Going for a Bus Ride

      There’s a bus stop about a fifteen minute walk from our school. 
       Everyone was excited and walked happily all the way there.
 
While waiting for the bus I gave everyone a map to use as the bus tours us through the city.  I modified the transit map by adding little pictures of buildings that we will see.
          
We all got excited when we saw the bus come around the corner and
                                drive toward us.

          The children are free but they paid their grown-ups’ fares.
            
                        We filled up the back of the bus.
 
Using our maps we kept track of where we were and looked forward to what
                                 was coming next.
  
       We had to transfer to another bus half way through our trip. 
                 The second bus was bigger and had two doors.
                       
Some of the places we passed the children recognized and told me what they do
                           there; like swimming at the pool.
                         
Introducing the map encouraged us to look for and read signs. Learning that the signs tell us about each store.  We began to look for letters we knew and recognized.
 
Our bus ride was an hour long then we were back at the start.  A few of the children started to doze during the ride and needed to be carried back to the school.
               
                        Overall this is a great field trip. 
              I think we may need to do it more than once a year.

Our Grandfriends Visit

This morning our grandfriends visited us at our school.

                 
Playing with play dough was a comfortable activity for our little ones who may be nervous meeting someone new.  It also provided time for them to chat together and learn about each other.

We also shared some of our songs with our grandfriends, like; Roly Poly,
Icky Sticky Bubble Gum and If You’re Happy and You Know It.

We listened to a story about going on a Lion Hunt and played with scarves. 
Our grandfriends like a lot of the same things as we do.
                       
Then it was time to say good-bye.   See you again next month.

Sharing our Story of Fairy Lane

This weekend I had the privilege of sharing the story of Fairy Lane with a group of Early Childhood Educators at a local conference.
             
Sharing the various activities that got us started, showing the children’s interest in fairies and the value of being out in nature.

The participants were welcomed with an adventure bag on their chairs.  In each bag held a clipboard with paper to take notes or sketch ideas for their fairy and door.  These are the same bags that the children at StrongStart use when we are on our outings.
          
Although I was initially nervous it was very enjoyable sharing the many images I have of Fairy Lane. 
             
 
And re-enacting a couple of the activities that the children had done.  I had set up an indoor Fairy Lane using the houses that were removed, from our Fairy Lane by the city.  The participants had an opportunity to explore and start imagining and planning what their fairy and door might look like.
  
Another activity was to collect treasures left in front of houses and do the same math sorting activity that the children did in the woods.

                        
I shared stories and resources that I have collected over the past few years and some that I have used from our local libraries.


Then it was time to create.
              
I spent time walking in the woods, prior to the workshop, and collecting materials.
    
        I also borrowed materials from the art shelf in my classroom.
    
            
      After collecting items they began to paint, glue and create stories. 
  

Here are some of the fabulous doors and fairies created today.
       


   

I hope, in the future, to be able to inspire more groups of educators to use their imagination to create and explore fairy worlds.