Sign of the Week - Caterpillar

This week's sign is 'caterpillar'.
Using your index finger wiggle it while moving it across your left arm.

Our poem is "Caterpillar Crawled"

A caterpillar crawled to the top of the tree
"I think I'll take a nap" said he.
So under a leaf he did creep
Spun a cocoon and fell fast asleep
For two long weeks
he slept in his cocoon bed
until spring came and said
"Wake up, Wake up Sleepy Head"
From under the leaf there was a cry
"Look, look at me! I'm a butterfly."

How to Paint a Caterpillar

Can you see the caterpillar crawling amongst the leaves?

This is the first of our caterpillar art projects.

 

We used wooden rectangles, foam circle brushes and rolling brushes.

With simple materials amazing work can be seen.  This child spent quite a long time at the art table this morning.  Painting circles in a row for her caterpillar.  A bit of rolling mixing brown and green.  Then making a second caterpillar but notice how she did it.  First yellow circles then dipping the same brushes in blue paint she went over the same circles.  We noticed the colour changing to green.

 After gluing on googly eyes, she painted over them.  When asked 'why?' she responded "I'm making them colour blind.  So the birds can't see them."  Ah, camouflage.

She continued experimenting with the brushes.  Two in each hand.  Pushing them hard on to the paper.  Squeezing out the paint.  Dabbing them together.  Repeat.

So much fun to watch.

Fingerpainting with Hair Gel

Clear hair gel on a tray was hard for the children to see so they added dribbles of colour.

It glides nicely around and around adding each colour as they go.

If they wanted to keep a picture of their fingerpainting they made a print.

Ta Da!

I love this picture of literacy in action.  How closely he's paying attention to what grandma is writing.

She loves the feel between her fingers.

And  making butterfly wings.

Being interested in just painting not the finished picture.

 

She is more interested in making prints of her hands then what's under the paper.

I appreciate when parents offer their ideas, like this mother.

She showed her son how to make a mirror image of his print.

Lovely.

Beginning Our Butterfly Journey

Yesterday our butterfly larvae arrived.

The food had to be mixed.  It looks like cookie dough and smells like oatmeal.

The food was packed into the bottom of these little vials.

 

Then using a little brush the larvae were carefully moved into their new homes.

I set up this display, already for the families to explore in the morning.

As they look at the caterpillars they can record what they see.

Especially after getting a close up look.

What do you see?  How many caterpillars do you see?

What colour are the caterpillars?

"A parent is their child's first teacher" and I see it everyday.

Our Health Centre

This month's dramatic play area has been a Health Centre, which housed a doctor office, dentist, optometrist, reception area and ambulance.

Lab work.

Checking in at the waiting room.

Typing the forms for each patient.

The community dental hygienist came to visit and show us how to brush our teeth.

Using a little mirror to look inside a set of teeth.

Our set up,

lots of patients waiting to see the doctors,

some already on the examination table,

A big thank you also to the nutritionist, optometrist and speech therapist that visited us this month. 

Sign of the Week - Chicken

This week's sign is 'chicken'.
Using your thumb and forefinger pinch them together and place at your chin (like a bird beak).
Place your other hand in front of you, palm facing up.
Now drop the 'beak' down into the palm as if the chicken is pecking for food.

The song we'll sing this week is "The Barnyard Song"
The tune is to "If You're Happy and You Know It"

If you're a chicken and you know it go "cluck, cluck"
If you're a chicken and you know it go "cluck, cluck"
If you're a chicken and you know it 
And you really want to show it
If you're a chicken and you know it go "cluck, cluck".

Other verses can be added for other animals.
cow - moo, moo
horse - neigh, neigh
sheep - baa, baa
etc.

Five Eggs

One of my favourite fingerplays for this time of year is called 

"Five Eggs and Five Eggs."

It goes like this...

Five eggs and five eggs,
That makes ten.
Sitting on top is mother hen.
Crackle, crackle, crackle.
What do you see?
A fluffy little chick 
As cute as can be!

A couple of years ago I found fluffy little chicks at a dollar store.  I put a fluffy chick inside a plastic Easter egg, enough for each child.  After teaching the fingerplay I ask the children to make a little nest with their legs to keep the egg safe till it's ready to crack.

We then sing the song again but this time when we sing "crackle, crackle, crackle" we pick up the egg and crack it open.

 Every time the children are thrilled to see the little chick.  Doesn't matter if we sing it two or three times in a row, the pleasure is always there.

 This time, because we were on a field trip and it was the day before Easter weekend, the children could keep their egg and chick to take home.  I hope they'll be playing it for their families.

Happy Easter

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