Monday we started out with many books. After some free-play, we moved onto circle time and Montessori work time. In the afternoon, Ms. Anne came to do yoga with us, who we were very happy to see (because there was a while when she was on vacation!). We used a breathing ball to help us conceptualize our lungs as we breathed in and out. We did some relaxing, ate snack, and went outside.

Tuesday morning we water-colored Tulips, Roses, and Zinnias. We went out to have an outdoor circle time. We looked at some beautiful flowers and talked about their anatomy. We pointed out the petals, roots, stem, and leaves. They were very curious about the roots, so we found a couple of weeds in the garden that we could use to show how they live underground. We hung out in the beautiful weather for most of the morning. We had a super awesome Yoga time with Vanessa after nap.

Wednesday morning we started out with an impromptu outside drop-off. When something is out of routine, it’s always a great opportunity to learn that things don’t always go as planned, and spontaneity can be fun! Ashley read books under the dome, and at the picnic table we made beaded bracelets and made art. We came inside for a quick circle time, diaper change, and snack. Magdalen brought her violin this day and played beautiful renditions of Twinkle Twinkle and The Itsy Bitsy Spider. After a dress-up play-time, Ms Daphne came to share some songs and lessons with us in Spanish! We learned a song that sings all the vowels in Spanish.

Thursday, we had a great free-play and circle time to start the day. Then, we used some old flowers to paint with. While we were playing, we had the option of hanging out in the free-play area, or reading books with Ashley! After reading books, we played “Mr. Clown” where every one has a chance to show their friends a “trick.” We had an excellent Spanish time with Daphne.

Friday morning, we decorated the play ground using large ornaments. These were especially fun because we could see funny reflections of ourselves in them! We did some painting with yellow paint to make more ornaments! We had story time right before nap time. In the afternoon, we had an opportunity to do some dancing in the primary room. After eating snack, Chef Mike took us on a tour of his truck! We each grabbed a piece of string to help us stick together, and we divided into two groups so that there was enough space to walk around in the truck.

What can I say? Another awesome week.

Monday Morning was great. It involved a great deal of outdoor exploration. In the afternoon, Ms. Liz came for some awesome yoga time.  Tuesday, we spent the morning exploring Playdough. We cut it into small piece, made worms large and small, and learned how to roll balls by making a circle motion with our hands. This was followed by an excellent dance party, which is usually led by Miles, Ronav, and Malik. When we went outside, we enjoyed balloons of different colors, shapes, and sizes. We spent time pouring dirt and seeds into an egg crate to give our future flowers a great starter home. In the afternoon we were sure to do lots of dress-up after nap. This was followed by a visit from Vanessa. As a class, we have really mastered the art of holding hands in a circle, and we saw this during Yoga.

Wednesday, we had a great morning. Spanish time was extra special because we got to draw on a dry-erase board to learn about shapes in Spanish. We drew dots first as a guideline, and had our hand guided in order to see what the different shapes feel like when we’re drawing. Many of our older friends can chant the numbers 1-10 in Spanish (and be sure to check out the awesome Spanish news letter that Daphne creates for parents to have an idea of what we’re learning—it’s posted next to the parents’ board.) The weather was so beautiful, that we opted for a picnic in the afternoon, followed by a sunscreen party.

Thursday morning we had a chance to do some water-coloring. The highlight of the day was really getting back into Montessori work time. It seems as though our youngest friends have become more excited to exercise their focus, and our oldest friends are getting closer to mastering their favorite works (by staying focused and purposeful). We introduced a new tree puzzle that has been quite a challenge for even our most experienced friends. The barrel of monkeys has proved to be a favorite, and often times it takes a partner to get the full enjoyment out of it. In the afternoon, we used a parachute. It takes a lot of teamwork to make the parachute fun, and it’s a wonderful opportunity to work with kids from the pre-tot and primary class—a chance to do some real Montessori/mixed age teamwork. In the afternoon, Daphne provided us with an excellent Spanish lesson. She gave us popsicle sticks with Velcro so that we could make triangles, squares, and rectangles. We watched a fun video with dancing shapes that sang in Spanish.  In the afternoon, we explored water in the sensory table.  We also saw a blimp!

Friday, we started the morning with some excellent free-play and circle time, and moved quickly into a finger-painting project. We started off with yellow on the suns we were painting (as part of our week’s focus on letter sound “u”). We started off with yellow and asked, “what happens when you mix some red into the yellow?” They could see for themselves (and were sure to let us know!) that it made orange! Tula and Hunter decided they wanted to clean the tables and used a rag and water in order to do so. In the afternoon, friends chose work or free-play. Chef Mike came to share a fun recipe with us in the afternoon. The highlight of the activity was spreading peanut-butter on a tortilla. We had a chance to use knives to make our own snack! Most of our friends just gave the recipe a taste, but some did scarf it down! You can try it at home: Wheat tortilla, peanut-butter, banana, honey, and cinnamon.

Let me just say that it was truly an amazing week. Ashley and I try our very best to model breathing and talking through conflicts, as well as providing every one with something that’s both interesting and challenging each day. The blogs can't really do it justice. These guys were so super focused and friendly with one another this week—and we know that it is our collective effort as a class and as a community with amazing parents and other classrooms that make the toddler classroom experience extra special. Yay!


Love,
Jackie

Monday morning was fantastic as we took the time to water some of our plants! In the afternoon, yoga with Ms. Liz was a blast. She used cards with poses on them to help us figure out what poses we would do. Tuesday, we had a great circle time in the morning. Since we were focusing on trucks during the week, we used trucks with playdough! We drove on the playdough and used the trucks to pick up loads of playdough and move them. Yoga was great.

Wednesday,  we read books and had a short circle time. We got the classroom set up for a fun car race.  We raced two at a time, and every on rooted for every one.  We had friends  inspecting the vehicles as they tried to race, other friends going the wrong way, some friends standing on their feet to race, while others preferred standing on their knees. We spent the rest of the morning outside reading books and playing. In the afternoon, Daphne came for Spanish time! We learned about shapes in Spanish, like the “triangolo” and the “circulo.” After, we headed outside to end the day.

Thurday morning was fabulous.  We read books and made it a point to talk about all the shapes. We saw a  picture of a sun in a book, and one of our friends mistook it for a moon (the lines radiating from the sun were unusually short). So, we talked about how to figure out if a circle in the sky in a picture is a sun or a moon. Then, we had fun drawing huge circles on the chalkboard.  We went out and watered some plants in the garden. For Spanish time, Daphne brought her Ipad, and we took turns using a special pen to play a shape matching game. When we went outside, we used trucks to make track marks on roads using paint!

Friday started out with dance party and bubbles.  We went in for a quick circle time and snack just before going outside to make awesome “seedballs.” We mixed clay, mulch and water with wildflower seeds. We found earthrwords in the dirt, and took the time to move them to the garden for a new comfy home for them.  We used our hands to shape balls, and then went around the playground finding spots all around the playground where we might like to see wildflowers sprout.  In the afternoon, we had a fire drill. Officer Michael (aka, Cherokee’s awesome boyfriend!) Came to talk about safety! He even got in his car to do a light and siren demonstration for the kids! Afterward, you could hear our toddlers making the sounds of sirens as they pretended to drive police cars.  It was an excellent Friday!

Monday started with a great circle time focused on the letter “O” and the letter sound it makes “O” like “Octopus.” This was followed by a great work time. The barrel of monkeys—very popular—turned into a fun teamwork activity. In the afternoon, Ms. Liz came to our room to share her peaceful energy and wonderful songs and yoga moves with us. It’s great to see that after many months of practice, some days when Ashley , the yoga instructor, and I ask them to “relax” at the end of yoga, they just seem so pleased to lay and be calm for a few moments!  At the end of the day, we used beads and pipe-cleaners to make bracelets!

Tuesday, we had a great circle time and talked about Olives as part of our letter sound “O” focus.  We went outside and found “O” shaped things, and came across a hula hoop. We decided to decorate this large “O” with stickers. In the afternoon, Yoga was fantastic with Ms. Vanessa.  The singing bowl is such a joy for every one!

Wednesday morning, we used cups to stamp “o”s on paper. Then we had a great circle time.  Hunter brought a horseshoe to class and we talked about horses during the morning.  We had Montessori work time.  In the afternoon, we had to stay in, and it was a great opportunity to bust out the exciting light box!  We found “O” shaped objects in the classroom, and then used them to demonstrate different kind’s of “O’ there can be.  We also talked about circles.  Before heading outside, we read a book about trucks, and demonstrated how garbage trucks pick up trash. We each had a turn to dump a “trash can” of “trash” into the small garbage truck. Our friends were extremely engaged with this activity—and we all had a blast.

Thursday morning, we were grateful for the amazing weather. We try to enjoy the beautiful weather whenever we can. Ashley spent part of the morning giving free airplane rides to those who wanted them—what a great way to have fun! We discovered earlier in the week that our dear friend, Bruno, died, so we decided to have a burial in his honor. We told every one that Bruno was our friend, and we loved him. One day he escaped his aquarium and he could not survive-he died. We said that we wanted to burry him in the garden where he could feed future life. Nick played sad music in the background, and we all held hands and sang the Happy Family song from Barney--

I love you

You love me

We’re a happy family

With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you

Won’t you say you love me, too?

Ms. Daphne came to share Spanish with us, and she brought bowling pins! We had a blast setting up the pins and knocking them down.

Friday was a blast. We hung out outside in our usual way—with music playing and fun stuff happening.  We made delicious smoothies out of organic frozen fruit and water. We also through in some cheerios. We did some gardening and read some books.  In the afternoon we went to the deck to celebrate Miya’s birthday (Julia’s older sister!) We came inside and Chef Mike had us make some Tzatziki sauce using plain Brown Cow yogurt, lemon juice, cucumber, and fresh dill. Many of our friends really loved it and just gobbled it up.  What a greeeeeat week!