Fine Motor Play Tray

I've seen this fine motor idea on a few blogs and loved the simplicity of it.

 The children have been enjoying it too.

They were very focused when poking a pipe cleaner through a hole.

Sometimes trying to poke it through and out the other side.

It was easier to poke both ends on the outside.

As this little one did.

 When she finished I heard her and her mom talk about what it looked like.

Is it a mask?  A hat?

The possibilities are endless.

I added this spool and look what happened.

 It was a bit easier for them to hold.

Is this me?

"Bee" Day

Today our school held it's annual Spelling Bee and to get into the spirit 

we all dressed in yellow and black.

At StrongStart I decided we would make bee headbands to wear.

It proved to be very popular.

 Simple strips of paper, using bingo daubbers to decorate and 

pipe cleaner/pom pom for the antennaes was all it took.

Mirrors were provided to see our 'bee'utiful wear.

At the snack table we enjoyed many foods that started with 'b'.

We also made banana smoothies.

After preparing the smoothies we all had a glass full.

I spotted a few milk mustaches.

Mitten Game

I saw this fun felt board idea at http://www.sotomorrowblog.com/2012/01/flannel-friday-snowball-snowball.html  and immediately made it.  I made a mitten from every felt colour that I had, there is no limit.

The poem:

Snowball, snowball

cold and round

Behind which mitten

can you be found?

 We've played this game at every story time.

 It has been wonderful for practicing taking turns and colours.

The game is left out and available for the children to play.

Balloon Painting

The children showed me today how much fun and delightful

playing with a water balloon in paint can be.

 

 

 It started like I thought it would, 

gently holding on to the balloon

and painting.

 But as the morning progressed and different children approached

the table, especially younger children,

 it became more of a fingerpainting activity.

The lightly inflated balloons are easy to grip

and bounce nicely too.

Look at the girl at the top of the picture,

the glee on her face when her fingers get covered with paint.

 A few did begin to add details,

 and label their artwork.

He is pointing out the snowman's cheeks, here and here

and here.

Another snowman on his way home.

Evan's Dinosaur.

Tonight it is snowing - yay

Play Trays

Here are some of this week's play trays.

Matching snowflakes.

 I photocopied images of snowflakes from a book on to overhead transparency film.

 They had to find the snowflakes that matched.

Magnifying glasses help with the small details.

I brought out this small light table for another sensory appeal.

Counting and matching buttons to the number on the snowman.

 The numbers are from 1 - 10.

I find that any activity that involves buttons are attractive to children,

and grown ups too.

Sun Catcher Snow Globes

Today's project.

More sun than snow outside so we created our own snow scenes on these window sun catchers.

I precut the circle frames and mac tac circles.

 The children used shaped hole punches and confetti.

Or they could cut shapes free hand.

 No glue required for this craft,

Everything sticks to the mac tac.

Even fingers.

 When finished

they're ready to hang in the window.

I love how they decorate our room from the outside.