Putting the Pretty In Preschool
Finding Beauty In Everyday Early Childhood Experiences
One Spring I was greenhouse shopping, and a ledge of sweet potato vines caught my attention. The sales clerk suggested that the leaves looked like dinosaur footprints.
That thought stuck with me, and soon after I picked two uniquely colored sweet potato vines to add contrast to the flowering plants on my deck. I was also eager to use some leaves in dinosaur themed nature play.
[Read more…] about Dinosaur And Sweet Potato Vine Activities
As everyone can attest, Superhero activities are hugely engaging for children. Superheroes is also a topic I was hesitant to plan a full theme around for many years. I was afraid that the children’s excitement level would go up, and never return to a manageable rate.
One year I decided a generic Superhero theme could be feasible as the last one of the school term. I thought the children might get riled up, but I would be sending them home for the summer afterwards!
The Superhero theme was a hit, and turned out to be perfectly manageable. Dress up props were available in the gymnasium, where loud noises and running were the norm. A number of books read in the classroom highlighted good character traits of Superheroes. Puzzles, manipulative toys, and sensory trays rounded out our activities.
One in a thousand baby green sea turtles lives to become an adult. Sea turtles face many challenges in trying to survive. Here’s how they get their start in life.
At night, baby green sea turtles scurry to the ocean from the deep hole they dig out of. They hatch from eggs deposited by their mother (also at night) on a sandy beach above the high tide line. The small, white eggs are buried in a blanket of sand to keep them warm and hide them from predators. The eggs are left alone to incubate for 50 -70 days.
The temperature of the nest determines the sex of the turtles. Warmer eggs become males; cooler eggs become females. Both males and females can dig out of the same nest, because the temperature can vary in different parts of it.
The hatchlings hurry to the ocean in the dark when it is less likely that they will be eaten by crabs or shore birds like gulls or herons. Most babies do not make it to the ocean. Even if they safely make it to the water, they could be eaten by birds hovering above the waves or predatory fish lingering close to shore.
It’s March, but there is still lots of snow outside in Edmonton. St. Patrick’s Day activities and the green color they surround us with are so welcome. Here’s three centers my class is currently playing in.
World Book Day is held every year on the first Thursday in March. It is a celebration of authors, illustrators, and books. And it is most of all a celebration of reading.
The impact of the picture book “Just Itzy” spanning my preschool story time, a teacher aide’s home, and three children and their classrooms makes the story worthy of a shout out for World Book Day!
[Read more…] about World Book Day Story Book Feature: Just Itzy
The Chinese New Year officially begins on Tuesday, February 5, 2019, and it will be the Year of the Pig. The pig is the 12th and last zodiac animal. Some ancient storied explanations are:
-The pig was the last to arrive at an important meeting because he slept in.
-A wolf destroyed the pig’s house so he had to rebuild it before he could get to the meeting.
-The pig stopped to enjoy a feast while taking part in a race. He resumed the race but not surprisingly came in last.
-Being pretty pudgy, the pig moved the slowest in the race.
