Our Children Are Blooming With Ideas!

Throughout the year, different parents have shared what it was like growing up in places other than Dallas.

Zoey's dad, Eli, is showing us a picture of the same bridge.  But there is one big difference...Eli was able to encourage the children to figure out why there are so many covered bridges in Vermont.  

Lots of snow!

We finished off the discussion with a tasty snack of crackers and maple syrup.  Thank you Eli!
There was so much spontaneous conversation about playing in the snow, we made a graph.  It's hanging on one of our bulletin boards.  Read it--the children's thoughts are so cute!

The new medical kits have been in almost constant use.  We never knew the children had so many ailments!!!

Here's Govind showing the 2 objects he brought for our opposite show and share.  As we go along it gets harder since the more obvious opposite pairs  have already been used.  Good thinking to come up with stretchy and not stretchy.

Bringing the magnifying glass into play at the science center.

Noor is cutting out her legs for her frog.  When you are in our room, see if you can find all 13 frogs!

We gave each child a position and asked them to place their frog somewhere around the room to reflect that word.
Zoey's frog is BENEATH the door handle.  This was a great review for everyone since these positional words are still difficult for many of the children.

Markers, cups of water and paintbrushes were great inspirations  to create and discover. 
Saul is watching  the colors blend as he paints with water.

Emma called  her painting "Imagination Tornado".

At lunch on Thursday, Zoey told the class,"My dress looks like the secondary color purple. The spots on my dress are like  our card, all kinds of purple!" We have been discussing primary and secondary colors in art. It was so exciting to see Zoey make this connection.  Daily, we see the children applying new learning to expand their vocabulary and thinking skills.

Briana and Suri asked Zoey if they could take a picture with her since they had on all kinds of purple as well. "We all are secondary colors!"

Heidi had some special activities planned for the children in gan. She gave each child a pot and a bean to plant.  Then she gave the children directions.  The first step was to fill their pots to the top with soil.  Govind and Amelia are checking their pots to make sure they had plenty of soil. 

Then Heidi gave each child an interesting bean.  One side had a smiling face and

the other side had the word care.   Heidi told the children that as the beans sprout, the face and the word will be on the leaves.  The children were fascinated by these unusual beans!!

The children had already cut the loofahs off the vines in the garden, but why is Heidi hitting the loofah on the ground?  Wow,  look at all those seeds!!!

Then Heidi gave a loofah to each group of 2 children.  They were not strong enough to open the loofah by banging it on the ground.  What could they do?  
 Stomping on the loofahs cracks their  protective shells, making it easier to peel and get to the loofah.
The children soon realized .....

that if your partner holds the loofah, it will not roll as you stomp,

and two pairs of hands 

are better than one!

Govind and Briana are finished with their loofahs.  Govind is checking to make sure that they didn't leave any pieces of the shell.

Charlotte and Jake are checking their loofah, but why the serious faces? "This loofah is so scratchy!"

Suri  contemplates whether she wants to begin a second loofah. It was more fun  to do with a partner.  Where is Daniel?

Here is Daniel! His shirt is the inspiration for Govind's green and white pattern. 

As you read this blog we know that you will see your children are blooming with ideas!