Gingerbread

During the weeks leading up to vacation, the class learned about the concepts taller/shorter, practiced number recognition and counting, practiced identifying shapes, measuring with nonstandard materials, cutting, name recognition, identifying the parts of a book, comparing and contrasting different versions of The Gingerbread Man and the difference between fiction and nonfiction.  The students engaged in various fine motor activities, practiced their cooperative play skills, worked on oral storytelling, following directions and much more.  Below you will find a few activities that supported these skills all with a gingerbread theme.

To practice the concepts of taller and shorter, the students used a foam gingerbread man and went on a hunt around the room looking for objects that were taller or shorter than their foam figure.  In small groups, the children also measured a giant gingerbread man using paper peppermint candies.  They then measured themselves next to the gingerbread man to see if they are taller or shorter.

In the block center, students were encouraged to work together to build gingerbread houses.  This large group really did a great job!

As a special treat, the students decorated gingerbread cookies.  We then created a graph illustrating which part of the gingerbread cookie they bit first.  The leg was a clear winner!

The sensory table was filled with water beads.  These tiny marble-like balls fill with water and expand.  The children had fun sending them down the marble run, scooping them into bottles and just touching the water beads with their fingers.

Our week began with the story The Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett.  It is a sweet version of the classic tale.  We discussed the characters in the story as well as its beginning and end.  This tale ends with a boy making a house for the Gingerbread Baby.  The children practiced retelling the story in dramatic play and created their own paper gingerbread houses for the Gingerbread Baby.

We read several versions of the Gingerbread man and compared/contrasted the characters, setting and endings of each book.

The Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett

The Gingerbread Man by Karen Schmidt

Gingerbread Pirates by Kristin Kladstrup

The Cowboy Gingerbread Man by Janet Squires

The Ninjabread Man by C. J. Leigh

In dramatic play the children kneaded and rolled dough, used cookie cutters and "baked" gingerbread cookies.  They also had fun in the gingerbread house and acting out the Gingerbread Baby story.

(These girls were waiting to be served by the boys above who were busy baking cookies.)

Social Thinking:
We have continued to have conversations about thoughts and feelings throughout the month.  I have been modeling my thoughts and feelings for the children and have used them as examples as well.  I introduced the children to "Kindness Kids". These are two little dolls with hearts on their bellies.  The idea is that the teachers and the Kindness Kids are looking for kindness- words and actions that make others feel happy in their heart. Whenever someone is caught spreading kindness, a heart with their kind act is added to our Kindness Tree.

Holiday Sing:

On the Friday before vacation we were visited by the Medfield High School chorus.  The children enjoyed listening and singing along to some favorite tunes.

Winter Party:
Thank you to our wonderful room parents for a great party for our preschoolers.  The children had a delicious snack, played a snowman bowling game and did a snowman craft.  Thank you also, to all of the parents who contributed to the festivities.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy New Year!