release, Day One:
This morning we released seven of our butterflies, and they were so excited to fly! The kids and I all sat on the deck together. I had brought the butterfly house, along with a flower pot full of flowers out there with us on this beautiful morning. The kids each took a turn putting their hand inside the butterfly house and tried getting a butterfly to sit on their finger. Whenever one of the kids succeeded, they were so excited! We also got some pictures of the butterfly sitting on some of the friends’ clothes – shirt, shorts, dress, etc. One of the butterflies liked the bright flowers on one friend’s dress, stuck out its proboscis, and tried to take a drink from one of the fabric flowers! We have two butterflies left in the habitat and will release them on other days this week.
Stories About Our Moms:
Our story time today featured three books about moms and I read the stories once to the group of boys and then once to the group girls. We talked about how Mother’s Day is coming up, and in each group, we went around the circle and shared some of the reasons we all love our moms so much! That was really cute.
Backyard/Deck:
On the deck today, there were large paint brushes and a water table full of bubble water. In the backyard the kids enjoyed the individual sand boxes, the swings, the low play piece, and dramatic play.
Birthday Card:
We continued work today on a group birthday card! Happy birthday to L.M and to E.S. who have birthdays coming up this Wednesday and next.
Other Fun:
Other fun today included sharing puzzles at the kitchen table, playing Flower Shop (in the late afternoon), and visiting the classroom space.
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday…
During the rest of our “Mother’s Day” themed week, we continued releasing butterflies.
The kids planted special flower pots for their moms for Mother’s Day, we talked about our moms each day and about all the things we love about them, we wrote those things down, and then we used quotes from those conversations and included them in a sweet “hand print bouquet” card for each mom.
Tuesday the kids got to see the neighbors house (across the backyard) get a new roof! They got a kick out of looking out the window and checking on the progress on and off all morning. Outdoor time was fun, too, for the kids this week. We spent time on the deck and/or in the backyard each day.
Favorite Things…
Some of the things the kids said they really liked during May 7th through the 11th were:
* Playing in the backyard and on the deck, water play * Playing in our classroom space, toy helicopter * Painting * Playing “Pirate Ship” * Singing * Playing “Hospital” *” I liked Butterflies and stories about our mom” * Playing the “Baby” game in the backyard.” * Letting the butterflies go * Swings
~~~~
May 14th through 18th Activities…
Monday the 14th
On Monday the 14th we made a worm house for 18 nightcrawlers by layering sand, organic soil, spinach leaves and a little bit of water in a goldfish bowl. We placed the worms in the center of the mixture, and during the rest of our days together before summer, the kids should be able to get to observe the worms as they eat the spinach and mix up the layers of soil.
We sang songs and read stories on Monday, we spent time in our classroom space, worked on a giant group birthday card together, and started on some Father’s Day activities.
Monday Favorite Activities…
Some of the things the kids said they really liked today were * Playing in the classroom space – especially playing with the kitchen toys and accessories * Making our Worm House * Checking on the worms * Playing downstairs…dinosaurs * Playing downstairs. * Playing downstairs – playing with a friend * Playing Beauty Shop and Princesses with a friend * Playing Kitchen and Babies with a friend
Tuesday Activities
On Tuesday we had some fun with floral foam, artificial plants, and real plants. The kids helped take the old flowers down from the baskets on the deck, helped replace them with new planters, and got to stick 8 little plants into floral foam inside hanging baskets before we hung them up on the backyard fence.
We checked on our worm house on Tuesday, spent time in the backyard and/or on the deck, spent time in our classroom space, and talked more about all the reasons we love our dads and why we think our dads are awesome.
Wednesday Activities…
Wednesday, we sent a birthday card home for H’s mommy – happy birthday E.S.! We checked on our worms, enjoyed a math game with a set of “Early Math Activity Jars”, enjoyed some science activities having to do with Motion, worked on our Father’s Day plans, and… our praying mantises hatched on Wednesday, which was exciting!
Wednesday Favorite Activities…
Some of the things the kids said they really liked on Wednesday were * Worms, backyard, downstairs * Backyard, downstairs, praying mantises, worms * Watching the praying mantises * Worms * Playing downstairs * Outside – swings and the toy phone
Thursday Favorite Activities…
Some of the things the kids said they really liked on Thursday were * Paint brushes and bubbles on the deck, painting, Father’s Day present * I liked bubble beards. (Playing with bubbles on the deck and making them into “beards”) * Playing downstairs … I picked “Babies”. I played “Doctor” * Playing downstairs because I really like playing down there. I choosed book area. * Playing on the swings * Shopping game
* “Lunch because I looove the spaghetti sauce and the noodles and the meatballs!”
* Checking on the worms and the praying mantises, going outside, and playing downstairs.
Friday May 18th Activities…
Friday, we checked on our worms – the layers in their house are starting to disappear! We continued working on our Father’s Day goals, the kids had some fun with water play on the deck, and since our praying mantises had hatched and had been released, we decided to take a closer look at the empty egg case. We had watched a six-minute video on YouTube where a man (Brad’s Greenhouse, I believe) dissected an empty praying mantis egg case and zoomed in on the little compartments on the inside using his camera. We decided to give it a try, too, and dissected our egg case, took pictures, and looked at it through a magnifying glass. Two friends were gone Friday afternoon, so we saved everything so those two friends can have their own look on Monday!
~~~~~
Recent Meals…
Monday, May 7th Meals…
Breakfast was Original Cheerios, homemade French Toast casserole that the boys made the other day (We froze it for them over the weekend), bananas, and milk.
Lunch was homemade BBQ chicken breast, Kraft Sharp Cheddar cheese cubes, BBQ baked beans, steamed corn, honeydew melon, homemade banana bread, and milk.
Snack was cornbread and apple juice
Tuesday, May 8th Meals…
Breakfast was cinnamon toast waffles, watermelon and milk.
Lunch was pizza, steamed broccoli, bananas, whole grain Goldfish pretzel crackers, and milk.
Snack was homemade banana bread, fresh blueberries and milk.
Wednesday, May 9th Meals…
Breakfast was French toast, bananas and milk.
Lunch was Schwan’s turkey/pork meatballs, Kraft Colby cheese cubes, steamed edamame, honeydew melon, watermelon Oat Nut bread/butter, and milk.
Snack was animal crackers and apple juice.
Thursday, May 10th Meals…
Breakfast was pancakes with fresh strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream, and skim milk.
Lunch was teriyaki chicken breast, green beans, applesauce, Pepperidge Farm whole-grain cinnamon-raisin-swirl bread/butter, and milk.
Snack was whole grain Goldfish crackers (pretzel variety and cheddar variety), and apple juice.
Friday, May 11th Meals…
Breakfast was pancakes, fresh blackberries, and milk.
Lunch was Quesadillas (Mission flour tortilla “street” tacos. Mild Cheddar, butter), beef summer sausage slices, fresh sugar snap peas, mandarin oranges, and milk.
Snack was Original Cheerios, whole grain (Colors) Goldfish crackers, and apple juice.
~~~~~
Monday, May 14th Meals…
Breakfast was cinnamon toast waffles, fresh strawberry slices, and milk.
Lunch was homemade chicken wild rice casserole (shredded chicken breast, carrots, celery, mushrooms, onions, Lundberg wild rice, chicken broth, butter, salt, pepper, ground mustard, curry powder, parsley), mandarin oranges, Oat Nut bread/butter, and milk.
Snack was whole grain Cheddar Goldfish crackers and Simply Orange 100% orange juice.
Tuesday, May 15th Meals…
Breakfast was chocolate chip pancakes, bananas, and milk.
Lunch was grilled cheese (Buttermilk bread, Kraft Deli Deluxe American cheese, butter), beef summer sausage slices, steamed sugar snap peas, fresh strawberries, and milk.
Snack was Triscuit crackers, Mozzarella cheese cubes, hard cooked eggs, cherry tomatoes, diced red grapes, apple juice and water.
Wednesday May 16th Meals...
Breakfast was blueberry waffles, bananas, and milk.
Lunch was hamburger pizza, steamed corn, diced red grapes, Barilla whole grain Penne pasta, and milk.
Snack was Multi Grain Club crackers, Kraft sharp cheddar cheese slices, Kraft Mozzarella cheese slices, beef summer sausage slices, and apple juice.
Thursday May 17th Meals…
Breakfast was Eggo chocolate chip “wafflers”, bananas, and milk.
Lunch was Turkey/Pork meatballs, Prego spaghetti sauce, Barilla whole grain penne pasta, green beans, apple sauce and milk.
Snack was a big glass of water, Cheez Its and apple juice.
Friday, May 18th Meals…
Breakfast was cinnamon toast waffles, watermelon chunks, and milk.
Lunch was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (Skippy Creamy PB, apple jelly, Country White bread), American cheese slices, steamed corn, bananas and milk.
Snack was pepperoni rolls (pizza dough, pepperoni, mozzarella, pepper jack & parmesan cheeses, green onions, spices), Wheat Thins crackers, and apple juice or “Simply Orange” orange juice.
Links…
Sink or Float Science Activity:
Sunscreen:
https://www.target.com/p/sport-sunscreen-spray-spf-50-2pk-11oz-up-38-up-8482/-/A-13967242
Tape:
https://www.michaels.com/scotch-expressions-masking-tape/10284219.html
Sharpie:
Butterflies:
Water Table:
Large Paint Brushes:
These paint brushes are ‘large’ in comparison to our Lakeshore art & craft paint brushes, and these disposable brushes can be fun for an outdoor “paint with water” or a “paint with bubbles” activity. You’ll notice the price per brush is pretty low, which I like. In our experience these brushes will last for a few uses and then the metal portion will rust and the brushes will have to be thrown away, because of course you can’t let the kids play with them once they have rust. At the Wal Mart near me, these are sold individually, and in several sizes, so I usually buy 8 identical brushes at a time for my 8 preschoolers to use.
Dish Soap Bubbles:
Individual Sand Boxes:
I like to use a somewhat large, tall, wide-topped plastic flower pot for this – something with smooth edges for safety and any color that looks nice in my yard. I never spend much per flowerpot. You will be able to find low prices in season at places like Wal Mart, Menard’s, and Lowe’s in their seasonal garden centers. You should also be able to find good deals at pop-up temporary garden centers, and possibly at dollar stores as well. It might be tricky finding anything sizable and sturdy at a dollar store, but a dollar store can be a great place to find the sand toys to go inside the personal sand boxes. Here are links for some container ideas, and for play sand.
https://www.lowes.com/search?searchTerm=flower+pots+plastic+large
Sand Toys:
These can be found at some pretty great prices at dollar stores (in season). Here is a link for a cute set from Wal Mart, too.
Sand for Sand Boxes:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/QUIKRETE-50-lbs-Play-Sand/3006085
Replacement Swings for Backyard Wooden Playsets:
We have a sturdy wooden playset that we purchased a long time ago from a neighbor once their kids outgrew it. We removed a monkey bar section because it wasn’t age appropriate for preschoolers and the kids have loved the main section that we kept.
To keep the set looking new, we sand and refinish it every year or two, double check that all the nails and screws are staying properly attached, make sure the other hardware is firmly attached, and change out the accessories periodically, too so they stay looking fresh and clean and bright.
Menard’s has some pretty great accessories. Below is a link for replacement swings. The brand name is Play Star and we can normally locate the accessories in the vicinity of the garden center each spring. They also have cute steering wheels, telescopes ad other inviting accessories in this area.
Low Play Piece:
We have loved our Naturally Playful Clubhouse Climber by Step 2. I think Step 2 does a nice job making sturdy toys that last, and I like the natural colors, too. In our neighborhood the houses are fairly close together and many of us can see into each other’s backyards. We try to be polite neighbors by keeping the yard attractive and tidy, even if it does have toys in it. I like that these colors are more natural and blend in better than some other colors might. This link is for the newest version of the Climber.
* Tip – it is wise to make sure the area under the play piece is nice and flat. If it’s not flat enough, it can be tricky – the seams / sections can bend just enough that they can separate and then you need to do some reassembling. That happened to me once when I tried to move ours from one location to another in our yard. I would totally buy this again, though, even though that happened. It was just a live and learn moment.
Worm House Idea:
https://www.science-sparks.com/make-your-own-wormery/
Worm House Jar:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hawkeye-AquaView-0-5-Gallon-Aquarium-Bowl/34334234
Worm House Soil:
When I build worm houses with my preschoolers each spring, I like to use clean play sand and organic soil as we build our layers. Usually, I can find a really small inexpensive bags of soil and of clean play sand at places like Wal Mart. Here is one link for you -
Worm House Sand:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/QUIKRETE-50-lbs-Play-Sand/3006085
Worm House “Leaves”:
We usually use a small bag of fresh spinach leaves for this project. Here is a link.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Marketside-Fresh-Spinach-10-oz/13893738?athbdg=L1600
Tips Regarding Live Worms & the Worm House project:
* I usually go to the bait refrigerator in Sporting Goods at the Wal Mart near me to get an 18-pack of nightcrawlers for this project.
* You may have other great places in your community for purchasing live nightcrawlers as well.
* I like that the worms I purchase are large compared to what I would dig up in my yard on my own. I think when they are larger, they can change the soil faster (mix up the clearly defined layers of soil, sand, and spinach) than they would if the worms were tiny. That is helpful, in my opinion, so the kids can see the difference sooner. We usually have our worm house going each spring for one, two, or for three weeks, tops.
* Tip: It is good to open the package of nightcrawlers sooner than later and make sure they are all looking healthy and active before you open the package in front of your kiddos. You will want to move them to their new Worm House soon after purchase. I like to buy the worms the night before we do the project, keep them at the right temperature overnight, and then build the worm houses with the kids the next morning.
Kitchen:
https://www.step2.com/lifestyle-dream-kitchen
Baby Dolls:
Dramatic Play – Flower Shop Cash Register:
Science Activity – Motion:
Praying Mantis Habitat:
https://www.insectlore.com/collections/insects-and-more-praying-mantises/products/pop-up-port-a-bug
Praying Mantis Life Cycle:
Praying Mantis Egg Case Tip:
Every Spring we order a praying mantis egg case from Insect Lore. In the winter, I believe they don’t ship the egg cases due to low temperatures.
Praying Mantis YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2FjtQO2azU
Magnifying Glasses:
~~~~~