Dance Fever

Our school year is winding down and we had our final visit from Chrissy, a dance teacher from a local dance studio.  She has been coming in once a month for the past few months to share her passion and enthusiasm for dance.

Always starting with different warm up exercises to music.

Today she focused more on ballet.  It was enjoyable watching the children and their grown ups get as small as they could then jump up high on their tiptoes.

Chrissy had them move in different ways and with scarves 

- this is my favourite - 

fly like a bumblebee with your wings tucked behind their backs.

 Thank you Chrissy.

Jello Oceans

The children were a bit confused when they saw blue jello on the art table.  

And a little disappointed when glue was added 

to it. 

Some were ready to run their fingers through it when I told them it was our fingerpaint today.

While others were a little more reserved and took a gentle approach.

Jello fingerpainting caught on and soon it was squished, smeared, and slimed across the papers.

There were paper fish, crabs, and green tissue paper seaweed to make an ocean scene.

Or create your own story like this little boy did.

"The rocketship blasts off, woosh, brmmmm, shhhhake, shhhhake."

"Do you know it shakes?" he asks me. 

"Oh" I said.

"Because it goes fast"

"shhhhake, shhhake"

Snail Garden

For the last week we have been growing grass in a tub to invite a few snails into live for awhile.

We used the wheat grass seed again in half of the tub and regular lawn grass seed in the remaining half.
We watered it and watched it grow.  I also brought in flowers for colour and food for the snails.

Today some snails arrived.

It didn't take the snails long to move right in and feel at home.

The snail garden has been a wonderful way to learn about snails; how they move, names of parts of their body, what do they eat, the environment they live in (dry vs moist).

It's wonderful to get up close and really get to know the snails.

We have six of them.

Children are good at teaching each others how to care for living things.

Story - The Large and Grumbly Bear

I learned this story from a fellow storyteller during our last share group.  I'm lucky enough to have a group of people who like to get together once a month to share stories.  We learn a lot from each other.
This past month, Alix, shared this story that she found in an old children's book.  It is called The Large and Grumbly Bear.  I liked it so much that I told it this week at our Teddy Bear's Picnic.

Oceans Alive

Welcome to our ocean play.

This wonderful wooden tray that I've borrowed from our kindergarten teacher has been used so much this year.

At the moment it is on it's stand which makes it a perfect height for toddlers to stand at.

At one end I placed blue fabric and the other end is sand.  Then different sea creatures and items like shells and stones were added.

 Families found books on the shelves about the sea creatures.

Some were books with facts and others were fun stories.

A few sea creatures were carried away to the water table and the stories continued.

Gone Fishing

There was a lot of fishing happening at our centre today.

At the art table we used fishing rods to paint with.  Some were bought fishing rods with the magnet on the end and a little plastic fish that sticks to the magnet.

There was also wooden dowel rods that I tied strings to the end.

It was a bit messy and that led to fingerpainting.

 

 

 

When the painting was done there was more fishing happening at our dramatic play area.

A wading pool was set up with more purchased fishing rods with the magnetic fish.

I followed this boy's play as he acted out fishing and what happens after you catch the fish.

 First he caught the fish he wanted.

 

 Then he cooked them over the campfire.

Lunch is served.

 With atmosphere.