What a fun week we have had in the Giraffe room! Our theme this week was "Out of the Box!" We explored how to turn recycled items into fun experiments and toys. We used our problem solving skills, imagination and creativity! 

Fun at Home!

Want to make number/letter constellations like you'll see in the blog? It's really easy!

1.We cut construction paper into small squares (index cards work too!). 

2. On each square we drew a number. 

3. We used a single hole punch to trace the numbers on each square. 

4. Shine a strong flashlight through the card and it will look like a constellation of stars! 

Have fun taking turns looking at the numbers/letters!

Enjoy our pictures from this week!

Milk Experiment!

We looked at what happens when we put food coloring 

in milk and add drops of soap! 

The milk moved away from the soap, dragging the colors with it!

We talked about the different colors we used, as well as, 

the difference between liquids and solids. 

We discovered that the milk, food coloring, and soap were all 

liquids. However, our plate, and containers were all solid. 

Pouring the milk...

 Examining the soap more closely...

 The colors don't touch when there is no soap!

Whoa! The colors are moving away 

from the soap when Ms. Tremmel 

brings the straw close to them!

 The kids did a great job of making predictions and 

using their words to describe what they see!

 We turned paper towel rollers into stamps! 

They looked a lot like fall leaves!

 We also used the paper towel rollers to make yarn rockets (or zip-lines). 

We tried it without balloons and then with balloons. 

The kids figured out that the balloons made the rockets go faster!

We also experimented with different angles!

 The teachers made box mazes using cardboard boxes and straws! 

The students had to get the pom-poms from one X to the other. 

 Sticker tracing the numbers one and four!

Over by the counter, we have posters of all of the letters we have learned.

The students can velcro pictures that start with that letter onto the poster.

This is great pre-reading practice! 

 Letter K Kangaroos!

 We cut paper towel rolls to different sizes
and painted them an assortment of colors.

The students were encouraged to use them to sort pom-poms by color
or to create a big tunnel to put a pom-pom through.
This was fun mini engineering project!

 We filled our sensory bucket with random craft objects and 

students used the objects to make paper plate faces!

 We built a fort using sheets and played with our 

flashlight constellation numbers inside of it.

 Pumpkin playdough! 

 Ms. Dana got a her hair all fixed up! :)

 Finger painting the letter K!

For Jesus time we learned about how Jesus was able to walk on water! He can do anything! Even things we think are impossible!

See you next time!!

The leaves are changing, and so are the students in the Giraffe class! It is so great to watch them grow! This week the students explored how trees get hungry (for sunshine) and thirsty (for rain) in the fall, which causes the leaves to change colors and fall down. The students wanted to problem solve and find a way to put the leaves back - they were quite persistent! But eventually, we realized that we will just have to wait until spring for the leaves to come back. We also had fun creating pumpkin art this week to celebrate the harvest season. 

Fun at home

The season of candy is here! Why not turn the treats into an opportunity for building fine motor skills? Before handing your child a piece of candy outright, try putting it in an empty bottle or container. Opening different types of containers is a great way to strengthen hand muscles.

I hope you enjoy pictures from this week's activities!

Our sensory table explored fall materials: dried corn, (paper) leaves, straw, and pinecones

 We painted the number seven!

 We practiced counting pumpkins (0 - 10).

Students were given a field with a number on it

and placed the pumpkins on the "x"s to match the number.

To help us remember that J says "Juh," we made Jellyfish!

To help the students observe the different properties of leaves,
we made leaf rubbings! The students were excited to see the shape
and texture of the leaves come through the paper.

This week, one of our families donated a stuffed puppy to our class. 

His name is Charlie! The students have really enjoyed learning 

how to care for Charlie. They pretended to feed

him and give him water. They take him for walks and 

even potty breaks by the grass.

"Hi, Ms. Tremmel! Why are you taking my picture?"

Tracing the number seven with stickers! 

This helps us learn the contour of the number, 

as well as strengthen our fingers.

We have a new station in our house center!

Students enjoyed clipping socks on the lines.

We are working on matching and fine motor skills. 

 Students made pumpkin patches with the letters of their name. 

Each pumpkin had a letter. Students had to match the 

pumpkins to the letters on the paper to create their name.

They finished by coloring their pictures.

 Student made their own fall trees, using paper towel rolls and pom-poms!

We had to make them upside-down so that the 

pom-poms wouldn't fall off while the glue was wet.

Q-tip painting the letter J!

Mr. Kuppler came to visit! 

 We are working on being able to independently 

create faces by the end of the year.

It was fun practicing on pumpkins!

 Pumpkin play dough! (It turned out more like apple cider - but we sure tried!)

This week for Jesus time we learned about how God 

kept Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego safe from the 

fiery furnace. God is so amazing!

Nothing is impossible with his help!

 Until next time!