During February we had several Valentine's theme activities in the classroom.
Our dramatic play area turned into a post office where each of the children had their own mailbox. Children could pretend to be postal workers selling stamps, envelopes and boxes or sorting mail from our letterbox. Blue postal shirts helped the students get into this role. However, what proved to be more popular was the writing center that was moved next to the dramatic play area. Here students could write out postcards to their family and friends. Students were able to draw pictures, use stamps, decorate with stickers and most importantly practice writing their names and the names of their friends. Once a postcard was finished and addressed, students could "mail" them in our class letterbox and then wait for them to be sorted and delivered by our postal workers.
Our math focus continued to be shapes. Students continued to work with circles and rectangles, but were also introduced to the square and triangle. Comparisons were made between a square and a rectangle. Students worked on building big squares using smaller squares and other shapes such as triangles and rectangles. We also read a story called, Not a Box in which a rabbit's imagination turns a box into new things such as a race car, a rocket ship and a pirate ship. Students created a class book with their own ideas about what a box could be if one used their imagination.
We also read two multicultural shape books that introduced the class to various things found in the Chinese and Mexican cultures. The children had to search for shapes on each page all the while learning about the different cultures.
In the block center students attempted to build famous structures that are a triangular shape.
The children also created heart hot air balloons for our bulletin board display by painting with a mix of paint and shaving cream.
Our playdoh center became a chocolate factory with chocolate playdoh and all. Children used molds to make small chocolates, cake pops and cookies which they then placed in decorative boxes. Lots of great fine motor work and collaboration went on in this center.
Thank you to our room parents for a great Valentine's Party! The children had so much fun! Thank you to everyone who contributed to the party as well.
Special Guests:
Mr. Ken came to visit our class this month which is always a blast for both the children and adults!
Miss Nicole served as one of our Mystery Readers and read one of her sons' favorite books, How to Be a Pirate by David Shannon.
We also had another mystery reader this month which was so exciting for the class and made one little girl very happy!
We celebrated three birthdays this month!
