Sunday, March 29, 2020

Updates and Uplifts...

So these last few weeks have been so different than my "typical" life. I have NOT left my house in 10 days. Where as my normal life style included constant running to sports with my boys and many other errands that I deemed as "necessary." Our life here has been full of teaching the kids to cook and bake, chores, explorations outside, water gun fights, and so much more. Don't get me wrong...there has been plenty of arguments, disagreements, and feuds amongst  my family as we get more acquainted with a "tighter" space and lack of other activities. I have decided to share some of the fun things we have done to uplift your spirits. I will also this week have my kiddos do some of the activities I had planned for our class for this upcoming week.  I am going to e-mail you some attachments for you to print out if you would like.  During this time I want to encourage you that these kiddos are little...so let them be little. No pressure on having them "learn..." So much learning comes from, "doing" and hands-on activities.

Uplifting...
Our Friends who live in Italy were reunited as a family. Because of the outbreak there she gave birth alone without her husband and without drugs. She is the light on the other side of this tunnel. We will get through it...

I helped direct my stepmom who has some amazing sewing skills to several different places that were in need of face masks. She made of 40 and gave them out for free. The coming together of neighboring people is something to rejoice.


**Having your kiddos draw pictures can be uplifting to nursing staff, doctors,patients, and others on the front lines...I can direct you if you want your child to make cards or pictures!

My kids painting with Mo Willems
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL14hRqd0PELGbKihHuTqx_pbvCLqGbOkF

Exploring at Mount St. Francis...
This was before "just stay home"

snuggles

Cheers!

This was an activity we did with your kiddos! Kiddos at all ages love this

Mud Pie Kitchen

Water gun fights


Using Zoom to learn and hang out with friends

Cooking...

My kids decided to decorate our front yard with Halloween decoration in effort to "scare the virus away" 


Hiking in our woods

running to exercise


Cooking out


Flying High

My new workout buddy

So we are keeping busy. I would LOVE to see what you are doing...Please comment here on my blog with a picture or text me a picture. I sure miss seeing your sweet kiddos.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

St. Patrick's Day and Rainbows

I am already missing these sweet friends. While the weeks/months ahead are uncertain for everyone, I pray that all of you are staying well, getting some time together, and feeling God's peace. I myself am praying for each of your families. If there is absolutely anything that Mrs. Jennifer or I can do to be there for your families, please know we are here. Also, with uncertainty of when school will return, I will be making a blog post each week that we are out with some activities and ideas that you can do at home if you are able and are looking for things to keep your sweet one learning! The first list of ideas will be at the end of this post. :) 

As far as last week, we enjoyed another fun week in our class! We combined a few themes this week, focusing on how God wants us to all show kindness to one another as friends and also doing some fun St. Patrick's Day activities. We truly have so many sweet friends in our class! 

We read a variety of books this week, both St. Patrick's Day and friendship-themed.
 We played several fun shamrock games to practice/write our numbers and letters. We also did a fun Skittle color sort. Everyone is really progressing with all of those skills! To go along with our St. Patrick's Day theme, we made Fruit Loop rainbows and even Skittle rainbows! 

We learned through several crafts this week as well! One of my favorites was using their thumbprints to make a lucky clover for you! I also surveyed them..."If I found a leprechaun's pot of gold, I would buy a ____." (Some of these were quite funny and were saved for portfolios!)

This week we did a variety of graphs and sorting with Lucky Charms and Skittles. We continue to do a great job in the green room! One of the highlights of our week was going on our leprechaun scavenger hunt... He sure was a sneaky little guy! 

I sure hope to see these sweet smiles again soon. 


Make sure to enjoy some time together with this week officially being "spring break". However, here are some ideas for this week you might could do at home!

1. Go on a letter or number search in your yard. (I am doing this with my daughter using Easter eggs for early egg hunting!)
2. Make a rainbow using chalk together and see if your child can remember the order of the colors of the rainbow. Maybe add in jumping on the colors, writing the letter each color starts with, and writing each number as you count the colors.  
3. Challenge yourself to read 3 books together each day! In your book bag from our class, you will find a great list of activities that you can do while reading these books. 
4. Make a note/card to send to a friend you know and have your child write their name by himself (herself). If support is needed, we like to use a highlighter and them let them trace over that. 
5. Continue the "Follow Jesus" theme together, choosing another character in the New Testament who Jesus called. Here is a link to the fantastic website that the preschool follows: https://www.nhckidstime.com/copy-of-sprouts-parent-resources We didn't do the stories for the last two weeks of March. 

Making a rainbow with Fruit Loops


Fun with Pokey

Fun with Gumby

Shaving cream painting a lucky clover



Letter Hunt with Mrs. Jennifer



Color sort with skittles


Looking for a Pot of Gold in our sensory bin


Threading foam beads...



Lucky Charms sort and graph






If I found a Pot of Gold I would buy....


Making a skittle rainbow...
Have you ever wondered why they say, "Taste the rainbow" When not all of the colors of the rainbow are in a bag of skittles?" Food for thought! :)





Making a fun little clover....

Making a rainbow noodle braclet



Free coloring time...



Such an artist

Awesome smile


We have a serious shopper on our hands...and he LOVES power tools

On our Leprechaun hunt...



Found him!


Much needed parachute time...