Our NEW Classroom!!

Here it is, 8pm on Sunday night, and our new classroom is FINALLY ready for the big reveal!  It has literally taken me all week and some amazing helpers to get this done.  Before I reveal the awesomeness that is our new classroom, let's take a moment to reminisce about the old classroom....

Not too shabby, I'll admit, but now, we have this....

And another view....

And the last little corner....

And here is a more detailed look at the different play areas.  Please forgive my photography skills; the room gets amazing light, which is awesome for class time, not so great for picture-taking....

Our light table sits in the side hallway where it gets the least ambient light from the windows.  I've added a mirror here for fun reflective play.  Because this is such a small area, I've limited the number of children who can play here to two at a time.

Just outside of that little hallway is our block area, also with mirrors.  I wish I could have put the mirrors right against the floor, but the baseboards created a problem.  The white book displays in each area are made of vinyl gutter, which I had cut (not very happily) by someone at Lowe's.  Also in each area are framed reminders (rules) that come in handy with a variety of different parent helpers rotating in and out of the classroom each month.  The reminders are simple and can be read right off the sheet when the children need them, for example, "Blocks are for building."

Moving clockwise around the room, we come to our doll/house area.  We are eagerly awaiting another shelf to create a divider between the blocks and the dolls, but for now, use your imagination.  We have three new dolls with accessories as well as a dollhouse with two families and furniture.  The felt board can be used for story time but we also have plenty of open-ended pieces for the children to make up their own stories.  In the far right of the picture, we have our cleaning tools.  Those are real tools - including the child-sized vacuum - and the children will be expected to use them.  I don't foresee any issues with cleaning, it tends to be one of the more popular activities in class.

This area is our independent work area.  The items on the black shelf can be taken to the table and used by one child or by one child with a teacher.  I created this area mostly with my son in mind.  Monkey gets really involved in his play and sometimes doesn't want to be disturbed.  This corner provides a sanctuary for anyone who needs a little bit of space.  Yes, there are two chairs at each table, and it will be quite the exercise in self-control, but with such a huge classroom and only 6 children (2 of whom are my own), I'm not anticipating a major problem once everyone adjusts to the rhythm and routine of the class.

Here is closer look at the kind of invitations in the independent work area.  Small baskets of glass gems, buttons and rocks, each with a mirror; puzzles; sand tray with sandpaper letters and numerals; Montessori sorting box.  The items on this shelf will be changed every other week or monthly depending on our themes.

Next up!  Our play kitchen.  Not much has changed in our kitchen except for some new plush food, a few new tools and some fun food-related books.  The tools that are hanging on the shelf on the left may get relocated once we add a few dress-up items.  You may be wondering about the 'No Good Job' sign above the kitchen.  Not only have I hung reminders for the children, but for the adults also!  If you are still saying 'Good Job', here are some reasons to stop.  I've also provided a handy list of what to say instead - I've been reading this one a lot myself.  I may have banished empty praise from my vocabulary, but that doesn't necessarily mean I remember to replace it with anything.

Our new sensory tables are filled with rice and beans, respectively.  I have designated a special shelf for the tools that can be used in the tables.  I'll be adding to this shelf as I find new and interesting things to try.

Our art area is jam-packed with collage materials.  Each day, I plan to set an art invitation out on the table, but the children will be free to add to their creations using anything they find on the shelves.  I've also displayed a few books about art for inspiration.  There is also a small clipboard here, and in the block and light table areas, which is intended to be a place for children to formulate ideas and draw out their plans.  I am aware that conceptualizing in this way will be completely new to most of my students, but we're going to work on it together!

In the center of our room is the group work area.  The items on this shelf can be worked on with a friend or two or three (if the child desires).  Some of the activities here will be rotated on a monthly basis.  This area is kind of a science/math/language mash-up - everything relates, so why not just put it all together?  The basket on the left is full of play silks, excellent for dress-up and pretty much anything else you can imagine.  The white table on the right will be our future Peace Table.  I am compiling a basket of items - handheld labyrinth, 'mind jar', books about meditation and some other items to be determined.  The table will be a place for two children or a child and an adult or one child to go when there needs to be resolution or calming.  This is not a 'time-out' table; the children will decide when they feel the Peace Table is necessary and will have to ask for the basket of items which will be put away until needed.

On the other side of our group work area is our magnetic white board.  I will be using this board at circle time on occasion, but the children have magnetic letters and numbers as well as some shapes available at all times.  I also plan to make some fun magnetic learning activities to rotate monthly.  The green rug is our circle time rug, where we will come together each day for songs, stories and good chats. :)

Here's a quick peek at our entryway.  This little corner is just inside the front door and isn't directly attached to the classroom.  Each child has a cubby for his or her belongings.  Our nature 'table' is currently located on top of the cubbies but MAY be moved in the future.  The entryway also houses parent info such as our calendar, daily rhythm and co-op sign up sheet.

That about sums it up!!  I hope you enjoyed the tour of our new classroom and I look forward to seeing it in action for the first time tomorrow!!

Under the Sea with Swimmy!

I absolutely adore Swimmy by Leo Lionni, not only because the story is one of resilience and courage, but also because the artwork is just stunning.

Inspired by my recent vacation at the beach, I dove headfirst into a week of under the sea adventures all inspired by Swimmy.

At this point, I must confess that I may also have chosen this book because of the watercolor illustrations and the fact that it's the end of the year and I'm pretty much out of every art supply except my handy liquid watercolor.

We started off with some very ambitious sea anemones, which got more complicated as the week went on and could even be more complicated if you have the time and the kiddos have the patience.  

Our first attempt was just the anemone, partially invented by my artsy husband when I told him I wanted it to look 3-D.  

By the second attempt, I decided we should wet on wet watercolor the paper first to give the anemone somewhere to reside.

Next I did a lantern-type design to make the bottom of the anemone stick out from the paper.  These had to be glued and allowed to dry before the final step.

Finally, we used yarn soaked in a thin water/glue mixture to create the tentacles.

If you have older children, you could expand from here and add sand or rocks to create the sea floor or even add some happy little clown fish. :)

One of my favorite illustrations in the book is the picture of the jellyfish.  I had high hopes that with more wet on wet watercolor, we could come close to the original.

Not too shabby, if you ask me!

Sometimes, we create projects that I really regret sending home before taking a picture of all of them together - this was one of those projects - they were all unique and equally beautiful!

The third project I had planned was never completed, but while perusing the local grocery store, I came across some awesome fish stickers and picked up a few for my Parent's Night Out kiddos.

Back to that good ole watercolor!

And the little ones all went home with their very own fishbowl!

What are your favorite ocean-themed books?  I love recommendations!

Baby Sensory Play: Sounds with Found Objects

If I didn't have a preschool, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have any toys.  In fact, I'm fairly certain the toys are here just to make parents feel better - the kids would (and do) play with just about anything - the more open-ended, the better!

My own children, especially Bear, are fascinated with kitchen objects.  Monkey usually cooks - and sometimes builds - with things he finds in the kitchen, but Bear likes to bang, rub and roll everything he finds and delights in the various noises he can make.

In my Mom's house, there is one kitchen cabinet the kiddos are allowed to explore.  It contains plastic storage containers and a few random objects such as a pan for the grill, a stainless steel water bottle, some ice cube trays and a lobster pot.

When I introduced this cabinet to Bear, Monkey quickly stepped in and took control of a few choice items and started cooking and creating.  Bear was left with an ice cube tray and a plastic lid, in which he quickly lost interest.

BUT, a few hours later, when Monkey had settled down for a nap, Bear happened upon his creation and started exploring.

Metal water bottle lid, metal grill pan, bang, bang, bang, rub, rub, rub!!  Bear was so pleased, he babbled, danced, smiled, giggled, and entertained himself for longer than most people think a baby can.

Then he made a new discovery!  Different materials make different sounds!  More banging, more fun!

Eventually, Bear got so excited that he forgot to hang on to the table and had a little tumble, but once all the materials were moved to the floor, he kept right on exploring.  He played with these five or six objects for over 30 minutes, finding various ways to make sounds.

So, what are you waiting for?  Get in the kitchen and start digging out fun stuff!!  Let's see what the kiddos can do with it!!

Backyard Exploration with Kiwi Crate 'Nature Explorer'

Just a disclaimer-type statement before I start: I'm not a spokesperson for Kiwi Crate, I am a paying subscriber and I (and Monkey) happen to think Kiwi Crate is pretty awesome.  If you wanna get in on the action, you can get your very own Kiwi Crate here.

When June's Kiwi Crate arrived, I was ecstatic.  The theme was 'Nature Explorer' and one of the crafts was a nature collection box with scavenger hunt cards.  Being desert-dwellers, nature exploration pretty much comes to a complete standstill in the summer, but I knew the box would be perfect for my Mom's yard in New Jersey, so into the luggage it went and after four days of this....

...we finally had a sunny day just right for exploring.  Monkey started with a color hunt, and found purple, yellow and green on his own, but then he decided he wanted a hunting partner, so Bear and I headed outside to lend a hand.  After we filled up the color card, Monkey decided to move on to shapes.

At first he rushed through, just trying to fill each slot with something and then run inside to show Daddy what he'd found, but after a few hurried hunts, he really started to slow down and examine everything before placing it in the appropriate section of the collection box.

While we were hunting, we also had a discussion about being gentle with the trees and plants in the yard and only taking a tiny sample of each thing for the collection box.  "See, Mom, it's tiny!"

Finally, Monkey decided to use the most specific scavenger hunt card with pictures of a flower, rock, stick, grass, leaf and clover.  He was actually able to find all of those things in the yard, a task which would be nearly impossible in our yard and he was thrilled!

And what did my little guy say on our very first visit to the mailbox after we returned from our vacation???  

"Maybe I'm going to have another Kiwi Crate!!"

A Summer of 'Firsts'

I've seen a lot of summer 'bucket lists' floating around lately.  They are filled with amazing and usually very simple activities to make your summer something to remember.  I can't say I made any sort of list, which is actually a bit odd since I tend to be a compulsive list-maker, however, I can say that I'm amazed how many firsts we fit into our short vacation this summer.

Monkey's first swim in a lake.

Bear's first up close encounter with a dog - and she was AWESOME with the kids!

Monkey's first fish!  

Caught with my Mickey Mouse fishing rod from when I was his age.

Bear's first feel (and taste) of real grass.

Monkey's first street festival/carnival rides and fun house.

Bear's first nature exploration.

Monkey's first attempt at Frisbee.

Bear's first visit to the beach.

Monkey's first ice cream cone.

The ice cream truck lady actually tried to talk me out of the cone - how can you deprive a kid of an experience like THIS??!!

 Yup, I don't know either, Monkey.

 

This visit was also the first time Bear met my Mom, which is probably the most important 'first' of all.

 

 

What are your little ones experiencing for the first time this summer??

 

 

 

 

Baby Fine Motor Play: Block Drop

When you travel about 2500 miles for a vacation at the beach, you have to pack wisely or get bogged down with every possible thing you might end up needing while spending a week in a non-baby-proofed house with a very curious baby.

You may find yourself getting creative keeping that curious baby away from dangerous and breakable objects, which is exactly how I found myself during our recent trip to N. Cape May, NJ to visit my Mom.

Bear had little interest in the blocks, stuffed animals and trucks we leave at my Mom's place specifically for our visits and was crawling at lightning speed to anything he could find that might feel, taste or sound new.  We don't want to discourage our little guy's exploratory nature, so we had to look around for things that weren't his typical playthings, but wouldn't end up shattered into a million pieces.

Fortunately, Mom orders water that comes in handy baby-friendly 3 gallon jugs.  When Bear showed interest in the extra bottles on the floor near the dispenser, I grabbed an empty jug and showed him a brand new (made up on the fly) game: Block Drop!

At just over 9 months old, Bear is showing an interest in cause and effect activities and has the dexterity to plop a block through the top of a water jug, and he was off!

This game actually required quite a bit of skill and patience.  If the block went into the jug just a little bit crooked, it would get caught and he'd have to start again.  He stuck with it, though, and was very proud when he got the block into the jug.

Yeah, Bear, you did it!

After a few days, though, things needed to be spiced up and I happened to pass a display of ping-pong balls at the local grocery store.  And so the game became Ball Drop!

 

    PLOP!