The Passover Experience !!

Last week, we celebrated Passover with a traditional Seder. This Friday, we celebrated Passover in a completely different way.  Shelly and our specials' teachers planned four different activities for the children. As you will see in all the pictures, the children were actively involved and as the day ended they all said," This was a very fun day!  "

At our first activity, the children were asked to work as a team to make planters for the toddler playground. First, the children were asked to fill two plastic bottles with soil.  When the children asked "Why are we planting?" We reminded the children that since Passover is a spring holiday, it represents new beginnings.  For the children, planting seeds and making planters are a wonderful way for them to experience this theme.

The children waited patiently for directions after they added the soil to the bottles.

After adding the soil, the children were given seeds to plant. You can see that the children enjoyed participating in this hands on sensory experience.

After our first Passover activity, we led the children in some exercises.

At our second activity, the children created insects with clay, twigs, and rocks.  As they were making their insects, we discussed the plagues. Using their  upper body and hand strength, the children rolled and pounded the clay. 

Govind,, Emma, Alex and Zoey are rolling, pressing, and pulling the clay to make some unique insects!

Amelia is making a butterfly, with large antennas and wings.

Emma said, " I am bending my insect. I don't want it to be straight."

Govind explained that his insect had two body parts, and now he is adding the rocks and twigs.

Everyone has designed their insects, and now they're adding the twigs and rocks.

"Can I have this piece of clay to finish my insect's body?"

"Do you like my insect?"

At our third activity the children explored making pyramids. All the windows and doors were covered in Pollman, and there were light tables with plastic cups . "This is so cool."

Emma, Govind, Noor, and Jake started at the overhead projector. At first the children wanted to play with the cups and their reflections.

Briana and Amelia chose a light table to begin their pyramids.

Suri, crown and all,  joined another prek-class to build her pyramid.

Lights were added to sensory tables. After several falls, the children used problem solving skills to make a  wide base before they added cups for height.

Briana and Alex decided to connect their pyramids.

Zoey is fascinated by the reflection of the clear cups as she steadily builds her pyramid.

All our little builders had a wonderful time. They didn't want to stop building! This activity provided the children with the opportunity to explore the properties of light as well as to work together to problem solve and be creative. 

We finished our day with Yoga.  As Freda told the story of Passover, the children moved through various Yoga poses. What a great way to reflect about the day and the Passover holiday!  

Donating Our Art Show Money to Charity !

Few things rival the excitement of celebrating birthdays with family and friends when you are 4 or 5.  Blowing out the candles on your own birthday cake and opening up all those inviting presents are memory making moments for the children in our class.  Obviously, not every child is as lucky.  The Birthday Project is a wonderful charity which helps to rectify this for children in shelters.

Thank you to Charlotte for introducing us to Paige Chenault who runs the charity.    Paige spoke  from her heart, and your children responded so warmly.

And we thank you too.  Your generous donations at our art show enabled the children to give Paige enough money to host several birthdays.

Celebrating Passover !

"Make a matzah, pat pat pat" was the refrain at our own matzah factory.

Everyone was involved with rolling, patting and pricking the matzah with a fork.

Susan gave the children bowls of paint, markers and different kinds of paper so they could make their interpretation of the parting of the Red Sea.

Charlotte  is using both fine and gross motor skills as she paints.

Noor explains that she is adding paper to her painting because this is where the sea closes.

When the children finished their  own paintings, they walked around and to see their friends' work.  "What do you like about each painting?"  Being able to verbalize observations beyond simple "I like the color" was our goal.  It was also very interesting to see how the same materials produced such different pictures.

Wasn't the charoset at our Seder  delicious?  Thank you Cheryl for helping us chop all those apples!  

Playing a memory type game with many different pairs is a good "brain" workout.  It encourages children to pay close attention.  We also worked on some game playing strategies.  Amelia made our first match  of the Passover pictures.

Emma didn't make a match.  Good sportsmanship is part of the learning experience, too.  We were  happy to hear friends offer encouraging words to those who didn't match 2 pictures.

Good going Saul!

Suri is looking closely at the picture to see if she remembers where the matching one might be.  You can see the girls behind her, looking as well.

The slaves we made in art class are now getting ready for their journey out of Egypt!

It was so nice to have such a large turnout of parents and grandparents at our cluster Seder.   Thanks for everyone's help in setting up, cleaning up, and singing!
We want to wish all our families a Happy Passover!