Busy Start to the School Year

We have had a very busy start to the school year!  As we enter our second month of school we are noticing the children are beginning to adjust and have become more comfortable exploring all areas of the classroom.  They are starting to show us what interests they have and in turn we are planning explorations which follow their thinking.  We have been working hard to introduce many new materials to the children and have found they really enjoy the art and sensory materials.  We really like to make messes!  We are also noticing interests in light, textures, colors and shapes.  As the children begin to develop relationships which each other, learning groups will begin to form as well.  So far we are noticing big ideas which touch on all areas curriculum areas.  Ms. McInchak is exploring capacity and movement of materials in the sand and water table.  Ms. Steele has been exploring different properties and characteristics of materials (for example last week the children explored with real and pretend natural material).   Below are some pictures of different materials we have been exploring.  We are curious to know what the children are exploring with at home too!

As the season of Fall gets into full swing we will be exploring more with fall colors for painting, different fall natural materials (like pumpkins for example) and take walks outside to observe the changes taking place on the playground.  We have already explored some gourds with the children and are eager to see what they know about pumpkins.  They have also been talking about the changes in the leaves on our trees.  We have been spending some time in the garden (the children very much enjoy this space) and have noticed some of the plants dying off, as the weather turns colder.  We will continue to discuss these changes with the children throughout the season.

Cecropia Moth

We had a special visitor this Monday morning!  Our Cecropia Moth cocoon had finally opened, revealing the largest moth any of the children (and the teachers) had ever seen.  This species of moth can grow to have a wingspan of over six inches.  At first the children were a little apprehensive about getting too close, but they soon warmed up to the moth.  You're probably wondering where this cocoon came from.  Long story short, Ms. Camardese is the crazy bug lady.  A family in the program found the caterpillar and watched it cocoon in their garage.  Feeling as though they could not provide it adequate care over the winter, they brought the cocoon to Ms. Camardese and asked if she would care for it.  Over eight months later (three months spent in Ms. Camardese's fridge) the moth finally made her presence known.  Yes, we discovered in our research that it was a female moth.

This beautiful brown, orange and red moth has a very short life span.  Their main goal in life is to find a mate.  We were shocked to learn the moth does not have a mouth or digestive organs.  The children, of course, were very curious about this and came up with some creative solutions about ways to help the moth eat.  Some thought we could use a straw or eye dropper.  Other children thought she might grow up and have a mouth later in life.  They just could not understand there was no need for the moth to eat.  We continued our research, trying to find out as much as we could about the moth.  We learned it is nocturnal, is native in much of the Northeastern United States and only lays about 10 eggs each time.  The caterpillars prefer Maple or Cherry trees as their host plant and the moths can seek each other out over seven miles away.

Realizing the moth's life was so short, we released her this morning.  The family who found her as a caterpillar came in to observe her release.  We were excited to have them there.  The girls in the family had originally named the caterpillar Bob, but when they found out it was a female they renamed her Hazel.  At first she fluttered around the garden, trying to get an understanding of where she was.  We left her in the shade of the chive plant to sort out her plan.  When we returned a half hour later the moth had disappeared.  We can only wish Hazel safe travels at this point!

Checking out Hazel one last time!

unzipping of the container

Ms. Camardese had to help Hazel out and in the right direction

Hiding under the chives from the sunshine

A close up of Hazel in the chives

When she had first emerged some time between Friday night and Saturday evening!

Pendulum Painting

On a Thursday afternoon, with a lower number of children, we decided to invite the toddlers from next door to play.  During our exploration time we were investigating with pendulum painting.  The children have been exploring motion throughout the year, but have not yet had an opportunity to use the pendulums.  We thought, why not combine one of their favorite art materials (paint) with a pendulum exploration.  So our adventure began.

At first the children seemed unsure of what to do with the paint bottle.  They noticed the paint dripping out, but were not sure how to move the bottle.  After a teacher modeled how to push the bottle to make it move the children soon jumped on board.

They were noticing the different lines and splatters the paint made as it moved across the paper.  At first we just used black paint, but later added in a few more colors.  The children then noticed the colors mixing to make new colors.  They were mindful after a few tries about the speed with which they pushed the bottle.  A few ended with splatters on their shoes or on the wall.  Oops J

As more children joined in the play, they had to figure out how to take turns.  Eventually the children began taking turns and passing the bottle across the paper to one another.  Everyone was so careful while working; they were mindful of their feet and no one stepped on the painting.

The children enjoyed collaborating with the younger toddlers.  It gave them a chance to act as a leader and share their knowledge and expertise.  They encouraged the children to engage in conversation and participate.  They were great about sharing and taking turns.  We had a blast during this exploration!

Sadly our finished work ripped (too much paint and not enough time to dry).  So we will be doing this exploration again very, very soon!  We definitely are looking forward to painting and collaborating with our new friends!

Outdoor Play

With the warmer weather we have been spending more time outside. We view the playground as an extension of the classroom environment and use the space for our lessons. One part of the playground we really enjoy is the garden. We have been observing the plants which are growing, using the flowers as inspiration for our art and thinking about which plants to grow in the different sections of the garden. We are also very excited as we will have an intern from the university helping with our garden this summer. She will be tending to the plants, improving the space and doing explorations with the children. This is a new experience for us and we are very excited to be working with more students from the university. Aside from the garden, the rest of our outdoor space is very welcoming for the children. We added sun catchers to the space earlier in the year.  These beautiful pieces catch the light and cast it around the playground. We are also looking to add more materials for our outdoor play. The children enjoy the opportunity for gross motor play. We are becoming more interested in games with our peers and have been playing a lot of catch and hide and seek. We look forward to meeting up with the other classes on the playground as well. The children have started to develop strong bonds with the children in the other toddler classroom. We are collaborating more and have been working on some art projects (see post about pendulum painting). This time to explore and use our imaginations is so important. With the coming months we will be spending more and more of our time outside. Check out some of our pictures below!

Spring has sprung....finally

Painting in the garden

Planting in the classroom

We have been waiting all winter to get out into the garden and begin exploring!  The weather has mostly been cooperating (minus the few freak cold day, let's get it together Michigan) and we have been able to venture out.  Our first few experiences in the garden have involved observations.  We have been identifying some of the plants which have started to emerge.  Many of our perennial plants are starting to sprout; we have been watching the leaves of our iris plants, as well as the day lilies emerging from beneath their winter covers.  The children have also been exploring our eating row.  Some of our herb plants (chives, salad burnet and mint) have started to grow.  The children have been tasting the leaves of these different plants.  Many of the children are very fond of the chives (sorry if they come home smelling like an onion).  Some of the other classes have started planting other items in our eating rows.  Having the eating rows helps the children develop a better understanding of where our food comes from and what we should be consuming.  We also took a trip out to the garden to do some painting.  We want the children to experience the garden in its various stages of growth, so we thought by painting the children can really look at the colors and explore how they change throughout the season.  We will be back out in the garden soon to do some more painting and sketching.  We are still preparing to plant soon.  In the classroom we have sprouted pumpkin seeds and cucumbers.  We are working to clear our the large garden space near the climber so we can plant these seeds in the ground.  We will also have a planting day for our families soon, check out your newsletter for the date!  If you have any garden knowledge, plants to share or just want to come experience the garden, let us know and we would love your help!  We are looking forward to spring and these beautiful days outside!

Exploring!

The space to clear for our pumpkins

Our garden, the butterfly row, the rainbow row,
and two eating rows

Our Bradford Pear Trees in bloom!

The iris plants

Chives!

More chives!

Our redbud tree

Mural for the Office

Our children have been commissioned to create a mural for the site director's office at the entrance for our school!  We feel honored to have been asked to create the task and the children are very excited as well.  At first we were unsure of what to create, but eventually were drawn to the idea of an ocean.  We wanted to incorporate different mediums into our piece so we began by first using tissue paper to collage.  The younger toddlers have been working on collage pieces in their classroom, so we thought they could bring some ideas to our children during afternoons where our classrooms combine.  The children REALLY enjoy glue!  We worked with the children to help them better understand the concept of collage, glue then stick down the paper and repeat.  This is a skill we are still working on.  After a few sessions of collaging, we decided to bring in paint.  The children helped pick the colors.  We used light blues, teals and purples to create the water.  During our first painting session the children used sponges.  We also used our hands and feathers during later sessions to add different effects.  The background for the mural is completed, but we are still working on adding more.  In the next few weeks we will be creating plants and coral to add more three dimensional effects to the piece.  We are also hoping to add some fish and other sea creatures to the mural.  Check out our work in progress as you drop off or pick up!