We concluded our study of our five senses with scented paints and a discussion about our sense of taste. The children had the chance to participate in a taste test to see which tastes they enjoy most- sweet, sour, salty, or bitter. Below are pictures of the children biting into bitter black licorice.
Centers
During centers the children had a variety of activities to choose from including water beads, a roll and cover math game, beginning sounds, activities, creating patterns, counting and cutting. Below students are at the writing table creating cards for family members.
Students also practiced letter identification as they went on a letter scavenger hunt around the room.
Our math discussions led us to talking about the concepts of heavy and light. The children were introduced to a balance scale as a way to compare two items.
Also available during free play were Magnatiles (with jingle bells), and a present wrapping station. This provided great fine motor work between cutting, folding and taping.
Students used playdoh to create letters and cookie cut outs.
New this past month, the Leader of the Day has taken on the responsibility of leading the class in reciting the letters of the alphabet, their key words and their sounds. Children then use magnetic boards, chalkboards and wooden pieces to make letters.
Our Holidays Around the World study opened our eyes to the African American holiday of Kwanzaa. As with previous holidays, we made the connection to lights and the children learned about the Kinara, which is lit each of the nights of Kwanzaa. They then created their own Kinara out of paper. Finally, the children took turns lighting the candles on the class Kinara as we learned what each one stands for while reading the book My First Kwanzaa by Karen Katz.
During our study of Hanukkah, we played the Dreidel game.
Our study of the holiday Las Posadas also included a tale about the origin of the pointsettia. Students then created their own star-shaped flower using tissue paper. This is another great fine motor activity to strengthen finger muscles needed for writing.
It was certainly a treat to have snow to play in for so many days!
We had a wonderful time during our winter party just before vacation. The children enjoyed building structures with gumdrops, played bingo, broke open a pinata, decorated gingerbread cookies and celebrated a friend's 5th birthday!
When we learned about Las Posadas, we discussed how each night neighbors and family had a fiesta and during the party the children would get to break open a pinata. The students and I made our own pinata out of crepe paper and a cardboard box. We stuffed it with treats and then the children had a blast trying to break it open.
The children also decorated gingerbread cookies.
Finally, they all practiced their drawing and listening skills as we did a directed drawing of a reindeer. It is so amazing to see how different each of the reindeer turned out.
